countrylife’s 2018 Reading Log

Reading through a lifetime - - - Reading under the shade.
The girl: Young Girl Reading by Tree. William Moore Davis (American, 1829-1920)
The young woman: “Summertime”. Joseph Farquharson (Scottish, 1846-1935)
The mature woman: Woman reading in garden. Ignacio Díaz Olano (Spanish, 1860-1937)

About Me:

Hello and welcome to any who happen upon my thread. My name is Cindy and I am a middle-aged reader from the midwest part of the States. Married for 37 years, grandmother to one, and mother of five – one an E.R. doc in Germany, one the Director of IT and Facilities Operations at his college , one working in an office at her university, one still in college working on his Electrical Engineering degree, and one out in the world, finding her way – four voracious readers and one middling. BC, I was an executive secretary. I've been a member of LT for almost eleven years; this is my eighth year with this group.

My reading tastes have changed with the influence of this group; now mysteries make up a large part of my reading, in addition to my old love of historical fiction. With group reads and themes, I still sometimes try SFF or romance, and I still can’t take much to them.

About my '75 Books Challenge for 2017' Reading List:

This is my main reading list; anything read for other challenges will be included and tallied up here. Ratings are purely arbitrary, and subject to change. I seldom return to a post to change a rating after further thought has prompted me to do so in my catalog. Discrepancies abound!

2017 IN REVIEW

Books Read:
audiobooks – 113
eBooks – 42
paper books – 52
total books = 207

Pages Read:
69,855

Genres Read:
mystery – 76
historical fiction – 57
historical mystery - 14
general fiction – 31
romance or chick lit – 10
BAM (biographies, autobiographies, memoirs) – 6
other nonfiction – 9
science fiction/fantasy/fairy tales/horror – 4

My Top Reads of 2017, in order:

The Boys in the Boat
The Weight of Ink
When Breath Becomes Air
O Pioneers!
The Lost Eagles
The Gods of Gotham
Seven for a Secret
Last Bus to Wisdom

2017 Titles Meme:
(Using titles of books read last year.)

Describe Yourself: The Scarred Woman
Describe how you feel: A Life Intercepted
Describe where you currently live: White Picket Fences
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?: The Country of the Pointed Firs
Your favorite form of transportation: Last Bus to Wisdom
Your best friend is: The Wild Girl
You and your friends are: The Mothers
Your favorite food is: The Lemon Jelly Cake
What I would like for my birthday next year: Diamond Solitaire
What's the weather like? Winter Storms
You fear: Leaving Everything Most Loved
What is the best advice you have to give?: Be Safe, Love Mom
Thought for the day: We Were the Lucky Ones
How I would like to die: Chasing Fireflies
My soul's present condition: Glory Over Everything

My 2018 Challenges:

Reading through Time Monthly Theme

January: Cold:
….. The Winter Guest, Pam Jenoff
….. Through the Evil Days, Julia Spencer Fleming
….. Frozen Tracks, Ake Edwardson
….. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

February: Going Hollywood:
…..A Touch of Stardust, Kate Alcott

March: Something Sporty
….. Tom Brown’s School Days, Thomas Hughes (field sports)

April: Clash of Cultures
…..Minuk: Ashes in the Pathway, Kirkpatrick Hill (19th c Eskimos v whites)
…..The Night Birds, Thomas Maltman (1862 Sioux Uprising v settlers)
…..Run Away Home, Patricia Mckissack (1880s ex-slave v Indians v certain whites)
…..A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea, Eunsun Kim (totalitarianism v freedom)

May: The Exotic Lands of Southeast Asia
…..The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (Vietnam)
…..Miss Burma, Charmaine Craig (Burma/Myanmar)

June: Digging Up the Past
…..Turtle in Paradise, Jennifer L. Holm (buried treasure)
…..The Crossing Places, Elly Griffiths (archaeology)
…..Red Bones, Ann Cleeves (archaeology)
…..The Janus Stone, Elly Griffiths (archaeology)

July: Nautical
…..Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea, Frank Delaney
…..Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow, Peter Høeg

August: Europe Between the Wars, 1918-1939
…..A Star for Mrs. Blake, April Smith (1930s)
…..In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson (1930s)
…..A Fearsome Doubt, Charles Todd (1920s)
…..Journey to Munich, Jacqueline Winspear (1938)
…..The Perfume Collector, Kathleen Tessaro (1920s + 1950s)

September: Let’s Have a Drink!
…..The Guards, Ken Bruen (alcoholism)
…..The Vintner's Daughter, Kristen Harnisch (wineries)
…..Devil in a Blue Dress, Walter Mosley (bar/drinking)

October: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
…..The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton (garden)

November: She Blinded Me With Science
…..Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary, Gail Jarrow (typhoid)
…..An Instance of the Fingerpost, Iain Pears (history of medicine)

December: Music
….. Empire of Sin, Gary Krist (jazz, New Orleans)
….. Symphony for the City of the Dead, M.T. Anderson (classical, Leningrad)
….. A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles (classical, Moscow)

Reading through Time Quarterly Time Periods:

January-March 2018 – 19th Century Europe (& rest of the world, excluding Northern America)
…..Mrs. Osmond, John Banville (Europe: England, Italy, +) (January)
…..On the Night of the Seventh Moon, Victoria Holt (1859 Germany) (February)
…..Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier (1810s-1820s England) (February)
…..The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett (1890s England) (March)
…..Tom Brown’s School Days, Thomas Hughes (1850s Rugby, England) (March)
…..Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen (19th c Sweden) (March)

April-June 2018 – 19th Century Northern America (includes Civil War; excluding the Old West)
…..Boston Jane, Jennifer L. Holm (19th century Washington state area) (April)
…..Minuk: Ashes in the Pathway, Kirkpatrick Hill (19th century Alaska) (April)
…..Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1860s North Carolina) (April)
…..The Night Birds, Thomas Maltman (1862 Minnesota) (April)
…..Run Away Home, Patricia Mckissack (1880s Alabama) (April)
…..The Silk Train Murder, Sharon Rowse (1899 Vancouver, BC) (May)
…..To the Bright Edge of the World, Eowyn Ivey (1885 Alaska) (May)
…..The Children's Blizzard, David Laskin (1888 Great Plains) (May)
…..Destiny of the Republic, Candice Millard (1881 murder of President Garfield) (June)

July-September 2018 – The Old West
…..Bad News for Outlaws, Vaunda McHeaux Nelson (19th century black US Marshal) (July)
…..East of Eden, John Steinbeck (1890s-1910s California) (July)
…..The Last Woman Standing, Thelma Adams (19th century, Tombstone, Arizona) (September)

October-December 2018 – 20th Century: Before WWI (1900-1913)
…..The Riddle of the Sands, Erskine Childers (1903)
…..The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton (1910s)
…..In the Shadow of Gotham, Stefanie Pintoff (1904-1905)
…..Snow Hall, Elizabeth Gill (1907)
…..The Great Impersonation, E. Phillips Oppenheim (1913)
…..The Night Journey, Kathryn Lasky (1900)
…..Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary, Gail Jarrow (1902-1915)

I’m doing ONE Guido of the Two Guido’s Mystery Challenge – Guido Brunetti of the Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon.

January: Death at La Fenice – (Read previously) 8/31/17
March: Death in a Strange Country – 3/16/18
May: Dressed for Death - 5/1/18
July: Death and Judgement - 7/4/18
September: Acqua Alta - 9/3/18
November: Quietly in Their Sleep - 11/14/18
December: A Noble Radiance - 12/26/18

Saved in case I decide to join the 2018 MysteryCAT, since some of my reading has already lined up with their categories, anyway.

2018 MysteryCAT

January: Nordic Mysteries
…..The Thirst, Jo Nesbo (Norway)
…..Frozen Tracks, Ake Edwardson (Sweden)

February: Female Cop/Sleuth/Detective
…..The Shattered Tree, Charles Todd (nurse/amateur sleuth)
…..The Blood Spilt, Åsa Larsson (attorney/amateur sleuth)

March: Global Mysteries
…..The Black Cat, Martha Grimes (England)
…..Bury Your Dead, Louise Penny (Canada)
…..Death in a Strange Country, Donna Leo (Italy)
…..Death of a Gossip, M.C. Beaton (Scotland)
…..Death of a Cad, M.C. Beaton (Scotland)
…..The Lazarus Curse, Tessa Harris (England)
…..When Will There Be Good News?, Kate Atkinson (Scotland)

April: Classic and Golden Age Mysteries
…..Murder Must Advertise, Dorothy Sayers

May: Mysteries involving Transit
…..The Silk Train Murder, Sharon Rowse

June: True Crime
…..Destiny of the Republic, Candice Millard (murder of President Garfield)

July: Police Procedurals
…..The Hangman, Louise Penny
…..Death and Judgment, Donna Leon
…..Bad Blood, Arne Dahl
…..Square of Revenge, Pieter Aspe

August: Historical Mysteries
…..A Fearsome Doubt, Charles Todd
…..Journey to Munich, Jacqueline Winspear

September: Noir and Hard-Boiled Mysteries
…..The Black Path, Åsa Larsson
…..The Guards, Ken Bruen
…..To the Top of the Mountain, Arne Dahl
…..Devil in a Blue Dress, Walter Mosley

October: Espionage
…..The Riddle of the Sands, Erskine Childers
…..The Great Impersonation, E. Phillips Oppenheim

November: Cozy Mysteries
…..A Forgotten Place, Charles Todd
…..The Secret Hangman, Peter Lovesey
…..Quietly in Their Sleep, Donna Leon
…..A Cold Treachery, Charles Todd
…..The Beautiful Mystery, Louise Penny
…..A Casualty of War, Charles Todd

December: Futuristic/Fantastical Mysteries
…..The Children of Men, P.D. James

PERSONAL READING CHALLENGE INSPIRED BY A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME VACATION GIVEN TO ME BY MY SON, IN WHICH HE TOOK ME TO VISIT THESE BEAUTIFUL PLACES

Bruges, Belgium:


Bruges – Roezenhoedkaai.

Books read:
The Lion of Flanders, Hendrik Conscience, 1300s, (Belgium, Brugge) – 12/22/16 (4.5 stars)
The Master of Bruges, Terence Morgan, 15th c (Bruges, London) – 7/5/16 (4.5 stars)
The Path of the King, John Buchan, through the ages (Europe, including Bruges) - 12/26/17 (4 stars)
The Square of Revenge, Pieter Aspe, 1990s Bruges - 7/29/18 (3.5 stars)

Books considered:
The Defiant Mistress, Claire Thornton, 17th c (Bruges, Venice, London)
The Red Velvet Turnshoe, Cassandra Clark, 14th c (England, Italy, Bruges)
A Rescue for a Queen, Fiona Buckley (Bruges, Spain)
The Romantic Prince, Rafael Sabatini, 15th c (Bruges, Ghent, Brussels)
Too Dear for My Possessing, Pamela Hansford Johnson (Bruges, London, Paris)

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Haarlem (& Amsterdam), Netherlands:


Haarlem – the Grote Kerk.

Books read:
An Army of Judiths, C.J. Underwood, 1572 (Haarlem) - 6/29/17 (4 stars)
The Assault, Harry Mulisch, Set:1945 (Haarlem) – 10/24/16 (3.5 stars)
The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom, 1940s (Haarlem) – 5/1/16 (4 stars)
I Am Rembrandt's Daughter, Lynn Cullen, 17th c (Amsterdam) - 7/5/17 (3.5 stars)
Lysbeth : A Tale of the Dutch, H. Rider Haggard, 1600s (Haarlem) - 1/31/17 (4.5 stars)
The Miniaturist, Jesie Burton, 1686 (Amsterdam) - 5/2/17 (3.5 stars)

Books considered:
Death of a Delft Blue, Gladys Mitchell (Amsterdam & Norfolk, England)
Type : The Secret History of Letters, Simon Loxley (Haarlem)

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Delft (& rest of) the Netherlands:


Delft – the Nieuwe Kerk (William of Orange tomb in background)

Books read:
Eye of the Beholder, Laura J. Snyder, 1670s (Delft) – 8/31/15 (4 stars)
Prince and Heretic, Marjorie Bowen, 16th century Netherlands (Prince of Orange, William I) - 2/26/17 (5 stars)
William, by the Grace of God, Marjorie Bowen, 16th century Netherlands (Prince of Orange, William I) - 3/14/17 (3.5 stars)
I Will Maintain, Marjorie Bowen, 17th century Netherlands (Prince of Orange, William III) - 4/7/17 (4 stars)
Defender of the Faith, Marjorie Bowen, 17th century Netherlands (Prince of Orange, William III) - 4/18/17 (4 stars)
God and the King, Marjorie Bowen, 17th century Netherlands (Prince of Orange, William III) - 4/24/17 (3.5 stars)
Of Dikes and Windmills, Peter Spier (land reclamation) - 5/12/18 (5 stars)

Books considered:
Wings Over Delft, Aubrey Flegg, 17th c, (Delft)

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Tulip Fields and Keukenhof Gardens, Holland:


In South Holland at the Keukenhof Gardens, with my granddaughter

The Black Tulip, Alexandre Dumas, 1672 (Holland) - 9/19/17 (4 stars)
The Golden Tulip, Rosalind Laker, 17th c (Holland) - 5/25/17 (4 stars)

Books considered:
Hana in the Time of the Tulips, Deborah Noyes, 17th c (Holland)
Tulipomania, Mike Dash, 17th c (Holland)

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Trier, Germany:


Trier – in the Basilica of Constantine

Books read:
Eagle in the Snow, Wallace Breem, 5th c (Trier plus) – 6/7/16 (4 stars)

Books considered:
Darker the Night, Lisa London, 1940s (Trier plus)

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The Rhine:


High in the castle – Burg Rheinstein – on the Rhine River

Books considered:
Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine, Lewis Spence (Rhine River)
Legends of the Rhine, Wilhelm Ruland (Rhine River)
Legion, William Altimari (Rhine River)

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Landstuhl/Ramstein & surrounds, and other Germany:


Germany: Home. View from my room in the small German town where my son and his family live.

The Lost Eagles, Ralph Graves, 9-30 AD (Germany, Rome) - 7/8/17 (5 stars)

Books considered:
The Long Road Home, G. B. Trudeau (Landstuhl)

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Strasbourg, France (2017):


A side trip to the Christmas Market in Strasbourg, and dinner in a French cafe.

Cathedrals, Robin Oggins - 5/23/18 (3.5 stars)
Cathedrals Built by the Masons, Russell Herner - 5/25/18 (4.5 stars)

Saved for 2018 Wrap-Up

I debated whether to put up a thread at all, and then decided that it would be handy to have my list somewhere digitally, in case of spreadsheet loss. So here I go – jumping in quite late. Some catch-up on my personal life, before I post my reading life…

DECEMBER

I put these on my 2017 thread on the very last day of the year, so since I didn’t get to look at them very long, I’m putting them here, too.

Our youngest son and I had Christmas in Germany with our oldest son and his family! Happy times!

. . .

1. The walled city of Rothenburg, Germany. My very first Christmas Market! As far back as has been found, our family traces its roots to a tiny village near here.
2. Nurnberg, Germany Christmas Market. Listening to the choir in front of the cathedral.
3. Trier – the oldest city in Germany. In the cathedral garden with my granddaughter.
4. Strasbourg, France Christmas Market. In front of the gothic cathedral which was finished before we even had a country.

JANUARY



Every other year, the ladies in our family try to do a trip together. We seem to alternate between our favorite beach house on Cape Cod or a cruise. This year it was a cruise, which was enjoyed by 12 of us. I'm the second one up from the bottom on the right.

My mother wanted so badly to do the underwater scooters. Nobody else wanted to do it, but these 3 brave souls bought tickets in order to support her. Now, my mother spends a lot of her summer swimming, but on this day she could not get under the water. The waves were so choppy and it was so unseasonably cold there in Honduras, and she fought so long trying to make it happen that she exhausted herself. She was so disappointed. On the last full day of the cruise, she ended up in the infirmary, where it turned out that she had gotten the flu while on board. Doc said that her body was probably already compromised by the time she tried to do the scooters and that was why she had problems. I don’t know if she’ll want to try that again, but we definitely need to do another cruise!

FEBRUARY



My mother is a quilter. Her quilts are gorgeous! She’s a master at piecing, patchwork, applique and embroidery. Her specialty is redwork. She’s often asked to teach classes on some aspect of quilting. Here is one of her redwork quilts. And here she is at one of her quilt retreats. When their retreat cook gave notice seven years ago, they asked if any of Mama’s daughters could step in for the upcoming retreat. So my sister and I have been cooking for 30 women for their 4 day retreat in February every year since then. Here we are with Mama (and an adopted auntie who vacations with us) at the last retreat.

And now – on to my book life …

2018 READS

01. Evangeline, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow , 4 stars – 1/6
Historical Fiction| paper book
Setting: 1750s Canada, Louisiana & other U.S. locations
Expulsion and deportation of Acadians from Canada
TIOLI #9: a book that contains more than one beginning (Evangline starting over & over again, while searching)

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02. Mrs. Osmond, John Banville , 3.5 – 1/8
Historical fiction | audiobook
Setting: 1800s Italy and England
Inheritance, marriage, psychological fiction
TIOLI #9: a book that contains more than one beginning (unhappy bride starts over)
Reading through Time: Quarter: 19th Century Europe

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03. The Winter Guest, Pam Jenoff, 3.5 – 1/10
Historical fiction | ebook
Setting: 1940s Poland
Holocaust, war, survival, resistance fighters
TIOLI #9: a book that contains more than one beginning (after the war)
Reading Through Time: Month: Cold

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04. The Thirst, Jo Nesbo, 3.5 – 1/11
Mystery | audiobook
Setting: contemporary Norway
serial killer, vampirism
TIOLI #4: 'w', 'i', 'k', 'i' in the title

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05. Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders, 3.5 – 1/12
Historical fiction | audiobook
Setting: 1860s Washington DC
American presidents, death of a child, grief, fantasy, humor, purgatory
TIOLI #3: on a list of best or notable books of 2017

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06. Through the Evil Days, Julia Spencer Fleming, 3.5 – 1/26
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Adirondacks, New York
kidnapping, ice storm, honeymoon, meth labs, pregnancy, women clergy
TIOLI #10: a book that has a relation to another book (series-Clare Fergusson and Russ van Alstyne Mystery series)
Reading Through Time: Month: Cold

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07. Frozen Tracks, Åke Edwardson, 3.5 – 1/26
Mystery | eBook
Setting: Contemporary Sweden
crime fiction, college students, child abduction, police procedural
TIOLI #14: Answer the questions with a book title you read (who,what,where,how,why)(how travel)
Reading Through Time: Month: Cold

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08. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, 4 – 1/28
SFF | ebook
Setting: 1810s Switzerland, England, Arctic
alienation, cautionary tale, genetic engineering, morality, terror, tragedy
TIOLI# 2: gothic theme
Reading Through Time: Month: Cold

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09. The Vault, Peter Lovesey, 3.5 – 1/29
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: Contemporary Bath, England
crime fiction, antiques, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, police procedural, reporter,
TIOLI #10: a book that has a relation to another book (Frankenstein)

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10. Three Story House, Courtney Miller Santo, 3 – 1/31
Chick Lit | paper book
Setting: contemporary Maine and the South
cousins, friendship, grandmothers, mother-daughter relationships, house renovations,
TIOLI #16: at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions

JANUARY READING RECAP

Books read: 10
Breakdown: audio books-5, eBooks-3, paper-2
Average rating: 3.55
Pages read: 3,594
Completed 7 of 16 TIOLIs

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Favorite Book from January:
Evangeline – 4 stars

11. The Devil’s Breath, Tessa Harris, 3.8 – 2/1
Historical mystery | audiobook
Setting: 1783 England
crime fiction, Great Fog
TIOLI #9: tree or trees on the cover

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12. The Brutal Telling, Louise Penny, 4 – 2/5
Mystery | audiobook
Setting: contemporary Quebec
crime fiction, cozy, antiques, police procedural, Quebec, woodcarving, hermit, down syndrome
TIOLI #18: a number higher than 2 is on the covers (Back cover: “Louise Penny's Three Pines mystery series"

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13. On the Night of the Seventh Moon, Victoria Holt, 3 – 2/5
Historical fiction | eBook
Setting: 1859-1860s Germany
gothic romance, suspense, castles
TIOLI #9: tree or trees on the cover
Reading through Time: Quarter: 19th Century Europe

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14. The Stolen Child, Lisa Carey, 3.5 – 2/6
SFF | paper book
Setting: 1950s-1960s Ireland
fantasy, magical realism, fairies, folklore, sisters, pregnancy
TIOLI #11: one or more words in title suggesting a type of loss (stolen)

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15. The Blood Spilt, Åsa Larsson, 3.5 – 2/9
Mystery | audiobook
Setting: contemporary Sweden
crime fiction, detective, lawyers, murder, thriller, religion, wolves
TIOLI #9: tree or trees on the cover

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16. Cold Fear, Rick Mofina, 3 – 2/11
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary Montana
crime fiction, death row, camping, bears, missing children
TIOLI #18: a number higher than 2 is on the covers (Back cover: "Six Seconds")

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17. Blood Red, Wendy Corsi Staub, 3.5 – 2/13
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary New York state
crime fiction, family relationships, psychological fiction, serial killer, suspense
TIOLI #15: title containing the word Harry, Max, Rainy, black, red or some variation thereof

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18. Death of a Traveling Man, M. C. Beaton, 3.5 – 2/15
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Scottish Highlands
crime fiction, cozy, humor
TIOLI #11: one or more words in title suggesting a type of loss (death)

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19. The Fatal Flame, Lindsay Faye, 4.5 – 2/16
Historical mystery | paper book
Setting: 1840s New York City
crime fiction, arson, fire, immigrants, politics, seamstresses, social commentary, poverty,
TIOLI #14: by an author you also read last February

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20. The Art of Racing in the Rain, Christopher Welch, 4 – 2/17
General Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Seattle, ORegon
cancer, animals, auto racing, custody, reincarnation, relationships
TIOLI #15: title containing the word Harry, Max, Rainy, black, red or some variation thereof

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21. Manhattan Beach, Jennifer Egan, 3.5 – 2/19
Historical Fiction | paper book
Setting: 1930s-1940s Brooklyn, New York
gangsters, Great Depression, WWII, ship building, Brooklyn Naval Yard, disability, diving, family relationships, fathers and daughters
TIOLI #3: something you love named in title (beach)

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22. A Touch of Stardust, Kate Alcott, 3 – 2/20
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1930s Hollywood
Actors, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, filmmaking, movies, GWTW, screenwriting
TIOLI #3: something you love named in title (touch, star)
Reading Through Time: Month: Hollywood

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23. Jeremy Poldark, Winston Graham, 3.5 – 2/20
Historical Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1790s Cornwall
family saga, mining, feuds, social class, smuggling
TIOLI #19: two-word-title without an article

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24. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman, 4 – 2/24
General Fiction | audiobook
Setting: Contemporary England
social awkwardness, misfits, child abuse, mental illness
TIOLI #16: title word or author name starting with GOLDSILVERBRONZE in rolling order

"Sport is a mystery to me. In primary school, sports day was the one day of the year when the less academically gifted students could triumph, winning prizes for jumping fastest in a sack, or running from point A to point B more quickly than their classmates. How they loved to wear those badges on their blazers the next day, as if a silver in the egg and spoon race was some sort of compensation for not understanding how to use an apostrophe."

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25. The Shattered Tree, Charles Todd, 3.5 – 2/25
Historical Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1910s Paris
amateur detective, nurses, WWI
TIOLI #9: tree or trees on the cover

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26. Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier, 4 – 2/28
Historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1810s-1820s England
friendship, fossils, paleontology, science, biographical fiction
TIOLI #1: tagged "friendship"
Reading through Time: Quarter: 19th Century Europe

FEBRUARY READING RECAP

Books read: 16
Breakdown: audio books-9, eBooks-4, paper-3
Average rating: 3.6
Pages read: 6,029
Completed 9 of 19 TIOLIs

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Favorite Book from February:
The Fatal Flame – 4.5 stars

Lovely to see you back, Cindy.

Glad to see you decided to have a thread, Cindy! Thanks for sharing!

I thought I had a copy of Evangeline waiting to be read, but I don't see it in my LT catalog, unless it's included in The Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This year I hope at last to get to The Song of Hiawatha.

Welcome back! I'm glad to see you've been reading in the meantime. You're doing quite well.

Welcome back! Your visit with your son and family looks awesome!

Glad you are back, Cindy!
Lovely pictures, I hope your mother gets a second chance with the underwater scooters.

Thank you for the greetings, Paul, Harry, Lori, Jim and Anita! It's a pleasure to be (somewhat) back on track.

27. Fly Away, Kristin Hannah, 3/5 - 3.5 stars
General fiction | eBook
Setting: 2000s Seattle, Oregon
cancer, cutting, death, friendship, grief
TIOLI #18 : a book celebrating the special women in your life (mothers, daughters, granddaughters)

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28. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett, 3/5 – 4 stars
General Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 19th century England
children's, classic, gardens, orphans,
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century Europe
TIOLI #2: author's middle or maiden name is included on cover

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29. Tom Brown's School Days, Thomas Hughes, 3/7 – 3.5
General Fiction | eBook
Setting: 19th century Rugby, England
boarding school, boys, classic, rugby, school, sports
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century Europe
Reading Through Time: Month: Sports (field sports)
TIOLI #4: Pangram rolling challenge: "How vexingly quick daft zebras jump!"

Tom Brown's School Days is a coming of age story set in the 1800s, about a boy who finally got his wish to go to a public school and was sent to Rugby. This was a nice, warm and fuzzy, character-driven story. There was much discussion about the field sports played -cricket, football, fives, and also about bathing (swimming), fishing, running.

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30. The Lazarus Curse, Tessa Harris, 3/8 – 3.5
Historical Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1782 England
crime fiction, murder, slavery
TIOLI #1: last letter of author's first name plus last letter of last name spells a word (as)

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31. Death of a Gossip, M. C. Beaton, 3/10 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1980s Scotland
cozy, murder, police, Scottish Highlands, village, fishing
TIOLI #10: Read a book that isn't a "book" (audiobook)

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32. Death of a Cad, M. C. Beaton, 3/12 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1980s Scotland
cozy, murder, Scottish Highlands, police procedural, crime fiction, engaged couple
TIOLI #7: female author with at least 3 books published

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33. The Thicket, Joe Lansdale, 3/13 - 4
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 19th century American West (Texas)
coming of age, dwarfism, kidnapping, murder, prostitutes, rape, smallpox, thriller, hog, desperados, brothers and sisters
TIOLI #11: something that grows from (or under) the ground in the title (thicket)

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34. Big Water, Andrea Curtis, 3/14 - 3
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 1882 Canada
based on a true story, shipwreck, survival
TIOLI #14: water on the cover

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35. The Ritual Bath, Faye Kellerman, 3/15 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Los Angeles, California
crime fiction, detective, Judaism, murder, police procedural, rape, thriller
TIOLI #4: Pangram rolling challenge: "How vexingly quick daft zebras jump!"

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36. Death in a Strange Country, Donna Leon, 3/16 - 4
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary Italy
crime fiction, detective, corruption, murder, police procedural, toxic waste
TIOLI #1: last letter of author's first name plus last letter of last name spells a word

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37. The Black Cat, Martha, Grimes, 3/17 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary England
crime fiction, detective, murder, police procedural, pubs, Scotland Yard, cats, escort services
TIOLI #17: features a cat

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38. Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen, 3/18 – 3.5
Plays | eBook
Setting: 19th century Norway
classic, suicide, tragedy, psychological, marriage
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century Europe
TIOLI #13: Read a classic originally published in a language not your own

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39. Dog Songs, Mary Oliver, 3/21 - 4
Poetry | Paper book
Setting: N/A
animals, dogs, essays, human-animal relationships, nature
TIOLI #3: a plural noun in the title, going up in alphabetical order

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40. A Lion to Guard Us, Clyde Robert Bulla, 3/22 -3.5
Historical Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1609-1610 England, Bermuda, and Jamestown, Virginia
Colonial America, history, immigrants, family, siblings
TIOLI #12: title includes “lion” OR written by author with name of “Lamb”

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41. Bury Your Dead, Louise Penny, 3/22 - 4.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: Contemporary Quebec, Canada
crime fiction, murder, police procedural, Samuel de Champlain, terrorism, archaeology, separatists, antiques, libraries, regret
TIOLI #9: first published in the last 10 years (2010)

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42. The Lacemaker, Laura Frantz, 3/23 - 3.5
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 18th century Williamsburg, Virginia
romance, patriots, Revolutionary War, spy
TIOLI #9: first published in the last 10 years (2018)

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43. The Gray and Guilty Sea, Scott William Carter, 3/24 - 3
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary Oregon coast
crime fiction, curmudgeon, Oregon Coast, private investigator, suspense, grief
TIOLI #14: water on the cover

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44. Ask Again Later, Jill Davis, 3/26 - 3 3.5
General fiction | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary NYC
cancer, family, fathers and daughters, humorous, relationships
TIOLI #5: title includes at least two different words beginning with the same letter

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45. King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian, Marguerite Henry, 3/26 - 4
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 18th century Morocco, France, England
animals, horses, children's, racing, thoroughbreds,
Reading through Time: Month: Sports (horse racing)
TIOLI #16: a word related to air in the title

King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian, a juvenile fictional biography set in the early 1700s about a gift of Arabian horses sent from Morocco to France, where they were spurned and set to work, and about how one of them and his horse-boy, Agba, ended up in England, and became the stud whose progeny include Seabiscuit and Man O'War.

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46. Erika's Story, Ruth Vander Zee, 3/26 - 4.5
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 1940s Germany
Holocaust, Jews, survival, WWII, children's
TIOLI #8: Read a book for a project (vacation destinations reading project – Rothenburg, Germany)

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47. When Will There Be Good News, Kate Atkinson, 3/27 - 4
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Scotland
crime fiction, kidnapping, death, dogs, orphans, police, private investigator
TIOLI #7: female author with at least 3 books published

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48. Dangerous Attractions, Gwen Atlee, 3/28 – 2.5
Historical fiction | eBook
Setting: 1857 Florida
romance, Indian attack, Seminoles, shipwreck, salvage operations
TIOLI # 15: Read a book that starts with a fire

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49. Eventide, Kent Haruf, 3/30 – 4.5
General Fiction | paper book
Setting: contemporary Colorado
brothers, family, ranching, small town, domestic fiction, friendship, social work
TIOLI #6: author's first name is also the name of a city or village in your state (shared read)

MARCH READING RECAP

Books read: 23
Breakdown: audio books-10, eBooks-7, paper-6
Average rating: 3.65
Pages read: 6,603
Completed 18 of 18 TIOLIs!!! - - - - SWEEP! - - - - SWEET!

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Favorite Book from March:
Eventide – 4.5 stars

Looks like you are doing well on the reading front!

Congratulations on the sweep, Cindy!

>26 countrylife: Congratulations on your sweep, Cindy!
Don't forget to mention it on the March TIOLI thread.

Thank you, Lori, Harry and Anita! I'm having a good reading year so far. Hope you are, too!

50. The Keep, Jennifer Egan , 4/1 - 3 stars
Fantasy | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary, Eastern Europe
castles, gothic, prison, writing, fantasy, story within a story
TIOLI #8: by an award-winning author, written earlier than the award-winning book

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51. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen , 4/2 – 3.5 stars
Fantasy | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary, North Carolina
magical realism, baking, family, magic, small town, southern, romance
TIOLI #10: a book tagged both family and magic

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52. Firefly Beach, Meira Pentermann , 4/2 – 3
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1970s & 2000s, Maine
fantasy, paranormal, diary, family relationships
TIOLI #11: a word in the title can be found in a garden

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53. The Cleaner, Paul Cleave , 4/4 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary New Zealand
crime fiction, horror, serial killer
TIOLI #12: a book in the library of a TIOLI challenger from January, February, or March 2018 (DeltaQueen)

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54. The Boy in the Snow, M.J. McGrath , 4/6 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary, Alaska
Arctic, corruption, crime fiction, Eskimos, human trafficking, Iditarod
TIOLI #17: second in its series

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55. Boston Jane, Jennifer L. Holm , 4/8 – 3
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 19th century, Washington
adventure, YA, Chinook Indians, etiquette, frontier, PacificNorthwest, westward expansion
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
TIOLI #13: a book that fits the "You Keep Missing the Target" challenge (#2) (or 18)

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56. The Child Finder, Rene Denfeld , 4/10 - 4
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary, Oregon
crime fiction, abduction, missing children, psychological, suspense, sense of place
Book Bullet: Donna828
TIOLI #9: second letter of author's first name is the same as the second letter of the last name

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57. How to Stop Time, Matt Haig , 4/10 - 4
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 1500s to present, London and worldwide
fantasy, aging, immortality, romance, secret societies
TIOLI #5: title references a physical action a human can perform

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58. Murder Must Advertise, Dorothy Sayers , 4/14 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1930s England
advertising, amateur detective, crime fiction
MysteryCAT: Classic and Golden Age Mysteries
TIOLI #6: Read a book whose LT average rating is more than 4.0 (4.18)

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59. LaRose, Louise Erdrich , 4/16 – 3.5
General Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1990s North Dakota
accident, boarding schools, death, fathers and sons, family, grief, Ojibwe, Indians, tragedy
TIOLI #15: beginning of title follows the musical scale, rolling (la)

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60. Minuk: Ashes in the Pathway, Kirkpatrick Hill , 4/17 – 4
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 19th century, Yup’ik Alaska
Indians, missionaries, disease, YA
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Clash of Cultures
TIOLI #1: at least three pages starting with the same word, but NOT the word “the” (that - 27, 42, 66, 105, 135)

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61. The End of the Road, Sue Henry , 4/17 – 3
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 19th century Norway
cozy, dogs, senior citizens, elderly amateur detective, stalker
TIOLI #4: a book that brings up the right title but the wrong touchstone

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62. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier, 4/21 - 4
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 19th century North Carolina
American Civil War, romance, war, sense of place, Blue Ridge Mountains, farming, deserters, home guard, friendship, death, journey, Odyssey, strong women, tragedy
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
TIOLI #12: a book in the library of a TIOLI challenger from January, February, or March 2018 (JeanneD)

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63. Paper Angels, Jimmy Wayne , 4/23 - 3
General Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary,
Christmas, gifts, less fortunate
TIOLI #3: the word "fish" or a species of fish in the title

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64. A Thousand Miles to Freedom : My Escape From North Korea, Eunsun Kim , 4/24 - 3.5
Memoir | Audiobook
Setting: 1990s-2000s, North Korea to China to Mongolia to South Korea
family, political persecution, refugees, survival
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Clash of Cultures
TIOLI #7: a title that is inclusive

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65. Roadside Crosses, Jeffery Deaver , 4/25 - 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary, California
crime fiction, blogging, cyberbullying, kinesics, murder, police procedural, serial killer, thriller
TIOLI #17: second in its series

66. The Night Birds, Thomas Maltman, 4/26 – 4.5
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 19th century Minnesota
Dakota uprising, family, Indians, Mankato, settlers
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Clash of Cultures
TIOLI #2: something you could find in the sky is part of the title

Notes:

After being tarred and feathered for using his newspaper to take up for the plight of slaves, Jakob Senger and his children, Hazel, Caleb, Asa and Daniel, moved from Missouri in 1859 to settle, sight unseen, on a homestead near Kingdom Township, Minnesota, where, it turns out, live a band of Dakota right across the river.

The Great Sioux War. The Sioux Uprising. Little Crow’s Revenge. The Indian Massacre. These are the names history assigned to what she endured.” (p.344)

The story of the Senger family is told in alternating chapters – the period between 1859 and 1862, and 1876, when young Asa Senger is told the stories from his Aunt Hazel, who lived through those perilous times.

Mr. Maltman created a story with characters that feel true to their times, and gave even treatment to both sides of the war, and with a strong sense of culture, sense of history, and sense of place.

67. Hungry for Happiness, James Villas , 4/27 – 1
General fiction | Paper book
Setting: contemporary, Houston, Texas
food, relationships, cooking, diet, weight loss, catering
TIOLI #16: Read a book to remove it from your bookshelves

Notes:

James Villas has written over a dozen cookbooks and books about food, as well as writing in Town & Country, Bon Appétit, Gourmet and Esquire. With such credentials, what in the world possessed him to write this dud? Although he’s a southerner, this book comes across as if written by someone who reviles the south. He didn’t miss a cliché.

From country music (did he choose to name certain ones because they sound funny to him? - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dwight Yoakam) and songs (Jesus Take the Wheel, Mama, Get the Hammer) to church hymns (by name).

From food that southerners cook - collards, okra and jalapeno cornbread, and snacks like Cheese-Its,

From roller derby, watching Paula Deen on tv, NASCAR, line dancing, to Dixie Stampede.

Restaurants with “pretty good food” “Burgers, tacos, sausage-on-the-stick, Frito pies – things like that.” P.59

“…if I kinda dress up the way I used to when we went to Chiquita’s for the beef enchiladas …” p72

“Of course I know from firsthand experience about the stunts Billy Po could pull when he needed his firecracker lit, but I never, ever thought the man was crazy enough to hit on low-class trash like this hussy he was involved with.” P.220

“A couple of others also asked for my business card, and I gotta remember to have some of those printed up if I wanna be really professional.” P.229

“…boy, did that chiliroo teach me a thing or two about what big-time catering is all about…. P.230.

“…me and Gladys are determined to talk her out of that white trash neighborhood and getting a nice condo apartment… p.252

I found the tone of this book denigrating.

68. Run Away Home, Patricia C. Mckissack , 4/30 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 19th century Alabama
Apache Indians, blacks, freedom, friendship, YA
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Clash of Cultures
TIOLI #14: by an author who was born, or died, in April (4/7/17)

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x. Blood on White Wicker - abandoned
Attempted for TIOLI #11: a word in the title can be found in a garden

APRIL READING RECAP

Books read: 19
Breakdown: audio books-12, eBooks-2, paper-5
Average rating: 3.42
Pages read: 5,845
Completed 17 of 17 TIOLIs - - - SWEEP!

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Favorite Book from April:
The Night Birds – 4.5 stars

>35 countrylife: I have only managed a sweep of the TIOLI's once, Cindy.

How many times is it now you've managed it?

Have a lovely weekend.

Nice to see you here, Paul! Good luck on future sweeps!

69. Dressed for Death, Donna Leon , 5/1 – 3.5 stars
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary, Venice, Italy
crime fiction, corruption, detective, police procedural, transvestites, prostitution
TIOLI # 11: a book you acquired on or after January 25, 2018 (matched read)

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70. Falling Glass, Adrian McKinty , 5/2 – 4 stars
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2011 Ireland
crime fiction, revenge, tinkers, thriller
TIOLI #2: A Title Word That Starts with the Letter G

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71. Diamond Dust, Peter Lovesey , 5/3 – 4
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary, Bath, England
crime fiction, detective, police procedural, murder
TIOLI # 20: a two-word title, both starting with the same letter

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72. A Study in Charlotte, Brittany Cavallaro , 5/4 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Connecticut
boarding school, friendship, murder, retelling, Sherlock Holmes, YA, amateur detective, teen sleuths
TIOLI # 3: a book from YA Sync 2017 or 2018

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73. Telling Tales, Ann Cleeves , 5/4 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary England
crime fiction, detective, police procedural, dysfunctional families
TIOLI # 20: a two-word title, both starting with the same letter

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74. A Long Walk to Water, Linda Sue Park , 5/5 – 4
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1980s-1990s, Sudan, Ethiopia
journey, lost boys, perseverance, poverty, refugees, survival, war, water, based on a true story, YA
TIOLI # 15: one word is an ingredient for baking bread (water)

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75. The Red Garden, Alice Hoffman , 5/7 – 3.5
Historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1750-2011, small town Berkshires, Massachusetts
short stories, interconnected stories, bears, Berkshires, family, fantasy, folklore, magical realism, small town, relationships, generations
TIOLI # 2: A Title Word That Starts with the Letter G

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76. The Silk Train Murder, Sharon Rowse , 5/9 – 3.5
Historical Mystery | Paper book
Setting: 1899 Vancouver, British Columbia
private investigator, railways, shipping, silk, corruption, opium, murder, trains
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
MysteryCAT: Transit Mysteries (trains)
TIOLI # 17: SCHOOLHOUSEROCK! Rolling Challenge

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77. Icarus, Deon Meyer , 5/10 – 4
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Cape Town, South Africa
alcoholism, murder, police procedural, psychopaths, thriller, technology, viticulture, wineries
TIOLI # 9: a character from Greek or Roman mythology in the title or author's name

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78. The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien , 5/11 – 4
Auto/Biographical Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1960s Vietnam
military, soldiers, Vietnam war, war stories, short stories, interconnected stories, friendship, courage
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Southeast Asia
TIOLI # 17: SCHOOLHOUSEROCK! Rolling Challenge

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79. The Inn at Rose Harbor, Debbie Macomber , 5/12 – 3.5
Chick Lit | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Washington State
bed and breakfast, loss, grief, healing, relationships
TIOLI #12: a specific flower in the title

Congrats on blowing past 75!

Congratulations on reaching 75, Cindy!

Congrats on 75+

Thank you, all! It makes me happy to be in a group whose members, whether they read 20 or 220 books in a year, are so congenial!

80. Of Dikes and Windmills, Peter Spier , 5/12 – 5 stars
Nonfiction | Paper book
Setting: across the ages (up till 1969)
Dutch history, engineering, water, land reclamation, polders, science, technology
TIOLI #10: characteristics of a vacation spot in the title (Dikes and Windmills)

COMMENTS:

A wholly fascinating book about the history of The Netherlands’ topographic and hydrologic problems and solutions. The author’s charming illustrations brought it all to life. From drawings of places, to maps and diagrams of various windmills and workings of dikes and their machinery. If you are interested in how the Dutch have safeguarded their land with dikes, how those dikes have been improved upon over time, and how they drained their interior with windmills, then more horsepower, to create their polders, you would enjoy this book. I loved it!

..

“What’s in a name?” asked Shakespeare. In the case of Holland, just about everything, for Holland means hollow land, and its official name, Koninkrijk der Nederlanden or Kingdom of the Netherlands, means the same thing. (The dictionary says: Nether: situated down or below, lower, under.) (Forward)

”Since the year 1200 the Dutch have reclaimed close to 1,700,000 acres from the sea.” P.19. And this book was written in 1969! Just imagine that number now.

Because a good book sends you searching to find out more, I found this Dutch land reclamation map.



My flight landed in Amsterdam, and I was fascinated to learn about that airport:

”In a corner of Haarlem Lake, near Amsterdam, there was a small harbor where ships found refuge during storms. It was called Schiphol – “ship hollow.” Few people realize when they arrive at Schiphol, Amsterdam’s great international airport, where giant jets roar down runways far below sea level, that they are standing on the bottom of the old Haarlem Lake. It is stranger still to think that some eighteen feet above these runways a sea battle was fought during the Eighty-Year War.” P.89

Just what did these Dutch windmills do, you ask?

”At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Dutch windmill building had reached a high degree of development and, as a result, Holland’s industry was thriving. Windmills could not only grind wheat or pump water but also provided cheap mechanical power for all industries. There were wood sawmills, oil mills, gunpowder mills, malt mills, paint mills, paper, glue, mustard, snuff mills, and so on, an endless variety.” P.57

I have long been in love with the idea of The Netherlands. In fact, I’ve been collecting windmills for many years in a very small way.

..

When my oldest son ended up in Germany and invited me to visit, asking what travel destinations I’d like, my one answer was “The Netherlands”! Of course, he took me to many places, but this was my favorite! (Below: Keukenhof Gardens and Haarlem.)

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I was as pleased as punch with the book Of Dikes and Windmills! It was interesting, informative, charming, and brought back great memories!

81. The Mother-Daughter Book Club, Heather Vogel Frederick, 5/14 – 3.5
Chick Lit | eBook
Setting: 2000s, (c2007) Concord, Massachusetts
mothers and daughters, cliques, Concord, family, friendship, Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, middle school, YA
TIOLI # 13: Read a book related to the day in May you start or finish it (Mother's Day/May 13)

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82. To the Bright Edge of the World, Eowyn Ivey , 5/16 - 4
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1885 Alaska
fantasy, epistolary, exploration, marriage, photography, survival
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
TIOLI # 6: an egg or a bird on the cover

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83. Miss Burma, Charmaine Craig , 5/22 - 3.5
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1930s-1960s Burma
ethnic minorities, generational saga, The Karen, intrigue
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Southeast Asia
TIOLI # 4: a body part in the author's name (arm)

>43 countrylife: Happy to see you enjoyed Of Dikes and Windmills, Cindy!

I live in Flevoland, the last big land reclaiming project. One of the three pumping stations that keeps our polder dry, is at the entrance of our neighborhood gemaal Wortman.


Not using windmills, although maybe indirectly, as we have many modern windmills in our province, that provide electricity:

>45 FAMeulstee: I'm not a fan of those modern windmill farms. They really detract from the landscape. I noticed quite a few in Indiana last summer as I drove through.

>45 FAMeulstee: : Anita - I am in awe of the brilliant minds who worked everything out to make land and make it work for The Netherlands. And even though the new kind are necessary, I'm SO glad I got to visit there and see some old windmills!

>46 thornton37814: : Lori - I agree that the modern windmill farms are not picturesque, but they are necessary! I, for one, am a happy user of electricity!

84. Misterioso, Arne Dahl , 5/22 - 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary, Sweden
crime fiction, detective, thriller, music, Nordic
TIOLI #8: title contains a word or words not in the book's main language (title is a Spanish word, and refers to the title of an album by American jazz ensemble the Thelonious Monk Quartet, but the original language of the book is Swedish, while I read it in English)

NOTES:
Although I searched out this book to fulfill a TIOLI challenge, I enjoyed it enough to continue with the series.

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85. Magpie Murders, Anthony Horowitz, 5/24 – 4
Mystery | Audio book
Setting: 2017 England
crime fiction, authors, editors, publishing, amateur detective, story within a story
TIOLI # 20: a two-word title, both starting with the same letter

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86. Cathedrals, Robin S. Oggins , 5/23 – 4
Nonfiction | Paper book
Pictorial coffee table book
TIOLI # 10: characteristics of a vacation spot in the title

87. Cathedrals Built by the Masons, Russell Herner , 5/25 – 4.5
Nonfiction | Paper book
Abundant photographs and information about various cathedrals
TIOLI # 10: characteristics of a vacation spot in the title

NOTES:

This cathedrals book appealed to me more, as it went beyond the cathedrals themselves and into the work of the master builders and stonecutters, and also contained pictures of a cathedral which I had gotten to see (Strasbourg Cathedral de Notre-Dame). Chapters include sections dealing with the purpose and background of cathedrals, the master builder, the physical parts of a cathedral, comparisons of Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals, about stonemasons, their work and tools, damages due to wars, and also a short section on freemasonry.

There were many beautiful photographs of the tools that were used in the building of these structures, along with illustrations of the work. Here are a few:

..

During my visit, these two sites near the Strasbourg Cathedral were also of interest to me: a scale model of the cathedral which puts into perspective how much taller that tower is than you can even imagine seeing it from the ground, and a nice monument to the stonemasons, which exhibits all the masons’ marks that have been discovered in/on the cathedral.

..

88. Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng , 5/29 - 4
Domestic Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1990s Shaker Heights, Ohio
domestic fiction, family, pregnancy, abortion, adoption, family secrets, mothers and daughters, siblings, race, coming of age, artists, photography, poverty
TIOLI # 18: a book recommended to you by a spouse (shared read)

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89. The Children’s Blizzard, David Laskin, 5/29 – 4
Nonfiction | Paper Book
1888 Great Plains – Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa
blizzards, disasters, immigrants, meteorology, US Midwest, pioneers, survival, weather
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
TIOLI # 14: one word gives a Scrabble score of more than 2.5 points per letter (29/8=3.6)

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90. Payment in Blood, Elizabeth George, 5/30 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Contemporary, England and Scotland
crime fiction, detective, police procedural, murder, Scotland Yard, thriller, social classes, playwrights, theatre,
TIOLI #7: part of the author's name begins with G

MAY READING RECAP

Books read: 22
Breakdown: audio books-11, eBooks-6, paper-5
Average rating: 3.86
Pages read: 6,875
Completed: 16 of 21 TIOLIs
Shared TIOLIs: 6

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Favorite Book from May:
Of Dikes and Windmills – 5 stars

91. Turtle in Paradise, Jennifer L. Holm , 6/1 – 3.5 stars
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1930s, Key West, Florida
Great Depression, Florida Keys, friendship, hurricans, Key West, treasure, family
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Digging Up the Past
TIOLI # 12: set in or around a beach/ocean

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92. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, Vincent Lam , 6/2 – 3
General fiction | eBook
Setting: contemporary Toronto
short stories, doctors, medical students, medicine, relationships
TIOLI # 1: a book of short stories by an author born in Canada (London, Ontario)

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93. The Crossing Places, Elly Griffiths , 6/4 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary England
archaeology, archaeologists, crime fiction, forensics, missing children,
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Digging Up the Past
TIOLI # 6: a body of water on the front cover

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94. Red Bones, Ann Cleeves , 6/5 – 4
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary Shetland Islands, Scotland
archaeology, crime fiction, detective, police procedural,
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Digging Up the Past
TIOLI # 13: a book from a series of more than 5 published books which is not the first in timeline or written order

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95. The Destiny of the Republic, Candice Millard , 6/6 – 5
Nonfiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1880s, Washington DC, Ohio, New York
Alexander Graham Bell, James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Joseph Lister, American presidents, assassination, medicine, antisepsis, mental illness, history of medicine, medical malpractice, murder, true crime
MysteryCAT: True Crime
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 19th century North America
TIOLI # 10: author's name has the same vowel in first and last name

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96. Wild, Cheryl Strayed , 6/10 - 4
Nonfiction | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary, California, Oregon
memoir, adventure, backpacking, divorce, grief, hiking, self-discovery, wilderness
Book Bullet: daughter-in-law
TIOLI # 10: author's name has the same vowel in first and last name

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97. Where the Heart Is, Billie Letts , 6/10 - 3
General Fiction | eBook
Setting: contemporary Oklahoma
abandonment, abuse, alcoholism, pregnancy, photography, teenage mothers, tornadoes, wal-mart
TIOLI # 3: a cryptogram of D-A-D hidden in its title (ere)

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98. The Balcony, Jane Delury , 6/12 – 2
General fiction | Paper Book
Setting: 1890, 1910, 1975, 1980, 1992, 1999, 2000s France
interconnected stories
TIOLI # 9: set in at least three different time periods

”It isn’t that I don’t feel what you feel,” he’d said. “It’s only that I feel it more quietly.” P.65

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99. Keepsake Crimes, Laura Childs , 6/14 – 2
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary New Orleans
cozy, crafts, crime fiction, Mardi Gras, scrapbooking,
TIOLI # 2: dedicated to the author's father (my dad)

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100. Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty , 6/15 – 4.5
Audiobook | Mystery
Setting: Contemporary Australia
bullying, domestic violence, friendship, kindergarten, marriage, mothers, mystery, parenting, secrets
TIOLI # 16: a book which would have been a shared read in this year (Febr#13)

101. The Salt House, Lisa Duffy , 6/18 – 4.5
General Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Maine
family, grief, lobster fishing
TIOLI # 8: the name of a house or property in the title

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102. Dust and Shadow, Lindsay Faye, 6/19 - 5
Historical Mystery | Paper Book
Setting: 19th century England
crime fiction, Jack the Ripper, pastiche, Sherlock Holmes,
TIOLI # 10: author's name has the same vowel in first and last name

It was as unlike him to explain a problem before its conclusion as it was for him to leave unfinished threads at the end of one. P.265

“After all, is mental illness a sickness of the soul, degeneracy of stock, or a defect of the brain? What you propose is an entirely new form of madness – a monomania lurking beneath a rational mind, aiding itself and disguising itself. Your idea comes closer to the classical definition of pure malevolence than any maniac who lashes out with a frenzied knife. You speak of a complete moral degeneracy, assisted by an affable exterior and a shrewd intelligence.” (P.153)

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103. Mirette On the High Wire, Emily Arnold McCully , 6/20 – 3.5
General Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 1890s Paris
Perseverance, childrens
TIOLI #11: a book connected to a circus act

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104. Along Came a Spider, James Patterson , 6/20 - 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1990s Washington DC
crime fiction, kidnapping, murder, psychological thriller, private schools, sociopath, psychologist, police procedural
TIOLI #4: a book from Public Broadcasting System network's The Great American Read

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105. The Janus Stone, Elly Griffiths , 6/22 - 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 2000s, Norwich, England
archaeology, bones, crime fiction, forensics, murder,
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Digging Up the Past
TIOLI #9: set in at least three different time periods (1950s, Roman, contemporary)

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106. Elsewhere, Richard Russo, 6/24 – 4
Memoir | Audiobook
Setting: 1950s – 2000s, New York, Arizona, Maine
memoir, family, mothers and sons, OCD, mental illness, writers,
TIOLI #17: title is a compound word

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107. The Lost Letter, Jillian Cantor , 6/26 – 4
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1939 Austria, 1989 California
dual narrative, Holocaust, Jews, stamps, dementia, underground, resistance, WWII
TIOLI #7: author's last name is also a noun (not a proper noun)

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108. Tidewater Inn, Colleen Coble , 6/26 – 3.5
General Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: contemporary Outer Banks, NC
family relationships, kidnapping, romance, suspense
TIOLI #8: the name of a house or property in the title

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109. Farmhouse Rules, Nancy Fuller , 6/27 – 3.5
Reference | Paper book
cookbook
TIOLI #14: author's surname matches an ancestral surname

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110. Serena, Ron Rash , 6/29 – 3.5
General Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1920s-1930s North Carolina
logging, environment, greed, murder, great depression, Appalachia, marriage, revenge
TIOLI #5: about the environment

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111. Please Stop Helping Us, Jason Riley , 6/30 – 4.5
Nonfiction | Paper book
current affairs, black history, affirmative action, politics, sociology
TIOLI #15: The Parts of Speech Rolling Challenge

JUNE READING RECAP

Books read: 21
Breakdown: audio books-8, eBooks-8, paper-5
Average rating: 3.71
Pages read: 6,273
Completed 17 of 17 TIOLIs - - - SWEEP!

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Favorite Book from JUNE:
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President – 5 stars

Congratulations on your 3rd sweep this year, Cindy!

Thanks, Anita! I'll never catch up with you, but I'm having fun trying!

112. The Secret History of Us, Jessi Kirby , 7/1 – 3.5
Chick lit | audiobook
Setting: 2010s coastal US
memory loss, photography, trauma, relationships, healing
TIOLI # 2: a word in common with your most recently finished book (Us)
Notes:
Near fatal accident leaves a young woman with memory loss of years. The story follows her trying to figure out who she is now, and how to deal with people she doesn’t remember. Engaging YA.

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113. The Secret’s in the Sauce, Linda E. Shepherd , 7/2 – 3
Chick lit | eBook
Setting: 2000s Colorado
catering, Christian fiction, friendship,
TIOLI # 7: a book that relates to a New Year's Resolution you made this year (catch up reviews for ER {secret sauce} wins)
Notes:
Entirely forgettable.

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114. The Hangman, Louise Penny , 7/4 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: contemporary Quebec
hanging, murder, police procedural, revenge, novella
MysteryCAT: Police Procedurals
TIOLI # 9: Red White And Blue rolling challenge

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115. Death and Judgment, Donna Leon , 7/4 – 4
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1990s Venice
crime fiction, corruption, detective, police procedural, prostitution,
MysteryCAT: Police Procedurals
TIOLI # 3: from the top shelf (match read)

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116. The Search, Grace Livingston Hill , 7/5 - 2
Chick lit | Paper book
Setting: 1919 near Philadelphia and Baltimore area
romance, Christian, military, WWI,
TIOLI # 10: Re-read a book
NOTES:
One of her early novels, not very well done. Repetitive in the love story line, but The Search for God is answered.

117. Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea, Frank Delaney , 7/5 - 4
Nonfiction | Audiobook
Setting: December 1951 – January 1952, North Seas
history, maritime, nautical, rescue operations, disasters, storms, survival, shipwreck, Fathers & Sons
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Nautical
TIOLI #6: a word in the title that is also contained in a song title on Billboards Top 100 week of June 23, 2018 (Simple, #57)

NOTES:
This is the story of the cargo ship The Flying Enterprise, which was struck by rogue waves in a force 10 storm in the north seas in December of 1951, cracking the ship. Of the heroism of the crew, especially the “black gang” working tirelessly in impossible conditions to try to get the engine going again, and of the crew members jumping into the rough freezing ocean, each one going with a passenger, in order to get them to rowboat rescuers from other ships standing by. Her captain, Kurt Carlsen, would not leave his ship. As long as there was a possibility of bringing it into harbor, he wanted to stay with it.

The ship left Hamburg, Germany on 12/21 and soon encountered very rough seas, was struck by the worst waves and cracked on Christmas night, which also shifted her heavy cargo, and started her listing. By the time other ships were able to get near enough to send rowboats to try to effect a rescue of the 10 passengers, and the ship’s crew, it was 12/28. The seas were too rough to attempt it. Finally, on the 29th, the passengers and crew were able to be rescued. Captain Carlsen stayed, using the ship’s radio as long as it lasted, then retrieving a radio from his personal motorbike which he used for getting around ports, and using that sporadically. The freshwater pipes had busted, and the only food he was able to salvage was a raisin cake which had been put into a tin for New Year’s eve; his only beverage the bottled beer he found. On January 3, 1952, the tug sent to tow in his ship arrived. Many attempts were made to attach, but being alone, Carlsen was not able to accomplish the attaching of lines, which normally would have taken many hands. On 1/4, as the tug rode a crest with the Enterprise in a trough, a worker from the tug suddenly just leaped onto the cargo ship. With Ken Dancy helping him, they were able to attach the lines, and on 1/5, the tow began. They covered hundreds of miles before the tow line parted on 1/10, just 40 miles from port. By this time, the list was so bad, that the Captain knew there was no more hope. As the smoke stack was now virtually horizontal at the water line, first Dancy, then Carlsen walked to the edge and jumped out to be rescued.

Much speculation abounded regarding what sort of freight that obviously hadn’t shown up on the ship’s manifest made salvage operations worthwhile, when they commenced ten years later. That, however, was not the interesting part of the book. I was fascinated by the doings of the Captain and his crew.

The author included memories of listening to this story unfold at his home in Ireland, when he was a child, and of thinking then about the difference between this man and his own father. So there was also much about fathers and sons in his telling of this story. This, I think, weakened his telling.

Overall, though – four stars.


The tug Turmoil beginning towing operations on The Flying Enterprise, January 4, 1952. Imagine riding on this listing ship for the next six days!


The Flying Enterprise. The smoke funnel from which Captain Carlsen and Ken Dancy just jumped. January 10, 1952.

Cindy, I’m so glad you decided to have a thread this year...and even more glad that I found it so I could affix the Star. Loved the family photos and admire your mother’s zest for life. I hope you two of you get a chance to visit Joplin again with Stasia, Terri, and the gang again. We usually plan the meetup for the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Stay tuned.

Our reading tastes are similar, though we digress a bit about Donna Leon. I decided her books are not for me after listening to the last one. However, I am eternally grateful for your comments about the Lyndsay Faye books. I loved listening to them and will probably return to Timothy’s world someday in print.

ETA: Apparently I haven’t read The Fatal Flame yet. I must fix that pronto! The one about Jack the Ripper may be too grisly for me but I will take a look at Jane Steele. Have you read that one?

>59 Donna828: : Yes, Donna, I've read Jane Steele; it was about a 4.25 star read for me. I hope you won't give up on Dust and Shadow, though. That one was a 5 star for me. As this review says: "Not that the Ripper's work isn't gruesome, but Faye keeps her descriptions tolerably brief, as Doyle would have, and the story and excellently drawn characters are utterly engaging." I have been captivated by all of Lindsay Faye's writing!

118. Lost and Found, Amy Shojai , 7/7 – 3
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 2010s Texas
autism, dogs, thriller,
TIOLI # 17: a novel where a named domestic animal is a secondary/important character (Shadow)

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119. Bad Blood, Arne Dahl , 7/7 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2010s Sweden
crime fiction, serial killer, thriller, detective, police procedural
TIOLI # 4: author's first and last names have the same number of letters

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120. Bad News for Outlaws, Vaunda Micheaux Nelson , 7/8 – 4
Biography | eBook
Setting: Old West
black history, cowboys, Indian Territory, law enforcement, Old West, outlaws, U.S. Marshalls
TIOLI # 2: a word in common with your most recently finished book (Bad)

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121. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki Murakami , 7/8 – 4.5
Memoir | Audiobook
Setting: 1980s – 2000s Japan, Hawaii, Cambridge
essays, marathons, running, sports, writing, perseverance
TIOLI # 5: at least two identical words with 4 or more letters in the title not including the subtitle
Quote:
”Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

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122. Life Class, Pat Barker, 7/10 – 3.5
Historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1910s, England and Belgium
art, artists, war, WWI, relationships, love triangle
TIOLI # 11: a book that has been on your shelves for more than 5 years (match read)

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123. Conceived in Liberty, Howard Fast , 7/13 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1777-1778 Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Perseverance, American revolution, war, survival, friendship,
TIOLI #12: a classic novel about the history of your country

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124. A Dangerous Place, Jacqueline Winspear , 7/14 - 4
Historical Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1936-1937 Gibraltar, Spain
grief, Spanish civil war, detective, psychology, nursing
TIOLI #18: Read a book with a wordy beginning (28)

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125. Meant to Be, Jessica James , 7/15 - 3
General Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 2000s, Maryland, Afghanistan
espionage, military, suspense, seals, special ops, romance,
TIOLI #6: a word in the title that is also contained in a song title on Billboards Top 100 week of June 23, 2018 - Meant to Be (#10)

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126. Crow Lake, Mary Lawson, 7/17 – 4.5
General Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1950s – Canada
brothers and sisters, coming of age, death, education, family relationships, farming, Northern Ontario, orphans, siblings, biology, domestic fiction, grief, tragedy, zoology,
TIOLI #1: title’s opening letters names an animal

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127. Undiscovered Country, Lin Enger , 7/19 – 4
General fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 2000s Crow Lake, Minnesota
family, adultery, fathers and sons, brothers, coming of age, secrets, forgiveness, love, marriage, murder, revenge
TIOLI #13: by an author you follow online

NOTES:
A hunting accident, a family changed, the family’s dynamics shifted. A teenager trying to discover what is true, and trying to make things right while not making it worse for his younger brother.

Some reviewers didn’t like the way the author made this into a Hamlet-type story. I am not schooled in Shakespeare, so don’t care about that one way or the other. I just know that I like this author’s style of writing. He puts me in mind of William Kent Krueger, whose writing I also admire.

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128. A Christmas by the Sea, Melody Carlson , 7/19 – 3.5
General Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 2000s seaside Maine
mothers and sons, family, starting over, seaside, small towns, home renovation, warm and fuzzy
TIOLI #14: from the Member Giveaway or Early Reviewer in 2018

NOTES:
If you like your holiday reading to be warm and fuzzy, this is the Christmas book for you. Coming to grips with her husband’s death, worrying how to keep moving forward financially and as a family, a mother and son travel to an inherited seaside cottage, each with their own plans for the future. Lightweight reading, but family-centric and sweet. A cozy-in-a-snowstorm kind of a read.

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129. An Available Man, Hilma Wolitzer , 7/21 – 4
General fiction | eBook
Setting: 2010s New Jersey
aging, bereavement, character-driven, dating, death, family, grief,relationships, widows or widowers,
TIOLI #16: warm colored (red, orange, yellow, peach or pink) cover

QUOTES:
"The recently dead were such a social menace. Their absence was as aggressive as the loudest voice in a room. You could not speak of them without sorrow, or ignore them without shame and even trepidation. They ruined the natural flow of conversation and the pleasurable balance of coupledom."

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130. The Story of Arthur Truluv, Elizabeth Berg , 7/22 – 4
General Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 2010s Missouri
aging, loneliness, widows or widowers, cemeteries, coming of age, death, family, fathers and daughters, friendship, grief, teen pregnancy,
TIOLI #15: a name in title or author matches a close family relative (Elizabeth – sister)

131. Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow, Peter Høeg, 7/26 – 3.5
Mystery | Paper book
Setting: 1990s Greenland and Denmark
crime fiction, Inuit, murder, snow, thriller, arctic, conspiracy, expedition, meteorites, math, glaciology, winter, ships, nautical
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Nautical
TIOLI #8: a book that appears on the same LT list as a book you've read this year (Bury Your Dead/Best Crime Fiction)

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132. Down River, John Hart, 7/27 – 4
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2000s North Carolina
fathers and sons, crime fiction, murder, thriller, dysfunctional families,
TIOLI #6: a word in the title that is also contained in a song title on Billboards Top 100 week of June 23, 2018 - Up Down (#49)

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133. The Square of Revenge, Pieter Aspe, 7/29 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1990s Brugge, Belgium
crime fiction, detective, revenge, thriller, police procedural, dysfunctional families
MysteryCAT July: Police Procedural
TIOLI #16: warm colored (red, orange, yellow, peach or pink) cover
NOTES:
Enjoyed walking the streets with these policemen and recognizing the streets and squares mentioned.

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134. East of Eden, John Steinbeck, 7/30 – 5
Historical fiction | Paper Book
Setting: 1890s-1910s California
classic, brothers, Salinas Valley, allegory, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, betrayal, brothels, coming of age, death, fathers and sons, farming, generational saga, good and evil, guilt, forgiveness, jealousy, twins
Reading Through Time: Quarterly Challenge: Old West
TIOLI #9: Red White And Blue rolling challenge

JULY READING RECAP

Books read: 24
Breakdown: audio books-11, eBooks-8, paper-5
Average rating: 3.69
Pages read: 7,295
Completed 18 of 18 TIOLIs - - - SWEEP!

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Favorite Book from JULY:
East of Eden – 5 stars

>62 countrylife: I read that one by Hart when it came out and liked it. I'm not sure why I didn't continue the series.

Hi, Cindy! I've found you! Somehow, I didn't have your thread starred.

You've done some great reading, including some books I read and thought were very good, like Destiny of the Republic, Eventide, and The Children's Blizzard. And I was just posting about childhood memories of reading King of the Wind.

>62 countrylife: I have that John Hart book on my shelves somewhere, according to my LT catalog. I may look it up.

Lori and Terri - thank you for your comments. I think I will continue with the John Hart series.

I can't believe that I forgot to list my August books. I'm even behinder than I thought I was!

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135. A Star for Mrs. Blake, April Smith , 8/1 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | audiobook
Setting: 1930s Maine and France
gold star mothers, friendship, pilgrimage, Verdun, war, WWI, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, military graveyards, travel
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Europe Between the Wars
TIOLI #13: a book that pairs well with a drink (cream tea)

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136. One for the Money, Janet Evanovich , 8/4 – 3
Mystery | audiobook
Setting: contemporary New Jersey
crime fiction, bounty hunter, humor, chick lit,
TIOLI #11: tag mash of humor and mystery

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137. A Fearsome Doubt, Charles Todd , 8/5 – 3.5
Historical mystery | eBook
Setting: 1920s England
crime fiction, detective, police procedural, post-WWI, shell shock, war wounded
MysteryCAT: Historical Mystery
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Europe Between the Wars
TIOLI #7: the letters of the title on the cover are all black or all white

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138. Journey to Munich, Jacqueline Winspear , 8/6 – 3.5
Historical Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1930s London and Munich
Secret Service, espionage, private investigator
MysteryCAT: Historical Mystery
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Europe Between the Wars
TIOLI #1: ISBN contains a sequence of a three-in-a-row number (9780062220646)

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139. The Eagle of the Ninth, Rosemary Sutcliff , 8/7 - 4
Historical fiction | Paper book
Setting: Ancient Roman Britain
Ancient Rome, Roman Britain, Celts, friendship, legion, slavery
TIOLI #8: first published in the decade of your birth (1954)

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140. In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson , 8/11 – 4
Nonfiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1930s Berlin
diplomats, ambassadors, antisemitism, Nazis, politics,
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Europe Between the Wars
TIOLI #19: set in a country that mirrors where your pet originated

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141. The Queen of Water, Laura Resau , 8/12 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1980s Ecuador
Indigena, Quichua, MacGyver, slavery, abuse, indigenous peoples, prejudice, racism, social classes, autobiographical, based on a true story,
TIOLI #6: Location Rolling Challenge

Quotes:
February 2010 (Author’s Note)
The bones and blood of the story you have read are true.

"I am not at all invisible. I am the served and I am the server. I am queen and I am dishwasher. I am rich and poor, indigena and mestiza, and no one can put me in a box."

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142. Started Early, Took My Dog, Kate Atkinson , 8/12 – 4
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1970s, 2010s England
crime fiction, detective, kidnapping, missing children, private investigator, aging, dementia, family, dogs, police corruption, prostitutes,
TIOLI #2: title suggests a journey
A quote that tickled me: She had ”…a misplaced faith in exclamation marks.”

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143. Stars Over Clear Lake, Loretta Ellsworth , 8/18 – 3
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1940s, 2000s, Iowa
ballrooms, reminiscing, family relationships, POW, romance, WWII
TIOLI #4: "over" or "under" in the title

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144. A List of Cages, Robin Roe , 8/19 - 4
General Fiction | eBook
Setting: 2010s anywhere
abuse, foster children, friendship, learning disability, ADHD, high school
TIOLI #15: a significant connection to the concept of neurodiversity

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145. Sackett’s Land, Louis L'Amour, 8/21 - 4
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 17th century England, Atlantic-coastal America
adventure, pirates, family saga
TIOLI #7: the letters of the title on the cover are all black or all white

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146. The Washington Decree, Jussi Adler-Olsen, 8/21 – 2
Mystery | Paper Book
Setting: 2009 Virginia and Washington DC
crime fiction, democracy, murder, suspense, terrorism, politics, shadow government, executive orders
TIOLI #3: author’s last name starts with a vowel – A, E, I, O, U, Y

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147. Unless, Carol Shields , 8/24 – 2
General Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 2000s Toronto, Canada
feminism, family, homelessness, mothers and daughters, pretentious
TIOLI #16: title ends with a doubled letter

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148. Blood on the Cimarron, Mary Coley , 8/24 – 3
Mystery | Paper book
Setting: 2010s Oklahoma
horses, animal rescues, journalists, mothers and sons
TIOLI #10: Read a local book

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149. Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand , 8/27 – 4.5
Nonfiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1930s California and elsewhere
biography, horse racing, animals, jockeys, sports
TIOLI #5: about a sports star, name the sport and star if not obvious from the title

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150. Out of the Woods, Rebecca Bond , 7/28 – 4.5
Nonfiction | paper book
Setting: 1914 Ontario, Canada
biography, animals, forest fire, hotels, lake, true story
TIOLI #18: a Bear, real or fictitious, in Title or Plot

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151. Wait for Me, Caroline Leech, 8/29 – 3
Historical fiction | eBook
Setting: 1940s Scotland
prisoners of war, farm life, disfigurement, WWII, YA, romance
TIOLI #9: first word rhymes with the last word of the previous title on the wiki

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152. The Perfume Collector, Kathleen Tessaro, 8/31 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1920s and 1950s, London and Paris
perfume, family, inheritance, parallel narratives, romance
TIOLI #17: 3-word-title which is an airport abbreviation (rolling challenge, travelling east) (TPC, Tarapoa, Ecuador)

AUGUST READING RECAP

Books read: 18
Breakdown: audio books-10, eBooks-4, paper-4
Average rating: 3.47
Pages read: 6,002
Completed 17 of 19 TIOLIs

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Favorite Book from AUGUST:
Seabiscuit – 4.5 stars

Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Cindy!

Wow! Over 150!!!

Greetings, Anita and Terri! Thanks.

153. A Sparkle of Silver, Liz Johnson , 9/1 – 3
Chick Lit | Paper book
Setting: 1920s & 2010s Georgia
romance, treasure, alzheimer's
TIOLI # 11: a full name (first name and family name) at the first page (Millie Sullivan)

A pretty location, nicely described. Engaging characters. Nothing awful; nothing preachy. Just a nice, simple tale of getting by when hit by hard circumstances, of falling in love, of learning about your family story. A sweet beach read.

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154. Unwritten, Charles Martin , 9/2 – 3.5
Chick Lit | eBook
Setting: 2010s Florida
actresses, priests, recluses, redemption, second chances, romance
TIOLI # 1: one-word title which contains at least one double letter

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155. Acqua Alta, Donna Leon , 9/3 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1990s Venice
crime fiction, antiquities, art theft, detective, opera, police procedural, corruption
Group Read: Two Guidos
75 Theme: September Series and Sequels
TIOLI #12: epigraph that is a poem/partial written before the 20th century

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156. The Black Path, Åsa Larsson, 9/7 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 2000s Sweden and Africa
crime fiction, detective, mining, thriller, lawyers, insider trading, prescience, noir,
MysteryCAT: Hardboiled / Noir
75 Theme: September Series and Sequels
TIOLI # 13: author's name includes an accent, prefix, hyphen, or macron etc

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157. The Scent of Rain and Lightning, Nancy Pickard , 9/11 – 3.5
Mystery | audiobook
Setting: 2010s Kansas
murder, family relationships, secrets, ranching, small town, suspense
TIOLI 16: weather term related to rain in the title (or umbrella on cover)

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158. Quinn, Iris Johansen , 9/13 – 2.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 2010s Wisconsin, Louisiana, Atlanta
crime fiction, FBI, serial killer, suspense, abduction, ghosts,
75 Theme: September Series and Sequels
TIOLI #8: a name in title which also was/is a name in tv show title (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman)

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159. The Guards, Ken Bruen, 9/17 – 3
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 2000s Ireland
crime fiction, private investigator, alcoholism, hardboiled, noir
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Drink
MysteryCAT: Hardboiled / Noir
75 Theme: September Series and Sequels
TIOLI # 15: title w/ a common noun representing a person; no pronouns or proper nouns

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160. To the Far Blue Mountains, Louis L'Amour, 9/17 – 4
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 17th century England, Carolinas, Virginia
adventure, frontier, family saga, Indians
75 Theme: September Series and Sequels
TIOLI #11: a full name (first name and family name) at the first page

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161. The Last Woman Standing, Thelma Adams , 9/18 – 3
Historical Fiction | paper book
Setting: 19th century, Tombstone, Arizona
American West, Jewish, romance, Wyatt Earp,
Reading Through Time: Quarter: Old West
TIOLI #3: a book you MUST read (due/no more renewals)

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162. The Vintner’s Daughter, Kristen Harnisch , 9/23 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 19th century France and California
wineries, redemption, sisters, domestic violence, romance,
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Drink
TIOLI #5: 3 word title with person on the cover

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163. The End of the Affair, Graham Greene, 9/25 – 3.5
General Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1940s London
adultery, Catholicism, romance, WWII, loss, marriage
TIOLI #2: by or about a deceased playwright

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164. Eyes on You, Kate White, 9/26 – 3
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2010s NYC
suspense, chick lit, journalist, psychological, television,
TIOLI #5: 3 word title with person on the cover

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165. The Top of the Mountain, Arne Dahl , 9/27 – 4
Mystery | paper book
Setting: 2010s Sweden
crime fiction, detective, mafia, drugs, thriller, police procedural, war crimes
MysteryCAT: Hardboiled / Noir
75 Theme: September Series and Sequels
TIOLI #10: a city pictured, diagrammed, or silhouetted on the cover

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166. Devil in a Blue Dress, Walter Mosley , 9/30 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1940s Los Angeles
crime fiction, detective hardboiled, black, drink,
MysteryCAT: Hardboiled / Noir
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Drink
TIOLI #4: the name of a railway station in title (blue anchor, Somerset)

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167. The Chessmen, Peter May , 8/24 – 4
Mystery | Paper book
Setting: 2010s Scotland
crime fiction, detective, suspense, police procedural, poaching, drug runners, bands
75 Theme: September Series and Sequels
TIOLI #12: epigraph that is a poem/partial written before the 20th century (‘Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days… - The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, xlix, 1048-1131)

SEPTEMBER READING RECAP

Books read: 15
Breakdown: audio books-4, eBooks-7, paper-4
Average rating: 3.4
Pages read: 5,103
Shared TIOLIs - 3
Completed 12 of 18 TIOLIs (no sweeplettes)

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Favorite Book from SEPTEMBER:
The Chessmen – 4 stars

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, Cindy.

Cindy, the photo of you and your son in the Netherlands is wonderful!

Hello, Paul and Linda! I haven't been on LT much lately, so it was nice to get back on my thread and find visitors. I hope you're each having a nice winter that includes plenty of reading!

And now to catch up on some overdue posting...

168. The Riddle of the Sands, Erskine Childers , 10/4 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1903 England & Frisian Islands
adventure, espionage, sailing, spy, WWI
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 20th century before WWI
MysteryCAT: Espionage
TIOLI #16: Read a book with a ship on the cover

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169. The House Sitter, Peter Lovesey, 10/9 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2000s England
Ancient Mariner, police procedural, serial killer
TIOLI # 5: a word in the title starts with the letters SAMHAIN in rolling order

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170. The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton, 10/12 – 4
Historical Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1910s & 1970s Austrlia and Cornwall
abandoned children, fairy tales, family saga, orphans, secrets, adoption
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Farm
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 20th century before WWI
TIOLI #8: about infertility or adoption

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171. A Trick of the Light, Louise Penny , 10/13 – 4
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2010s Quebec
AA, alcoholism, artists, crime fiction, murder, police procedural
TIOLI #12: Read a book for comfort

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172. Psalm 91: God’s Shield of Protection, Peggy Joyce Ruth , 10/14 – 5
Nonfiction | Paper book
reference
TIOLI #12: Read a book for comfort

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173. The Warrior’s Path, Louis L’Amour, 10/16 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1630 Appalachia & Jamaica
family saga, American frontier, slave trade
TIOLI #16: Read a book with a ship on the cover

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174. In the Shadow of Gotham, Stefanie Pintoff, 10/19 – 3.5
Historical Mystery | Paper book
Setting: 1904-1905 NYC
crime fiction, criminology, forensics, psychology, detective, gambling
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 20th century before WWI
TIOLI #5: a word in the title starts with the letters SAMHAIN in rolling order

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175. The Buddha in the Attic, Julie Otsuka , 10/20 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1900s-1940s California
immigrants, culture, internment, mail order brides, WWII
TIOLI #5: a word in the title starts with the letters SAMHAIN in rolling order

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176. A Memory of Violets, Hazel Gaynor , 10/24 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1870s-1920s England
flower sellers, orphans, poverty, sisters, children with disabilities, social classes
TIOLI #10: a book related to Ghouls, Goblins or Ghosts

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177. Sepulchre, Kate Mosse , 10/26 – 3
Historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1890s & 2000s France
supernatural, fantasy, tarot, Visigoths, archaeology
TIOLI #6: Rolling challenge - reading through time increasing in age

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178. Snow Hall, Elizabeth Gill , 10/29 – 2
Historical fiction | Paper book
Setting: 1907 England
inheritance, law, romance
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 20th century before WWI
TIOLI #1: title changes meaning if exactly one letter is taken away

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179. The Great Impersonation, E. Phillips Oppenheim , 10/31 – 3.5
Historical Fiction | eBook
Setting: 1910s Africa, England, Germany
adventure, espionage, identity, intrigue, spy, WWI,
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 20th century before WWI
MysteryCAT: Espionage
TIOLI #7: an odd number of letters in the title (21)

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OCTOBER READING RECAP

Books read: 12
Breakdown: audio books-6, eBooks-3, paper-3
Average rating: 3.58
Pages read: 3,889
Shared TIOLIs – 0!
Completed 8 of 17 TIOLIs

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Favorite Book from OCTOBER:
Psalm 91: God’s Shield of Protection – 5 stars

180. A Forgotten Place, Charles Todd, 11/3 – 3.5
Historical Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1919 Wales
crime fiction, amputee, captive, coal mining, despair, post-WWI,
MysteryCAT: Cozy Mysteries
TIOLI #3: with a World War 1 connection

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181. City of the Sun, David Levien , 11/5 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2000s Indiana and Mexico
crime fiction, private investigator, human trafficking, suspense,
TIOLI #14: starts with the same letter as your first name or LT handle

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182. The Woman in the Photo, Mary Hogan , 11/5 – 4
Historical Fiction | Paper book
Setting: 1889 Johnstown, PA and 2010s California
dual timeline, adoption, family saga, Johnstown Flood, American Red Cross, Clara Barton
TIOLI #15: doesn't just contain text (photographs)

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183. The Night Journey, Kathryn Lasky, 11/10 – 4
Historical Fiction | paper book
Setting: 1900 Russia, 1970s Minnesota
dual timelines, adventure, courage, family history, immigrants, grandmothers, Jews, pogroms, YA
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 20th century before WWI
TIOLI #15: doesn't just contain text (illustrations)

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184. The Secret Hangman, Peter Lovesey, 11/13 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2000s England
crime fiction, police procedural, murder, personal trainers, religious fanaticism,
MysteryCAT: Cozy Mysteries
TIOLI #16: number of words in the title matches the numbers 867-5309 in rolling order

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185. Quietly in Their Sleep, Donna Leon , 11/14 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 1990s Venice, Italy
catholicism, crime fiction, nuns, priests, nursing homes, police procedural,
MysteryCAT: Cozy Mysteries
Group Read: Two Guidos
TIOLI #6: a book that you need to complete for a 2018 Challenge (Two Guidos Read-Along)

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186. Half of What You Hear, Kristyn Kusek Lewis , 11/14 – 4
General Fiction | paper book
Setting: 2010s Washington DC and Virginia
domestic fiction, twins, gossip, family secrets
TIOLI #16: number of words in the title matches the numbers 867-5309 in rolling order
NOTES:
Gossip, innuendos, slander. Words taken out of context. Used by you. Used against you. How much is truth? The ramifications – in your life, on your family, on your community.

After leaving their high-powered jobs in DC, Bess and her family move to her husband’s hometown in Virginia. A fresh start, but with stumbling blocks. A character-driven page-turner.

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187. Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary, Gail Jarrow , 11/15 – 4.5
Nonfiction | paper book
Setting: 1902 – 1915 NYC and Ithaca, NY
science, disease, epidemic, history, typhoid, Mary Mallon, George Soper
Reading Through Time: Quarter: 20th century before WWI
Reading Through Time: Month: Science
TIOLI #15: doesn't just contain text (illustrations, photographs)

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188. The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Speare , 11/16 – 3.5
Historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 17th century Connecticut
Colonial America, puritans, witch trials, childrens
TIOLI #18: a body part in the author's name (ear)

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189. A Cold Treachery, Charles Todd , 11/18 – 3.5
Historical mystery | eBook
Setting: 1919 England
detective, police procedural, Scotland Yard, shell shock, post-WWI, winter
MysteryCAT: Cozy Mysteries
TIOLI #3: with a World War 1 connection

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190. The Beautiful Mystery, Louise Penny , 11/20 – 4
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2010s Quebec, Canada
Gregorian chants, monastery, monks, murder, police procedural, music, addiction, catholicism,
MysteryCAT: Cozy Mysteries
TIOLI #8: book that completes the phrase, "I am thankful for..."

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191. Just David, Eleanor H. Porter, 11/23 – 4
General fiction | paper book
Setting: 1910s mountains (Carolinas?)
didactic fiction, children's, adoption, death, classic, music, orphans, violin, talent, character, mountains, Orchestra of Life
TIOLI # 8: book that completes the phrase, "I am thankful for..."

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192. Little Monsters, Kara Thomas , 11/26 – 3.5
Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 2010s Wisconsin
dark, family dynamics, friendship, high school, missing persons, new kid, cliques, YA, psychological suspense
TIOLI #2: a character called 'Kara', or title or author's first name starts with 'K'

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193. An Instance of the Fingerpost, Iain Pears, 11/23 – 3.5
Historical Mystery | ebook
Setting: 1660s Oxford, England
restoration england, religion, catholicism, history of medicine, cryptography, English civil war, espionage, multiple narratives, philosophy, politics,
Reading Through Time: Month: Science
TIOLI # 9: a word in the title starts with the letters "In Flanders fields" in rolling order
NOTES:
Immersed in the history, the history of medicine, life in the times, the politics, the philosophy, the intrigue. And then, near the end, the stupid plot twist involving Sarah. Nope. All that reading time wasted.

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194. A Casualty of War, Charles Todd , 11/30 – 3.5
Historical Mystery | Audiobook
Setting: 1918 England
inheritance, murder, WWI, mistaken identity
MysteryCAT: Cozy Mysteries
TIOLI #3: with a World War 1 connection

NOVEMBER READING RECAP

Books read: 15
Breakdown: audio books-6, eBooks-4, paper-6
Average rating: 3.73
Pages read: 5,209
Shared TIOLIs – 2
Completed 10 of 18 TIOLIs

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Favorite Book from NOVEMBER:
Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary – 4.5 stars

Looks like you'll break 200 easily!

Happy holidays, Cindy

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Cindy!

Merry Christmas to all!

One of my children is overseas for another six months, another just moved cross country and couldn't come home for the holiday. But three of the kiddos were able to be here. With their schedules, we celebrated our Christmas eve last night.

195. Elephant Company, Vicki Croke, 12/2 – 4.5
Biography | Audiobook
Setting: 1920s to 1940s, Burma
animals, adventure, biography, elephants, history, military history, World War II,
TIOLI # 6: a book you planned to read in 2018, but didn't read yet

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196. Night of Miracles, Elizabeth Berg , 12/3 – 4
Chick Lit | Paper book
Setting: 2010s Missouri
end of life, friendship, romance,
TIOLI #12: a title built around the word 'of'

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197. Last Christmas in Paris, Hazel Gaynor , 12/3 – 4
Historical Fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1910s England, France
epistolary, friendship, romance, WWI,
TIOLI #8: a winter holiday in the title

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198. Depth of Winter, Craig Johnson, 12/5 – 3.5
Mystery | eBook
Setting: 2010s Mexico
crime fiction, suspense, drugs, poverty
TIOLI #2: by an author you've read before, pre-2018

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199. Summer Birds, Margarita Engle , 12/8 – 3.5
Biography | Paper book
Setting: 17th century Germany
artists, scientists, insects, metamorphosis, picture book, childrens
TIOLI #11: a short read (150 pgs or less)

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200. My Dear Hamilton, Stephanie Dray, 12/8 – 5
historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 18th century, New York, Washington DC
Alexander Hamilton, betrayal, biographical fiction, Founding Fathers, Marquis de Lafayette, politics, Revolutionary War, James Madison
TIOLI #16: a book in which moral values and beliefs are an issue in some way
NOTES:
I felt dropped right down into that time and place. Such vivid portrayals and sense of place. In the author's notes, mention is made of where any liberties were taken (mostly timing), and the correspondence from whence came much of the dialog. I won this book via Early Reviewers, but never received it, so finally listened to it on audio. I loved this book! But really wish I had the paper copy to reread the author's notes again. Highly recommended!

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201. Empire of Sin, Gary Krist , 12/12 – 3.5
General Fiction | paper book
Setting: 2010s Washington DC and Virginia
Louisiana, New Orleans, T., ..((( NON-FICTION ))), ..general nonfiction, history, jazz, murder, prostitution, Storyville, true crime, vice, corruption, T.1890s, T.1900s-1960s
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Music
TIOLI #13: a book for the 50 states challenge (semi-rolling)

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202. Symphony for the City of the Dead, M.T. Anderson , 12/13 – 4
Biography | eBook
Setting: 1917-1943 Leningrad
composers, Shostakovich, history, music, Siege of Leningrad, Stalin, Hitler, WWII, communism, survival,
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Music
TIOLI #5: Red, Green, White, Silver or Gold in Title or the Main Color of Cover

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203. Ride the River, Louis L’Amour , 12/15 – 3
Historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1820s Tennessee, Philadelphia
adventure, inheritance, crooks
TIOLI #9: a cover you dislike

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204. The Children of Men, P.D. Jame , 12/16 – 3
Science fiction | eBook
Setting: futuristic Englanad
dystopia, infertility,
TIOLI #12: a title built around the word 'of'

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205. A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles , 12/18 – 5
Historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1920s-1950s Moscow
communism, friendship, hotel, house arrest, Russian Revolution, adoption, aristocracy, Bolsheviks, Casablanca, fathers and daughters, wine, manners
Reading Through Time: Monthly Theme: Music
TIOLI #10: A Book Bullet

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206. The Coddling of the American Mind, Greg Lukianoff, 12/22 – 4.5
Nonfiction | paper book
American culture, college, critical thinking, free speech, education, social issues,
TIOLI #12: a title built around the word 'of'

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207. When Books Went to War, Molly Guptil Manning , 12/23 – 4
Nonfiction | Audiobook
Setting: 1940s United States, Europe & Asia
Armed Services Editions, books about books, history, military, publishing,
TIOLI #10: A Book Bullet

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208. A Noble Radiance, Donna Leon, 12/26 – 3.5
Mystery | ebook
Setting: 1990s Venice
crime fiction, detective, kidnapping, police procedural, family
Group Read: Two Guidos
TIOLI #13: a book for the 50 states challenge (NJ-born in)

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209. Jubal Sackett, Louis L’Amour , 12/27 – 3.5
Historical fiction | Audiobook
Setting: 17th century American frontier
Indians, Kickapoo, Natchez, friendship
TIOLI #6: a book you planned to read in 2018, but didn't read yet

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210. The Jump-Off Creek, Molly Gloss , 12/28 – 4
Historical fiction | Paper book
Setting: 1890s Pacific Northwest
homesteading, isolation, pioneers,
TIOLI #15: First sentence has a word from 'Silent Night, Holy Night' (tender)

DECEMBER READING RECAP

Books read: 16
Breakdown: audio books-8, eBooks-4, paper-4
Average rating: 3.91
Pages read: 5,353
Shared TIOLIs – 2
Completed 11 of 17 TIOLIs

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Favorite Book from DECEMBER:
Elephant Company – 4.5 stars

2018 IN REVIEW

Books Read:
audiobooks – 100
eBooks – 59
paper books – 52
total books = 211

Pages Read:
68,070

Genres Read:
mystery – 69
historical fiction – 55
historical mystery - 14
general fiction – 28
romance or chick lit – 11
BAM (biographies, autobiographies, memoirs) – 10
other nonfiction – 14
science fiction/fantasy/fairy tales/horror – 8
other (plays, poetry, etc.) - 2

Best of 2018, in order:

My Dear Hamilton
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Destiny of the Republic
East of Eden
The Whole Art of Detection
Eventide
Dust and Shadow
Elephant Company
Miss Burma
Please Stop Helping Us

2018 Titles Meme:

Describe Yourself: The Woman in the Photo
Describe how you feel: Lost and Found
Describe where you currently live: Three Story House
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?: To the Bright Edge of the World
Your favorite form of transportation: Ride the River
Your best friend is: A Gentleman in Moscow
You and your friends are: Remarkable Creatures
Your favorite food is: The Secret's in the Sauce
What I would like for my birthday next year: A Touch of Stardust
What's the weather like? Depth of Winter
You fear: Little Fires Everywhere
What is the best advice you have to give?: Psalm 91: God's Shield of Protection
Thought for the day: Ask Again Later
How I would like to die: Quietly in Their Sleep
My soul's present condition: A Noble Radiance

Love your answers. I'll wait and post mine later, but I think I know what some of the answers will be.

>87 countrylife: Fun! I'll probably post mine at the start of my 2019 thread, though I doubt I'll be reading anything between now and the end of the year that would change my answers.