Lori (thornton37814) Reads with Sherlock, Mr B, and Barney in 2018 - thread 2

Time for a new thread -- and a new cat picture.

Books Read to Date (17 Jan 2018): 1-10

1. Where I Was From by Joan Didion - completed 1 Jan 2018
2. Pusserina the Wondercat by Kenneth B. Melvin; illustrated by Linda Albrecht - completed 1 Jan 2018
3. Raised Bed Gardening: How to Use Simple Raised Beds to Grow a Beautiful Vegetable Garden by Dane Alexander - completed 1 Jan 2018
4. The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg - completed 2 Jan 2018
5. Strawberry Yellow by Naomi Hirahara - completed 4 Jan 2018
6. Funeral Music by Morag Joss - completed 5 Jan 2018
7. Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates - completed 7 Jan 2018
8. The Toad Who Loved Tea by Faiz Kermani - completed 8 Jan 2018
9. Buried in the Country by Carola Dunn - completed 8 Jan 2018
10. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - completed 12 Jan 2018

Books Completed to Date (17 Jan 2018): 11-14

11. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens - completed 13 Jan 2018
12. Friends in High Places by Donna Leon - completed 15 Jan 2018
13. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale - completed 15 Jan 2018
14. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - completed 17 Jan 2018

The cats are not afraid of the UPS man. They always want to see what is in the box he brings. Today's arrival was unexpected, but it looked like an Amazon box. Then I noticed it was the package I was expecting from my cousin. I didn't know what he was sending, but it turned out to be two books--Cat Cross Their Graves and Cat to the Dogs, both Joe Grey mysteries by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. I think they are probably from his wife's stash. She loves that series.

>4 thornton37814: Do they want to see what's in the box or just be in the box? ;)

>5 MickyFine: The box was a bit small for any of them to be in. I think they just want to see if it's for them. They lost interest when it was books.

15. Mary and Her Litttle Lamb by Will Moses

Date Completed: 17 Jan 2018

Category: Boston

TIOLI Challenge: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Author Will Moses tells the story behind the nursery rhyme in this volume circulated through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Mary Elizabeth Sawyer nursed a lamb struggling for its life who became very devoted to her. A visitor to the school wrote the poem which was later set to music by hymn writer Lowell Mason. Very interesting book! Also of interest is the continued existence of the Sudbury, Massachusetts school where the event occurred. The illustrations were appropriate, adding to the interest.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread from me too!

16. My Teacher by James Ransome

Date Completed: 17 Jan 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The narrator, a young girl, tells about her wonderful teacher who taught her mother and grandmother years before. The teacher still connected with students because of her passion for teaching. A heartwarming read!

Happy new thread, Lori.

17. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper; illustrated by George & Doris Hauman

Date Completed: 17 Jan 2018

Category: Cornwall

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The classic story! It's a bit dated in some aspects, but the story itself is enduring. The little engine's positive thoughts help it conquer a big task.

Happy new thread, Lori!

Otto refuses to believe any box is too small.

18. My Baby Blue Jays by John Berendt

Date Completed: 17 Jan 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #1: Read a book having a title which includes an animal with exactly three letters in its name

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Blue jays build a nest on a 3rd floor New York City balcony. The author/photographer took photos as the birds grew. While it is a nice story with photographic illustrations, the author really didn't do a lot of research or provide any science facts for young readers and listeners. This is probably best shared with preschoolers or with children who may get to watch a nest in their own yard.

>11 Familyhistorian: Thanks!

>13 harrygbutler: Cats and boxes! Sherlock did climb in a box I was getting ready to place some of the children's books in.

Look at you cranking out the challenges!! Happy new thread wishes. : )

19. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books by Lucille Colandro

Date Completed: 17 Jan 2018

Category: San Diego

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: This book employs rhyme and repetition to create a read for the first day of school. Unfortunately the final pages did not continue the repetition. The book is the first of several school-related items she swallows. The whimsical illustrations are the book's strongest feature. Young children will probably enjoy it, but it's a story they will not wish to repeat often.

Message 255 of the previous thread: Frankenstien. I read that last year, for the first time. I had seen adaptions of course but was not aware of the curious framing structure of the narrative in the book. A very interesting read.

Also interesting that this book was a product of "The year without a summer" that we now know was caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer

The weather was so bad that the Shelley's and illustrious friends amused themselves with writing indoors.

Happy new thread!

>18 sirfurboy: It was an excellent read. That's an interesting connection. I realized it was some form of contest from some of the accompanying material in the book, but they did not mention the volcanic eruption.

>19 figsfromthistle: Thank you! Hope your reading is going well.

Happy new thread, Lori.

My word you have got off to a great reading start.

>21 PaulCranswick: Well, those last 5 were children's books. I feel guilty including them, but I got those books for my great nephew and I need to know what I'm sending him, right? You'll probably see several more pop up over the weekend, artificially inflating my numbers. It will calm down after I get through those until we get the Caldecotts at the library. After I get through those, which often trickle in, I'll probably only occasionally read children's picture books.

>22 thornton37814: They are all books, Lori and, as you say, things have a habit of evening themselves out.

Happy new one, Lori!

>23 PaulCranswick: I guess I am a little ahead with Nicholas Nickleby.

>24 Crazymamie: Thanks!

Happy New Thread!

I finally read Frankenstein for the first time a few years ago. So different that people who have only seen movies think it is.

Happy New Thread, Lori!

>26 SuziQoregon: Yes. Most people think the monster is Frankenstein, but it's really Frankenstein's monster.

>27 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe.

Love Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. She's amazing.

>29 libraryperilous: She does so much good for the children of East Tennessee -- and now that program has spread beyond our region.

20. The Balfour Declaration: Sixty-Seven Words, 100 Years of Conflict by Elliot Jager

Date Completed: 19 Jan 2018

Category: Amish Country

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #1: Read a book having a title which includes an animal with exactly three letters in its name

Rating: 3 stars

Review: This book examines Zionism and its influence upon prominent men of Great Britain leading to the issuance of the Balfour Declaration in late 1917 which would leave to a Jewish homeland. Although great enthusiasm for it existed at the time, enthusiasm waned with Britain backing out of it by 1939. However, God's timing is perfect, and the homeland became a reality in 1948 with admission to the United Nations being achieved for the new state of Israel in 1949. The book coincided with the 100th anniversary of the document. It's subtitle leads one to believe its impact into the 21st century would be addressed, but the narrative ends in 1949 with the exception of a brief mention in passing of the Six-Day War of 1967 and the Islamic Revolution of 1979. I expected to see at least a chapter on the Six-Day War and perhaps a chapter on Israel in the 21st century. While this is a readable overview of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration, and the road to Israel's becoming a nation, the author relied heavily on the same sources for certain chapters. Too often the next source was "Ibid." rather than drawing from multiple sources for a more balanced perspective. The author does not follow a strict chronological order which can be frustrating for some readers. I received an electronic review copy through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

Happy new thread Lori my dear.

Happy 2nd thread, Lori! Your topper is so cute! Your kitties seem to be really attached to each other.
Enjoy your (faints away) 21st book!!

>32 johnsimpson: Thank you!

>33 Carmenere: They do get along really well. I'm so grateful for that. I made a good decision adopting the entire litter. I've got another ER book to read, and I've got Little Red Chairs to read. Since it's the weekend, I'll probably do the O'Brien first and then get the other ER book which may or may not be good. It's an independently published e-book I requested because of familiarity with the location more than anything. They didn't even give away all the copies they had because not enough people requested it. I'll see how it goes. I'm putting it off. Can you tell?

Yay for cat pictures! :-)
I agree with Lynda that it's cool that your kitties get along. Edgar and Abby were very attached to one another and Abby has never been quite the same since we lost her "brother," even though it was now several years ago. I think she misses him and it's a bit of a chore being an OC (Only Cat).

>35 EBT1002: When I had Brumley, he wanted to be an only cat . . . and made that very clear the one time I tried to bring in a tiny kitten who turned up. I felt really bad. A neighboring cat owner and I made sure food was out for the kitty. I cried when I saw it had been run over on another street in the neighborhood. I knew I'd end up with two cats instead of one when I adopted next, but when my brother's litter of three was born and they asked me which one I wanted, I just told them "all three." I think they were shocked. I couldn't stand to split the litter. It's been a great choice! They bring so much joy and entertainment.

Good morning, Lori! Two of our cats, Pixie and Otto, are littermates. They get along well, aside from some occasional disagreements. Our older cat, Elli, likes Pixie but only tolerates Otto. I'd like to add a kitten to the mix at some point, but we're in no hurry.

>37 harrygbutler: I understand. I'd adopt lots more if I could afford it, but three is enough expense, particularly on those occasions when I need to board them and at annual shot time!

21. The Litttle Red Chairs by Edna O'Brien

Date Completed: 20 Jan 2018

Category: Cork (while this one isn't set in Cork, it's set in Ireland, so I'll place it in the Cork category)

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions

Other Challenges: Irish Author Challenge

Rating: 2 stars

Review: A war criminal from Bosnia using the name Vlad moves into a small Irish town. He sets up an "alternative medicine" practice and rents a room from Fidelma. Fidelma and her husband are childless. The man's personality makes him quite popular with the people of the town. Fidelma conceives Vlad's child about the time his true identity is discovered. He is imprisoned; she loses the child, separates from her husband, and moves to London. I won't reveal the remainder of the plot. The narrator's voice shifted frequently, making it difficult at times to follow the story. A lof of questions the reader may ask remain unanswered. The novel is perhaps a bit "too contemporary" for my reading taste.

22. Laughter and Early Sorrow: and Other Stories by Brett Busang

Date Completed: 20 Jan 2018

Category: Bahamas

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions

Rating: 1 star

Review: Painful! This poorly written collection of memoir style short stories evokes a late 1950s to early 1960s Memphis setting. The author overuses the "be" verb in various forms as well as passive tense, making the reading dull. I visited the city of Memphis frequently in the days not long after these stories occur and hoped the collection would evoke the familiarity of the setting, but the simplistic writing, more suitable to a middle schooler's essay, made it impossible to achieve. I received an electronic copy of the book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

>39 thornton37814: I've been pruning books that sounded "too contemporary" from my TBR account. This one already had gone by the wayside, but it would have based on your review.

>40 thornton37814: Sorry your LTER win was a bust. Here's to your next book! I hope you enjoy it more than the last two.

>41 libraryperilous: The O'Brien just didn't work for me. I might enjoy her folk tale book our library owned more. I won two e-books this last time, probably because so few requested them. I almost did not request that one but decided to give it a chance. At least it read quickly in spite of the pain it caused.

Leaving a "book mark" here...


Happy Sunday!

Hi Lori and happy new thread.

I love pictures of kitties getting along together, even if it's just when they are sleeping. Always lowers my blood pressure.

>12 thornton37814: We still have the copy of TLTC from when Bill was a boy. It's still a good 'un.

>39 thornton37814: I read The Country Girls for the challenge, and liked it but didn't love it. I think I'll pass on The Little Red Chairs.

>36 thornton37814: when our terrier died, our cat Java cried and howled. I decided to get him a companion, second cat I named Moonpie. Java has never bonded with Moonpie, which is sad because Moonpie's sister was adopted out without him when they were about four years old. That was 11 years ago.

Happy new thread!

I brought a copy of Frankenstein home with me from a visit with a friend. I may have read it in college but that is a very long time ago. I am looking forward to reading it with an older perspective.

>43 PersephonesLibrary: That's the best kind of bookmark!

>44 karenmarie: Cats are definitely good for my health. I wish I'd read the folk tales book instead of The Little Red Chairs.

>45 fuzzi: I'm sorry Java and Moonpie didn't bond and that Moonpie didn't get to enjoy his sister's company.

>46 witchyrichy: Hope you enjoy the Shelley as much as I did.

22? How can you be on 22 books already? You are my new idol.

>48 Berly: Well, a few are children's books. I'm about to add another one.

23. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

Date Completed: 21 Jan 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #1: Read a book having a title which includes an animal with exactly three letters in its name

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: When the Penderwick sister's mother died, her dying wish was for her husband to find love again. She made her husband's sister promise to try to get him to begin dating again after a reasonable time. Aunt Claire not only did that, she even arranged his first date. The girls fear what his dating could bring and resolve to make sure his dates are failures so they won't be faced with a stepmother soon. In the meantime Iantha, widowed astrophysicist, and Mr. Penderwick's university colleague, moves in next door with her infant son Ben. Jane and Skye swapped homework assignments with one another, leading to very undesirable consequences for Skye. In the meantime, all the girls find much to like in their new neighbor and regret she's not awful, fitting their profile for their father's dates. Although much of the action is predictable, it's still a delightful visit with this pleasant family. I listened to the audio version narrated by Susan Denaker who did a great job.

Happy new thread! You are moving fast with the books! Kids books count too! :) I should keep track of what I read Chloe

Happy New Thread! (and a late Happy New Year, as well!)

You're not only reading a huge number of books, but keeping up on the reviews, which to me is very, very impressive.

Wow - nasty scratch on your eyelid. I'm so glad it healed without problems. I absolutely love my cats and couldn't imagine life without a feline or two - but that looked scary (says she who has been injured by horses too many times to count).

>51 ChelleBearss: You should! I've got lots more children's books at home to read. I intended to read another 5 or so over the weekend, but I didn't do it. I'm working tonight and will be too tired when I get home. Maybe tomorrow night!

>52 streamsong: If I wait too long, I'll forget what I read or some of my impressions. It's best to just review as I go, so I try to do that. Speaking about horse injuries, my grandmother was kicked in the eye by a horse when she was young and had a scar through her dying day at the age of 96. I do understand those!

>53 thornton37814: We usually read 3-4 at bedtime each night but they are not usually new as she has a large collection. Perhaps I'll start tracking new ones only...

>22 thornton37814: Many thanks for recommending this book. I'm headed to the library with a few boxes of books to donate. While I am there, I will look for My Teacher.

>54 ChelleBearss: That's a plan. I'm tracking them as much to keep track of what I'm sending to my great nephew as anything.

>55 Whisper1: I think the message number is different. Perhaps #10 if it is the book to which you refer. Hope you enjoy it.

Found you Lori!

I am taking my sweet time in between naps and craziness to find everyone's thread.

22 books?!?! I wish I had that much time. One day!! :)

Hi Lori - wow you're at 23 already! Impressive. Hope you're having a great week.

>57 jolerie: I'm slowing down somewhat. I am listening to one and reading another. I doubt I'll finish the one to which I'm listening until next week, but hopefully I'll finish the print book this week and perhaps another one and a few children's books (which artificially inflate the numbers).

>58 AMQS: The week is going okay. At least 2 librarians are out today, but neither due to flu. I open the library 4 of the 5 weekdays. That gives me a few minutes in the morning to read until the student worker shows up to cover the desk. I try to read during my lunch break, but I usually end up being interrupted by some "urgent" (at least in the eyes of the student worker) library matter so I rarely make much progress then. I try to read a bit when I get home and a bit later in the evening.

I'm on track with my Bible reading plan and my year-long daily devotional book on the Psalms.

Aha, congratulations on your read of Nickleby. I've still not gotten around to that one, at least as an adult. And I don't know about your copy of The Little Engine That Could, but I found my version had illustrations that didn't sync up properly with the text. Having to read and re-read it to my son, I was always bothered by it.

Happy almost new thread, Lori!

>51 ChelleBearss: Chelle, definitely keep track of what you read Chloe. At first, I didn't keep track, but then I decided I would at least count the first time I read a book to the boys - usually, when they were really small they would want to read the same book over and over for weeks at a time until they got tired of it.

>60 evilmoose: I think mine synced with illustrations. I didn't notice anything odd.

>61 rretzler: Great advice!

Wow! You're just pumping through the books this month!

>59 thornton37814: Lol, yes, I understand exactly what you're going through with "urgent" issues that students bring. But what can I say, when I was an undergrad, I know I thought a lot of stuff was a bigger deal than it really is. It takes wisdom to figure out what's important and what's not.

>59 thornton37814: Unfortunately most of the urgent issues seem to be non-library issues--things that need to be referred to another department, often IT. Also they often come and get me instead of one of the other librarians who is on call at that time. Their supervisor is supposed to tell them who is on call, but they are either not told or forget who it was so they come get me.

Excited for this to begin tomorrow!

Ooh! That looks very intriguing - have fun!

>59 thornton37814: I'm a little behind with my Bible reading, but am determined to catch up!

I know of what you speak, regarding everyone else's "urgent" requests. On my shelf I have a Dogbert mug that reads "Let me drop everything and work on YOUR problem!"

>66 PersephonesLibrary: One of the persons in the group is an English prof who has read Alice about 30 times, if not more. We know we have at least 2 English professors, 2 foreign languages professors, and 2 librarians attending. We hope a few more show up. Still, we know we have an awesome group, as is.

>67 fuzzi: I continue to stay caught up, but I think it is mainly because I've done this enough years now that I've got the reading routine down. I've got to read the introduction and two pieces for the book club tomorrow still. If I can find the parallel Alice pieces, I'll read those before too. I downloaded the complete Alice trilogy. It's just a matter of finding it. Nice mug!

24. Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody

Date Completed: 25 Jan 2018

Category: Charleston

TIOLI Challenge: None

Rating: 3 stars (which is probably overly generous)

Review: Kate Shackleton is asked by Tabitha Brathwaite, a friend from her VAD days, to find her father who has been missing since the days of the war. He owned a textile mill but had been accused of attempting suicide. He made an escape from the hospital where he was being held until his court date. Tabitha's mother appeared to be waiting for his death declaration after a seven year absence. Tabitha wanted her father present at her wedding. Kate investigates. Some reviewers liken this series to Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. The main similarity is both series feature female British protagonists involved in nursing during World War I who become detectives. I felt the main character was underdeveloped, and I never connected with any of the characters. Kate's assistant Sykes,recommended to her by her father, may be the most interesting character, but the author marginalized him. I found myself wishing Sykes were the detective for the series. His background seems to be more suitable to detecting. I doubt I'll continue the series.

Just popping by. My you are flying through those books.

>70 BBGirl55: I have managed to squeeze in quite a few. I ran a few errands this morning and sat down to read when I got home. I got sleepy reading and took a nap. I think I'm fully awake now so maybe I'll finish another adult book today. I do plan to read a few more children's books a bit later.

I don't make it often because it makes so much, but I made some comfort food tonight--chicken spaghetti. The good thing is it reheats well.

>72 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! I think I see peas. Are those bits of red bell pepper, too?

We always make a lot of spaghetti, but Erika takes the leftovers as lunches.

>73 harrygbutler: It's got rotel tomatoes with green chiles, cream of chicken soup, an some English peas in it besides the chicken, spaghetti, and Velveeta cheese. I don't use a lot of Velveeta, but this is one dish that needs it.

Wow! 23 books already! It's too bad when such a lovely cover holds a not so good book as in Dying in the Wool. Lovely comfort food! I drank two cups of tea yesterday I rarely drink more than one. But the warmth of it all. And a piece of chocolate with my tea. Yes.

>75 vancouverdeb: I drank a cup last night and one earlier today. I will probably make another cup in the next hour. Getting ready to review #24.

25. Hiding the Past by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

Date Completed: 27 Jan 2018

Category: Quebec City

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Forensic genealogist Morton Farrier's new client pays a huge advance to help him locate his parents. Before he begins work, the client calls him , excited about something he's found. Unfortunately the next day, before he has a chance to meet with the client, Morton's girlfriend Police Community Support Officer Juliette calls with news of his client's demise. She lets him know he'll likely be visited since his was the last call on the phone. Farrier decides to proceed with the investigation since no other cases clamor for his attention. He discovers the records he needs were "missing on transfer" at the archives. Pretty soon it is clear someone does not want the truth discovered as bad things seem to follow him. In the mean time, Morton's adoptive father is hospitalized and eventually reveals secrets. I loved the genealogical research angles to this novel, but I'm not crazy about Morton's violation of laws to perform his job which seems to be a violation of professional genealogists' ethical codes. The author successfully weaved a story and subplot that both involved elements of hiding past ancestry. There's a little too much "strange coincidence" in the plot to make it convincing. Still it's a promising start to the series, and I look forward to seeing how Morton develops in future installments.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, but I just made my first visit to Harlan, Kentucky, my abandoned reads category.



Hidden Pasts by Clio Gray

Date Abandoned: 28 Jan 2018

Category: Harlan, Kentucky

Review: I generally love mysteries set in Scotland, but this is one which failed to engage me from the opening scene set in 1833 Crimea to the main story set in Scotland at a much later date. Characters were not developed. I never could figure out what was going on other than the possibility of smuggling operations with all the caves and holes. I'm not certain if my failure to connect is mostly because I began reading the series with this third installment rather than at the beginning or not. Still a good author will provide enough information that someone picking up at a later point is not completely lost. I finally decided "enough is enough" and abandoned it after about fifty pages. If you read earlier installments and enjoyed them, you might enjoy this one. If you did not read earlier ones, I advise you not to start with this one. This review is based on an advance reader's copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

>78 thornton37814: some of the ARCs I've received were good, but there have been a few that I also "pearl-ruled" by 50 pages.

Don't feel bad, move on! :)

>79 fuzzi: I don't feel bad about abandoning it. I took a chance with an unknown publisher, but I hoped that by a third book in the series, it would be readable. I know a lot of authors are doing anything they can to get Amazon reviews too. Someone in our church writes and is always trying to get people to read and review his books on Amazon. He doesn't care if it is positive or negative. He just needs to get 50 reviews that Amazon will keep active. Apparently Amazon in its efforts to remove fake reviews sometimes eliminates legitimate ones. I have one of my friend's books, but I haven't read it. It's not a genre I enjoy. I don't really know if he can write or not. It's one of those things where I'd be taking a chance to read.

Yum, I LOVE me some spaghetti! I hope your having a great Monday so far Lori. :)

Hi Lori, hope you had a good weekend my dear and wish you a good week ahead. Sending love and hugs dear friend.

>65 thornton37814: This sounds fantastic, hope it goes well. We're reading Sapiens for my next book group meeting, not sure how that's going to go!

And Frogkisser turned up today! Wow!

>81 jolerie: So far so good. Renewed my drivers license this morning and got the syllabi for a spring conference submitted to the powers-that-be.

>82 johnsimpson: Thanks. The weekend was lovely with my three furry friends.

>83 charl08: Glad one of those others arrived. Hopefully the other two will also!

I finished an audiobook earlier today but its review will have to come tomorrow.

>69 thornton37814: I was interested to hear your thoughts on Dying in the Wool - I've had it on my TBR pile for some time since it sounded like something that would be right down my alley. This past fall, I had an opportunity to get the ARC of Death at the Seaside, one of the more recent in the Kate Shackleton series and I was just as underwhelmed as you. I had wondered if perhaps the book I read was an anomaly, but after reading your review, I'm fairly certain that it was not. I highly doubt that I will read any more of this series either.

>86 rretzler: I'm glad to know about the later one in the series. It confirms my decision that one was enough.

26. The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri

Date Completed: 29 Jan 2017

Category: Boston

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Inspector Montalbano is called to the scene where a body cut in pieces is found in a bag. Inspector Augello's recent behavior toward his colleagues has been terrible lately, and he comes in demanding Montalbano hand the case over to him. A man reports an incident he's witnessed where a woman was nearly run over. A woman comes into the station concerned about her husband who has failed to contact her in his travels. There's a lot going on in this novel which includes mafia and drug themes, but somehow Camilleri manages to weave the threads together into a cohesive plot. I listened to the audio version narrated by Grover Gardner.

The Hubster and I listened to the first couple of Montalbano books together several years ago. I should get one for our next road trip.

>89 SuziQoregon: They are great. I listened to that one on the way to and from work. I'm listening to a non-mystery now. It's a book I planned to read in print but when I saw its availability as an audiobook, I decided to give it a try that way. The author of this one normally writes non-fiction so I was a bit curious about her venture into fiction.

I will not complete additional books in January. I will probably finish two on February 1, both of which are for February challenges. I'm pacing myself on both titles. I've also got an audio book going, but it will take longer to finish that one. Twenty-five isn't bad for the month. I kept meaning to read some more picture books but I didn't pick them up. The forecast looks as if we might have a 3-day weekend so I might be able to read several on Friday if that happens!

Hi Lori

Congratulations on reading so many great books in January! I'm back at work after a three-month recovery from surgery. January was a good month for me. But, now I know my reading will be slower.

>91 thornton37814: Twenty-five is certainly a good total. I've only managed to finish thirteen myself, plus three (book-length) pulp magazines.

>92 Whisper1: Well, I got such a good start because I was home for that first week (and it snowed, cancelling my travel plans). I was able to keep the momentum going though, although the pace slowed a bit. February will start off well with a couple of completions, but who knows if it will keep the pace? I do have most of the books for challenges pulled though. I'm trying to decide if I want to stop by the public library before church to pick up a print book I need fro RandomCAT while it is definitely on the shelf. I probably will. I'm also stopping by PetSense to get my free bag of cat food.

>93 harrygbutler: Twelve to fifteen is my normal range, so I'd be happy with your total, Harry.

Hi Lori, I'm finally starring your thread and hope your reading continues to go well the rest of the year!

Hi Lori!

Yum to chicken spaghetti and congrats on your January reading!

>65 thornton37814: "Awesomely Awful Book Club"?

>95 aktakukac: Thanks, Rachel.

>96 karenmarie: There's a story. The first book we read was Sudden Death by Alvaro Enrigue. The description of the book was called by one professor "awesomely awful." We kept the name for the book club. We only meet during spring semesters, at least at the moment. Last year's read was The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-Six by Jonathan Keats. We decided books that had some stand-alone material were better for faculty schedules. Come if you can! We all sometimes have other commitments.

>97 thornton37814: Nice story. Thanks for sharing!

>98 karenmarie: Glad you liked it!

I made a mistake in numbering. I used 25 twice, so I actually read 26 books in January. Thanks to Goodreads for catching the error for me!

Glad to see you are enjoying Montalbano still. I've listened to the audiobooks as well as read in print and I enjoyed them in both formats.

27. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Date Completed: 1 Feb 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

TIOLI Challenge: None

Other Challenges: ScaredyKIT - Survival/Disaster & AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Piscene "Pi" Patel grows up in a zookeeper's family in India. His father teaches him to respect and fear the animals. He embraces Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. When the family moves to Canada, their cargo ship sink, but Pi is thrown into a lifeboat with an injured zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a tiger named Richard Parker. Pi miraculously survives, landing in Mexico some 227 days later. The survival story is captivating. The ending catches the reader by surprise. This memorable book will stick with me a long time. It deserved the Booker prize it won.

>100 ChelleBearss: I just happened to spot that one available in Knoxville's audiobook collection. It wasn't available in the Morristown one.

28. 'Over the Hills and Far Away': The Life of Beatrix Potter by Matthew Dennison

Date Completed: 1 Feb 2018

Category: Cornwall

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #9: Read a book with a tree or trees on the cover

Other Challenges: Non-Fiction - Biography, AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Beloved children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter lived a repressed life due to parental control until she finally purchased her own home with profits from the sales of her books. She later married. Both her parents were artistic. Her father sketched; her mother used watercolors. Some of the early influences for her characters came from her fathers' sketches, but one can also see the influence of her mother's watercolors. An appendix showcases some of Beatrix's artwork. The biography did not follow a chronological approach, and it skipped around so much that it made it difficult to follow. Readability suffers because of academic verbiage. The author conducted extensive research in manuscripts and archival collections.

29. Planting Corn Belt Culture: The Impress of the Upland Southerner and Yankee in the Old Northwest by Richard Lyle Power

Date Completed: 1 Feb 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

TIOLI Challenge:

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: The author of this work utilized manuscript collections and published diaries and journals to show the influence "Upland Southerners" and New Englanders exerted in the Midwest, specifically in Indiana. These immigrants exerted sway in politics, architecture, agriculture, customs, religion, idioms, and much more. While I found the arrangement of the book less logical than some, the author presented a better documented work than most for the period in which it was written. Several maps and photos illustrate the pages, complementing the text to enhance reader understanding. Although clearly written for an academic audience, the content's readability makes it accessible to anyone interested in the settlement of Indiana and other midwestern states.

I loved The Life of Pi as well! One of my top reads the year I read it, but I don't remember which year that was...figures. ;) Everything you said was spot on. The survival part was hard to put down and yes the ending!

Have you seen the movie?

>105 jolerie: I have not seen the movie. I am not a big "movie person." I watch the occasional one, but I never took to them like books.

I'm usually the read the book first because I can't watch a movie and then read the book. It just doesn't work for me.
Books are by far the superior choice with a few notable exceptions. ;)

>107 jolerie: The theater in my town closed when I was a child. There was a drive-in movie about 4 or 5 miles out in the country, but those ran late. The largest city in our part of the state was about 30 minutes away and had movies, but my parents just never took me. I guess I just never really got in the movie habit. We didn't watch a lot of movies on TV either. We tended to watch the clean comedies, game shows, and cop/detective shows on TV. If I hear about something and really want to see it, I'll go to a matinee. I refuse to pay $15 or whatever is the cost of some of the ones around here.

>107 jolerie: Ooh, what are your exceptions? I know I made a list of mine once upon a time.

>108 thornton37814: We didn't watch much growing up. Didn't have that much extra cash to indulge in such luxuries. Now with the convenience of being able to click and watch instantly on the tv the ones we really want to catch, we can watch at our convenience in the comforts of our own home. :)

>109 evilmoose: Off the top of my head....the lord of the rings trilogy..*ducks and covers* just in case I'm blaspheming...haha

>109 evilmoose: Thanks for dropping by!

>110 jolerie: So much of what is on TV is not "fit to watch" as my Mom would say that I just don't watch much anymore. I used to watch Food Network a lot, but now it's mostly contest shows, and I'm sick of those. I'd much rather watch something like Barefoot Contessa, the old Emeril shows, the old Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals, etc. I also used to watch HGTV and Travel Channel some, but even those have changed show formats. Most of the time I watch something, it is a ballgame.

>48 Berly: LOL. That's one of my favorite cat photos making 'net rounds. I saw it on a meme once that said, "One day you all will die and none of this will matter" and I howled with laughter.

re: TV, I was doing the "I don't watch TV" thing before it was hipster to complain about hipsters not watching TV. I do like Bones and a couple of vintage shows, Perry Mason and the original Star Trek. I loved Homicide when it was on, but I've not revisited it since.

I think I'm the only person I know who didn't like The Life of Pi. I'm glad you had a 4.5 star read, Lori, especially nestled among the more average reads.

>108 thornton37814: Hi, Lori!

We didn't go out to the movies very often when I was a child, though I have a couple memories of doing so. I do recall going to see The Jungle Book when I was very small, and some other movie (perhaps Patton) when I was somewhat older, and then none at indoor theaters until I was around 14. We did get to go to the drive-in fairly often, for Disney films, but also I think for James Bond and for John Wayne (Brannigan, I believe, and maybe others). In high school I went more often, as there were two movie theaters in town that had dollar nights each week. Still, it was nothing like the weekly (or more) attendance that was common in the 30s, 40s, and early 50s.

However, we watched lots and lots of movies on TV (as well as plenty of TV shows), and that was where I developed my love for old movies.

>112 libraryperilous: It's funny how the same book hits people different ways. I'm glad I'm not alone in my attitude toward TV.

>113 harrygbutler: I was in college before I had access to a "99 cent" theater. I would occasionally go on weekends with friends, but a lot of times I had a basketball game or was travelling with one of the music groups to various churches. The old movies are better than the new ones. I love some of the musical ones, especially the ones that were also Broadway musicals. I usually prefer the classic ones to remakes.

I don't go to movies much either. It is interesting that you relate that to not going to movies much as a child. Where I grew up there was a law that didn't allow kids under 16 to go to the movies without their parents. There was a good reason for this as there was a fire in a movie theatre where most of the audience were children and many died.

Your reading numbers for the year are very impressive, Lori. I am glad that you found Hiding the Past was a good start to the series. It seems that writers get the family history heroes to skirt the law and ethics codes in order to give the books a wider appeal and to have excuses for more action sequences.

>115 Familyhistorian: The movie theatre fire is sad. Still skirting the law and ethics code bothers me as behavior in a professional genealogist. Hopefully he won't need to do so in the next installment.

Lori, 29 books already?!? Wow.

I tend to list the movies I want to go see but, unless the girls and I go to dinner and a movie after work, I hardly ever go. Maybe once every 3-4 months. Because I read so many disaster books, I generally keep make a note of the closest exits, wherever I go and, now that we can pre-reserve seats, I usually ask the friend who handles that part to get us aisle seats. I hate feeling trapped in the middle of a row.

Sorry to hear that the Frances Brody wasn't that good. I picked up a copy of that one somewhere along the way, likely years ago, but have never gotten around to it.

>117 lindapanzo: Perhaps you'll like the Brody better than I did. I usually do an aisle seat too (unless I'm with someone in which case that someone may be on the aisle).

Hi Lori! Happy day to you!

I find I'm watching more and more PBS. I love Victoria, and Montana PBS shows classic movies on Saturday nights. Last week it was 'To Catch a Thief' which I don't think I've ever seen before.

I've just started watching Midsomer Murders which I'm getting from my library and Netflix.

My guilty pleasure is watching The Walking Dead. But after so many seasons, it doesn't seem very original any more.

>119 streamsong: My elderly mother has been picking up all the Midsomer Murders from the library and I've been watching those with her. Absolutely love them.

I really enjoyed Downton Abbey when it was on and now I just read that Julian Fellowes has written a "follow up" which is set in a slightly earlier time period. It'll be on NBC in 2019. It's called The Gilded Age.

>116 thornton37814: He is a bit better but still not up to ethical standards in the next book, Lori.

Happy weekend, Lori! :)
Movies were a special treat when I was a kid, usually twice a year when a Disney was on in town and when the school reports had been good. Pizza and a movie it was, those happy 70s! :)

I very rarely go to the movies now, too many advertisements, and then they always make breaks nowadays to sell more drinks and popcorn. I prefer matinees when the theatre is half-empty, and try to get a seat with space around me.

>119 streamsong: I honestly don't really know what is on TV anymore. I will have to check PBS listings a bit more ofteen.

>120 lindapanzo: Midsomer Murders does sound like one I'd enjoy. I confess I never checked out Downton Abbey. Perhaps I should have checked it out. It just sounded like a nightime soap opera set in the past from the hype I heard, so I never really checked into it.

>121 Familyhistorian: That's good to know, Meg. A friend posted to Facebook this morning that his new book The Wicked Trade will be published February 7. I noticed no one added his A Suffragette's Secret to LibraryThing. That one is already out. I was examining those as potential Thingaversary purchases for the end of next month. I'll want a bit more variety than that, but I might purchase at least one or two.

>122 Deern: The ads and the trailers just about drove me crazy the last time I went. I'll make sure to walk in 20 minutes late next time. Matinees are the best.

>123 thornton37814: I have a few of Nathan Dylan Goodwin's books, Lori, three more in the series after the first one. I think that I ordered them as far as I could get them in paperback. I don't like reading e-books, I spend enough time looking a screens without doing more of my reading on them. Besides, it looks like they are only available on Kindle. My e-reader is a Kobo. I would probably have A Suffragette's Secret except that it is an e-book.

>124 Familyhistorian: I am slowly adjusting to reading on a screen.

I just spent some time adding the Madeleine Porter Mystery series by John Nixon to common knowledge as a series with numbering. It's a genealogy mystery series. I used the enumeration I found on Julie Cahill Tarr's blog. 1) Family Shadows 2) The Cuckoo Clock 3) Stolen Futures 4) Another Summer 6) The Cost of Silence 7) Unearthed. Eileen Souza's blog post doesn't to past the first 3 or 4. You wouldn't happen to know what #5 is would you? I can't find another one. I'm wondering if she misnumbered them or if a 5th one exists.

I've always loved going to the cinema. From the age of about seven till adulthood I went fairly frequently as I didn't have to pay! My father was the manager of a holiday complex with at one time two cinemas so free tickets for family was a perk of the job! At the moment we don't actually go that frequently but it's getting better. When I retire I'm hoping to have lots of lovely matinees at pensioners prices.

30. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters

Date Completed: 3 Feb 2018

Category: San Diego

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with title word or author name starting with GOLDSILVERBRONZE in rolling order

Other Challenges: British Author Challenge - 1970s

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Prior Robert wants to remove Saint Winifred's bones from a Welsh village to the monastery. Someone opposed to the plan is found dead. Brother Cadfael, former Crusader turned monk, suspects a fellow monk's responsibility for the murder and investigates. The author often uses medieval vocabulary, appropriate to the setting, which slows one's speed, but it is worth the reader's effort.

Note: The book was first published in 1977.

The other two books turned up! Thanks again.

I didn't go to the cinema until I was 11, but have made up for it since. Edinburgh has amazing arts cinemas that show films in translation and documentaries which I struggle to find where I am now (or am unwilling to pay transport as well as the ticket cost).

>128 charl08: I'm glad they finally arrived. Glad you enjoy cinema. When I lived in Cincinnati, there was one theater that specialized in films in translation. I occasionally went with friends, but not often.

>110 jolerie: while I disagree with your choice for "movie is better than the book" comment, I'll add a few here that came to mind:

The African Queen
Logan's Run (as campy as the movie is, it is way better than the book)
To Have and Have Not

And as much as I liked The Big Sleep, I really enjoyed the movie more.

>130 fuzzi: I've only seen "The African Queen" out of the movies mentioned. I have not read the book.

Hi Lori!

Just a quick hello. The Madeline Porter series sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

31. Creole Holiday by Phyllis A. Whitney

Date Completed: 3 Feb 2018

Category: Amish Country

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #19: Read a two-word-title without an article

Other Challenges: RandomCAT - Laissez les bons temps rouler, AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: After her mother died, Lauré, the daughter of famous actor Jules Beaudine, grew up with a strict maternal aunt in late 1800s New York City. Lauré wants nothing more than to follow her father's footsteps into acting. She memorizes entire portions of Shakespeare's plays from a treasured volume her father sent behind her watchful aunt's back. At age eighteen her aunt seizes the volume. When the aunt goes out, Lauré storms to the theater in which her father currently is engaged. Her resolve earns her a trip with her father to his ancestral New Orleans where she was born. They stay with a friend in the Garden district because his family refuses to have anything to do with him. Will things changes? Lauré soon finds herself swept up in the parties of Carnival season. She meets two young men. Her impropriety on Mardi Gras sets the stage for the the book's climactic moments. Whitney's mastery of character, setting, and plot pacing make this an enjoyable read from start to finish. While I'm certain I read this as a teen, I did not remember the plot and found myself enjoying the story and my own memories of New Orleans as the characters wandered the streets. This novella lacked some of the darker aspects found in many of Whitney's novels, but it fit the situation.

I plan to read and review quite a few children's books titles today. I want to finish reading the stack I purchased for my great nephew so I can mail them to him!

32. Little Poems for Tiny Ears by Lin Oliver; illustrated by Tomie DePaolo

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: Bahamas

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #3: Read A Book of which the title contains something that you love

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Illustrations are better than than the poems in this one. Audience level for this title is probably about 18 to 30 months.

33. Three Little Kittens by Jerry Pinkney

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #3: Read A Book of which the title contains something that you love

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Lovely whimsical illustrations for this classic poem!

34. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: Charleston

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #5: Read A Book that is referenced in another book you have read

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The classic tale illustrated with Potter's illustrations. Mother knows best!

35. Oh No, Gotta Go! by Susan Middleton Elya; illustrated by C. Brian Karas

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: Quebec City

TIOLI Challenge: None

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Cute book that teaches some basic Spanish vocabulary terms.

169. The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck by Laura Murray; illustrated by Mike Lowery

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: Boston

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Cute retelling of the Gingerbread Man. This time he goes with his class to visit the fire station. Suddenly he finds himself being chased by Spot the Dalmation. His escapades lead to a ride to squelch a fire. Illustrations are a bit weak.

37. Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2017

Category: Yellowstone National Park

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Jan Brett's illustrations saved this retelling of the story. The original wording works better than the retelling's words.

Hi Lori. So many BB's. So glad you liked Life of Pi it stuck with me for a long time after. And just so you know there is a vote going on over on my thread.

38. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: Cornwall

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #4: Read A Book about, set in, or published in the 60s. Any century, past or future

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 5 stars

Review: The fabulous Caldecott Award-winning illustrations work just as well for today's readers as they did for the ones in my generation. Timeless, classic story!

Note: Published in 1962

>141 BBGirl55: I'll try to get over to your thread as soon as I get the rest of the books I just read added! I think Life of Pi will be memorable.

>131 thornton37814: I have read three books by the author of The African Queen, CS Forester, and remain underwhelmed.

But To Have and Have Not is a delightful movie, great cast, wonderful wordplay, and totally unlike Hemingway's book. FWIW I've read three Hemingway books, and feel the same way about them as Forester's works.

39. The Puppy Who Went to School by Gail Herman; illustrated by Betina Ogden

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Wags the puppy follows his owner Ben everywhere. One day Ben boards the school bus without Wags so Wags chases the school bus. What kind of mischief does Wags get into until he finds Ben? Some illustrations demonstrated great whimsy while others fell flat.

>144 fuzzi: I've liked some of Hemingway's works better than others. He's not my favorite author, but I do love his cats and their descendants!

40. Rhymes Round the World by Kay Chorao

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: San Diego

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Excellent collection of simple children's poetry from around the world. Nicely illustrated!

41. Keri Tarr, Cat Detective by Wendy Lement; illustrated by Jeffrey Scott Burrows

Date Completed: 4 Feb 2018

Category: Boston (partially set there)

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #3: Read A Book of which the title contains something that you love

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Keri Tarr's ability to converse with cats makes her an ideal person to find missing cats. She saves over one hundred cats in a house about to be demolished and rescues her aunt's cat by stowing away on a plane. A little fantastical, but a story cat-loving upper elementary girls will enjoy.

>36 thornton37814: I love that story!

>127 thornton37814: Is this your first foray into the Brother Cadfael series? It was a favorite of mine many years back.

I loved Life of Pi, glad you enjoyed it too. And it looks like your library has a pretty cool book club going !

>149 EBT1002: No. This is a series where I read quite a few in the 1980s and maybe one or two after that. I don't really remember which books I read and which I didn't so I decided to slowly read back through them all. The medieval setting is the appeal at the moment.

>150 The_Hibernator: It all started with the description of the one book. I'm sure it will eventually fizzle out, but it's fun while it lasts.

>130 fuzzi: I love that this group has so much varying tastes! Something hits one person one way and another person differently.
I haven't seen or read on on that list so off to explore I go. :)

>127 thornton37814: Hi Lori - the Cadfael series has been on my list forever - what did you think?

>152 jolerie: Although our tastes vary, we are still united by reading!

>153 vivians: Give it a try! It's got the atmosphere. I got a bit bogged down, but that was mostly in comparison to other things I'd read lately that didn't make me use my brain quite as much. That installment is not my favorite; however, I love others. However, it's probably a good introduction to the series because you learn who all the brothers are.

>152 jolerie: have fun, let us know what you like, or not.

>153 vivians: you didn't ask me, but I have enjoyed every Cadfael mystery I've read. I've also rehomed them one they're reviewed, too. :)

>155 fuzzi: Thanks for stopping by. I think I own one or two Cadfaels I haven't read. Most of the ones I read were from the library in Cincinnati when I lived there. I'm now using our library's Overdrive (and print) collection so they can'tt be rehomed, but they get lots of use!

42. Involuntary Witness by Gianrico Carofiglio

Date Completed: 6 Feb 2018

Category: Amish Country

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #19: Read a two-word-title without an article

Other Challenges: Two Guidos

Rating: 2 stars

Review: I am not a fan of legal procedurals, and this novel features no investigation as in most murder mysteries. A non-Italian who pedals counterfeit merchandise is accused of the murder of a boy, all based on hearsay and misinterpreted evidence. The defense rests mainly on creating doubt in the minds of the jurors. The novel was slow to start, giving far more of the lawyer's back story than I enjoyed. I thought about abandoning it about halfway through, but decided to proceed. The book improved, but not enough I'd consider reading a second installment.

Hi Lori, Just so you know the Vote on my thread was tied, so please go vote again. Thanks.

>158 BBGirl55: Thanks. I voted.

43. From Jerusalem to Timbuktu: A World Tour of the Spread of Christianity by Brian C. Stiller

Date Completed: 7 Feb 2018

Category: Bahamas

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #9: Read a book with a tree or trees on the cover

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 3 stars

Review: When the subtitle discussed "the spread of Christianity," I expected the title to be more focused on a history of missions. Instead this book organizes itself around topics and then highlights a few places around the world under each. It is specifically focused on Pentecostal missions with the Nazarene tradition being emphasized. This limits the audience for the book. I disagree with the author's interpretation on several theological points. While the book does contain some historic content, the non-chronological arrangement makes it unhelpful as a history of missions. The content organization reminded me of sermons with specific points with illustrations drawn from specific missionaries or global settings used to engage the audience. This book is probably most useful in an introduction to missions course, a Pentecostal church missions group study, or in a theology of missions course in a Nazarene institution. This review is based on an electronic galley received by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of a review.

>101 thornton37814: I also enjoyed The Life of Pi - I was so surprised at the ending, as I'm sure everyone else was.

>127 thornton37814: I bought the first several of the Cadfael series several years ago, but have yet to read them.

>133 thornton37814: My mother used to read a lot of Phyllis A Whitney when I was little, and I usually read them after her, but I could not tell you which ones I read. I don't think they were very memorable to me.

>161 rretzler: about Pi: I did question why the crew would put animals rather than persons on the lifeboats--and how the animals even managed to get out of their containers. I never expected what really happened though. about Cadfael: I hope you enjoy them when you get around to reading them. about Whitney: She was probably my favorite author back in the 1970s. I even remember my very first encounter with her. My sister-in-law was hospitalized with a rare form of bone cancer in Birmingham. Someone took me to a bookstore to find something I could read while passing time in the hospital. I was drawn to the cover of Window on the Square. I fell in love with the story featuring governess Megan Kincaid. I discovered she had written others, and I proceeded to read them all. I'm not sure if it was 1974 when her leg was amputated or 1975 when she died that I got the book, but I do know I proceeded to read everything in our library by Whitney and then tackled Victoria Holt and others. This was in the days when libraries had you sign the cards to check items out. I discovered the woman who lived next door to me read the same types of books I enjoyed so I would look for her signature on cards as I was weighing whether or not I wanted to read a book.

I still haven't read Life of Pi. One of these days.

>163 SuziQoregon: I'm glad I finally read it.

Hi Lori!

>142 thornton37814: The post office sold stamps at Christmas with illustrations from that book. When I bought them I didn't realize The Snowy Day was a book title!

>165 karenmarie: I missed those Christmas stamps. I don't remember if I purchased stamps this year or not. I may have had enough Christmas ones left over from last year.

44. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay

Date Completed: 10 Feb 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #14: Read a book by an author you also read last February

Other Challenges: MysteryCAT - Female Cop/Sleuth/Detective; AlphaKIT - P & J

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Mel and Angie agree to bake cupcakes for a beauty pageant in which Mel's mom is involved. Angie discovers a pageant judge's corpse when she bends down to pick up a fallen cupcake. Most persons, including Mel and Angie's helper Oz's girlfriend Lupe, found reasons to dislike the woman, providing a variety of motives. Lupe becomes chief suspect because of words spoken and heard by others. Mel, of course, can't resist a chance to assist her police detective uncle and want-to-be boyfriend Manny with the investigation.

I'm rather tired of the love triangle that became a quadrangle in this series. When will publishers learn cozy mystery readers care more about the crime than love life. If they wanted to read romance, they'd purchase Harlequins and Silhouettes instead. The setting did nothing for me, and the cupcake design contest really was stretching it as a reason to put Mel and Angie in the center of things. I wish I'd skipped this installment. The ending sets this one up for more of the lame romance story with Mel but perhaps sets it up for a conclusion for Angie.

Happy reading weekend, Lori!

>168 PersephonesLibrary: aha! I enjoyed seeing that. I loved the book The Hundred and One Dalmatians too.

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday today, Lori!!

Happy Birthday, Lori! :)

I'm among the very, very few who didn't love Pi. I was unspoiled, totally prepared to love it, having seen all the great ratings, quite liked most of it, but the ending that everyone else loves was a real let-down for me. I tried another Martel book later and had the same negative reaction throughout the book, but mostly about the ending. Not in my head on a rational level, more in my "guts", I just felt very bad and extremely uncomfortable. I'm wondering where that comes from. At least I can say that no other author of fiction ever made me feel that way.

>168 PersephonesLibrary: I wish this had been more of a reading weekend. I chaperoned an event for our youth choir Friday and Saturday.

>169 fuzzi: Thanks for stopping by!

>170 ronincats: Thanks! Wish I could be home with the fur boys instead of at work. I tried to talk them into coming with me, but they don't really like riding and wouldn't comply easily. They did want me to stay home and pet them though.

>171 Deern: In conversations I've had with others who read it, I think a lot of people don't really like the ending. I think a lot of people were just determined not to let the ending spoil the rest of the book. I certainly understand how it could be completely off-putting.

Happy Birthday!!

>173 ChelleBearss: Thank you!

45. The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore

Date Completed: 11 Feb 2018

Category: Charleston

TIOLI Challenge: None

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Beth Moore, better known for her Bible studies, ventured into the world of Christian fiction with this title. Jillian Slater, long estranged from her father and his family, goes to New Orleans to attend his funeral. Her mother depicted her father as a homeless loser. As soon as she landed at the airport, she began regretting her decision to fly there. She discovers her grandmother lives in a renovated old church with an odd assortment of people and a sassy manager. After she goes back to San Francisco and discovers her boyfriend/boss with another woman in his office, she quickly packs, returning to New Orleans. She begins to learn more about her father, her grandmother, and herself during her journey. The book contains a mystery concerning the murder of her father and romance for Jillian. The book is unlikely to gain a wide following outside of Christian readers as it tends to be a bit preachy at times. The story is better than expected. I listened to the audio book read by Shannon McManus who does a terrible job. Her male voices and regional accents were horrible. I recommend reading the book rather than listening to it.

oh my, I am exhausted catching up with all the books you have read! I'll drop off a pic of my Foo bear that I took yesterday. He had a very hard day as you can see ...

>176 RBeffa: Bless his heart!

Happy Birthday, Lori!

I can relate to >176 RBeffa:.

Thanks, Joe!

>176 RBeffa: love it!

All caught up here, Lori! Hoping that your week is full of fabulous!

Hey Lori- happy Monday ;)

I read Life of Pi last year and was also very happy to finally pull it off MT TBR. I know I have more gems lurking there.

I read a lot of Phyllis Whitney back when I was in college. That's one I haven't read, though. It's nice to know there are a few that I haven't read if I get the urge.

I haven't ever started the Brother Cadfael series, and that sounds good to me, too.

I am happily using the MysteryCat challenge to hopefully get some mysteries off my shelves. Instead, I keep seeing more that I'd like to read.

>180 fuzzi: Cats rock!

>181 Crazymamie: Thanks for dropping in, Mamie!

>182 streamsong: I'll always have mysteries on the TBR stack. Increasingly they are housed in the library instead of in my home though, which is probably a good thing. Since Creole Holiday was a shorter work, it's possible a lot of libraries didn't purchase it back in the day. If it was in my library, I'm certain I read it.

Happy belated bday Lori!

I just finished my first Beth Moore bible study at the end of December with another girlfriend and my sister in law. It was a lot of work doing the homework everyday but worth the effort.

>185 jolerie: Glad you enjoyed it. The fiction book wasn't bad, but as I said, if you decide you want to try it, read it because the audio book narrator is awful.

46. Folly by Stella Cameron

Date Completed: 12 Feb 2018

Category: Quebec City

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #9: Read a book with a tree or trees on the cover

Other Challenges: MysteryCAT - Female Cops/Sleuths/Detectives

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Alex Duggins returned to Folly-on-Weir, a village in the Cotswolds where she grew up, after a failed marriage. She purchased a cottage and the local pub. She discovered the body of a monk with a missing ring. Who is he? Why was he in Folly-on-Weir? A second monk shows up, claiming the man was from his traveling order of monks. I loved the use of DNA in the resolution of the mystery. The snowstorm adds to the atmosphere. Some characters needed further development, but it was a good start to the series.

>162 thornton37814: Victoria Holt is an author that my mother also read and that I absolutely loved. I read every one of her books up until the mid-80s when I guess I grew out of them. I also read a lot of Susan Howatch back then, who is very similar to both Holt and Whitney. I've been thinking that I'd like to do a reread of Holt, but I'm having a hard time finding her books - my mom gave away all of our copies. Another author that I loved back then but who was more modern rather than gothic was Emilie Loring - I read as many of hers as I could get my hands on, which was only a handful of the 30 or so that she wrote.

Happy belated birthday!

>176 RBeffa: Ahhhh!

>188 rretzler: I read some Howatch too, but I didn't like her work as well as Whitney and Holt. Thanks for the birthday greetings.

I enjoyed reading Nora Lofts' historic novels, like A Wayside Tavern.

>190 fuzzi: I read a few of Nora Lofts' books years ago too. I have one still listed in my library. I have no idea where it might be--probably in a box somewhere.

Hi Lori! Just dropping in to catch up on your thread!

>192 The_Hibernator: It's been going faster than I expected. Hope you were able to catch up.

Happy Valentine's Day, Lori

>194 rretzler: Thanks very much. With work and church today, I did not get to spend as much time with my 3 valentine fur boys as I wished. I'm trying to make up for it now.

47. Better Off Read by Nora Page

Date Completed: 15 Feb 2018

Category: Boston

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: MysteryCAT - Female Cop/Sleuth/Detective

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: A library with a 75-year-old librarian who still drives a bookmobile (and speeds while doing so)? The set-up for Nora Page's new series features that implausible scenario. The mayor of Catulpa Springs, Georgia,somewhere just north of the Florida state line, wants to do away with its tree-damaged library, its bookmobile, and its librarian. An antiquarian book collector and library friend's death turns suspicion to the man's neighbor. Cleo doesn't believe it and sets out to investigate. Not even Rhett Butler the cat could redeem this book. Far too many characters appear too quickly without sufficient development to sort in the reader's mind. A low-level officer related to one of the characters seems to be the main police officer investigating rather than police detectives or the man referred to throughout the book as "Chief." The conversation-intensive narrative likely appeals to a younger audience while the septuagenarian librarian tries to draw older readers. Unfortunately as someone who recently dealt with aging parents, I question how a town could afford insurance to allow an elderly woman known to speed to drive a bookmobile. While the story does improve as the book goes on, it fails to redeem itself and leaves the reader dissatisfied. I received an advance review copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Hi Lori and happy belated birthday to you!

I loved Phyllis Whitney's books while in high school. She, Victoria Holt, and Mary Stewart were my mainstays, along with Barbara Cartland, and Georgette Heyer.

>197 karenmarie: Lots of love for Phyllis Whitney and similar writers here! She got a lot of us interested in reading.

Happy Friday Lori. I see that you, like me, read a lot of children's illustrated books. I have many of them that I own, and then I just can't help getting more when I go to the library.

>199 Whisper1: I'm currently working through some I purchased to give my great nephew. I'll read those, the Caldecotts arriving in our library, and a few others--mostly cat or library ones, I suspect.

I haven't had time to research which books won the Caldecott award.

Returning to work leaves me energy compromised. But, it is good to be back working with students.

Have a great weekend of reading!

>201 Whisper1: We always order them here at the library. Here's the list: https://www.hbook.com/2018/02/blogs/calling-caldecott/2018-caldecott-winners/#_

48. The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor

Date Completed: 16 Feb 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #18: Read a book where a number higher than 2 is written somewhere on the front or back cover

Other Challenges: Irish Author Challenge

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Lucy Gault's parents decide to move from their Irish village for safety following an incident in a time of unrest. Lucy does not want to move. Before they move, Lucy disappears. After finding a shoe, they assume she drowned and move away, leaving servants as caretakers for their home. Lucy returns, but no one can locate her parents who decided not to travel to the intended location and leave no forwarding address. Lucy's parents travel the continent while Lucy attends the local school rather than the boarding school. The caretakers assume her care with the attorney providing allowances to them. She always expects them to return from their trip--but will they? Lucy's emotional damage manifests itself in relationships and other ways. I don't want to give away more of the plot. The story haunts the reader. Trevor crafts a masterpiece with his carefully constructed prose. Readers ask, "How could her parents leave without more proof their daughter died?" "How did Lucy feel when she discovered her parents moved without her?" and more. This novel would work well as a book discussion.

Happy Belated Birthday, Lori. I recently read Lucy Gault for the Irish Author Challenge. I was one of those readers who ended up questioning the parent's actions. Their speed in deciding she was dead and their behavior afterwards didn't make any sense to me. But I agree with you, the writing is superb.

>204 Oregonreader: It's really hard for me to wrap my mind around the parents leaving so quickly. I know my parents would have held out longer. However, I didn't live in that time in Ireland, so maybe it would have been different when one was in fear of retaliation. This was my second venture into Trevor's books, and I loved both. He's becoming a favorite author, I think.

Happy very very belated birthday wishes, Lori!!
The amazing thing about Life of Pi (ok, besides the story itself) is how, after all these years. the ending hasn't been bantered around a lot which enables new readers of the book to still enjoy that surprise ending.
Yes, well deserving of the Booker!
Drat! I think Kindle Daily Deal offered the Cadfael books a couple of weeks ago. Considered but didn't purchase. Now, I wish I hadn't been so lackadaisical getting caught up on your thread .
Have a lovely weekend!

>206 Carmenere: We all get behind on threads at times. I'm sure Cadfael will come up again at some point.

49. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Date Completed: 18 Feb 2018

Category: Cornwall

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #7: Read a book by an author who is part of the African diaspora

Other Challenges: American Author Challenge

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Escaping from a brutal overseer, Cora and Caesar follow the steps Cora's mom Mabel took previously in finding a way to escape. A branch of the underground railroad recently opened, and they were among the lucky ones to escape before it closed. They escape first to South Carolina where conditions are not so extreme as other states, but when Ridgeway, a slave catcher, arrives, Cora is able to escape once again--this time to North Carolina. The station in that area just closed, but fortunately the station master took pity on Cora, providing space in his attack, until they are found out. From there, we learn more of the tale, an escape, new friends, a farm, and more. Whitehead provides insight into slave life and what it was like for those fleeing the underground railroad and involved in it. While I'm not certain the conditions in South Carolina were as favorable as depicted, I still enjoyed the novel. It's not a particularly easy read as the injustices to those of African ancestry are depicted vividly, but it is one that makes the reader pause to consider this period of American history and hope he or she would have chosen to treat their fellow human beings with dignity and compassion rather than hatred.

50. A Necessary End by Peter Robinson

Date Completed: 19 Feb 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Category Challenge: None

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P

Rating: 3 stars

Review: When a demonstration results in the death of a police officer from another jurisdiction, Supt. Burgess, aka "Dirty Dick," is sent from London to lead the investigation into the homicide. Attention begins to focus on the residents of Maggie's farm as two residents were among those arrested at the demonstration. Burgess' reputation precedes him. Chief Inspector Banks begins investigating on the side when it becomes clear, Burgess is willing to stick the murder charge to the first suspect for whom he can make a case strong enough to possibly stick. With many of the protesters already suspicious of police, Burgess' actions jeopardize the rapport Banks built with the people of Eastvale since his arrival.

The installment compels the reader, but some things seem to drag down the plot. Readers do not need to know every time a character lights a cigarette, particularly when all the characters seem to be chain smokers. If a future installment doesn't feature some of the characters developing lung cancer, Robinson missed out on the plot he's setting up.

I listened to the audio version narrated by James Langton who did a good job with the voices although they were perhaps not as British sounding as they could be.

Having trouble posting....

Lori--So far behind on LT, but I think I have neglected everyone equally. LOL and Oops!

Happy, much belated birthday. And I can't keep up with all your books--goodness! >203 thornton37814: Lucy Gault sounds very intriguing. ; ) Hope you have a great week.

>210 Berly: I hate when that happens!

>211 Berly: It's hard to keep up here--especially this time of year. I'm behind on many threads myself. I may have time to catch up if I feel like it this week. I'm having dental extractions done this afternoon and will be out a day or two at work, depending on pain level. They tell me 48-72 hours.

>212 thornton37814: Well, that’s no fun. Hope everything goes smoothly and your recovery is swift!

Happy Tuesday, Lori! Very nice review of The Story of Lucy Gault - sounds like one I might like. I have not read any Trevor.

>212 thornton37814: Hope the dental extractions go well, Lori. Here's wishing you no pain or at least a lot of good pain medication.

>212 thornton37814: I hope the dental work goes well, Lori!

I missed the part about the dental extractions - keeping you in my thoughts and hoping it goes well.

>213 Copperskye: >215 rretzler: >216 harrygbutler: >217 Crazymamie: The anesthetic still keeps me partially numb, but I can tell it's beginning to wear off. I went ahead and took the first ibuprofen for pain before it wears off. I'm having to alternate ice on sides of my face--15 minutes on left and then 15 on right for the rest of today and probably through the morning hours if I'm swollen in the morning. I have a stronger pain medication for overnight, if needed. At least it's stopped bleeding for the most part.

>214 Crazymamie: I really think you'd enjoy Trevor's writing.

Oooh! Glad you liked Underground Railroad. I shall be reading it soon, hopefully.

Poppy sends her best regards and sympathy with your teeth extraction, Lori. Sorry to hear about it . Yes, do take the stronger pain killer if you need it. When I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth extracted at the age of ???? 32 or 33, I did not want to take the stronger medication and I tried to just tough it out. Well, within 24 hours I was in tears with the pain. My sister, who works as a dental assistant came over and convinced me to take the stronger medication. She explained to me that it is harder to get out of pain, once you are " the pain cycle". I remember how frozen my entire mouth was after the 4 extractions and waiting for my husband to get the antibiotics and pain RX's filled while I waited, with blood drooling out of my mouth, unbeknownst to me. I bet I scared a some of the general public with my drooling blood ;-)

Take care and I hope the pain is lessening.

>220 vancouverdeb: I made it through the night using only the Advil. Pain is present, but it's not unbearable. I took Advil again this morrning. I begin to experience pain about an hour before I can take another dose. I suspect it will be better by later in the day. At least my boss insisted I take the day off since I'm one who rarely misses. The cats appreciate my presence today!

I've decided today is the day to finish reading the stack of books I purchased for my great nephew so I can mail them to him. In other words, be prepared for a large amount of picture books in the next few hours!

51. Old Bear and His Cub by Olivier Dunrea

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: San Diego

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Which bear is the most stubborn--little cub or old bear? Old Bear gives Little Cub advice, but then Little Cub gives Old Bear the same advice. It's a cute story with average illustrations.

52. Destination: Antarctica by Robert Swan

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Amish Country

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #19: Read a two-word-title without an article

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: The author led a team to Antarctica to relive the adventures of Robert Scott. I remember reading a story about Antarctic exploration somewhere around fourth or fifth grade. This story did not deliver the same sense of adventure. The illustrations in this one, however, make it a great book to pair up with a story of some of the original Antarctic adventures.

53. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Bahamas

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 5 stars

Review: This classic children's book is timeless! The illustrations still delight!

54. Ladybug Girl and Bingo by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #9: Read a book with a tree or trees on the cover

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - J

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Ladybug Girl's family goes camping. Even her dog Bingo comes along. Bingo is to stay leashed, but sometimes, Ladybug Girl can't quite keep him under control. It's a good story with lovely illustrations.

Lots of fun children's books! I know my DIL and son have The Very Hungry Caterpillar already for baby to be ( March ) . As for pain killer, I was prescribed Tylenol 3 after my extractions. I was reluctant to take the T-3, but after 24 hours of plain Tylenol, my sister talked me into the T- 3. It helped a lot and didn't cause me much in the way of adverse effects. I'm always a little anxious about medication, but sometimes it is really the best route.

I'm glad that advil is working well for you. I think things like advil were not thought of back when I had my 4 wisdom teeth out. I know it worked well for me when I fractured a wrist 8 years ago. So glad that you are feeling better, Lori.

55. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell; illustrated by David Catrow

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Charleston

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #1: Read a book tagged "friendship"

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Delightful illusttrations accompany this book teaching self-esteem. Molly Lou Melon's grandmother always taught her truths about her shortcomings which helped her when she moved to a new school.

56. A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard; illustrated by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Quebec City

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #18: Read a book where a number higher than 2 is written somewhere on the front or back cover

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P

Rating: 5 stars

Review: This Newbery-winning and Caldecott finalist collection of poetry honors poet William Blake. Many of the poems reference Blake's poems so it is probably most appreciated by those familiar with his poetry. The author's set-up is an inn honoring the bard, visited by various persons and animals. It makes me want to pick up Blake's work to read in the near future, possibly for poetry month in April.

>226 thornton37814: Chloe loves the Ladybug girl books! We haven't read that one yet

57. The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie dePaola

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Boston

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Gifted author/illustrator Tomie dePaola retells a Native American story concerning the Indian paintbrush plant's name. The story is well-told, and the illustrations are beautiful.

58. Plenty of Love to Go Around by Emma Chichester Clark

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #17: Read a book with an animal on the cover

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P

Rating: 4 stars

Review: A dog is jealous of the new cat, but he discovers they can still be friends because there is "plenty of love to go around." This would make a great read for a child with a new sibling. Illustrations are average.

59. Just One More by Jennifer Hansen Rolli

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Cornwall

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Read a book with title word or author name starting with GOLDSILVERBRONZE in rolling order

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - J

Rating: 3 stars

Ruby is never content with what she has been given. She always wants "just one more." Illustrations are cute, but not outstanding. I'm not entirely sure the author's point was made.

60. Taking Care of Mama by Mitra Modarressi

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #3: Read A Book of which the title contains something that you love

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: A household of raccoons discover how much mama does on a daily basis when Mama's illness causes them to need to fill the gap. The story is told in rhyme. Great for young readers.

61. Good Morning, Digger by Anne Rockwell; illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: San Diego

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #18: Read a book where a number higher than 2 is written somewhere on the front or back cover

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Digger the backhoe and other construction vehicles contribute to the erection of a new community center to be enjoyed by the narrator and others. Preschool boys will love this one.

62. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Amish Country

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #9: Read a book with a tree or trees on the cover

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Madeline, a student at a Paris boarding school, finds herself hospitalized for an appendectomy. The book is written in rhyme. Children can be grateful hospital stays are shorter than when the book was written. While the illustrations may not appeal to today's youngsters as much as they did to earlier eras, they are still excellent, showing what can be done with minimal colors. It's a classic 1940 Caldecott honor book which stood the test of time.

63. Luke Goes to Bat by Rachel Isadora

Date Completed: 21 Feb 2018

Category: Bahamas

TIOLI Challenge: None

Other Challenges: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Luke longs for his chance to play baseball with the older kids. He idolizes Jackie Robinson. When the other kids need another player, Luke steps in but strikes out--twice. His grandma encourages him to never give up and takes him to a Dodgers game. Nicely done and perfect for boys who long to play ball!

I love the Madeline books. One of the books I remember reading as a young girl and just falling in love with it.

Hope you are feeling better from the extraction, Lori!

>227 vancouverdeb: Yes. I had fun reading the children's books. Somehow I missed your post as I was reviewing along, but I caught it as I was going back through them. I was prescribed Tylenol 3 once, but it's probably been 25 years or more since then. The dentist prescribed Lortab, and Advil seems strong enough at the moment.

>230 ChelleBearss: I knew nothing about the Ladybug books until finding this one in that "grab bag" bin (all that would fit in a plastic bag for $10) at Scruffy City Books. This one was delightful.

>238 jolerie: I vaguely remember reading Madeline, but I've read it several times as an adult. I'm doing okay. Getting a little tired of the soft foods, but I have today and tomorrow still to go with those. I'm still taking Advil, but I'm going longer than 4 hours now.

A very very belated happy birthday, Lori. I'm impressed how many books you've already read.
Big waves from Davos.

>241 Ameise1: Well, about half are children's books so the number isn't quite as impressive--still the number without those is more than usual for me at this point in the year.

Glad to hear that the pain has been manageable, Lori. And I hope you get some nice, crunchy and crisp treats when you get back to harder foods!

>243 harrygbutler: I suspect the really crispy stuff needs to wait until later in the weekend, but I'd settle for something like chicken and dumplins at Cracker Barrel with a couple of sides and cornbread. I think I'm already envisioning Friday night's meal. I'll probably do a sandwich for lunch on Friday since I'll be at work.

>244 thornton37814: I really like their chicken and dumplings — most often with turnip greens (with a vinegar carafe so I can add to my taste) and pinto beans as the sides, though I sometimes vary those. I get the biscuit; it's not as good as homemade, but it isn't bad.

Hello thornton. Nice thread you have here. My kids have moved out of picture books, but that just means I read them bigger books. But it was fun to see Ladybug Girl in your mix. I loved reading them to the kids.

A couple of recommendations for you: Niccolini's Song and Foxy!.

>245 harrygbutler: I usually get the fried okra and then vary the other item. I think the okra would be a little tough on Friday so I'll decide which softer, but filling sides I want.

>246 brodiew2: Those both look good. I got most of the books at a used bookstore which had a lot of the undeliverable Imagination Library books. I am certain I can find more books if I go back, but it's not worth going every month. It's in a warehouse district, and it's not a place I'd want to visit alone. I guess it's a little "Scruffy" as the store's name implies--Scruffy City Books.

>247 thornton37814: I'm a shameless library user, but we still managed to buy a fair amount of books.

>248 brodiew2: So do I. Most of my purchases tend to be genealogical, but I occasionally purchase fiction books I want to read.

Poppy, our dog, is sorry you are still suffering the effects of your extraction. Poppy is back to usual, but still taking antibiotics for the next ? 8 days. She had tramadol for pain, but she seems a little constipated. I'm not sure if that is the tramadol, or just the fact that she only got back to normal eating yesterday at dinner. Initially she had diarrhea and now no poop yesterday or today yet. You just can't win sometimes. I guess her tummy is just off.

I loved the Madeline series as a child. My sister in law and brother have a Madeline ( as well as a Kathryn, Alexandra and Benjamin) . I'm not sure if the Madeline came from the book, or if it was just a name they liked. I'll have to ask her.

>250 vancouverdeb: The name Madeline came back into vogue at some point. One of my high school classmates named her daughter Madeline. The daughter goes by Maddy.

I hope you feel a bit better after the extraction, Lori.
My husband had two wisdom teeth extracted on Monday, he was two days a bit off, but he feels fine now.

64. Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart

Date Completed: 22 Feb 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #11: Read a book with one or more words in the title suggesting a type of loss

Other Challenges: MysteryCAT - Female Cop/Sleuth/Detective; AlphaKIT - P

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: In this promising start to a new series, widowed Pamela Paterson invites her husband's former colleague Amy Morgan who recently took a job with a local college to her home for the weekly knitting group meeting. When Amy doesn't show up, Pamela assumes something came up at the university. Later that evening while looking for the cat's bowl, she discovers her friend's body in the shrubbery with a knitting needle poking out of her body. The needle seems to point to someone in the group, but Amy made some controversial decisions during her short time chairing the department, supplying suspects outside the frame of the needlework circle. Pamela doesn't think police always ask the right questions and begins to investigate with the help of neighbor and fellow knitter Bettina.

The conclusion of this one caught me a bit by surprise although I confess to coming up with no solution of my own. The clues were present, but not obvious. I'm a bit baffled why the police did not interact with Pamela more and warn her about sleuthing. I loved the cat who adopted Pamela and look forward to Catrina's becoming more comfortable around her pet human. The main characters and setting were well-developed. I look forward to the next installment of the series and to seeing how the characters develop over the course of the series. I received an advance electronic galley from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

65. Grand Canyon by Jason Chin

Date Completed: 22 Feb 2018

Category: Charleston

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #19: Read a two-word-title without an article

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - J

Rating: 5 stars

Review: This wonderfully illustrated book discusses the geology and ecology of the Grand Canyon. It's certain to be a hit with youngsters vacationing there or who are interested in science. I loved the way Chin used margins to extend learning. Chin even offers a bibliography which would be useful for older people interested in learning more about this masterpiece of God's handiwork.

This was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2018.

Hi Lori, hope you are ok after the tooth extractions my dear and the drugs prescribed are keeping the pain levels ok for you. Karen's toothache has eased and the drugs she got are doing their stuff for her. Sending love and hugs.

>255 johnsimpson: I'm doing better. The biggest discomfort is where the dentist tied off the stitches. That should dissolve soon. Pain seems to be diminishing. It's worst overnight, but improves after I get up and take another dose of the medication which wore off.

Hi Lori, I did not forget that I promised you a piece of Engadiner Nusstorte from Pontresian.

>257 Ameise1: Yum! Thank you!

Good to hear you got through the dental stuff. Not fun at all.

>232 thornton37814: I love that cover...

So sorry to hear about your extractions, no fun! I had an allergic reaction to the pain meds the last time I had a tooth removed, think it was hydrocodene or something akin to it.

>245 harrygbutler: I like vinegar on my turnip greens, too, though I prefer collard greens.

>259 SuziQoregon: Yes. The sutures are a bit annoying, but they'll dissolve sometime next week, I think.

>260 fuzzi: Honestly the cover illustration was probably the best one in the book. The antibiotic for the infection (clindamycin) broke me out on the arms and chest. I can take hydrocodeine. They gave me Lortab in case I needed something stronger, but I did not use it. I took Advil this morning but did not need it the rest of the day. I will take a dose before bed. Night is the worst for residual pain. This may be the last night I need it. (Fingers crossed.)

Having a bunch of extractions doesn't sound like fun, Lori, but at least you got some reading time. Not that you really need it the way you have been powering through the books. I hope that you are back to eating some good and crunchy food.

>261 thornton37814: yowza! The "mycins" do that to me, too. And the "cillins" give me hives. Be sure to write that drug reaction on a card and place it in your wallet, in case of emergency.

I am hopelessly behind on everyone's threads but spent some time browsing all your great reads! I may just print the thread and take it to the library with me. An afternoon with children's books would be lovely.

>254 thornton37814: I did love Chin's book about the Grand Canyon. I read it last year along with Wallace Stegner's about John Wesley Powell.

Hello! Thank you for welcoming me back to the group. Sorry to hear about the tooth extractions. Sounds like you're recovering quickly, though. My only comparable experience was getting my wisdom teeth removed at 18. It was a miserable experience. I got an infection that made my whole jawbone thrum with pain. Took awhile to register as pain because it was at such a low vibratory frequency compared to usual sharp pains. Plus, tasting the infection was the worst thing ever. Glad you're avoiding all of that. And dissolving stitches are wonderful.

>264 witchyrichy: I get "behind" on threads, too.

>262 Familyhistorian: Well, I've slowed down some. Of course part of it is because I took time to cross-stitch a bookmark for a colleague who is leaving us. I'll try to post it after I've given it to her. I did, however, listen to my audiobook part of the time I was working on the bookmark.

>263 fuzzi: Erythomycin in its Erythrocin pill form never broke me out. It's been the "go-to" antibiotic doctors prescribed for me. However, clindamycin definitely did. I do need to add that one to my growing "list" of off limits drugs.

>264 witchyrichy: Chin's book is phenomenal. It's still on my iPad so I took it into a colleague's office. Her children like "science" stuff. I think she'll probably get that one for them. She was really impressed with the book.

>265 justchris: Well, the infection was what started this. The tooth on the other side was missing one of its roots so it needed to come out too.

>266 fuzzi: We all get behind on threads. I'm doing a bit better this year than sometimes. I just sometimes don't leave a lot of comments, especially if I'm pressed for time.

Hi Lori! I am so sorry that I missed your birthday - I hope it was wonderful! As for the teeth trouble, well, you have my deepest sympathy. I hope the pain is long gone.

>69 thornton37814: I didn't think much of Dying in the Wool when I read it a few years ago. I really wanted to like it, but I just remember it being blah.

>133 thornton37814: Thank you for adding Creole Holiday to the TIOLI Challenges! I haven't read a Phyllis Whitney books in years and this one was new to me - and very pleasant. I kept expecting someone to do something a little evil, but it never happened.

>142 thornton37814: I also joined you for The Snowy Day. Growing up in a snow free zone I adored that one as a kid.

I'll try not to make it so long between visits again.

>269 Dejah_Thoris: My reaction to the Brody book too. I thought I should like it better than I did.Glad you loved Creole Holiday. It was a fun one. The Snowy Day is timeless (and ageless)! I try nott to focus on birthdays much any more. I don't feel that old. ;-) As to the dental pain, I'm no longer using Advil, so it's manageable without anything. I think the sutures are just annoying. They'll dissolve soon.

66. Portrait of a Murderer by Anne Meredith

Date Completed: 25 Feb 2018

Category: Quebec City

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #9: Read a book with a tree or trees on the cover

Other Challenges: AlphaKIT - P

Rating: 2 stars

Review: This really wasn't much of a mystery. It's more of a charcter study. The father dies. One of his children committed the murder. We know which one it was and how it was done. He's just trying to hide it from his siblings. I really disliked the entire family. It simply did not resonate well with me; however, persons who like to see character drive the story may enjoy it. It's labeled as Christmas crime. Just because the murder happened at Christmas when the family gathered does not make it a "Christmas" story. This one could occur at a family reunion any other time of the year. This is based on an electronic galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

>271 thornton37814: Good review, Lori. I think I'll be avoiding Portrait of a Murderer. The British Library Crime Classics series has far too many entries that aren't very good as mysteries, or where the characters are all unlikable, to suit me. It has become clear my tastes don't really accord with those of the people choosing titles for inclusion.

I love all the kids' books that you've been reviewing - lucky nephew.

I hope you're feeling better! Dental work is never fun; extractions and infection sound double grim.

I hope to read several more mysteries this month - still loving the MysteryCat challenge to focus a bit more on getting some of the too long neglected titles off my shelves.

>272 harrygbutler: It's been a very uneven series.

>273 streamsong: I'm trying to finish one more book for this month's MysteryCAT--a Catherine Aird book Carrie loaned me ages ago. I'm sure she'll be glad to get it back. I'm 1/3 of the way through and will probably get another 1/3 read this evening. Hopefully I can finish it tomorrow.

This is the bookmark I stitched for my colleague:

>275 thornton37814: Beautiful! I love cross stitch bookmarks. I made one and sent it to my Grandmother last year :)

>276 ChelleBearss: I'm planning to create several. My colleague loves birds (and is a librarian). She's leaving us. I thought this was a good thing to insert in her card.

>275 thornton37814: That’s lovely! And very thoughtful!

>278 Copperskye: It only took a few hours. The way half stitches were used in the design were a bit tricky at times. I was terribly out of practice on the french knots. I need to get a little piece of fabric and make myself practice them.

Catching up on your thread. I've read a few of Phyllis Whitney's juvenile mysteries and adored them. I hope you're feeling better.

>275 thornton37814: lovely bookmark!

Beautiful bookmark Lori! I love cross stitching but my last project has been woefully neglected. Too many books clamouring for my attention. :)

Hi Lori, love the cross stitch bookmark my dear.

>280 libraryperilous: I read some of those too. I'm not sure if I managed to read them all, but I probably did over the years.

>281 fuzzi: Thanks.

>282 jolerie: I sometimes get that way, but I'm determined to find a bit of time to relax and stitch this year. I'm taking a project with me on my spring break which will be a genealogy research trip. I booked hotels which allow my fur boys to tag along with me.

>283 johnsimpson: Thank you!

67. In the Shadow of the Glacier by Vicki Delany

Date Completed: 27 Feb 2018

Category: Boston

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #9: Read a book with a tree or trees on the cover

Other Challenges: MysteryCAT - Female Cop/Sleuth/Detective

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Constable Molly Smith finds herself partnering with the lead homicide detective when his usual partner heads out of town when Trafalgar's first murder in years occurs. The town about a half-hour north of the United States border boasts a significant population of Vietnam draft dodgers. Many citizens, including Molly's activist mother, want a Peace Garden honoring draft dodgers, but others like Reginald Montgomery oppose the plan. Montgomery aspires to build a resort which might lose American tourist dollars if the Peace Garden plan succeeds. The town becomes a magnet for troublemakers and for one American journalist who manages to slant all his journalistic efforts to capture his own opinion. Molly offers to help a friend get a restraining order against someone harrassing her, but she becomes so involved in the investigation she failed to remember to meet her. She later refuses to proceed, and the results are disastrous. The town also experiences a rash of bicycle thefts, including Molly's own. Sergeant Winters notices all the thefts occur near times Molly visited the locations on her beat. Are the thefts and murder connected? I look forward to seeing where Delany takes Molly Smith in the next installment of the series. Molly's naivity makes her an interesting character with a lot of room to develop. I listened to the audiobook. The narrator's accent led to some unusual pronunciations for American ears, but perhaps it reflects the dialect of the area.

>275 thornton37814: Nice work on the bookmark, Lori. I hope you're able to find time for your hobby through the year.

>286 harrygbutler: I'm sure I'll manage to get several pieces done if I allow myself the time--and I plan to do so.

68. Slight Mourning by Catherine Aird

Date Completed: 27 Feb 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #11: Read a book with one or more words in the title suggesting a type of loss

Other Challenges: British Author Challenge - the 1970s

Rating: 4 stars

Review: A dinner party with a dozen guests. A fatal automobile crash. The autopsy reveals the victim died by poisoning. Inspector Sloan investigates. Although most readers will likely guess the identity of the murderer pretty early, this pleasant installment in the classic Aird series resonates with the charms of English villages.

>275 thornton37814: It's beautiful.

Happy Wednesday, Lori.

>289 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. It's a wet one. They predict 2 inches and placed us under a flood watch. I live high enough I should not need to worry about it in my house, but I do travel through a few lower spots. As I long as I take Kidwell's Ridge instead of the route by Panther Creek, I'll get around fine.

Oh dear, take care, Lori.

>291 Ameise1: As I said, it shouldn't be particularly problematic for me.