Copperskye Reads In 2019 - Part 1

Hello and welcome! And happy 2019!

My name is Joanne and I live in Colorado (but grew up in New Jersey) with my husband, our golden retriever named Skye, and a grey tuxedo cat named Boomer. I also have a son in his mid-20s who is a language arts teacher and lives in northern Colorado. My husband and son are both readers (although my husband, sadly, isn’t really into acquiring books) so we often share and have lots of books around the house. I also regularly visit my two local libraries.

I’ve been happily retired for a couple of years now after working in the telecom industry for 30 years. Skye and I volunteer as a pet therapy team at a local hospital and I also volunteer with a therapeutic riding program.

This is my 11th year on LT and my 10th year as a part of this wonderful group. I’ve met some of you in person and have made some great friends and am grateful every day for this bookish forum.

I try to read a mix of genres, mostly literary fiction and mysteries, mixed in with some memoirs and non-fiction. I’ve been trying to read more books off my own shelves and last year, 47 of the 75 books I read were from my own shelves, a personal record (yay me!). Was this only because I had accumulated so many more books in the last few years because of so many LT book bullets? Maybe?...who knows...I’m not keeping track... I do love to acquire books, though.

Christmas Photos:

Skye


Boomer

Some 2018 Favorites in the order I read them:

Fox 8 by George Saunders
American Wolf: A True Story Of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Have Dog, Will Travel by Stephen Kuusisto
Into the Raging Sea by Rachel Slade
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Don’t Look Now by Daphne du Maurier
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Bibliophile by Jane Mount

And now for the birds:



Flicker, Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker on a recent cold, snowy New Year’s Day

Mark mentioned adding a list of his backyard birds on his thread and I thought I might do the same on mine. I’ll squish them in on this post and update as any new birds are spotted throughout the winter and into spring and summer. We feed sunflower chips, Nyger seed, and suet, and have two water bowls. We live in the Denver suburbs at about 5,500 ft.

Daily Visitors:
Black-capped Chickadee
House Finch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Bushtit
Lesser Goldfinch

Occasional Visitors:
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Spotted Towhee
Blue Jay
Eurasian Collared Dove
Crow

“Wow, Look What’s on/by the Feeder Today” Visitors:
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Hairy Woodpecker
Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk

Spotted on Our Neighborhood Walks:
Red-Tail Hawk
Magpie
Canada Goose
Kestrel
Raven

2019 Reading List:

January 2019
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (reread) OTS #1, 4.75 stars
2. An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten 3.75 stars
3. Nerve by Dick Francis 3.5 stars
4. Call Them by Their True Names by Rebecca Solnit OTS #2, 4.5 stars
5. The Power by Naomi Alderman
6. High Rising by Angela Thirkell OTS #3 3 stars
7. Phases by Chris Van 5 stars
8. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo 4.25 stars
9. The Truro Bear and Other Adventures by Mary Oliver (poetry) OTS #4, 5 stars

February 2019
10. To the Hilt by Dick Francis 4 stars
11. The Reckoning by Rennie Airth OTS #5, 4.25 stars
12. The River by Peter Heller (ARC) OTS#6, 4.25 stars
13. Tenements, Towers & Trash by Julia Wertz 4 stars
14. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney 4.75 stars
15. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung 4 stars
16. The Crossing by Michael Connelly OTS #7 3.5 stars

March 2019
17. Book Love by Debbie Tung 3 stars
18. A Cold Treachery by Charles Todd, 4 stars
19. A Long Shadow by Charles Todd, 3.25 stars, OTS #8
20. My Ranch, Too by Mary Budd Flitner, 4 stars
21. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths, 4.5 stars
22. Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson (poetry) 4 stars
23. The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, arc, OTS #9, 3.75 stars

Happy new year, Joanne!

>4 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Happy new year to you!!

Happy new year, happy reading in 2019, Joanne.

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, Joanne, this year.

Hi, Joanne! I see that Skye has a spot on his tongue - Mario has one of those, too! Is that common for golden retrievers, I wonder?

*waves* Hiya, Joanne. I was lured here by the mention of a golden retriever. :-) Skye is adorable! (We have one called Thursday.)

Happy 2019, Joanne!

Welcome back!

Love your toppers, Joanne. Happy New Year. I'm happy you're back.

Happy reading in 2019, Joanne!
Sky looks very happy at the top :-)

Happy New Year, Joanne and Happy New Thread. Go Skye and Boomer! I like that favorite list too.

One of my highlights of 2018, was finally getting to meet you, along with your husband John. I wish we could have visited longer. I am enjoying chatting with your son, Chris too. This kid knows books. Much more advanced than I was at that age.

Happy New Year Joanne! And happy reading in 2019.

Happy New Year, Joanne!

Happy New Year and new thread, Joanne. Skye looks delighted with his haul of Christmas goodies. I even noticed a look-alike ornament on the tree behind him. Boomer looks like I felt the day after Christmas. -- Is it over yet? I love Christmas but it wears me out and seems like a blur when it's over. I was sad, though, when we took the tree down earlier this week. I left the lights on the mantel for awhile so we're not completely without shiny lights!

Happy New Year, Joanne! Love the photos of Skye and Boomer up top.

>6 Ameise1: Happy new year to you, too, Barb!

>7 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, Happy new year! I hope to do better at keeping up this year!

>8 scaifea: Hi Amber! The spots just make Mario and Skye extra cute! It’s not uncommon for goldens to have spots (pigment) on their tongues. The one you can see there appeared a couple years ago and she has another further back on her tongue that’s been there since puppyhood. It can only be seen when she’s panting hard. Copper didn’t have any.

>9 lycomayflower: Hi Laura, welcome! And aren’t golden retrievers just the best?! I’m a big fan. :) Thursday is an adorable name (Thursday Next, maybe?). I need to find your thread and keep my fingers crossed for a photo (I’ll bet I’ll find one or two).

>10 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle, Happy 2019 to you!

>11 drneutron: Thanks Jim, and thanks for keeping us all organized for another year!

>12 BLBera: Thanks Beth! Happy new year to you and I’m glad to be back!

Dropping off my star to follow your 2019 reading adventures and that very gorgeous cat!

>13 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, Yes, she’s a happy girl!

>14 msf59: Happy new year to you, Mark, and thank you for the kind words. I’m looking forward to following along with your reading for another year! Also looking forward to you and Sue visiting Colorado again. :)

>15 brenzi: Happy new year, Bonnie!

>16 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Happy new year!

>17 Donna828: Happy new year, Donna! Skye was thrilled with all the gifts she received from a Secret Santa gift exchange through the study she’s a part of. Truly a spoiled dog! Boomer has gotten bored with removing ornaments from the tree and leaving them in other rooms. Our tree is still up - it’s a Fraser fir and still green and fresh. We’ll be de-Christmasing in the next couple of days. It seems like we just put everything up...

>18 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Thanks and happy new year to you!

>20 thornton37814: Hi Lori! Thank you, she’s a keeper! I need to start starring threads myself!

The end of year meme:

Describe yourself:‪ Bibliophile ‬

Describe how you feel: ‪Have Dog, Will Travel‬

Describe where you currently live:‪ 84, Charing Cross Road ‬

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: ‪The Country Of Pointed Firs‬

Your favorite form of transportation: ‪Almost Everything ‬

Your best friend is: ‪Mrs Miniver ‬

You and your friends are: ‪Fire and Fury‬

What’s the weather like: ‪The Dead of Winter‬

You fear: ‪The Gunners‬

What is the best advice you have to give: ‪Don’t Look Now‬

Thought for the day: ‪To Every Thing There is a Season‬

How I would like to die: ‪Dancing at the Rascal Fair ‬

My soul’s present condition: ‪Homegoing‬

Great meme answers!

New to read:
My Christmas books:


Hubby’s new books:


Books I brought home in Dec (gifts to me):


I promised myself that I’d get to them all (except the Zinn) soon!

>24 thornton37814: Thanks Lori! It’s funny how some have such easy answers and others, not so much!

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (reread)

I first read this in high school and loved it. I’ve been meaning to reread it for years and I’m so glad I finally got to it. Jane’s sad childhood and her romance with Rochester I remembered, but I totally forgot about St John and his sisters. Jane is such a strong feminist character, especially considering when it was written.

So cool about the tongue spots! Mario has had hers since the start.

>27 Copperskye: Ooof, one of my all-time favorites.

And I love the looks of your Christmas books!

>25 Copperskye: Nice piles there, Joanne.

Hooray for Jane Eyre!

>23 Copperskye: Nice answers! I described myself as Bibliophile too :)

Hi Joanne. Happy New Year. I note that you acquired Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. You are in for a very good read with that book. I read it years ago and learned a lot of differences between what I was taught in history classes, and what really occurred.

>28 scaifea: I loved my reread, Amber!

>29 BLBera: Thanks Beth! I’m sorry I didn’t snap a photo of my son’s new books, too, before he spirited them away. I’m especially looking forward to The Library Book.

>30 bell7: Yeah, it was a natural fit wasn’t it, Mary?! And what a gorgeous book!

>31 Whisper1: Happy New Year, Linda! I picked that up for my husband after a friend of his recommended it to him. It does look fascinating!

I added to post >2 Copperskye: above, a list of birds that we see here at our backyard feeders. Thanks for the idea, Mark! I’ll add to it as new birds are spotted throughout the year.

>32 Copperskye: Oh wasn't it though? I very seldom buy brand-new books that I'm unfamiliar with the story or author, but I was so intrigued paging through it in a bookstore that I purchased a copy right then and there.

Joanne, your first book of the year is in my Top Ten Favorites Of All-Time List. I’ve only read it twice. I could read it every year and be a happy camper.

Happy Sunday, Joanne. Congrats on the Christmas book haul. That should keep you busy for awhile. You should love The Library Book and I want to track down the Solnit collection.

>33 bell7: I was thrilled to have won it through the Early Reviewers program - I’m not usually that lucky!!

>34 Donna828: It is a special book, Donna, and I’m glad now to have reread it as an adult. I want to reread Rebecca now. I tend to think of them as being in similar veins.

>35 msf59: Hi Mark, Lots of fun new books floating around here. And lots of old books to get to, too! :)

2. An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

‪A charming little, stocking-stuffer sized book containing 5 stories centered around Maud, an octogenarian who, when problems present themselves, has no qualms about figuring out some murderous solutions. It’s a darkly humorous collection, translated from Sweden. Do I think a woman of her age could be climbing out windows and scaling buildings? - no, but I found that to be part of the fun. One story, ‘An Elderly Lady Seeks Peace at Christmastime’, I had just read last month in The Usual Santas. The last two connected stories, ‘The Antique Dealer’s Death’ and ’An Elderly Lady is Faced with a Difficult Dilemma’, were my favorites and introduced to me to a Police Detective character of Helene Tursten and now I plan on checking out a new to me series of books.‬ 3.75 stars

>27 Copperskye: I have three books that are all-time favorites. Jane Eyre is on that list. It is such an incredible book! Your review is great! It is a difficult book to put into words.

Hi Joanne! Happy New Year to you! I love your listing of your backyard birds - how wonderful! I love feeding and watching our backyard birds in summer, too. They're neglected in winter as it is usually dark when I leave and dark when I get home!

Skye is such a cutie, but as you know, I am a cat person, and your Boomer IS THE CUTEST!! What a sweet kitty!

Congrats on reaching 75 last year, and for reading so many of your own books! I didn't do so hot on either count last year. Ah well, something to work on.

>37 Copperskye: I took a book bullet on that one. Her detective series is already on my radar.

>37 Copperskye: Adding that one to The List, Joanne - nice review. I am curious about the police detective character, so I'm off to look it up.

>37 Copperskye: Great comments, Joanne. This does sound good.

>38 Whisper1: Jane Eyre is such a good book, Linda! And really amazing considering when it was written.

>39 AMQS: It’s so good to see you, Anne! And thank you for the nice words. I really did read a lot off my shelves last year, but then again, there’s just so many there to choose from!

>40 thornton37814: Hi Lori, oh good! Have you read anything by her?

>41 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, The first book in the series I’m interested in is Detective Inspector Huss.

>42 BLBera: Hi Beth, It was a fun little book!

>43 Copperskye: Oh, thanks for that, Joanne. I went to Amazon to add it to my "check the library list", but it is currently only $1.99 on Kindle, so I snapped it up.

^Have a great day, Joanne! And let us know if you get any books for your birthday.

>43 Copperskye: Not yet!

Hope you had a great birthday!

Happy Birthday, Joanne! Many happy returns.

Hi, Joanne! I love your thread toppers! Skye looks happy, and I think Boomer looks distinguished!

Jane Eyre is an all-time favorite of mine that I first read in high school. I did a term paper about it when I was first studying at the community college near where I lived. Would you believe the teacher did not "get" what I meant by referring to feminism in my analysis of the story? (Frankly, I think he just didn't understand feminism.)

>44 Crazymamie: Yay! Me, too! :)

>45 msf59: Thank you, Mark! It was a tough one this year, as you will find... :) Chris gave me a copy of The Power. I didn’t plan on starting it right away but I was just checking it out and now I’m on page 60.

>46 thornton37814: Too many books and authors to get to!

>47 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>48 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>49 tymfos: Hi Terri! Sounds like your teacher was being a little obtuse! I (and suspect many others) wrote a paper in high school about Jane Eyre, the feminist. I still have it for some reason, along with a small pile of HS stuff, and recently read it and smiled at my young self. My teacher was a nun and she got it. I got an A.

The Usual Santas! I adore that title. I'm glad I found your thread at last. Happy 2019 reading!

>51 richardderus: Hi Richard! I’m glad you found me, too! The Usual Santas was a nicely packaged collection, a bit of a mixed bag as they tend to be, but with a couple of pretty good stories included.

3. Nerve by Dick Francis

It’s been decades since I’ve read a Dick Francis book. I picked up this one for the group read and now I wonder why I stopped reading them. Page-turner about jealousy and revenge with a realistic steeplechase backdrop. 3.5 stars

4. Call Them by Their True Names Rebecca Solnit

Short, insightful essays about current US affairs that I found to be highly readable and ultimately uplifting and encouraging. 4.5 stars

>45 msf59: Happy Belated Birthday Joanne!

>52 Copperskye: Book bullet on this one, and another one for Call Them By Their Names

I'm glad more and more people are hearing of and reading through Rebecca Solnit's work. She's incisive and interesting and fails to bore.

>54 Copperskye: Onto the WL it goes, Joanne. I love essays.

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Joanne.

>55 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda! And happy to add to your tbr piles!

>56 richardderus: I couldn’t agree more, Richard. I do need to read more of her work.

>57 BLBera: I don’t think you could go wrong with this one, Beth!

>58 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul! How did it go by so fast?!

5. The Power by Naomi Anderson

I hadn’t paid much attention to this one when it first came out so when I was gifted with it recently I didn’t know much about it. I sat down just to take a look at it and was immediately hooked. I guess it’d be speculative fiction/sci-fi. The world is turned on end when women are suddenly empowered, literally at their fingertips, with an electrostatic ability to cause severe pain or death. The book follows four narrative paths that manage to converge and as with most ultimate power grabs, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I thought the story got a little muddled and a bit overlong in the middle but ultimately it was a good, engaging, and thought provoking read. 4.5 stars

Happy Belated Birthday, Joanne!

Thank you, Deborah!

The Bushtits reminding me that I should put out a new suet cake before they come back this afternoon.



They’re so tiny! A house finch dropped in for size comparison.

https://crimereads.com/the-evolution-of-harry-bosch/

Saw this today and thought my fellow Bosch fans would enjoy it, too!

>64 Copperskye: Ooh, thanks for the link, Joanne! And great timing: I just finished Angels Flight last night, which is the sixth in the series. I thought it was an especially good one, too.

Thanks for stopping by my thread...now dropping my star here. I love your list of birds. There is some overlap with my east coast feeders but we have lots of cardinals who like sunflower seeds and suet. I remember the thrill of seeing my first magpie when we travelled west!

Looking forward to reading with you this year!

>63 Copperskye: Oh such cute birds in your feeder! Living in a townhouse with a very small little yard, and a dog door ,worries me as far as attracting on wanted creatures through the dog door. We do see the odd mouse , lot of raccoons and the odd skunk as it is. But I'd love to have a bird feeder.

>63 Copperskye: Love the birds, Joanne.

I also loved The Power. I used it in my dystopian lit class in the fall, and we had some great discussions about it.

>65 rosalita: Oh, I loved Angel’s Flight, Julia! I’m sad because I’m almost caught up with the Bosch series - my next is number 20, I think. Connelly writes pretty fast though. :) And I’m curious about his new Ballard character.

>66 witchyrichy: Hi Karen, I miss seeing cardinals. There aren’t any this far west, sadly.

>67 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, I enjoy seeing the birds but they do bring other little critters around. My cat always lets me know when there’s a mouse under the feeder and I don’t have to worry about any wanting to get in the house with her on patrol. Raccoons and doggy doors don’t sound like a good mix!

>68 BLBera: Thanks Beth. It must have been great talking about The Power with your students - what a fun discussion that must have been!

6. High Rising by Angela Thirkell

Love and friendship in a small English village, set between the wars. The time period made the anti-Semitic comments especially cringeworthy. It was somewhat entertaining, to a point. But I love the cover. 3 stars

I wanted to share (and brag a little, yes), that One Story Magazine picked up my son’s short story, “Phases”, for their current edition. One Story is a literary magazine and, as the name implies, selects and publishes one story a month. Patrick Ryan was his editor. It’s kind of a big deal for a writer just starting out and I loved receiving my own signed copy and buying the kindle edition.

>70 Copperskye: That book is in my TBR pile.

>71 Copperskye: Wow, that's fantastic news, Joanne! I know there are fewer and fewer outlets for publishing short fiction and the competition is fierce to earn a spot, so your son has a lot to be proud of!

>71 Copperskye: Congrats. I will look for it, Joanne.

>71 Copperskye:

one story is a fascinating site and your son's story excerpt and interview were fun to read!

Congratulations to all.

>72 thornton37814: I have a couple others in the series on my shelf, too, Lori. Wild Strawberries and Before Lunch. I’ll get to them eventually!

>73 rosalita: Thanks Julia! He’s pretty excited about the whole thing. And you’re right about the shrinking literary journal market. Tin House just ended their monthly editions.

>74 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

>75 m.belljackson: Thank you, Marianne! I loved his interview and smiled throughout. But I’m a bit biased! :)

8. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

A stellar coming of age novel in verse. 4.25 stars

>71 Copperskye: oh my that's wonderful news Joanne. Congratulations to your son. And to a proud Mom:-)

>63 Copperskye: Hooray for the bushtits. They are cute and I don't think I have ever seen them.

Hi, Joanne. Glad you loved The Poet X. I am a big fan too.

Oh yeah - Congrats to Chris! That is really exciting.

>71 Copperskye: Kindled! Rah rah Chris!!

*smooch* from a newly unfrozen de-virused me.

>71 Copperskye:

Is your son mailing out copies or should people order this online or is there a list of locations where it is carried...?

>78 brenzi: Thank you, Bonnie! I am a proud mom!

>79 msf59: The bushtits are kind of adorable, Mark. And they move in flocks so there’s always a big wave of them at a time. The Poet X was great. I did not expect to like it as much as I did and almost returned it to the library unread! And thanks for the congrats - I’ll pass them along.

>80 richardderus: Thank you, Richard!! And I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better!

>81 m.belljackson: Oh wow, thank you for your interest, Marianne!! I don’t know if they’re sold in stores but you can buy individual issues (#249) through their website (One-Story.com). The website also has a link to a kindle edition.

>82 Copperskye:

Thank you - PHASES ordered for $2.50 (with no shipping charge!).
If your son ever does an Author Tour through Madison, Wisconsin, please let me know so I can get my copy autographed.

My friend, Larry De Marino, who wrote THE ODYSSEY PROJECT, did a lovely book signing at the local mall many years ago
and my daughter and I went to be entertained at Nevada Barr's book tour. Both fun!

>83 m.belljackson: That’s so kind of you, Marianne, and I hope you like it!!!

HI Joanne - I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I just added The Poet X to my list. It sounds great.

>85 BLBera: Good morning, Beth! I hope you’re moving out of the deep freeze this weekend!

I don’t read a lot of YA, but I’m very glad I sat down with The Poet X. Enjoy!

Yes, right now I'm listening to dripping - it's in the 20s! It feels like 50, though, after the minus temps.

Love your furkid pics! I was hoping to find some :)

congratulations :)

>87 BLBera: Dripping’s good! Well, until it freezes...

>88 mckait: >89 mckait: Nice to see you, Kath!! Thanks!

Yup.

>90 Copperskye: I don't think very many people are excited about the teams playing this year--at least not here in East Tennessee. Most of us feel the Saints were robbed.

>54 Copperskye: Adding that one to the BlackHole!

>60 Copperskye: That one too!

>71 Copperskye: Congratulations to both you and your son, Joanne!

>77 Copperskye: I already have that on in the BlackHole, so I get to miss that BB.

>90 Copperskye: I just read the book and didn't bother with the commercials, either.

Happy new week!

>91 thornton37814: No excitement here either, Lori!

>92 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, Thanks! Lots of good books in your future! :)

>93 richardderus: Yeah, even the commercials were lame, Richard.

>71 Copperskye: That is wonderful news, Joanne.

I'm off to see how to obtain a copy since the magazines common sense in promoting the kin of one of our own deserves some support. xx

>95 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! You are too kind.

It froze. I'm trying my best to keep my feet these days.

9. The Truro Bear and Other Adventures by Mary Oliver 5 stars

I love this collection of nature poems and it’s probably my second favorite Oliver collection (after Dog Songs). Lots of Percy poems, too (Percy was her dog).

I love this one:

LITTLE DOG’S RHAPSODY IN THE NIGHT

He puts his cheek against mine
and makes small, expressive sounds.
And when I’m awake, or awake enough

he turns upside down, his four paws
in the air
and his eyes dark and fervent.

“Tell me you love me,” he says.

“Tell me again.”

Could there be a sweeter arrangement? Over and over
he gets to ask.
I get to tell.

- Mary Oliver

>97 BLBera: :( Inevitable. Be careful out there Beth! I’ve only this winter started to consider that if I fall on the ice I might break/hurt something.... Our 50° temps of the last few days have given way today (along with some snow) to a current temp of 10° and dropping.

>99 Copperskye: I know, Joanne. A friend of mine who is actually five years younger, fell getting out of her shower on election day, and was off her feet, no weight bearing, for over two months. A couple of my colleagues at school have also fallen on ice and broken bones. We of upper middle age :) don't heal as fast as the youngsters.

>98 Copperskye: Love it!

>71 Copperskye: Late in congratulating you and your son on the story! Following up after this post.

>77 Copperskye: Added The Poet X to my TBR. Thanks, as always, for the great recommendations!

That's wonderful news about Chris's latest publication. He is on his way as a writer. You must be One Proud Mama!

>71 Copperskye: How exciting, Joanne! Great news about your son's publication. And yes, we have snow here right now. I'm using the treadmill as I know that I have osteoporosis and have already fracture a foot and a wrist at the same time and also have a compression fracture in my vertebra. I'm looking forward to the snow and ice being gone.

Hi Joanne! You're the second person here who has favorably reviewed The Power. I need to get my hands on a copy.

>71 Copperskye: WOW! Congratulations to Chris!! That's amazing!

>100 BLBera: Oh, ouch! A friend of mine also fell in the shower - and this was years ago, she was in her 30s - and she was also out of work and off her feet for weeks and weeks.

>101 witchyrichy: Thanks Karen! Hope you like The Poet X when you get to it!

>102 Donna828: Thank you, Donna, I am!

>103 vancouverdeb: Oh dear, Deborah - ouch! The treadmill is a great idea in all this wintery weather.

>104 AMQS: Thanks Anne! The Power hooked me right away. It was an interesting and unexpected story.

Hi Joanne, nothing earth-shaking to report so wandering in to offer social noises and goodwill.

Happy Valentine's Day!! ❤️💚💗💙

>106 richardderus: Howdy Richard! Thanks for dropping by my quiet little corner!

>107 ChelleBearss: Awww! Thanks Chelle!

10. To the Hilt by Dick Francis

After finishing Nerve for the group read, I couldn’t resist picking up another Dick Francis book. To the Hilt was different in that the main character, Alexander, is a painter living in a remote bothy in the Scottish Highlands. There’s a mysterious break-in at his home just as he’s called back to England for a family emergency. Nothing is as it seems as Al works to save the family owned brewery from financial disaster. But, of course, there are horses involved - Al’s wife is a trainer and Al is also tasked with keeping his step-father’s race horse out of the bank’s clutches so he can run in the brewery’s upcoming annual cup race. All in all, a fine page-turner!

Hi Joanne - The Francis books haven't called my name so far, but I'm happy you are enjoying them.

Have a great weekend. Has spring arrived yet? :)

Good morning, Beth! I read several Dick Francis books when I was in my early 20s and I’m happy to be revisiting him now after decades of neglect. Thanks to Julia!

In a way, spring is here, since we get a lot of snow in March and April. Our “inch or two” storm last night turned into about 8” of the white stuff. Beautiful, warmish, bluebird morning now though, and it’ll be in the 50s next week!

11. The Reckoning by Rennie Airth

This has fast become one of my favorite series. Even though the author chose to time jump quite a bit from the post-WWI English village setting of the first book, each of the following books somehow relates back to the ravages of that war. Gritty with a great sense of time and place. 4.25 stars

12. The River by Peter Heller 4.25 stars

Wynn and Jack are college friends who bonded over a shared love of nature and adventure. They decide to take off a semester for a canoe trip into the Canadian wilderness. Their backcountry adventure quickly takes a turn as they face life threatening obstacles, both from man and nature.

I’ve read all four of Heller’s novels (and apparently there are two more ready to go) and this one rates right up there behind The Dog Stars. Like a river run, his poetic descriptions of nature can quickly change to page-turning suspense. The release date for this little gem is March 5.

>113 Copperskye: Oh, this is great to know, since I have a copy on shelf. I was underwhelmed with Celine, so this should put him back on track for me.

Hi, Joanne! I hope things are going well for you out there in Colorful Colorado. Seeing any interesting birds?

>113 Copperskye: Oooh, I love Peter Heller! He's got four books out? I think I am behind and need to catch up.

Joanne, I wanted to let you know that I have succumbed to the Bosch series on Amazon Prime. As long as I don't compare it to the books, I'm enjoying it. Thanks for the tip!

So good to know that the new Peter Heller book is a good 'un! And two more almost ready to roll? Woo hoo. Good times ahead. I'm off to reserve The River so I can get a "fix" from one of my favorite authors. Thanks for calling the book to my attention, Joanne.

Great comments on the Heller and the Airth. I love the Airth series as well. I'm waiting for the next one, if there is to be another.

I have The Dog Stars on TOP of my pile on my desk, so I will get to it this year. I've heard so many good things about it, and I do love good dystopian fiction.

>114 msf59: I’ll be interested in your thoughts on The River, Mark, whenever you get to it. I think Chris and John liked it a bit more than I did. Celine was pretty dreadful....

No new birds at the feeders, sadly, not that I don’t like my everyday visitors but it’s fun to see something new every now and then. I think we lost one of our flickers a couple of mornings ago. Lots of tail feathers under a spruce tree by our side gate. :( Not sure what would have gotten it.

>115 rosalita: Take a hard pass on Celine, Julia, but The River and even The Painter are worthwhile!

And yay for Bosch!! I’m glad you like it! The newest season starts in April, I think.

ETA: I don’t forget that I have you to thank for getting me into the book series, which I love and I’m sad that I’m almost caught up!!

>116 Donna828: Lots to look forward to on the book front, Donna! Looking forward to your thoughts on The River, too.

>117 BLBera: I was only half-way through The Reckoning when I just had to order the next one in the series, Beth. I’m trying hard to hold off on starting it, but it won’t be long. And yes, get to The Dog Stars! You won’t be sorry. :)

13. Tenements, Towers & Trash by Julia Wertz

Like Roz Chast’s Going Into Town, this is an illustrated love letter to New York. Julia Wertz takes an historical look at the city, drawing and contrasting street corners in different eras, and telling of pneumatic underground mail delivery, Typhoid Mary, ship graveyards, egg creams, Ray’s Pizza, and more. It’s a large, coffeetable-sized graphic and I thought it was equally entertaining, instructive, and fun.

ETA: Two cedar waxwings in the yard today. Lots of birds ahead of snow and cold.

Great review of The River, Joanne. I hope you're staying warm and dry!

Thanks for all the reviews!

Cedar waxwings are a favorite of ours. We see them as they migrate through, eating berries from the trees along the train track. Our unusual bird at the feeder was a brown headed nuthatch. It isn't unusual for our area as they live in the southern piney woods but we've not seen one before.

>119 Copperskye: My favorite overlooked New York treasure.

>120 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! Looks like we’re finally getting some winter.

>121 witchyrichy: Thanks Karen! I haven’t seen cedar waxwings in years, not since we had a whole crabapple tree full of them one afternoon several years ago. I had to look up the brown headed nuthatch. They don’t seem to be in our area. When it snowed the other day we had two white breasted nuthatches in the yard. I only see them a few times a year although they are supposed to be common here. The little red-breasted are here everyday and are almost tame.

>122 richardderus: That looks thoroughly intriguing, Richard! I grew up 12 miles from the Lincoln Tunnel and lived nearby into my late twenties but I’ve never even heard of it. :(

>122 richardderus: Coffee soda? I'm in.

Joanne, I'm just stopping by for a quick hello. I hope you have a great weekend!

>112 Copperskye: That series by Airth is truly a favorite of mine!

Y'all want some? The Soda Emporium has US residents covered in 6-10 business days, weirdos in 10-20 business days.

Me? I'm off to the fruit stand to get one. Heh.

>124 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I know, right?! Yum!

>125 tymfos: Hi Terri! Hope your weekend was good, too! I’m already thinking I may reread the John Madden series. So good!

>126 richardderus: Tempting...!

14. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

I absolutely loved this! Lillian is a fictionalized version of Margaret Fishback, a poet and advertising copywriter for R.H. Macy’s in the 1930-40s. The book takes place on New Year’s Eve, 1984, as Lillian, an octogenarian, walks first to a neighborhood restaurant and then on a grand late night walking tour of Manhattan. A series of flashbacks takes the reader back to Lillian’s life as a young copywriter and then a wife and mother. Personally, I loved revisiting the gritty NYC of the 1980s that I remember and the references to St Vincent’s Hospital where my mother had worked through the 70s and early 80s. Also, I was tickled that Lillian’s husband was from Rutherford, the town I grew up in, and how horrified she was at the thought of moving there.

A fun read (with some harrowing moments) that touches on some important topics. 4.75 stars

15. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung

A sweet, poignant graphic memoir of a young woman navigating a noisy, boisterous world. A reminder that it’s ok to be quiet. 4 stars

(Does anyone else see a lizard on the book cover, or is it just me?)

16. The Crossingby Michael Connelly

It’s a Bosch novel so I loved it but a couple things were a bit implausible. Bosch occasionally seemed a little slow on the uptake. 3.5 stars

17. Book Love by Debbie Tung

Maybe I read this too soon after Quiet Girl in a Noisy World but it just seemed a bit trite. Cute though, and yep, we love books. 3 stars

>129 Copperskye: Yes! Thanks for the smile, Joanne. Now all I can see is a book-reading lizard! I rather liked the book, too. I’ve been wondering about Lillian Boxfish. I think I just got nicked by a book bullet.

>132 Donna828: Oh good, Donna, then it’s not just me seeing a lizard! I think you’d love Lillian Boxfish I especially liked that the book was based loosely on a real person.

Hoping all is well and you are surviving the cyclone bomb!

>128 Copperskye: Added the Lilian Boxfish to my TBR list as it sounds wonderful!

I scrolled to the top of your thread and saw your bird list. I think I may add one to my thread as well. With all the cardinals and sparrows, it is easy to forget that we see lots of others as well.

Hi Karen, It was quite a storm with lots of stranded motorists but I didn’t leave the house all day so I stayed warm and dry. (I had gum surgery yesterday so shoveling was out of the question and I was forced to be lazy.) We’ve had so little snow the last couple years, we were really overdue!

I’ll check out your bird list. I felt so sorry for the little guys at the feeders today, all wet and wind blown.

I think you’ll like Lillian Boxfish, too!

Sweet Thursday, Joanne. Hooray for Lillian Boxfish! I had a good time with that one too. Thanks to Joe, I have a copy of Quiet Girl and will start it next. You didn't care for Home After Dark? I finished it yesterday and thought it was pretty good. Reminded me of the dark world of Lemire.

I am loving The Blue Hour, (she is a helluva writer) and will wrap it up today. 5 stars?

Hi Joanne! Hope you came through the storm okay. I am thrilled to have a second snow day!

You got me with >128 Copperskye: and >129 Copperskye:. Your BBs definitely have my name on them.

Hi Joanne, Lillian Boxfish is on my Overdrive list and I think I'll move it up.

I really loved the Bosch books and I wish I could go back and reread them, but there are so many and I have so many other books on my wish list.

>136 msf59: Hi Mark! I liked Home After Dark enough! I’m not familiar with Lemire. Ah, but The Blue Hour I loved! Maybe I should schedule a reread.

>137 AMQS: Hi Anne! I was glad to see you got another snow day. Amazing scenes of the cars stuck out east - yikes! I think you’ll love both books!

>138 brenzi: Hi Bonnie, I think that’s a great idea!

>139 ChelleBearss: I know, Chelle. I’m keeping the Bosch books I own but I don’t think I’ll ever have the free book-time to get back to them. I’m glad I still have a couple to get to! My husband is reading them now but not in any order. He was shocked when I told him how many are in the series. Have you watched the Amazon series? It’s different, but very good.

Hi Joanne - I hope you're recovering from your gum surgery, and that your snow is melting. The pictures of the storm looked terrible.

I also loved Lillian Boxfish - it's a lovely little book. I've seen some good comments about the Tung books, but I'll read the lizard book first. :)

>141 BLBera: Thanks Beth, I’ll feel better when the stitches come out!

Areas east of us got plenty of snow but we only really got about 7” or so here and it’s mostly melted. The flooding in the Midwest looks terrible though. I hope it’s not a problem for you.

I’m so glad I finally decided to read Lillian Boxfish!

>140 Copperskye: We watched the first season and then didn't go back to it. We can't watch amazon on our TV (or haven't figured out how) and I don't like watching it on my laptop. I should see if we can get DVDs of them as we did like the series.

>143 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! I don’t like watching anything on my laptop either and really don’t understand how anyone could watch a program on their phone. We stream with a Roku. You’d think they’d be offered on DVDs soon.

There will be flooding here, Joanne. We got a record amount of snow in February, but the melting is going slowly, so that is a good thing. Fingers crossed that it won't be like parts of Iowa and Nebraska. It looks like most of that state is under water.

>98 Copperskye: I love the poem! Thank you for sharing!

I fell off your thread! Happy New Year!

>145 BLBera: The flooding news looks so bad and getting worse. So sad. We also had a lot of mountain snow this year (and more to come, I’m sure). So far, the melt is slow.

>146 PaperbackPirate: Hi Pirate! Isn’t that poem so sweet and so true? I’m glad you liked it. Also glad you found me. Happy Spring! Do you have a thread this year? I need to check the 50 book group for you!

A Cold Treachery by Charles Todd

A family is found murdered on their isolated sheep farm. Could the missing family member be responsible? Could Ian finally have a new love interest?

A Long Shadow by Charles Todd

Rutledge is sent to a small village to investigate who shot a local constable with an arrow. Meanwhile someone is threatened him by leaving shell casings for him to find.

My comments are to remind me of the plots. Both were good, but I liked A Cold Treachery much more. I should know better than to follow one right after the other.

Hi, Joanne. I thought you were a fan of Jeff Lemire. He is one of my all-time favorite GN authors. If you can request a copy of The Collected Essex County, try to do so. It is his masterpiece.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Pritchett ebook title. I snagged it. Yeah, baby!

>148 Copperskye: This is one of my favorite series, Joanne. I just read the brand-new one, The Black Ascot and I'm happy to report it's very good. In the meantime, enjoy catching up with the rest of the series!

>149 msf59: Glad you snagged the Pritchett, Mark! Sorry to say that I’ve never even heard of Jeff Lemire. I’ll see if my library has The Collected Essex County though and see if it’s for me.

>150 rosalita: Hi Julia! I’m kind of glad I have so many books in the Rutledge series yet to read! Much to look forward to. Have you read Rennie Airth’s John Madden series? It’s similar in that the protagonist is a WWI veteran and a Scotland Yard detective but the Madden series has less introspection and a bit more action. (Sadly, no ghost.) There are also only about 5 books in the Madden series. I think you’d like it if you haven’t tried it! (And, sorry, I may have mentioned it before....) Also, I’m pretty sure you’re an Elly Griffiths fan and I just finished her new stand-alone, The Stranger Diaries and it was excellent!

I loved The Complete Essex County, too. One of the best graphic novels ever. I hope it works for you, Joanne.

Hi Joanne, I am going to pick up The River at the library later today. I'm going to save it for this weekend when I'll have some uninterrupted reading time.

We have a new granddog. Haley and Molly got a Golden Retriever puppy on Sunday. My son's family is fostering it but I'm pretty sure he'll be adopted. Such a cutie. I suggested Copper as the name but they haven't decided yet.

I'm in the library queue for The Stranger Diaries and I'm looking forward to it. Glad you enjoyed it.

>151 Copperskye: I will check out the Airth series, Joanne! Thanks for the tip. I think I've seen you mention them before but I don't think I made the connection that they were set in the same time period as the Rutledge books.

And good to hear about the Elly Griffiths standalone. I might have to check it out. I read the first book in her other series and was not impressed, so I was a bit afraid to give this one a try. But if you liked it, that's a very good sign that I will, too.

I second the endorsement of the Airth series, Joanne. I need to read the Todd books. I've only read the first Rutledge one and enjoyed it.

I'm patiently waiting for my turn with The Stranger Diaries. I'm glad to hear it's a good one.

It's good to have a slow snow melt. We've been lucky so far. The melt has been slow, and we haven't had much snow or rain in March. Fingers crossed. Still, the Mississippi is at flood stage; we're just hoping it won't be catastrophic.

>152 jnwelch: Hi Joe! It sounds like I definitely need to find a copy of The Complete Essex County!

>153 Donna828: Maverick is adorable, Donna, and already looks well loved! Congrats on your new golden grand!

>154 vancouverdeb: I’m looking forward to your thoughts on The Stranger Diaries, Deborah! I hope you like it, too.

>155 rosalita: Oh good! I think you’ll really like the series, Julia! I still haven’t tried The Zig Zag Girl although, as it happens, I have it checked out of the library. I’m put off not only by comments like yours but the magician angle is not something that interests me...

>156 BLBera: I need to get to the next one in the Madden series, Beth. It’s nice that there aren’t 20 books in the series to get to, but also not nice that there aren’t 20 books to look forward to.

Just stopping by to say hello and pick up some book recommendations. Trusting that spring is on its way to your part of the world!

I have the first three of the Airth books on the shelves. Heaven knows why I haven't read any of them yet (other than having over 4,000 books unread in the house).

Have a lovely Sunday.

>158 witchyrichy: Hi Karen! Happy spring to you! It’s definitely spring-like here on the front range. We’re enjoying some beautiful 60-70° days but winter will be returning on Wednesday with a bit of a snow storm on the way. :(

>159 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I also have a long list of series to try with many series books just languishing, unread, on my shelves. I feel your pain. The Airth series is a good one though, and I’m so glad I finally got to it. I think you’d like it, too. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to, anyway. :)