lkernagh (Lori) returns to binge read authors and series in 2019

Mystic Beach, Vancouver Island, BC - Michal Klajban (CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons

Hello everyone, I am back! For those who don't know me, I am Lori, a walking enthusiast, bookworm, foodie 'gal' (age is a state of mind) who has happily called Vancouver Island home for the past 27 years. When I am not working or reading, my winter months are usually occupied with a craft project of some kind, while my spring and summer months are when I engage in my on-going attempts at container gardening.

2019 will be my seventh year as part of the 75 group. I took a "gap year" last year and happy to be back. No big reading plans this year. I am just going to let the books (and favorite authors) lead me along so expect to see some author and series binge reading happening here. I like to tackle at least one "chunkster" read each year. This year I will be joining a year-long group read of Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy happening over in the Category Challenge group.

I am an active walker but I need motivation, especially on those not pleasant weather condition days, when I would prefer to just curl up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea. I recently completed a personal walking challenge to virtually walk across Canada, tracking my daily walking on a Google map, so don't be surprised if a new virtual walking challenge pops up on this thread.

Lastly, I am bringing back my "Luck 'O the Irish" Race as a fun way to track my books vs. pages reading. Which "horse" will come in first: Will it be 75 books read "Pot of Gold" or will 25,000 pages read "Lucky Shamrock" command the track? It is anybody's guess!

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race







Posters and lurkers all welcome here.

Top 15 Reads of 2018:

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson
Faithful Place by Tana French
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
The Hours by Micheal Cunningham
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Zulu by Caryl Ferey
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Seeing by Jose Saramago

Books Read:

January:
1. The Fourth Secret by Andrea Camilleri -
2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy -
3. Plainsong by Kent Haruf -
4. Beekeeping for Beginners by Laurie R. King -
5. A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri -
6. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain -
7. Eventide by Kent Haruf -
8. A Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri -
9. The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher -
10. The Pyramid of Mud by Andrea Camilleri -
11. Benediction by Kent Haruf -
12. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf -
13. The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf -
14. Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf -

February:
15. The Likeness by Tana French -
16. The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley -
17. The Secret Place by Tana French -
18. The Trespasser by Tana French -
19. Beyond Farwin Wood by Drea Damara -
20. The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag -
21. The Witch Elm by Tana French -

March:

Thanks for stopping by. This thread is now open for business. Come on in!

Hi Lori!! Happy 2019 and glad you've returned as well.

Your 2018 best-of list has some terrific reads on it. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena was a particular favorite of mine. May the year to come be full of peak reads.

Welcome back!

Hello. You picture made me smile. As a transplant from the Island, I always love seeing pictures and meeting people from the area.

Given the location of the photo, I'm amusing you didn't get too much of the windstorm that left much of Nanaimo without power over the weekend. My parents still live in the area, and this is the first time in years I haven't been home for the holidays, have to say I'm glad I missed it ;)

We seem to share many books as “favorites,” so dropping off a star ⭐️ to see how your reading goes next year.

Dropping off a star for you, Lori. Happy to see you hosting a thread in the 75ers again this year. :)

Hope you have a great 2019!

>5 richardderus: - Helloooo Richard! Lovely to see you here! 2018 proved to be a rather good reading year, with only a handful of duds. ;-) Marra's book is a phenomenal read!

>6 drneutron: - Thanks Jim!

>7 dreamweaver529: - Happy to "meet" you, Amanda and so glad to see the Mystic Beach image caught your eye! I do like to tout the island's scenic beauty. As for the storm we had last Thursday, that was a beaut. I can see why you would be glad to have missed it. Thankfully, I live in a part of Victoria that did not suffer any power outage, although the lights at work did flicker a couple of times over the course of the day. I feel for those impacted, especially those still without power, seven days later.

>8 Matke: - Hello Gail and always happy to meet a like-minded reader!

>9 MickyFine: - Hi Micky! It feels good to be back hosting a thread in the 75 group.

>10 ChelleBearss: - Hey Chelle, lovely to see you and right back at you with wonderful 2019 wishes!

Lori--Oooh! The Race is on! I don't know which one to bet on. : )

>12 Berly: - Hi Kimmers! Yes, the Race is definitely on! ;-)

Hi Lori, and happy new year to you! Glad you're back. I am on the fence. I had an abysmal LT showing this year, but it enriches my life and my reading so much. Still deciding if I need a gap year of my own.

Hi Lori! Lovely to see you back. Happy new year and thread!

>14 AMQS: - Hi Anne, I totally understand the quandary of a busy RL and the call of LT. If you do decide to set up a thread, I will find it. If not, always happy to 'see' you should you stop by this thread for a visit.

>15 susanj67: - Hi Susan! It is great to be back. I am slowly working my way through the group and look forward to locating and starring your thread.

Happy new thread, Lori! I'm looking forward to following your travels this year. Starred!

Happy 2019 reading, Lori! Love the topper--I want to just step right into that picture...

Hi Lori - Happy New Year! Starred you!

Great to see you back, Lori!

That's a great list of your 2018 favorites. The Marra and McEwan's are particular favorites of mine.

Hi Lori and welcome back! Happy New Year!

Dropping off my star and thinking about joining you in a virtual walking challenge....

>17 mstrust: - Lovely to see you here, Jennifer! Should be a fun year.

>18 kac522: - Hi Kathy! Tempting isn't it? .... except the water is darn cold, regardless of the time of year. Hope you have your wet suit handy, should you decide to take a dip. It is a lovely place for a picnic. ;-)

>19 SandDune: - Hi Rhian! Happy New Year to you as well!

>20 katiekrug: - Hi Katie, nice to see you here and yes, 2018 was a rather good reading year. Not sure what that means for 2019 so we will just assume pretty much the same or better.

>21 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen, thanks for the star, welcome back and Happy New Year wishes! Oooohh... so exciting that you might create your own virtual walking challenge! I will be rooting you on, if you do. Which reminds me, I need to get cracking with my virtual walking plans for 2019.

Hello! Nice to have you back!

>23 lycomayflower: - Thanks! It is great to be back. I love the activity and chatter in this group. ;-)

>2 lkernagh: Adding your list of favorites to the list I am compiling from 2018 favorites. I love My Antonia, one of my all-time favorite books!

>1 lkernagh:

Hi - I was reading a little too quickly so thought "The Race" was between Fiction and NF books!

Which - books or pages - won the last time?

I will be following along this year: great to see you back.

>25 alcottacre: - Hi Stasia! Happy to learn that my 2018 favorite reads includes one of your all-time favorite reads! Willa Cather is a wonderful writer I am only now starting to read.

>26 m.belljackson: - Hi there! A fiction vs nonfiction race would be fun, except I can tell you that fiction would win every time if that was my book race. ;-) As for the previous years' races, lets see. 2014, the first year I ran the "Luck 'O the Irish" race, pages read "Shamrock" won, with books read "Pot of Gold" winning in 2015 and 2016. I did not host the race in 2017. Anything is possible in 2019!

>27 charl08: - Hi Charlotte! Happy to be back!

Time for a new walking challenge (I did mention that this would probably crop up on the thread at some point). This time, I decided to make this a one year challenge. I thought it would be fun to tie the distance walked to the year - 2,019 KM walked in 2019. Because I wanted both start and end points to be locations visitors to my thread might recognize, I have decided to virtually walk the U.S. interstate highway 5 S (the I-5 S) from the Peace Arch border crossing at the British Columbia/Washington state border to Disneyland Park in California, a total distance of 2,048 kilometres. Close enough to the idea of 2,019 KM in 2019. ;-)

For those of you who have not followed my previous walking challenge, the weekly updates will be easily identifiable, based on the template below. As with my previous walking challenge, I will post points of interest either along the virtual walking route or things I see/do locally as part of my walking. Commenters welcome!

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Lori's 2019 Virtual Walking Challenge: Peace Arch to Disneyland via the I-5 S

The goal: To walk, in 2019, the distance it would take me to virtually walk the I-5 from the Peace Arch at the BC/WA border to Los Angeles/Disneyland Park (2,048 KM). Note: While I was trying to find a walk that would be 2,019 KM in length to celebrate the year, this is close enough!

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Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 0 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session to reach Disneyland Park: 0
Kilometers walked in total: 0
Current province/state: . (BC/WA)
My current location on the map: The Peace Arch on the BC side of the Canada/United States border crossing in Surrey, BC, ready to start tracking my walking starting January 1st.

Happy New Year Lori!

Happy reading in 2019, Lori!

Great idea for a walking challenge! I need to start a "get off my butt" challenge :)

Happy new thread and Happy new year, Lori! Happy new virtual walking challenge! I look forward to following your progress!

I was wondering if you'd be able to resist a new walking challenge, and now you'll complete your destination about half a mile from where I grew up. Go, Lori!
Have a Happy New Year!

Hi Lori! Wishing you and yours a happy and joyous 2019, filled with peace, love, and great books.

>29 lkernagh: And the walk begins!!!



Happy New Year's Eve!!

>30 The_Hibernator:, >31 FAMeulstee:, >33 Carmenere:, >34 mstrust:, >35 Dejah_Thoris: and >36 Berly: - Thank you Rachel, Anita, Lynda, Jennifer, Dejah Thoris and Kim for your Happy New Year wishes! I am hopeful that 2019 will be a fabulous year.

>32 ChelleBearss:, >33 Carmenere:, >34 mstrust: and >35 Dejah_Thoris: - Thank you Chelle, Lynda, Jennifer and Kim for your support of my new walking challenge! This should be a lot of fun! Glad to know that you all will be following my walking progress.

As we are closing out 2018, I want to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year Eve and best wishes for 2019!

I wish you from my heart a healthy 2019 filled with happiness, satisfaction, laughter and lots of good books.

Happy new year! Wishing you success on your reading and walking challenges!

>39 Ameise1:, >40 Storeetllr: and >41 cbl_tn: - Thank you Barbara, Mary and Carrie for the Happy New Year Wishes! Wishing you a fabulous 2019!

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Happy New Years day, everyone! I love the first day of the new year. I am not a stickler for New Year's resolutions or anything like that, but it still feels uplifting to know that the "stuff" we did not enjoy in 2018 can be shelved and face the new year with shiny, happy thoughts.

On the reading front, I have hit the ground running starting my first audioread of 2019 - The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy - to read my longest pending TBR book on my shelves for the Category Challenge January TBRCAT (first in, last out). I was listening to the book as I was dismantling our tree and festive trimmings and thought," This book is not flowing very well." Went online and discovered that I had downloaded from the library an abridged version of the story. Once I got over the shock that abridged versions exist in audio format (why, I don't know... for some reason I always thought Reader's Digest had the market on abridged books... the things one learns), I quickly located an unabridged version through the library system, borrowed and downloaded that version and.... life returned to normal.

Wishing everyone a wonderful start (and not the jarring experience I just encountered) to their 2019 reading!

Happy 2019
A year full of books
A year full of friends
A year full of all your wishes realised

I look forward to keeping up with you, Lori, this year.

Good catch on the abridged audio book, Lori! I am so glad your gap year is over. I do love your reviews...and your crafts. What a great list of your top reads from last year. My Antonia is high on my list of all-time favorites. I’ve read it numerous times and never tire of it.

looking forward to following your reading, etc, in 2019!

Dropping off my star, Lori!

I'll finish taking Christmas down today. As much as I love putting all my pretties up, taking them down makes the house look so roomy.

Happy New Year, Lori!

>42 lkernagh: When I was in college in the southern US, the local Wal-Mart would sell abridged audiobooks of Nora Roberts and Tom Clancy books. I really don't understand the point of that!!

Your 2049km walk fills my knees with referred pain. I'll be watching from afar, lidocaine cream at the ready.

Happy New Year, Lori.

Happy reading in 2019 Lori

Hi Lori, I hope you have lots of great reading this year!

Happy New Year, Lori!

I like that list of top reads. Are you going to watch the tv series based on The Passage?

I adored The God of Small Things. I hope you love it too.

>42 lkernagh: I have checked that one out of the library and returned it unread at least twice. Maybe I can find it on audio and that will work better for me?

Hi Lori, I have been a bit part on LT these last few months, but am determined not to get left behind! So starred you I have, and I hope to read along. Happy NY!

Wow... visitors!

>43 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul!

>44 Donna828: - Hi Donna, abridged books just drive me batty and thank you for your lovely message! It does feel good to be back, but I kind of forgot just how crazy the threads get at this time of year! Feeling overwhelmed. So happy to here My Antonia is a favorite read (and re-read) for you. Cather is quite a delightful writer. She really captures her characters and the setting.

>45 banjo123: - Hi Rhona, thank you for stopping by!

>46 ronincats: - Thanks for the star, Roni!

>47 mstrust: - As much as I love putting all my pretties up, taking them down makes the house look so roomy. I agreed! It is amazing how much room a tree can take up. We have to shuffle the furniture around somewhat to give the tree a nice open space so always a bit of chore but a fun one!

>48 norabelle414: - Hey Nora! Happy New Year! Wow, so Walmart must know something we don't - that there are readers out there that what something between Cliff Notes and the full story. Bizarre!

>49 richardderus: - LOL! Good news, RD, is I enjoy having armchair travellers for my virtual walk, so consider this a pain-free walking journey for you! ;-)

>50 BLBera: - Happy New Year to you too, Beth!

>51 calm: - Thanks calm!

>52 aktakukac: - Thanks Rachel! Wishing you a great reading year as well!

>53 jnwelch: - Happy New Year, Joe! I probably won't be watching the TV series based on The Passage, unless I find it through one of the streaming services I subscribe to. Fabulous book and I do hope to read the next book in the series? at some point.

>54 Matke: - Hi Gail, while a I found The God of Small Things a satisfying read, I did struggle with it in audio format - found the patchwork story to be a bit challenging to follow. There is a good chance that I may attempt a physical re-read at some point. Roy is quite the writer!

>55 alcottacre: - Hi Stasia, if a physical read format of The God of Small Things didn't work for you, I am not sure if an audiobook would do the trick. My review (see below) might help explain why. Basically, the story structure made it a challenge for me to follow the audiobook. That can be a frustrating experience for a number of readers. I know I ended up lowering my star rating dues to the audiobook experience.

>56 LovingLit: - Hi Megan! Lovely to see you stopping by! Bit part seems like a good role to play, especially if RL is a major time suck! Give only what you can give.

Hello everyone! Wow, this week has been a strange one. I am always a little off-settled when a holiday falls middle of the week. Not complaining... love getting a day off from work mid week, but it does make for a bit of a discombobulated feeling when you blink and all of a sudden it is Friday.

Will be posting my first walking update on Sunday. For though hoping to follow my walking, I will try and stick to the routine I had for my last walking challenge and post updates on Sundays.

On the reading front, I have managed to completed my first two books (with reviews ready for posting): a short novella for my first series binge read (Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series) and TBRCAT / ROOT read.

Plans for this weekend.... no clue. I think we are just going to wing it.

... now for those reviews.

Book #1 - The Fourth Secret by Andrea Camilleri - translated from the Italian by Gianluca Rizzo and Domiunic Siracusa
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: SeriesCAT - Series in Translation; AlphaKIT - "A"
Bingo DOG: Book in Translation
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 2014
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 77 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the google book listing web page:

"There have been six events euphemistically called “tragedies in the workplace” in the past month. Six deaths caused by an inexplicable disregard for safety regulations. When the local magistrate opens an investigation, Inspector Montalbano is on the case. But Montalbano soon discovers that these seemingly unrelated incidents are only part of a larger network of crimes."

Review:
Dipping back into Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano series after a bit of a break. A novella at a mere 77 pages in length, this one suffers from the same issues I usually encounter with novellas: the constraints of character and plot development produce a weaker story than expected. I also found the writing to be on the weak side. While some stories suffer in translation - this one was not translated by skilled Stephen Sartarelli, translator for the English versions of the full length stories in the series – some online information indicates this one may have been written early in the series and published later. If this is correct, that could explain the lack of polish, although some commentators have listed this one is poorly translated. That being said, this is still a decent read. Salvo is still Salvo and the crime is interesting enough to keep my attention. This was a good story to read as a refresher before I dive back into the series midstream as most of the regulars put in an appearance here, with Cat getting extra “screen time” in this one.

Book #2 - The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy - audiobook narrated by Sneha Mathan
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: TBRCAT - First in/Last out; AlphaKIT - "A"
Bingo DOG: Debut Novel
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 1997
Acquisition date: February 22, 2009
Page count: 321 pages / 11 hours, 45 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from audiobooks.com book listing web page:

"A brilliantly plotted story of forbidden love and piercing political drama, centered on the tragic decline of an Indian family in the state of Kerala, on the southernmost tip of India. Armed only with the invincible innocence of children, the twins Rahel and Esthappen fashion a childhood for themselves in the shade of the wreck that is their family-their lonely, lovely mother Ammu (who loves by night the man her children love by day), their blind grandmother Mammachi (who plays Handel on her violin), their beloved uncle Chacko (Rhodes scholar, pickle baron, radical Marxist, bottom-pincher), their enemy Baby Kochamma (ex-nun and incumbent grandaunt), and the ghost of an imperial entomologist's moth (with unusually dense dorsal tufts).

When their English cousin and her mother arrive on a Christmas visit, the twins learn that things can change in a day. That lives can twist into new, ugly shapes, even cease forever. The brilliantly plotted story uncoils with an agonizing sense of foreboding and inevitability. Yet nothing prepares you for what lies at the heart of it...."

Review:
Roy’s debut novel, while written in luminous prose, was a challenge for me to follow in audio format. Roy takes an unusual – but not unheard of – non-sequential approach to the story: she starts the story with its ending in 1997 and, through a complex patchwork of 1969 flashbacks and segues into side stories, leads the reader to the start. I probably would have had an easier time following the shifting focus of the story if I had been reading it in print format, but no matter. At it’s heart, this is a multi-generational family saga virtually overflowing with themes to generate thought and discussion. The illicit breaking of the “Love Law” (theme of forbidden love) acts as the centre to the widening rippling rings of the story. Roy’s prose is lush and inviting, even when the story takes unpleasant, disturbing and tragic turns, while Roy skillfully maintains a sense of foreboding of something to come. It is a story where children lose their innocence and trust. Where cultures and language collide as Western influences permeates the Indian culture. Where sexual and caste conflict have wide reaching impact.

Overall, a satisfying read that may have had a larger impact on me if I had chosen to read, instead of listen, to the story.

>59 lkernagh: I love the audio version of this series. Grover Gardner is one of my favorite narrators, and he's read all of the ones I've listened to so far.

Happy new year, Lori.

Too bad you didn't enjoy Roy's book as much as you might have. I've heard good things about it.

>61 cbl_tn: - I do too, Carrie. Grover Gardner does such a wonderful job narrating the stories! Unfortunately, my library system does not seem to have any more recent Inspector Montalbano audiobooks, so I will be e-reading my way to get caught up with the series.

>62 DianaNL:- Happy New Year, Diana!

>63 The_Hibernator: - I do still blame the audiobook as part of the reason I ended up giving Roy's story a lower star ratings. Some books just don't work all that well for me in audio format.

Book #3 - Plainsong by Kent Haruf - audiobook narrated by Tom Stechschulte
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Title Contains Homophone Word - Plain
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: October 1999
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 320 pages / 9 hours, 4 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing web page:

"In the small town of Holt, Colorado, a high school teacher is confronted with raising his two boys alone after their mother retreats first to the bedroom, then altogether. A teenage girl—her father long since disappeared, her mother unwilling to have her in the house—is pregnant, alone herself, with nowhere to go. And out in the country, two brothers, elderly bachelors, work the family homestead, the only world they've ever known. From these unsettled lives emerges a vision of life, and of the town and landscape that bind them together—their fates somehow overcoming the powerful circumstances of place and station, their confusion, curiosity, dignity and humor intact and resonant."

Review:
This was actually a re-read for me - I first read the book in 2016 - in preparation for reading the next two books in the trilogy and for a bit of planned Haruf binge reading. It was so easy to slide back in step with the characters in the fictional small town of Holt. This time through, I was able to draw better appreciation for Haruf's skill as a writer. With straightforward, unapologetic writing, Haruf's characters continue to resonate with me. From the quietness of Bobby and Ike, the kindly knowledgeable Maggie to the delightful McPheron brothers, this story is a quiet, contemplative meditation on the importance of family, community and the positive power and good a sense of belonging brings.

A touching story and I am now ready to dip into Eventide.

Book #4 - Beekeeping for Beginners by Laurie R. King - audiobook narrated by Robert Ian Mackenzie
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: RandomCAT - Your Name in Print
Bingo DOG: Short Stories or Essays
Category: N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: July 2011
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 74 pages / 1 hour, 40 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.50 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing web page:

"Sherlock Holmes is fending off a particularly dark mood as he roams the Sussex Downs, in search of wild bees. The Great War may be raging across the Channel, but on the Downs, the great detective nears terminal melancholia—only to be saved by an encounter with headstrong, yellow-haired young Mary Russell, who soon becomes the Master’s apprentice not only in beekeeping but in detection.

Holmes instantly spots her remarkable ability, but his sharp eyes also see troubling problems. Why is this wealthy orphan who lives with her aunt so shabbily dressed? Why is she so prone to illness and accident? Is she herself the center of a mystery? These are questions that the great detective must answer quickly lest his protégée, and his own new lease on life, meet a sudden, tragic end."

Review:
This was a fun short story/ novella to read. While published 17 years after The Beekeeper's Apprentice, the first book in the Mary Russell series, this story is best read as a companion piece to the first book. Told predominantly from the point of view of Holmes, the story starts off at the same place The Beekeeper's Apprentice does, with Russell and Holmes' chance encounter in the Suffex countryside. King keenly captures Holmes' personality and mindset while providing Holmes with a new lease on life as he works behind the scenes to protect Russell.

Overall, a very quick and satisfying read for this Holmes fan.

Lori's 2019 Virtual Walking Challenge: Peace Arch to Disneyland via the I-5 S

The goal: To walk, in 2019, the distance it would take me to virtually walk the I-5 from the Peace Arch at the BC/WA border to Los Angeles/Disneyland Park (2,048 KM). Note: While I was trying to find a walk that would be 2,019 KM in length to celebrate the year, this is close enough!

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Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 1 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 27.21
Kilometers walked in total: 27.21
Current province/state: (BC/WA)
My current location on the map: Due north of Bellingham International Airport.
Points of interest along the way: First week of the virtual walk saw me travel through Blaine, Custer and Ferndale on my way to Bellingham.


Welcome to Blaine, Washington - J Stephen Conn - as posted on Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Blaine is the shared home of the Peace Arch international monument and a small town with a population of roughly 5,000. Blaine was incorporated on May 20, 1890, and, rather ironically IMO, was named after James G. Blaine (1830−1893), who was born in western Pennsylvania and was a U.S. senator from the state of Maine - Yup, waaayyyyy over on the other side of the U.S. ;-) Blaine's motto is "Where America Begins": the community is also known as "The Gateway to the Pacific Northwest", and the "Peace Arch City". Not surprising, given the waterfront location, Blaine was home for a number of decades to one of the world's largest salmon canneries. A book that I really enjoyed set in and around this area is Border Songs by Jim Lynch, a delightful story if you haven't read it yet.

Custer, the second community I passed through, was named after its first postmaster, Albert W. Custer and is identified as a census-designated place with a population of roughly 350. Claim to fame: Country singer Loretta Lynn was a resident of Custer in the 1950s and early 1960s when she was a young wife and mother at the start of her legendary career.

Ferndale, roughly twice the size of Blaine, was originally called Jam, due to its proximity to a log jam on the Nooksak River but was renamed Ferndale when the area's original schoolteacher felt they community needed a more picturesque name. Interesting sights near Ferndale is this double cantilever rail bridge over the Nooksack River:


ail bridge over the Nooksack - Joe Mabel - as posted to Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Pioneer Park, owned by the city of Ferndale, lets visitors step back in time and get a sense of what life was like for the early European settlers to this region of Washington State. The village includes a collection of 12 original cedar slab log cabins built by the pioneers of the 1800s (https://www.bellingham.org/insider-blogs/pioneer-park-in-ferndale-features-the-worlds-largest-collection-of-original-cedar-slab-pioneer-cabins/):


Parker House General Store - Joe Mabel - as posted to Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

>60 lkernagh: OK, no audio book for me. The text version it is. Thanks for the heads up, Lori!

>68 alcottacre: - Good luck with the read, Stasia!

Looks like your reading is off to a good start, Lori, as is your walking. How do you handle getting off the island steps-wise?

>70 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg! I decided to start the walk at the Peace Arch crossing so I was - technically - already off the island. I toyed with a number of options of starting the walk in Victoria - Coho ferry to Port Angeles, Clipper ferry to Seattle or BC Ferries to Tsawwassen - but in the end decided I wanted an end point that wasn't just a milestone marker (Yes, I wanted to go to Disneyland!) so had to settle for starting off island this time.

Book #5 - A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri - translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: SeriesCAT - Series in Translation; AlphaKIT - "A"
Bingo DOG: Part of a Series
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 2012; 2016 for English translation
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 281 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing web page:

"Montalbano investigates a robbery at a supermarket, a standard case that takes a spin when manager Guido Borsellino is later found hanging in his office. Was it a suicide? The inspector and the coroner have their doubts, and further investigation leads to the director of a powerful local company.

Meanwhile, a girl is found brutally murdered in Giovanni Strangio’s apartment—Giovanni has a flawless alibi, and it’s no coincidence that Michele Strangio, president of the province, is his father. Weaving together these two crimes, Montalbano realizes that he’s in a difficult spot where political power is enmeshed with the mafia underworld."

Review:
While a good read, I found this was not up to the snappy, witty standard I have grown to expect for the Inspector Montalbano stories. Imagine my relief to discover the author's note at the end where Camilleri mentions that the novel was written a number of years ago and that the secret alchemy of publisher's schedules are to blame for a disconnect in some aspects of the story's development. Good to know. The story itself is a decent police procedural / crime/ mystery story. This time, Camilleri showcases an integrated web of mafia, terrorism and politics that at times left my mind swimming. Who do you trust in a system like that? On the downsides, Salvo's struggles with accepting his 58th birthday and his nightly phone conversations with Livia are a bit "over the top" drama-wise, but Montalbano has bigger fish to fry, even if it means resorting to some rather unlawful means to get the job done. Good thing he has friends like the TV journalist Nicolò Zito to help set the record straight publicly, with Enzo and Adelina making sure he is properly fed. Always fun to watch Montalbano tap dance his way out of his own transgressions, and I have to say, the experience with the octopus at the start of the book is priceless! As for Cat, Fazio and Augello, nice to see some things never change.

Overall, another decent police procedural story set in Camilleri's Sicily.

I adore Montalbano and am looking forward to the next book which comes out in February The Overnight Kidnapper. I think it's book #23!

>67 lkernagh: OH! I see now. This is a means of motivating yourself to walk. Duh, I don't love being dense and slow while under the influence of rhinovirus. Now that I'm not sluggish, I get the game.

Senator Blaine was an early and strong advocate for Suffrage for freed slaves being a strongly Federally protected right. He was also Secretary of State a couple times, and ran for President in 1884. An impressive resume.

>72 lkernagh: For some reason, this series is a never-fail good read despite the fact we're twenty-some volumes in. Normally I've succumbed to series sag long before now. Sartarelli and Camilleri have worked magic on me so I still read them.

>67 lkernagh: Look at how far you've gone in the first week, and thanks for all the interesting info of the towns. This will be a fun trip!

>73 ChelleBearss: - I agree. The stories are a delight. Oh, I did not know that the next installment was coming available next month! Many thanks for the info. I have raced over to my local library website to place my hold before the queue gets too long!

>74 richardderus: - Yup, I need all the motivation I can get! Good information to know about Senator Blaine. I always thought that place names usually have a local connection, but maybe it is the community as a whole respected the senator and felt the name was a good choice for their community.

It is lovely to see others, like you and Chelle, enjoy the series as much as I do. Fun reads are the perfect way for me to unwind after a particularly busy/crazy day.

>75 mstrust: - Thanks Jennifer. It feels good to get back into walking mode.

>76 lkernagh: The people in my library area apparently have not discovered the joys of Montalbano as I am on the only one on the hold list!

>77 ChelleBearss: - That is fabulous! There is nothing worse, IMO, then racing to place a hold for a book not yet released and discovering that you are, like 67 in the queue. ;-)

Currently Reading:
.

Audiobook:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (audiobook narrated by Kathe Mazur) - Letter "Q" for the January AlphaKIT. Currently 1/3 of the way through and really loving the insight I am gaining about my introverted self and why the Tony Robbins and Dale Carnegie sessions don't work for me.
ebook:
TBD
Physical books:
Eventide by Kent Haruf - A ROOT read, and for my 'series' reading category as I binge read my way through Haruf's books

Hi Lori - you have done some terrific reading - and walking - this year! I really loved Plainsong and will likely reread the books at some point. I love Kent Haruf's writing. I haven't seemed to ever get around to the Montalbano books despite years of glowing recommendations here - what a treat I'll have when I finally do!

eta: we cross-posted. Love Eventide too, and I really enjoyed Quiet. I read it to better understand my daughter Marina and came away with a better understanding of myself too.

Hi Lori, I am in your fine city for a few days for some medical attention. All the experts are at the bottom of the island! We went today to the Robert Bateman exhibit and it was stunning and then a wander over to Munro's for a good look at books. It is such a fabulous bookstore. I could spend hours there. You are lucky to have such gems nearby.

Hi, Lori, and happy New Year. You are indeed off to a great start. I like your walking motivation. And you've already read some great books this year. I'll be sure to follow your progress.

>79 lkernagh: *has moment of personal amusement at the idea of an audiobook titled Quiet*

>79 lkernagh: I really enjoyed Quiet when I read it, Lori. I recommended it to my son and I think that's where my copy disappeared to.

I saw on the news that there was snow on the island. Did you get any of the white stuff where you are?

>80 AMQS: - Hi Anne! I am really enjoying my Haruf binge reading. He has a wonderful writing style. As for the Montalbano books, you will be in for a treat if/when you get around to that series. I can see how your gained insight into both yourself and your daughter by reading Cain's book!

>81 mdoris: - Hi Mary, oh dear, not the best of reasons to visit my part of the world. Hoping that this is just a check up to confirm all is well with you. Go figure... as the specialists are here but good luck finding a GP that is taking new patients! It is crazy. The Robert Bateman exhibit is lovely. I took it last year during open house day when a number of tourist locations in town waived their usual entrance fees. His artwork is fabulous! Did you sit down and watch the video? That was quite informative. Victoria does have a lot to offer within short walking distance. That is one of the things I really love about the city. Glad you were able to enjoy the sights while you were in town!

>82 ffortsa: - Thank you, Judy and Happy New Year to you, too!

>83 richardderus: - LOL, but you forget, one can listen to the audiobook at low volume so the "quiet" is maintained. ;-)

>84 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg. I found Quiet to be a a good read, filled with good information. Lovely to see that your son took you up on your recommendation to read the book! There was snow on the island but only at the higher elevations like the Malahat. No snow down at sea level or near the water... those areas are typically the last to see any snow.

--------------------------------
Happy Friday, everyone! It has been good week. Not much to report... just the usual work, home, eat, bed and repeat. A couple of windy nights have left me a little cranky/groggy with lack of sleep so looking forward to no alarms tomorrow morning. I did manage to finish my audioread of Quiet today, so at least I have a review to show for what I have been up to. ;-)

Book #6 - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain - audiobook narrated by Kathe Mazur
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "Q"
Bingo DOG: LT Rating of 4.0+ - 4.03
Category: N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 368 pages - 10 hours, 30 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing web page:

"At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves."

Review:
As a self-professed introvert “of sorts”, I was curious to learn what wisdom/insight I would glean from Cain. What did I learn? That I probably best identify as a pseudo-extrovert/situational introvert. That I present more extrovert tendencies in familiar surroundings and only do well in the spotlight if my performance is not subject to scrutiny or if the audience is comprised of total strangers I will most likely never encounter again. My work colleagues have learned that while I am social while working, I prefer to recharge with solitary walks at lunch time and turn down offers to join co-workers for group walks or chat sessions at the coffee shop.

Some sections of the book were more interesting than others and while I generally find case studies informative, I would have to say that a good part of this book was more a confirmation of what I already thought/knew, as it covered a fair bit of familiar ground from my university/Psychology major days. That being said, I was very interested with the theory that the stock market crashes could potentially have been the result of risky trading by more extroverted individuals. Some readers may view this as a self-help book for introverts, but I would disagree. I think this book is geared towards a broad audience: parents who want to understand their children; educators wanting to provide the best education experience to all types of students; businesses that want to maximize employee productivity and get best advantage out of team decision-making; and extroverts who want to learn more about the introverts in their lives, and more about their extroverted selves.

Overall, a good read that helps set the record straight about personality types, how our North American world is more tailored to promote extrovert behaviour, that introversion is not as uncommon as some might think (30% to 50% of the population is introverted in nature) and that shyness does not equate to introversion.

I have Quiet on my Kindle, Lori. It's been there a while. I really should get to it soon... :)

Oh, I can’t imagine trying to read Roy’s book via audio. Far too complicated in plot and way too many characters. The print edition worked fine for me.

You make the Hartford books sound very inviting.

I read Quiet a couple of years ago and had the same ideas about the purpose of the book. I found it mildly interesting with a few new-to-me facts. What I most appreciated about it was a negative: it wasn’t some sort of plan to “overcome” being an introvert. As an introvert I can’t see that I need some sort of “fixing” to be more extroverted, and resent the implication that we are somehow inferior to our mor outgoing friends. I really liked her take that introverts are just, you know, regular people who prefer less interaction and need some quiet time to recharge.

Marvelous posts from n the walking.

Hi Lori! A very belated happy new year and first thread of 2019!

>29 lkernagh: Congrats on your new walking challenge. I’m from California so will be interested in following along even more than your last challenge.

>42 lkernagh: Abridged books are really irritating – even the ones approved by the author. Sorry your first one of the year was ‘jarring’.

>86 lkernagh: I’ve had Quiet on my shelves for two years. Sigh. Maybe this year…

>87 katiekrug: - Hi Katie! I can recommend Quiet as an interesting read. *nudge, nudge* ;-)

>88 Matke: - That is a relief to learn, Gail! I feel much better knowing that you would not tackle The God of Small Things as an audioread. I am enjoying Haruf's Plainsong trilogy - I am assuming that is what you are referring to as the Hartford books, or am I mistaken?

Hear, hear on your comments about the Cain book. I would have been frustrated if the book had tried to educate readers on how to "overcome" being an introvert... reminds me of my early school years when my first grade teacher tried to have me "overcome" my left handedness. My mom dealt with that educator quite effectively and I am a happy "south paw". I agree, we sadly have to sometimes act more extroverted but do not try to change people to be something other than they already are.

The walking is going great, thanks in part to wonderful January weather so far. ;-)

>89 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! Lovely to see you stopping by. My thread visiting is already on a hit and miss and we are only two weeks into 2019. I am really excited about this year's walking challenge and now scrutinize very closely every audiobook (including eaudioreads through the library's digital offerings). I continue to be amazed at the number of abridged offerings there are out there.

... does this mean I have potentially nudged you towards your copy of Quiet?

--------------------
Happy Sunday, everyone! It has been a great weekend. I love weekends that manage to be productive and relaxing at the same time. So, I am taking on a new gardening project that I would love my visitors to chime in on. My other half loves to surprise me with flowers from time to time and gave me a dozen cut roses for New Years. The flowers have shriveled up but the stalks have some very healthy new green shoots that I am thinking of trying to grow in a planter pot. I have never attempted to grow cuttings before, so any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

Time for a book review, a walking update and an update to my Currently Reading.

Lori's 2019 Virtual Walking Challenge: Peace Arch to Disneyland via the I-5 S

The goal: To walk, in 2019, the distance it would take me to virtually walk the I-5 from the Peace Arch at the BC/WA border to Los Angeles/Disneyland Park (2,048 KM). Note: While I was trying to find a walk that would be 2,019 KM in length to celebrate the year, this is close enough!

.






Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 2 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 46.66
Kilometers walked in total: 73.87
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: Northwest end of Burlington, due south of Chuckanut Junction.
Points of interest along the way: Bellingham, the largest city in Washington state's Whatcom county, is a frequent "day trip" location for Canadians crossing the BC/WA border, mainly for the convenience of shopping. Not surprisingly, I came across a 2016 article that Bellingham has been named one of the 50 worst cities in America, mainly because of the cost of housing (or, the lack of affordable housing). Bellingham is home to Western Washington University. Some interesting sites are Whatcom Museum, housed in Bellingham's old city hall:


Whatcom Museum ~ Old City Hall - Onasill ~ Bill Badzo - as posted on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The techno geek in me would make a bee-line for Spark Musuem and the Tesla coil MegaZapper:


Tesla Coil MegaZapper at Spark Museum - screen shot of video posted to YouTube by Bellingham Herald

Interestingly, Bellingham is one of only a few cities in the continental United States that experience astronomical twilight for the entire night, with the phenomenon occurring between June 14 and June 28. South of Bellingham, I virtually walked past Lake Padden Park and Lake Samish, a summer vacation lake community. Notable residents of Lake Samish include actress Hilary Swank who grew up in a trailer park next to the lake.

The remainder of the virtually walking for the week took me through the census communities of Alger and Belfast on my approach to Burlington.

Book #7 - Eventide by Kent Haruf
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2004
Acquisition date: May 5, 2013
Page count: 299 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing web page:

"Kent Haruf, award-winning, bestselling author of Plainsong returns to the high-plains town of Holt, Colorado, with a novel of masterful authority. The aging McPheron brothers are learning to live without Victoria Roubideaux, the single mother they took in and who has now left their ranch to start college. A lonely young boy stoically cares for his grandfather while a disabled couple tries to protect their a violent relative. As these lives unfold and intersect, Eventide unveils the immemorial truths about human beings: their fragility and resilience, their selfishness and goodness, and their ability to find family in one another."

Review:
I continue to love Haruf's straight-talking, "tell it like it is" approach to story telling. In this sequel to Haruf's debut novel, Plainsong, we are back in the fictional township of Holt, Colorado, roughly 2 years later. I call Holt a township as the story also captures the farming community, through the McPheron farm. Continuing his quietly expressive writing style, Haruf takes this story up a notch. We are introduced to new characters, get to revisit with familiar characters and, if you are like me, emotionally experience some really heart-wrenching, "unexpected punches to the gut" scenes. Not all outcomes are cheery, but Haraf's writing captures a snapshot of small town life, so it is not surprising that some of the events have a sad/ negative resolution or remain unresolved. That is life. Haruf's message remains steady and true: The ability to accept/overcome loss, face adversity or just carry on with life after it has kicked you to the curb, can be helped along with the comforting power of family/ friendship/ community.

Another wonderful story and I am looking forward to starting the third book in the trilogy, Benediction.

Currently Reading:
...

Audiobook:
The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher - Book 1 in the Cinder Spires series. Fantasy/ Steampunk/ Adventure read, for the SFFKIT "Read an SFF you meant to read in 2018, but never started/completed". Currently 30% of the way through and after a rather prolonged start, the story is now attaining a nice adventure clip. Also, a perfect fit for BingoDOG square "Animal in Title, Cover, Significant Role", as there are some interesting talking animal characters in the story. ;-)
ebook:
A Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri - Yes, I am continuing my binge reading of the Inspector Montalbano books. Hoping to get caught up with the English translations over the next couple of weeks... hopefully in time for the next installment coming for release sometime in February, I believe?
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Just about to start the year-long group read, so this one will continue to show up in future Currently Reading updates for, probably the remainder of 2019 unless I get ambitious and jump ahead of the group.
Benediction by Kent Haruf - A ROOT read, and as the third book in the Plainsong trilogy, perfect for my 'series' reading category as I continue to binge read my way through Haruf's books.

Lori, I bought Quiet when Anne recommended it a few years ago. It is still sitting on my TBR pile. Perhaps this is the year I will get to it. As always, I love your informative book reviews.

I read A Suitable Boy in 2018. It made my Top Ten list. Now I'm waiting (along with a host of others) for A Suitable Girl.

ETA: I'm surprised that there is a touchstone (of sorts) for ASG.

>91 lkernagh: Bellingham's a pleasant place, IIRC. It's been three decades, so it could've gone down the rathole....

>92 lkernagh: A successful read for almost all the world, it seems. Haruf has a gift for making people fall in love with his world.

Happy new week, Lori!

>90 lkernagh: It seems to be the time to think about gardening now, Lori. Hasn't the weather been amazing? I have seen bulbs coming up already as well as a few flowers blooming.

I read Quiet two or three years ago and appreciated the insights, especially about education since I work in that field.

I have Plainsong in my TBR stash. I'll get to it one day! I saw a TV adaptation a few years ago that I thought was well done.

>94 Donna828: - I hope my review for Cain's Quiet is nudging that one further up your to read pile, Donna! So happy to see that you loved A Suitable Boy! Like you, I am most curious to see when A Suitable Girl comes out... could potentially be a back to back read for me. ;-) As for the touchstones, I think all it takes is for one person to enter the book into the system and once the system picks it up, we have a touchstone.

>95 richardderus: - Bellingham is a lovely place, Richard and must have been fabulous when you last visited! Haruf is quite the writer, ;-)

Wishing you a fabulous week, RD!

>96 Familyhistorian: - The weather has been rather "unseasonable", Meg. I just don't know what to think, although the frost this morning reminded me that it is January and to not get too crazy with any outdoor gardening, not yet anyways. ;-)

>97 cbl_tn: - Lovely to see you also appreciated Quiet, Carrie! Oh, I did not know that the Haruf book had been made into a TV movie. I must see if I can locate that. I would be curious to see how closely the movie kept to the book. The first two books have been worthy reads so I am curious to see how the third book in the trilogy holds up, and then on to Haruf's stand alone novels (my excuse to read the books that have been languishing on my TBR piles). :-)

-------------------------------
What can I say.... it is Tuesday, the weather this week has been fabulous (cold with blue skies and no rain, always a bonus at this time of year), work is not overly annoying me and both my walking and reading are ticking along nicely, so no complaints. ;-)

I stumbled across this rather interesting Washington Post perspective piece that puts an interesting spin on introversion/extroversion. The author mentions Susan Cain's Quiet, and while I don't agree with everything they say, it is an example of how each of us has a different point of view on the world of introverts and extroverts.

Book #8 - A Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: SeriesCAT - Series in Translation; AlphaKIT - "A"
Bingo DOG: Read a CAT
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 2013
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 272 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.95 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing web page:

"Inspector Montalbano enjoys simple pleasures: delicious food, walks along the water, the occasional smoke—yet these are just the backdrop to his duties as a detective.

His latest case is the killing of the wealthy Cosimo Barletta. Thought to be a widower living out a quiet life by the sea, Cosimo’s sudden death, by gunshot to the neck, opens up his past to scrutiny. What Montalbano uncovers is Cosimo’s trove of salacious photographs, used to extort young women, and a history full of greed and corruption. Montalbano, though resolved to find the killer, muses on where justice lies—in his pursuit of a suspect or with one of Cosimo’s innumerable victims getting the revenge they deserved?"

Review:
After reading 20 earlier installments in the series, I did not think that Camilleri could surprise me, but surprise me he did. Not with the characters. They remain the loyal, unwavering, unique personalities that are a big part of the reason I continue to enjoy the Inspector Montalbano books. That, and the interesting mind games that Montalbano plays on some of the suspects (not always by the book, if you know what I mean). No, the surprise was in the unveiling of the crime(s) this go around. As the clues are uncovered, and disturbing layers to the case are revealed, I kept saying in my head, “No, it cannot be that… say it isn’t that”. Every now and then Camilleri takes readers, like me, outside of our comfort zone, making me squirm uncomfortably. He sure did this time! Some readers may be tiring of the “bickering” relationship between Salvo and Livia, but I can see where Camilleri uses that relationship as a foil for some of Montalbano’s frustrations.

Another wonderful installment in an entertaining series.

>99 lkernagh: That's some inducement to keep heading forwards in the series.

Lovely weekend upcoming, Lori.

Hi Lori!

>90 lkernagh: I’ve got too many nonfiction books going right now to give it a go until a month or two down the road, but I’d like to read it the first half of this year if possible.

>91 lkernagh: I need to read more about Tesla.

>93 lkernagh: I just pulled my copy of A Suitable Boy off the shelf and have tentatively checked into the group read. 1,349 pages… whew.

>98 lkernagh: Very interesting article. We have a cousin who has a son who’s an introvert and a daughter who’s an extrovert. The daughter got seriously ill while a junior in high school and was diminished and depressed at home until her mother figured out that she needed her friends to come visit OFTEN. Carpools and church groups later, she was still home for several more weeks but not depressed.

I loved Quiet and Aeronaut's Windlass.

Quiet seemed to disappear from my shelves, I think I must just accept it's not coming back and buy myself a new copy!

I missed there was a group read of Vikram Seth: I love his poetry, but haven't got very far with the books. Must try harder.

>100 richardderus: - Hello RD! Yes, sometimes I need a bit of a helping hand to carry on with some series. It is always amazing the amount of energy I have as soon as I leave work and start the weekend. ;-)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

>101 karenmarie:- Hi Karen! Lovely to see you catching up over here. Looking forward to your thoughts on Quiet when you get to it. Tesla is a fascinating historical personality. He was such an amazing inventor so it is very sad to read about his final years.

So happy to see that you will be joining the A Suitable Boy group read!

I can see how someone who is highly extroverted would not do well confined home for prolonged bed rest and a lack of visitors. Glad they were able to figure out how to emotionally help her along with her recovery!

>102 The_Hibernator: - Hi Rachel! Glad to see both Quiet and The Aeronaut's Windlass were good reads for you.

>103 charl08: - Oh dear. Does that happen often? Books disappearing off your shelves, I mean? *turns around and scrutinizes own books on bookshelves*

As for the Group Read for A Suitable Boy, it is slated to be a year-long read and we are only getting ready to discuss part 1 next week, so there is still plenty of time to join in! Group read thread can be found here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/301295

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Happy Friday and Happy Weekend, everyone! Wind and rain forecast for this evening so looking forward to changing into my PJs and curling up with a book. ;-0

Book #9 - The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher - audiobook narrated by Euan Morton
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: SFFKIT - Excuses, Excuses...
Bingo DOG: Animal in Title, Cover, Significant Role
Category: N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 643 pages / 21 hours, 34 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing web page:

"Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity. Within their halls, the ruling aristocratic houses develop scientific marvels, foster trade alliances, and maintain fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. Loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is damaged in combat, Grimm joins a team of Albion agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring his ship.

And as Grimm undertakes this task, he learns that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake..."

Review:
The world build in this story is really quite something! Not sure I agree with the steampunk label that has been applied to this one, but there is no questioning the solid fantasy world setting of cities/nations on spires high in the sky build by mysterious, long-lost Builders. Travel between spires is accomplished via crystal-powered airships and, as to be expected with any action-packed adventure, two spires (Albion and Aurora) are involved in an on-going cold war, with sabre-rattling, behind lines incursions and outright attacks one would expect. Throw into the mix a secret ops mission lead by a dishonored military airship captain, a motley crew of merchant marines under his command, three new spire Guard trainees (two still wet behind their ears) and two highly, highly eccentric Etherealists – kind of like a mentalist/psychic/magician – and good luck trying to guess what is going to happen next. If that is not enough, we also have sentient cats (including a rather snobby cat, Rowl), poisonous spider-like monsters, genetically modified warrior race and energy-blasting crystals. *Whew*.

Favorite character, for me anyways, is Folly, the young etherealist apprentice who communicates in the third person, usually to her crystals. I love quirky characters and Folly is a delight! High born Gwen is – well - really annoying, but she does have her uses. Rowl (the cat that is part of the mission team) is eye-rollingly arrogant. At least Butcher captures the typical feline aloofness, so cat lovers will probably find Rowl more delightful than I did. Parts of the story dragged a bit – Butcher's attention to detail was a bit pedantic at times – but I loved the airships (think wonderful wooden, air-borne schooners!), the crystal powered technology and the air battle scenes.

For a first book in a new series, it has some room for improvement but overall, it is a solid piece of fantasy/ adventure writing and I am intrigued enough to want to read the next book in the series.

I loved the airships (think wonderful wooden, air-borne schooners!)
Damn! Damn and BLAST!! Now I MUST read it. *sigh*

You, you Satanic Book Warbler you!

>106 richardderus: - Ah... hum.... Did you see the bit about the talking cat in the story, RD? Just checking. Don't want you to start reading the book and getting a shock. That's all. ;-)

--------------------------------
Crazy weather day, turning my morning into an insane game of "dodge the short term rain storms" while out running errands. Took advantage of down time this afternoon to finish the next installment in the Inspector Montalbano series. Happy to report that I have now caught up (until the next English translation installments comes out) so big ""WHOOT!"


Photo Credit: Charles M. Schulz - Peanuts

Book #10 - The Pyramid of Mud by Andrea Camilleri - translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: SeriesCAT - Series in Translation; AlphaKIT - "A"
Bingo DOG: Weather Word in Title or Book Involves Weather Event - Torrential Rain Storms
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 2014
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 266 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing web page:

"On a gloomy morning in Vigàta, a call from Fazio rouses Inspector Montalbano from a nightmare. A man called Giugiù Nicotra has been found dead in the skeletal workings of a construction site, a place now entombed by a sea of mud from recent days of rain and floods. Shot in the back, he had fled into a water supply system tunnel. The investigation gets off to a slow start, but all the evidence points to the world of construction and public contracts, a world just as slimy and impenetrable as mud.

As he wades through a world in which construction firms and public officials thrive, Montalbano is obsessed by one thought: that by going to die in the tunnel, Nicotra had been trying to communicate something."

Review:
This story has to be,in my personal opinion, Montalbano (or maybe I should say Camilleri?) at his best/ top of his form, even if we find Montalbano is subjected to wading and slipping through mud created by never ending rain storms and the potential mafia corruption of public constructions works. That alone is enough to make any sane person want to pull the blankets up over their heads, stay in bed and hope all weather and crime problems just dry up and go away. That may work for the weather, but not corruption. Interestingly, Montalbano and his team find themselves caught up in a highly orchestrated drama of false confessions and a larger criminal activity to unravel. Camilleri has mastered the skill of creating intricate crimes that take a fair bit of "noggin' (head) work" to suss out and is part of the reason why I find these stories so interesting to read. Caterilla is as entertaining as always, but I enjoying seeing Fazio getting some good screen time where he gets to flex his researching skills.

On the downside, the story also delves into Montabano's girlfriend Livia's depression. If you are like me, and have read the previous installments, you might be wondering "What depression?" but it comes clear rather early on that Livia's depression seems to be directly linked to an event that occurs three installments back, in A Beam of Light. So, based on this jarring disconnect I experienced, this book is another book in the series that has potentially been published "out of sync". That kind of detail stuff drives me batty.

On the good news front, I am now all caught up with the currently published English translations in this series!

>108 lkernagh: Awesome! You don't have long to wait for the next one as it comes out Feb 5th! I'm the only one on my library's hold list! I don't think the people in my town have discovered the joys of Montalbano!

>109 ChelleBearss: - I am so looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Chelle! Like you, I have already placed my hold with my local library so will probably be reading it in early March after they receive the book and enter it into their system. ;-)

Wishing you a fabulous Sunday!

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Sunday are supposed to be relaxing days. Good thing I didn't have much planned for today as the other half has gone and strained his hamstring so I have an invalid on my hands to fetch and carry for. On the bright side, having him stationary will make it a lot easier for me to vacuum and clean the floors. ;-0

Lori's 2019 Virtual Walking Challenge: Peace Arch to Disneyland via the I-5 S

The goal: To walk, in 2019, the distance it would take me to virtually walk the I-5 from the Peace Arch at the BC/WA border to Los Angeles/Disneyland Park (2,048 KM). Note: While I was trying to find a walk that would be 2,019 KM in length to celebrate the year, this is close enough!

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Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 3 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 47.90
Kilometers walked in total: 121.77
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: South of the Tulalip Resort Casino, heading for Marysville and Everett.
Points of interest along the way: This week my virtual walking took me through Burlington (nicknamed the "Hub City"), a small city in Skagit County that is probably best known to Canadian travellers for its outlet shoppes. According to Wikipedia, Burlington began as a logging camp in 1882 and was officially incorporated on June 16, 1902. Annual event held in Burlington is the summer Berry Dairy Days, started in 1937 as the Strawberry Festival and celebrates Burlington's history of agricultural and farming communities. FUN FACT: A 1954 article reporting on the Berry Dairy Days described a gigantic strawberry shortcake that was the centerpiece of that year's festival: it consisted of 60 sheets of sponge cake that took 12 hours to bake, and claimed to be the largest strawberry shortcake in the world.

Next stop on my walking journey was Mount Vernon, the county seat for Skagit County and is known for its annual Tulip Festival Street Fair. Notable buildings in Mount Vernon includes the historic Lincoln Theatre:


Lincoln Theatre - photo source Jo Mabel - as posted to Wikimedia Commons (GNU Free Documentation License / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Originally built in 1926 as a vaudeville and silent movie house, the Lincoln Theatre continues to host live theatrical performances and concerts. The Lincoln is one of only 98 theatres in the US that still possesses its original Wurlitzer theatre organ, which continues to be played at the start of each performance:


LincolnTheatreWurlitzerConsole - photo source tj9991 - as posted to Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

FUN FACT: Mount Vernon's sister city is Chilliwack, BC.

Rivers crossed this week include the Skagit and the Stillaguamish. The Skagit River is the only large river system in Washington that contains healthy populations of all five native salmon species and two species of trout.

Currently Reading:
...

Audiobook:
Benediction by Kent Haruf - A ROOT read, and as the third book in the Plainsong trilogy, perfect for my 'series' reading category as I continue to binge read my way through Haruf's books. Flipping over to audiobook from trade paperback, thanks to my local library digital offerings!
ebook:
Beyond Farwin Wood by Drea Damara - A November LTER book that finally arrived in my inbox this weekend and book two in the Blinney Lane series. First book, The Weeping Books of Blinney Lane was a fun story so I am looking forward to reading this one!
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Plan to read Part 1 this week to stay on track with the year long group read.
The Likeness by Tana French - A perfect fit as a ROOT read, my "now oldest TBR book" for the TBRCAT (First in/Last out) and, even better, an excuse to get caught up with French's Dublin Murder Squad series, a series I have been reading a bit out of sequence, I have to admit.

>90 lkernagh: Of course, Haruf. I really must check my messages before posting them. Or even after.

Thanks for the link to A Suitable Boy group read. I have this formidable book on my shelf, but may be over-committed this year already. Which is ok for me, as the thread(s) will still be there whenever I get to it.

I enjoy your waking updates! I love reading and learning about new places.

Here’s to more happy reading for you this week.

>112 lkernagh: I hope you enjoy A Suitable Boy. I read it quite a few years ago and loved it.

Hi Lori! another fan of A Suitable Boy! I think that he is supposed to have a sequel out, I will have to look and see....

>113 Matke:, >114 SandDune: and >115 banjo123: - So happy to see all the A Suitable Boy love/interest here! I have the day off tomorrow so I am looking forward to starting the Seth tome tonight.

>113 Matke: - I am really enjoying my 2019 walking challenge. So many interesting things to report on on a weekly basis, so far!

Book #11 - Benediction by Kent Haruf - audiobook narrated by Mark Bramhall
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Author Uses Middle Name or Initial - Alan Kent Haruf
Category: Series
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2013
Acquisition date: May 10, 2014
Page count: 272 pages / 8 hours, 48 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the book back cover:

"Dad Lewis lost his estranged son to an argument, and now after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he knows he will soon lose his life. His wife and daughter work to make his final days comfortable, but subtle changes in their quiet community, like the arrival of a new preacher from Denver, have stirred up dormant memories. Supported by his wife and daughter, and surrounded by the community of friends and neighbors, all of whom are dealing with their own private challenges, Lewis approaches his fate with such reckoning that his story transcends being about death, and becomes instead a touch meditation on the connections, and separations, that make a life."

Review:
While Benediction is the third book in Haruf's Plainsong trilogy, this story is set some 20-30 years after the second book and has a completely different cast of characters, so the common ground in the trilogy appears to be the setting of small town Holt, Colorado. That, and the quiet desperation that haunts certain characters in all three books. Beyond those similarities, Benediction reads very much like a stand alone novel. It takes on a more meditative/ reflective/ melancholy posture, but still employs Harauf's sparse prose. The story weaves through multiple story lines - some connecting, some not - but in the end, this is a story about how some actions, no matter how thoroughly repented, cannot be erased. Sometimes we are denied the very redemption we seek. For these reasons, this is a harder hitting story and really brings home the saying "Time is always shorter than we think".

Of the three books in the trilogy, I have to say, this one did not quite stand up well against the first two books, mainly because, with its billing as the final book in the trilogy, I went in with certain expectations. It really should have been left as a stand alone novel. That way, the book can stand on its own merits and not be compared/ contrasted with the earlier books, like I did.

>79 lkernagh: I need to binge my way through Haruf's books too. I absolutely loved Plainsong.

>86 lkernagh: I already have that one in the BlackHole. Sounds like I need to get around to it soon.

>105 lkernagh: I enjoyed that one when I read it a couple years ago. Not sure when The Olympian Affair , the second book in the series will be available though.

>112 lkernagh: I loved The Likeness when I read it a couple of years ago, but it was a hard read for me personally.

Hi, Lori.

Like you, I enjoyed The Aeronaut's Windlass, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

I think I'm in the minority, but I loved Benediction, and put it right up there with the first two. I'm a pushover for his writing.

>118 alcottacre: - Hi Stasia. Binge reading the Haruf books is something I can recommend. ;-) I hope you find Quiet to be an interesting/informative read. It looks like there is no news as to when book two in the Cinder Spires series will be available - always frustrating and why I usually try to hold off on reading a new series until there are at least three published books in the series. Making note of your reaction to The Likeness. I have had a few reads where I felt a personal impact, some good-some bad.

>119 jnwelch: - Hi Joe, fingers crossed Butcher will have the next book in the Cinder Spires series out soon. Overall Haruf continues to impress me with his writing. He is such a great story teller!

Heya Lori - glad to see you enjoyed Quiet - I read it a few years ago, and found it provided a few interesting insights. I'd mostly consider myself an introvert, but definitely a louder and more extroverted one than some introvert friends. I've definitely been plagued all my life by feedback that I don't speak up enough in group environments, and this book helped me come to peace with this fact, and helped me explain why to a well-meaning extrovert manager. I've been very curious about how the introvert/extrovert traits blend in with autism spectrum traits too, there's definitely some overlap. And ooh, I've been meaning to read A Suitable Boy... perhaps this is the year?

So lovely to see you stopping by, Megan! Quiet is a wonderful read. I think every reader takes away something from it, an that alone is a good thing.

As for the A Suitable Boy group read, feel free to drop in and join the discussion. If you cannot squeeze it in to your RL plans, the thread will be there for future information/comments.

Hi, Lori. So glad you are back with the 75ers this year - I missed your walk updates and your reading. Definitely dropping a star here now that I have gotten around to visiting.

>86 lkernagh: I loved Quiet when I read it - I felt that someone was finally giving introverts some approval to be themselves, in a sense. Even my own mother, who is very extroverted, would try to "fix" me and I can't tell you how many times that several of both of my boys' teachers have said that they would work on getting my son "out of his shell." Yikes!

>66 lkernagh: I also enjoyed the Holmes take on the initial Russell/Holmes meeting. I love when King also includes Holmes' POV in the books, it happens all too infrequently for me!

Lori, I may pop over to The Suitable Boy Group Read from time to time just to reminisce about a fabulous book. I have enjoyed all of Haruf’s books and can see myself reading them again someday. Maybe I’ll do a Binge Read! 😉

So glad you are back, Lori. It's great to have you here. After Dave took his fall, my walking took quite a plunge. I was so anxious for Dave and helping out I have not walked much at all. I'm trying to back into some sort of decent fitness shape and I just got off the treadmill. I kind of envy you reading Benediction. I am afraid I've read all of Kent Haruf books, sad to say.

Hi, Lori! Your information about Burlington (>111 lkernagh:) is very interesting. I'm enjoying your walk.

Good luck on your virtual walk this year! I was going to train for a walking marathon this year, but haven't had much time to train yet. But I just got the ok to exercise last week.

Hi Lori! I'm amazed at how little I knew about Washington State. Mount Vernon's Lincoln Theater sounds like a great tourist attraction. And thanks for the warn-off about the talking c-a-t. I got swept up in the overall happiness and failed to trigger-watch.

Happy week ahead!

Hi Lori - I'm enjoying following your walking and reading. I quite enjoyed Quiet as well although a lot of the information was stuff I'd heard before.

‘Morning, Lori!

>111 lkernagh: The Lincoln Theater and its Wurlitzer are fascinating. I love what you’re doing on your walks and appreciate the effort you put into all the fascinating info you give us.

>112 lkernagh: I’m going to start part 2 of A Suitable Boy today. I’ve had The Likeness on my shelves since 2009 and have no logical explanation for why I haven’t read it yet. I really liked In the Woods.

>65 lkernagh: >92 lkernagh: well, that is nudge if ever there was one. I have the final of the three, and have yet to read it. I think I might have to re-read the first two to get back into the swing in preparation.

After such a crazy week, visitors a lovely surprise gift. Thank you all for stopping by!

>123 rretzler: - Hi Robin, so lovely to see you stopping by! Totally agree with you comments regarding Quiet! We need a balance of all types at the table - not a world same types. Individuality needs to be embraced, with each contributor's strong attribute (be it deep thinker over motivational speaker, etc) being added to the pool of analysis, but that is probably both my introvert and psychology background talking. I am always amazed when I encounter leaders who do not understand that a group of like minded individuals leads to narrow (and potentially faulty) decision-making.

I am going to keep the Russell/ Holmes books on my radar, as I find King really captured the essence of Holmes while still providing such a unique perspective!

>124 Donna828: - That would be fabulous, Donna and do feel free to chime in on the discussion! I finished Part 1 of A Suitable Boy earlier this week and I am already enthralled with the story!

As for the Bingo... I love doing the Bingo reads. The group members choose the categories for each square and there is a nice balance, kind of like a Goldilocks card: Not too easy, not too hard, just right. ;-) Have you found the thread where the three Bingo card options can be found?

>125 vancouverdeb: - Deb, it is wonderful to see you posting here! I have missed the 75 group but it I needed the year away to get my life priorities in order and I am in a better place. I no longer angst over not being able to keep up with the various thread conversations and I will just coast along at my speed. ;-)

I do hope that Dave is on the road to recovery. Tread-milling is a good alternative to outdoor walking but I can see where you would want to stay close and be available if Dave needed anything. Here is hoping you and Poppy(?) are able to enjoy some outdoor walking while we have such wonderful "not winter" weather.

I just finished another Haruf read and I have to say, I am already saddened that I only have two more books and then I will have also read all of his books. Of course, I have not been reading his books in publication order so I am kind of curious to see how his first two books hold up, now that I have read all of the later published books! ;-)

>126 mstrust: - Hi Jenifer! I am hoping I can keep finding interesting fun facts each stage of my virtual walking journey. Glad to see you are enjoy the summaries!

>127 The_Hibernator: - Thanks Rachel! Wow, you are ambitious and kudos to you! And here is am looking at our local 10K walk/run and thinking, "I am not up to that!" Wishing you a great marathon experience. When is the marathon? just wondering how long you have for training.

>128 richardderus: - Hello Richard. You always brighten this thread with your presence. I hear you... I admit to knowing next to nothing about Washington state, which is really sad considering they happen to be a close neighbor of mine for near on 30 years! I have got to quiet being an oblivious traveler (although I will be able to provide some personal experiences when we get to Seattle and Olympia, so all is not lost, just a really big education curve for me.

Happy to see you caught my - ahem - warning about The Aeronaut's Windlass. ;-)

>129 BLBera: - Thanks Beth! Always happy to see another follower for my virtual walking and reading. I am realizing how powerful a read Quiet is, as I can still remember a lot of things that were discussed in the book.

>130 karenmarie: - Hello Karen! I am such a techno and historical geek that the Wurlitzer fascinates me! That kind of history needs to be preserved and I am so glad that the Lincoln Theatre continues to play their heirloom item to this day, and don't just shove it off into some dusty basement, out of sight.

YAY! Yuo are joining us for the A Suitable Boy group read! As for The Likeness still lingering on your TBR shelves, your reason may be similar to mine: Too many books, too little time.

>131 LovingLit: - Hi Megan! Yes, I am hoping that I am pushing some visitors with my nudges for the Haruf books. It is hard to describe but for me Haruf combination of plain language and small town life seem the perfect way to present the challenges his characters face: his stories try to steer clear of any identifiers, so they come across as sparse experiences, like Willa Cather's stories. Not sure if I have pushed you further towards Haruf's stories or farther away with this explanation but "timeless' is a perfect word to describe Haruf's stories.

As for re-reading the first two, I am going to suggest you don't have to, but I did enjoy revisiting ground I had already covered.

Another week down, and another weekend ahead. It has been one of those weeks. Crazy stuff you don't expect to happen but have to push through anyways.

I never know what I will encounter on my walks but my lunchtime walk today had a novelty I was not expecting. Walking through a quiet neighbourhood street near the office, I noticed a parked car that had what appeared to be steam rising up from the front hood. My first thought: overheated radiator. That wasn't the case, as I soon learned from the two men watching the car, one on the phone. Nope. Engine fire. Sure enough, we heard a pop and there was a momentary flame that rose out from under the hood. It took 10 minutes for the fire department to arrive and in that time, I was stunned to see how many cyclists and pedestrians would obliviously approach the car or, even worse, drivers driving past would slow down beside it like moths drawn to a flame - no pun intended but seriously that was what was occurring! I should mention the car was parked on a narrow, one-way street and the three of us had to keep telling everyone to move on and stay clear. Now, this may be just be me, but a car with an engine fire (a lot of smoke and occasional flames licking out) and my personal first instinct is to get clear of the vehicle, just in case, I don't know, it explodes or something. Apparently, I am in a minority for thinking that way. Who knew! Absolutely blows my mind. Good news is the fire crew arrived, put the fire out and the damage was contained to the vehicle and nothing else. The poor owner of the car - a late 20-something guy - showed up while the fire crews were dealing with the situation, but I didn't stick around to find out possible cause or anything. Like I said, some unexpected excitement today.

On the reading front, I am continuing my Kent Haruf binge reading and have another review ready for posting.

Book #12 - Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf - audiobook narrated by Mark Bramhall
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Author
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 179 pages / 3 hours, 28 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"In Holt, Colorado, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis's wife. His daughter lives hours away, her son even farther, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in empty houses, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with. But maybe that could change? As Addie and Louis come to know each other better--their pleasures and their difficulties--a beautiful story of second chances unfolds."

Review:
This is the best Haruf read for me so far, and sadly, the last book of his to be published, that I am aware of anyways. While time seems to stand still in Holt, Colorado – the fictional town Haruf’s stories are set in – Haruf gives us enough subtle clues (like Addie’s 6 year old grandson Jamie having his own cell phone) to place this story squarely in Haruf’s time when he wrote it. This time the main characters are two neighbours, both widowed and in their twilight years. Their platonic nights spent together at Addie’s house give Louis and Addie a new lease on happiness, even if their attempts to keep their nights together unobtrusive fail as the town gossips start to make comments about what “they think” is going on.

As with his other books, this story is multi-generational, with a focus on family and community, but it is not all sweetness and light. In this story, Haruf continues his theme that some of the most destructive elements can be found within one’s own family, and that “family” as a positive support is not necessary determined by blood relation. Some opinions and actions in this story are harsh. It is always shocking to me how people who do not approve of someone else’s behaviour (even when it has nothing to do with them) still feel they have a right to dictate change: “I don’t like what you are doing, so YOU have to change”, with no regard for the thoughts or feelings of the other person. That kind of attitude makes me see red, so my emotions while reading this one went through the whole spectrum of happiness, sadness, anger, grief and laughter. Haruf knows how to emotionally draw me into a story and it was a delightful surprise to discover Haruf delving into a bit of meta-fiction fun at one point with Louis and Addie engaging in a conversation about fictional books about Holt (Plainsong is easily recognizable in their conversation!) and how much they would not want to be the subject of another fictional Holt book.

Beautifully written, this story will hopefully renew your belief in happiness, even if it is never secure and there can be unexpected risks and bumps along the way.

>133 lkernagh: Oh , that is something to see! Unexpected excitement, yes, Lori. I'm glad that you and couple of others stopped to help out. I always think of the so- called " by stander " effect when I see some sort of trouble. I'm sure you've heard of it. The concept that everyone else assumes that someone else will call 911 or spring into action. I always keep that in mind and if I run across a problem, I always try to assist and never assume that someone else will bother.

I really loved Our Souls at Night . Great review.

>133 lkernagh: I remember driving along a dual carriageway on my way to work, when I came across a bus that was on fire. No one was hurt - it was empty and the driver was outside waiting for the fire brigade. I pulled over some distance away waiting for the fire to be put out, as did a lot of other people. But at least 50% of drivers just drove past in the next lane, only feet away. There was no way I was going to do that - what if the fuel tank explodes was what I was thinking.

Lori, you are getting me excited to read my first Haruf this year! Don't know why I've been putting it off, given all the love for him around here.

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

What an exciting walk! I think you're too polite to say that people are dumb ;-D. A few years ago Mike turned into an underpass to find a truck parked and completely on fire in his lane, and the idiot in the left land hit his brakes to sit and watch the fire, which trapped Mike next to it.

Lovely review of Our Souls at Night, Lori. Thumb from me. I got a kick out of that meta-section, too. He was such a special writer.

>135 vancouverdeb: - I agree, Deb. The bystander effect can be a big problem. Besides, it is not like I was rushing into a burning building. I was just trying to keep people from getting to close to a possible explosive situation. ;-)

Our Souls at Night is truly a remarkable read. Haruf captured the situation with such realism, I wondered if he or someone he knew had experienced that form of family/community gossip/control.

>136 SandDune: - I would do the same thing you did, Rhian. I would park my vehicle well back from the situation and wait for the fire crews to deal with the situation. Some people must either be: 1) oblivious to their surroundings (shocking thought when we are talking about drivers on a carriageway!); 2) feel they are impervious to any risk; or 3) find it would inconvenient to their uber busy lives (how dare a vehicle catch on fire when I have to get to _____.) I don't have much patience for people who fall into any of those categories. ;-)

>137 katiekrug: - Your first Haruf, Katie?! You are in for such a treat, especially if your like quiet, contemplative stories (Willa Cather comes to mind with my current Haruf read, The Tie That Binds. My weekend has been pretty good so far. I hope you have been having a lovely weekend as well.

>138 mstrust: - "I think you're too polite to say that people are dumb ;-D." I probably am. As I mentioned to Rhian above, there are some really special people out there that do stupid things like drive passed a vehicle on fire, or as in Mike's situation, insanely stop to watch and box other drivers near the burning vehicle in the process! Darwin's theory of evolution isn't riding us of the stupid ones fast enough. *sighs*

>139 jnwelch: - Thanks Joe and lovely to see you stopping by! Haruf really knew how to tell a story.

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I am having a rather unproductive Saturday. Well, maybe "unproductive" is not the correct term since I did get the usually weekend shopping done as well as two loads of laundry, but other than that, just kind of futzing around, having a lazy weekend. Just shipped the other half off to a gaming night with his buddies, so I might settle in for some chick-flick TV streaming. ;-)

...before I do that, here is the weekly walking and currently reading updates.

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Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 4 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 39.86
Kilometers walked in total: 161.63
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: Squarely within the Seattle metropolitan area, more specifically in the Meridian Park/North City area, due north of Ronald Bog Park.
Points of interest along the way: This week my virtual walking had me traveling past Marysville and Everett, both cities that are captured within the Seattle metropolitan umbrella. According to Wikipedia, Marysville was established in 1872 as a trading post by James P. Comeford, but was not populated by other settlers until 1883, and then incorporated in 1891. Nicknamed "The Strawberry City" due to the abundance of strawberry fields in the area. Marysville holds an annual strawberry festival in the third week of June, which is highlighted by a grand parade on State Avenue and a nighttime fireworks show. The first annual strawberry festival was held in 1932 to celebrate the city's strawberry growing industry, and has only been cancelled during World War II (from 1942 to 1945) and in 1949 due to a polio outbreak. The Marysville skyline is dominated by views of Mount Pilchuck and the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Notable buildings in Marysville include the Marysville Opera House, built by the Independent Order of Oddfellows in 1911 at a cost of $20,000 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982:

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Marysville Opera House exterior/interior - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by SounderBruce/B2 (CC BY-SA 2.0/public domain)

Traveling from Marysville to Everett, one crosses over Union Slough and the Snohomish River, passing near Steamboat Slough. Steamboat Slough is a tidal channel connection the Snohomish River to Puget Sound. According to this 2014 seattlepi.com photo article, countless boats have been abandoned/dumped by uninterested owners, turning the water channels near Spencer Island in to a boat graveyard.

Everett is built on the Port Gardner peninsula. The peninsula was originally inhabited by local Coast Salish tribes, including the Snohomish. Everett is the county seat and largest city in Snohomish County and the seventh largest city in Washington State. American settlement on the Everett peninsula began in the 1860s, with several sawmills built to serve the area's growing timber industry. Everett's economy transitioned away from lumber and towards aviation after World War II, with the construction of Boeing's aircraft assembly plant at Paine Field in 1967. Boeing remains the city's largest employer, alongside the U.S. Navy, which has operated Naval Station Everett since 1992.

Everett is home to the Imagine Children's Museum. The museum is designed as an activity center for children between the ages of one and twelve years, with over 20 exhibits. Some of the exhibits are reflective of life in Snohomish County, including a child-sized airplane cockpit, a bus donated by Everett Transit, and a theater stage. The museum's rooftop was converted into an outdoor playground in 2005, including a two-story wooden tower, climbing wall and other play areas.

Everett has three sister cities:
- Iwakuni located in Yamaguchi, Japan
- Sligo, located in County Sligo, Ireland
- Sovetskaya Gavan, located in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia

Public art always fascinates me, so I was happy to stumble across this one for Everett:


Public art in front of old county courthouse - as posted to Wikipedia Commons by Emersb (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Unfortunately, I have been unable to find out the story behind this piece of public art. If anyone knows, do please post a comment!

Currently Reading:
....

Audiobook:
Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf - A ROOT read and my last Haruf book (*sniffles*), which I will be starting on Monday or as soon as I finish The Tie That Binds. While I can juggle multiple books at a time, I try not to read two books by the same author at the same time.
ebook:
Beyond Farwin Wood by Drea Damara - A November LTER book and book two in the Blinney Lane series. Hoping to get started on this one sometime this week.
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Finished Part 1 last week and I am already sucked into the sweeping family saga this looks to be.
The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf - A ROOT read. Currently 70 pages in and so far, really loving it!
The Likeness by Tana French - Hoping to get started on this one soon as I am close to wrapping up my Kent Haruf binge read and will be switching over to a Tana French binge read. This one will fit as a ROOT read and potentially a January TBRCAT, but only if I manage to get started on it!

Nice review of Our Souls at Night, Lori! I will be reading it later this year for the library's book discussion. I haven't read anything by Haruf, although I've had his novels on my TBR list for years.

One of these days I am going to get to A Suitable Boy! Maybe when I can actually hold it. . .

>143 aktakukac: - Rachel, you are in for such a treat if you have never read any of Haruf's books! Sadly, we lost him too soon.

>144 alcottacre: - LOL, I hear you Stasia on the size of the Seth read! My copy is a trade paperback and even with the larger paper size, it is still a good 2 inches thick.

Book #13 - The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: About or Featuring Siblings
Category: Author
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 1984
Acquisition date: August 24, 2015
Page count: 246 pages
Decimal/ Star rating:4.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Colorado, January 1977. Eighty-year-old Edith Goodnough lies in a hospital bed, IV taped to the back of her hand, police officer at her door. She is charged with murder. The clues: a sack of chicken feed slit with a knife, a milky-eyed dog tied outdoors one cold afternoon. The motives: the brutal business of farming and a family code of ethics as unforgiving as the winter prairie itself. Here, Kent Haruf delivers the sweeping tale of a woman of the American High Plains, as told by her neighbor, Sanders Roscoe. As Roscoe shares what he knows, Edith's tragedies unfold: a childhood of pre-dawn chores, a mother's death, a violence that leaves a father dependent on his children, forever enraged. Here is the story of a woman who sacrifices her happiness in the name of family--and then, in one gesture, reclaims her freedom."

Review:
Having read four of Haruf’s novels before dipping into this, his debut novel, I am immediately struck by two things: how well written this story is, and some stark differences to his later works. If you love Willa Cather’s stories – so far I have only read O’ Pioneers! and My Antonia, both of which are, IMO, fabulous stories – then I think The Tie That Binds may appeal to you. Both Haruf and Cather have a skill for capturing, with eloquence, the lonesomeness of the vast high plains/prairies. Haruf’s story is a story of two families – the Roscoes and the Goodnoughs (with a focus on Edith Goodnough) – and spans some 80 years. While we know right at the start that the story has a tragic event at its root, Haruf’s takes his time telling it, making use of 50 year old Sanders Roscoe as our meandering storyteller. Sanders takes his time because he wants the reader to fully understand the events leading up to that fateful day.

This is a deeply affecting, tragic story with themes of love, loyalty, responsibility and sacrifice. Edith is an amazing character. Her fortitude/ resilience is powerful. So how does this differ from Haruf’s other novels I have read? For me, this story is more focused. Everything dove-tails towards Edith. While Haruf’s stories tend to include difficult family situations, the unrelenting nature of the sadistic/ overbearing influence Edith and her brother endure makes this such a shocking read.

If you are like me and gravitate towards stories, like this one, written in clear, straightforward prose with a raw subject matter that emotionally draws you in, I can highly recommend The Last of the Crazy People by Timothy Findley.

Another nice review of a Haruf book, and another thumb from me, Lori. That's the Haruf I haven't read yet, and it's on my tbr shelf, so I'll read it soonish.

>146 lkernagh: Great review of Haruf stories Lori. I must make sure I have read them all very soon. These are the kind of stories I like too!

Oh, Lori, you've been reading favorites of mine -- I loved the Kent Haruf books. Yes, Our Souls at Night was his last book, published posthumously, I believe. I have not read The Tie that Binds, but I just read and enjoyed My Antonia, so your comment that readers of Cather might enjoy the writing style of this book makes me want to add it to my Ever-Expanding List.

I'm a Montalbano fan, too, so I enjoy your reviews of those, too.

I'm crawling around the threads to say I'm not dead but woefully unread, both books and threads. Happy polar vortex.

>147 jnwelch: - Thanks Joe! Out of all the Haruf books, The Tie That Binds is my favorite. You are in for a real treat with this one!

>148 mdoris: - Thanks Mary, glad you are enjoying following along with my Haruf reading. I would definitely start with The Tie That Binds or Our Souls at Night. I finished my last Haruf read today and have to report that Where You Once Belonged is my least favorite of his novels.

>149 tymfos: - Hi Terri, lovely to see you stopping by and with more Haruf love as well! I still have very clear memories of My Antonia so glad to see that helped add The Tie That Binds to you Ever-Expanding List. ;-)

Montalbano is such fun escapism reading for me. Lovely to see you are also a fan!

>150 richardderus: - Hi Richard, yes that polar vortex is a nasty one! Keep warm and at some point, it too will pass. ;-) I am woefully unread on threads but that has to do with too little time to set aside for LT! Love the picture. I can totally relate to that expression on her face.

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Wow, here we are at month end. I don't know about you, but January just flew by for me! One last review, January wrap-up and updated Currently Reading to enter February coming up.

Book #14 - Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf - audiobook narrated by Kirby Heybourne
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Author
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 1990
Acquisition date: February 8, 2015
Page count: 180 pages / 6 hours, 9 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the panmacmillan.com listing webpage:

"Heavy-built Jack Burdette is quite literally too big for his boots – and too big, certainly, for the small-town attitudes of Holt, Colorado. But when he fails to make the grade as a college footballer, and takes a job with the local farmers’ cooperative, it seems he has finally settled into the rhythm and routine of everyday life. Outward appearances can be deceptive, however, as Jack proves: returning from a weekend conference with a new wife in tow, then leaving her behind and skipping town with a bundle of other folks’ money.

Nearly a decade later, no one has forgiven or forgotten, and when Jack reappears, resentment runs high. Once again though, it is Jack whose presence – even more than his eight-year absence – proves the most devastating.."

Review:
With this one, I have now finished reading all of the novels in Haruf’s oeuvre. Yes, it seems a bit odd to end off with his second book but I wasn’t reading them in publication order. This one did not capture my attention to the same extend as the other books did. With this one, Haruf seems to be experimenting with setting and story structure. Maybe he was still trying to find his writing groove. While still set in the fictional town of Holt, this one takes extra side trips outside of Holt to other urban centres. While this story starts near the ending, once we dip back in time, it has a more traditional story structure with a linear progression of events. I guess every community has its “bad seed/ bad apple”, which in this story is Jack Burdette. Haruf straightforward prose is still evident, but there is an awkwardness to the writing that seems to suit the characters, almost as if the story was writing itself.

While Haruf is known for his seemingly simple stories with some tension/ undercurrent simmering below the surface, this story wasn’t as compelling or, IMO, as powerfully written as his other stories. It is not that I have grown tired of Holt and the town folk. Each of Haruf stories – with the exception of Plainsong and Eventide – is populated with predominantly new characters to get to know and different time periods to settle into (although some time periods across the books do overlap). I just wasn’t that interested in reading a story about a small town high school football player and the decisions he makes. I actually perked up when the town’s hopes for retribution falls apart as it meant that Finally something was going to happen. Well, what happened wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but maybe that is the point. Maybe the story with a message about family and community and the bonds we make like Haruf’s other stories. Maybe in this case, it is about the bonds we break or cannot hold onto, or maybe, it is just a story.

JANUARY RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ:
1. The Fourth Secret by Andrea Camilleri -
2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy -
3. Plainsong by Kent Haruf -
4. Beekeeping for Beginners by Laurie R. King -
5. A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri -
6. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain -
7. Eventide by Kent Haruf -
8. A Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri -
9. The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher -
10. The Pyramid of Mud by Andrea Camilleri -
11. Benediction by Kent Haruf -
12. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf -
13. The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf -
14. Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf -

January STATS:
No. of Books read: 14
ROOTs read: 5
Largest book read by page count: - The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher at 643 pages
Smallest book read by page count: - The Fourth Secret by Andrea Camilleri at 77 pages
# Pages read: - 3,798 pages
Average # pages per book read: - 404 pages
Average # pages read per book: - 271 pages
Average # pages read per day: - 123
Audiobooks / eBooks / Physical Books: - 4/2/8 - with two books being counted as audioreads to get physical reads off my TBR pile.
Male vs. Female Authors: - 11 vs.3 - not surprising given my Andrea Camilleri and Kent Haruf binge reading during the month.
Fiction vs. Non-Fiction Reads: - 13 vs. 1
Average Decimal/ Star rating for books read: 3.86 out of 5 /
Publication date range of books read: 1984 to 2015

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race - January Update:

Well, not surprising, "Pot of Gold" is currently in the lead but "Lucky Shamrock" is keeping the gap between them narrow. This could shift as February my planned author/series binge reading is Tana French's stand alone novel as well as getting caught up with reading her Dublin Murder Squad series by reading The Secret Place and The Trespasser. Tana French's books - while page turning reads for me - are nice and thick on page count, so a possible turnover in lead could occur in February. As I stated at the start of the year, it is anyone's guess who will win!

Currently Reading:
..

Audiobook:
TBD
ebook:
Beyond Farwin Wood by Drea Damara - A November LTER book and book two in the Blinney Lane series. Yes, I will get around to starting this one,at some point... maybe this weekend.
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Hoping to start reading Part 2 this weekend.
The Likeness by Tana French - Currently 130ish pages into this one and loving being back in French's police procedural world! NO way I will finish it for the January TBRCAT, but will still count as a ROOT read and the lead in to my next author/series binge read.

Yeah, Where You Once Belonged is my least favorite of his books, Lori. Good review. Maybe it was his choice of main character. It just didn't grab me like the others. That's actually what made me hesitate to read The Tie That Binds, but now you've got me looking forward to that one.

>155 jnwelch: - So glad to see that your experience with Where You Once Belonged was similar to mine, Joe. If I were to list the Haruf books in descending order of preference, it would look something like this:

1. The Tie That Binds
2. Our Souls at Night
3. & 4. Tie for Plainsong and Eventide - but my nod goes to Plainsong first
5. Benediction
6. Where You Once Belonged

I hope you enjoy - not the right word, maybe appreciate? - The Tie That Binds as much as I did, when you get around to reading it.

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It is the weekend, and even better, it is a wet, rainy night and the forecast is for cooler temps (nothing near what everyone caught in the polar vortex is experiencing!) and the "potential" for some snow on Sunday night. As an Alberta/prairie girl, I kind of miss the snow living on the island so I am giddy with excitement that the white stuff might actually come (even if it won't last). I have Monday off so "someone" is looking forward to a day or two spend in pajamas surrounded by books and some Acorn TV streaming.

On the reading front, I took a quick peek at my various early reviewer books and suddenly realized that February will be my Tana French and early reviewer book month. Only digression planned so far for February is to curl up with the latest Flavia de Luce mystery by Alan Bradley, The Golden Tresses of the Dead.
*BAG = Big Ass Grin*

BAG , Lori! I have in my possession The Golden Tresses of the Dead. Did you think I could resist? :-) I was reading the Vancouver Sun earlier today and Alan Bradley explains that it is his last book in the series. It should be interesting. Alan Bradley is 80 and apparently just started writing at the age of 67. There is hope for us. Yes, I am enjoying Once upon a River. I suspect you will enjoy it too. Nice Kent Haruf binge. I enjoyed his books too, but have not read Where You Once Belonged, so I cannot comment on that one.

>157 vancouverdeb: - I started the Bradley book this afternoon. Already loving it. So sad to learn that this one may be the final book in the series, but as you say, Bradley is 80 years old so maybe not surprising he wants to "retire", but still sad news.

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Happy Sunday and Happy Super Bowl Sunday for all who like to watch. I take advantage of this day to get in a lot of reading time, so I am always happy when Super Bowl Sunday rolls around. Time for a walking update and, because I am enjoying my binge (project) reading so much, I will do a slight intro to my Tana French project read, listing the books, the ones I have read so far and the star ratings/reviews for those earlier read books.

Lori's 2019 Virtual Walking Challenge: Peace Arch to Disneyland via the I-5 S

The goal: To walk, in 2019, the distance it would take me to virtually walk the I-5 from the Peace Arch at the BC/WA border to Los Angeles/Disneyland Park (2,048 KM). Note: While I was trying to find a walk that would be 2,019 KM in length to celebrate the year, this is close enough!.






Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 5 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 45.27
Kilometers walked in total: 206.90
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: South of Seattle- Tacoma (SeaTac) International Airport, due west of Kent and heading for Federal Way and Tacoma.
Points of interest along the way: Seattle is a lovely weekend getaway spot for Victoria residents like me, especially with the Victoria Clipper, a passenger ferry operating daily service between downtown Victoria and downtown Seattle.

According to Wikipedia, Seattle's official nickname is "The Emerald City" but it is also known as the "Gateway to Alaska". Seattle has 21 sister cities (wow!) and is the seat of King County with an estimated resident population of 730,000, a drop in the bucket compared with the metropolitan area's population of 3.87 million. The area was inhabited, based on archaeological excavations, by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years. First European visitor was explorer George Vancouver in 1792. The area's first permanent European settlers, Arthur Denny and the Denny Party, settled in the area in 1852.

Logging was Seattle's first major industry to be replaced with shipbuilding and commerce during the Klondike Gold Rush. Growth in the region after WWII was due in part to Boeing, which had established Seattle as a centre for aircraft manufacturing. Other large multinational corporations that were founded in the region include: Microsoft, Amazon, clothing manufacturer Eddie Bauer and coffee icon Starbucks.

Seattle has a noteworthy musical history and had a strong jazz night club scene from the 1920s to the 1950s. Seattle is the birth place of rocker Jimi Hendrix and the origin of bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters.

Books I have read set (or partially set) in Seattle that I can recommend include:
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford - set in the 1930's depression era with fabulous descriptions of Chinatown and the theatre district;
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple - which takes fun swipes at Seattle's high tech sector;
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - a Dystopian steampunk alternate history where Seattle is a walled city with air ship pirates and zombies (cannot forget the zombies!)

My "must visit" place every trip to Seattle includes Pike Place Market, a public market that overlooks the Elliot Bay waterfront. The market opened on August 17, 1907 and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the United States.


Pike Place Market - as posted to Flickr by Kirt Edblom (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Of course, if you visit Pike Place Market, you might as well stop by the Market Theater Gum Wall located in Post Alley under the market Fun Fact: In 2009, the gum wall was named one of the top 5 germiest tourist attractions, second to the Blarney Stone in Ireland.


Gum Wall - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Tana French - Author/Series Project Read:

Dublin Murder Squad Series:

.....

In The Woods - Read Jan 29 to Feb 11, 2016 - 4.20 out of 5.00 /
The Likeness - Currently reading
Faithful Place - Read Mar 13 to Mar 18, 2018 - 4.85 out of 5.00 /
Broken Harbour - Read Mar 22 to Mar 27, 2018 - 4.15 out of 5.00 /
The Secret Place - To read
The Trespasser - To read

Stand Alone Novels:



The Witch Elm - To read

--------------------------------

Previous Reviews:


In the Woods - 4.20 out of 5.00 /
I do like to read the occasional police procedural but only occasionally as I tend to find them rather grim, dark and gritty reads. Some of them can also be rather graphic in their descriptions of the crime. That doesn't sit well with me. French’s novel has all of the elements of a police procedural that I enjoy - the investigation into the crime scene, the rounding up of suspects and the questioning of witnesses/neighbours – with the grim, gritty and graphic aspects muted and not in your face every page. What makes this one even better than the average police procedural read for me is the focus French places on the relationship between the two lead detectives, Cassie and Ryan, and the sharp introspective detail of Ryan’s narrative. It is a slow-building story, another aspect I appreciated as I am not a big fan of stories that are all about adrenaline pumping action. I like my mysteries/thrillers to be sleepers, more about getting analytical and figuring out the details, not the ‘shoot first and ask questions later’ stuff. French really knows how to build the psychological profile of the character while still stringing the readers along, letting them think they have a handle on the situation. The only quibbles I have are my dislike of some choices made by Ryan and how he tries to justify those choices/decisions. Well done, but just rubs me the wrong way and lead me to dislike Ryan as a character.


Faithful Place - 4.85 out of 5.00 /
French knows how to weave a spellbinding story! The "who dun it" bit was not a huge surprise but French focuses more on building the psychological profiles of her complicated characters than on hiding the mystery to the bitter end. Even so, she can really sling some fascinating 'whiplash' surprises to grab the reader's attention. Family dynamics can always be complicated, but trust French to ensnare those complications into an amazing web of secrets and deceit. At one point, I really started to wonder if I even knew which way was up... and kudos to French for twisting this reader around so much!

Definitely a brilliantly written crime story that had my full attention. Can recommend this as a great mystery/crime read for anyone looking for a different December/Christmas based story. Thankfully, French's Dublin Murder Squad series is really a loosely based series, because I still need to go back and read The Likeness... yes, I am reading this series a bit out of order.


Broken Harbour - 4.15 out of 5.00 /
With this installment in the Dublin Murder Squad series, French continues to delve deep into the psyche of her characters, something she does so darn well! This time, we get to learn more about Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy, the homicide detective from French's earlier published book, Faithful Place. Scorcher's own fractured family life - past and present - comes into play, even as he drives himself to clear a high profile murder case with a rookie detective still wet behind the ears for a partner.

French has a skill for setting the scene. For me, it is not about the murder or solving the crime. It is all about the characters and the psychology... getting inside the characters' minds to learn what drives them to do the things they do and to make the decisions they make. French brings a level of hard reality to her stories and this time, the list of damaged individuals runs rather high, making this a glum, depressing read for me. I tend to struggle with books where everyone is hurting, at some level and there is no "happy solution" - no grand satisfaction on solving the murder - more a deadening realization that this is one of those "no win" train wrecks that just stab you in the gut. It takes skill to write such an story and still keep my attention.

If you like gritty police procedural with a dark, psychological edge to them, you will probably appreciate this one.

Great reviews of Tana French's works. I have yet to read any of them. The Witch Elm has caught my attention. I can't believe you have read the series out of order! ;-) Horrors, Lori! I'll look forward to your review of The Likeness .

>146 lkernagh: I have not read that Haruf book, so I am going to have to track a copy of it down. I am a big Willa Cather fan. Thanks for the recommendation, Lori.

Nice to see your "visit" to Seattle. I'm enjoying your stops along your walk. I glimpsed a bit of the gum wall as we were walking, knew what it was, and passed on by because I didn't want to go examine all that chewed germy-ness.

Wow, the Tana French books have garnered a lot of stars, Lori. My book club is reading the first one this year. I can't wait.

>161 vancouverdeb: - Thanks Deb, I hope the reviews have been enticing you to possibly dip into French's Dublin Murder Squad series, especially if you like your police procedural to have a strong psychological/ profiling aspect to the investigation. I have to admit, I did not intent to read the series "out of order"... more due to the library system have audiobooks formats for books #3 and #4 (but not #2). My reading is now roughly 50% audiobook so I back pedaled to read The Likeness, after listening to Faithful Place and Broken Harbour. Good news: this is one of those loosely connected series (different protagonist for each story) so you don't miss a lot if rabbit hop your way through the series. Suggestion: Start with the books with the highest star rating. ;-) The Likeness review: Coming up!

>162 alcottacre: - I hope you are able to locate a copy of The Tie That Binds, Stasia. Absolutely brilliant story. Just be prepared that some of the descriptions (certain accidents, actions) are rather graphic but it is the graphic nature of those descriptions (against a prairies/ High Plains backdrop) that made this such a compelling read for me.

>163 mstrust: - Thanks Jennifer. I could have written a long winded post for Seattle - love the city! - but thought I would limit it to some high points. Smart move to steer clear of the gum wall. ;-)

>164 BLBera: - Hi Beth, I am so excited that your book club will be reading In The Woods this year! Not my favorite but a solid debut novel that will hopefully entice you to dip further into the Dublin Murder Squad series. Maybe I can entice you with my review for The Likeness (see below)?

---------------------------
It is Tuesday and that is about all I have to report. Well, that and that there was a thin layer of ice on the water in the Inner Harbour as I was walking to work this morning. Winter was just a tad slow in showing up on the island this year.

.... How about I direct your attention to my most recent review instead (see below).

Book #15 - The Likeness by Tana French
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2008
Acquisition date: May 16, 2010
Page count: 466 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the book back cover:

"Six months after a particularly nasty case, Detective Cassie Maddox has transferred out of Dublin's Murder squad and has no plans to go back. That is, until an urgent telephone call summons her to a grisly crime scene.

It's only when she sees the body that Cassie understands the hurry. The victim, a young woman, is Cassie's double and carries ID identifying herself as Alexandra Madison, an alias Cassie once used on an undercover job. Suddenly, Cassie must discover not only who killed this girl but, more importantly, who is this girl? And as reality and fantasy become desperately tangled, Cassie moves dangerously close to losing herself forever."

Review:
This is probably the first time I have ever used the term “pitch perfect” to describe a novel. I absolutely loved everything about this story. This one is a slow building, psychological suspense story. French takes her time to really lay the foundation, setting up a highly atmospheric, Gothic-styled murder mystery to solve. Yes, there is a crumbling mansion (Whitethorn House), a secluded location of labyrinthine lane-ways, a village that freezes out the newcomers and enough secrets (“No pasts”, Daniel keeps intoning) to keep a reader happily guessing alongside our protagonist. Normally that would be enough to provide for a satisfying suspenseful story, but the twist employed by French – that the dead girl bears an uncanny resemblance to detective Cassie Maddox (the titled “likeness”) – sets in motion an undercover tight rope walk that notches up the suspense, as the smallest slip up could blow Cassie’s cover. As Cassie immerses herself into her role, the reader experiences the allure of the life Lexie and her friends have created for themselves, even if that bucolic image has a dark thread woven through it. As with other novels in the Dublin Murder Squad series, we encounter the dance of some detectives: Frank (undercover operation lead) likes to run things his way and not always by the book while Cassie starts to withhold certain information for her own reasons as she develops a close relationship with the enigmatic suspects. The group dynamics – something French has a knack for – are just as enthralling as the mystery itself.

Overall, a fabulous follow up to French’s debut novel, In the Woods. For those of you new to the Dublin Murder Squad series, this is a loosely connected series. Each book has a different lead protagonist and while it might help to read the books in publication order, it is not necessary.

>166 lkernagh: "Pitch perfect" is extremely high praise indeed. I am always buoyed up when someone reports one of these peak reading experiences. Yay Lori! And may Wintertime wear her 50lb leg weights as she moves into your area.

>166 lkernagh: Good review, Lori. Dublin Murder Squad noted down for when I am ready for my next mystery series.

>167 richardderus: - Hi RD, it is a gem of a book, if you like in-depth psychological profile style for police procedural stories, like I do. ;-)

LOL, how did you know we were destined to get winter, just like everyone else? Okay, not like everyone else but still we did have the white stuff falling today and the winds are now picking up. Time to batten down the hatches and hunker down for a lazy weekend of reading and TV viewing, I think.

>168 FAMeulstee: - Thanks Anita. I will be binge reading my way through the remaining Tana French books this month, if that helps any.

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Well, today was a snowy, windy Friday. Super quiet in the office (love when that happens!) and no special plans for the weekend, especially as the currently slushy road and sidewalk conditions will be deteriorating to rutted ice over night. Not the best for walking or driving so a perfect opportunity to have a long lie in bed tomorrow morning. ;-)

Book #16 - The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Cover Has At Least 2 Human Figures
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Hard cover
Original publication date: 2019
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 301 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Flavia de Luce, the twelve-year-old chemist and amateur detective, is eager to turn professional. She and her father's valet, Dogger, have founded a detective agency, Arthur Dogger & Associates, and unexpectedly cut into their first case during the revelry at her sister Ophelia's wedding reception. After an eventful ceremony with a missing best man and spontaneous ventriloquist act, spirits are high as Feely and her new husband head for the towering and beautifully iced wedding cake. But as Feely slices into the first piece, a scream rings out--the bridal cake contains a severed human finger. Delighted, Flavia wraps the finger in a napkin and whisks it away to her chemical laboratory. By studying the embalmed skin, the indentation of a ring and the slope of the fingernail, she'll not only be able to determine the identity of the victim--but also point a finger at a killer."

Review:
I do enjoy my visits to Bishop’s Lacey (and environs) through Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series. With this one, I found myself missing the younger, more precocious Flavia of the earlier books in the series. Yes, I know the character should be growing up as the stories progress, but Flavia now seems to be in that awkward phase of coming across sometimes as wiser/kinder beyond her years and other times as highly immature. I don’t recall seeing mention of her age in the book but if she is still a pre-teen (12 years old?) than this probably makes sense. While we have Flavia’s young cousin, Undine to try and fill Flavia’s earlier precociousness, Undine comes across as a manipulating annoyance, at least she does to me. Also missing – except for one delightful spat between Flavia and Ophelia (Feely) at the start – the story is pretty much devoid of the charged sibling squabbles and pranks, another aspect of the earlier Flavia books that I so enjoyed. As for the mysteries to be solved – yes, there is more than one – the murder is well crafted, where as the “surprise” found in the wedding cake is like some strange add-on to the story. While it is nice to see Dogger playing a more prominent role in this one, it is obvious his role is to be the guiding hand behind the investigations.

Overall, not sure I can given this one more than a nodding acceptance, making me hearken back to the Flavia and crew of the earlier books in the series.

>170 lkernagh: Well, he *is* 81 and this *is* the ninth book in the series, so one expects the idea to wear a bit thin about now. I wonder what ever happened to Sam Mendes's idea of turning the books into a series of TV films.

>171 richardderus: - Good points RD. One can always hope that a series will continue to carry the aspects we love (yes, I am being selfish and what the aspects of the story that I love to continue), but as you say, the author is 81 and it may be time to call an end to the series. That would mean one more series all caught up with by my reading tally and I am good with that!

Book #17 - The Secret Place by Tana French - audiobook narrated by Stephen Hogan and Lara Hutchinson
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: TBRCAT - A Borrowed Book
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2014
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 480 pages - 20 hours, 36 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"A year ago a boy was found murdered at a girlsʼ boarding school, and the case was never solved. Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to join Dublin’s Murder Squad when sixteen-year-old Holly Mackey arrives in his office with a photo of the boy with the caption: “I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM.” Stephen joins with Detective Antoinette Conway to reopen the case—beneath the watchful eye of Holly’s father, fellow detective Frank Mackey. With the clues leading back to Holly’s close-knit group of friends, to their rival clique, and to the tangle of relationships that bound them all to the murdered boy, the private underworld of teenage girls turns out to be more mysterious and more dangerous than the detectives imagined."

Review:
Given that French tries something new/different with each of her books, it was not surprising that she makes use of a different narrative strategy with this one. This time, the story alternates between two different chronological timelines: events leading up to the murder and the ramp up of a year old investigation when new evidence suddenly crops up. The big question is: does this narrative strategy work? Answer: kind of does. The reader is slowly exposed to pre-murder events and the post-murder questioning, allowing French latitude to make the reader privy to more information than any single character has access to. French has brought back Frank Mackey (Frank now holds the record as the character to crop up the most frequently of all of the characters in the Dublin Murder Squad series), but the investigation team is a interesting mix: Cold Case detective Stephen Moran and Murder Squad detective Antoinette Conway. Both want desperately to prove themselves - Moran wants out of Cold Case and into Murder and Conway is still new to the Murder squad and has yet to prove herself - so this case means A LOT to both of them. French is really good at interpersonal dynamics so not surprisingly, there is a fair bit of focus on the Moran/Conway team as they learn, over the course of one day, how to work together effectively. The case is a good one but this story really dragged for me. I am just not that interested in teenage group dynamics, especially when your line of suspects is a group of girls with posh, private school attitudes (some with more attitude than others, but still, not something easy for the detectives to investigate). Added wild card is Frank Mackey's daughter Holly, the one who brought the new evidence to Moran's attention but I just wasn't that interested in the whole teenage social cliques, boy/girl and peer group dynamics.

Overall, the weakest book in the Dublin Murder Squad series so far, for me, but I would definitely read another book with the Moran/Conway detective team. I like their interpersonal dynamics.

Saw some photos from friends of mine who now live in Victoria. The snow sure does look pretty. Meanwhile I woke up to -31C. Thankfully it's the weekend and I can hermit like I've wanted to all week.

>173 lkernagh: Well reviewed indeed! I'm immune to the book bullet, thankfully, but your appreciation is evident and well argued.

>166 lkernagh: Dang. I know I have that one lying around here somewhere, and now I have to go find it! Great review.

>170 lkernagh: Eeee, new Flavia, excitement... followed by begrudging acceptance that the series will probably never be what it once was, and that I should probably lower my expectations accordingly. The early books were just so wonderful!

>174 MickyFine: Stupid -31C. Hermitting can be good, but for me tends to lead to realisations that my car won't start, and I have neither coffee nor food in the house. And that I will only be warm enough if snuggled under a blanket. And then the offspring starts going mad with cabin fever.

>174 MickyFine: - It does look pretty when the snow falls in Victoria, Micky. Sadly, most people here don't know how to drive in snow (and a lot don't think about winter or all season tires for the cars) so it can be a bit treacherous. Friday the snow was more a slushy mess on the roads. I have a bunch of work colleagues who cycle to work and some of them were concerned about the accumulation of slush in the bike lanes, etc. -30'C is cold! Hermitting is the perfect past time for that kind of weather. Winter has really hit Alberta so far this month, hasn't it? I just got off the phone with my dad in Calgary and his outside temp gauge says it is -27'C right now but with the wind chill it is -40'C. His plans today are to stay indoors and read a good book. My dad is where I get my "reading genes" from. ;-)

>175 richardderus: - Thanks Richard! I am seriously overdue to a visit to your thread. Will do that this morning, promise!

>176 Berly: - Go find that book, Kim! I think you will really like The Likeness.

>177 evilmoose: - Hi Megan. I know... Flavia! Always sad when a series starts to loose its spark. Cabin fever and lack of essentials are always the downsides to hermitting, especially if you need the car to get to the store. I remember when I first moved to Victoria many, many years ago and sold my Alberta car, the buyer did not know what a block heater was and was questioning this "thing" in the engine compartment. ;-)

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Happy Sunday everyone! Yesterday (starting Friday evening, actually) was quite the wild weather ride! I don't mind the occasional skiffs of snow falling, but 90km winds gusts I could have done without. The winds finally let up early this morning and so far we have wonderful blue skies but the forecast is for more snow this evening. Oh well, it is February and still winter. Of course, the cherry blossoms that budded out at the end of January are probably not amused with the turn in the weather. ;-) I bought new winter boots (London Fog Andes II) back in December 50% off so happy to have the opportunity to make use of them now:



On the home front, noticed last week that my oven wasn't quite working properly. Discovered that the temperature sensor is no longer kicking in to regulate the temperature (basically it doesn't matter what I set the temp to, the oven just keeps on heating) so will have a technician out this week to check it and see if it can be repaired or if the oven needs to be replaced. Not overly inconvenienced as the stove top still works fine and we have a counter top convection oven. It's not like I am planning on doing any baking in the next little while, so making do.

Time for a walking and Currently Reading update. Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead!

Lori's 2019 Virtual Walking Challenge: Peace Arch to Disneyland via the I-5 S

The goal: To walk, in 2019, the distance it would take me to virtually walk the I-5 from the Peace Arch at the BC/WA border to Los Angeles/Disneyland Park (2,048 KM). Note: While I was trying to find a walk that would be 2,019 KM in length to celebrate the year, this is close enough!

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Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 6 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 42.09
Kilometers walked in total: 248.99
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: South of Lakewood, due southeast of American Lake, heading for Dupont and Olympia.
Points of interest along the way::
Federal Way strikes me as a very interesting name. It is a city in King county - I love the fact that I seem to get to enter new counties almost every weekly update! - but I should point out that Federal Way is still considered to be within the greater Seattle metropolitan area. So what makes Federal Way special? Originally a logging settlement, the area was first called Federal Way in 1929. It's name is derived from Federal Highway U.S. 99. The area was incorporated (after numerous previous attempts) in 1990. As a nod to its logging history, Federal Way has a large public log clock:


Federal Way Log Clock - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Vmenkov (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Federal Way's motto is "Its all within reach". With a population of roughly 95,000 the bigger attractions for the area include the Wild Waves Theme Park, owned by Six Flags:


Hooks Lagoon at Wild Waves - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Jeff Sandquist (CC BY 2.0)

Next stop on the walking journey is Tacoma. Interestingly, Tacoma is located in Pierce county - two counties in one week! - and is the county seat. According to Wikipedia, Tacoma adopted its name after the nearby Mount Rainier, originally called Takhoma or Tahoma. Here is an impressive shot of Mount Rainer with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the foreground:


As posted to Flickr by Washington State Department of Transportation (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Tacoma is locally known as the "City of Destiny" because the area was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century. In 2006, Tacoma was listed as one of the "most walkable" cities in the country (something this walker likes to see!)

Fun Fact: Notable people associated with Tacoma, WA include the singer/actor Bing Crosby, and actors Dyan Cannon and Blair Underwood.

Currently Reading:
..

Audiobook:
The Trespasser by Tana French - Last book in her Dublin Murder Squad series. So far two chapters in so still getting settled into the story but very happy to see that detectives Moran and Conway are back!
ebook:
Beyond Farwin Wood by Drea Damara - A November LTER book and book two in the Blinney Lane series. I finally started reading this one yesterday afternoon while doing some laundry and happily getting re-acquainted with the residents of Blinney Lane.
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Finished Part 2 yesterday and really loving the descriptive details. Trying to keep straight the growing list of characters... thank goodness for the family trees in the start of the book!

I am so pleased that you are enjoying A Suitable Boy!

>180 lkernagh: Federal Way! I had an aunt who lived there. Sad story: Flight attendant aunt marries pilot, has kids, then a stroke; husband leaves her for a "whole woman," ends up dying early leaving *her* the new woman's kid to raise! (She ran off.)

Enjoy A Suitable Boy as much as such a sad tale can be "enjoyed."

Well, I caught a book bullet from you in the form of The Likeness- touchstones are not working. I'd thought about Tana French before, but never got round to reading anything by her. Of course I have to start with the first book. I really enjoyed the Golden Tresses, but hey, we are different with our taste in books. Brr , we finally have snow and it's cold and it's sticking around. The treadmill is coming in handy.

I'm enjoying your Tana French reading . . . I listened to Broken Harbour on audiobook a few years ago and thought it was brilliant, and then a while later I read In the Woods, which I found disappointing. I will eventually get to the others (I know I own some of them, somewhere in my bookshelves), but I haven't been in a hurry to get back after the mediocrity of her debut novel. You've encouraged me to give her another try.

>181 banjo123: - Hi Rhonda! I am loving the rich details and Seth's writing style. So much to take in!

>182 richardderus: - That is a really sad story, RD. Your poor aunt being abandoned and then saddled with the other woman's kid. Good grief!

So far no sadness in the story but good to know that I might need to prepare myself for some emotions.

>183 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb! Touchstones have been a bit finicky lately, for some strange reason. I think you would really enjoy The Likeness. Glad to see you enjoyed the latest Flavia story. So the snow finally showed up, did it? Does Poppy join you on the treadmill, or is that just for your use? ;-)

>184 Nickelini: - Hi Joyce, I am having a lot of fun with my binge reading year and always happy to learn some folks, like you, are following along. I am finding that French's stories can be a bit "hit and miss". So far, my favorites have been The Likeness and Faithful Place. Because French keeps mixing things up, there are chances that the books I like are not favorites with other readers.

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Enjoying a "work from home" Monday, not because of the snow that fell last night but because I have a parcel out for delivery that needs some one home to receive. My own fault for not selecting "pick up at store" when I placed the online order last week.

Well I don't know why it took me so long to get here but I'm here now Lori and will try to keep up. I've read and enjoyed three of the Tana French books and have two more on my shelf but seem to have stalled. I'll have to pick one up and read. I notice on your list of favorites from 2018 you have two of my favorites, The Other Side Of The Bridge and Late Nights On Air which is one of my favorite books....ever. Just loved it. And I've read all of Mary Lawson's books and loved them all. I just wish she'd write faster. I should also mention A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, another favorite from a few years ago.

Enjoyed your virtual walk. I visited Vancouver a few years ago and crossed over from Seattle so I may have followed your walk for a bit. I'm a Walter myself so I appreciate your efforts.

Hi Lori! I really enjoyed your comments in >146 lkernagh: on the Kent Haruf books. I am nearly through all of his books - slowing down because I will regret being finished with them. I don't think I've actually read The Tie That Binds yet. I do love WIlla Cather, and while I love her prairie books, my favorites of hers are Death Comes for the Archbishop and Shadows on the Rock. She writes about places so beautifully.

You also got me with >146 lkernagh: The Last of the Crazy People. If you are like me and gravitate towards stories, like this one, written in clear, straightforward prose with a raw subject matter that emotionally draws you in, I can highly recommend The Last of the Crazy People by Timothy Findley.
Yes, please!

>186 brenzi: - Hi Bonnie, lovely to see you here! Mary Lawson is a fabulous writer! Like you, I have read all of her books and wish she would write faster. ;-) Always nice to have a fellow walker following my walking journey. Not sure how much walking I will get in this week... snow is hampering my walking just a tad.

>187 AMQS: - Hi Anne. I am saddened that I have finished reading Haruf's oeuvre and there will be no more books. ;-( Death Comes for the Archbishop was my very first Cather read. I have made note of Shadows on the Rock and will see if I can borrow that through my local library system. I hope you "enjoy" the Findley book if you get a chance to read it. "Enjoy" is the best word but I am still drinking my first cup of coffee and not firing on all cylinders yet.

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Winter has taken hold of the west coast. I had a wonderful snow-filled walk into work this morning. Saw a snowman standing beside one of the bus shelters and took a picture, but not able to share it here at the moment. Will do so later if i remember.

Thankfully, the drivers that were on the road were driving slow and cautiously. Even better, I did not encounter any cyclists or joggers. Even with proper winter tires, the roads are in no condition for cyclists and drivers to be sharing the roads.

Hi Lori!

>133 lkernagh:, >140 lkernagh: Residual Pinhead Slowing. I don’t know who coined the phrase, but I heard it in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

I've tagged The Likeness "2019 read" to remind myself about it.

You remind me that I need to get back to Tana French sometime!

>188 lkernagh: I hope you can find Shadows on the Rock, Lori. I am a confirmed Canadaphile, and read it a few months after my family visited Quebec City for the first time. We still think of that as one of our favorite family trips, and even though she's describing Quebec from hundreds of years before, I could still"see" it vividly through her writing.

Sadly,no, Poppy will not join me on the treadmill, though I have dreamed of that being a solution in bad weather. Yes, just tie her up to the the treadmill and see how she enjoys that ;-) She is mildly interested in watching the contraption for a while, but it ends there. Perhaps if I dangled a yummy treat in front of nose , Poppy might take up the treadmill. At first it seemed that she had forgotten what snow was and was not keen at all, but she has warmed up to it in the past day or so. Dave takes her out in the slippery mess.

Happy Valentine's Day!! ❤️💚💗💙

>189 karenmarie: - LOL, I love that phrase! "Residual Pinhead Slowing". I need to figure out how to work it into a conversation. ;-)

>190 ChelleBearss: - Hi Chelle, always happy to help with reminders. ;-)

>191 AMQS: - Hi Anne, my local library does not have a copy of Shadows on the Rock but I see that it was first published in 1931, and is available as a free download from Project Gutenberg here in Canada so, I just need to remember to download it when I get home tonight, or sometime this weekend, so I have it. Cather does write in a wonderfully descriptive way of the place and people in her stories.

>192 vancouverdeb: - Darn, Like you I was kind of hoping Poppy would treat herself to walks indoors whenever the mood struck her.... definitely not like our pet gerbils when I was a little girl. They would hope on that wheel and just give'r, of course, it would usually be in the middle of the night, so their cage was moved downstairs so we could sleep at night!

>193 ChelleBearss: - Happy Valentine's Day, Chelle!

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Well, I thought after three days of snow we were finally finished, but nope. We have another snow fall warning for this evening and overnight. I can see the snow coming down as I type so I guess they were correct. Another evening of snow.

>194 lkernagh: Sno-Begone *whammy*s for your winter-weary self.

>195 richardderus: - That would be lovely, RD but we are stuck with the "white fluffy stuff" coming down, at least for tonight. I don't mind the big, fluffy flakes when I am at home and can curl up in a chair beside the window with a cup of tea and just take it all in. ;-)

Book #18 - The Trespasser by Tana French - audiobook narrated by Hilda Fay
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2016
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 464 pages - 20 hours, 6 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Being on the Murder squad is nothing like Detective Antoinette Conway dreamed it would be. Her partner, Stephen Moran, is the only person who seems glad she’s there. The rest of her working life is a stream of thankless cases, vicious pranks, and harassment. Antoinette is savagely tough, but she’s getting close to the breaking point. Their new case looks like yet another by-the-numbers lovers’ quarrel gone bad. Aislinn Murray is blond, pretty, groomed to a shine, and dead in her catalogue-perfect living room, next to a table set for a romantic dinner. There’s nothing unusual about her—except that Antoinette’s seen her somewhere before. And that her death won’t stay in its neat by-numbers box and everything they find out about Aislinn takes her further from the glossy, passive doll she seemed to be. Antoinette knows the squad harassment has turned her paranoid, but she can’t tell just how far gone she is as she notices a shadowy figure that has taken to lurking at the end of her road. Is this case another step in the campaign to force her off the squad, or are there darker currents flowing beneath its polished surface?"

Review:
I was super excited when I discovered that Moran and Conway – the detectives on the case in The Secret Place – were back in this latest installment in Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series. I was a little bummed that the story is being told from the point of view of Conway as I find Moran a more interesting character but mixing things up is in keeping with French’s habit of always doing something different with each book. The murder is a good one, starting out looking like a simple open and shut case of domestic violence, only to quickly prove to be otherwise. French takes the reader down rabbit holes and spins us (and our investigating detectives) around. I like murder mysteries that have twists and turns, to keep me guessing. The downside – for me – with this one is that it has its lulls – I tend to get bored with the interrogation room tactics and this book fills enough pages it could be subtitled “Dublin Murder Squad Interrogation Playbook”. That, and the “reveal” of the shadowy figure that lurks at the top of Conway’s street comes across, to me, as some strange add-on for suspense build. I just wasn’t satisfied with the rationale for including it as a sub-plot in this story. Beyond those downsides, I still found this one to be a kraken’ good read. Not my favorite in the series, but still a good one.

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... and with this review, I am now caught up with the Dublin Murder Squad series.

Yes, snow be gone . More snow here tonight, but it turned into drizzle and then we freeze overnight. This is the worst - the freeze and thaw cycle. So slippery. Great work with the Dublin Murder series. Perhaps I'll start it with my next book. Great review!

Sending a wish that your snow stops soon! Our Valentine's Day was rainy all day, and it's actually foggy this morning, something that is so rare here.

>194 lkernagh: So much snow for you! I think some of it has finally crossed the mountains as we're supposed to get snow starting sometime today and into tomorrow. The one silver lining to this cold snap is that there hasn't been a ton of snow with it (just the kind of snow when any air moisture just falls out of the sky because it's so dang cold) and we've had lots of blue sky days.

>198 vancouverdeb:, >199 mstrust: and >200 MickyFine: - Thanks Deb, Jennifer and Micky, the snow gods have finally relented and I happily woke up this morning to temps above 0'C! All of our roads are clear but a number of the sidewalks - ones with no business of building in front, are still accidents waiting to happen as the accumulated and packed down snow has gone through a thaw and freeze.... but no worries as the city has been working to clear the bike lanes - because pedestrians are the lowest on the city's priority list. :-(

On a brighter note, the sun is trying to shine and I have a four day weekend this weekend, so not all bad.

>198 vancouverdeb: - I agree, the freeze and thaw cycle is treacherous, Deb. I am happy to be able to check completed/ up to date for another series and overall, French has been a consistent writer over the series with her attention to details and group dynamics.

>199 mstrust: - I love fog! Living on the coast, I actually find it comforting to wake up to fog and the sound of fog horns out on the water. I know, I am crazy that way. ;-)

>200 MickyFine: - I think a lot of Victorians are done with the snow, Micky. I love the blue sky winter days in the Prairies. I just have to remember that I probably need to bundle up before opening the door. ;-)

Another review to kick off the weekend:

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Book #19 - Beyond Farwin Wood by Drea Damara
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Fairy Tale
Category: Series
Source: LTER
Format: eBook
Original publication date: April 11, 2019
Acquisition date: January 19, 2019
Page count: 368 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the bhcpress.com book listing webpage:

"Anything Can Happen on Blinney Lane. Agatha Blinney’s curse is unleashed when Franci Doltman dresses up as her favorite movie star. Now the storeowners on Blinney Lane must rally together to save Franci before the possession claims her forever. Valerie Millville is tired of her controlling mother, disappointing men, and being misunderstood. Determined to escape her life on Blinney Lane, she and troublemaker Ricky Allister volunteer to find a cure by venturing inside one of the cursed weeping books. From mythical lands to peculiar allies to other worldly creatures, Valerie learns not all stories are written in stone—or even in one dimension. Can she and Ricky save Franci in time or will their friend become another casualty of the curse that binds Blinney Lane? Will Farwin Wood show them secrets undiscovered or are mysteries merely in the eye of the beholder?"

Review:
Having enjoyed The Weeping Books of Blinney Lane, I was looking forward to a return visit to Blinney Lane, and hopefully to Farwin Wood. This time, Agatha Blinney’s curse takes an interesting – and at times comical – form as shy, mild-mannered Franci transforms into an outspoken and high maintenance movie star who believes Blinney Lane resident Reggie, Franci’s platonic friend, is the movie star’s husband/love interest. Poor Reggie (and the other residents) have their hands full with this altered Franci! To save the day, 20-something and resident herbalist Valerie Millville offers to take a trip into the book (visit Farwin Woods) with Ricky to try and find a cure, but also to get away from another relationship gone wrong and another fight with her mother. Yes, Valerie has a chip on her shoulder, which might not sit well with some readers, but I kind of liked her feisty attitude (it sure did come in handy at times!). The title is an apt one in that we learn there is a whole larger world beyond Farwin Woods in the magical book. The adventure angle is covered off nicely with more wonderful fantasy creatures, traversing dangerous geography (both land and water) and even having to deal with, yup, another curse. Where The Weeping Books of Blinney Lane was a rather sweet fantasy adventure story, Beyond Farwin Wood go further with more adventure, more comedy IMO (and more older YA/adult-oriented romance). I really enjoyed the surprise twist to the story – no, I am not going to provide any details here – and loved how the story ended… with a perfect lead in for further installment(s) to come.

A delightful adventure, fantasy romp.

Lori's 2019 Virtual Walking Challenge: Peace Arch to Disneyland via the I-5 S

The goal: To walk, in 2019, the distance it would take me to virtually walk the I-5 from the Peace Arch at the BC/WA border to Los Angeles/Disneyland Park (2,048 KM). Note: While I was trying to find a walk that would be 2,019 KM in length to celebrate the year, this is close enough!

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Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 7 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 25.23
Kilometers walked in total: 274.22
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: In Olympia (Eastside), heading for Capital Lake and then south to Tumwater.
Points of interest along the way::


Boardwalk Mural - Olympia, WA - posted to Flickr by Ted McGrath (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Given the winter weather impact to my walking this week, I am happy to have made it to Olympia, the capital for Washington State and county seat for Thurston county. According to Wikipedia, European settlers claimed the area in 1846 and the area was historically dependent upon artesian springs and efforts have been underway to protect and preserve the free-flowing artesian well located in downtown Olympia. For me, my most memorable experience of Olympia was visiting the state legislature building and receiving a personal tour of the legislative library (sorry, unable to find any sharable pics of the library):


State Legislature - Olympia, WA - posted to Flickr by Ted McGrath (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Currently Reading:
..

Audiobook:
The Witch Elm by Tana French - Now switching over to French's stand alone novel. So far 2 hours, 45 minutes into this 22 hour audioread. First impressions: I think the only reason this one is a stand alone and not part of her Dublin Murder Squad series, is because the story, for now anyways, does not include a murder and is told from the point of view of the victim of a home invasion (not from the point of view of a police detective). Curious to see how this one plays out.
ebook:
The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag - A NetGalley read (North American/English translation publication date March 5, 2019?), is the Swedish author's debut novel (named best Debut of 2017 by the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers) and billed as The Alienist set in eighteenth century Stockholm. Currently seven chapters in and so far, LOVING THIS ONE!
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Still paused at the end of Part 2. Probably won't dip back into this one until some time next week.

Hi Lori!

I'm 'still paused at the end of Part 2', too. 40-some pages to read by the 26th, totally do-able.

Interesting about the stand alone Tana French. I'll be interested in hearing how it plays out for you.

>203 lkernagh: Isn't Olympia lovely! Happy New Week and much good walking time.

>205 karenmarie: - I really like the setup for the Suitable Boy group read. So far, I have been able to catch up each time with an afternoon of reading. ;-)

As for The "Witch Elm, I am almost at the halfway mark. The story is gelling into something a little different for French - a rather interesting family ancestral home and family dynamics thrown into the mix - but boy is it taking a Loooonnnggg time for the plot to come to fruition.

>206 richardderus: - A lovely place it is, RD! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Hi Lori! I've read the first two in the Dublin Murder Squad series. You've inspired me to get back to it - I have Faithful Place waiting on my shelf...

>208 katiekrug: And in a strange coincidence, I'm about halfway through Faithful Place. Wow, she's a great writer!

>208 katiekrug: - Glad to see you have been inspired to get back to the French books, Katie!

>209 drneutron: - LOL and yes, French is a great writer. ;-)

Hi Lori, thanks for the stroll through northern Washington, it's beautiful!
Glad you've enjoyed the Plainsong Trilogy, it's such a pleasant read.

Looks like you've been getting a move on, Lori, both in your reading and your walking!

Wow, you did some great reading, Lori. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

I love the Olympia mural you've chosen above, and impressive walking stats. Hope that the ice gets cleared / has been cleared on the footpaths though, that sounds pretty lethal.

I went to Netgalley and requested The Wolf and the Watchman - fingers crossed! It sounds really good from what you've said, and the comments on the site are similarly positive.

I've only read one Tana French, the ending made me think about it for ages. I'm still not sure I've forgiven her enough to pick up the next one!

>211 Carmenere: - Hi Lynda, happy you were able to stop by and follow along with my walking. I totally agree, Haruf's Plainsong trilogy is wonderful. Definitely books that I will re-read at some point. I am so sad that we lost Haruf so soon. His stories really resonate with me.

>212 ronincats: - Hi Roni! I must admit, I did make amazing progress - both reading and walking - in January. My February is going a little slower, but that is to be expected, especially with the increase in RL activities and winter conditions making walking not so much fun. ;-(

>213 Ameise1: - Thanks Barbara and what a love potted surprise you have left for me! I have my fingers crossed for an uneventful weekend. Other half has developed a toothache in a tooth that has been seen to by three dentists over the past 6 months so here is hoping the fourth dentist is able to finally fix it so that he is no longer in pain.

>214 charl08: - Hi Charlotte. I do love searching the web for images that I can use for my walking updates and I have to agree with you, I really like that mural. Here is hoping that your request for The Wolf and the Watchman} is granted! It is such a good read! If not, they might make the book available as a Read Now after the March 5 pub date, so I will keep my fingers crossed with you. I can totally see where your Tana French read impacted you like it did. Curious... which book was it? I have finished The Witch Elm earlier today and if anything, that book is the one that I will say I am not ready to forgive her for. That one really irks me. Still percolating my thoughts so no review ready for posting,... yet.

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Hello everyone. This past week has been a strange one. A short work week due to the long weekend and just weird stuff. I am not a fan of weird stuff so here is hoping that this weekend is uneventful (for lack of a better word). In the meantime, maybe I can distract you all with my latest book review (I actually have two books finished but will not get around to the second review until sometime this weekend).

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Book #20 - The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag - translated from the Swedish by the author
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "O" - och
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: N/A
Source: NetGalley
Format: eBook
Original publication date: Original Swedish - 2017; English Translation - March 5, 2019
Acquisition date: January 14, 2019
Page count: 384 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"One morning in the autumn of 1793, watchman Mikel Cardell is awakened from his drunken slumber with reports of a body seen floating in the Larder, once a pristine lake on Stockholm’s Southern Isle, now a rancid bog. Efforts to identify the bizarrely mutilated corpse are entrusted to incorruptible lawyer Cecil Winge, who enlists Cardell’s help to solve the case. But time is short: Winge’s health is failing, the monarchy is in shambles, and whispered conspiracies and paranoia abound. Winge and Cardell become immersed in a brutal world of guttersnipes and thieves, mercenaries and madams. From a farmer’s son who is lead down a treacherous path when he seeks his fortune in the capital to an orphan girl consigned to the workhouse by a pitiless parish priest, their gruesome investigation peels back layer upon layer of the city’s labyrinthine society. The rich and the poor, the pious and the fallen, the living and the dead — all collide and interconnect with the body pulled from the lake."

Review:
If you like murder mystery/thrillers with historical settings that involve gruesomely heinous crimes and are steeped in Gothic/noir horror atmosphere, then Niklas Natt och Dag’s amazing debut novel, The Wolf and the Watchman is probably the perfect read for you. I found this to be a shocking, highly compelling, page-turning read. I just could not put it down, even when I read parts that really disturbed me. I was that riveted to what was playing out on the pages. The place (Stockholm) and the time period (1793) are captured in amazing detail, vividly portraying a city teeming with disease, wallowing in squalor and oozing with corruption and mercenary opportunism. Yes, if you hadn't guessed already, there is overall dark, sinister aspect to this story that goes way beyond the discovery of the mutilated body, which makes this such an amazing novel. It defies being lumped into a set genre. It's a historical fiction, it's a murder/crime, it's a mystery, it's a thriller, it's a horror... it is all of these genres rolled into one story. Talk about impressive! Told in four parts, the story unveils in stages, revealing surprising connections, shocking depravity and gut-wrenching desperation. Each character is exquisitely drawn, exposing the reader to the dilemmas they face, and the hard choices they must make. The investigative team is a curious match: A wiry, incorruptible lawyer (the wolf) with a sharp intellect and steely determination who happens to be gravely ill with consumption and a physically and emotionally war-damaged ex-soldier (the watchman) whose daily alcoholic intake is to try and quell the nightmares that haunt him. An odd pairing (a thinker and a fighter) but well suited as both men pursue the case, with dogged determination, for their own reasons. This story is not for the faint of heart. There are some really graphic descriptions that may unsettle some readers, so consider yourself forewarned in that respect.

Overall, a chilling, brutal and relentless genre-bending novel that dives into the dark side of the human psyche. An absolutely outstanding novel and I am not surprised that it was named Best Debut of 2017 by the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers.

I would like to thank Simon and Shuster Canada and Atria Books for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Found time to get the latest Tana French book reviewed so posting a review, a Tana French project reading update and a new project read.

Book #21 - The Witch Elm by Tana French - audiobook read by Paul Nugent
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Author
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: October 8, 2018
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 528 pages / 22 hours, 9 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.95 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

"Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who's dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life - he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family's ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden - and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed."

Review:
I wanted to like this one, I really did, but Toby is such an annoying character! I had a hard time feeling sympathy for any of the characters - except for Uncle Hugo who is a fabulous character! - and really struggled with the dragging plot. If I am honest, I swear that French, for some crazy reason, felt that a stand alone novel needs to be longer in length than any of her Dublin Murder Squad books, and wrote accordingly. She could have easily shaved off 150 pages, which would have resulted in a tighter packaged story that "might" have keep me riveted. Hum... condensing the story might not have helped in a huge way as Toby would probably still have been annoying, but one can ponder. *sighs*

Now that I have vented my frustrations, I can be a little more objective with this review. Yes, French continues to implement her signature style of group dynamics and psychological profiles as part of the story. Mixing things up - and probably the only reason this one is being billed as a 'stand alone' novel, separate from her Dublin Murder Squad series - is because this time, the story is told from the point of view of the Toby and not a cop assigned to the case(s). Different perspective, different story. Got that. The only thing saving this story from being a total stinker dive in the star rating, for me anyways, is the fabulous setting of Ivy House, the ancestral home for Toby's extended family, and French's ability to weave a story that leaves the reader guessing the "who" and the "why". Beyond those positives, this was not a great story. In fact, the ended had me tempted to bang my head against the desk top....I was that frustrated with the story.

Overall, not the best foray into a stand alone novel and I can easily recommend other Tana French novels from her Dublin Murder Squad series as a good starting point. This is not one I would recommend, to anyone.

Tana French - Author/Series Project Read: - Completed Feb 22, 2019

Dublin Murder Squad Series:

.....

In The Woods - Read Jan 29 to Feb 11, 2016 - 4.20 out of 5.00 /
The Likeness - Read Jan 27 to Feb 2, 2019 - 4.90 out of 5 /
Faithful Place - Read Mar 13 to Mar 18, 2018 - 4.85 out of 5.00 /
Broken Harbour - Read Mar 22 to Mar 27, 2018 - 4.15 out of 5.00 /
The Secret Place - Read Feb 3 to Feb 8, 2019 - 3.10 out of 5 /
The Trespasser - Read Feb 9 to Feb 13, 2019 - 4.10 out of 5 /

Stand Alone Novels:



The Witch Elm - Read Feb 15 to Feb 22, 2019 - 2.95 out of 5 /

Alina Bronsky - Author Project Read:
Switching genre so that I can get in a couple of books that have been languishing on my TBR piles off the shelves (and to get some Europa Editions reading time in). I will be borrowing Baba Dunja from my local library and, depending on how I find this "new to me" author's writing, I might have to break down and purchase Just Call Me Superhero, just so that I can complete all her English translated books.

Stand Alone Novels:

...

Broken Glass Park - TBR pile/ ROOT read
The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine - TBR pile/ ROOT read
Baba Dunja's Last Love - Local library/ To read
Just Call Me Superhero - To source/ To read

Good to see Kent Haruf sustained you back there (a few weeks back). I haven't got to him yet....other than the first two of that trilogy (of sorts). I'll call that 'saving him for later'. :)

Speaking of a few weeks back, I hope your walks don't bring you across the path of anything more dangerous than an isolated engine fire! That sounded a bizarre occurrence.

Hi Lori! I've really enjoyed following your walk over a mug of tea this morning. What a clever idea! And the binge-reading sounds great too. I've read the first four of the Tana French novels, and just yesterday picked up The Secret Place to continue with the series. I saw The Trespasser at the library last week in paperback and realised that I was quite far behind. I had to scroll past your reviews of the last two, but I looked at the star rating in your summary :-)

I'm envious that you have The Witch Elm already - I don't think it's out here yet. Hmm, actually I see from Amazon that it came out on Thursday. And it's called The Wych Elm here, for no good reason I can tell...). It's on my library reserve list, so fingers crossed I'm near the front of the queue. Not that I need more library books. Heh :-)

Wow, Lori, you are doing well at meeting some goals. My book club is reading In the Woods this year, so I'll finally start the French books.

>216 lkernagh: I can't wait to get to this read! I got the DRC as well, and am eager to read it.

Kudos for keeping up your walking with all this winter weather, Lori. Bet you are glad you bought those new winter boots!

The binge reading is interesting and a good way to wrap up some series.

>221 LovingLit: - Hi Megan! Haruf was a wonderful writer. Definitely save the books for when you can give them your uninterrupted attention. So jealous that you will get to experience Haruf for the first time! So far, my walking has been "boring" with the only latest obstacles being icy sidewalks (which have thankfully, all melted). These seemingly random events where a parked car's engine catches on fire is bizarre.

>222 susanj67: - Hi Susan, so happy you enjoyed my walking travels! How odd that the latest French novel was released in North America first. Oh wait.... does French live in the U.S.? If so, that might explain this. How strange that they changed the title. I did some on-line research and it looks like "Wych" is the correct spelling when use for trees, like a Wych Elm. That would mean that the North American title "Witch Elm" - where witch, as a noun means a person with supernatural powers - is erroneous. Oops. Not to steer anyone away from French's stand alone novel, but I wasn't that impressed with the story. I guess the idea of a story about white male privilege just isn't my cuppa. As it was a library borrow for me, I don't mind as much.

>223 BLBera: - Hi Beth, so far the walking and reading are moving along nicely. How fabulous that your book club will be reading French's debut novel! That book will be a good one for group discussion.

>224 richardderus: - So happy to learn you also have a copy of The Wolf and the Watchman! I am looking forward to learning what you think of it.

>225 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg, I lost a couple of walking days. The first two days of the snow were fine for walking as I was just crunching on snow. It was when it started to thaw and then freeze that the sidewalks got treacherous and those were the days I lost my walking - safety first. We had a co-worker take a tumble on ice hidden under a fresh dusting of snow (the sidewalks had not been cleared or salted, so yeah, rather dangerous. As for the new winter boots, they were perfect for the winter conditions!

The binge reading is really helping me with my series reading. Nice sense of accomplishment each series I get caught up with.

------------------------------------
Hard to believe that Saturday is already winding down. There just never seems to be enough time in the weekends to get everything done that needs getting done. Stayed up waaaaaayyyyyy too late last night so an early night tonight, I think. We now have all of our tax receipts, etc so part of tomorrow will be spent get the taxes done (so I can forget about it until next year). I am not a procrastinator. I prefer to get the nasty jobs over with as soon as possible.

In the meantime, I do have my weekly walking and Currently Reading updates ready for posting.

Lori's 2019 Virtual Walking Challenge: Peace Arch to Disneyland via the I-5 S

The goal: To walk, in 2019, the distance it would take me to virtually walk the I-5 from the Peace Arch at the BC/WA border to Los Angeles/Disneyland Park (2,048 KM). Note: While I was trying to find a walk that would be 2,019 KM in length to celebrate the year, this is close enough!

.






Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: https://tinyurl.com/yaa37ag9

WEEK 8 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 38.34
Kilometers walked in total: 312.56
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: In Blakeslee Junction, directly east of Fort Borst Lake and Fort Borst Park and directly west of Hayes Lake, heading for Chehalis.
Points of interest along the way:: This week's walking took me through Tumwater - I love that name! - past Millersylvania State Park and Scatter Creek Wildlife Recreation Area, through Grand Mound and into Blakeslee Junction. Tumwater is derived from Chinook Jargon and means "waterfall", a fitting name for the area given the cascades on the Deschutes River:


Upper Tumwater Falls - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Tumwater is also home to the Schmidt House, built in 1904 and the family residence for the founders of the Olympia Brewing Company (founded in Tumwater in 1896).


The Schmidt House - as posted to Flickr by Michael and Sherry Martin (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)


Old Olympia Brewery - as posted to Flickr by raschau (CC BY 2.0)

Grand Mound was founded in 1851, with stage service arriving to the area in 1854. In 1913, the Washington State School for Girls (also known as the State Training School for Girls) was created, and it opened the following year in Grand Mound, where it was renamed to Maple Lane School in 1959, and closed in 2011. Of course, this caught my eye, so a little online research confirmed that this was a reform school. According to this article:

"Most of the crimes committed by the youth, according to a 1915 article about the school, were listed as "incorrigibility." This was because, "charging a specific crime and making it a matter of record against the boy is not in harmony with the spirit of work which should follow such a commitment. The fact is recognized by this simple charge, 'incorrigibility'".

The school had no fences and the children sometimes simply walked away. The railroad line ran close to the school grounds, providing a convenient method of escape. Not until the 1970s, however, would fences enclose the grounds and police diligently track down escapees."

Well, I don't know about you, but I found that was interesting to learn

Currently Reading:
..

Audiobook:
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett - Book Three in Follett's Century Trilogy I am taking advantage of my local library's downloadable audiobooks to finish the trilogy I started reading last year. Given that the book is 972 pages (and the audiobook runs to 36 hours and 50 minutes of listening time) this should keep me going for a while.
ebook:
Nothing at the moment
Physical books:
Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky - First book in my current Author Reading Project. Just started it, so early days on any thoughts or comments.
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Finished Part 3 this afternoon. While the first two parts were more colourful background and introductions to characters, we are now getting deeper into socially imposed race and religious barriers.

Catching up and wishing you a wonderful weekend, Lori.

>229 PaulCranswick: - Lovely to see you stopping by, Paul! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead (as your weekend if pretty much over). :-0

It seems to be warming up, Lori. Most of yesterday's snow disappeared here so I'm taking that as a sign that we are moving into some warmer weather, maybe even as warm as January?

It was not nice earlier today, Meg - our typical wet, grey, cold and dreary winter weather - but I see that the sky seems to be clearing so we may see some sunshine this afternoon. January was a bit of an oddity for warmer weather, wasn't it?

---------------------------------
Taxes are done! Damn, but it feels good to get that done. Will drop the return off at the local Canada Revenue Agency office during one of my lunch time walks in town. Plans for the rest of the day involve staying in PJs and reading. ;-)

I've been wondering about The Witch Elm. Thanks for taking a Book Bullet for me. I won't entirely rule it out, but I''ll definitely make it a library copy. For now , I have In The Woods in my TBR pile. I'm delighted that the snow has gone and the sun is here - but it is on the cold side, as you mentioned. Let's hope spring is really here.

I lost my T4 slip and called Revenue Canada today for a replacement. It was surprisingly quick to get through. Then I can do my taxes too. It's always nice to have your taxes behind you.

>232 lkernagh: References to taxes always make me shiver!

Hi Lori!

>207 lkernagh: I like the set up, too. @Tanya-dogearedcopy has done a good job.

>216 lkernagh: Definitely a book bullet, Lori! Excellent review.

>219 lkernagh: Congrats!

>227 lkernagh: Very interesting, and I especially like the photos you've posted. I remember hearing ads with ‘Tumwater Washington’ over the years.

>233 vancouverdeb: - I admit that I wasn't that taken with French's stand-alone novel, even though some published reviews were calling this one her most suspenseful novel to date. Oh well, life would be boring if we all liked the same books. ;-0 Borrowing it from the library is a good idea, especially as it would be your first French read.

I see by the weather forecast that Victoria is to have "chances of flurries/ periods of snow" starting later this evening. Personally, I am getting a little tired of cold temps, and even I - the snow lover - is not relishing the idea of more snow falling. Grrrrr

Impressive that you were able to get through to RCA so quickly!

>234 PaulCranswick: - LOL, fair enough, Paul. I know taxes are one of life's evils that we have to endure. Mine are usually pretty straight forward so I don't mind buckling down and getting it over with quickly.

>235 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! Lovely to see you stopping by, even if it meant you took a BB in the process. I am enjoying my Author/Series Projects and will continue them throughout the year.

--------------------------------
Happy "Hump" Day (aka Wednesday), everyone. It is all downhill towards the weekend now. I have my fingers crossed that the weather forecast for more snow this evening is wrong , but something tells me I won't be that lucky. It has been so darn cold the past few days, I am making good use of the winter jacket that I usually use just for trips home to Alberta in the winter months. Still plugging away at my current reading but it is doubtful that I will get any more books read before month end.

FEBRUARY RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ:
15. The Likeness by Tana French -
16. The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley -
17. The Secret Place by Tana French -
18. The Trespasser by Tana French -
19. Beyond Farwin Wood by Drea Damara -
20. The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag -

February STATS:
No. of Books read: 6 - considerably down from the 14 read in January!
ROOTs read: 1
Largest book read by page count: - The Secret Place by Tana French at 480 pages
Smallest book read by page count: - The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley at 301 pages
# Pages read: - 2,463 pages
Average # pages per book read: - 410 pages
Average # pages read per day: - 88
Audiobooks / eBooks / Physical Books: - 2/2/2 - Talk about a reading balance!
Male vs. Female Authors: - 2 vs. 4 - My binge reading plans will skew these numbers
Fiction vs. Non-Fiction Reads: - 6 vs. 0
Average Decimal/ Star rating for books read: 3.93 out of 5 /
Publication date range of books read: 2008 to 2019

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race - January Update



"Lucky Shamrock" has managed to narrow the gap and is almost neck-n-neck with "Pot of Gold"! Will March reading make a difference, and if so, who will take the lead? It's anyone's guess!

New thread is up! Come on over....