Dejah_Thoris 2017 - better late than never...again...

Greetings, all!

I'm back. Let's face it - I'm a terrible LTer. I don't think I've ever stayed active for an entire year. I'm slack about writing reviews. I don't participate and visit threads the way I should. And I have a lot less time to read (most months, anyway) than I used to. So you'd think I'd just give it up once and for all, right?

Well, the truth is I miss LT when I'm not active on it. My reading often narrows to what is easy, comfortable and, often, familiar. I miss seeing what everyone else is reading and taking BBs. I miss all of the wonderful conversations about books! And all the wonderful LTers who have kindly welcomed me back each time I've returned.

So, here I am. Better late than never...again.

June

1. White Hot by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #13, 813.6)
2. Lost Time by D. L. Orton (TIOLI #4, 813.6)
3. Dead Time by D. L. Orton (TIOLI #8, 813.6)
4. The Perseid Collapse by Steven Konkoly (TIOLI #9, 813.6)
5. Event Horizon by Steven Konkoly (813.6)
6. Half Share by Nathan Lowell (TIOLI #2)
7. Full Share by Nathan Lowell (TIOLI #2)
8. Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs (TIOLI #3, 813.6)
9. Racing the Devil by Charles Todd (TIOLI #13, 813.54)
10. Echoes in Death by J. D. Robb (TIOLI #15, 813.54)
11. Double Share by Nathan Lowell (TIOLI #1)
12. Captain’s Share by Nathan Lowell (TIOLI #1)
13. Owner’s Share by Nathan Lowell (TIOLI #1)
14. In Ashes Born by Nathan Lowell (TIOLI #2)
15. To Fire Called by Nathan Lowell (TIOLI #9)
16. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (TIOLI #4, 813.6)
17. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood (TIOLI #10, 823.914)
18. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (TIOLI #5, 813.6)
19. Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood (TIOLI #16, 823.914)
20. Murder, With Peacocks by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #12, 813.6)
21. Pistols for Two by Georgette Heyer (TIOLI #8, shared read, 823.912)
22. Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood (TIOLI #6, shared read, 823.914)
23. Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #12, 813.6)
24. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (TIOLI #11, shared read, 813.52)
25. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (TIOLI #9, 813.6)
26. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote (TIOLI #7, shared read, 813.54)
27. Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal (TIOLI #14, nonfiction, shared read, 940.548)
28. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (TIOLI #1, shared read, 813.54)
29. Conversations With My Father by Herb Gardner (TIOLI #17, play, PPD nominated 1992, 812.54)

July

30. Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #12, 813.6)
31 China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan (TIOLI #8, 813.6)
32. The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch (TIOLI #4work)
33. MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker (TIOLI #11, shared read, 813.54)
34. Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson (TIOLI #13, 823.912)
35. Ten Little Indians: A Mystery Play in Three Acts by Agatha Christie (TIOLI #2, play, 822.912)
--- Journey by Aaron Becker (TIOLI #15work, children's book, shared read, 823.92)
36. In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women by Alice Walker (TIOLI #1, short stories, 813.54)
37. Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #13, 813.6)
38. The Stranger in My Genes by Bill Griffeth (TIOLI #3, nonfiction, shared read, 929.209)
39. We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #2, 813.6)
40. J. B. : A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish (TIOLI #7, play, PPD 1959, shared read, 812.52)
41. Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie (TIOLI #3, shared read, 823.912)
42. White Hot by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #14, 813.6)
43. The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A. S. Byatt (TIOLI #1, short stories, shared read, 823.914)
44. Uprooted by Naomi Novik (TIOLI #15, shared read, 813.6)
45. Crosstalk by Connie Willis (TIOLI #4, 813.54)
46. Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt (TIOLI #10, 813.6)
47. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (TIOLI #17, nonfiction, 575.949)
48. 'night, Mother by Marsha Norman (TIOLI #5, play, PPD 1983, 812.54)
49. Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #8, 813.6)
50. March: Book Three by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin (TIOLI #18, graphic nonfiction, shared read, 741.597)
51. Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje (TIOLI #6, nonfiction, shared read, 818.540)
52. Wildfire by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #14, 813.6)
53. Persuasion by Jane Austen (TIOLI #7, shared read, 823.7)
54. One Coffee With by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #8, 813.54)
55. Is He Dead?: A Comedy in Three Acts by Mark Twain (TIOLI #9, play, shared read, 812.4)
56. Miss Buncle Married by D. E> Stevenson (TIOLI #2, shared read, 823.912)
57. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride (TIOLI #5, nonfiction, shared read, 974.710)

August

58. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (TIOLI #14, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2017, 813.54)
--. Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole (TIOLI #15w, children's picture book, 973.711)
59. The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish (TIOLI #9, shared read, 813.54)
60. Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan (TIOLI #2, 813.6)
61. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #10, 813.6)
62. No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #8, 813.6)
63. Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Other Plays by Steve Martin (TIOLI #5, plays, 812.54)
64. The Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani (TIOLI #18, 813.6)
65. Death of a Butterfly by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #3, 813.54)
66. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #19, 813.6)
67. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson (TIOLI #4, nonfiction, shared read, 364.152)
68. Death in Blue Folders by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #3, 813.54)
69. Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi (TIOLI #12, 813.6)
--. Quest by Aaron Becker (TIOLI #15w, children's book, shared read, 813.6)
--. Return by Aaron Becker (TIOLI #15w, children's book, shared read, 813.6)
70. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery (TIOLI #1, shared read, 813.52)
71. Red Hair or The Vicissitudes of Evangeline by Elinor Glyn (TIOLI #17)
72. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #10, 813.6)
73. The Right Jack by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #6, 813.54)
74. Corpus Christmas by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #14, 813.54)
75. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (TIOLI #7, shared read, 823.914)
76. Cherry Ames, Flight Nurse by Helen Wells (TIOLI #13, 813.54)
77. Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore (TIOLI #11, nonfiction, shared read, 363.179)
78. Gods' Man: A Novel in Woodcuts by Lynd Ward (TIOLI #15, 769.92/PN)
79. Penric's Fox by Lois McMaster Bujod (TIOLI #8w, shared read)
80. Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder by Lawrence Weschler (TIOLI #4, nonfiction, Pulitzer Prize finalist, General Nonfiction, 1996, 069.5)
81. Past Imperfect by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #8, 813.54)
82. Fugitive Colors by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #14, 813.54)
83. The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn (813.6)
84. Oh Money! Money! by Eleanor H. Porter (TIOLI #18, shared read, 810.809)
85. Three-Day Town by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #7, 813.54)
86. Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels by David A. Berona (TIOLI #4, nonfiction, 769.904)
87. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (TIOLI #9, 813.6)
88. Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #19, 813.6)
89. The Diddakoi by Rumer Godden (TIOLI #17, shared read, 823.912)
90. The Buzzard Table by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #19, 813.54)
--. Birdsong by James Sturm (TIOLI #15w, shared read, 741.597)
91. Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #8, 813.6)
92. On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen (TIOLI #2, 823.914)
93. Love Songs by Sarah Teasdale (TIOLI #16, poetry, Pulitzer Prize for Poetry 1918, 811.52)
94. Ruth Fielding in the Red Cross by Alice B. Emerson (TIOLI #13, shared read)
95. Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #8, 813.6)

September

96. Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #6, 813.6/PS)
97. A Dream of Passion: The Development of the Method by Lee Strasberg (TIOLI #5, nonfiction, 792.028/PN)
98. Take Out by Margaret Maron (TIOLI #4, 813.54/PS)
99. The Case of the Green-Dressed Ghost by Lucy Banks (TIOLI #8, 823.92/PR)
100. Murder in the Bowery by Victoria Thompson (TIOLI #4, 813.54/PS)
101. The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #7, 813.6/PS)
102. Losers in Space by John Barnes (TIOLI #1)
103. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy (TIOLI #13, nonfiction, shared read, 614.541/RA)
104. Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #14, 813.6/PS)
105. Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie (TIOLI #16, shared read, 813.54/PS)
106. The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer (TIOLI #15, play PPD finalist 1977, 812.54/PS)
107. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #14, 813.6)
108. Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees by Mike Shanahan (TIOLI #3 , nonfiction, 583.5/QK)
109. The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #14, 813.54/PS)
---. The Silver Pony by Lynd Ward (TIOLI #15w/PZ)
110. Sanford Meisner On Acting by Sanford Meisner and Dennis Longwell (TIOLI #12, nonfiction, 792.028/PN)
111. The Delirium Brief by Charles Stross (TIOLI #9, 823.92)
112. Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #15, 813.54/PS)
113. A Peace Divided by Tanya Huff (TIOLI #9, 813.6/PR)
114. The Good, the Bad and the Emus by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #7, 813.54/PS)
115. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (TIOLI #10, shared read, 823.914/PR)
---. Madman's Drum by Lynd Ward (TIOLI #14w, 761/NE)
---. Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (TIOLI #3w, nonfiction, 305.42/HQ)
116. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (TIOLI #9, shared read, 813.6/PS)
117. The Taming of the Drew by Stephanie Kate Strohm (TIOLI #11/PZ)
118. White Trash Zombie Unchained by Diana Rowland (TIOLI #13/PS)
119. The Nightingale Before Christmas by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #14, 813.54/PS)
120. Secrets in Death by J. D. Robb (TIOLI #14, 813.54/PS)
121. Binti by Nnedi Okorofor (TIOLI #14w, 813.6/PS)
122. The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South by John T. Edge (TIOLI #2, nonfiction, 641.597/TX)

October

123. The Strangler Vine by M. J. Carter (TIOLI #5, 823.92/PS)
124. The Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #5, 813.54/PS)
---. Scottsboro, Alabama: A Story in Linoleum Cuts by Lin Shi Khan and Tony Perez (TIOLI #1w, nonfiction, 345.761/KF)
125. The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston (TIOLI #14, nonfiction, 972.85/F)
126. Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #9, 813.54/PS)
127. Varjak Paw by S. F. Said (TIOLI #1, 823.92/PZ)
128. An English Murder by Cyril Hare (TIOLI #4, 823.912/PR)
129. Gone Gull by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #9, 813.54/PS)
130. The Peace War by Vernor Vinge (TIOLI #5, shared read, 813.54/PS)
131. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (TIOLI #6, shared read, 813.6/PS)
132. When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning (TIOLI #2, nonfiction, shared read, 028.909/Z)
133. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (TIOLI #13, 813.6/PS)
134. The Fly Trap by Fredrik Sjoberg (TIOLI #12, nonfiction, 595.7/QL)
135. Farewell, Miss Zukas by Jo Dereske (TIOLI #3, 813.6/PS)
136. Cairo by G. Willow Wilson, Travis Lanham and M. K. Perker (TIOLI #8, graphic novel, 741.597/PN)
137. Shadow of the Moon by M. M. Kaye (TIOLI #5, shared read, 823.914/PR)
138. The Witches of Wenshar by Barbara Hambly (TIOLI #10, shared read, 813.54/PS)
139. Sir Percy Leads the Band by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (TIOLI #5, shared read, 823.912/PR)
140. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford (TIOLI #11, nonfiction, 950.210/DS)
141. Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood (TIOLI #5, shared read, 823.914/PR)
142. Red Hill by Jamie McGuire (TIOLI #5, shared read, 813.16/PS)
143. Death Under Sail by C. P. Snow (TIOLI #4, shared read, 823.912/PR)
144. Prisoner of Limnos by Lois McMaster Bujold (TIOLI #13, shared read)
145. A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller (TIOLI #7, play, PPD 1982, 812.54/PS)
146. Otherwise Normal People: Inside the Thorny World of Competitive Rose Gardening by Aurelia C. Scott (TIOLI #13, nonfiction, 635.933/SB)

November

147. The Wandering Gene and the Indian Princess: Race, Religion, and DNA by Jeff Wheelwright (TIOLI #10, nonfiction, 616.994/RC)
148. Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom by Bradley W. Schenck (TIOLI #8, 813.6)
149. Dark Hand of Magic by Barbara Hambly (TIOLI #1, shared read, 813.54/PS)
150. Martyr of the American Revolution: The Execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian by C. L. Bragg (TIOLI #6, nonfiction, 973.381/E207)
151. Back Story by Patricia McLinn (TIOLI #3)
152. New Moon by Midori Snyder (TIOLI #16, 813.54/PS)
153. Montana by Gwen Florio (TIOLI #7, 813.6/PS)
154. Quick & Dirty by Stuart Woods (TIOLI #11, 813.54/PS)
155. Arctic Icons: How the Town of Churchill Learned to Love Its Polar Bears by Edward Struzik (TIOLI #17, nonfiction, 333.959/QL)
156. Provenance by Ann Leckie (TIOLI #15, 813.6/PS)
157. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (TIOLI #12, 813.52/PS)
158. Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks (TIOLI #4, nonfiction, 587.097/F1391)
159. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (TIOLI #14, 813.54/PZ)
160. How the Finch Stole Christmas by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #3)
161. The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis by Elizabeth Letts (TIOLI #16, shared read, nonfiction, 355.413/D810)
162. One of Ours by Willa Cather (TIOLI #15, shared read, Pulitzer Prize Winner Novel, 1923, 813.52/PS)
163. Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle (TIOLI #15, 813.6/PZ7)
---. Komodo! by Peter Sis (TIOLI #17w, shared read, E/PZ7)
164. The Butterfly Mosque: A Young American Woman's Journey to Love and Islam by G. Willow Wilson (TIOLI #13, shared read, nonfiction, 297.092/BP)
165. Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart (TIOLI #16)
166. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynn Truss (TIOLI #9, nonfiction, 421.1/PE)
167. Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton (TIOLI #16)
168. The Beak of the Finch: The Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner (TIOLI #2, shared read, nonfiction, PPGN 1995)
169. The Infidel Stain by M. J. Carter (TIOLI #9)
170. Chita: A Memory of Last Island by Lafcadio Hearn (TIOLI #5)
171. Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle (TIOLI #11)
172. Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood (TIOLI # 3, shared read)
173. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Omar Khayyam, trans. Edward Fitzgerald (TIOLI #1, 891.551)
---. Cat Stories: Snippets of Life from our Favorite Felines by Charles Wysocki (TIOLI #1w, shared read)
174. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli (TIOLI #11, shared read, nonfiction, 530/QC)
175. The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells (TIOLI #5, shared read)

December

176. Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby by Candida R. Moss and Joel S. Baden (TIOLO #14, nonfiction, 261.7)
177. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (TIOLI #8, shared read)
---- The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell (TIOLI #11w)
178. The Lost Painting: the Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece by Jonathan Harr (TIOLI #2, nonfiction, 759.5/ND)
179. News of the World by Paulette Jiles (TIOLI #12, shared read)
180. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (TIOLI #7, shared read, nonfiction, 976.6/E99)
181. Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #14)
182. The Warlock in Spite of Himself Christopher Stasheff (TIOLI #14)
183. Daughters and Rebels (aka Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford (TIOLI #5, shared read, nonfiction, 335.430 /CT)
184. Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose (TIOLI #6, play)
DNF Artemis by Andy Weir (stopped at 75 pages)
185. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (TIOLI #4)
186. The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder (TIOLI #10, play PPD 1943)
187. The Dispatcher by John Scalzi (TIOLI #14)
188. Ruth Fielding at the War Front by Alice B. Emerson (TIOLI #2, shared read)
189. Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner (TIOLI #9)
190. The Sword and the Cross: Two Men and an Empire of Sand by Fergus Flemming (TIOLI #1, nonfiction, 966.023/DT333)
191. Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico (TIOLI #5)
---. Anansi the Spider: a Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott (TIOLI #13w, shared read, children's book)
---. In the Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Eve Story by David McCullough (TIOLI #3w, shared read, nonfiction, 940.53)
---. Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou (TIOLI #14w, children's book)
192. Ah, Wilderness by Eugene O'Neill (TIOLI #3, play)
193. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (TIOLI #14)
194. Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart (TIOLI #2)
194. The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin (TIOLI #12)
195. Lucy's Christmas Angel by Sandra Heath (TIOLI #11
196. A House of Tailors by Patrica Reilly Giff (TIOLI #14, shared read
197. Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life by Daniel Klein (TIOLI #14, nonfiction, 187/B512))
198. Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells by Helen Scales (TIOLI #13, nonfiction, 594.147/QL405)
199. Ruth Fielding Homeward Bound by Alice B. Emerson (TIOLI #12, shared read)

Over the last few years, I've been trying to read all the winning and nominated works for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama - and a few from other categories as well. Lists of the non-winning Finalists have only been made available since 1980.

Year or 'finalist' for works read in 2017 are in bold.

Drama: 7 / 28
1918: Why Marry? by Jesse Lynch Williams
1938: Our Town by Thornton Wilder
1940: The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan
1943: The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
1946: State of the Union by Russell Crouse and Howard Lindsay
1948: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
1959: J. B.: A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish
1977: The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer
1981: Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley
1982: A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller
1983: 'night, Mother by Marsha Norman
1988: Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry
1989: The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein
1991: Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon
finalist: Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas
1992:
finalist Conversations With My Father by Herb Gardner
1994:
finalist A Perfect Ganesh by Terrence McNally
1997: NO WINNER
finalistThe Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry
2000: Dinner With Friends by Donald Margulies
2001: Proof by David Auburn
2003: Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz
2005: Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley
finalist: The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl
2007: Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire
2008: August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
2009: Ruined by Lynn Nottage
2010:
finalist: In the Next Room, or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl
2011: Clybourne Park

I'm also hoping to read some works from other categories.

Biography/Autobiography: 0 / 0

Fiction/Novels: 2 / 7
1923: One of Ours by Willa Cather
1928: The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
1937: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
1945: A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
1961: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
1975: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
2017: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

General Nonfiction: 2 / 4
1995: The Beak of the Finch: The Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner
finalist: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
1996:
finalist: Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder by Lawrence Weschler
1998: Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

History: 0 / 2
1987: Voyagers to the West: A Passage in the Peopling of America on the Eve of Revolution by Bernard Bailyn
2010
Finalist Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandin

Poetry: 1 / 2
1918: Love Songs by Sarah Teasdale (special prize, officially pre-Pulitzer Prize)
1923: assorted works by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Special Awards and Citations:

1977: Alex Haley for Roots
1992: Art Spiegelman for Maus

Welcome back! You're not a terrible LTer - you do you, and we'll be happy to have you when you're here!

Welcome back! Ditto to what Amber said.

>1 Dejah_Thoris: Let's face it - I'm a terrible LTer. I don't think I've ever stayed active for an entire year. I'm slack about writing reviews. I don't participate and visit threads the way I should.

Terrible or not (and I think not), this particular 75er is pleased to see you back, Princess. xx

Welcome back, not terrible at all, but indeed better late than never ;-)

Thank you Amber, Jim, Paul and Anita! I appreciate the welcome back.

Due to a family emergency (it appears all will be, ultimately, well) I’ve had a bunch of hurry up and wait reading time and anticipate more this week. I haven’t read this many books in a month in ages!

About the only thing I’ve done so far on LT is add myself into the TIOLI Challenges for June. In fact, I need to do a little more updating now. I hope to do some thread visiting soon.

Very sorry to learn that your increased reading time comes as a result of a family emergency, but if I read your post correctly, all will be well, so that is a good thing.

Thank you, Lori. It looks as though everything will be alright, but it's been a stressful time! Reading is a wonderful solace - and distraction. I haven't read this much day for quite a while...thank goodness for my Kindle.

18. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

When I picked it up, I didn't realize that The Queen of the Tearling was being touted as YA, but I liked it well to get a hold of the sequel, The Invasion of the Tearling. For whatever reason, book two really didn't work for me. I finished it, but I don't think I'll bother with The Fate of the Tearling. They're on their own.....

19. Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood

It's Phryne's second outing - what's not to like? A kidnapped child, the murder of an unlikable individual, daring aeronautics - I've read it before, but it's still fun.

20. Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Another reread. I love this humorous mystery series and as debut novels go, it's terrific. The 21st in the series is out later this summer. A series reread may be in order.

21. Pistols for Two by Georgette Heyer

Another old friend on my Kindle - although the cover image is the one I remember from, gosh, it must be the 1980s. I had reread several of the stories several weeks ago and when I saw that I could have a shared read with it for the TIOLI Challenge, it was simple enough to finish it.

22. Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood

Phryne Fisher, again, in installment number sixteen. At the Last Great Party of 1928, Phryne stymies the bad guys and saves the day, all while dressing beautifully and having a great deal of fun. Its actually not one of my favorites in the series, but it is a shared read for TIOLI!

23. Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews

Interestingly, just as Murder in the Dark is not one of my favorite of Phryne's adventures, Murder With Puffins isn't one of my favorite Meg Langslow mysteries. It's still very entertaining, as as Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos is a favorite of mine, I expect I'll pick it up soon.

24. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

It's been several years since I last read this beautiful, short novel that won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1928. It's really lovely.

25. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

I wanted something light and amusing and Crazy Rich Asians fit the bill. Great literature it's not, but the stories of the super rich (and the not quite as super rich) are highly entertaining. Plus there's lots of scrumptious sounding food described in loving detail.....

26. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Another reread for a TIOLI shared read, but it was nevertheless a pleasure. I'm a fan of the film, but the novella has always seemed much more...well, realistic seems like the wrong word. I'll stick with the ending seeming more true to spirit of the rest of the work.

It's great to see you back posting and like everyone else, I am just happy to see you whenever you can join us. And it's also nice to see someone else who shares my addiction to the TIOLI's!

Welcome back! I have you starred now so hopefully I can keep up with you.

Happy Fourth of July to all who celebrate!

>23 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! Thank you for the welcome. And, yes, I do adore the TIOLI Challenges. I think we may have some shared reads this month!

>24 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori - I appreciate the star! I don't anticipate a very busy thread, but please drop by any time.

Hey Dejah, welcome back! It's never too late to return to the fold. I took a hiatus from LT last year because I had changed jobs and needed to devote more time to it, but I've returned to the LT fold this year and am gradually getting back to participating more actively again.

Hmm.. did you mention food descriptions? You may just have hit me with a book bullet with Crazy Rich Asians... how could I pass up a book that talks about food? ;-)

>26 cameling: It's too funny, Caro, but all the food descriptions made me think of you when I was reading Crazy Rich Asians!

And thank you for the wecome back - and the reassurace that it's ok to take time off. I hope you're enjoying the new job and that it still leaves you time to read.

27. Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre (TIOLI #14, nonfiction, shared read)

This was an interesting, but (at least to me) not enthralling story of a career criminal who worked as a double agent for Britain in World War Two.

28. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (TIOLI #1, shared read)

This is an old favorite that I hadn't reread in years. It's rather exciting to know that so many people have recently found this book as a result of the Hulu adaptation, which I haven't seen.

I'm impressed at how well this work reads 30 some years after it was first published.

29. Conversations With My Father by Herb Gardner (TIOLI #17, play, PPD nominated 1992)

This turned out to be a great play - which I suspected going in since it was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1992. It primarily the story of one family's immigrant experience (Jews in 20th century NYC) and the differences between fathers and sons. I don't expect to see it produced in my neck of the woods any time soon, but I;d love to see it performed.

And that brings me to the end of me reading for June! I'm just a little behind posting.....but I'm still reading. I've mostly been just popping on LT long enough to add my books to the TIOLI wiki, but I'm hoping to spend a little more time here Sunday and Monday.

30. Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews

I truly enjoy this humorous mystery series by Donna Andrews. Meg Langslow, Andrews' blacksmith heroine, is a hoot. Her wacky family manages to be (at least to me) entertaining, not annoying. The mysteries are fun and each book has a different milieu, setting or set of circumstances that makes it different enough that the series is still going strong - book number 22 will be out in the Fall.

Murder, With Peacocks, he first in the series is focused on a summer with three weddings in which Meg is the maid of honor. Murder With Puffins is a romantic weekend gone wrong, with Meg and er beau stuck on an island full of her family and a host of avid bird watchers. And Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos pokes gentle fun at historical re-enactors at a battle of Yorktown reenactment and craft fair.

I'm rereading the series, so there will be more than a few of her punny titles coming up.

31. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan

More light summer reading with the follow up to Crazy Rich Asians. These books remind me of the old Judith Krantz bestsellers about the very wealthy - Scruples or Princess Daisy - but much, much funnier.

32. The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch

This novella was a perfectly pleasant entry into the Rivers of London series. It's nothing earth-shattering, but I enjoyed Peter's ghost hunting work.

32. MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker

This book is so much like the 1970 film based on it that I actually wondered at times if I'd read it before. I hadn't - there are some definite differences. It's an interesting piece about the Korean War - but it does not feel like the TV show.

33. Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson

Well it's about time I got around to reading this charming book! It's a lovely story of a quiet village spinster who writes what she knows - the denizens of her small town. Hilarity ensues.

I'm planning to read Miss Buncle Married this month. And I hear that there's a play version of Miss Buncle's Book available - I need to get my hands on it to see if our theater should give it a shot.

34. Ten Little Indians: A Mystery Play in Three Acts by Agatha Christie

Like the book version, the play is also known as And Then There Were None. The play and film version of this work end quite differently from the book - frankly, the book is better. But audiences want a happier ending, so concessions were made.

A local theater is in rehearsal for this - I'm looking forward to seeing it, even if it is flawed.

---. Journey by Aaron Becker

This is a charming, wordless, beautifully illustrated children's book by Aaron Becker. It's well worth the few minutes it takes to be enchanted by it.

35. In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women by Alice Walker

It's a little embarrassing to admit it, but this is the first of Alice Walker's work I've read. The short stories were, overall, excellent, if also grim and painful. I particularly appreciated "Everyday Use," "The Welcome Table,"The Flowers" and "To Hell With Dying."

Short stories are not my favorite literary form; I like science fiction short stories best. I keep trying others, though, and this collection has proved a strong motivator to keep expanding my reading options.

36. Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews

In outing number four, Meg Langslow is temporarily keeping an eye on her brother's computer game company - can murder be far behind? These books are light, humorous and simply fun to read. What's not to like?

37. The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir by Bill Griffeth

This was a very readable personal account of a genealogist (a journalist by profession) who is forced to question who he believes he is based on DNA evidence. It's a very moving an open account of his discoveries and how he comes to deal with them.

I recommend it highly to anyone with an interest in genealogy.

I haven't really been able to settle in and read anything for the last day or so because I book I've been looking forward to getting my hands on was being published today - July 25th. I've made the terrible mistake of staying up until midnight - and finding that my ebook pre-order has been delivered......

I really need to go to sleep. Soon. Ish.

>42 Dejah_Thoris: And... was it worth to stay up for the release?

>41 Dejah_Thoris: That's one of my favorite reads of the past year.

>43 FAMeulstee: Shoot - I didn't just stay up for the release, I stayed up and read the whole thing! I didn't have to be up super early the next morning, but I was certainly short on sleep, lol. I haven't done that in a while, and I really enjoyed it.

>44 thornton37814: You're the reason I read it, you know. I lurked over on your thread a bit, thought it looked fascinating, and read it. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention, Lori!

>45 Dejah_Thoris: You're welcome! I'm glad you liked it so much.

38. We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews

Yet another humorous Meg Langslow mystery. Meg's theater professor boyfriend had a recurring guest role on a cult favorite science fiction / fantasy show and they're spending a weekend at a fan convention, which is a hoot. Murder, of course, isn't far behind....

39. J.B.: A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish

I've been meaning to read this Pulitzer Prize winning play (1959) for some time - and I'm left with the feeling that I'm glad I got it out of the way. It's a take on the book of Job from the Bible, which, I must admit, is never my favorite source material. It's definitely well written and I'm sure it can be a stunning production, but I didn't love it.

I feel as though I'm under rating it somehow. It's worth reading particularly if you want a feel for mid-century U.S. theater.

40. Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie

Cold War era mysteries and thrillers often leave me, well, a little cold. Destination Unknown started off promisingly enough, but for me, it fizzled a bit. It wasn't bed, just not great.

41. White Hot by Ilona Andrews

Back in 2014, the writing couple Ilona Andrews released a paranormal romance titled Burn for Me. While I am not a big reader of paranormal romance, I'm a big fan of Andrews' fantasy works (The Edge series, the Kate Daniels books), so I was willing to give it a try. I really enjoyed it, and was looking forward to the next is the series - and I waited, and waited. Finally, it was announced that the next two would be published in 2017 - in late May and late July. White Hot was published in late May and it was the first book I finished in June. I gobbled it up very quickly, and promised myself I'd reread it before the third came out in July. And so I did.

Happy September Princess.

Thank you, Paul, for dropping by! I'm still logging on and logging books and visiting a few threads, but I'm being very quiet. I'm a lurker extraordinaire....

>53 PaulCranswick: Nice to see you post, Princess. Just saying over at my thread how much I miss a number of my old pals and one of 'em goes and resurfaces!

LOL! Well, I also have excellent timing.

BTW, we both have September birthdays, so I'd like to wish you a happy, belated one, one Virgo to another.

It's been a month since I last posted, so I figured I'm due, lol.

I've been reading and lurking, but not doing much posting. I'm in the middle of the run of a play - The Shadow Box, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner in 1977 (and Best Play Tony Award winner). Tonight opens our second weekend of the run. I should have I little more time to participate in a few more days.

Ha, saw you over on Judy's thread and thus discovered you've had your own thread since JUNE!!! I've got you starred now, so you'd better drop in occasionally. Pottery, jewelry and kittens over on my thread.

Did you enjoy The Jane Austen Project? I thought she did a pretty good job other than dropping them into the past with no luggage.

Was The Witches of Wenshar a reread and that's why you didn't read The Ladies of Mandrigyn first? I do love the Sun Wolf and Starhawk books.

Plays take up a lot of time. Coincidentally, I scored tickets to Hamilton today for when it comes to San Diego in January.

Hi Ronni! Yes, I've been keeping a very low profile and not posting much - but you are always my favorite reader of fantasy and sf, so I promise to be over to visit!

I had mixed feelings about The Jane Austen Project - I wanted to like it a lot more than I did. I'm not even certain what my hesitation about it is - and I agree about the luggage.

I adore The Ladies of Mandrigyn - I have read it many, many times. For whatever reason, I was never as attached to The Witches of Wenshar or The Dark Hand of Magic and it's been years since I read them. The Witches of Wenshar popped up on a TIOLI Challenge, so I decided it was past time for a reread. Of course, I may break down and reread The Ladies of Mandrigyn again, too.....

I am completely jealous about the Hamilton tickets - woohoo! Two more performances of The Shadow Box for me. And then after our matinee tomorrow, I'll be going to see the touring company of Kinky Boots - I do love musicals, even though I can't sing.

Doing a group read of another of my favorite fantasies in January, if you want to join us. God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell. Let me know if you'd be interested.

I would love to join in, Roni. I've never read God Stalk - it looks like fun!

ETA: I'll check out your thread for details.

Happy Halloween, to all who celebrate!

I have two books to finish today for TIOLI Challenges. Fortunately, it's not too many pages.....

Happy Halloween, Dejah! I just found your thread. So fun to see what you have been reading this year.

Hi Mamie! I've been keeping a pretty low profile, but I'm hoping to do some thread visiting today. I'm looking forward to finding out what you've been up to!

Wow - I'm only 100 books behind on reviews. Snort. So much for keeping up with my own thread and reading this year.....

Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75!

Thank you, Anita! I'm hanging out on LT in between other activities today (I'm not working), and your is one of the threads on my list to visit this afternoon. I can't wait to see how many books you've already read this year!

A double 75! Congrats!

I see see you still read occasionally, Princess, hehehe.

Great to see you back posting. xx

>67 PaulCranswick: Why thank you, Jim!

>68 Dejah_Thoris: Uh, no, there's no lack of reading - just a lack of posting! Thanks for dropping by, Paul.

Given that I have absolutely no desire to backtrack and write all the reviews I skipped, I believe I'll begin again with November's reading. I've only read five so far this month, so that should be easy enough, right?

147. The Wandering Gene and the Indian Princess by Jeff Wheelwright

In an isolated New Mexico / Colorado valley, a surprising number of women, many related, have developed breast cancer. Even more surprising to these families, which virtually all claim Spanish Catholic and Native American descent, is the discovery of the BRCA1.185delAG genetic variant, which not only indicates a greater risk for breast cancer, but is also a marker for Jewish heritage.

I found this book interesting, but not fascinating. I suspect I may simply have already known too much about the topics involved; I was rarely surprised by Wheelwright's revelations.

148. Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom: A Novel of Retropolis by Bradley W. Schenck

Rockets. Robots. Death Rays. Mad Science. The Future That Never Was Is Back.

Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom is pretty much a hoot. A tribute to / riff on Golden Age Science Fiction (particularly to pulp magazine short fiction), there were nods to authors and works that I got and, I’m certain, many more that went right over my head. There’s a young adventurer, a (very competent) damsel in distress, sentient robots and mad scientists (good, evil and neutral) and a wonderfully wacky plot. ANd I loved the bit about the Plumber.

It started off a bit slowly for me, but I was completely engaged by the end. I will happily read more novels of Retropolis (snicker) if they are forthcoming - and I hope they are.

138. The Witches of Wenshar by Barbara Hambly



149. The Dark Hand of Magic by Barbara Hambly

I am a big fan of Barbara Hambly’s fantasy novels and among them The Ladies of Mandrigyn is a particular favorite. I’ve read it many, many times over the years and it never disappoints. I actually think it works beautifully as a stand alone novel, but in fact it’s the first of the Unschooled Wizard trilogy, of which The Witches of Wenshar and The Dark Hand of Magic are the second and third works.

I never reread them when I picked up The Ladies of Mandrigyn, so I honestly didn’t remember much about either of them. Hambly does a nice job in continuing Sun Wolf’s transition from mercenary captain to learner / practitioner of magic and Starhawk is as she always was.

They’re both solid fantasy novels with characters I love, but neither is as good as the first.

>71 Dejah_Thoris:, >72 drneutron: Well, you got me with all of those...

Glad to see you back!

I've literally just found your thread but hope it's not too late to wish you a belated welcome back to the group!

>72 drneutron: I've finally got round to reading Barbara Hambly this year - started with the Darwath series but also have The Unschooled Wizard trilogy on my kindle.

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday, Princess.

>73 thornton37814: I'm happy to return the favor!

>74 souloftherose: Thank you, Lori! My reading is always so much more interesting (at least to me) when I'm skulking about LT.

>75 PaulCranswick: Thank you for the welcome - it's never too late. I started with the Darwath trilogy, too, albeit years ago. Her writing gets better, as you would expect, but I have a lingering fondness for Gil and Ingold. Along with The Ladies of Mandrigyn, I'm a huge fan of Dragonsbane. However, as I have with Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, I have resisted reading the sequels; some books are perfect on their own. Drat. just writing about this makes me want to start rereading Hambly. Let me know when you keep going.....

>76 Dejah_Thoris: Why thank you, kind sir! I didn't do much on Sunday but sleep and read - I've had a sinus infection for a while and finally broke down and went to a doc-in-a-box and got some antibiotics on Saturday. Happily, they've started to kick in. I've finished several books in the last few days and my review backlog has grown again. Now and forever, lol.

We are so totally on the same page, Dejah. The books of Hambly's that I reread regularly are Dragonsbane (and I too will never read the sequels--it is THE perfect dragon book and ends at the perfect place) and the Sun Wolf/Starhawk books (and the first is the best) and I love her vampire books, starting with Those Who Hunt the Night. They are truly amazing. The Darwath Trilogy is what I started with (heck, I think they were her first books published and I read them as they were published) but I find them a little dark these days.

>78 Dejah_Thoris: I enjoyed her vampire books, but it's been years since I read them - obviously I need to remedy that!

Have you ever revisited the Windrose Chronicles?

The Daewath Trilogy is a little dark (did you intended a pun there?) - almost edging into horror. My fondness for them is more because they were also my introduction to Hambly, than because I think they're among her best work. I tried her mystery novels, but they didn't work for me. I suppose I should give Benjamin January another try.

150. Martyr of the American Revolution: The Execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian by C. L. Bragg

I was born and currently live in the southeastern U.S., I have visited Charleston, S.C. several times and I am not unfamiliar with U.S. history, and yet, I can’t recall ever having heard of the execution of Isaac Hanye - which is a large part of the point author C. L. Bragg wants to make.

Isaac Hayne was a Colonel in one of the South Carolina patriot militias during the Revolutionary War. I won’t go into details (that’s what the book is for), but Hayne was executed by the British for treason under incredibly dubious circumstances. His guilt was arguably in question, but the real issue was the lack of due process or reasonable trial.

Hayne’s execution by hanging caused a furor at the time; the Continental Congress actually approved the retaliatory execution of a British officer, but this was, fortunately, never carried out.

Hayne himself, his family, his supporters and his long walk to the gallows were, for a time, part of American popular culture. Poems and songs were written and performed and novels were based on or alluded to the tragedy. But Hayne did not linger in popular memory as Nathan Hale, who confessed his guilt and was executed as a spy, did. Bragg suggests several reasons for this. First, there was a belief evident from almost as soon as the war ended that the northern part of the breakaway nation had been militarily more important to the Revolution than the South, and I agree historiography backs that up. Second, after the Civil War, Northern historians were unlikely to sing the praises of any Southern hero and Southern historians were too busy eulogizing their recent dead to remember Hayne.

Published by the University of South Carolina Press, Martyr of the American Revolution has an academic tone, although I was occasionally surprised by an enthusiastic turn of phrase and use of punctuation. It’s not scintillating reading, but it does shed light on a largely forgotten bit of American history. It’s all the more impressive that the author, C. L. Bragg, is not a historian by trade, but an anesthesiologist.

Great to see you posting more, Princess.

>77 ronincats: How I wish I could read and sleep!

>81 Dejah_Thoris: The reading and sleeping was nice, but I wish I were feeling better more quickly!

As for the posting, I'm trying to do better. I really do appreciate the reviews others write - LTers have led me to so many fabulous books! I hope to keep up with at least a few comments per book. Goals are glorious, aren't they?

151. Back Story by Patricia McLinn

Early in 2016, I downloaded a free mystery ebook called Sign Off, the first in the Caught Dead in Wyoming series. I’m usually a little dubious about Kindle freebies, but something in the description appealed to me and the reviews were good, so I thought I’d give it a try. Actually, I waited months before I tried it - and I liked it so much that I bought and read the other three available books in the series in the course of a week and have bought the other two as soon as they came out. Back Story is book number six.

E. M. Danniher is a major market tv journalist who finds herself working at station in Wyoming, thanks to her nasty, network executive ex-husband. That, of course, is the set up for the first book, Sign Off, which is still available for free on Amazon. Author Patricia McLinn is a prolific romance writer and some of them are available for free as well, but I haven’t read any of them.

I don’t keep up with many contemporary mystery series, but I thoroughly enjoy this one. I hope some other readers find it - it appears to be woefully under read!

152. New Moon by Midori Snyder

Years ago, I read the Queen’s Quarter trilogy by Midori Snyder. I remember liking it, but not loving it. I also remembered the author’s name, for some reason, and kept thinking that someday I should find out if she’d written anything else. I thought of her the other day (no, I was not drinking Midori and OJ at the time, although I have been known to do so) and finally looked her up. She has written a few more things, but, interestingly, her Queen’s Quarter trilogy has been re-released as YA - and renamed the Oran trilogy (I confess I always thought anything with quarter in the name should have four books, not three, but I digress).

My library provided the first book, New Moon. It’s a solid, elemental magic fantasy, that doesn’t read like YA except that several of the characters are in their late teens or early twenties. The short version is that the balance of the four elemental magics in Oran - earth, air, fire and water - has been disrupted by the Fire Queen, who killed her three sister queens. Unable to maintain control, she invited the neighboring imperialists to cross the border with predictable results. 200 years later, the Fire Queen still lives, with her limited powers under colonial rule, indifferent to the oppression of her people. Not everyone is unwilling to act, though…..

I found myself reminded of the truly excellent novel, The Snow Queen by Joan Vinge. It, too, has a queen with limited secular powers, unlimited self interest, possible immortality and a gift for manipulation - but there the comparison ends.

I’ll read the other two books in the trilogy - I suspect they’ll be pleasant, but not brilliant reading.

153. Montana by Gwen Florio

On the surface, Montana and Patricia McLinn’s Caught Dead in Wyoming series have a lot in common: established female journalists end up in Western states and solve murders. Unfortunately, as much as I like Sign Off and its sequels, I didn’t particularly like Montana. It’s darker and I found the characters less well developed, which left me finding a few of the plot twists hard to believe.

I’ll probably pass on the already published follow ups to this one.

154. Quick & Dirty by Stuart Woods

Quick & Dirty is the 43rd installment in the Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods. I confess I really enjoyed the early books in this series - the first 20, maybe? - and continued after that because they were still fun in a popcorn for the mind sort of way. I reached my limit a few years ago, though, and stopped reading them (given that he publishes several a year, I’m a bit behind). A family member handed me a copy of Quick & Dirty and encouraged me to give it a try. I did. Stone is still up to his old tricks. It was mildly entertaining.

I've been reading some interesting books, which I will eventually post about.

Just now, I'm about a third of the way through The Beak of the Finch and it is excellent! I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this one.

I hope everyone who celebrates is having joyous Thanksgiving today!

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

Dear Paul - thank you so much for your kind words. I am thankful for your presence; I can't imagine LT without you!

Dropping by to return your Thanksgiving wishes, retroactively. Hope it was a good one!

Happy Thanksgiving, Dejah. I hope you're enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend.

You've been reading some fun books. i've always been meaning to start on Stuart Woods ... do these need to be read in order?

>92 Dejah_Thoris: Thank you, Caro!

I would definitely read the Stone Barrington books in order, because the early books in the series are better than the later books. At this point Woods - or his ghost writer - writes fluff books with similar plots virtually every outing. I don't read them all these days.

Reading the early books allows you to see Stone becoming who he is in, what is it, book number 43? The journey is more interesting than the end result.

I like some of the stand alone novels, but I've never read the series that begins with Chiefs, although those characters turn up in later Stone Books. I have read the Holly Barker books (they start with Orchid Beach) and like those as well - although the Holly Barker that shows up in the current Stone books is almost unrecognizable as the same person.

I do know someone who swears that Stuart Woods should be read in publication order - regardless of series. I've never done it and don't plan to! But New York Dead, the first Stone book, is a safe bet.

Happy December, everyone!

Happy December to you, Princess!

Thank you, Roni!

I can't believe it's December!

I really enjoyed most of my November reading. I'm doing much better with nonfiction (about 25%), but I read no plays at all! I'm not doing so well with reviews, but that's nothing new. I'll just keep trying to do better.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Princess.

Thank you, Paul - and the same to you!

And with your help, I'll be at 100 in no time!

155. Arctic Icons; How the Town of Churchill Learned to Love Its Polar Bears by Edward Struzik

This was an interesting, but not fascinating, look at at how the town of Churchill, on the Hudson Bay in Canada, has, over the course of decades, learned to live with its seasonal polar bear population. While this is not a natural history of polar bears, you can’t help but learn a fair amount about them. Much of the photography is gorgeous, although there is at least one picture I wish I could un-see. The dangers to the polar bear population from climate change / shorter, warmer winters, while not a focus of the book, comes across very clearly.

156. Provenance by Ann Leckie

It would be hard for any author to top the impact of Ancillary Justice and the Imperial Radch trilogy, and with Provenance, I don’t think Leckie even tried. She went for a very different story, and while I wasn’t sold in the beginning, I was very happy with it by the end. Science Fiction fans need to pick this one up.

157. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

I was forced to read Ethan Frome in high school, and hated it. I read Wharton’s Summer a while back and enjoyed it, so when I suddenly had a whim to try Ethan Frome again, it seemed like a reasonable risk. I can say without hesitation that I am full of admiration for the writing, plotting and pacing, but I still hated it.

158. Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks goes to Mexico with a group of fern devotees, professional and amatuer, takes notes in his journal, adds a some historical detail when he gets back home, and, voila, an entry in the National Geographic Literary Travel Series is born. I like the book best when he was writing about his fellow travelers and ferns; in fact, I wish there had been more about the ferns. The Mesoamerican history that he added in was interesting, but it wasn’t new material for me. So while I didn’t love it, I plan to read more of Sacks’ work and to seek out other volumes in the series.

159. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

This was a delightful book - truly. It’s 1967 and Hollings Hoodhood is dealing with 7th grade, the Vietnam War on the news every night, his family, his friends, his enemies and, oh yes, a teacher who is out to get him. Add in cream puffs, Shakespeare and a few rats and you have very entertaining middle grades novel.

Highly recommended.

160. How the Finch Stole Christmas! by Donna Andrews

Back in June, around the time I came back to LT, I began a reread of the excellent Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews, of which the recently published How the Finch Stole Christmas is entry number 22.

I love this series. It’s funny, I like the people, and it’s just fun. I’ll keep reading them as long as she cares to write them. If you decide to give it a try, start with the first: Murder with Peacocks

>101 Dejah_Thoris: That one is by far and away my favourite novel of hers, Princess!

>101 Dejah_Thoris: That's not a favorite of mine either.

>104 PaulCranswick: I read an ARC of that one earlier this fall (or it may have been summer).

Morning, Dejah! I also did not care for Ethan Frome when we read it in high school, and your review of the reread made me laugh. The Wednesday Wars, on the other hand, is one of my all time favorites.

>105 thornton37814: You are not alone in that opinion, Paul, I know. There was a recent discussion on Amber's thread (I believe) and folks were encouraging her to try Ethan Frome because she didn't like another Wharton. I was lurking, so I didn't chime in, but I certainly didn't agree. I can and do admire the writing, but would never recommend the book.

I think a large part of the problem is having been forced to read it in high school. Honestly, what exactly does this book say to a 16 year old? If you live in a miserable and (to you) intolerable situation from which you can see no chance escape (whether your perceived lack of options is real or not), the answer is attempted murder/suicide? Oh wait - that isn't the answer. The answer is SUCCESSFUL murder/suicide!

I understand that, from a teacher's perspective, Ethan Frome is short, beautifully written, and has many, many talking points. That isn't enough to counter the fact that Wharton's tale is grim and tragic and bleak.

End of rant. Thanks for dropping by Paul - and I have finally made it to 100 posts!

>106 Crazymamie: Hi Lori! I know you read How the Finch Stole Christmas! - I remember your review. As I recall, you're not as much of a fan of the series as I am, but that you thought it would be one of the better Christmas themed mysteries this year. I lurk - I'm working on posting more when I visit.

I don't why I am so very fond of the Meg Langslow series. I follow fewer and fewer mystery series (particularly cozies), but I still find this one fun and entertaining and engrossing. Something about this series works particularly well for me - I'm delighted that she keep writing them.

>107 Dejah_Thoris: Hi Mamie! You popped by while I was posting!

Why, oh why, do they make high school students read that book? It's enough to put you off Wharton for life!

As for the Wednesday Wars, a dear friend gave me a copy and told me I'd love it - and of course she was right. I laughed out loud - and was charmed.

The weather has turned nasty in my part of Georgia - it'll only be in the 50s here. I hope you're enjoying the cooler temps, if not the rain.

>108 Dejah_Thoris: It probably was one of the strongest Christmas mysteries. Possible exception is the Rhys Bowen book, which I hope is returned to the library before we leave for the semester so I can check it out and see.

"It's enough to put you off Wharton for life!" Um...yes. Precisely.

We've got the rain (which I actually love), but not the cooler temps yet. BUT the rest of the week is supposed to be much cooler, and I am practically giddy about it.

>110 Crazymamie: Thank you for the reminder about The Ghost of Christmas Past - I'd completely forgotten about that one. I just put a hold on it, although I doubt I'll get it before Christmas. I've kept up with the Molly Murphy series, but I think I prefer Bowen's Royal Spyness more these days.

>111 Dejah_Thoris: *snort*

And as for the temperature, if I could I'd send my chilly day your way.

Schmidt followed up The Wednesday Wars with a book featuring a minor character in that book in Okay for Now, which I think is even better. I absolutely love the structure of the book and the story is powerful. Highly recommended to you.

>133 Thanks for mentioning! I'll get my hands on it ASAP.

>108 Dejah_Thoris: Hahaha I guess you have a point, Princess.

Have a lovely Sunday.

There is, apparently, a heart wrenching video clip from a documentary crew making the rounds of an emaciated, starving - dying - polar bear. I haven't seen it, and don't intend to, but as it relates to a book I read in November, I thought I'd comment.

I don't know a lot about polar bears and what I do mainly comes from Arctic Icons: How the Town of Churchill Learned to Love Its Polar Bears. Polar Bears live and feed on ice floes much of the year, moving onto land when the ice melts. During their time on land, polar bears usually have enough stored fat that they don't eat for several months, including female polar bears, giving birth to and nursing their young. When the weather is warmer and the ice melts sooner, polar bears have less stored fat and more months without their regular food sources.

In the town of Churchill, they know that warmer years result in more unwanted interactions between people and polar bears, in large part because the bears are seeking food. In my comments about Arctic Icons, I mentioned that there were a few photos I wished I hadn't seen; both photos were related to starving bears and the lengths to which they'll go to feed themselves.

Climate change is nothing new; the extent to which we are causing change is. Polar bears are, forgive me, the tip of the iceberg. Where is our collective will to change our habits to allow other species (and ultimately ourselves) to live?

End of (mild) rant.

>115 Dejah_Thoris: Hi Paul! My Sunday was very nice indeed - thank you! And I appreciate you dropping by.

>116 Dejah_Thoris: Where is our collective will to change our habits to allow other species (and ultimately ourselves) to live?

We try to do small things, like changing our electricity to wind-energy.
Unintentionally our best effort towards climate change is probably not having any children, so not adding to future growth ;-)

>118 Dejah_Thoris: Thank you for posting, Anita. I know that many of us are making individual efforts; no kids for me, either, although the effect on the environment is unintentional on my part, too :) .

Much of my frustration on the topic has to do with the current lack of political will at the top on the U.S. government at the moment. There are many lawmakers and government employees who believe in climate change and want to do something about it, but many of their efforts are being stymied.

On a local level, we were recently told we were recycling too much. Seriously??? They'd rather it went into the regular trash and then into the landfill? We got it worked out (a few weeks of phone calls, one unpleasant face to face, er, discussion, and appeals through the Mayor's Office and the County Commissioners) but I hate the idea that anyone less persistent than we are might be discouraged.

Sorry to rant again!

It's a pretty (if chilly, by local standards) day here in my part of Georgia. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday!

I'm currently reading The Sword and the Cross; Two Men and an Empire of Sand about (among other things) French colonialism in Africa, and it's making me very grateful for humidity in the air and green growing things.

>120 PaulCranswick: A beautiful morning here too, Princess. xx

Very limited posting for me for a while - computer issues.

Happy holidays - merry Cristmas - and a joyous time, whatever you celebrate!

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

Thank you, Roni and Paul for your good wishes! I hope that you and yours are having a joyous holiday season.

I had hoped that my computer issues would be solved quickly, but no such luck. It's a damaged power port and while it's covered under the warranty, I have to ship it off to be repaired - no telling how long it will take! I'm not completely without access, but I'll be limited to my phone and occasional use of other computers. Oh, well - it's not the end of the world, but it's a bit of a pain!

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate - it's a beautiful, if chilly, day in my neck of the woods. I hope it's a wonderful day for everyone.

Hi Dejah. Thank you for your Christmas wishes. I think our posting and lurking are on par, but you read almost as much in a month as I’ve managed all year! I’m just catching up around LT after a very busy couple of RL months and I wanted to wish you a belated Merry Christmas.

>126 Dejah_Thoris:. Thank you, Nina! I’m an excellent lurker - I’m trying to work on posting a comment, even if just a hello, rather than silently moving on. As for reading, I believe my family obligations are fewer than yours!

Hope you are able to get your computer back quickly, Dejah. Definitely a headache to post through your phone.

>128 Dejah_Thoris: I'm back on a borrowed laptop today, but only briefly. I'm really looking forward to Godstalk in January!

The God Stalk group read thread is up in the 2018 group, Dejah, here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/279620

Thanks, Roni!