Dudes22 (Betty's) 2017 Reading Quotes

Here I am all excited to start a new year of reading. My name is Betty and I’ve been a member of LT since Jan, 2008 so the beginning of 2017 will mark my 9th anniversary. I live in Rhode Island and am moving in the spring about ½ hour further south than where we live now. I really want to work on my series books, and my TBR pile (but I say that every year), and all those books I’ve wanted to read and haven’t gotten to, and all those book bullets….so no theme this year. And, despite the fact that the CATs and kits all sound so interesting, I’ve decided to limit myself to the Random Cat and the Bingo Dog, but I’m putting in a place for the Awards CAT just in case.

I seem to find that each book I read has one sentence that really reaches out to me, so I’ll be using quotes as my theme for this year

I set my goal at 100 books each year and I’d like 75 of those to come from my TBR pile.

2. Tickers & Stats

Books Read:




Books from TBR Pile:




Books Added to TBR in:
2017: 6
2016: 8
2015: 5
2014: 1
2013: 1
2012:
2011: 2
2010: 2
2009:

JAN-FEB Books:

1. The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
2. A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install
3. Playing With Books by Jason Thompson
4. The Camel Club by David Baldacci
5. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
6. The Mothers by Brit Bennett
7. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
8. The Jasmine Moon Murder by Laura Childs
9. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
10. The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder
11. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
12. The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
13. The Talk Show Murders by Al Roker
14. Die Trying by Lee Child
15. The Bee's Kiss by Barbara Cleverly
16. Something Blue by Ann Hood
17. Make Me by Lee Child
18. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson
19. Waking Kate by Sarah Addison Allen

MAR-APR Books:

20. Death Without Company by Craig Johnson
21. When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin
22. An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor
23. Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
24. The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas
25. Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn
26. Doc by Mary Doria Russell
27. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
28. Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with the Wild Turkey by Joe Hutto
29. The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
30. The Black Ice by Michael Connelly

MAY-JUN Books:

DNF: Murder in the South of France by Susan Kiernan-Lewis
31. The Bells of Burracombe by Lilian Harry
32. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
33. Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
34. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
35. The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
36. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
37. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson

JUL-AUG Books:

SEP-OCT Books:

NOV-DEC Books:

RANDOM CAT:

Jan: A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install (Search & Rescue)
Feb: The Bee's Kiss by Barbara Cleverly (Yours, Ours and Mine)
Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson
Mar: An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor (Luck O' the Irish)
Apr: Doc by Mary Doria Russell (Love in the Stacks)
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with the Wild Turkey by Joe Hutto
May:
Jun: The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
Jul:
Aug:
Sep:
Oct:
Nov:
Dec:

BINGO DOG:



Bingo Wiki: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/2017_BingoDOG

1. A Satire:
2. Set in a Country You've Never Been: An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor
3. Color in Title: A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
4. Set in a Place You Want to Visit:
5. One Word Title
6. Author Uses Initials:
7. Appeals to the Senses:
8. Published from 1940's - 1960's
9. Made into a Movie: The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
10. Short Stories:
11. Book About Books: Playing With Books by Jason Thompson
12. Title Refers to Another Literary Work:
13. Read A Cat: The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
14. Author Shares Your First and Last Initial:
15. Owned More Than 5 Years:
16. Science Related:
17. Author Born in the 1930's:
18. Author Abroad:
19. Author Born/Published in 1917:
20. Debut Work:
21. Book or Title About an Animal: The Camel Club by David Baldacci
22. Place Name in Title: The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
23. Set in a Beach Community or Resort:
24. Set in a Time Before You Were Born: The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas
25. Next Book in a Series: How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

AWARDS CAT:

Jan: The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer - Costa 2013 First Novel
Feb: The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder - TOB 2017 shortlist
Feb: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jan Anders - TOB 2017 shortlist
Feb: A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler - TOB 2016 shortlist
Mar: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson - 2007 Newbery Honors
Mar: The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas - 2003 Spur Award
Apr: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - 2017 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award longlist
May: How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny - 2014 Edgar Nominee

I think that's it for the time being. Now to catch up with all the new threads for 2017....

>8 dudes22: I love this quote! It is my life goal ;) Great setup. Enjoy your reading year and good luck with the move!

What great quotes! >6 dudes22: is my favorite.

Great quotes! Happy reading!

I love Dr. Suess, now and always. Here's wishing you a great reading year...with lots of BBs to me (I have an empty cranny or two).

Great to see you all set up and ready to start 2017, Betty. I love the quotes.

Great quotes! Looking forward to following along with you in 2017.

Beautiful quotes. Enjoy your reading! :)

Thanks all - I've already got quite a list of books I'd like to get to next year.

>9 dudes22: I have a cat who is always eyeing my bookshelves as if he'd like to sit like that if all the books weren't in the way. (How dare I have even one part of the house arranged in a way that is not convenient to him!)

I'm not much of a cat person, but I used that picture a couple of years ago and liked it enough to use it again.

Love the quotes that you have chosen!

Thanks.

All the quotes are really good.

Great quotes. Wishing you lots of luck with the challenge and a great year of reading.

Great quotes! Good luck with your challenge!

Looks like you have yourself mostly set up for a stress-free year of reading whatever you choose!

Hi Betty!

Welcome all - I'm trying to make my way through all the threads and it's slow going.

I love you book cats. They seem to feel quite at home on the shelf. Have a wonderful year!

Hi, Betty! Happy New Year -- and happy reading!

I have your thread starred.

I was just saying over on VictoriaPL's thread that I saw a cute list of things to do to survive the Snowpocalyse that many of us are facing tonight. So I thought I might as well post it to my thread too:

A local magazine posted these:

1. Stock up on milk and bread. Obviously.
2. While you're at the market, might as well pick up other food that you might need to eat an actual meal instead of subsisting off bread and milk like a Dickensian street urchin.
3. Hold up the entire line like there's no one else waiting while you look for that expired coupon for milk and/or bread.
4. Act like it has never snowed before. Ever.
5. Gather the supplies you'll need if there's an extended power outage: candles, flashlights, warm blankets, booze, satellite phone, animal pelts, whale blubber, a trashcan to throw through the front window of whatever store you're planning to loot.
6. Call a parent, grandparent, or older relative so they can remind you how this is nothing compared to the Blizzard of 78. (this was a New England thing)

There were a few more, but you get the idea.

We had a couple of inches last night and they're predicting anywhere from 5-15 inches where I am tomorrow depending on "how the storm tracks". I've got books and tea - that's good enough for me.

I live twenty minutes from VictoriaPL, and the rain has taken on a decidedly icy sound as it hits the ground. I'm not driving anywhere tomorrow until it's melted.

This a.m.'s news has us right on the edge between 5-10 and 8-15. I might try to take a run out to the farmer's market early if it's not snowing too bad. Then I'm in. I think I'll finish taking down the Christmas decorations. I have some Mexican chocolate I brought back last year and some whipped cream and I'm making corned beef and cabbage for a nice hearty supper. And I'm going to go through all the threads here that I haven't gotten to yet.

One more weather thing - The weather person on TV just said -"We're not going to have a lot of liquid, it's just going to fluff up quite a lot."

>34 dudes22: Sounds remarkably like our hurricane preparedness list ;)

>34 dudes22: I hope Snowpocalypse hasn't been as severe as predicted, or if it is, that you are well supplied and have some good reads!

Here in central Scotland, it's a bit foggy and generally meh, and I was inclined to moan about it, until remembering I need to appreciate being able to get out and about and not have to deal with idiots buying every last loaf of bread and roll of toilet paper!

Hi Betty! We had about 3 inches here overnight. I did my grocery shopping Thursday, and I went to the neighborhood Dollar General to pick up a few more items last night before the snow started. I really wanted another container of Mrs. Grissom's gourmet chicken salad with cranberries & pecans before they ran out. I had picked some up earlier in the week and it's absolutely delicious! Also picked up some bread and eggs while I was there. ;-)

Hope you're nice and warm and curled up with your book and tea.

>38 majkia: - Jean - yes - very like the hurricane list except they add " tie down things that blow around" for a hurricane.

>39 Jackie_K: - Jackie - Funny, I've never see TP on the list of things you should get, but it is practical.

>40 cbl_tn: - Carrie - Three inches isn't too bad. we had about 2.5 yesterday, so todays will be on top of that.

>41 LittleTaiko: - Stacy - yes, I'm am thanks. And finished my first book this year.

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
Jan Award Cat: Costa 2013 First Novel Winner
Bingo Block: Read a CAT

Book Quote:
”I’m a person who reads a lot of meaning into stuff, forever hunting out the small print.”

Written in the first person, Matthew Homes tries to understand what happened ten years ago on the night his brother died. His mental illness makes the story read disjointedly and sometimes hard to keep in perspective. The author keeps the voice through-out the book, sometimes less disjointed in the characters better times and more disjointed during his worse times. I found the ending very satisfying.

A good book to start off the year.

ETA: I also notice that I took this as a BB from Pete (psutto) back in 2014.

This morning's news said our town got 11" of snow, so lots of shoveling today. There was a lot of blowing the snow around so I'm not sure how they know. Looking at the hood of my car, it doesn't seem like that much. Luckily we have a snow blower, so not as bad.

A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install
Jan Random CAT

I took this as a BB from Jennifer (whitewavedarling) last year and when she said it would work for this month's Random Cat, I decided to get it from the library now. I wasn't too thrilled by the main character for the first 25-30 pages, but decided to keep on with it and I'm glad I did.

Tang, a semi-broken robot, shows up in Ben's garden one day. Ben's been having his own set of troubles - he can't get a job, his wife isn't very happy with him these days, and he doesn't know how to fix things. He decides that he needs to find out where Tang came from and try to get him fixed. Thus begins an adventure as they travel the world to try and get Tang fixed.

There was something about this story that I really enjoyed after I got into it. I can understand why Jennifer made such a big deal about it.

>34 dudes22: Boy, there are a lot of threads to read through this year! I finally made it over here Betty! Thanks for visiting. I'm still looking for some whale blubber, LOL. Brrrrr.

We had a huge rainstorm last night which melted almost all the snow from this past weekend and the temperature is supposed to reach 50F today, almost 40 deg more than Mon. Almost spring like today.

>34 dudes22: I was attending college in the Bronx in '78 and I remember it well. (Oh, my! I'm a codger!)

>38 majkia: Except rum and/or beer would be on the shopping list! At least one doesn't have to worry about keeping warm during a hurricane!

>48 mamzel: - re:34 - I had left 2 weeks before for basic training for the Air Force (in Texas) and so missed the whole thing.

We used to joke that when a storm was predicted, my mother wanted to make sure she had wine and cigarettes; I'd add ice cream and cookies.

Book 3: Playing with Books by Jason Thompson
Bingo Block: Book about Books

Book Quote:
"Who among us doesn't love books?"

So a little background: In the process of packing, I realized that I was woefully behind in sorting and putting my pictures in albums. So I decide to finally indulge myself and order an album from a local book binding company Rag and Bones Bindery. I've bought albums from them before as gifts, but never indulged in one for myself. While I was on their website, I noticed that one of the founders had written this book and since the local library had a copy, I ran by this am to pick it up.

The subtitle of this book is "The Art of Upcycling, Deconstructing and Reimagining the Book". It's a book of various projects that show how you could repurpose old, unloved books into practical or artistic pieces and the techniques you would use to do this. At the end there is a gallery showing various pieces that different artists are doing and telling a little about each artist. I even saw a couple of projects that I might actually try.

Glad to see you have been surviving through the winter weather your area has been plagued with!

>51 lkernagh: - Actually Lori, except for the storm last weekend, it hasn't been that bad. And 2 days after the storm we had temps in the 50s and it rained so it's all gone.

>46 VictoriaPL: Like Victoria, I'm still making my way around to all the threads - maybe by the end of January??

Anyway, love your quotes. I received The Shock of the Fall as a gift in 2014 (shame on me for not getting to it yet) - your review pushes it up the TBR pile.

>53 LisaMorr: - Thanks for stopping by - the number of threads can be daunting at the beginning of the year.

Book 4: The Camel Club by David Baldacci
Bingo Block: Book or Title about an Animal

I'm not usually much for governmental conspiracy books, but I had liked Baldacci's King and Maxwell series and a friend said this series was good to so I decided to give it a try. Like many, there are lots of interconnected pieces that finally all come together at the end. And a flawed hero or two.

In this book, Oliver Stone (not his real name) spends parts of his days sitting camped across from the White House watching what goes on. He and 3 friends (known to themselves as "The Camel Club") get together regularly to discuss conspiracy theories. And when he and his friends accidentally witness a murder, they get drawn into a conspiracy themselves. There are other good guys and lots of bad guys and lots of moving parts that all come together at the end.

One of the things the author did really well was to explain the history of the Middle East/United States conflict in the course of the book. Because it's been going on for so long, and because of when this book was published, I have trouble knowing if some of the things he wrote about had actually happened at the time the book was written or if they were just prophetic. I gave the book an extra 1/2 * because of that. If you're into governmental conspiracy books, this is a good one. It will be interesting to see if the author can keep up the interest in the next book in the series.

On a sad note: We had to let our 14.5 year old border collie Gracie go over the Rainbow Bridge this week. This is a picture of her with her favorite outside toy, an old boat fender. We got her almost by accident - a friend's daughter had bought Gracie for her grandfather who didn't want her, the daughter couldn't keep her, a brother kept her only a couple of days as the cats in the house didn't want a dog. Our friend called and asked if we wanted to keep her for an afternoon (we had been considering a dog off and on) and my husband said, "Bring her kennel and we'll try it overnight". I knew right then she wouldn't leave. She was more attached to my husband, followed him everywhere, loved going for rides in the car every day ( after the first year when she would throw up in the car every time) until she couldn't anymore. She was a good dog. She will be missed.

>56 dudes22: Betty, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Gracie. What a lovely girl! I know that your fond memories of her will be a comfort as you and your husband pass through this difficult time.

I'm sorry to hear about Gracie. Such a pretty girl! She sounds like a character, too -- I love her choice of outside toy :)

I'm so sorry for your loss, Betty. I can imagine how much you will miss her affection and companionship.

Condolences on Gracie. She was lucky to have gotten to live her life with you.

Sorry for your loss. I know they are like family members.

Sorry to hear of your loss, Betty. My father-in-law always had a border collie so I know what a wonderful dog Gracie must have been.

Very sorry to read about the loss of Gracie. What a sweet looking dog and a true companion.

>57 VictoriaPL: - >58 rabbitprincess: - >59 cbl_tn: ->60 RidgewayGirl: ->61 Tess_W: ->62 DeltaQueen50: - >63 lkernagh: -Thank you all so much for you kind thoughts. I know many of you have lost pets in the past and so understand the loss.

I'm so sorry to hear about Gracie - she looks like a beautiful dog. I hope the dog-shaped hole in the house isn't too gaping for too long :(

>65 Jackie_K: - Thanks.

Book 5: Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Book Quote:
"We are conduits for happiness," she whispered to her. "Remember that."

Ms Addison writes what I would call enjoyable reads. Interesting characters, a bit of magical realism, and not too much angst. Kate's husband has died a year ago and only now is Kate beginning to come back to life after spending the year in a fog. Her mother-in-law has been "helping", and now Kate and her daughter are supposed to move in with her. Finding a post card from her great-aunt while packing, Kate decides on a whim to take her daughter to see her aunt at Lost Lake, a summer camp/resort that she last visited when she was 12.

Just the type of book I needed now.

So sorry to hear about your loss.

So sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. I know how hard it is. Glad to see that you have found a comfort read to help with the tough time.

>56 dudes22: Sorry to read about Gracie. It's hard to lose our furry friends. I lost a pet dog on the same day Elvis died, and I was definitely more upset about my dog.

Betty, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sure it was a very hard decision for your family. From her photo you can tell she was loved and beautiful.

>68 LisaMorr: - >69 LittleTaiko: - >70 thornton37814: - >71 VioletBramble: - Thank you all so much. There have been some difficult moments the past week, but it was the right time.

Book 6: The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Book Quote:
"After a secret's been told, everyone becomes a prophet."

The mothers in the title refer to a group of older church women who provide commentary in the book in a gossipy style that enriches the story. The book is about three teenagers, Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey and how secrets that they all kept ended up hurting all of them throughout their lives. Both Nadia and Aubrey have lost their mothers, although differently and this is also a reference to the title. I thought the writing was very polished for a debut novel and the "voice" of the novel drew me into the story. The ending made me wish I knew more about what happened to these characters.

I am so sorry about the loss of your beautiful dog Gracie. I'm glad she had a wonderful life with your family.

>73 dudes22: I have this book and I'm anxious to read it. Very soon!

Book 7: My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

Book Quote:
"...we never knew, and never would know, what it would be like to understand another person fully."

Although a lot of people really like this book, I was only so-so about it. I never felt fully connected to the main character and I never felt I understood what the author was trying to say. I kept reading to see what would happen and nothing ever did. I'll be interested to see how this does in the Tournament of Books and what book it goes up against first.

>73 dudes22: - My book club meets next week to discuss this one - should be a lively conversation as there is much to mull over.

>75 dudes22: - I'm in complete agreement with you on this one. I never could understand the fuss over this book, definitely my least favorite of Strout's books.

>75 dudes22: I didn't like any of the characters and didn't connect either.

>74 luvamystery65: - first off, Roberta, I meant to thank you for your kind thoughts. Next, I hope you like the book.

>76 LittleTaiko: - >77 thornton37814: - Glad to know it's not just me.

Book 8: The Jasmine Moon Murder by Laura Childs

Book Quote:
"This whole thing just keeps getting mysteriouser and mysteriouser."

Another book in the Laura Child Tea Shop series which takes place in Charleston, SC and always makes me wish there really was a tea shop like the one in the book.

>79 dudes22: It's a shame there isn't one down in the historic section of Charleston just like it. I keep hoping some entrepreneur will establish one, and I try to see if one was created each time I visit my favorite Southern city. Of course, they'd need to change the names of the baker to "Haley" and the teamaster to Drayton. ;-)

>80 thornton37814: - Of course!

I won't be finishing any more books today, so I think I'll go ahead and post my summary for this month.

Monthly Review:

Books Read: 8 (total - 8)
TBR Pile Books: 3 (total - 3)
Library Books: 5 (total - 5)
Bingo Blocks: 3 (total - 3)
Best book this month: The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Comment – Not too many books off my TBR this month as I’ve been reading some of the Tournament of Books books which were not in my TBR and the two challenges I’m doing were BBs I needed to get from the library. I think Feb (when we go away on vacation) will be more from my TBR.

I went to a local used/rare bookstore today to see if I could sell some books that came from my mothers house and some postcards. No idea why I have been holding on to them, but I'm determined to get rid of things before the move. Anyway, as I was leaving with the books they didn't want, I tripped and wiped out in the gravel. Tore my favorite old jeans and put a lovely sized gash in my knee. It should be quite attractive in a couple of weeks when we go on vacation and I'm wearing shorts and a bathing suit.

>83 dudes22: War wounds. The salt water will be great for healing, though.

>83 dudes22: Oh no! I'm so sorry...

Yeowch! And to have that happen to your favourite jeans, too! That just adds insult to injury.

Now it will no longer count as vacation and will instead be counted as a convalescence. This means one extra cocktail or fruity beverage each day, for recuperative reasons, and the promise of another vacation, to be taken later when your knee can enjoy it properly.

So sorry to hear about your accident. I hope the trip (not the fall) to the bookstore was worth it and you were able to get rid of a fair amount of books.

>83 dudes22: I hate when things like that happen. I hope you are okay. So awful to lose favorite clothes in the process of feeling like a "klutz." I've been there, done that.

>84 mamzel: - Didn't think of that.

>85 VictoriaPL: - Thanks

>86 rabbitprincess: - They were old. But so comfy and just the right color. Now I'll need to find and break in a new pair.

>87 RidgewayGirl: - Yum! Extra drinks!

>88 DeltaQueen50: - Not as much as I had hoped.

>89 thornton37814: - It's on a rather busy 2 lane road near the university, so plenty of cars zipping by.

Book 9: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Feb Award Cat: 2107 Tournament of Books Shortlist

Book Quote:
"I think that the most basic thing of ethics is being aware of how your actions affect others, and having an awareness of what they want and how they feel."

This science fiction book is about Laurence, who is an engineering genius, and Patricia, who is magically gifted, and their friendship through the years. The first part of the story takes place when they are in middle school and become friends because they are both being bullied. Then they meet again when they are adults in San Francisco. Because I'm not much of a science fiction reader, I suspect I didn't appreciate the story and writing as much as I might have otherwise. I liked the first part of the story when they were young, but not as much after that.

I just started The Throwback Special which is about football. In the second sentence they mention the "flea flicker" which is my favorite football play and one that the Patriots used during the AFC championship game. Whoo Hoo! Go Pats! For those not familiar with it, the flea flicker (could also be one word) is a play designed to fool the defense into thinking the play is a run when it's actually a pass. The quarterback hands the ball off to a running back who goes forward but not past the line of scrimmage and then tosses the ball back to the quarterback who throws it downfield, hopefully being caught. It's a thing of beauty, I tell you. When it works.

Sorry to hear about your beautiful dog. So sad when our friends leave us. ♥

Thanks Eva.

Sorry to hear about the tumble you took and the damage inflicted to your knee and your favorite pair of jeans! Here is hoping your recovery is quick and the war wound isn't too noticeable when you are on vacation.

There's a big, ugly scab there now, so maybe it will fall off before we leave.

so - it's 61 F (16C) here today (I didn't even wear a coat to do errands) and tomorrow we're supposed to have 10 inches (25 cm) of snow. Wacky!

We had a yucky snow/ice pellet/rain mix today, the temps rose above zero, and tonight and tomorrow the lows are going to be back down around minus 15 or minus 20 Celsius! Weird indeed.

Book 10: The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder
Feb Award CAT: 2017 Tournament of Books shortlist

Book Quote:
"The good moments, it is true, were always this way, interstitial and unacknowledged."

The author has written a book about 22 men who gather each November to recreate the famous play during the 1985 Redskins-Giants game when Lawrence Taylor sacked quarterback Joe Theismann and broke his leg in two places, ending his career. It's about how men internalize and tend not to share their thoughts with others and all the various thoughts and dreams they have. I think the reason this book didn't work well for me was because there was no explanation of how these men ever came together to do this in the first place.

So sorry to hear about Gracie, she was a beautiful dog. Sorry also to hear of your fall. Your scar will elicit lots of sympathy when you are wearing shorts on vacation!

Thanks to your explanation of some football moves, I can impress my son with my knowledge!

Thanks for your sympathy, Vivienne. It's still hard to believe that she's not there when I come home and go into the house.

There was an explanation of the flea flicker in the book also. It isn't used very often and is considered a "trick" play, but it's my favorite (if it works as it should).

>99 dudes22: - It's funny, I find myself still thinking about this book and primarily it's because I really want to know how they all met. For some reason I have it in my head that they all met in a bar somewhere. I'm not sure if I got that idea from an interview with the author or if it's just where it seems like they should have met. Or, maybe it's where the author got the idea. Who knows? Really enjoyed how he got inside their heads though.

Nice to know, Stacey, that I'm not the only one who was wondering that. I really think the author could have made the book just a little longer and expanded on a few things. (i.e. there was so little about Adam - he came , he went - with little explanation).

Book 11: A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
Feb Award CAT: 2016 Tournament of Books Shortlist
BINGO BLOCK: Color in the Title

Book Quote:
" 'The trouble with dying...is that you don't get to see how everything turns out. You won't know the ending.' "

This novel by Anne Tyler piqued my interest when it was shortlisted for the TOB last year. I like to read family sagas and this one spans over 70 years in the lives of the Whitshank family, Red, Abby, and their 4 children. The story moves back and forth through time, only telling the beginning of the story at the end.

>104 dudes22: I liked that one even less than you did.

Book 12: The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri

Book Quote:
"He liked the verb 'dawdle', tambasiare in Sicilian, which meant poking about from room to room without a precise goal, preferably doing pointless things."

I've read about this series here on Lt for a while now and have finally started it after finding a copy of the first in the series on the FOL shelves last year. The main character, Inspector Montalbano, is one of those detectives who doesn't depend on modern devices to solve crimes, but rather talks to people and analyzes what he hears to solve the crime. Although there were parts of this first book that I found distasteful, I'll read at least one more to see if it was part of the story being told or something the author does/uses all the time.

Book 13: The Talk Show Murders by Al Roker

Book Quote:
" 'Don't look back, because something may be gaining on you.' "

This is the 3rd (and apparently last) book in the Billy Blessing series about a celebrity chef who seems to keep being involved in murders. This time he's spending a couple of weeks on location in Chicago when he becomes involved in a case which indirectly links to his deceased father and the mob. A pleasant enough series. Lots of inter-related characters.

Having arrived here in Mexico for vacation, I had forgotten how realllly slooooow the wifi is. I think I'll probably be posting early in the morning before everyone is up. I seem to remember it's not so bad at 5 am. And I can watch the sun come up.

>108 dudes22: Have a great trip!!

Enjoy your vacation, Betty.

Have fun!

Happy reading and relaxing!

Thank you all. Slow internet is annoying, but the weather has been nice. Didn't see too much at first glance from the take it/leave it shelves that interested me, but I've got a few ebooks and I can always download from the library (I think.)

Book 14: Die Trying by Lee Child
Book quote: none this time

This time Lee Child's hero Jack Reacher is in the wrong place at the wrong (eventually right) time and ends up being kidnapped with Holly Johnson, an FBI agent. A fringe militia group has kidnapped her for nefarious reasons, all of which become clear as the story unfolds. I particularly enjoyed some of his descriptions about firing a weapon (trajectory and gravity, etc).

ETA: I'll try to get a cover picture later.

Happy vacation! Enjoy Mexico!

>106 dudes22:
I just read that one too! I have the first three in an omnibus, so I'll try at least two more. :)

Happy vacationing!!

Thanks Kay and Eva. We look forward to this every year.

Eva - I have a few more in the series on my TBR, but I think they're like #s 7-9. So I'll have to get some from the library until I catch up.

Book 15: The Bee's Kiss by Barbara Cleverly

Book Quote: "So - he gave the queen bee a sting. But it came with a warning:'Use this at the peril of your life! Once you use the sting, it'll stay in the wound you make and you'll die from the loss of it."

In this 5th book in the Joe Sandilans series, he has returned from India and is working for Scotland Yard in London.

Set in 1926, London is on the precipice of revolution. The rich are getting richer and the poorer people are seeing wages cut and hours of work increased. The unions are calling for strikes. At a high society event at the Ritz, Dame Beatrice Jagow-Jofille leaves to go to her room at midnight. An hour later she is dead and missing her emerald necklace. Joe is called upon to discover who would want her dead. Was it just a cat burglar who has been operating in London lately or someone with hatred in their heart?

Good story from one of my favorite series.

Book 16: Something Blue by Ann Hood

Book Quote: none this time.

Half-way through this book, I though about not finishing it. But I thought the author would probably get to a point eventually so I finished it but was disappointed.

The story starts when Katherine decides to run away on the morning of her wedding and decides to go to New York to her friend Lucy who was her college roommate. Katherine thinks they were best friends, but Lucy seems not to like her very much. The third person is Julia, a friend of Lucy's. They all seem to be trying to solve problems in their lives and finding a direction, but it just didn't work for me.

Book 17: Make Me by Lee Child

Book Quote:
"I think I'm a nice person, but I know I'm not the reason"

When Jack Reacher gets off the train in Mother's Rest, OK, it's because the name interested him and he thought a one night visit might be interesting. THen he gets caught up in a missing person case and it turns into much more than just that. (Of course!)

Book 18: Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson
February Random

Book Quote:
"...knows that science and magic are the same thing;magic is only science that hasn't been explained yet."

Shandi and her 3-year-old son Natty and friend Walcott are moving Shandi and Natty to Atlanta. When they stop for gas at a convenience store, Shandi and Natty go inside while Walcott pumps the gas. When they get caught up in a robbery inside, a stranger goes out of his way to protect Natty and Shandi falls a little in love with him. There's a lot more to this - William, the stranger, is somewhere on the Asbergher spectrum, Natty is a "virgin" birth, William's best friend Paula doesn't like Shandi at all, and Walcott doesn't like William either. I really liked this book although after the twists near the end, I felt it became a little rushed.

Book 19: Waking Kate by Sarah Addison Allen

Book Quote: none

This is a short story that is a prequel to Lost Lake. I thought it could have had just a little more to it.

Back from vacation and finally (!) some good internet speed. Still have a couple of books to post, but also have to catch up with laundry, mail, grocery shopping...

Book 20: Death Without Company by Craig Johnson

Book Quote;
A life without friends means death without company."

I'm only at the second of the Longmire series. but already this is becoming one of my favorite series. This time a death in the local assisted living facility brings up old, old secrets.

Book 21: When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin

Book Quote 1:
"That which we cannot speak about, we must pass over in silence." -Wittgenstein

Book Quote 2:
"Above all else, guard your heart...for it is the wellspring of life"

Reese rarely comes to town during the morning, but today he needs boat supplies and when he comes to town, he sees Annie, a little girl in a yellow dress selling lemonade. He notices that people seem to be paying more than the 50 cents asked for and curious he crosses the street to buy a cup. A scar on her chest peeking above her dress tells him why. After a glass of lemonade and some conversation, he returns to his truck intending to go home. As a gust of wind blows the cup of money into the street and Annie runs to retrieve it, a bread truck careens around the corner and hits Annie. Reese rushes to help her.

Some books I have read have stayed with me because of the sheer gorgeousness of the writing, even when the story is not something I would usually read. (Middlesex comes to mind.) Others because of the excellent descriptions the author writes which have me seeing movies in my mind. Still others because of the dialogue - zany, explanatory, sarcastic. But this book tugged my heartstrings. I welled up frequently and am doing it right now as I write this. Some may find it overly sentimental or religious, but I loved it.

Book 22: An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor
Mar Random: Luck o' the Irish
Bingo Block: Set in a country you've never been

This next book in the Irish Country Doctor series has Doctor O'Reilly going through some personal soul searching as a past love comes back into his life. Meanwhile Barry Laverty wonders if being a country GP will be ultimately fulfilling. And events around Ballybucklebo are as interesting as ever.

Book 23: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
Mar Award: 2007 Newbery Honors

I wasn't sure what I was going to read for this Award Cat this month since I didn't have anything on my TBR. Then I saw that Judy (DeltaQueen50) read this book and I liked the sound of it so I ran over to the library today and picked it up. And then spent the afternoon curled up in a chair reading it.

It's the story of Hattie, a sixteen year-old who was orphaned young and has since spent her time being sent from relative to relative. When she learns that her uncle has left her a homestead in Montana, she decides to go out there to live. There's also the backdrop of WW I and some of the anti-Germanic feelings show up in the book also. I kept forgetting that Hattie was only 16 she was doing so much.

This book reminded me of a couple of books I read when I was young. One was Mrs Mike and another was about a girl who went to keep house for her brothers who were fishermen. I think on a Scottish island. Anyway - really good YA book - I'll probably be reading the sequel also.

>127 dudes22: I'm glad you enjoyed Hattie Big Sky. It reminded me a little of Sarah, Tall and Plain.

Another book I'm still meaning to get to.

>125 dudes22: - Totally taking a BB for the Martin book!

>127 dudes22: - I already took a BB on Judy's thread for this one but happy to see you are in agreement on the merits of the Larson book.

>127 dudes22: I enjoyed that one when I read it years ago.

Yes, it was a good recommendation from Judy.

Book 24: The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas
Mar Award: 2003 Spur Award
Bingo Block: Set in a time before you were born

Addie French meets Emma when she is traveling from Kansas to New Mexico where she is a madam of a brothel. When Emma's prospective husband doesn't show up at the station, Addie decides to give her shelter. Enough said. I saw most of what was coming in the book in one form or another. Wasn't as thrilled with this book as others that I've read by Ms Dallas. I think I just wasn't that into the characters this time.

>133 dudes22: I've read a couple of Dallas' books. From what I can tell, they are hit or miss for most people.

>132 dudes22: I think The Chili Queen was more of a hit with me.

>135 DeltaQueen50: Me too, though not my favorite of hers.

>134 thornton37814: - >135 DeltaQueen50: - >136 clue: - seems like you are mostly all in consensus.

We had the closing on our new house today. Still a few things to get done - we're meeting the painter tomorrow - but we'll start moving boxes tomorrow, appliances come next week, .... I have been reading, but mostly only a few pages after I get into bed at night to relax a little before I go to sleep. It seems to be taking forever to get through the book I'm reading. I may end up renewing it. I just keep telling myself, " it will all be over in 6 months".

Congratulations on the house closing!

Thanks Lori.

So - one of those "duh" moments: We've been only moving boxes so far because I'm waiting til the painting is done to move most of the stuff. Anyway, one of us goes early to be there when the painter arrives and one of us comes later and stays til he's ready to leave. After I had unloaded what boxces I could yesterday, I realized my Ipad was working funny and so I couldn't pull up my ebook. After sitting there for awhile I realized that I had all these boxes in the basement with books in them - all I had to do was go downstairs and open a box. DUH!

> 139 Wow, your moving time is getting so close! I had to giggle a little at you forgetting about all your "real" books - we get so caught up in those electronics!

Actually Judy, I mostly only read electronically when I'm on vacation. There's something about the feel of a book I just can't give up.

All the best for your move! Every time I move I swear it will be the last time...

>142 Jackie_K: - oh no - it will be the last time!!

Book 25: Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn

I quite like this book series told from the point of view of the dog. This time Chet and his owner PI Bernie are hired to solve a kidnapping. There's a cliff hanger at the end so I'll need to find the next book soon.

ETA: This is the book I pulled from one of the boxes while I'm at the house with the painter. There's only so much I can do until he finishes, so I get to sit a little and read.

Moving soaks up the brainpower. You'll get your concentration back when you're settled. And think of how lovely it will be to have moved. While I still have a few* boxes stacked upstairs in the spare room, we're all settled and it's so nice to think we won't have to move for some time.

* technically more than a few.

>144 dudes22: I love Chet and Bernie, love them. I'm amazed at how Quinn can portray an animal so well.

>144 dudes22: I'm also a big fan of this dynamic duo and always eagerly await the next episode of their adventures together. Keeping a stock of jerky in case Chet ever drops by.

Book 26: Doc by Mary Doria Russell
April Random: Love in the Stacks

Book Quote:
"Above all, he believed in practice, which increased predictability and reduced the element of chance in any situation."

I first heard of this book when I heard an interview with the author on NPR. Her comments about Doc Holiday were interesting and made the book sound interesting too. But I always managed to put off reading it. Then she wrote the sequel Epitaph and even though I read what others liked about both of them, I still didn't get to it. While looking for a book for one of the SFFF months the year we did that CAT, I found that she had also written a couple of SF books - in fact they were the first books she wrote. And I loved them! Anyway....

This book is about Doctor John Holiday, a dentist from Georgia, who goes out to Dodge City because the weather is supposed to be better for his consumption. We're introduced to Wyatt Earp and his brothers James and Morgan, his mistress Kate who is a prostitute and the life in Dodge City in the 1870s just after the Civil War. I look forward to getting to Epitaph, hopefully soon.

I'm glad you liked Doc, it's one of my favorite novels. Which I never thought I'd say about a western, but it's so beautifully written and Russell has a talent for writing wonderful characters. That said, I still haven't read Epitaph. I loaned my copy of Doc to my father and I want to reread it first.

I don't really think of reading westerns either, Kay, but I did like this a lot and I'm also liking the Longmire series. And, of course, I'm still trying to get to Lonesome Dove which a lot of you have been raving about here.

Happy moving! So exciting and frustrating all at the same time.

You can say that again!

>148 dudes22: So glad you enjoyed Doc! I still need to read Russell's sci-fi books.

>153 christina_reads: - do - they're very good (and I don't usually like SF)

Book 27: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
April Random: Love in the Stacks

This second book in the Cormoran Strike series has him hired to find a lost husband whose wife thinks he has just gone off to work on his book. But when Strike finally finds him, he has been murdered in the manner that his last book ended (which hasn't been published yet). Although this is still a well-written series, I couldn't quite enjoy this book. I think it was because I just didn't really care for any of the characters except for Strike and his assistant Robin.

>148 dudes22: I'm wondering if I should give Doc another shot. I started it a few weeks ago and gave up after about 40 pages. I just wasn't feeling it. Your review is making me think maybe I should maybe stick with it a bit longer.

I think it does start a little slowly and there's really not a lot of "action" in the book. It kind of meanders. Not sure if that helps you decide or not.

Book 28: Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with the Wild Turkeys by Joe Hutto

April Random Cat: Love in the Stacks

Book Quote 1: “Occasionally in life, as we flow along, we are presented with ideas or opportunities that alter our lives immediately and dramatically…It is an instant priority that superimposes itself over all other things.”

Book Quote 2: “In this sense, our days are always the same. But for me, there is a richness of experience that frequently border on the overwhelming.”

The author of this book received 2 clutches of turkey eggs when some fields near his home were being cleared. He hatched the clutches and got the turkeys to imprint on him. In the book he tells about raising the turkeys over the course of a year or so. Some of it seemed somewhat repetitious, but overall an interesting book.

I saw a documentary on PBS a few years ago about this and wanted to read the book also.

Well, we spent our first night in our new house last night. Now to figure out where everything should go and get things organized. I think I'm going to try to simplify as I unbox stuff too. I probably still have too much stuff. The cable people came today so at least I'm connected.

Congratulations on making that big step to the new place! And hooray for getting connected already!

Congrats on the new house and hurray for having working Internet! Have fun figuring out where to put everything -- it's like a clean slate :)

Enjoy unpacking! It's easier than packing. (says the woman with a stack of boxes in an upstairs room, even though we got here nine months ago.)

>160 DeltaQueen50: - I can only hope your move goes smoother than ours.

>161 rabbitprincess: - I hate to say this, but it drives me nuts. Plus this kitchen isn't as good as my old one, so I grump a bit.

>162 RidgewayGirl: - Don't feel bad. I'm sure I'll still have some boxes at 9 months too.

I hope the worst is over and you'll soon be able to relax!

I hope so too.

Have a good start in your new home. Kitchens are very important, so I hope you'll get used to it.

>166 MissWatson: - I'm sure I will.

I was saying to Kay (RidgewayGirl) over on her thread that we had to switch our cable/internet/telephone provider when we moved and now I'm trying to get all that straightened out too. Changing email addresses all over the place. Already today I was on the phone twice with the provider just to set up the main account. It just seems to take so much time. (sorry - that's a little whiney) And one little rant - why do I have to set up an email id and password just to change the address on my magazine subscriptions? Guess I'll be doing it by phone tomorrow.

Book 29: The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
Bingo Block: Place Name in Title

Pastry chef and cookbook author David Lebovitz decided to move from San Francisco to Paris and he wrote this book about his experiences there. Also there are many recipes.

I haven't read The Sweet Life in Paris, but I use Lebovitz's recipe for tabbouleh, that I found on his blog, all the time.

Most, if not all, of the recipes in this book were for desserts.

>168 dudes22: I'm pretty sure that one is already on my wish list.

Book 30: The Black Ice by Michael Connelly

Book Quote:
"There is no trap so deadly as the trap you set for yourself."

I started this book at the end of our vacation in Feb and have been reading it only sporadically since then. Not that it wasn't good, but I tend to only read e-books while I'm on vacation.

Harry Bosch gets pulled in when a fellow cop is found dead of an apparent suicide. But Harry gets the idea that it might be murder and not suicide and begins to investigate. Pretty soon Harry is involved in drugs...Mexico...drugs...more murders...family issues...smuggling drugs...you get the idea. But I like Harry so I'll still be reading the series.

I didn't have a great month reading - only 6 books. Between moving and fixing the old house and settling in at the new house, reading fell by the wayside a bit. Hopefully things will improve next month.

I didn't have a great month reading - only 6 books.
Hey, you were moving! Give yourself some slack. The month I started my new job, I finished ZERO books.

Best wishes on your new home, Betty!

Thanks, Terri. I know it's not so bad - it's more than one a week. I just feel like I never read.

I've decided to abandon Murder in the South of France by Susan Kiernan-Lewis, the first book in a series which I think would be a cozy. I just don't find the characters very believable. Or their actions. I won't be counting it in my counts for this year and, since it was supposed to fill a Bingo block, I'll have to find another book for that block.

Book 31: The Bells of Burracombe by Lilian Harry

I think this series came to my attention because Judy (DeltaQueen50) read some of them. This is the first one in the series and introduces the characters and the town of Burracombe, a town in England a few years after WW II. I liked this first book, but none of the libraries in our whole state have any other books in the series so I may have to buy them online to keep going. I did get a couple of stand-a-lones (Easter and Christmas) as ebook specials, so I do have them to read.

I just started How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny and I utterly, utterly, utterly love this series. There is something about how she portrays her characters through their conversations that has me sinking into the story. I'm sure there are others who wish they could live in Three Pines. (Except for all the snow.) As I read a series, I'm often struck by how far ahead authors have to think of the storyline that will follow some of the characters so that they drop little tidbits ahead of time. And probably without knowing how many books they will be writing. In most series, it's usually just the main character and maybe one or two others, but Penny has a lot of characters to keep straight.

On another note - We've been busy back at the old house almost every day getting it ready to go on the market. (The reason I've only read one book and we're half-way through the month.) I'm thinking that I might be seeing the end of this tunnel soon. I'm becoming more comfortable in the new house and I think the decorating is helping that.

That is so true about writing a series and playing a REALLY long game with the characters' backstories. I am envious of you reading How the Light Gets In for the first time. Loved it!

Glad to hear you are feeling more comfortable in the new house :)

>178 dudes22: I need to read A Great Reckoning so I'm ready for this year's installment when it comes out. I used to keep up with that one and severa more, but lately I'm just so far behind on everything. This has been my year to catch up on some of the series.

>177 dudes22: That one sounded good to me when others talked about it a couple of years ago. I'm sure it is on the TBR list.

>180 thornton37814: - I have #s 10 & 11 on my TBR which would get me almost up to date, but I sort of hate to get caught up and have to wait for the next one to come out each year.

>178 dudes22: I'm still a long way from How the Light Gets In but I'm looking forward to the series and especially enjoyed your review.

Book 32: How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
BINGO Block: Next in a series
May Award: 2014 Edgar Nominee

Book Quote:
"He believed that light would banish the shadows. That kindness was more powerful than cruelty, and that goodness existed, even in the most desperate places."

I mentioned up above when I was only a few pages into this book, how much I love this series. And it's definitely a series that needs to be read in order because each book builds on the previous stories and situations. In this book, Myrna, the bookstore owner in Three Pines, asks Inspector Gamache to find out why her friend did not arrive for Christmas. Of course, she was murdered. And while he is trying to find out who killed her, he's also still having problems with the Surete. I don't want to say much more and give anything away. I knew what was going to happen at the end his retirement because I had seen a description of the next book. Not that it was a big deal - still...

>177 dudes22: - Like you, it was Judy who brought the Burracombe series to my attention. Very sorry to see that you are going to have to resort to online to lay your hands on the other books in the series. I need to go see who well stocked my local library is for the Burracombe series.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed The Bells of Burracombe, Betty. I am still loving this series and I am just finishing up book #10 which I read for the May RandomCat as my Mom is also a big fan of the series.

>185 DeltaQueen50: - I have ebooks of the 2 she wrote after #9 (Easter and Christmas) but it looks like I'll have to search out the others. I may make a trip this summer to the huge used book place in CT and see if I can find any there, but I doubt I'll find any there so I may need to look online. I suppose there's always Amazon.

I haven't visited your thread in months and am now glad to see that moving went well and you are settling into the new home. :)

>186 dudes22: Since my Mom likes the series, I have tried to find actual books rather than the Kindle so that I can pass them along to her. I ordered a lot of them from a second hand book site, Awesome Books which is located in the U.K. so they had the books in stock.

>188 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks for the info. I'll check that out.

It's supposed to be a rainy Memorial Day here and there's nothing to do at the old house (the floor refinisher is doing his thing this week), so I'm hoping to get some reading in and a little quilting later. There are still boxes, but many will wait until my husband has made me a sewing room in the basement and I still need to buy a bookcase, so a lazy day for me today.

Book 33: Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult's books take a situation and convincingly show both sides of the dilemma so well that I often have no idea how she will find an ending that is satisfactory. In this book, Luke and his daughter Cara are in an automobile accident and Luke goes into a coma from which doctor's feel he won't recover. Cara's brother Edward, who left when he was 18 and has been living in Thailand for the last six years, is called back by Luke's ex-wife. Luke is an expert in world behavior and has lived with wolves in the past. The story alternates between the various voices of the characters with each chapter. The big dilemma in the book is whether or not Luke should be taken off the medical equipment keeping him alive or not. Lawyers get involved to decide if Cara or Edward should be appointed Luke's guardian.

This was a good-enough book but not my favorite by Picoult.

>191 dudes22:
This was a good-enough book but not my favorite book by Picoult.

I agree!

Book 34: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
April Award; 2017 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award longlist

Book Quote:
"Love. It was the beginning and end of everything, the foundation and the ceiling and the air in between."

A number of people have recommended this book to me in the past couple of years and they were all right. This was a wonderful book about two sisters who lived in France and the parts they played during the German occupation of France in WWII. Vianne lives in a small village with her husband and daughter. When her husband is called to war and a German officer is billeted with her, she has to find a way to survive. Her sister Isabelle, who has always been rebellious, joins the Resistance.

Told alternately, the stories are a compelling look at how people coped during the war.

This was supposed to be my April award book, but the move had me falling behind so I didn't get to it until now.

>193 dudes22: Glad you enjoyed that one.

>193 dudes22: I loved that book. So glad you were able to fit it into your challenge!

When we decided to move last year and I started packing books, I decided that I wouldn't go to any library sales so I wouldn't have to pack more books. And even though my books aren't unpacked yet, I decided to go to the local library preview sale tonight. I managed to pick up a couple of BBs that I've taken and a few more. Here's what I came away with:

Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal
Night by Elia Wiesel
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
The Light Between the Oceans by M.L. Stedman
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg (I couldn't resist the title)

I had to zip through and couldn't spend as much time looking as I wanted. Out real estate agent was coming so we could sign the paperwork to accept an offer on our old house. She came Monday and took pictures and it went on MLS on Tues. She called Tues night to say she had 4 showings yesterday and then called at lunchtime yesterday to say she had 3 more later in the afternoon. Then @ 9 last night she called with 2 offers, both over list price and one person had even written us a letter. The market around here is just crazy. Unless the inspections show something (and they shouldn't), we'll close the first week in July.

I might see if I have some time tomorrow to go back to the sale.

I'm so glad your house sold so quickly! That's a very good thing. And YAY for being able to indulge in booksales again. I'm glad you're settling in to the new place.

>196 dudes22: You snagged some good ones! I loved The Snow Child.

I think you chose the best way to celebrate! Hooray for book sales. I am another huge fan of The Snow Child.

>197 RidgewayGirl: - Thanks, Kay.

>198 clue: - I'm looking forward to reading it, Luanne.

>199 DeltaQueen50: - I took the BB from you, Judy for The Snow Child.

Oh - I forgot one - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman which I took as a BB from Kay and have decided to start as soon as I finish my current book.

Book 35: The Hundred Foot Journey by Richgard C. Morais
Jun Random: Into the Unknown
Bingo Block: Made into a Movie

Book Quote:
"My dear man, a gourmand is a gentleman with the talent and fortitude to continue eating even when he is not hungry."

I had seen this movie and, when I saw the book on the bargain table at a local bookstore, decided that I would give it a read. Hassan Haji is born in India where his family runs a restaurant. When the restaurant burns down, he and his family decide to leave India. They spend a couple of years traveling around Europe until they decide to settle in a small town in France across the street (one hundred feet) from a famous French restaurant. They decide to open an Indian restaurant with Hassan as the head chef and draw the ire of the Madam Mallory the owner and a great chef. Eventually, she decides to mentor Hassan and starts him on his journey to become a French chef.

The book was ok. The movie changed the ending and some other things (but what movie doesn't). There were 2 things I thought were not resolved well: much was made of the oysters that Madam Mallory wanted to try and compare to locals, but she never did. And I really thought that she'd get that 3rd Michelin star.

Now I need to watch the movie again.

Book 36: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Book Quote:
"You are what you are and you do what you do, and that was good enough."

For the first 50-75 pages og this book, I couldn't remember what Kay (RidgewayGirl) might have said that had me taking a BB for this. The story of a grumpy, probably somewhat OCD old man who sees things only one way and his way was the only way. His life is interrupted when a family moves in next door and promptly runs over his mailbox. He's lonely for his deceased wife and has decided to kill himself to be with her, but his neighbors keep this from happening even if that is not their intention.

But eventually this book grew me in and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I liked how the author used the titles of the chapters to indicate if the chapter was present or past (The Man Called Ove/The Man Who Was Ove) and the fun way the chapters were titled: "A Man Called Ove and a Delayed Train" or "A Man Called Ove and a Lanky One Who Can't Open a Window Without Falling Off a Ladder."

Anyway, a good BB and one I will recommend to others.

Book 37: Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson

This was next up for me in the Walt Longmire series about a sheriff in Wyoming. This time he goes to Philadelphia with Henry Standing Bear to see his daughter who is a lawyer there while Henry is showing some photos at the Pennsylvania Museum of Fine Arts. The day he arrives his daughter is beaten and ends up in a coma. Thus starts a mystery about who did it and the bodies start to mount in Philadelphia.

I like this series a lot and am currently working my way through the TV series also. Not quite binging, but almost.

>202 dudes22: I have this one on my TBR shelf. Need to read it soon.

Congratulations on selling your old house! Sounds like you are settling into your new one. It takes time to unpack!

>201 dudes22: - I loved the movie. Don't think I will bother reading the book. ;-)

>205 lkernagh: - I'd say give it a pass, Lori.

Probably won't finish any more books this month and I needed to start a new thread, so please join me over there : https://www.librarything.com/topic/260688