Robin (rretzler) Reads in '17 - #3

Welcome to Thread #3



OK - I admit that I didn't keep things caught up in 2016, but I did read - 140 books in total, so I'm back in for the challenge this year. Hopefully, I'll do a better job of keeping up in LT as I've really missed seeing what books my LT and 75er friends were reading, and just missed hearing about their lives, too!

I'm Robin, a 53 yo mother of two - 15 yo son (Beckham) and 12 yo son (Keegan). My 53 yo husband, Ed, and our two cat, Matisse and Picasso round out our Dublin, OH household. (We lost Matisse to liver cancer in February.) Dublin is a suburb of Columbus, OH. I own a tax practice which I run out of my house, although I am slowing my practice down as I seem to spend more time taking my sons here and there. They are active in travel soccer and other school activities and keep me very busy.

I have loved to read all of my life, but my library on LT reflects those books that I have kept track of since I started as a member 6 years ago. I am slowly trying to capture books I have read before that time, but I'm guessing that a lot of books that I have read will never be recorded as I have forgotten them. I am totally an addict, and the daily deals on amazon for $1.99 will probably be my financial ruin. I just cannot help myself when it comes to a bargain of that sort!

I mainly read mysteries, science fiction, fantasy and children's/young adult books (along with my sons.) Specifically, most of the mysteries that I read are British mysteries in the style of the Golden Age of Detection and I enjoy soft scifi a bit more than hard scifi. I still try to read every evening to my sons, although as they get older, it becomes harder to do so. I also try to read several best sellers during the year. In school, I never had to read many of the classics, so I am also slowly going back to read some of those too. I have been working my way through both of the Newbery Awards and the Hugo Awards, as well.

I proudly consider myself to be a geek (okay, maybe a nerd too). My favorite TV shows are Sherlock (BBC version) and Doctor Who (both classic and new series). My family and I really enjoyed Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency on BBCA recently, although I was a little disappointed that it did not follow the book. We have also recently gotten into the Marvel movies - The Avengers, Captain America, Doctor Strange, etc and are watching our way through the ones that we have not yet seen. My other hobbies include making beaded jewelry and sometimes knitting. I love to travel, but since we have children who are quickly approaching college age, we don't do as much as we used to.

If we would win the lottery the first thing I would do (aside from paying off the mortgage and setting aside the funds for college for my sons) is to go back to school myself! I love to learn and would probably take lots of psychology, philosophy and literature courses.

2017 Reading




List of Books Read in 2017

Books Read in January
Books Added to My Library in January
January Summary

Books Read in February
Books Added to My Library in February
February Summary

Books Read in March
Books Added to My Library in March
March Summary

Books Read in April
Books Added to My Library in April
April Summary

Books Read in May
Books Added to My Library in May
May Summary

Books Read in June
Books Added to My Library in June
June Summary

Books Read in July
Books Added to My Library in July
July Summary

Books Read in August
Books Added to My Library in August
August Summary

Books Read in September
Books Added to My Library in September
September Summary

Books Read in October
Books Aded to My Library in October
October Summary

My Kindle Preorders

Series I'm Reading

Newbery Medal and Honors List

Hugo Awards List

Nebula Awards List

Books read in January 2017

1. Rogue One by Alexander Freed -
   
2. How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by Matthew Inman The Oatmeal -
   
3. Doctor Who: The Complete Visual Collection by Jason Loborik -
   
4. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin -
   
5. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry -
   
6. Bryant and May: Strange Tide by Christopher Fowler -
   
7. Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor -
   
8. Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler -
   
9. Morse and the Mystery of the Drunken Driver by Colin Dexter - short story -
   
10. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena -
    
11. The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards -
    
12. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman -
    
13. We Have Lost the Pelicans by Paul Mathews -
    
14. The Layton Court Mystery by Anthony Berkeley -
    
15. A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey -
    
16. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne -
    
17. The Realm: The True History Behind Game of Thrones by Ed West -
    

Books Read in Feburary

1. (18) A Quiet Life in the Country(revised) by T E Kinsey -
   
2. (19) Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold -
   
3. (20) In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen -
   
4. (21) The Uccello Connection by Estelle Ryan -
   
5. (22) Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie -
   
6. (23) Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm - Hugo Winner -
   
7. (24) The Red House Mystery by AA Milne -
   
8. (25) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger -
   
9. (26) A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park -
   
10. (27) Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold -
    
11. (28) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -
    
12. (29) When We Were Very Young by AA Milne -
    
13. (30) The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford -
    
14. (31) Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days by Jared Cade -
    
15. (32) Death of a Ghost by MC Beaton -
    
16. (33) The Trail of Conflict by Emilie Loring -
    
17. (34) Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold -
    
18. (35) Chasing the Ripper by Patricia Cornwell -
    
19. (36) The Big Time by Fritz Leiber -
    
    

Books read in March 2017

1. (37) Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold -
   
2. (38) Twelfth Night: Tales from Shakespeare Retold in Modern-day English by Timothy Knapman -
   
3. (39) Lock In by John Scalzi -
   
4. (40) The Cheltenham Square Murder by John Bude -
   
5. (41) Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome by John Scalzi -
   
6. (42) On the Beach (fake version) by Unknown (NOT Nevil Shute) -
   
7. (43) From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by E L Konigsburg - -reread
   
8. (44) In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear -
   
9. (45) Murderous Mayhem at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison -
   

Books read in April 2017

1. (46) Darkship Revenge by Sarah A Hoyt -
   
2. (47) Lock In by John Scalzi - - reread
   
3. (48) 100 Cupboards by N D Wilson -
   
4. (49) A Death by Any Other Name by Tessa Arlen -
   
5. (50) A Welcome Murder by Robin Yocum -
   
6. (51) All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders -
   
7. (52) The Final Solution by Michael Chabon -
   
8. (53) Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold -
   
9. (54) Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold -
   
10. (55) Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold -
    
11. (56) A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold -
    
12. (57) Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold -

Books read in May 2017

1. (58) The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander - - reread
   
2. (59) Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold -
   
3. (60) Arclight by Brandon Graham -
   
4. (61) A Purely Private Matter by Darcie Wilde -
   
5. (62) Mrs. Jeffries Rights a Wrong by Emily Brightwell -
   
6. (63) The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman -
   
7. (64) A Case of Conspiracy in Clerkenwell by Clara Benson -
   
8. (65) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows -
   
9. (66) The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher -
   
10. (67) Printer's Error by Gladys Mitchell -
    
11. (68) A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn -
    
12. (69) A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn -
    
13. (70) All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque -
    
14. (71) Brazen Tongue by Gladys Mitchell -
    
15. (72) Sisters by Raina Telgemeier -
    
16. (73) Hangman's Curfew by Gladys Mitchell -
    
17. (74) Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love by James Runcie -
    
18. (75) Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson, et al -
    
19. (76) Call for the Dead by John le Carré -
    
20. (77) Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier -
    
21. (78) Aunt Dimity and the Widow's Curse by Nancy Atherton -
    
22. (79) The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths -
    

Books read in June 2017

1. (80) Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie -
   
2. (81) Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi -
   
3. (82) Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm -
   
4. (83) Night's Slow Poison by Ann Leckie -
   
5. (84) She Commands Me and I Obey by Ann Leckie -
   
6. (85) Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie -
   
7. (86) Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie -
   
8. (87) The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict -
   
9. (88) Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries by Martin Edwards -
   
10. (89) Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick -
    
11. (90) Armada by Ernest Cline -
    
12. (91) Lockdown by Laurie R King -
    
13. (92) The Bittermeads Mystery by E R Punshon -
    
14. (93) The View from Saturday by E L Konigsburg -
    
15. (94) It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville -
    
16. (95) Raven Black by Ann Cleeves -

Books read in July 2017

1. (96) White Nights by Ann Cleeves -
   
2. (97) A Panicked Premonition by Victoria Laurie -
   
3. (98) Red Bones by Ann Cleeves -
   
4. (99) Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves -
   
5. (100) Dead Water by Ann Cleeves -
   
6. (101) Thin Air by Ann Cleeves -
   
7. (102) Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves -
   
8. (103) A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves -
   
9. (104) Murder in My Backyard by Ann Cleeves -
   
10. (105) A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith -
    
11. (106) Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn -
    
12. (107) Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn -
    
13. (108) Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn -
    
14. (109) Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn -
    
15. (110) The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn -
    
16. (111) Midsummer Night (novella) by Deanna Raybourn -
    
17. (112) Silent Night (novella) by Deanna Raybourn -
    
18. (113) Twelfth Night (novella) by Deanna Raybourn -
    
19. (114) Bonfire Night (novella) by Deanna Raybourn -
    
20. (115) Too Good to Be True (novella) by Ann Cleeves -
    
21. (116) A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves -

Books read in August 2017

Books read in September 2017

Books read in October 2017

Books read in November 2017

Books read in December 2017

My Kindle Preorders


This is where I keep up with the books that I have preordered on amazon.com. These are mostly series books for which I am waiting for the next installment

1. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth - January 17, 2017 - received
   
2. Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie - February 7, 2017 - received, read, reviewed
   
3. Death of a Ghost by MC Beaton - Hamish MacBeth - February 21, 2017 - received, read
   
4. Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor - Irish Village - February 28, 2017 - received from NetGalley, read and reviewed
   
5. In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen - March 1, 2017 - received from Kindle First, read
   
6. In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear - Masie Dobbs - March 14, 2017 - received, read
   
7. A Welcome Murder by Robin Yocum - April 4, 2017 - this is a story set in the town next door to my hometown by an author who grew up nearby around the same time I did, received, read
   
8. Mrs. Jeffries Rights a Wrong by Emily Brightwell - Mrs. Jeffries series - May 2, 2017 - received, read, reviewed
   
9. The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan - Trials of Apollo - May 2, 2017 - received
   
10. A Purely Private Matter by Darcie Wilde - Rosalind Thorne - May 2, 2017 - received, read, reviewed
    
11. Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love by James Runcie - Grantchester - May 23, 2017 - received, read
    
12. Aunt Dimity and the Widow's Curse by Nancy Atherton - Aunt Dimity - May 30, 2017 - received, read
    
13. The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths - Ruth Galloway - May 30, 2017 - received, read
    
14. Camino Island by John Grisham - June 6, 2017 - received
    
15. Lockdown by Laurie R King - June 13, 2017 - received, read
    
16. A Panicked Premonition by Victoria Laurie - Psychic Eye - July 4, 2017 - received, read
    
17. A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith - Isabel Dalhousie - July 18, 2017 - received, read
    
18. On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen - Her Royal Spyness - August 1, 2017 - received, read
    
19. Continental Crimes by Martin Edwards - August 1, 2017 - received
    
20. The Paris Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal - Maggie Hope - August 8, 2017 - received, read
    
21. The Rat Catchers' Olympics by Colin Cotterill - Siri Paiboun - August 15, 2017 - received, read
    
22. The Netscher Connection by Estelle Ryan - Genevieve Lenard - August 24, 2017 - received, read
    
23. Sourdough by Robin Sloane - September 5, 2017 - received
    
24. Origin by Dan Brown - Robert Langdon - September 26, 2017 - received
    
25. Agatha Raisin and the Witches Tree by MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin - October 3, 2017 - received, read
    
26. The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - The War that Saved My Life - October 3, 2017 - rceived
    
27. Children of the Fleet by Orson Scott Card - Fleet School (Ender) - October 10, 2017 - received
    
28. Mrs Jeffries and the Three Wise Women by Emily Brightwell - Mrs Jeffries - October 17, 2017 - received, read
    
29. The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials world - October 19, 2017 - received
    
30. A Matter of Loyalty by Elizabeth Edmondson - A Very English Mystery - October 19, 2017 - received, read
    
31. The Rooster Bar by John Grisham - October 24, 2017 - received
    
32. Number Two: When You wish Upon a Star by Colin Cotterill - Jimm Jurree - October 28, 2017 - received, read
    
33. The House of the Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith - No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency - November 7, 2017
    
34. Colin Cotterill - Jim Juree - November 30, 2017
    
35. Wild Chamber by Christopher Fowler - Bryant & May - December 5, 2017 - received, read
    
36. Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan - Mordecai Tremaine - January 2, 2018
    
37. A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn - Veronica Speedwell - January 16, 2018
    
38. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley - Flavia de Luce - January 30, 2018
    
39. Death of an Honest Man by MC Beaton - Hamish MacBeth - February 1, 2018
    
40. Beau Death by Peter Lovesey - Peter Diamond - February 6, 2018
    
41. The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen - February 20, 2018
    
42. Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor - February 27, 2018
    
43. The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George - Inspector Lynley - March 6, 2018
    
44. A Brush with Shadows by Anna Lee Huber - Lady Darby - March 6, 2018
    
45. Money in the Morgue by Ngaio Marsh - March 6, 2018
    
46. To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear - Maisie Dobbs - March 20, 2018
    
47. Hall of Mirrors by Christopher Fowler - Bryant & May - March 22, 2018
    
48. The Knowledge by Martha Grimes - Richard Jury - April 3, 2018
    
49. Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry - Daniel Pitt (new series) - April 10, 2018
    
50. Head On by John Scalzi - Lock In - April 17, 2018
    
51. Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry - William Monk - April 19, 2018
    
52. The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths - Ruth Galloway - May 15, 2017
    
53. Island of the Mad by Laurie R King - Mary Russell - June 12, 2018
    
54. Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom by Nancy Atherton - Aunt Dimity - June 12, 2018
    

Series I'm Reading



My Series on FictFact.com

Next Book List on FictFact.com

Active Series with Which I’m Current

Peter Diamond by Peter Lovesey
Inspector Lynley by Elizabeth George
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James by Deborah Crombie
Flavia de Luce by Alan Bradley
Mary Russell by Laurie R King
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Hamish MacBeth by MC Beaton
Agatha Raisin by MC Beaton
Siri Paiboun by Colin Cotterill
Genevieve Lenard by Estelle Ryan
Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor
Freddy Pilkington-Soames by Clara Benson
Rosalind Thorne by Darcie Wilde
Aunt Dimity by Nancy Atherton
Isabel Dalhousie by Alexander McCall Smith
Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie
Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Clare Fergusson by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Maggie Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
Grantchester by James Runcie
Ruth Galloway by Elly Griffiths
Stephens & Mephisto by Elly Griffiths
A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
Veronica Speedwell by Deanna Raybourn
Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde
Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde
Shetland by Ann Cleeves
Richard Jury by Martha Grimes

Series I’m Reading

Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
Robert Langdon by Dan Brown
Inspector Morse by Colin Dexter
Touchstone by Laurie R King
Inspector Richardson by Basil Thomson
Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler
Alan Grant by Josephine Tey
Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peters
Albert Campion by Margery Allingham
Inspector Sloan by Catherine Aird
Fethering by Simon Brett
Mrs Jeffries by Emily Brightwell
Jimm Juree by Colin Cotterill
Alexandra Gladstone by Paula Paul
Inspector Banks by Peter Robinson
Detective Lavender by Karen Charlton
Sergeant Cribb by Peter Lovesey
Miss Silver by Patricia Wentworth
Mrs Bradley by Gladys Mitchell
Inspector William Meredith by John Bude
Inspector Wexford by Ruth Rendell
Roger Sheringham by Anthony Berkeley
Inspector Gamache by Louise Penny
Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Desmond Merrion by Miles Burton
Father Gilbert by Paul McCusker
Inspector Ramsey by Ann Cleeves
George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves
Vera Stanhope by Ann Cleeves
Inspector Littlejohn by George Bellairs

Series I've Finished - Too numerous to list all, but here are several

Adam Dalgleish by PD James
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
Goldy Schultz by Diane Davidson Mott
Chief Inspector Barnaby by Caroline Graham
Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie
Miss Marple by Agatha Christie
Peter Wimsey by Dorothy Sayers
Constable Evan Evans by Rhys Bowen
Oliver Swithin by Alan Beechy
Roderick Alleyn by Ngaio Marsh
Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry
Maze Runner by James Dashner
Burford Family by James Anderson
Angela Marchmont by Clara Benson
Foundationand Extended Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Robot by Isaac Asimov
Empire by Isaac Asimov
Integral Trees by Larry Niven
Oxford Time Travel by Connie Willis
Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Dalziel and Pascoe by Reginald Hill
The Cat Who by Lilian Jackson Braun
Ender by Orson Scott Card
Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie
Lady Julia Grey by Deanna Raybourn
Very English Mystery by Elizabeth Edmondson

Newbery List



ala.org Newbery Medal and Honors List 1922 to Present

Medal Winners

2017 -
2016 - Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
2015 -
2014 - Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
2013 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
2012 -
2011 -
2010 - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
2009 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2008 -
2007 -
2006 -
2005 -
2004 - The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo
2003 -
2002 - A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
2001 -
2000 -
1999 -
1998 -
1997 - The View from Saturday by E L Konigsburg
1996 -
1995 -
1994 - The Giver by Lois Lowry
1993 -
1992 -
1991 -
1990 - Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
1989 -
1988 -
1987 -
1986 -
1985 -
1984 -
1983 -
1982 -
1981 -
1980 -
1979 - The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
1978 - The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
1977 -
1976 -
1975 -
1974 -
1973 -
1972 -
1971 -
1970 -
1969 - The High King by Lloyd Alexander
1968 - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler by E L Konigsburg
1967 -
1966 -
1965 -
1964 - It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville
1963 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
1962 -
1961 -
1960 -
1959 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
1958 -
1957 -
1956 -
1955 -
1954 -
1953 -
1952 - Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
1951 -
1950 -
1949 -
1948 -
1947 -
1946 -
1945 -
1944 -
1943 -
1942 -
1941 -
1940 -
1939 -
1938 -
1937 -
1936 - Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink - Medal
1935 -
1934 -
1933 -
1932 -
1931 -
1930 -
1929 -
1928 -
1927 -
1926 -
1925 -
1924 -
1923 -
1922 -

Honors Books

2016 Honors - Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
2016 Honors - The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
2015 Honors - El Deafo by Cece Bell
2014 Honors - The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
2007 Honors - Rules by Cynthia Lord
1983 Honors - Doctor DeSoto by William Steig
1966 Honors - The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
1964 Honors - Rascal by Sterling North
1957 Honors - Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
1953 Honors - Charlotte's Web by E B White
1949 Honors - My Father's Dragon by Ruth Gannett
1948 Honors - Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
1944 Honors - These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1942 Honors - Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1941 Honors - The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1940 Honors - By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1939 Honors - Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
1938 Honors - On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1929 Honors - Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

Hugo Awards



Hugo Award for Best Novel List

2017 -
2016 -
2015 -
2014 - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
2013 - Redshirts by John Scalzi
2012 -
2011 - Blackout by Connie Willis
2011 - All Clear by Connie Willis
2010 -
2010 -
2009 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2008 - The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
2007 -
2006 -
2005 - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
2004 -
2003 -
2002 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2001 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
2000 -
1999 - To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
1998 -
1997 -
1996 -
1995 - Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
1994 -
1993 - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
1992 - Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
1991 - The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
1990 -
1989 -
1988 -
1987 - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
1986 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
1985 - Neuromancer by William Gibson
1984 -
1983 - Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
1982 -
1981 -
1980 -
1979 -
1978 -
1977 - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
1976 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
1975 -
1974 -
1973 - The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1972 -
1971 - Ringworld by Larry Niven
1970 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
1969 -
1968 -
1967 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
1966 - Dune by Frank Herbert
1966 -
1965 -
1964 -
1963 - Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick
1962 - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
1961 - A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M Miller
1960 -
1959 -
1958 - The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
1956 -
1955 -
1954 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
1953 -
1951 -
1946 - The Mule from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
1941 -
1939 - The Sword in the Stone from The Once and Future King by TH White

Nebula Awards



Nebula Award for Best Novel List

2017 - All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
2016 -
2015 -
2014 - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
2013 -
2012 -
2011 - Blackout by Connie Willis
2011 - All Clear by Connie Willis
2010 -
2009 -
2008 - The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon
2007 -
2006 -
2005 -
2004 -
2003 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2002 -
2001 -
2000 -
1999 -
1998 -
1997 -
1996 -
1995 -
1994 -
1993 - The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
1992 -
1991 -
1990 -
1989 - Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold
1988 -
1987 - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
1986 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
1985 - Neuromancer by William Gibson
1984 -
1983 -
1982 -
1981 -
1980 -
1979 -
1978 -
1977 -
1976 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
1975 -
1974 -
1973 - The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1972 -
1971 - Ringworld by Larry Niven
1970 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin
1969 -
1968 -
1967 - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
1967 -
1966 - Dune by Frank Herbert

Books read in June 2017

1. (80) Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie -
   
2. (81) Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi -
   
3. (82) Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm -
   
4. (83) Night's Slow Poison by Ann Leckie -
   
5. (84) She Commands Me and I Obey by Ann Leckie -
   
6. (85) Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie -
   
7. (86) Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie -
   
8. (87) The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict -
   
9. (88) Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries by Martin Edwards -
   
10. (89) Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick -
    
11. (90) Armada by Ernest Cline -
    
12. (91) Lockdown by Laurie R King -
    
13. (92) The Bittermeads Mystery by E R Punshon -
    
14. (93) The View from Saturday by E L Konigsburg -
    
15. (94) It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville -
    
    
    
    

Books added to my library in June 2017

1. (167) Soho Dead by Greg Keen
   
2. (168) In the Dark Places or Abattoir Blues by Peter Robinson
   
3. (169) Night's Slow Poison by Ann Leckie
   
4. (170) She Commands Me and I Obey by Ann Leckie
   
5. (171) Camino Island by John Grisham
   
6. (172) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick - kindle version
   
7. (173) Lockdown by Laurie R King
   
8. (174) The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins
   
9. (175) The Cask by Freeman Wills Croft
   
10. (176) Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny
    
11. (177) It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville
    
12. (178) When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt
    
13. (179) White Nights by Ann Cleeves
    
14. (180) Red Bones by Ann Cleeves
    
15. (181) Blue Lightening by Ann Cleeves
    
16. (182) Through the Wall by Patricia Wentworth
    
    
    

Your turn!

Goodness woman! That is a lot to keep track of.

Happy new thread, and congrats on reaching 75!

>23 Berly: >24 foggidawn: Thanks so much, Kim and foggi! Glad you could make it to the new thread.

Happy new thread, Robin!

Happy new thread, Robin!

>26 FAMeulstee: >27 scaifea: Thanks, Anita and Amber. Good to "see" you.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Whew!

Happy New Thread, Robin!!

>29 drneutron: >30 humouress: >31 ronincats: Thanks, Jim, Nina and Roni. Glad you could make it.

Happy new thread :)

>33 Kassilem: Thanks, Melissa. Glad you stopped by.

Sorry for being a little slow around the threads these days Robin.

Better late than never I suppose to wish you a happy new thread. xx

>35 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Good to see you. You're actually faster than I am. Now that school is out for the boys, my life seems to be taken up with getting them to more places than before - its hard to get any work time in, let alone time for the threads!

80. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie



Breq is a human that used to be a starship, Justice of Toren. More specifically, she is an ancillary, which is a human who has been implanted with artificial intelligence, in order to become a part of a starship. Many of the ships in the Imperial Radch military have hundreds to thousands of ancillaries so that they can run the ship and all of its functions, take care of the human crew members and serve as "corpse soldiers." Once someone becomes an ancillary, they are no longer thought of as human, so those selected to become ancillaries are usually newly dead inhabitants of a world that the Imperial Radch is annexing. The ancillaries on a particular ship function as one unit along with the ship, so they are able simultaneously to call up information from any other connected ancillary. As there are so many of them, they can monitor not only the ship but the health and emotions of the crew members as well.

At the beginning of the book, Breq is cut off from her ship and the other ancillaries for some reason. She finds a person unconscious in the snow, whom she recognizes as a former officer from the ship (who is also Breq), on which they both served 1,000 years previously. Breq has a self-imposed mission of justice, but for reasons she cannot explain to herself, she decides to help Seivarden, who appears to be a drug addict now. The book goes back and forth between the past, from Justice of Toren's point of view, as we learn the backstory and to Breq's present and why she is motivated to seek justice.

At first, I found the book very confusing. The narrator, who we find out later is Breq, seems to be in many places at once, without any explanation. We don't learn Breq's name or why she feels cut off from her ship until further on, although Leckie is writing as though we should know this information. Eventually, we are slowly filled in as the book progresses. I honestly almost gave up on the book during the first 50 or so pages. However, I persisted since Ancillary Justice was a Hugo, Nebula and Arthur C Clarke winner. I'm very glad I did.

The Imperial Radch does not seem to distinguish between the sexes, and as an AI, Breq uses the pronouns "she" and "her" to discuss everyone she comes across, including herself. We learn during the book that Breq is confused by gender and does not always get it right - Seivarden is actually male, and it is not clear, at least to me, whether Breq is male or female. This is sort of the opposite of The Left Hand of Darkness which I read earlier this year.

Leckie has a unique idea and does a great job of world building once you finally get there. Not only do we learn about the Radch, who are apparently aggressively annexing the universe, we also learn a little about the culture of some of the assimilated planets too. A clash of cultures on an annexed planet becomes important as it is behind the reason that Breq seeks justice.

It is interesting that there is something of a parallel between the ancillaries, who can be thought of as slaves, and the leader of the Radch, Anaander Mianaai. Just as the ship and its ancillaries are interconnected, Anaander Mianaai has many clones who have a single consciousness. So both the lowest of the Radch society and the highest of the Radch society function with many bodies and a single mind, while the ordinary citizens are just one mind in one body.

Once I got past those first 50 or so pages, I found the book very interesting and hard to put down. As the story rolled out, it became more intriguing as I understood Breq's desire for justice and couldn't wait to see how she fulfilled it. Leckie's writing is very smooth and fluid and easy to read. I've already started the next book in the series.

81. Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi



Agent to the Stars was John Scalzi's first novel, written in 1997, and finally published in hardcover in 2005. It tells the story of Tom Stein, who is a young and upcoming Hollywood agent. Tom has just negotiated a huge contract for his biggest client, Michelle Beck, a clueless blond, when his boss, Carl Lupo invites him to a meeting. As a result of the meeting, Tom becomes the agent to the Yherajk, a group of friendly space aliens who want to make contact with the human race. The Yherajk need PR because they look like blobs of jello and communicate with each other using horrible smells. Tom has his hands full - Joshua, the Yherajk, has come to live with him, Michelle desperately wants the part of a Holocaust survivor, for which she is totally unsuited, in an upcoming movie, and a tabloid reporter has it in for him, costing him some of his remaining clients. When Joshua takes over the body of Tom's next door neighbor's dying dog, Ralph, and Michelle has a freak accident during the casting of her head, it is up to Tom to find a way to fix everything.

I listened to the Wil Wheaton narrated version of this book from Audible.

I thought this book was great! In my opinion, it was funny even though I knew what was ultimately going to happen throughout most of the book. I love Scalzi's sense of humor. There are no complexities here - it is just a fun and easy listen. Wheaton's narration was spot on as it always is (5 stars for the narration.) Scalzi is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

If you enjoy Scalzi or just enjoy humorous science fiction, I think you will enjoy this book.

>37 rretzler: nice review! The trilogy is one of my faves.

Happy Friday, Robin! I stalled out on that Leckie book the first time I tried it, but your review makes me want to give it another go.

82. Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm



Sunny Side Up is a middle-grade graphic novel written by the brother and sister creators of the Babymouse series of graphic novels. The book is a semi-autobiographical account inspired by their childhood. Jennifer also wrote several Newbery Honor books.

The book takes place in 1976. Sunny is a 10-year-old living with her parents and two brothers - one a toddler and the other a senior in high school. She is eagerly anticipating a trip to the shore with her family and best friend when she is sent to stay with her Grandfather in Florida for the summer. Florida is not what she expected - instead of Disney World, it is a retirement community with grumpy old people, visits to the post office, and dinner at 4:30, until she meets Buzz. Buzz shares with her his love of comic books and how to make money by collecting golf balls. But Sunny is tired of keeping other people's secrets, like her Grandfather's smoking when he is not supposed to, and what her older brother does behind her parents' backs, and she finally explodes like a volcano.

The authors explain at the end of the book that they wrote it because when they were young, they had a close relative with a substance abuse problem. They wanted to let kids know that they don't have to feel ashamed like they did and they don't have to keep secrets.

I thought the book handled a sensitive issue very well - it was funny, but also a little sad. It sends a great message to kids, even if they do not have the same issues at home. I think it might help kids understand that while substance abuse might not affect them directly, it may be something a friend is facing. When I was growing up in the 70's, my cousin, who was three years older, had a substance abuse problem. We only saw my uncle's family every few years, but I recall on one occasion when they were visiting, my cousin stole his father's medication and then took our motorcycle for a joy ride, wrecked it and injured himself. Perhaps it is because we now live in a different community, or perhaps it is not as prevalent 40 years later, but it doesn't seem that substance abuse is as common as it was in the 70's. I'm glad that there are still those who are willing to address it, because between the time my older son was in 5th grade and my younger son was in 5th grade, our school system stopped the DARE program, which I think is terrible. We did not pick this book out because it dealt with a serious and sensitive issue, but I'm glad now that we did pick it out because it gave me a chance to open a dialogue with my younger son.

>39 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. I am enjoying the second as much as the first - maybe even a little more, now that I know what is happening. I think a reread of the first may be in order at some point after I finish the trilogy.

>40 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. I would definitely recommend it. Honestly, I really almost put it down many, many times before it finally grabbed me. Glad to see you posting again!!

83. Night's Slow Poison by Anne Leckie



Night's Slow Poison is a short-story in the Imperial Radch universe. It was written in 2012 and published in Electric Velocipede. It can now be found here at tor.com.

Inarakhat Kels is on the second watch of the cargo ship Jewel of Athat, where he is screening passengers on their way to the planet Ghaon. When Awt Emnys boards ostensibly to learn more about his Ghaonish grandmother, Kels believes he recognizes Emnys' eyes. Kels has worked on the Watch for many years, running away from the planet because his family was not good enough for him to marry the woman he loved. During the six-month journey from the station to the planet, Kels and Emnys get to know each other, and Kels suspects he knows who Emnys may be, but not all is as it seems.

This was an interesting short-story written by Ann Leckie, the author of the Hugo and Nebula award winner, Ancillary Justice. It is well-written and ends in something of a twist. However, it does not really tie in with Ancillary Justice, except for being set in the Imperial Radch universe.

>37 rretzler: Great review and I am sure it will give people the reason to make it past the first 50 pages and enjoy this apparently great book.

>44 Berly: Thanks, Kim

You have convinced me to give Ancillary Justice a try. It sounds pretty interesting.

And how organized your thread is! I'm in awe.

A fly past to wish you a very happy Sunday evening, Robin. xx

>46 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella. I hope you won't be disappointed. I really had to force myself to stick with it for a little while, but I'm glad I did. The second book was quite good and I'm just getting started on the third, which I'm enjoying so far. It certainly has a different concept than other books.

>47 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Hope you had a great weekend.

The Main Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library in downtown Columbus is a great location - we don't go downtown much anymore as we have a branch here in Dublin which is less than 2 miles from my house. Here is what happened at the Main Branch yesterday (from the Columbus Dispatch):

A tranquil Sunday afternoon at the Downtown Columbus Metropolitan Library turned chaotic when one man shot another after an argument in a second floor study area.

Columbus police said the shooting, which happened about 3 p.m., was triggered when someone accidentally bumped into the suspect.

The victim, John Thrasher, was shot in the right ankle and managed to limp away to the basement of the library at 96 S. Grant Ave. He was taken in stable condition across the street to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center.

The suspect, Joseph W. Steward III, 28, of the South Side, is charged with felonious assault.

Steward admitted he shot the victim after an argument, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records. Steward told police that he then chased Thrasher across the second floor of the library, but surrendered when confronted by library security, who subdued him.

Police interviewed dozens of witnesses and recovered surveillance video that capture the shooting.

Scores of patrons ran for the exits when they heard three loud shots echo.

Surlaney Posey, 54, said she was about 25 feet away or so, dozing in a chair when she heard the confrontation and the shooting.

Posey said that the shooter had bumped into Thrasher’s girlfriend. According to Posey, Thrasher told the man: “You pushed my girl. Don’t you say excuse me?”

That provoked Steward to curse Thrasher and pull a gun from his pants. Posey said she heard three shots in quick succession: “Pow. Powpow.”

She said she crouched down and crawled before running away. “Somebody shooting up a library? It was just unbelievable. I am saying, wow, this is crazy.”

Anthony Alexander said he was in a second-floor study room when he heard shots that sounded like they came from the back of the second floor.

“When I heard the first one, I didn’t think it was a gunshot. But then I heard more, and I saw a security guy get on the floor. Then I knew it was serious.,” he said. He said he saw security guards subduing the suspect a short time later.

“They had him on the ground,” Alexander said.

Wayne Crawford was also studying on the second floor. He comes to the library often, usually on Sundays. He heard gunshots and saw about a dozen people running, so he started running too. He and others ran down the stairs, where he and another man helped a girl who had been knocked down. They left through a garage entrance.

Witnesses said police were running into the building even before the last of the patrons had evacuated.

Library spokesman Ben Zenitsky said the library has a security presence who work to keep the library safe.

“Our thoughts are with the victim, and we hope he makes a quick recovery,” Zenitsky said. “We have a security team who acted very quickly.” The library, which was set to close at 5 p.m., was evacuated while police investigated. The library will open at 1 p.m. Monday to give staff time to prepare the building. All other branches will open as usual.

Weapons are prohibited at the library.

Standing on a corner outside the library, Posey reflected on the shooting and said that it could have been so much worse if it had occurred on the first floor, where the children’s section is located.

Ulysses Simmons, 54, who is a regular patron of the library and was on the first floor when the shooting broke out, still was wrapping his mind around what happened. The library is usually a safe place.

“It’s unbelievable, unbelievable that it happened at the main library,” Simmons said.

Crawford said the shooting probably won’t keep him from coming back to the library, which he enjoys. Alexander said he isn’t sure.

“This might be the last time,” he said. “Bullets don’t discriminate.”

It's sad, because the library was recently rennovated and reopened last year - we haven't visited yet, but I hear that the space is wonderful. I don't think we will be visiting any time soon, although I guess this could happen anywhere. Fortunately, it sounds as though the victim was not seriously injured.

Ouch, Robin, not fun at all. Scary, to have this kind of thing happening in your own environment.
Why do people walk around with a gun in their pocket? (and what seems like an overdose of testosteron?)

>50 EllaTim: I wonder that myself, Ella. Why do these people feel the need to carry around a gun? There may be a specific time, place and purpose for guns, and 99% percent of the time, guns are not appropriate at all - especially not at a library on a Sunday afternoon.

That's horrible!! Now we are going to need electronic sensors at the library. ; / Ridiculous.

Oh, honestly. This country and its guns. In a public library!? And because of bumping into someone?! Sweet cheese and crackers.

Also, I love that library, and plan on taking Charlie there later this month when we're in Columbus...

Wow, that's a sad and disturbing story.

Hi Robin!

I'm back after a month in California. Mom's mail is forwarded, her safe deposit box permanently closed, and the house on the market. Back to retirement!

Drawing a line in the sand, and just moving forward seems wisest, otherwise I'd never get caught up! I hope things have been going well for you.

>52 Berly: >53 scaifea: >54 drneutron: Kim, Amber and Jim - it really saddens me that it happened here in Columbus. Although it was not nearly as horrible as it might have been and having something like this happening anywhere is terrible, there is just something different when something like this happens in your own backyard.

>55 karenmarie: Karen, glad things have settled down for you and glad to have you back. Moving forward seems wise - I have trouble keeping up myself!

Scary incident at the library, Robin.

I wanted to let you know that I finished A Useful Woman the other day and loved it! Thanks for turning me on to the series. Imagine my surprise at the end when I turned to the author information and discovered that Darcie Wilde is actually Sarah Zettel, author of science fiction and fantasy books! I have liked those as well.

>57 ronincats: My pleasure, Roni. Too funny that you have read her books in another incarnation. If you liked A Useful Woman, you might also like A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. It's the first book in another historical mystery series with a very independent female character, and it reminds me a bit of the Darcie Wilde. Although in Deanna Raybourn's book, the heroine, Veronica Speedwell, is much more forward and uninhibited than Rosalind Thorne.

>58 rretzler: Perhaps not as historically accurate then. That was one of the things I liked most about Rosalind--she had a very clear view of limitations placed on her by time and class, and had to operate with them in view. Much more difficult than putting a modern character in a historical setting.

>59 ronincats: You would indeed be correct, and I agree that Rosalind does operate within the constraints of her time, while Veronica usually defies convention. I doubt that Veronica Speedwell is quite as historically accurate as Rosalind Thorne; however, I believe that Rosalind Thorne was Regency and Veronica Speedwell is Victorian, so the 60-70 year difference could likely account for some of the lessening of conventions. Veronica Speedwell reminds me quite a bit of Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody.

Stopping by to get caught up and noticed some great reading going on here. Good thing Ancillary Justice is already on my To Read list, but I still came away with a BB for Agent to the Stars.... I loved Redshirts!

>49 rretzler: - OMG.... what a very disturbing situation. What is going on with the world we live in?

>49 rretzler: That is a scary incident, Robin, glad it isn't your regular library!

>61 lkernagh: Hi, Lori. I hadn't read much Scalzi until very recently, but I'm really enjoying his books.

>61 lkernagh: >62 FAMeulstee: It's just amazing, isn't it?

I'm very behind on reviews - I've had a big work project and am getting ready for a two week vacation starting Saturday. Also, I was in St. Louis, MO last week with my younger son - he made the Ohio Olympic Development Team for soccer and played in several games. So, I'm just going to list the books I've read and my rating and maybe someday I'll come back and review them.

84. She Commands Me and I Obey by Ann Leckie

85. Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

86. Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

87. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

88. Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries by Martin Edwards

89. Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

90. Armada by Ernest Cline

91. Lockdown by Laurie R King

92. The Bittermeads Mystery by E R Punshon

93. The View from Saturday by E L Konigsburg

94. It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville

June Summary

M (YTD)

By the numbers

Books read - 16 (95)
Average days to read a book – 1.9 (2.1)

Pages read – 4,365 (26,391)
Average pages per book - 273 (275)
Average pages per day - 146 (147)

Series read - 1 (33)
Books in series read - 5 (53)

Source

ARC - 0 (6)
Borrowed - 5 (19)
New - 9 (46)
Reread - 0 (4)
TBR - 2 (20)

Medium

Audio - 3 (6)
Ebook - 11 (78)
Print - 2 (11)

Genre

Children - 0 (2)
Fantasy - 0 (2)
Fiction - 1 (8)
Middle Grade - 4 (11)
Mystery - 4 (35)
Nonfiction - 0 (8)
Picture -0 (1)
Science Fiction - 7 (28)

Authors

Authors by book

Female - 10 (55)
Male - 5 (38)
Unknown/other - 1 (2)

Unique authors

Female - 6 (41)
Male - 5 (35)
Unknown/other - 1 (2)

Authors read for the first time - 8 (37)

Living or deceased - unique authors

Deceased - 3 (13)
Living - 9 (65)

Nationality - unique authors

American - 9 (45)
English - 3 (25)
German - 0 (1)
Irish – 0 (1)
Portugese - 0 (1)
Scottish – 0 (1)
South African - 0 (1)
Swedish - 0 (1)
Unknown - 0 (2)

Awards

Caldecott – 0 (1)
Eisner - 0 (?)
Hugo - 1 (5)
Nebula - 1 (3)
Newbery - 2 (6)
Pulitzer - 0 (1)

Ratings

5.0 - 0 (5)
4.5 - 1 (17)
4.0 - 10 (45)
3.5 - 3 (14)
3.0 - 2 (9)
2.5 - 0 (2)
2.0 - 0 (1)
1.5 - 0 (1)
1.0 -0 (1)

Average rating – 3.81 (3.87)

Average rating of books read per LibraryThing – 3.72 (3.82)
Average rating of books read per Goodreads – 3.84 (3.95)
Average rating of books read per Amazon - 4.20 (4.27)

Decade published

1920 - 1 (6)
1930 - 0 (2)
1940 - 0 (2)
1950 - 0 (1)
1960 - 1 (5)
1970 - 0 (1)
1980 - 0 (5)
1990 - 1 (8)
2000 - 3 (12)
2010 - 10 (53)

Books added to library

ARC - 0 (5)
Purchase - 12 (173)
Other - 0 (0)

Average cost per book - $4.85 ($4.35)

New releases - 2 (21)
Percent of new releases purchased - 16.67% (11.87%)

Full price - 4 (37)
Percent of full price books purchased - 33.33% (21.92%)

Favorite books in June



Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

>63 rretzler: Hi Robin, congratulations for your son, making a team like that! He must be really happy.

>75 rretzler: How do you make such a detailed statistic? You keep track of everything in excel?
I still have to read Ann Leckie, but I'm looking forward to it, based on what everybody thinks of her books here.

And wishing you good holidays.

>74 rretzler: I remember reading that one years ago when I was in school. It's one of those that kind of swept through the class. One person read it and raved, so gradually we all read it as people raved about it.

>63 rretzler: What age group is your son? My wife went with my daughter, a U12, to the same ODP showcase. She loved the experience and is planning to try out again as a U13.

>76 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella. He was really excited. This year, his age group actually took four teams, but next year they will only take one team, so it will be a lot harder to make the team next year.

I use a free online database called Airtable. I set it up with the fields I want to keep track of - and have a table for books, authors, etc so I can keep track of a lot of different statistics. I used to keep it in Microsoft Access, but I found Airtable and it is much, much more user friendly - you don't really have to understand databases to use it.

>77 thornton37814: Lori, as a fellow cat-person, I would have thought that I would have read it before now. I'm guessing that I did because it seemed vaguely familiar, but I read so many books when I was growing up that I just don't remember them all.

>78 Oberon: Hi, Erik. Keegan is also a U12 this year. What a coincidence that your daughter went too! It was a great experience! He is also looking forward to next year. I guess this was probably their last hurrah on the smaller 9v9 fields! I'm not sure that he is looking forward to playing on a larger field, but I keep telling him he'll get used to it. My older son, Beckham, who will be U17 this coming year, started playing 11v11 when he was U12, but for some reason, Keegan's team didn't do that.

95. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves





Managed to sneak in one last June book before we leave on vacation. Ed and I have been enjoying the Shetland TV show on Netflix and I noticed that I had purchased the first book in the series several years ago but had not yet read it. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The TV series is very loosely based on the books. This book was the basis for the third episode and there were quite a few changes but the main storyline is basically the same. There were actually a few things that the show added that I enjoyed more than the book, which is unusual for me - but overall, the book is probably slightly better.

See below for my impression of the series.

Hi Robin!

>69 rretzler: I liked the cover of this book. Can tell something more about the audio?

>74 rretzler: What did you liked about 'Cat'?

>81 brodiew2: Hi, Brodie. Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is a middle-grade/young adult book about a 13 y.o. boy whose 5 y.o. brother gets cancer. While he's trying to find his place in the world at school and with girls, his family life is also disrupted as each member deals with Jeffrey's cancer in different ways. The narrator of the audiobook was Joel Johnstone and I thought he did an OK job. He wasn't bad, but he also wasn't necessarily fantastic either - perhaps I've been listening to Wil Wheaton so much that everyone else just pales in comparison though. It was a short listen - I think about 4 1/2 hours and Keegan and I enjoyed it on the way back from St. Louis.

I think I liked It's Like This, Cat because it reminded me of growing up in the late 60s and 70s. Kids had a lot more freedom back then and didn't have to check in with their parents all the time - I think that probably made them a little more responsible. It certainly did with, Dave, the protagonist of this book. The book is basically about Dave adopting Cat, meeting an older boy who needed help and also the development of his first relationship with a girl. Plus, its about his relationship with his cat, and I'm a cat person. Honestly, the book is dated and although it appealed to me because I could relate to that time period, I'm not sure it would be a book for everyone. It's just a nice story about growing up in Manhattan in the early 60s. I don't think it necessarily stands the test of time like other Newbery winners.

Hi Robin! You sure have been busy recently! Lots of good books read, too, from the looks of it.

I've noted the Shetland series on Netflix - daughter kindly shared her subscription to it with us for the times she's home so will look into it.

Enjoy your vacation!

Hi Robin--Hope you are having fun on your VK! Congrats to your daughter on the ODP play. My son played on the team for several years. This year he opted out. ; )

>63 rretzler: >78 Oberon: >84 Berly: Woo Woo! I'm moving in exalted circles! Congratulations to the kids.

I see you're charging through the books, as usual. Good going.

Good morning, Robin. I hope you're havi g a fabulous summer!

>83 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Lots of good books! We finally finished Shetland on Netflix and I enjoyed it so much that I read the entire 7 book series while on vacation (well, I managed to sneak the first in before we went.) It's a very enjoyable series.

>84 Berly: Hi, Kim. Thanks for the congrats (it's actually my son and Erik's daughter, but I definitely appreciate the congrats!) Keegan loved ODP quite a bit and he's starting at a new club this coming year so we'll see how things go. They do tend to get a little burned out - my 15 1/2 year old (U17) is so I am wondering if he's going to try hard enough to make the HS team this fall.

>85 humouress: Thanks, Nina. Yes, I'm reading so many books I'm probably neglecting other things (like the laundry, currently!), but it's all good!

>86 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie. Hope you are as well.

I just got back from a 2 week vacation yesterday from the New England area. We

• walked the Freedom Trail in Boston,
  
• visited Concord and Lexington,
  
• went whale-watching and visited the New England Aquarium,
  
• visited Walter Gropius' house and the deCordoba Museum in Lincoln, MA,
  
• toured Frank Lloyd Wright's Zimmerman House and the Currier Museum in Manchester, NH,
  
• visited Plymouth, MA and the site of the Pilgrim landing,
  
• visited Cape Cod National Seashore, Mayflower Beach and the Sandwich Glass Museum,
  
• played mini-golf,
  
• drove to the original LLBean store in Freeport, ME,
  
• drove through Mystic Seaport, CT,
  
• visited The House of the Seven Gables and the Salem Witch Museum, and
  
• visited Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob Houses.

Ed and I have done most of these things before, so this was more of a trip for the kids so that they could experience the NE United States. We had never gone whale-watching before and while it was a great experience, we only saw 2 whales, a shark and a sunfish. The trip was guaranteed and because we didn't see as much as the company would have liked us to, we now each have a free ticket to go back anytime. I always enjoy art and architecture, so the modern architecture at the Gropius House is always a treat for me, especially as there is original furniture by Marcel Breuer and Eero Saarinen and an original Miro, and Fallingwater is a treat anytime. We visited Fallingwater on Saturday, and the tourguide told us that we were visiting at a very unique time. It had stormed the evening before (while we were traveling) and Bear Run creek had flooded as high as it had been since 1956, causing a small amount of damage to the property. Fortunately it was very small, and they were already at work fixing it.

I read a lot while we were driving...so I now have a lot to catch up on AND a lot of laundry and unpacking to do. So I will probably only visit threads that I can catch up on pretty quickly, while I attempt to get my thread caught up.

ETA We left Picasso home by himself, with a friend of Beckham's to come every other day to make sure he had plenty of food and water and to change the litter box. Poor Picasso is now following Ed around the house and meowing A LOT when Ed is at work. I have to put him on the seat beside me to make him stop meowing. Poor thing! (and poor me for having the cat meow all day)

Books read in July 2017

1. (96) White Nights by Ann Cleeves -
   
2. (97) A Panicked Premonition by Victoria Laurie -
   
3. (98) Red Bones by Ann Cleeves -
   
4. (99) Blue Lightening by Ann Cleeves -
   
5. (100) Dead Water by Ann Cleeves -
   
6. (101) Thin Air by Ann Cleeves -
   
7. (102) Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves -
   
8. (103) A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves -
   
9. (104) Murder in My Backyard by Ann Cleeves -
   
10. (105) A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith -
    
11. (106) Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn -
    
12. (107) Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn -
    
13. (108) Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn -
    
14. (109) Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn -
    
15. (110) The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn -
    
16. (111) Midsummer Night (novella) by Deanna Raybourn -
    
17. (112) Silent Night (novella) by Deanna Raybourn -
    
18. (113) Twelfth Night (novella) by Deanna Raybourn -
    
19. (114) Bonfire Night (novella) by Deanna Raybourn -
    
20. (115) Too Good to Be True (novella) by Ann Cleeves -
    
21. (116) A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves -
    
    
    
    

Books added to my library in July 2017

1. (183) Secondborn by Amy A Bartol
   
2. (184) A Panicked Premonition by Victoria Laurie
   
3. (185) Dead Water by Ann Cleeves
   
4. (186) Thin Air by Ann Cleeves
   
5. (187) Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves
   
6. (188) The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill
   
7. (189) The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
   
8. (190) Wright Sites by Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy - updated 2017 edition
   
9. (191) The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright by William Allin Storrer
   
10. (192) Room With a Clue by Kate Kingsbury
    
11. (193) And So to Murder by Carter Dickson
    
12. (194) Lonesome Road by Patricia Wentworth
    
13. (195) Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
    
14. (196) Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card
    
15. (197) A Man with One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell
    
16. (198) Murder in My Backyard by Ann Cleeves
    
17. (199) Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Patillo Beals
    
18. (200) A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith
    
19. (201) The Crooked Wreath by Christianna Brand
    
20. (202) The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin
    
21. (203) Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn
    
22. (204) The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn
    
23. (205) Silent Night by Deanna Raybourn
    
24. (206) Bonfire Night by Deanna Raybourn
    
25. (207) Midsummer Night by Deanna Raybourn
    
26. (208) Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
    
27. (209) Masquerade by Tivadar Soros
    
28. (210) Cruel Winter by Sheila Connolly
    
29. (211) The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
    
30. (212) The Cartoon Guide to Algebra by Larry Gonick
    
31. (213) Algebra Survival Guide by Josh Rappaport
    
32. (214) Too Good To Be True by Ann Cleeves
    
33. (215) The Quantum Story by Jim Baggott
    
34. (216) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
    
    
    

>87 rretzler: Sounds like a great trip! I've been to Boston a couple of times, but other than that, haven't seen much of New England.

>87 rretzler: Sounds you had a great vacation, Robin, I would love to go whale watching and seeing a Frank Lloyd Wright house.

>90 foggidawn: It was indeed a great trip, foggi. Honestly, we spend more time in the Boston area than anywhere, due to time constraints, but I have several friends who really love Maine.

>91 FAMeulstee: Anita, I think you would have enjoyed the Gropius house and the Currier Museum as well, Anita. The Currier has a pretty good collection of modern art and the deCordoba Museum in Lincoln, Mass. near the Gropius has a fantastic sculpture garden. Once I get organized, I'll have to post a few pictures.

Robin--Ah! I have East Coast envy! Having lived in NJ, CN, and MA five different times, I really miss the place. Sounds like you hit lots of great attractions. And you've passed 100 books! Hope your son gives HS soccer a try. It's often a different experience and hopefully he would have lots of buddies on the team. But it is an everyday thing, so burnout can happen. Good luck to him! And I hope Picasso settles down again soon. ; )

>93 Berly: Kim - it was a good time. We tried to do it all, but ended up cutting out several things I would have like to have done. Plus all the way up there, and we didn't even get to VT.

Beckham is actually a Soph. this year, so he was on the Fresh. HS team last year. Our HS is VERY competetive. We normally carry about 18-20 kids on each of the 3 teams - Varsity, JV (which is called JVA) and Fresh (which is called JVB) teams and last year, I believe they cut something like 40 people. Having played last year and carried several AP classes at the same time, it was time consuming for him. He knows this year that in addition, he will need to be more involved in volunteer activities and a club or two, so I think he's a little overwhelmed and soccer may end up being the sacrifice. He had already decided not to continue with band, as he was not able to fit band, AP American Studies, AP Bio and Calc IB HL2 into his schedule at the same time. We're thinking they will probably cut at least half the JVB team from last year, and while he's definitely good enough to be on JVA, his friends are actually all on the cross country team, so I think in his mind, he's thinking if he is cut, he will join cross country and run with his friends (plus less of a time committment.)

What a nice family vacation! I remember taking a trip out there when I was about 10 or so. It's been 10 years since I was in New England, and I'd love to go back! I wish I could read while we are driving. I don't get carsick when I read or anything, but I get too busy reading the map and looking out the window. That doesn't stop me from taking plenty of reading material when I am on a trip, though!

>94 rretzler: Interesting to hear that your son may consider the switch to cross country. My daughter has really gotten into cross country at the middle school level where she can continue to do both soccer and CC for awhile but early high school she will likely have to pick one over the other. It is a shame that the competition for these sports is so intense that you can't effectively do both. Very different from my high school days.

>94 rretzler: Oh, wow! That seems intense.

>95 aktakukac: Rachel, it was indeed a nice family vacation. I know what you mean about looking out the window - I mostly did look out the window while we were traveling somewhere new; I'd hate to miss seeing something. Reading was saved for after the site seeing mostly while we were in our hotel for the night. Some days we packed it in pretty early as a lot of the site seeing places seemed to close between 5 and 6 and with a 15 yo and a 12 yo missing their computers and 2 weary parents, we were back in the hotel by 7 many nights. I had downloaded several audio books as we usually do listen on longer trips, but somehow we didn't listen to any of them this trip.

>96 Oberon: Erik, I suppose in some ways cross country and soccer have a similar appeal - lots and lots of running! My younger son (in 7th grade) would also like to run cross country this fall, but I think the soccer practice times and cc times are going to conflict.

>97 humouress: Nina, yes, he loves a challenge!

Just can't seem to get motivated to post or review this month. I'm kind of in the doldrums. I've just been working on my reading summary for July and it is totally comfort books - mysteries. Not necessarily my go to comfort books as I completed a couple of series that I have been reading, but every book was a mystery, which is extremely unusual. So, I'll post a list of books and my star rating and maybe someday I'll go back and review. Sigh!

96. White Nights by Ann Cleeves



Shetland series #2

See below for my impression of the series.

97. A Panicked Premonition by Victoria Laurie



Psychic Eye #15 - I'm so far into this series now that I'm reading them because I've invested so much time. While this one was intriguing in some respects, in other ways it was not. I'm a little tired of the main character and how she has the hots for her husband every time she mentions him (they've been married for several years now and I'm certainly over it - it's time they were too.) Also tired of how she just has to charge right in without the least amount of common sense, even when her husband tells her not to, thereby necessitating that either he or her best friend must once again rescue her. However, the mystery itself was not bad...

(might be a little high?)

98. Red Bones by Ann Cleeves



Shetland #3

See below for my impression of the series.

99. Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves



Shetland #4

See below for my impression of the series.

100. Dead Water by Ann Cleeves



Shetland #5

See below for my impression of the series.

101. Thin Air by Ann Cleeves



Shetland #6

See below for my impression of the series.

102. Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves



Shetland #7

I have really enjoyed the Shetland series. It's a very solid mystery series set on the Shetland Islands, which are located at the northern tip of Scotland, and very remote. Throughout the series, Cleeves is very good at letting us get inside the head of Jimmy Perez, especially when it comes to his personal life, but she manages to hold back his key thought processes on the mystery until the end. In a couple of books, I guessed correctly, but many times, the conclusion surprised me. Each book has the mystery, but it also introduces us to a different part of the Shetland Islands and their culture, as well as letting us get to know Jimmy more. There are some very definite changes in Jimmy's life through the seven books. Cleeves style of writing is a little different. It's hard for me to put my finger on what is different about it, but I almost feel as though she doesn't always tell the reader everything - some things in the books you sort of have to infer. This is not a criticism, but it was something noticeable to me.

If you have watched the BBC series Shetland, it is based loosely on the books, but there are a lot of differences as well. Hard to say which I like best at this point; they are both good, yet different.

>104 rretzler: Hi Robin, I can get not feeling up to reviewing. Still, you did have some good reading with the Ann Cleeves series. A series of all 4 stars, not bad at all.

I've read the first two and enjoyed them as well.

>106 rretzler: Ella, glad to hear that you're enjoying the Shetland series too. I've been reading some of the books in her earlier series - Inspector Ramsey and George and Molly Palmer-Jones, and I think I will probably read the Vera Stanhope series as well.

103. A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves



Inspector Ramsey #1

See below for my thoughts on this series so far.

104. Murder in My Backyard by Ann Cleeves



Inspector Ramsay #2

These were written by Cleeves in the 90s but to me they have a kind of early 70s feel. They take place in the Northumberland village of Heppleburn. Inspector Ramsay does not seem like a typical DI (if there is such a thing) - he seems perhaps a little more introspective (perhaps a precursor to Jimmy Perez?) and not entirely sure of his path in life. In the first book, a father and his married daughter are also involved in trying to find the murderer, while in the second book, Inspector Ramsay is center stage. There was just something about this second book that I liked a little more than even the Shetland series - perhaps because it was a little closer to classic detective fiction a la Christie, Sayers, etc, or perhaps because I liked the characters, or the twists, or because I couldn't figure it out (but sort of actually did.) Who knows? There are six total books to this series, and I will keep reading them.

105. A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith



Isabel Dalhousie #11

I'm not sure what to say about this series - there is a mystery in each one, but not a murder mystery, and it is certainly not anything like typical detective fiction. It is more a dilemma than an actual mystery and Isabel agrees to help someone. Isabel a philosopher and the editor of an ethics magazine. I have really come to like her character so I think that's what keeps me coming back. I think what I like about Isabel is that she is who I would like to be. She is very grounded, cares about others and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. A couple of quotes that resonated with me: "Remember what you have and what the other person does not." "Like so many women, her life seemed to be about the needs of others." This is probably not a book or series for everyone, but I really enjoy it.

106. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #1

See below for my thoughts on the series.

107. Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #2

See below for my thoughts on the series.

108. Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #3

See below for my thoughts on the series.

109. Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #5

See below for my thoughts on the series.

110. The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #6

See below for my thoughts on the series.

111. Midsummer Night by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #4 - novella

See below for my thoughts on the series.

112. Silent Night by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #7 - novella

See below for my thoughts on the series.

113. Twelfth Night by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #8 - novella

See below for my thoughts on the series.

114. Bonfire Night by Deanna Raybourn



Lady Julia Grey #9 - novella

This is a series that is part romance and part mystery. It is set in Victorian England. The mystery part was very well done with no lack of suspects. In the first book, Lady Julia meets Nicholas Brisbane during her husband's death by poisoning. In the next two books, she pursues him while trying to involve herself in his work as a sort of private detective. Of course, she sticks her nose in where it doesn't belong and needs to be rescued. In the last books, Lady Julia and Nicholas are married, and she is still trying to stick her nose into his work. At first this was mildly amusing, but grew tiresome. Several times Lady Julia's actions caused problems and jeopardized the case. Towards the end, it seemed as though she were a spoiled brat who did not respect her husband. Still, the mystery part overcame the issues with Lady Julia's personality for the most part.

115. Too Good to Be True by Ann Cleeves



Shetland novella

116. A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves



George and Molly Palmer-Jones #1

I believe this was Ann Cleeves first published book and it shows. While the mystery was good, I found it a little difficult to read. It is about "twitchers", whom I believe are fanatic bird watchers and there was quite a bit of slang relating to this hobby which was difficult to understand. I'm not totally clear on the difference between a twitcher and a regular bird watcher.

M (YTD)

By the numbers

Books read - 21 (116)
Average days to read a book – 1.5 (2.0)

Pages read – 6,182 (32,573)
Average pages per book - 294 (278)
Average pages per day - 199 (154)

Series read - 6 (39)
Books in series read - 21 (74)

Source

ARC - 0 (6)
Borrowed - 0 (19)
New - 19 (65)
Reread - 1 (5)
TBR - 1 (21)

Medium

Audio - 0 (6)
Ebook - 20 (98)
Print – 1 (12)

Genre

Children - 0 (2)
Fantasy – 0 (2)
Fiction - 0 (8)
Middle Grade - 0 (11)
Mystery - 21 (56)
Nonfiction - 0 (8)
Picture -0 (1)
Science Fiction - 0 (28)

Authors

Authors by book

Female - 20 (75)
Male - 1 (39)
Unknown/other - 0 (2)

Unique authors

Female - 3 (38)
Male - 1 (32)
Unknown/other - 0 (2)

Authors read for the first time - 0 (37)

Living or deceased - unique authors

Deceased - 0 (13)
Living - 4 (69)

Nationality - unique authors

American - 2 (40)
English - 1 (23)
German - 0 (1)
Irish – 0 (1)
Portugese - 0 (1)
Scottish – 1 (2)
South African - 0 (1)
Swedish - 0 (1)
Unknown - 0 (2)

Awards

Caldecott – 0 (1)
Eisner - 0 (?)
Hugo - 0 (4)
Nebula - 0 (3)
Newbery - 0 (6)
Pulitzer - 0 (1)

Ratings

5.0 - 0 (5)
4.5 - 2 (19)
4.0 - 10 (55)
3.5 - 3 (17)
3.0 - 6 (15)
2.5 - 0 (2)
2.0 - 0 (1)
1.5 - 0 (1)
1.0 -0 (1)

Average rating – 3.69 (3.84)

Average rating of books read per LibraryThing – 3.76 (3.81)
Average rating of books read per Goodreads – 3.91 (3.94)
Average rating of books read per Amazon - 4.30 (4.27)

Decade published

1920 - 0 (6)
1930 - 0 (2)
1940 - 0 (2)
1950 - 0 (1)
1960 - 0 (5)
1970 - 0 (1)
1980 - 1 (6)
1990 - 2 (10)
2000 - 4 (16)
2010 - 14 (67

Books added to library

ARC - 0 (5)
Purchase - 34 (210)
Other - 0 (0)

Average cost per book - $6.95 ($4.83)

New releases - 2 (23)
Percent of new releases purchased – 5.88% (10.54%)

Full price - 18 (58)
Percent of full price books purchased – 52.94% (28.26%)

Favorite books in July

Books read in August 2017

1. (117) The Eames-Erskine Case by A Fielding -
   
2. (118) Eggshells by Caitriona Lally -
   
3. (119) On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen -
   
4. (120) The Paris Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal -
   
5. (121) Death Distilled by Melinda Mullet -
   
6. (122) The Witches' Tree by MC Beaton -
   
7. (123) When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt -
   
8. (124) Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody -
   
9. (125) The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry -
   
10. (126) The Seagull by Ann Cleeves -
    
11. (127) The Rat Catchers' Olympics by Colin Cotterill -
    
12. (128) Into the Water by Paula Hawkins -
    
13. (129) The Netscher Connection by Estelle Ryan -
    
    
    
    

Books added to my library in August 2017

1. (220) On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen
   
2. (221) Continental Crimes by Martin Edwards
   
3. (222) P.S. from Paris by Marc Levy - KindleFirst
   
4. (223) Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver
   
5. (224) Barking up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker
   
6. (225) The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
   
7. (226) The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green
   
8. (227) The Paris Spy by susan Elia MacNeal
   
9. (228) An Unkindness of Ravens by Ruth Rendell
   
10. (229) The Veiled One by Ruth Rendell
    
11. (230) A Study in Terror by Ellery Queen
    
12. (231) Anna Katharine Green Ultimate Collection by Anna Katharine Green
    
13. (232) A Strange Disappearance by Anna Katharine Green
    
14. (233) Hand and Ring by Anna Katharine Green
    
15. (234) Death Distilled by Melinda Mullet - ARC NetGalley
    
16. (235) Weycombe by GM Malliet - ARC NetGalley
    
17. (236) This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber - ARC NetGalley
    
18. (237) An Echo of Murder by Anne Perry - ARC NetGalley
    
19. (238) Miss Seeton Quilts the Village by Hamilton Crane - ARC NetGalley
    
20. (239) The Dead Shall Be Raised and Murder of a Quack by George Bellairs - ARC NetGalley
    
21. (240) The Last Best Friend by George Sims - ARC NetGalley
    
22. (241) Death of a Busybody by George Bellairs - ARC NetGalley
    
23. (242) Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood - ARC NetGalley
    
24. (243) Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate - ARC NetGalley
    
25. (244) The End of the Web by George Sims - ARC NetGalley
    
26. (245) The Countess of Prague by Stephen Weeks - ARC NetGalley
    
27. (246) The Witches' Tree by MC Beaton - ARC NetGalley
    
28. (247) Murderous Mistral by Cay Rademacher - ARC NetGalley
    
29. (248) The Seagull by Ann Cleeves - ARC NetGalley
    
30. (249) Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody - ARC NetGalley
    
31. (250) The Cleverness of Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith
    
32. (251) The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
    
33. (252) The Unlikely Spy by Daniel Silva
    
34. (253) The Rat Catchers' Olympics by Colin Cotterill
    
35. (254) Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
    
36. (255) Death at the Emerald by RJ Koreto
    
37. (256) Wild Chamber by Christopher Fowler
    
38. (257) Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy by John le Carre
    
39. (258) The Case of the Famished Parson by George Bellairs - ARC
    
40. (259) The Calculus Lifesaver by Adrian Banner
    
41. (260) Bright, Not Broken by Diane M Kennedy
    
42. (261) Private by James Patterson
    
43. (262) In the Company of Sherlock Holmes by Leslie S Klinger
    
44. (263) Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves
    
45. (264) The Netscher Connection by Estelle Ryan
    
46. (265) The Riviera Express by TP Fielden
    
47. (266) St. James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers by Jay P Pederson
    
48. (267) Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan
    
49. (268) The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan
    
50. (269) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
    
51. (270) After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
    
52. (271) A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis
    
    
    

R--Well, I wouldn't want to post reviews if I read that many books either!! Whew!

Sounds like your son has lots of great opportunities and I am sure he will figure it out. My son is contemplating skipping the winter club soccer to try the snowboarding club. I am for it; my husband not so much. Having played ODP several years and Varsity soccer for 3, I think he just doesn't want to miss out and I don't think it would really affect his chances to play in college. We'll see.

Hi Robin! My goodness, you read a lot of books in July! Congratulations. I had to skip over the Jimmy Perez book reviews as I just watched the Shetland series and have pulled Raven Black off my shelves. It's just the antidote to my reading doldrums - I'm reading 2 books for challenges and one book for book club (Bible as Literature, Kafka on the Shore, and for book club The Crying of Lot 49) but have bounced among several 'free reading' books. I think I'll be happy to light on Raven Black.

>126 Berly: Kim, I think I'm with you. I'd go for the snowboarding too. There's only so much time to have fun and do things in HS! Plus I think HS soccer is more of what the colleges look at anyway. Does he play spring club?

>127 karenmarie: Karen, I think you'll enjoy the Shetland books if you enjoyed the TV series, but they are different. I watched the show first as well, which is a little unusual for me and was surprised at some of the differences between the two. Both are very good though. I know what you mean about bouncing around with books - I'm usually reading one with my kids, one with my younger son, an audio book and a ebook/print book for me. How is The Crying of Lot 49? I've had it on my list for years, but can't seem to get around to it.

...as for my book reviews, I think I'm still in January...

That's a good lot of mysteries. I might try some of them at some point.

Hi Robin!

Netflix has done this twice to me, now. The first was Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries based on the Phryne Fisher mysteries set in Australia in the 1920s. I've read the first Phryne Fisher book - Cocaine Blues and really liked it. The only thing I don't like is that the TV series has the delicious attraction/tension between Phryne and Jack and the books do not.

Frankly The Crying of Lot 49 is a slog for me. Fortunately, it's only 152 pages so I will actually finish it. Unless something wonderful happens in the next/last 20 pages, I will remove it from my collection and read a bit about it online to try to figure it out.

Edited to add: Blech. Here's my review: The Crying of Lot 49

I am always impressed by your frenetic updates Robin and, of course, by the stats.

Have a great weekend. xx

>129 humouress: Nina - then I don't feel quite so bad. The reading I can handle no problem, and my thoughts on the books always sound good in my head while I am reading them; unfortunately, I cannot find a good way to capture those thoughts and by the time I do...they are gone. If I could just find a way to hook up my brain to the computer and project my thoughts, I would be in business!

>130 karenmarie: Karen, ah, yes. I'm with you on that - Netflix, or PBS, or BBC... The producers seem to want to change the story. I guess because they think it will make it more likable to everyone? Meanwhile, they tend to alienate the true fans who are probably the ones who are watching in the first place. The most frustrating thing for me is when the actor doesn't match the description of the major character. I remember the Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George: Thomas Lynley was a blonde, but when BBC produced it, the actor had dark brown hair. Very frustrating!

Probably why I have been putting off reading The Crying of Lot 49 - I can just tell that it will probably leave me frustrated. I read your review and I can imagine I would probably feel the same!

>131 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul. Frenetic is certainly the word. Can't seem to get on here with any regularity lately - both time and motivation are in short supply! Hope you have a good one too! Speaking of stats - I've lately been tracking publishers, with some interesting results!

117. The Eames-Erskine Case by A Fielding



The first Chief Inspector Pointer mystery by A Fielding in a 24-book series. These books were written during the Golden Age of Detection. Interestingly, the author is also something of a mystery. The author's name for this series has been variously listed as A. Fielding, A.E. Fielding or Archibald Fielding. It is believed that a Dorothy Fielding wrote the books, although no one seems to know who she was. See this site for more information.

I thought this was a fairly good book - certainly not up to Christie, Sayers or Marsh standards, but better than some - Fielding is more coherent than Gladys Mitchell. The mystery was fairly well laid out, and there were several suspects to pick from. There were a few twists, but they were not actually that surprising. I would read others in this series if they were available, but I think they will be difficult to find. It does not appear that Resurrected Press, who issued my copy, has released any additional Chief Inspector Pointer books (which may be a good thing, because the cover is terrible!)

118. Eggshells by Caitriona Lally



Eggshells was an Irish Book of the Year Finalist originally published in 2014. It was also an Amazon Best Books of the Year so Far (but I'm not sure what year.)

The aunt that Vivian lives with in Dublin, Ireland has passed away and been cremated, and Vivian brings her ashes home. She addresses envelopes to people in her aunt's address book and also in the telephone directory and inserts some of her aunt's ashes in each envelope which she then mails. Vivian is twenty something and believes that she belongs to the fairies because she doesn't fit in with normal society. Her neighbors think she's strange, and her sister (who is also named Vivian) treats her badly. Vivian spends her days wandering around Dublin trying to find portals to return her to the fairy world that she believes she comes from. She puts a flyer on a sign-post advertising for a friend called Penelope because she wants to know why Penelope does not rhyme with antelope. She finally meets Penelope (who isn't really named Penelope) and they seem to get along because they both have poor personal hygiene in common.

The interesting thing about this book is that I learned quite a bit about Dublin, Ireland and its architecture and various myths.

What I did not like about the story is that Vivian is obviously a disturbed young woman of whom no one seems to want to take care. It is revealed in the book that her parents told her that she belonged with the fairies because she didn't fit in and that her father tried to both burn her (twice) and drown her in order to send her back to the fairies. Her sister doesn't want to be bothered with her, and the neighbors think she should just find someone and get married. However, the issue to me seems to be that Vivian has some serious issues and almost certainly mental illness, and no one seems to care - they just don't want to deal with her.

Vivian herself seems happy, although lonely, as she doesn't understand how to interact with people, nor how to get along in society. If you could get past the sad fact that there is a young woman with a mental illness who no one seems to care about, then the book itself would be charming. Every day, Vivian goes out into the world and tries a different way to get back to the fairies. There are a lot of days in this 288-page book. There was no clear plot - the book didn't go anywhere, although Vivian herself certainly did. I read this over a two-day period, but honestly, it seemed like a lot longer...I just wanted some sort of closure, and there was none.

119. On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen



This is the 11th book in Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen. Georgie is 35th in line for the Britsh throne and every where she goes murder and mystery seem to follow. She is smart and resourceful and has become quite good at solving crimes. Her Majesty Queen Mary has called upon her several times to solve little problems for her.

In this book, Queen Mary wants Georgie to attend a house party in Italy to spy on Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson to see that they don't marry in secret. Meanwhile, Georgie's fiance, Darcy, who works as a spy for the government has an undercover assignment as a gardener at the same house party to spy on a secret meeting that may be taking place between men close to Hitler and Mussolini. Her closest friend, Belinda, is hiding out in the same town in Italy ready to give birth to her illegitimate child. Add to this Georgie's actress mother and her German industrialist fiance, a former classmate of Georgie and Belinda who is now married to an Italian count, a blackmailing German lothario count, and a new efficient Austrian lady's maid, and murder and a little hilarity ensue!

Rhys Bowen has a writing style that is so easy to read. The writing is so fluent and conversational that I feel like I am catching up with an old friend each time I pick up one of her books. I can't help but make a contrast between the Her Royal Spyness books and some of the other books where there is a young woman trying to be involved in mystery like the Lady Julie Grey series. Georgie (Lady Georgianna Rannoch) tries to be proper. She is just as smart, if not smarter, but doesn't try to put herself or others at risk for no reason. Most of the time, she is thrown unwillingly into the mystery; she involves herself usually due to a sense of duty (or she is asked to involve herself.) She actually assists her significant other instead of hindering him. The mysteries are always well down as well, although I must admit, this one was pretty transparent to me.

On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service is another good addition to a very fun and enjoyable mystery series.

Hi Robin!

>132 rretzler: The best example of an actor not matching the description of the major character for me is Tom Cruise playing Jack Reacher. Jack Reacher is 6'5", craggy, and Does Not Have Dimples.

Good morning, Robin! I hope all is well with you.

>135 rretzler: Nice review. I've read booked with a similar conversational tone. Very accessible.

>136 karenmarie: Karen, that is certainly a big mismatch! Along the same lines we were discussing, I had forgotten to mention Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I've read the book a couple of times, and while I enjoy Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy better, I do like Douglas Adams humor. I excitedly gathered the family last year for the BBCA show - while we all enjoyed it, the show had little to nothing to do with the actual book aside from the name. If they had just called it something else, it would have been fine, but I felt it was like a "bait and switch."

>137 brodiew2: Hi, Brodie. Thanks! IMO, those conversational type books are the best kind - definitely, comfort reads for me. There are several authors that I count on for that (who are mostly 65+). I've read a couple of Michael Chabon books, and while I enjoyed them, he does not have a nice conversational style. I think someone should have probably taken away his thesaurus at some point during his life!

Trying to settle on a book to read and somehow I have four going at once and can't seem to keep my mind on any of them, although none of them are really bad, just not what I want to read right now. I'm trying to read The Hangman's Daughter (I kept coming across it, and it seemed interesting, but it's not yet pulling me in), Continental Crimes (not much for short stories for some reason), On the Beach (since I read the awful "fake version" it seems too much of a repeat) and Rendezvous with Rama (very slow go, although I think the payoff will be good in the end.) Plus trying to listen to We are Legion (We are Bob) which I've heard great things about, and it's not doing much for me either. Ugh!

On the personal front, my older son, Beckham, was indeed cut from the soccer team. They had well over 90 boys vying for a little over 50 slots. He made it to the last round of tryouts and was cut on the last evening. The majority of the players were competing for spots on the JVA team - that's where the stiffest competition is because the varsity is pretty much a given, and the freshman team is as well. We suspected this might happen and he was not too terribly upset because he felt that JVA would not be as fun as soccer has been in the past. Tryouts were last week, and after he was cut, he decided to go to the cross country team, as most of his friends run cross country. Supposedly cross country is a no cut sport, but when he went to the practice this morning (they had practice last week, just like soccer), he was told that since he missed the first week and didn't let anyone know that he was coming to the practice, he would not be on the team. There were a couple of other soccer players in the same boat this morning. (Now potentially he could have made the practice on Friday morning, but we didn't really get our act in gear to make that happen.) What makes me mad is that no one else had to tell the coach they were coming to the practice - all of his friends just showed up last week. There was no requirement that one had to sign up or let the coach know, that we could see on any of the places where there was information. Now he has no avenue for any organized fitness this fall, which will make it difficult for him when his club soccer starts in November. I feel that this is just an arbitrary decision on the cross country coaches part. It's not like he was being lazy and just deciding not to show up last week - he was trying out for soccer. He had to quit the band for this year because he was not able to fit band into his schedule at the same time as the AP classes he was taking, or he would have just marched in the band. So, three options for physical activity were closed to him for the fall. This is a great kid, too - straight A student, very intelligent, 4 years accelerated in math (he had his 4 HS math credits before starting 9th grade), got a 5 on his AP Calc BC exam this fall, respectful, and would never think about getting into trouble - he is a good athlete and he also wants to be active (and we know that if left on his own without anything organized, it will be difficult be motivated.) This afternoon, I sent an email to the coaches, athletic director, and principal, and have yet to hear from any of them. As you can tell, I am extremely frustrated and need to get it out of my system...So thanks for listening to my rant!!

>139 rretzler: I am so sorry. That's awful that the cross-country coach closed the sport off. I hope that your letters to the school leaders makes a difference and your son gets to participate. Essentially he is being penalized for making it through to the last round of cuts, when it should show that he is clearly talented and a great athlete. Completely frustrating!!

>139 rretzler: That is very frustrating and a lousy situation for your son.

Good morning, Robin!

>139 rretzler: I'm sorry to hear of the sports troubles your son is encountering.

HI Robin!

First off, I'm sorry that you're in reading limbo - not being able to quite settle on a book. There's nothing like getting into a groove with a book that Exactly Suits, so I hope you find one soon.

And regarding Beckham, soccer, and cross country, high school athletics can be brutal in general, but to be cut for an unpublished rule is unfair. I hope that you hear back soon and escalate to the district if necessary.

>140 Berly:, >141 Oberon:, >142 brodiew2:, >143 karenmarie:, >144 rretzler: Thanks, Kim, Erik, Brodie, Karen, and Paul. Unfortunately, all my email to the school did was make me more frustrated. We had to email them and ask them to respond, and the response was sooooo patronizing that I am still frustrated thinking about it. The CC coach accused me of also trying to get another student onto the team, along with Beckham. I merely included that in my email to show that we were not the only family who had the same interpretation of the situation, naming no names. He copied the other parent on his response to me including my original email with information about Beckham (which I feel is some privacy violation on his part.) And the real kicker - and I have to share it because...well, see for yourselves:

On our team(s) website, we have an attendance policy posted which sets out our standards for unexcused absences. Finding out information about DCHS cross country should not be difficult. A quick Google search will produce the hits needed. In addition, my name (I can't speak for other coaches) is in the Columbus White Pages, both the hard copy and the online edition. A quick call to the school would also produce an answer to the question of who to contact, since I have been the coach for a number of years now.

So many things to say about this...

• There is no attendance policy on the website. In fact, the only things on the website are the schedule, the link to the forms to be completed, the link to the CC Google Groups and information on getting the varsity letter. (I completed the forms and checked off the CC box and also joined the Google Group on Friday before the Monday he was cut)
  
• Hmmm...wonder how I was able to get his name, find the form information and join the Google Group if I couldn't get to the website. Also, the simplest way to get there is on school's athletics website
  
• Hits needed? There is only one hit of any relevance. Plus, he should try to google it himself -- searching for DCHS cc gives information on a lot of other schools, but not ours. The proper search is for Dublin Coffman cc, which brings up the one relevant hit.
  
• Wow - been about 20 years since I had a hard copy of the White Pages. (I have a specific reason for knowing this because it was shortly after we moved into this house, which was June 1997.) I won't get started about whether or not there is a Columbus White Pages online. Also there are two people with his name on whitepages.com (should I have called both?)
  
• Interestingly, if I did not know how to contact him, or who to contact - how is it that I was able to send an email to him??? The issue was whether anyone should be contacted, not who or how to contact them.
  
  After receiving his response, plus the fact that Beckham had definitely cooled on the CC idea and he had missed another day of practice by that point (and I had no idea whether or not his being cut from the team violated the nonexistent attendance policy), I gave up. How do you even begin to have a logical discussion with someone who seems to lack any logic whatsoever?
  

>145 Oberon: That is maddening. Rather like how I feel when trying to get a response from my children's club soccer team.

Bottom line is that they are more invested in defending their decision then focusing on the needs of the kids which is a sad but common state of affairs in my experience.

>146 rretzler: Erik, we must have similar soccer clubs (or else they are all the same.) What you say is so true and having to deal with them IMO is like banging my head against the wall.

I just have to laugh that the poor man thinks I'm going to find his name in my hard copy of a phone directory. His comments do make me feel somewhat better about Beckham not being on the CC team. After the email, I want to stay as far away from the man as possible!!

On a lighter note, I have a funny story to share. Since we've been having a lot of teenage boys at our house, our refrigerator has been taken over by water, soda, lemonade, etc. So I decided to take back my fridge and get a mini fridge for the garage to keep our drinks cold. Last Thursday, Keegan and I went to Best Buy and looked at all of the mini fridges and purchased one. When we got it home, Ed and I decided it was too small, and he said he saw one at Lowes that did not have a freezer. So I ordered it to be picked up on Friday and Ed and I brought it home and unwrapped it. Both the top and one of the sides had a dent. So Ed called Lowes and they said that they had one more in stock. Saturday, Ed stopped by Lowes to return the fridge we had and pick up the new one. But it had a dent too. Lowes looked on their computer and found that the store across town near Ed's work had 4 of the same model, but none of the other Lowes had any. So Ed asked them to put one aside for him. On Sunday, we stopped at the Lowes which was holding the fridge and they did not have one held for us. In fact, instead of there being 4 of that model, the store did not have any. Fortunately, we were able to order one to be shipped to us with free shipping.

Yesterday, it finally arrived. The boys and I unpacked it, and without thinking, I immediately loaded it up with drinks. About an hour later, I realized that it would probably be more energy efficient to let the fridge cool down without anything in it and then to fill it up. So Keegan and I unloaded it except for a few drinks in the door, and I turned the cooling higher. I told the boys that I was going to wait until today to load it up with drinks. So this morning, I went into the garage to load it up and it NOT empty -- one can had exploded, another was ready to explode, there were several cans of frozen pop and an icy pop mess all over the inside. Unbeknownst to me, Ed decided for some reason to turn the cooling even higher and put some cans in! What a mess!!!

I pulled out all the cans and turned it down and I put the exploded can on top of our recycling bin to remember to show the boys when they came home. When Ed came home, he saw the torn-up can and his first thought was that the boys and I had done a science experiment, but then he realized what must have really happened! Now the mess has been cleaned up and we have some cool beverages - one week later!

I love thermodynamics! 😀

Sorry about the CC mess. Don't you love when people are condescending while sharing their misinformation? It must have been terribly frustrating for you.

You've polished off a lot of mysteries! I like the Dalhousie books, too, but McCall-Smith is a personal favorite, so I'll give anything he writes a chance.

In case you missed it on my thread, the Inspector Pointer books are available in kindle format for that fabulous $1.99. Well, a lot of them are, anyway.

I hope your weekend goes smoothly.

>148 drneutron: LOL. Sorry about the fridge mayhem. Ultimately, I think you (and the boys) will enjoy the added garage-cooled drinks.

>145 Oberon: What a frustrating situation! Hope you find some way out of it, but this coach going all defensive doesn't make it any easier.

You got me with a BB with the Alexander McCall Smith, it sounds really interesting.

>149 Matke: Jim, couldn't have had a better experiment if I had planned it myself!

>150 Berly: Gina, glad to hear you like McCall-Smith, too. I could have guessed. I did see your comment that the Inspector Pointer books are available on kindle. I honestly thought I had looked for them and couldn't find them, but I went back...and there they were. I've got a ton of ARC books to read, but I'm going to get some more of the Inspector Pointer series to read for a break from the ARCs.

I did manage to snag several George Bellairs Inspector Littlejohn books as ARCs - I'm really looking forward to those, as I haven't read any of his books before. I also got a Francis Duncan Mordecai Tremaine ARC (written in 1949). Francis Duncan doesn't even appear in several mystery writer lists that I have, although I did find a little about him on fantasticfiction.com (I love that site!)

>151 EllaTim: Kim, actually we are finding that we have been enjoying the garage-cooled drinks a little too much. After we went through 6 12-packs of pop in a week, I decided that we needed to buy more alternative and healthier beverages! But the mayhem was worth it.

>152 rretzler: Ella, I hope you like the Isabel Dalhousie series. You could probably read the book as a stand-alone, but I recommend starting with the first in the series, The Sunday Philosophy Club to really get to know Isabel.

I've fallen so behind on my reviews again, plus now I have some ARCs to review so I'll try to get them done in the next few days.

120. The Paris Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal



The Paris Spy is the 7th book in the Maggie Hope series. Maggie is an American-born math-wiz living in London during World War II. After finding a job as Churchill's secretary, she has moved her way up the ranks and is now a top operative for the British SOE (Special Operations Executive.) In the last book, Maggie enlisted the help of the Queen to go undercover to Paris to find an SOE agent that she believes may be compromised. She also wants to find her German half-sister who was recently saved from a concentration camp but has eluded those who rescued her.

In Paris, the book begins with Maggie just getting her fake identity so that she can begin her mission. The SOE agent that she is looking for is desperately wanted by the British because she has core samples from Normandy Beach that are needed to determine whether it is feasible to land the Allied invasion of Normandy. Two of Maggie's closest friends who are British spies are with the Paris Ballet, attempting to get information from a highly-placed Nazi official. Meanwhile, a British spy who has been newly appointed by Churchill as a liaison between MI6 and the SOE suspects that there is a Nazi spy among the British agents in Paris who may be unmasking the SOE agents there.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and find myself waiting for the next book. The books are well-written and are a fun read, but don't assume that there is any "fluff" here. Maggie is a very intelligent character and the book deals wartime issues. It is written in the third person, but the author really lets us get to know Maggie well throughout the series. Most of the other characters aren't developed as well, but that's okay because Maggie is definitely the most important character here. I love that Susan Elia MacNeal has taken the time to research the place and time so well - the books seem very historically accurate to me. There was one point during the story that didn't quite seem believable to me; however, at the end of the book, the author tells us that much of the book was inspired by actual events. The part that was not quite so believable was based upon SOE agent Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Kan and had actually happened! The Paris Spy was suspenseful throughout and leaves us with a definite cliffhanger. I'll be waiting eagerly for the next book in this series.

Good morning, Robin! I hope all is well with you.

>148 drneutron: Crazy! after all you went through to get the fridge and you have a carbonated conflagration! :-P

Hi Robin!

Just a quick hello. I'm glad you're getting some good reading in.

>154 brodiew2: There are SEVEN books in the Maggie Hope series?!?! How did I get so far behind? I am on #3.

>155 karenmarie: Hi, Brodie. Our fridge exploits have now calmed down thankfully!

>156 Berly: Hi, Karen. Glad you stopped by. Need to get updated!

>157 rretzler: Hi, Kim. Yes, there are 7 books! They seem to keep getting better and better - with the exception of perhaps book 5 which was good, but maybe not up to the level of the other books. There are so many good books to read, it's hard to keep up.

Since losing one of our 12-year-old cats, Matisse, this past February to cancer, we knew we wanted to give the boys an opportunity to each pick out their own cat. We've all been patiently waiting for "kitten season" and then after vacation and an aborted attempt to adopt kittens from a small shelter, we finally adpoted 3 new kittens 3 weeks ago. Picasso, our remaining cat, was not amused, but he has finally accepted that we have 3 small new "pests" in the house and is fairly tolerant of the change now. Keegan (my 12 yo son) named his new kitten Bandit. Beckham (my 15 yo son) named his J'Zargo (after a cat-like character in Skyrim), and I named mine Mycroft.

I was hoping for a cat who would cuddle with me while reading, but alas, Mycroft is very stand-offish to everyone and will only occasionally tolerate someone holding him, preferring to play. Bandit is curious about everything and into everything but loves everyone, and J'Zargo is very affectionate and playful. Bandit and Mycroft are littermates and were born May 1 and J'Zargo was born May 7. I'm spending a lot of time keeping them off the table and from scratching the furniture! (And while I was typing this, Bandit discovered he can jump onto the stools and then onto the kitchen counter... heavy sigh!)


Mycroft


Bandit


J'Zargo


Three sleepy kittens -Mycroft, Bandit, J'Zargo


One sleepy cat - Picasso

Good morning, Robin!

>159 brodiew2: Congrats on the new cats. They are a cute crew. Mycroft reminds me a lot of my cat, Maui. Bandit is cute as can be. Big eyes.

>159 brodiew2: What cuties!

Thank you for visiting my thread. I'd missed yours so am catching up now. I'm completely in awe over both how much you read and of the lists you keep. Amazing.

And your cats are SO CUTE! Kittens should be a controlled substance because they're so addictive. And your Picasso looks a lot like my kitty.

>Kittens, fun! They all look cute. And such distinct personalities. I admire your older cat for putting up with all of them;)

How fun to have three new kittens in the house, and each one with their own unique personality. Very glad to see that Picasso has warmed up to them.

Adorable kitties! Picasso is doing a good job as Senior Cat in Residence.

We get hurricane people tomorrow: 2 people and 4 cats. I'm sure my two spoiled darlings will be seriously annoyed.

Aw, sweet kittens!

Hi Robin!

Wow. Three new kittens. I'm impressed. Poor Picasso, but I'm glad to hear that if nothing else he's resigned and not attacking.

Picasso looks a lot like my Merlin kitty, who lived to be 18.

Have fun with the new fur animals! Very cute.

Ooh, kitty pictures! Come see mine here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/265555#6174564

>160 norabelle414: Hi, Brodie. Mycroft is also a lot like our old cat Dude, and yes, Bandit does have big eyes, which see anything and everything!!

>161 PawsforThought: Nora, they are cuties, aren't they!

>162 EllaTim: Thanks for stopping by, Paws! I noticed that we have a lot of books in common, plus a love of Brontosaurs! I agree about kittens! (except when they're trying to scratch the couch and not their new cat tree/house!)

>163 lkernagh: Ella, yes, Picasso is to be much admired - he survived my younger son Keegan who picked him up and carried him around the house during his toddler years, and now he is surviving the kittens! Our other cat, Matisse, would have nothing to do with Keegan until about 2 years ago, but they had been getting more friendly until he got sick.

>164 Matke: Hi, Lori. Yes, they are quite a bit of fun, some cuddles, and a little bit of "NO, NO, NO" when they discover the table, the counter or another arm of a couch!!😜

>165 scaifea: Gina, how great that you can shelter someone because of the hurricane. Hope all is going well, and everyone is tolerating everyone else (humans and cats included)

>166 karenmarie: Thanks, Amber!

>167 Berly: Karen, Merlin is such a great kitty name! I wanted my older son to name his Merlin instead of J'Zargo, but he just didn't listen.

>168 ronincats: Thanks, Kim

>169 rretzler: Roni, yous are so cute, cuddly and adorable.

We had a bit of a scare on Sunday, and we're still not sure we're out of the woods. Ed, my husband was gone all weekend taking care of his father, and Keegan and I were gone most of Sunday. When we left the house Sunday mid-morning, all cats were fine. When we got back around 8:30, I didn't pay much attention to the fact that Picasso wasn't right at the door waiting for us, and neither did Ed when he came home at 10 PM. As we were getting ready for bed at midnight, I noticed Picasso lying in his bed and he didn't seem like he felt well. When we picked him up, he growled when we touched his tummy and he seemed very lethargic. Ed took him to the 24-hour emergency vet and they diagnosed an elevated liver count and gave us a bunch of medicine for him. (Which is what was ultimately wrong with Matisse, his brother.) All day yesterday, he stayed in one spot and wouldn't get up to eat or drink. We were supposed to take him in this morning for an ultrasound, but so far he is up and moving around. He hasn't shown much interest in drinking, but he is eating his kitty treats, and he is purring, so I think he is feeling a lot better. If only I could get him to drink now. Yesterday, I purchased a kitty water fountain for him because he likes to drink from the bathroom sink, but he is having none of it! Bandit is the only kitten who is not scared by it - yesterday he was sticking his paws in it, but today he is drinking from it. Mycroft and J'zargo are giving it a wide berth! So we're keeping a watch and keeping our fingers crossed.

>170 PawsforThought: Well, we obviously have great taste in both books and dinosaurs! ;)

And yeah, it's no fun when they tear up furniture (though my kitty is more prone to scratching the wallpaper).
Sorry to hear Picasso has been unwell. My kitty has had a trip to the vet too, he got bitten by something and the wound got infected. So now he's been shaved, stitched and is wearing a "cone of shame". He is not happy.

>170 PawsforThought: That is a scare. They can't tell you they aren't feeling well, can they? Glad that he is doing better.

Maybe the other cats will see the kitty fountain is harmless, when one cat is liking it.

Fingers crossed that Picasso is on the mend!

Hi Robin!

It's so scary when our kitties are sick. I hope Picasso continues to do better.

>170 PawsforThought: Our Merlin was a female. We got her, along with a litter mate, for daughter when daughter was 3. They were only about 5 weeks old although the friend who gave them to us said they were 9..... anyway. We had gone to a picnic with my department from work 2 weeks before, where daughter had met Magic, Merlin, and 3 or 4 other kitties. After I told her she could keep the kittens and said she could pick names for them, she immediately named the male pale orange mackerel tabby Magic and the female brown mackerel tabby Merlin. Husband never adjusted to a 'male' name for a female kitty, but Merlin was perfect for her. She lived to be 18.

>171 EllaTim: Paws, sorry to hear about your kitty, too. Hope he is doing better and gets rid of his cone soon. Those things always look so silly, and it must be very rough for such dignified creatures as cats to have to wear them!

>172 scaifea: Funny you say that, Ella, I have an interesting story about cats letting you know when they aren't feeling well. About 20 or so years ago, I came home from work early on my husband's birthday to organize presents, cake, etc. My husband's cat at the time, Dude, came up to me while I was standing in the kitchen and gave this awful yowl. He then walked over to the family room and lay down on the carpet. It was as if he was saying "look at me." I walked over to him and could tell that he was not feeling well, so I took him to the vet right away. Being 13, he had crystals in his urine and was blocked up. They had to keep him overnight, and after that, we had to give him medication and a special diet. It was as if he wanted to let me know that he didn't feel well and once he had my attention, he could rest.

>173 karenmarie: Thanks, Amber. He is almost feeling himself again. At least he is now eating, drinking, purring and wandering around the house, so I think he's on the mend.

>174 rretzler: Karen, what a cute story and what great names she came up with! I'm afraid my first attempt at naming an animal was not so creative. I was probably about the same age when we got a second dog and I was allowed to name her. She was a collie and this was the mid-60s...so of course, I came up with Lassie.

The new kitties have learned that when Picasso meows in the kitchen they need to come running. They have discovered that the big kitty gets treats when he meows his head off in front of the cupboard! Fortunately, they haven't learned to meow for treats or it would be really noisy!

Very glad Picasso is feeling better. I hate it, so scary, when kitties get sick.

I wouldn't say the visit was an unqualified success. Their cats were in seventh heaven. Mine were either feeling shy or so jealous...

>170 PawsforThought: Thanks. He's healing okay and is due back at the vets on Monday to get the stitches out. Hopefully that also means the end of the cone of shame. The worst for hime (besides not being allowed out) is that it's impossible for him to clean himself when he's wearing it - so we have to take it off a couple of times a day to let him lick his paws and face, while constantly checking that he doesn't go near the wound. Poor thing.

Glad to hear your kitty is on the mend too.

>175 Matke: That's a good story, Robin, and very clever of your cat. Those kidney stones must be awfully painful.

My cat at the allotment has arthritis, it's a bit on and off. He gets a painkiller for it, but he doesn't always need it, summers seem to be better. He can't warn us, but when his fur is clotting up, we know he can't bend enough to get at his back, and must be in pain again. So, then it's time for the painkiller again (he detests it, must taste horrible)

Robin--Glad your kitty seems to be on the mend. Hope it continues in the right direction.

Hi Robin!

I hope things are well with you.

Happy Halloween!

>176 PawsforThought: >177 EllaTim: >178 Berly: >179 karenmarie: >180 Berly: >181 rretzler: Hi, Gina, Paws, Ella, Kim and Karen! Thanks for stopping by! Things have been so hectic, but I'm going to try to get caught up...somehow.

I hope everyone is well and has had a great past few months!

Don't look back...just jump in. : )

121. Death Distilled by Melinda Mullet



This is the 2nd book in the Whisky Business series. In the first book, Abi Logan, who is an internationally-known photojournalist has inherited a whisky distillery in Scotland. In Death Distilled, she has come back from a trip and is asked by an aging rock star to find out more about the possibly suspicious deaths of some of his former bandmates, and take pictures at his benefit concert.

Abi's investigations tie into a local historical mystery, which to me was almost just filler for the book. It all tied up in the end, but it could have been a complete book without the historical mystery as it wasn't necessarily relevant. It didn't make sense to me why Rory would hire Abi to be his bodyguard - it seems as though he should have hired a professional bodyguard instead of a photojournalist. Also, I think the author would have more future stories by using her career as a photojournalist to take her to remote locations - it would give her more storylines instead of having her living in a small Scottish town in a distillery. Instead, she is thinking of giving up her photojournalist career. There were some things that Abi did that just did not make sense like going alone to the hotel room of the killer and bribing the only maid to let her into the room or drinking too much and then getting into the car to drive.

I wasn't as enthralled with the book as many others. I did find many parts humorous though - there is one scene where a sheep that Abi has adopted has somehow escaped and is running down the road when Abi and her dog come upon him. Liam, the dog, forces Oscar, the sheep, into the backseat of Abi's Mini Cooper convertible and Oscar "settled himself on the backseat and rested his chin on the window ledge." It is a fun, not serious, read.

If you like cozy mysteries, I think you would like this book. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

>183 rretzler: Robin, Kimmers is right - just jump right back in and welcome back!

>185 drneutron: Yup, Glad you're back!

>183 rretzler: >185 drneutron: >186 rretzler: Kim, Paul, and Jim - I think you're right. Just going on with the list and the stats (to make Paul happy 😜!) Don't know how much I will get around to anything else. My mother fell down her basement steps today and broke her right kneecap and also injured her left foot. Surgery is on Wednesday. My aunt will be with her until Wednesday so that I can get my family situated - Keegan has a soccer tournament this weekend) and then I'll be at Mom's house for the next week after her surgery. Don't know what we will do after that, but it looks like I'll be playing nurse for quite some time. It will also be interesting...to put it mildly, my mom and I don't see eye to eye on many things and being in the same house for an extended period will be interesting, to say the least.

M (YTD)

By the numbers

Books read – 13 (129)
Average days to read a book – 2.4 (2.1)

Pages read – 4,098 (36,671)
Average pages per book - 315 (283)
Average pages per day - 132 (152)

Series read - 9 (47)
Books in series read - 9 (82)

Type

ARC - 0 (10)
Borrowed - 3 (22)
New - 5 (70)
Reread - 0 (5)
TBR - 1 (22)

Medium

Audio - 1 (7)
Ebook - 12 (110)
Print – 0 (12)

Genre

Children - 0 (2)
Fantasy – 0 (2)
Fiction - 2 (10)
Middle Grade - 1 (12)
Mystery - 10 (66)
Nonfiction - 0 (8)
Picture -0 (1)
Science Fiction - 0 (28)

Authors

Authors by book

Female - 12 (87)
Male - 1 (40)
Unknown/other - 0 (2)

Unique authors

Female - 8 (46)
Male - 1 (33)
Unknown/other - 0 (2)

Authors read for the first time - 6 (41)

Living or deceased - unique authors

Deceased – 1 (15)
Living - 8 (66)

Nationality - unique authors

American - 3 (43)
English - 5 (28)
German - 0 (1)
Irish – 1 (2)
Portugese - 0 (1)
Scottish – 0 (2)
South African - 0 (1)
Swedish - 0 (1)
Unknown - 0 (2)

Awards

Caldecott – 0 (1)
Eisner - 0 (?)
Hugo - 0 (4)
National Book Award – 1 (1)
Nebula - 0 (3)
Newbery - 0 (6)
Pulitzer - 0 (1)

Ratings

5.0 - 0 (5)
4.5 - 2 (21)
4.0 - 6 (61)
3.5 - 1 (18)
3.0 - 3 (18)
2.5 - 1 (3)
2.0 - 0 (1)
1.5 - 0 (1)
1.0 -0 (1)

Average rating – 3.69 (3.82)

Average rating of books read per LibraryThing – 3.75 (3.80)
Average rating of books read per Goodreads – 3.97 (3.95)
Average rating of books read per Amazon - 4.20 (4.26)

Decade published

1920 - 1 (7)
1930 - 0 (2)
1940 - 0 (2)
1950 - 0 (1)
1960 - 0 (5)
1970 - 0 (1)
1980 - 0 (6)
1990 - 1 (11)
2000 - 0 (16)
2010 - 11 (78)

Books added to library

ARC - 21 (26)
Purchase - 31 (245)
Other - 0 (0)

Average cost per book - $2.82 ($4.33)

New releases - 5 (22)
Percent of new releases purchased – 9.62% (8.12%)

Full price - 8 (66)
Percent of full price books purchased – 15.38% (24.35%)

Favorite books in August

Books read in September 2017

1. (130) Death of a Busybody by George Bellairs -
   
2. (131) Miss Seeton Quilts the Village by Hamilton Crane -
   
3. (132) The Countess of Prague by Stephen Weeks -
   
4. (133) An Echo of Murder by Anne Perry -
   
5. (134) Murderous Mistral by Cay Rademacher -
   
6. (135) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin -
   
7. (136) This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber -
   
8. (137) Number One: The Funeral Photographer by Colin Cotterill -
   
9. (138) Hidden Genders by Colin Cotterill -
   
10. (139) Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan -
    
11. (140) The Dead Shall Be Raised by George Bellairs -
    
12. (141) Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore -
    
13. (142) The Murder of a Quack by George Bellairs -
    
14. (143) Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate -
    
    
    
    

Books added to my library in September 2017

1. (272) The Designer by Marius Gabriel
   
2. (273) The Mystery of the Skeleton Key by Bernard Capes
   
3. (274) Pines by Blake Crouch
   
4. (275) Wayward by Blake Crouch
   
5. (276) The Last Town by Blake Crouch
   
6. (277) Corpses in Enderby by George Bellairs
   
7. (278) The Best Man to Die by Ruth Rendell
   
8. (279) The Windermere Witness by Rebecca Tope
   
9. (280) The Case of the Demented Spiv by George Bellairs
   
10. (281) Toll the Bell for Murder by George Bellairs
    
11. (282) Death in High Provence by George Bellairs
    
12. (283) Death Sends for the Doctor by George Bellairs
    
13. (284) My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
    
14. (285) The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
    
15. (286) Sourdough by Robin Sloan
    
16. (287) Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King
    
17. (288) The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by PD James
    
18. (289) Dunbar by Edward St Aubyn
    
19. (290) The Girls in the Water by Victoria Jenkins
    
20. (291) Edinburgh Twilight by Carole Lawrence
    
21. (292) The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
    
22. (293) The Allingham Casebook by Margery Allingham
    
23. (294) The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven
    
24. (295) These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer
    
25. (296) The Legacy Human by Susan Kaye Quinn
    
26. (297) Harm None by Will North
    
27. (298) Number One: The Funeral Photographer by Colin Cotterill
    
28. (299) Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
    
29. (300) Hidden Genders by Colin Cotterill
    
30. (301) Death on the Air and Other Stories by Ngaio Marsh
    
31. (302) The Science of Likability by Patrick King
    
32. (303) Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen
    
33. (304) Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen
    
34. (305) For the Love of Mike by Rhys Bowen
    
35. (306) Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
    
36. (307) Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie
    
37. (308) The Language of Bees by Laurie R King
    
38. (309) Outrage on Gallows Hill by George Bellairs
    
39. (310) A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay
    
    
    

M (YTD)

By the numbers

Books read – 14 (143)
Average days to read a book – 2.1 (1.9)

Pages read – 3,106 (39,777)
Average pages per book - 222 (278)
Average pages per day – 104 (146)

Series read - 8 (55)
Books in series read - 10 (92)

Type

ARC - 10 (20)
Borrowed - 1 (23)
New - 2 (72)
Reread - 1 (6)
TBR - 0 (22)

Medium

Audio - 1 (8)
Ebook - 13 (123)
Print – 0 (12)

Genre

Children - 0 (2)
Fantasy – 0 (2)
Fiction - 0 (10)
Middle Grade - 1 (13)
Mystery - 13 (79)
Nonfiction - 0 (8)
Picture -0 (1)
Science Fiction - 0 (28)

Authors

Authors by book

Female - 5 (92)
Male - 9 (49)
Unknown/other - 0 (2)

Unique authors

Female - 5 (51)
Male - 5 (38)
Unknown/other - 0 (2)

Authors read for the first time - 9 (50)

Living or deceased - unique authors

Deceased – 3 (18)
Living - 7 (73)

Nationality - unique authors

American - 3 (46)
English - 6 (34)
German - 1 (2)
Irish – 0 (2)
Portugese - 0 (1)
Scottish – 0 (2)
South African - 0 (1)
Swedish - 0 (1)
Unknown - 0 (2)

Awards

Caldecott – 0 (1)
Eisner - 0 (?)
Hugo - 0 (4)
National Book Award – 0 (1)
Nebula - 0 (3)
Newbery - 1 (7)
Pulitzer - 0 (1)

Ratings

5.0 - 1 (6)
4.5 - 3 (24)
4.0 - 6 (67)
3.5 - 2 (20)
3.0 - 2 (20)
2.5 - 0 (3)
2.0 - 0 (1)
1.5 - 0 (1)
1.0 -0 (1)

Average rating – 3.96 (3.83)

Average rating of books read per LibraryThing – 3.75 (3.79)
Average rating of books read per Goodreads – 3.97 (3.95)
Average rating of books read per Amazon - 4.50 (4.29)

Decade published

1920 - 0 (7)
1930 - 0 (2)
1940 - 5 (7)
1950 - 0 (1)
1960 - 0 (5)
1970 - 1 (2)
1980 - 0 (6)
1990 - 0 (11)
2000 - 0 (16)
2010 - 8 (86)

Books added to library

ARC - 1 (27)
Purchase - 38 (283)
Other - 0 (0)

Average cost per book - $3.55 ($4.61)

New releases - 1 (23)
Percent of new releases purchased – 2.56% (8.10%)

Full price - 8 (66)
Percent of full price books purchased – 20.51% (26.06%)

Favorite books in September

Books read in October 2017

1. (144) Weycombe by GM Malliet -
   
2. (145) The Tea-Leaf by Edgar Jepson -
   
3. (146) The Mysterious Disappearance of the Reluctant Book Fairy by Elizabeth George -
   
4. (147) The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books by Martin Edwards -
   
5. (148) The Scroll by Anne Perry -
   
6. (149) Dunbar by Edward St Aubyn -
   
7. (150) Death at the Emerald by R. J. Koreto -
   
8. (151) Bryant & May: Wild Chamber by Christopher Fowler -
   
9. (152) Mrs Jeffries and the Three Wise Women by Emily Brightwell -
   
10. (153) A Matter of Loyalty by Elizabeth Edmondson -
    
11. (154) Number Two: When You Wish Upon a Star by Colin Cotterill -
    
12. (155) The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves -
    
13. (156) We Are Legion (We Are Bob) - Dennis E Taylor -
    
    
    
    

Well done, Robin!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Robin!

>194 FAMeulstee: >195 rretzler: Thanks, Karen and Anita. I don't think I'll be able to make another 75, but it would be fun to try! Maybe, someday!

Robin, reaching 75 twice is a major accomplishment! Congratulations!

I’m sorry about your mother. I’ll be thinking about you, believe me.

Books added to my library in October 2017

1. (311) The Honest Spy by Andreas Kollender
   
2. (312) Body in the Transept by Jeanne M Dams
   
3. (313) The Glimpses of the Moon by Edmund Crispin
   
4. (314) The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books by Martin Edwards
   
5. (315) The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
   
6. (316) Origin by Dan Brown
   
7. (317) The Sinking Admiral by Detection Club
   
8. (318) Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
   
9. (319) Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller
   
10. (320) King Lear by William Shakespeare
    
11. (321) The Tea-Leaf by Edgar Jepson
    
12. (322) The Problem of Cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle
    
13. (323) The Traveller's Story of a Terribly Strange Bed by Wilkie Collins
    
14. (324) Madame Storey by Hulbert Footner
    
15. (325) The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc
    
16. (326) A Treasury of Sayers Stories by Dorothy L Sayers
    
17. (327) Death Walks in Eastrepps by Francis Beeding
    
18. (328) Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
    
19. (329) Call the Nurse by Mary J MacLeod
    
20. (330) Reconciliation Day by Christopher Fowler
    
21. (331) The Scroll by Anne Perry
    
22. (332) The Travelling Companion by Ian Rankin
    
23. (333) Children of the Fleet by Orson Scott Card
    
24. (334) Ask a Policeman by Detection Club
    
25. (335) The Mysterious Disappearance of the Reluctant Book Fairy by Elizabeth George
    
26. (336) The Floating Admiral by Detection Club
    
27. (337) La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
    
28. (338) A Matter of Loyalty by Elizabeth Edmondson
    
29. (339) Mrs Jeffries and the Three Wise Women by Emily Brightwell
    
30. (340) The Dispatcher by John Scalzi
    
31. (341) Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic by British Library
    
32. (342) Death of a Temptress by PF Ford
    
33. (343) The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
    
34. (344) The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
    
35. (345) The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
    
36. (346) Murder in Mayfair by D M Quincy
    
37. (347) The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
    
38. (348) Number Two: When You Wish Upon a Star by Colin Cotterill
    
39. (349) Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves
    
40. (350) The Incident at Fives Castle by Clara Benson
    
41. (351) The Imbroglio at Villa Pozzi by Clara Benson
    
42. (352) The Problem at Two Tithes by Clara Benson
    
43. (353) The Trouble at Wakeley Court by Clara Benson
    
44. (354) Cherringham Compilation 1-3 by Neil Richards
    
45. (355) Cherringham 4-6 by Neil Richards
    
46. (356) Picture Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic
    
    
    

>197 rretzler: Thanks, Gina. I'm loading up my Kindle with lots and lots of good mysteries which will hopefully help me to retain my sanity! I've been reading George Bellairs and finding his work enjoyable.

I knew that taking care of my mother was coming...I just didn't think it would be coming so quickly. She turns 80 at the end of the month, but is in very good health (from being a PE teacher and sports nut) - she went zip-lining with us 2 weeks ago, so I thought I would have a few more years. Ed's father will be 90 in March and Ed, and his sister and 3 brothers have been taking turns along with the 24-hour hospice care. Ed's dad lives 90 minutes away, and my mother lives 2.5 hours away, --and then there's my aunt, who is 3 years younger than my mother and never had children, who lives an hour away. So, I think like many people, we will be caring for both kids and parents. I wish I could at least get my mother moved closer (well...it would be easier, at any rate) but I doubt I will actually be able to accomplish that. I guess she and my aunt will not be going to Arizona this winter.

M (YTD)

By the numbers

Books read – 13 (156)
Average days to read a book – 2.4 (1.9)

Pages read – 3,307 (43,084)
Average pages per book - 254 (276)
Average pages per day – 107 (142)

Series read - 7 (59)
Books in series read - 7 (992)

Type

ARC - 4 (24)
Borrowed - 1 (24)
New - 8 (80)
Reread - 0 (6)
TBR - 0 (22)

Medium

Audio - 1 (9)
Ebook - 12 (135)
Print – 0 (12)

Genre

Children - 0 (2)
Fantasy – 0 (2)
Fiction - 3 (13)
Middle Grade - 0 (13)
Mystery - 8 (87)
Nonfiction - 1 (9)
Picture -0 (1)
Science Fiction - 1 (29)

Authors

Authors by book

Female - 6 (98)
Male - 7 (56)
Unknown/other - 0 (2)

Unique authors

Female - 3 (54)
Male - 4 (42)
Unknown/other - 0 (2)

Authors read for the first time - 3 (53)

Living or deceased - unique authors

Deceased – 3 (21)
Living - 4 (77)

Nationality - unique authors

American - 4 (50)
English - 3 (37)
German - 0 (2)
Irish – 0 (2)
Portugese - 0 (1)
Scottish – 0 (2)
South African - 0 (1)
Swedish - 0 (1)
Unknown - 0 (2)

Awards

Caldecott – 0 (1)
Eisner - 0 (?)
Hugo - 0 (4)
National Book Award – 0 (1)
Nebula - 0 (3)
Newbery - 0 (7)
Pulitzer - 0 (1)

Ratings

5.0 - 1 (7)
4.5 - 2 (26)
4.0 - 5 (72)
3.5 - 3 (23)
3.0 - 2 (22)
2.5 - 0 (3)
2.0 - 0 (1)
1.5 - 0 (1)
1.0 -0 (1)

Average rating – 3.96 (3.83)

Average rating of books read per LibraryThing – 3.88 (3.84)
Average rating of books read per Goodreads – 3.86 (3.94)
Average rating of books read per Amazon - 4.20 (4.28)

Decade published

1920 - 1 (8)
1930 - 0 (2)
1940 - 0 (2)
1950 - 0 (1)
1960 - 0 (5)
1970 - 0 (2)
1980 - 0 (6)
1990 - 1 (12)
2000 - 0 (16)
2010 – 11 (97)

Books added to library

ARC - 0 (27)
Purchase - 46 (329)
Other - 0 (0)

Average cost per book - $5.16 ($4.35)

New releases - 8 (31)
Percent of new releases purchased – 17.78% (9.42%)

Full price - 21 (95)
Percent of full price books purchased – 46.67% (28.88%)

Favorite books in October

...and the beginning of November is a good time to move to a new thread, I guess