DeltaQueen's Random Miscellaneous Challenge - Part 2

Welcome to my 2019 Category Challenge. My name is Judy and I live in the suburbs of Vancouver, B. C., Canada. I love to welcome visitors to my thread to discuss books and life. An assortment of random quotes gave me the idea of setting up some miscellaneous challenges to help me shrink my TBR pile this year. Some of these quotes are from famous people while others are credited to “anonymous’ and have been taken from advertisements and greeting cards. What they have in common is that they all paint a colourful picture of life and were easily molded into category subjects.

I have been doing the Category Challenge for a good number of years and I love the loose structure this challenge gives to my reading. As always I have a goal of removing books from my shelves, but also as usual, I expect that I will be crossing myself up by all the additions I add during the year. My top priority will be reading from my own shelves and Kindle but another 2019 book goal is to continue reading books from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List. I also love to participate in the various “Cats” that are established every year, hopefully my “Cat” reading will fit into my already set categories. Call me crazy but I’m going for 19 categories and have chosen 19 quotes fit my categories. I plan to read at least 8 books from most categories.

I enjoy the company of my husband, sipping a glass of wine, reading a good book, going for walks and, my family. But I also have a weird enjoyment of dark, twisted stories and I avidly watch “The Walking Dead” on TV.

Please feel free to join in on any conversations that are going on here, the welcome mat is always out.



2019 Reading Goals

1. My own books are my top priority, this includes my shelves, my two Kindles, my audio books and to a lesser extent my library list.
2. Read books from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List
3. Only participate in challenges where I already have a book that fits

2019 Categories


A. Armchair Travel: “To those who can dream, there is no such place as faraway.”
Anonymous
I will read 8 books set in 8 different countries

B. Book Bullets: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Lennon-McCartney
So many of the books on my shelves and Kindle are there because of recommendations from friends here on Library Thing. I will read at least 8 books and hopefully more of these recommendations

C. One Word Titles: “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
Buddha
I will read at least 8 Books that have a one word title.

D. Love Stories: “Every love story is beautiful, but my favorite is ours.”
Anonymous
I will read 8 books that have a connection to love.

E. Reading From My Shelves: “Having too many books is not the problem. Not having enough shelving – That’s A Problem.”
Anonoymous
This category will be for books that I pull from my shelves either to fulfill a challenge or simply just because I felt like reading it at this point in time.

F. Let’s Eat!: “People who love love food are always the best people.”
Julia Child
I will read at least 8 books that have an item of food or drink in the title.

G. Doing My ABCs: Okay everybody, line up in alphabetical order according to your height.”
Casey Stengel
Throughout the year I will randomly read alphabetically by author’s name. Will use these reads for the AlphaKit.

H. 1,001 Books List: “A Classic never goes out of style.”
Coca-Cola Ad
Because of a bet with my brother I have been reading on books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List, trying to catch up with his total. This is where I will list most of my reads from that list.

I. Series: “Happiness is finding the first good book of a series and knowing there are more to follow.”
Anonymous
In an effort to catch up in my series reading, I will read at least 8 series books.

J. Crime Stories: “Reading mysteries is recreation for intelligent minds.”
Donna Andrews
I will read at least one mystery or police procedural every month.

K. Vintage Crime: “I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest
Agatha Christie
I am a huge fan of the classic mysteries from the golden age of detective fiction and I will read at least 8 classic mysteries over the course of the year.

L. Out of the Past: “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Teddy Roosevelt
I will read at least one book a month that delves into history – as set by the Reading Through Time Group or to fit other challenges

M. Science Fiction: “If you take the shackles off your imagination, you can go anywhere with science fiction.
Lani Tupu
I will read at least 8 science fiction books over the course of the year.

N. Fantasy: “A Single Dream is More Powerful that a Thousand Realities”
J.R.R. Tolken
I will read at least 8 fantasy books over the course of the year.

O. Young At Heart: “Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”
Walt Disney
I will read 8 YA books during the year.

P. Non-Fiction: “Any truth is better than indefinite doubt”
Arthur Conan Doyle
I will read at least 8 non-fiction books during the year

Q. Library List: Libraries: “The medicine chest of the soul”
Inscribed over the door of the library at Thebes
It’s not just about my own shelves. I will also read the following from the library in an effort to reduce my very long library list.

R. Saddle Up!: Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway!
John Wayne
Books about the American West and the cowboy way will be make up this category.

S. Overflow: “Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.”
George R.R. Martin
Books that don’t fit any of the above challenges, will be placed here.

Books Read



Pages Read



Read From My Shelves

How I Rate Books:

I am not a professional book critic nor do I consider myself to be an expert on literary standards, my reviews are based on my reaction to the book and the opinions expressed are my own personald thoughts and feelings.

2.0 ★: I must have been dragged, kicking and screaming, to finish this one!

2.5 ★: Below Average but I finished the book for one reason or another.

3.0 ★: Average, a solid read that I finished but can't promise to remember

3.5 ★: Above Average, there's room for improvement but I liked this well enough to pick up another book by this author.


4.0 ★: A very good read and I enjoyed my time spent with this story

4.5 ★: An excellent read, a book I will remember and recommend

5.0 ★: Sheer perfection, the right book at the right time for me

I use decimal points to further clarify my thoughts about the book, therefore you will see books rated 3.8 to show it was better than a 3.5 but not quite a 4.0; etc. These small adjustments help me to remember how a book resonated with me.

2019 BingoDog



Books Read

3. About Siblings: The Profession of Violence by John Pearson
5. Mentioned in another book that I have read: City by Clifford D. Simak (Among Others by Jo Walton)
7. Animal in Title: The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham
10. Children's Lit: The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
11. Alliterative Title: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
12. Part of a Series: The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
13. Read A Cat: Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read - SeriesCat
14. A prize winning book: Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman
16. Short Stories/Essays: Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
17. Made Into A Movie: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
18. A Fairy Tale: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
20. Title Has 6 or More Words: At The Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper
21. Cover Has At Least 2 Human Figures: A New Day by Beryl Matthews
22. Translated Book: Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri
23. Food-Related Title: Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley
24. LT Rating of 4.0+: Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett
25. Title Contains a Homophone Word: The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

2019 PopSugar Challenge



01 - A book becoming a movie in 2019
02 - A book that makes you nostalgic: The Complete Beatles by Steve Turner
03 - A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
04 - A book you think should be turned into a movie: The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
05 - A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads
06 - A book with a plant in the title or on the cover
07 - A reread of a favorite book
08 - A book about a hobby
09 - A book you meant to read in 2018: The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham
10 - A book with "pop", "sugar" or "challenge" in the title
11 - A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover: The Dress Shop of Dreams by Meena Van Praag
12 - a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore: Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor
13 - A book published posthumously: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
14 - a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
15 - A retelling of a classic: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
16 - A book with a question in the title
17 - A book set on a college or university campus
18 - a book about someone with a super power
19 - a book told from multiple POVs
20 - a book set in space
21 - a book by two female authors
22 - A book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter" or "spicy"
23 - A book set in Scandinavia
24 - a book that takes place in a single day
25 - a debut novel
26 - a book that's published in 2019
27 - a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
28 - a book recommended by a celebrity you admire
29 - a book with "love" in the title
30 - a book featuring an amateur detective
31 - A book about a family
32 - A book written by an author from Asia, Africa or South America
33 - A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title
34 - a book that includes a wedding; Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
35 - A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter: Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer
36 - A ghost story
37 - a book with a two-word title: Deep Creek by Dana Hand
38 - A novel based on a true story: Sundance by David Fuller
39 - A book revolving around a puzzle or game
40 - Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Reading Challenge

Advanced:

41 - A "cli fi" book: American War by Omar El Akkad
42 - A "choose-your-own-adventure" book
43 - An "own voices" book
44 - Read a book during the season it is set in
45 - A LitRPG book
46 - A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters
47 & 48 - Two books that share the same title: Legend by Marie Lu
49 - A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom
50 - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent

A. Armchair Travel: “To those who can dream, there is no such place as faraway.”
Anonymous
I will read 8 books set in 8 different countries



Books Read

1. When the Rainbow Goddess Wept by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard - Philippines - 4.0 ★
2. The Nose by Nikolai Gogol - Russia - 4.0 ★

B. Book Bullets: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Lennon-McCartney
So many of the books on my shelves and Kindles are there because of recommendations from friends here on Library Thing. I will read at least 8 books and hopefully more of these recommendations.



1. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin - Kerry (avatiakh) - 5.0 ★
2. Hell’s Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett - Katie - 5.0 ★

C. One Word Titles: “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
Buddha
I will read at least 8 Books that have a one word title.



Books Read

1. Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon - 3.6 ★
2. You by Caroline Kepnes - 4.0 ★

D. Love Stories: “Every love story is beautiful, but my favorite is ours.”
Anonymous
I will read 8 books that have a connection to love.



Books Read

1. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn - 3.8 ★

Possibilities

1. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
2. The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
3. After the Dance by Dee Williams

E. Reading From My Shelves: “Having too many books is not the problem. Not having enough shelving – That’s A Problem.”
Anonoymous
This category will be for books that I pull from my shelves either to fulfill a challenge or simply just because I felt like reading it at this point in time.



Books Read

1. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - 5.0 ★
2. Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman - 4.2 ★
3. Celebrations At Thrush Green by Miss Read - 3.3 ★
4. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin - 4.5 ★

F. Let’s Eat!: “People who love love food are always the best people.”
Julia Child
I will read at least 8 books that have an item of food or drink in the title.



Books Read

1. At The Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper - 3.6 ★
2. Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley - 3.7 ★

G. Doing My ABCs: "Okay everybody, line up in alphabetical order according to your height.”
Casey Stengel
Throughout the year I will randomly read alphabetically by author’s name. Will match my reads to the AlphaKit monthly letters.



Books Read

1. A - American War by Omar El Akkad - 3.8 ★
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. E
6. F
7. G
8. H
9. I
10. J
11. K - At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon - 4.0 ★
12. L - Legend by Marie Lu - 3.7 ★
13. M
14. N
15. O - Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor - 4.0 ★
16. P
17. Q - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - 3.7 ★
18. R
19. S
20. T
21. U - The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown - 3.6 ★
22. V
23. W
24. X
25. Y
26. Z

H. 1,001 Books List: “A Classic never goes out of style.”
Coca-Cola Ad
Due to an on-going bet with my brother I have been reading books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List, trying to catch up with his total. This is where I will list most of my reads from that list.



Books Read

1. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - 4.5 ★
2. The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien - 4.2 ★
3. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - 4.0 ★
4. The Double by Jose Saramago - 3.8 ★

I. Series: “Happiness is finding the first good book of a series and knowing there are more to follow.”
Anonymous
In an effort to catch up in my series reading, I will read at least 8 series books. I expect the SeriesCat will help me in making my reading choices.



Books Read

1. Excursion to Tindari (5) by Andrea Camilleri - 4.0 ★
2. Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer - 4.5 ★
3. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham - 4.3 ★

J. Crime Stories: “Reading mysteries is recreation for intelligent minds.”
Donna Andrews
I will read at least one mystery or police procedural every month.



Crime Stories

1. See How Small by Scott Blackwood - 3.8 ★
2. The Yard Dog by Sheldon Russell - 3.4 ★
3. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler - 4.2 ★

K. Vintage Crime: “I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest
Agatha Christie
I am a huge fan of the classic mysteries from the golden age of detective fiction and I will read at least 8 classic mysteries over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie - 3.8 ★
2. The Private Wound by Nicholas Blake - 3.4 ★
3. The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham

L. Out of the Past: “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Teddy Roosevelt
I will read at least one book a month that delves into history – as set by the Reading Through Time Group or to fit other challenges



Books Read

1. The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks - 4.2 ★
3. The Colour by Rose Tremain - 4.5 ★

Possibilities

1. The Bones of Paradise by Jonis Agee
2. Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran

M. Science Fiction: “If you take the shackles off your imagination, you can go anywhere with science fiction.
Lani Tupu
I will read at least 8 science fiction books over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. City by Clifford D. Simak - 3.4 ★
2. Mordacious by Sara Lyons Fleming - 4.3 ★
3. The Final Six by Alexandra Monir - 4.0 ★

N. Fantasy: “A Single Dream is More Powerful that a Thousand Realities”
J.R.R. Tolken
I will read at least 8 fantasy books over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner - 4.1 ★
2. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines - 4.2 ★

Possibilities

1. Half A War by Joe Abercrombie
2. Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

O. Young At Heart: “Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”
Walt Disney
I will read 8 YA books during the year.



Books Read

1. The Other Side of Dawn by Jack Marsden - 4.0 ★
2. Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott - 3.7 ★
3. The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson - 4.0 ★

P. Non-Fiction: “Any truth is better than indefinite doubt”
Arthur Conan Doyle
I will read at least 8 non-fiction books during the year



Books Read

1. The Profession of Violence by John Pearson - 3.7 ★
2. Dove by Robin L. Graham - 3.0 ★
3. The Complete Beatles by Steve Turner - 5.0 ★
4. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara - 4.0 ★

Q. Library List: Libraries: “The medicine chest of the soul”
Inscribed over the door of the library at Thebes
It’s not just about my own shelves. I will also read the following from the library in an effort to reduce my very long library list.



Books Read

1. A New Day by Beryl Matthews - 3.3 ★
2. The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh - 4.0 ★
3. The Dress Shop of Dreams by Meena Van Praag - 3.6 ★

R. Saddle Up! - “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway!”
John Wayne
Books about the American West and the cowboy way will be make up this category.



Books Read

1. Deep Creek by Dana Hand - 4.2 ★
2. Sundance by David Fuller - 4.0 ★
3. Glorious by Jeff Guinn - 4.5 ★

S. Overflow: “Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.”
George R.R. Martin
Just in case I don't have enough books to read, any that don't fit the above categories will reside here.



Books Read

2019 Reading Plans



January:

February:

March: Hosting the SeriesCat: A Series Book by a Favorite Author

April: Hosting the Reading Through Time Monthly Theme
Hosting the ScaredyKit: Modern Horror /Thrillers
Starting the Group Read of The Lord of the Rings

May: Hosting the CalendarCat
Group Read of Lord of the Rings

June: Group Read of Lord of the Rings

July: Starting the Group Read of Tom Jones

August: Group Read of Tom Jones

September: Group Read of Tom Jones

October: Hosting the TBRCat

November: Hosting the RandomCat

December: Hosting the SFFFKit: Reader's Choice

My Random Miscellaneous thought for thread #2:



and:

look at you go

Got you! Dropping off my star so I can follow along with your 2019 reading and other adventures. :-)

>28 Nickelini: Whew! I was rushing cause my hubby is going to call me to go for our evening walk any minute and I wanted to get this finished!

>29 EBT1002: Great to have you along, Ellen!

20. The Private Wound by Nicholas Blake - 3.4 ★
Category: Vintage Crime
February TIOLI #4: Published More Than 10 Years Ago



The Private Wound by Nicholas Blake was a very different sort of mystery from his Detective Strangeways series. This was more of a dark character study than the light, very British mystery writing of his series. Set in Ireland in the months just preceding WW II, an Irish-English author arrives in a rural village looking to find a remote place in which to write his next novel. He rents a cottage and before too long finds himself involved socially with the locals and in particular has embarked on an affair with the wife of the local gentry.

When his lover is murdered one night by the river, there are a number of suspects including the author and the husband, but these two decide between them that neither one did the deed and so join together to find the culprit. The author wants to clear himself, while the husband is set on revenge.

I found the mystery fairly straight forward and I knew who the murderer was right away. The emotional intensity of the story comes more from the passion between the two lovers and the author’s own insights. The main character was rather a self-pitying twit and the female victim most unlikable so I didn’t really much care about the murder. Nevertheless this melodramatic story held my attention with the other assorted and interesting characters, the local landscape and the peek into Irish sensibilities of the day.

Happy new thread!

Love everything! All your quotes are fabulous!
I just read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake for a food title and loved it! Quick and easy read, but very interesting premise.

Happy new thread, Judy. Love those quotes!

Happy New Thread, Judy!

You have so many good possibilities listed. I miss Fiona Griffiths! I hope the new one comes out soon.

Happy new one, Judy!

Happy new thread, Judy! And Happy Friday!

Happy new thread, Judy. I love your toppers!

Happy new thread. I noticed I'll be needing to create a new one soon in at least one of my groups. I'll give it a little time though.

Happy new thread, Judy!

Happy new thread, Judy! Love the images you use.

Happy New Thread! I see by your tickers that you've done a good job so far in reading from your TBR.

Welcome everyone. We spent the morning looking at furniture as we are thinking of replacing our living room sofa and love seat. I told my husband the final choice is his as he spends the most time in that room so the sofa has to be comfortable for him. He seems to be leaning toward a grey leather sofa/love seat at La-Z-Boy that is both wide enough to allow him to lie down on and reclines as well. It's pricey so we'll see if he thinks his comfort is worth it.

>32 mstrust: Welcome, Jennifer.

>33 JayneCM: I read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake a number of years ago and at the time wasn't totally taken with it, the weird ending threw me off. I actually might get more from it today as my reading tastes have changed over the years.

>34 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit.

>35 jnwelch: I love the Fiona Griffiths books, Joe. I am trying to read them slowly so that I don't run out too soon.

>36 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie - with the BB that I have already picked up from you this year, I need to read even faster!

>37 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, the quote at >27 DeltaQueen50: made me think of you - whenever I see the word "fabulous", you come to mind! :)

>38 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. It's not as cold here as what you are going through but the thought of warm tea, socks and a good book makes me very happy!

>39 thornton37814: Hi Lori, setting up a new thread is rather time consuming, but well worth the effort! :)

>40 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

>41 VivienneR: Thanks, Vivienne.

>42 dudes22: Hi Betty, I am determined to continue to read from my shelves as much as possible. I need to make room for new acquisitions both on my shelves on on my Kindles!

Happy new thread, Judy. Good thing you got out for your walk yesterday. It doesn't look like great walking weather out there today.

>44 Familyhistorian: I figure I got enough walking in at the furniture stores, Meg. We will probably slip out this evening for our short - around the block walk - if it's not pouring.

Happy new thread, Judy! Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

>46 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. Hope your weekend is a good one as well!

21. Sundance by David Fuller - 4.0 ★
Category: Saddle Up!
2019PopSugar Challenge: Based on a True Story
February TIOLI #3: Author Writes Both Fiction and Non-fiction



Sundance by David Fuller is a novel built around the premise that the Sundance Kid didn’t go to Bolivia with Butch Cassidy, instead he was arrested under an assumed name and spent 12 years in the state prison in Wyoming. It’s now 1913 and Harry Longbaugh is released into a very different world than the one he left. He is introduced to motor cars and electricity, worker’s unions and women marching for the vote. His first and only thought is to find his wife whom he hasn’t heard from in two years when her letters stopped. Doggedly following her trail, he finds himself in New York City.

Sundance is a clever and highly entertaining story of a man trying to find where he belongs while searching for the woman who holds his heart. He realizes that Etta has somehow gotten herself in trouble with the Black Hand gang and is leaving him obscure clues to help him find her.

The author has delivered a great story and I couldn’t help but picture an older, rugged Robert Redford as Harry Longbaugh. The character is written much the way I imagine the Sundance Kid would be and the author did a fine job of staying true to the character and the time period. An interesting fact to ponder is that while we are told that the real Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid died in Bolivia, when they opened the grave marked with their names in 1991, only one body was discovered and DNA analysis proved it was neither of the famous outlaws. So the legend lives on.

>27 DeltaQueen50: Love that!

>48 DeltaQueen50: I can't imagine having time to read this book, but I loved your interesting review.

>49 bell7: Hi Mary, I love that saying as well. It's not always easy to follow it, but it is good advice. :)

>50 Nickelini: Thanks, Joyce. I have long been fascinated by the Butch Cassidy/Sundance Kid story and moving it into early turn-of-the-century New York was fascinating.

>51 DeltaQueen50:

Are you a fan of the film? I haven't seen it in years, and I think I've only seen it once straight through-- which would have been when I was a kid in the mid-70s in the theatre in Campbell River. Mostly I remember this woman in the row in front of me singing along loudly to "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"

>48 DeltaQueen50:

An interesting take on the legend.

P.S. Your touchstone goes to the movie.

>52 Nickelini: I have seen "Butch Cassidy and the Sundown Kid" a number of times, it is a favorite of mine. I always picture Butch as Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the "Kid" whenever I read about them. I'm a little older than you so I saw the movie at the age of 17 or eighteen and it made quite an impression on me!

>53 hailelib: Trisha, I suspect it is mostly wishful thinking that has Butch Cassidy and the Sundown Kid surviving Bolivia, but it makes for lots of fun speculation and adds to their legend. I read another book sometime ago that had Butch Cassidy getting involved with a early days movie company that was very good, but I can't recall the name of the book. BTW, I've fixedthe touchstone, thanks.

Happy new thread, Judy! I think I need to see BCatSK again. Maybe view all the best picture nominee's of 1969 like we did last summer with the nominees for 1968. My son really enjoyed watching them with his ole parents.

Hello Judy! Thank you for a great Challenge page and I look forward to reading about your reading adventures this year. And I totally love your quotes! I like to take some to put on the erasable board at work.

>54 DeltaQueen50: I'm a little older than you so I saw the movie at the age of 17 or eighteen and it made quite an impression on me!

Hmmmm -- It was one of my older brother's favourite movies, and he went to see it the year it came out 14 times -- with a different girl each time! I wonder if one of them was you? (He settled down after that and recently celebrated his 45 wedding anniversary)

Well, we are finally experiencing some winter here and it is actually snowing. I don't think we will get very much here as we are quite close to the ocean but the higher elevations and parts that are more in-land are getting quite the snowfall. We just hunkered down and watched the Super Bowl on TV and had a big bowl of chili for dinner. When I say "watched" the Super Bowl, well, that was really my husband - I spend most of the time with my nose buried in a book!

>55 Carmenere: Lynda, that sounds like such a cool thing to do! A quick note though, I do believe Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was nominated for the 1970 Award Season.

>56 threadnsong: Hi and welcome. Please help yourself to any of the quotes, I found them mostly on Pinterest.

>57 Nickelini: LOL, I'm pretty sure I didn't see the movie with your brother. I was living in Ottawa at the time and going very steady at the time, but it was a huge "date" movie cause the girls got to oogle the male stars and the guys got to watch a Western!

22. Mordacious by Sara Lyons Fleming - 4.3 ★
Category: Science Fiction
February ScaredyKit: The Corporeal Undead
February TIOLI #14: First Paragraph Consists of One Sentence



Mordacious by Sara Lyons Fleming is both the start of a new zombie trilogy as well as an addition to her “Until The End of the World” series. We now get to find out what happened to the missing loved ones of the main characters from the first three books. So Cassie’s brother, Eric and Penny’s mother, Maria are main characters here along with some new ones, lead by Sylvie, a twenty-something woman who is surviving in this new zombie world but has brought along with her a lot of baggage from the old world.

These books are like reading a letter from a good friend in that the writing style is newsy, chatty and humorous but also full of zombie ickiness and violence. This particular group of people start out by being trapped in a hospital but finally leave there and manage to set up housekeeping in a row of brownstones in Brooklyn. As they become more competent in zombie control, they begin to face other challenges of this world from obtaining enough food and water to staving off marauders.

These books are my guilty pleasure. I really enjoyed the first zombie trilogy from this author and look forward to more of the same with this second set.

>58 DeltaQueen50:

LOL, I'm pretty sure I didn't see the movie with your brother. I was living in Ottawa at the time and going very steady at the time, but it was a huge "date" movie cause the girls got to oogle the male stars and the guys got to watch a Western!

Ah, that makes so much sense! And nope, not you! My brother didn't go to Ottawa until about 10 years ago, so definitely you weren't one of his 14 dates. So funny to remember my brother as a lady's man -- like I said, he's been married for 45 years and he and his wife are very straight-laced. Ah, wild youth . . . that makes me think I should recommend this book to them since they're both great readers.

>60 Nickelini: Ah, to be young again! I hope they enjoy the book if they get a chance to read it.

23. The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh - 4.0 ★
Category: My Library List
Bingo Dog: Title Contains a Homophone Word (Weight - Wait)
February TIOLI #7: A 4 Word Title



The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh is a dark mystery involving the disappearance of at least two women from a small area in rural Missouri in the Ozark Mountains. The book follows two parallel story lines as Lucy, a teenager investigates the gruesome murder of a friend and hunts for clues into the disappearance of her mother some fifteen years ago. She is aided in her inquiries by a young man, Daniel, but she soon realizes that their investigation is leading into the heart of her own family. The past story line, is her mother’s Lila’s story, of how she came to the small town of Henbane and how she ran afoul of an evil man but made the mistake of falling in love with a member of his family.

The author evokes the rugged setting of this rural community and slowly reveals that there is something very dark lurking in this small town. I had a slight problem believing Lila would stay in this place after she escapes captivity and learns what her future was meant to be. But overall this was a very good debut novel and I would certainly read more from this author.

>62 DeltaQueen50: Well, you got me with one! On my list it goes!

Happy new thread!

>63 Dianekeenoy: Diane, I am pretty sure that was a book bullet for me as well so I am happy to pass it along. :)

>64 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

24. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines - 4.3 ★
Category: Fantasy
BingoDog: Fairy Tale
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Retelling of a Classic Story
February TIOLI #6: Title Contains Two Words That Start With the Same Letter and Each are Four Letters or More Long



Pretty much every fairy tale ends with the words “And they lived happily ever after”. But do they? In The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines, the author picks up the story of Cinderella a few months after the marriage. Danielle is still very much in love with her Prince Armand, but her stepsisters haven’t accepted the situation at all. As the elder stepsister escapes after an attempt to assassinate Danielle, she leaves behind the knowledge that the Prince has been kidnapped. Danielle bands together with two other princesses whose happily ending didn’t work out, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Together these three princesses embark on a quest to save Armand.

The Stepsister Scheme was everything I look for in a fairy tale retelling. The author cleverly uses story elements from the original but enhances and broadens the story. The use of humor, action and magic move the story quickly. The three princesses were unique and interesting characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

This is the first book in this author’s Princess series and I can’t wait to carry on with these books and meet more kick-a** princesses.

Ha, I was always creeped out by "and they lived happily ever after". Maybe I was right all along.

>67 Familyhistorian: Meg, those "happily ever after" fairy tales sure left us with some unrealistic expectations, didn't they.

25. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - 4.0 ★
Category: 1,001 Books To Read Before You Die List
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Book You Saw Someone Reading on TV (Gilmore Girls)
February TIOLI #4: A Book That Was Published More Than 10 Years Ago



I have been reading Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert by installments from Daily Lit since November, 2018. I was very happy to reach the end of this book although it certainly held my attention throughout the reading, but there was an inevitable sense of doom building. The story, set in 1840’s Normandy, is of a doctor’s unhappy and unfaithful wife. I found this a very sad tale, as to me, it was obvious that Emma was married to a dull man and had no outlet available for her other than adultery. Women of a certain class did not work, or really have much to occupy their time, other than oversee the servants. Emma Bovary was a woman of passion, in fact shopping excited her every bit as much as sex. Yes, she was beautiful, somewhat selfish and immature but I still felt a great deal of sympathy for her. It was hard not to emphasize with a woman whose happiness was so out of tune with her situation.

Did I have sympathy for her husband, Charles, yes, indeed. He tried to provide Emma with what he thought he wanted and she carefully never revealed her unhappiness in the life he provided her. Charles was not the brightest of men, he was quiet and easily satisfied, didn’t have a romantic bone in his body and apparently never questioned their life or situation until it was too late. The Boyarys were a mismatched couple and the marriage, right from the start seemed doomed to failure.

Flaubert has written an excellent morality tale that still stands today. Our happiness does not rely on anyone or anything other than ourselves. Emma Bovary paid a heavy price for her longings to escape the caged life that she lead and this book reminds me that woman can still fall into the same patterns as Emma Bovary even though we have more choices today in our search for a fulfilling life.

>69 DeltaQueen50: great review! I'll read that one day.

>70 Nickelini: Once again I was surprised at how accessible one of these old classics was. I fully expected to struggle through this book and thought that reading it in installments would give me small doses to digest, but I found myself often pushing the buttom for another installment to be immediately delivered.

26. Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon - 3.6 ★
Category: One Word Titles
February ScaredyKit: The Corporeal Undead



Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon was one of the most unusual zombie stories that I have read. It reminded me somewhat of The Passage by Justin Cronin in that it’s setting included a remote government sponsored lab, and also by it’s intricate plotting that allowed the story to unfold from many viewpoints.

When scientists located in a remote laboratory establish a gateway to a new world they are careful not to allow any living thing pass through, but, of course, they didn’t allow for a walking dead creature that carried a horrifying disease. Instead of a great scientific discovery, they unleashed a horrifying zombie outbreak that wiped billions from the earth. The only hope for mankind is the possibility of a cure that is generated by a genetic immunity, one young woman appears to have this genetic immunity but they need to locate and transport her to a safe location.

The author has blended horror and science fiction to create a unique and distinctive zombie story. He has veered away from the usual story of an experimental virus that goes wrong. His version is of scientists that have opened a portal to an alternative universe without fully considering the implications. At over 500 pages, I did find Coldbrook a little long and I freely admit that there were times that I was quite confused with the idea of a alternative earth set in a different time but the author kept the story moving at a good pace and took the time to develop his characters. I suspect Coldbrook will be book that I continue to mull over for some time.

There was a movie made in the early 1990's of Madame Bovary, with Isabelle Hupert in the starring role. It was just so gorgeously films. She certainly didn't take the easy way out.

>66 DeltaQueen50:
A definite book bullet as I'm due for a good fairytale retelling.

Today is a no-good, bad day as my computer won't communicate with me. I allowed Widows to do updates last night which were extensive but now, although the computer is on, all I can get is a pretty picture, it doesn't even give me a place to log on and I sure hope that I can eventually get back in to all my own documents. Needless to say, first thing tomorrow morning, my computer is off to the Geek Store! I may not be around much in the next few days as I have beg some computer time off my husband - the good news is that I will have even more time for reading.

>73 RidgewayGirl: Kay, I've never seen any of the Madame Bovary movies that have been made but in the book, she thought she was giving herself a gentle, falling asleep type of death not what actually happened. It was a very distressing last few chapters indeed.

>74 hailelib: Just be aware, Tricia, this is the first of a series - and I have a feeling that they are addictive! I've already purchased the next one.

May the computer gods fix whatever has gone wonky! Technology can be such a pain, some times.

>72 DeltaQueen50: As I'd mentioned on the SFFKIT thread, this sounds like my kind of book: apocalyptic sci-fi with zombies. I'm taking a BB. (Should BB refer to "book bite" when it involves zombies?)

>77 mathgirl40: 'brain bite', maybe? ;)

Sympathies with your computer problems!

My terrible really bad day got even worse this morning. I have an All-in-One Desktop Computer and I managed to drop it this morning while I was getting ready to take it to the Geeks. The front upper corner is all smashed. We took it in and without further examination, they are pretty sure the operating system was screwed up during the updates, and now, thanks to me, the front part of the screen is broken. Looks like I need a new computer. They are pretty sure that they can retrieve my information and transfer it to a new computer. We had a large snowfall yesterday and since we get very little snow here, 5 inches is enough to cripple the traffic so we can't really get out and go computer shopping today, so I am still stuck using my hubby's lame laptop (which I hate). Hopefully we can get out shopping soon cause I am going crazy without my own computer!

>76 lkernagh: The computer gods are against me, Lori! Either that or simply my own clumsiness!

>77 mathgirl40: I hope you enjoy Coldbrook when you get to it. I had never heard of the author Tim Lebbon before but he has an extensive catalogue and I a few of his books have been made into movies.

>78 Jackie_K: LOL, that's a good one, Jackie!

>79 mysterymax: Thanks, I keep telling myself that now is the time to catch up on my Netflicks backlog not to mention my reading but I do miss my computer. :(

Boo to computer woes!

27. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn - 3.8 ★
Category: Love Stories
February CalendarCat: Romance for Valentine's Day
February Reading Thru Time: Be My Valentine
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Book Includes a Wedding
February TIOLI #5: A Turn of the Century Book



Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn is the 4th book in her historical romance series featuring the lives and loves of the Bridgerton family. In this outing we are told how the 3rd son, Colin, falls in love with Penelope Featherington. Penelope is one of his many sister's best friends and has shown up in all the book so far. Penelope is considered a spinster at the age of 28 and although she had been in love with Colin for years, he hadn't noticed her until this year.

It was fun to read about a wallflower that comes into full bloom, and Colin and Penelope are a well matched pair. Of course although the romance sailed along pretty smoothly, there were a few bumps and secrets to be revealed along the way.

I am still enjoying this series and when I am in the mood for something light and frothy, this is the series that I reach for.

>81 katiekrug: You got that right, Katie!

>82 DeltaQueen50: - That one was my introduction to the series. I love Colin.

>82 DeltaQueen50:
Sounds like the perfect book for the day you're having!

>80 DeltaQueen50: - Oh no! Definitely not a good day to try and go computer shopping.

I feel your pain, Judy. I always worry when I reach the point where I'm forced to do an update, that it might go bad. And then to drop it - ouch! Hope you find something you like.

>84 katiekrug: I am loving all the Bridgerton men, Katie, but yes, Colin is rather special.

>85 Nickelini: It was the perfect escape which I did badly need.

>86 lkernagh: I think Mother Nature is being particularly mean to us right now, Lori. We go all winter with no snow and just we get ready for Spring - she starts in with the snow!

>87 dudes22: I can assure you that I will think long and hard before allowing any updates in the future, Betty. We are having a doozy of a snowstorm so I don't know when I am going to get out to get a new computer. I am going a little stir-crazy being housebound in the snow! I have early daffodils blooming out on the terrace but they are getting covered completely with this horrible white stuff!

28. Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor - 4.0 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs - The Letter "O"
February AlphaKit: O
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Inspired by Mythology, Legend or Folklore
February TIOLI #9: Chapters Have Titles



Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor is a well written children's fantasy about a thirteen year old girl who, although she yearns to be "normal", discovers she has the power to levitate and fly. Teased and bullied at school she has one friend who stands by her at all times. So when her friend, Dari, needs her help, she finds the courage to strike out on her own and enters the Forbidden Greeny Jungle to find the cure that he so badly needs.

Set in the fantasy country of the Ooni Kingdom, this forbidden jungle is a fearful place where people who enter very rarely ever return. Zahrah uses her loyalty to her friend to overcome her fears and about travelling in the jungle. Along the way she encounters many fantastic creatures, a few of which are friendly but most are deadly and dangerous.

The author draws on African mythology to weave this magical tale of a little girl who learns to face life full-on and accept her differences in order to save her friend. The story is aimed at young people but it's magic works on us older folks as well. I was charmed and I look forward to reading more from this imaginative author.

How horrible about your computer! And that getting a new one has to wait. I hope you're able to get a replacement very, very soon.

>88 DeltaQueen50: I think Mother Nature is being particularly mean to us right now, Lori. We go all winter with no snow and just we get ready for Spring - she starts in with the snow!

I think it was all the gloating that was going on a few weeks ago. Anyway, what I find weird about this is how long this cold snap is lasting -- especially since it hadn't been cold all winter (except for a few days in early December).

>90 mstrust: I am missing my computer, even more so since we are housebound because of the snow. They are promising sunshine for tomorrow so we are hoping to get out and do some looking around. I am still waiting to hear if my old computer can be fixed enough to use or if they can retrieve all my personal stuff. Meanwhile, I am getting a lot of reading done!

>91 Nickelini: Yes, we West Coasters can be a little smug about our mild winters so I guess we deserve this. I am hoping that the sun does shine tomorrow and we are able to get out for a bit - if for nothing else but to get some groceries1 We tried to go for a short walk today but found that only a few sidewalks were clear enough for walking but it was nice to get outside and fell some fresh air!

29. Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer - 4.5 ★
Category: Series
2019 PopSugar Challenge: An Author Whose First and Last Names Start With the Same Letter
February TIOLI #1: Use the Title of Book as a Caption for the Provided Picture



Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer is the final book in her Blacklands trilogy. Once again we are transported to the edge of Exmoor to the small village of Shipcott. This time it is children that are disappearing, taken from back seats of cars. All the abductor leaves behind is a yellow post-it note saying "You Don't Love Him". Many familiar characters are inserted into the story, from village policeman Jonas Holly to seventeen year old Stephen Lamb, the main character of the first Blacklands story.

The author takes us on a dark and twisted trip as the kidnapper is a very disturbed soul. Finders Keepers is a chilling novel of suspense whose gripping storyline held my total attention. I am a fan of this author, and Finders Keepers is another great read from this author.

Wow, you're just flying through books. I've been home with a cold, and have spent about 30 min reading. I should have finished my novel! What else did I do? I don't know, other than a couple of hours of frustrating paperwork, not much! You're an inspiration. .... but I'm going to work tomorrow, so I lost my great opportunity

I really like Belinda Bauer's crime novels and I'm glad Finders Keepers is still ahead of me.

>94 Nickelini: Very little reading done today, Joyce, as we were finally able to get out and shop for a new computer. It's now at the Geeks while they try to figure out how to access my data and transfer it to the new computer, plus set it up. I am hoping it's ready for the weekend, but these guys are so slow that I am trying not to get my hopes up!

>95 RidgewayGirl: I love Belinda Bauer, she has become a go-to-author when I need an absorbing read.

>93 DeltaQueen50: sounds like a great psychological thriller. A BB For me!

>96 DeltaQueen50: I had to have some work done on my laptop last year and took it to a nearby genius shop. When I dropped it off they told me it would be at least two weeks so I waited a month (I have a hated backup I can use) until I called them. They acted like they were irritated because it took me so long to check on it. I asked if they had called to let me know it was ready and they had apparently called several times but hadn't ever left a message. I'm still puzzling over that, maybe they're into the age of telepathy, I'm not receiving yet.

I'm glad you have a new one in the works and that the works moves fast.

Happy Valentine's Day!! ❤️💚💗💙

I hope you get your computer soon and everything works as it should. I always wish computer savviness was one of my skill sets.

Still, you've been doing a lot of reading.

Valentine's Day has turned out to be a very happy day as I finally have my new computer home! Of course the first place I came was Library Thing! I am still figuring out everything but they were able to recover all my data and photos so I am a very happy camper. I am hosting the March SeriesCat and will try to set up the thread for that tonight - fingers crossed!

>97 Tess_W: Tess, Finders Keepers was third book in her Exmoor Trilogy and I particularly recommend the first book, Blacklands - it totally blew me away! All three books are excellent and she has become a favorite author.

>98 clue: I am helpless when it comes to computers - so I did feel a little at the mercy of the Geeks, but I think I bothered them so much that they got the job done quickly. They phoned me late this afternoon and held the store open for me to go and pick up my computer.

>99 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle, I hope you are having a great Valentine's Day! My hubby took me out to lunch today and we also went and delivered cards and candy to our grandkids.

>100 BLBera: I suspect the reading will slow down now, Beth, since I have this new computer to play with. I also wish I was more savvy when it comes to computers and speaking their language!

Glad you've got your new computer at home! :) That's always really exciting.

Hooray for the new computer!

Happy they were able to recover all your data and photos! Enjoy the new computer.

>102 The_Hibernator:, >103 mstrust: &>104 thornton37814: Thanks, I am very happy that I am re-attached to the electronic world!

30. The Colour by Rose Tremain - 4.5 ★
Category: Out of the Past
February 1,001 Group Read
February TIOLI #5: A Turn of the Century Book



The Colour by Rose Tremain is an exceedingly well written historical fiction novel with a strong story, well developed characters and an interesting setting. This is the story of Harriet and Joseph Blackstone who marry and come to New Zealand full of hope and determination to forge a homestead from the wilds of New Zealand’s Southern Island. Joseph’s mother, Lillian, is a reluctant addition to this small family, she despises the isolation and would far rather be making her home in the town of Christchurch. Joseph and Harriet barely know each other, Joseph needs a wife to help create the new life he envisions while Harriet is escaping her unmarried life as a governess.

The layers and secrets of each character are slowly revealed throughout the course of the story. Love never develops between Harriet and Joseph, instead Joseph loses both his head and his heart to gold fever and he eventually abandons both his mother and his wife for the gold fields. Harriet and Lillian carry on but their homestead is doomed. Harriet then follows Joseph to the gold fields but this strong and resourceful woman soon finds her life heading in a new direction.

The author delves deep into her characters to reveal their motivations, hopes and desires. We learn very quickly that Joseph lacks strength of character and purpose and that Harriet is very clever and has a core strength of iron. Joseph spends most of his time feeling regretful of all that he has done yet continues to avoid any confrontation. Harriet, who soon sees Joseph for what he is, is on a voyage of self-discovery. While the story is generally rather melancholy, the author writes in such a way that the reader is totally transported to late 19th Century New Zealand. The supporting characters are all realistic and interesting and help in building the layers that abound in this rich historical novel.

>106 DeltaQueen50: That one sounds good.

>106 DeltaQueen50: - I have The Colour on my shelf, along with a couple of other Tremains. I've only read Trespass which I liked. She is one of those authors I know I will love if I could just get to more of her work!

Good to have you back in the land of working computers :)

I've been meaning to read Rose Tremain for some time and The Colour sounds right up my alley, especially after having enjoyed The Luminaries, which was also set during the New Zealand gold rush.

>101 DeltaQueen50: Glad to hear your computer troubles are over.

Sorry to hear about your technical difficulties, Judy. I think the snow is enough of a handicap without the addition of computer woes. You were lucky to get one back so quickly. The last time I had my laptop repaired it took over a week. Fortunately I have a couple of other computers as backup. As I remember it was a Windows update that did in my laptop too. My other computers don't use windows so don't have the same problem.

Double YAY on the new computer and the data recovery!

Hurrah for the new computer and all the saved files, Judy!!

>107 thornton37814: It's a really good historical fiction novel, Lori. I found myself totally absorbed in the story.

>108 katiekrug: I love historical fiction so I was pretty sure that The Colour would be a hit with me. This was my first Rose Tremain and I'm happy to say it won't be my last.

>109 RidgewayGirl: Oh, I have The Luminaries on my shelf somewhere, I will have to check that one out.

>110 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks, Dave, I was pretty miserable without it.

>111 Familyhistorian: Meg, I suspect the Geeks (that's the name of the local store here in Tsawwassen) were anxious to get me off their backs. I went into the shop everyday, first to check on my old computer to see if they could recover my stuff and then once I took my new computer in for them to set up and transfer, well, let's just say, they were probably glad to see the back of me yesterday! I feel like Microsoft owes me a new computer, it was their updates that seemed to have fried the operating system in my old computer, although there must have been some kind of problem in there to start with. I can assure you that I won't be in any hurry to add any updates in the future.

>112 lkernagh: It's definitely frustrating when something goes wrong with the computer. Neither my hubby nor I know anything about computers so we are totally at sea when they don't work the way we think they should. The worst thing though was when I dropped it and saw little bits of it flying everywhere. I was so mad at myself for not being more careful.

31. Dove by Robin L. Graham - 3.0 ★
Category: Non-fiction
February RandomCat: Travel
February TIOLI #10: Title Makes You Want to Break Into Song



Dove by Robin L. Graham is the extraordinary story of how the author in July of 1965, at 16 years of age, began a sailing trip to circumnavigate the globe in a 24 foot sloop. Five years later he completed his trip. Along the way he had many adventures, faced many dangers and met and married a young woman who followed his trip both on land sea. Of course my first thoughts were how could his parents allow a 16 year old to sail off alone, but my reading revealed a remarkably mature young man who grew up in a sailing family.

While the voyage is described in rather flat tones, Graham’s voice comes alive when he writes about the meeting, courting and marriage to Patti. They met in Fiji but amazingly enough she also called California home. As his love for Patti grew, his enthusiasm for the trip lessened but both his father and Patti encouraged him to continue, and he had a contract with National Geographic to fulfill the voyage.

Dove is an interesting account of this young man’s amazing accomplishment and reading this book is very much like reading a diary, yet I never felt that I got to know him or understand his motivations. There was something in the tone of his writing that made feel that this was a young man who felt he entitled to whatever came along and to choose his direction in life without listening to the advice of his parents or others.

>115 DeltaQueen50:
I read Dove when I was a teenager and it stuck with me. I found an old used copy and gave it to my husband to read about 10 years ago and he liked it too.

>116 Nickelini: I think I would have enjoyed Dove more if I had read it at an earlier age. His achievement was remarkable, but I had trouble with his seemingly "I deserve everything" attitude.

>93 DeltaQueen50: Well, this turned into 3 more books on my list! Oh well, what a great problem to have!

>117 DeltaQueen50: I had trouble with his seemingly "I deserve everything" attitude.

Ha ha -- that's something I probably wouldn't have noticed as a teenager.

>118 Dianekeenoy: I'm glad I've helped you keep your shelves filled, Diane! ;)

>119 Nickelini: As a grandmother of two, I know that teenagers can be a little tricky to maneuver around at times.

32. At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon - 4.0 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
February AlphaKit: K
February TBRKit: Borrowed Some Time Ago
February TIOLI #4: Published More Than 10 Years Ago



At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon is the story of Father Tim Cavanaugh, a sixty year old single Episcopalian minister to his flock in a fictional small town in North Carolina. Each chapter of the book is like a small story in itself and introduces the colorful and sometimes eccentric characters that live in Mitford. Father Tim is so busy attending to his duties that he hasn’t taken the best care of himself in recent years and strain is beginning to show.

His life takes a few unexpected turns over the course of the year that the book details. First he acquires a large, boisterous dog, then a neglected boy comes into his care and he finds himself totally delighted by his new neighbour, an attractive, single woman.

The story unfolds with great warmth and humor. The characters are lovingly drawn with interesting quirks and features. These are homey, cozy stories that tell of how we would like our small towns to be, not as they really are. An important element to the stories is obviously the author’s faith, but this was presented in a straight forward natural way and helped to define Father Tim and enhance the stories so I was more than okay with it. Overall I enjoyed my time in Mitford and will definitely be visiting this small town again.

>121 DeltaQueen50: How serendipitous, Judy! I had a book become available on PaperBackSwap and they always give you the option of looking at what else the member is offering so you can combine the orders if you want something. Well, this member had At Home in Mitford and I thought I remembered it being spoken of positively on LT so came here to look at conversations and yours popped up first. So this person had the first four books in the series and I have loads of unused credits so they will be making their way to me soon.

>121 DeltaQueen50: My Aunt Joyce loved these books and shared them with me and my mother. I loved them because she loved them! She's now 95 and lives in a beautiful assisted living facility in NC. She thinks that I am my mother now (who we lost 5 years ago) but that's okay with me. I am just happy to still have her.

>121 DeltaQueen50: I loved those books when they came out. Then she took a break from writing them after seven or eight. I don't think I've read any of the later installments, and I'm not so sure I want to do so. I keep waffling on it!

>121 DeltaQueen50: I have that one on my TBR just to give the series a taste. I hope to get to it this year!

>121 DeltaQueen50: - Happy to see that your first visit to Mitford was an enjoyable one, Judy!

>122 ronincats: I hope you enjoy the Mitford books, Roni. I have the next three books in the series and while they are charming, I intend to give myself a good break between each one cause I fear they could seem too much the same after a while.

>123 Dianekeenoy: My Mom is about to be 98 and I fully intend to share these books with her, Diane. I am so lucky to not only still have her, but she still lives in her house (with my brother) and has very good health. I think she will appreciate the Mitford books.

>124 thornton37814: Lori, I have the first four and they will probably last me quite a while so don't know if I will get more. Of course they remind me a lot of the Miss Read books except with an American setting. I have made a commitment to finish off the Thrush Green books and then start in with the Fairacre books which should keep me occupied over a number of years! I do enjoy these simple stories that deal with the slow passing of life, but in an idyllic setting, they make great counterpoints to the dark, twisted mysteries that I also enjoy.

>125 Tess_W: I will be interested in what you think of the book, Tess.

I read the Mitfords in my early 20s - probably not the target age for them, but they were little islands of tranquility for me during my crazy years working in DC. You are smart to space them out, though. I found a little went a long way!

>128 katiekrug: Katie, I have a soft spot for books that are slow-moving, gentle and are set in small towns or villages but you are correct, a little goes a long way. I feel after Mitford, I am ready for a good murder story! ;)

Maybe with some zombies!

Just stopping by to thank you for recommending The Curve of Time. It was like taking a summer vacation. I was filled with admiration for M. Wylie Blanchet for being willing to turn her family life into a series of wilderness expeditions. I understand there is now a biography of her out, according to what I read on the Tyee.

>12 DeltaQueen50: - I think when I read the books there were only five and then she wrote some more that at the time I thought were a take-off on the original series. But now I see they are all listed as one series. I can't remember where I left off and I'm debating if I should just start over. I did enjoy them a lot.

>130 katiekrug: ZOMBIES - Be still my beating heart!!

>131 bkinetic: I'm glad that you liked The Curve of Time. I was very impressed with both her lifestyle and her wonderful descriptions of the West Coast waters.

>132 dudes22: Betty, perhaps a re-read would work well as the book is written in a way that makes them very easy to pick up, read a chapter and then put down and it's always nice to have books like this in reserve for when you need to read something kind and gentle.

Waaayyy back @ >58 DeltaQueen50:. Yes, you are correct, Judy. 1970 Best Picture nominees were:
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Midnight Cowboy
Z
Hello Dolly
Ann of the 1000 days

My son's on board to watch them with me this summer, so I need to do a little research on each to give him a little movie trivia back ground info.

Just dropping by to say hello, Judy! I've been MIA from threads recently - I just can't keep up.

>134 Carmenere: That's quite a line-up, Lynda. I don't think I ever saw Z but definitely have seen the rest. That's a fun project for you and your son to have.

>135 VivienneR: I suspect many of us are struggling with keeping up, Vivienne, but this very problem also makes us all understand and sympathize with the struggle as well.

33. Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman - 4.2 ★
Category: Reading From My Shelves
BingoDog: Prize Winner - 2013 Alex Award
February TIOLI #9: Chapters Have Titles



Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman was a difficult read as it is a coming of age story that deals with both sexual abuse and family dysfunction. Rory Dawn Hendrix is growing up in the Calle de Las Flores trailer park on the outskirts of Reno, Nevada where the inhabitants barely make ends meet and the police are regular visitors.

Rory’s single mother is a hard drinking bartender at the Truck Stop. While at work Rory is entrusted to teenage babysitter Carol. It soon becomes obvious that Carol’s father has been molesting Carol and has now turned his attentions onto Rory. When his abuse is discovered, he spirits himself and his daughter away while Rory is left to recover as best as she can. Rory takes her inspiration from a battered copy of “The Girl Guides Handbook” and pretty much raises herself. Although Rory scores amazingly well on IQ tests and is an excellent student, she struggles with both low self-esteem and, at times, self-loathing.

Girlchild unfolds through diary entries, social worker’s reports, memories, story problems, arrest records and family tales. Although the subject matter is grim, the author adds plenty of dark humor to tell this heartbreaking story of one young American have-not. I found this book to be a powerful and original read.

>114 DeltaQueen50: I think Microsoft is in league with the companies that depend on computer sales, Judy. Their Windows 10 update fried my main computer.

>138 Familyhistorian: Oh no! That sounds exactly what happened to me. In my case it was the operating system that was fried and they probably could have fixed it but then I went and dropped my All-in-One computer and shattered it. I hope yours is fixable. Boo to Microsoft!

34. Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott - 3.7 ★
Category: Young At Heart
BingoDog: Alliterative Title
February SeriesCat: YA Series
February TIOLI #6: Title Contains Two Words That Start With the Same Letter and Are 4 Letters + Long



Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott is a YA fantasy adventure story that both delighted me and frustrated me. The fact that the author set the book in current times made the story feel very false and I would much rather have had this story set in a post-apocalyptic future.

When Tella receives a mysterious summons to take part in the Brimstone Bleed, a race with the prize being a miracle cure, she sets off immediately. This is a chance to save her deathly ill brother but little does she know of all the hardships she will have to endure. The race takes place over a three month period and contestants must race over four distinct ecosystems. Each contestant receives a Pandora egg which hatches into a genetically engineered animal to assist them. Each animal comes with it’s own powers that are revealed over the course of the story. Tella teams up with a group of contestants and, of course, meets Guy, a love interest who appears to be a uber-survivalist. The book covers the first two ecosystems, the jungle race and the desert race. There are plenty of adventures, lots of deadly competition and still time for Tella and Guy to make googly-eyes at each other.

The stakes are high as everyone in the race has a dying relative that they want to save and sooner or later, each contestant must strike out on their own as there can only be one winner, but survival depends on banding together right now. The secondary characters are nicely mixed, but the villain of the piece is quite over-the-top. Also while totally unbelievable, the Pandora animals are super fun and easily the best part of the story, with Tella’s Pandora perhaps being the best one of all.

The book comes to an abrupt end halfway through the race but I do have the second book on my Kindle and although it is rather silly, I will definitely read on to find out what happens next. Fire & Flood comes across as an homage to The Hunger Games and I think it would appeal to fans of that book.

35. Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley - 3.7 ★
Category: Let's Eat!
February CalendarCat: Valentine's Day
BingoDog: A Food Related Title
February TIOLI #2: The Words "Library" or "Love" Appear Somewhere in the First Five Chapters



Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley is first and foremost a romance novel, but along the way, there are tarot cards, Mayan charms, guardian angels, an eccentric family – and chocolate, plenty of chocolate. Chloe, who is now in her mid-thirties lives with her younger half-brother Jake and her grandfather, Grumps, who is an author and a practising warlock. They have a colorful housekeeper called Zillah and are moving to the fictional village of Sticklepond. Grumps plans on opening a museum of Pagan History while Chloe is about to expand her business of making chocolate wishes, sort of a fortune cookie but consisting of chocolate shells with little printed messages inside.

Chloe has been disappointed with life and love in the past, her mother abandoned her, she’s uncertain as to who her father was, and her heart was broken by Raffy Sinclair who had a brief career as a rock star while Chloe was responsible for bringing up her younger brother. She learns that the village is excited about the new vicar who it turns out is ex-rock star Raffy Sinclair.

Written in a light and breezy style, the village of Sticklepond forms the heart of the story along with its many varied inhabitants. Chloe is satisfied with her life and her successful business but running into her ex-boyfriend, who was the love of her life, brings up many old feelings and resentments from the past. It was pretty easy to see where this story was going, but the author delivers the story with a great deal of charm and this, along with its cozy rural setting, made Chocolate Wishes an enjoyable read.

36. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler - 4.2 ★
Category: Crime Stories
February 1,001 Group Challenge Read: A Book With "Love" in the Title
February TIOLI #4: Book Published More Than 10 Years Ago



Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler once again features his hard boiled detective, Philip Marlowe and in this outing he gets knocked out a couple of times, beaten up, almost choked to death, and pumped full of morphine but he still doggedly follows his hunches and solves the case. It starts when he is dragged into a situation by an ex-con called Moose Malloy who, just out of prison, is searching for his girl, Velma.

Marlowe is an original character that has become one of the most copied characters in literature. His world weary attitude, staccato delivery of one-liners, and effortless aura of self-contained toughness all combine to become the gold standard of private detectives. The author excels in writing razor sharp dialogue, along with atmospheric settings, and plenty of twists in his plots.

Speaking of plots, although I enjoyed Farewell My Lovely immensely, I really don’t read Chandler for the story. It’s all about the styling, pacing, atmosphere and witty quips with a main character that has a drink in one hand and a ‘gat’ in the other.

They finally showed up here with my new oven, but unfortunately something got mixed up as they were trying to deliver a free standing stove not the wall oven that I need. Obviously either the warehouse loaded the wrong product or (and I have a bad feeling about this) the order was screwed up right from the start and we are now back to square one! Sigh ...

How annoying - and depressing.

>139 DeltaQueen50: Actually it happened a few years ago and my computer totally seized. I figured it was a Microsoft problem so my son downloaded Linux onto it and now no more problems - except that I can't run Windows related stuff on it. I have a laptop for that and I have already had to take it in to be fixed once.

I hope they are going to expedite the right oven for you, Judy.

>144 dudes22: I think my husband is more upset than I am - he misses my baking!

>145 Familyhistorian: Happy to hear that this is a past problem, Meg. It is a little scary how dependent I have become on my computer!

>143 DeltaQueen50: - Well, nuts on that screw up! How frustrating....

>147 lkernagh: It is frustrating, Lori, and like all things one can't have, I am craving an oven roast dinner!

37. The Final Six by Alexandra Monir - 4.0 ★
Category: Science Fiction
February SFFFKit: Colonization



The Final Six is set in the not too distant future as climate change causes the world’s lands to be swallowed by the sea. The future of mankind is hanging in the balance as cities are destroyed and chaos occurs all over the world. A group of twenty-four young people, from all over the globe, are brought together to be trained for a unique mission to colonize one of Jupiter’s moons. Out of these twenty-four, only six will be chosen to build a new world.

This was a fast-moving, action packed YA read that kept me engrossed from start to finish. The two main characters were well crafted and likable. Naomi, an Iranian-American engineering and science genius and Italian Leo, a former champion Olympic swimmer. While Naomi would rather stay on Earth with her family, Leo, is eager to go and is grateful for this opportunity to change his fate and make Italy and his dead family proud. Of course being a YA book, a romance develops between these two but the author kept it fairly believable.

While travelling in space and saving humanity is a dream job for most of these young people, there is a dark side that is just barely hinted at. I believe that this is the first book in a trilogy and I will certainly be looking for the next book in order to continue my read about this quest.

Fingers crossed that you now have a new, working oven.

>150 mstrust: Actually, Jennifer, at this point we have a big hole in the wall where the new oven will eventually go. It's on order so we should have it in a week or so.

38. Glorious by Jeff Guinn - 4.5 ★
Category: Saddle Up!
February TIOLI #3: Author Writes Fiction and Non-Fiction



It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book that I never wanted to end, but Glorious by Jeff Guinn was exactly that kind of book for me. I was already a fan of this author from reading some of his non-fiction, but this was the first fictional novel of his that I have read and his Old West tale came alive as he told the story of one small Arizona town struggling to stay alive amidst Apache deprivations, unlucky prospectors, domineering ranchers and an assorted crew of lovable losers looking for their second chance.

Although a little slow to get going, the plot of a man fleeing trouble in his past only to find himself in even worse trouble is a classic. The author paints a realistic and colorful picture of the hot, windy and dusty Arizona frontier, and fills the pages with an assortment of worn, tired and rough-hewn characters that bring a sense of authenticity to the story.

The author has an incredible eye for detail and obviously knows how to get his research right. He has used these abilities to produce a western that is entertaining, informative, and colorful. Glorious is the first novel of a trilogy which makes me happy to know that I have more of this unique western story to look forward to.

It's so great when a book hits your sweet spot!

>153 RidgewayGirl: Absolutely!

39. The Nose by Nikolai Gogol - 4.0 ★
Category: Armchair Travel - Russia
March 1,001 Group Challenge Read: Other Than a Straight Forward Novel



What a strange little story The Nose by Nikolai Gogol turned out to be. This is a satirical short story about a St. Petersburg official called Kovalyov, whose nose leaves his face and develops a life of its own. Apparently Gogol himself had an oddly shaped nose and was often teased about this. The sheer absurdity of this story relies on humor and social commentary to draw the reader in.

Highlighting the desire for social ranking, in this story, the Nose actually surpasses the position of the owner causing him much embarrassment and although the nose apparently can change in size, it is always clearly identified as belonging to Kovalyov which spearheads that characters feelings of inferiority and jealousy.

It is never explained fully how the nose made it’s escape or how it came to be re-attached but instead leaves that up to the imagination of the reader. Using this type of magical realism highlights the surreal nature of the story but the author definitely included plenty of social references about Russia and human nature in general. Personally I found The Nose to be both hilarious and insightful.

>152 DeltaQueen50: Excellent news that this is a trilogy! Glorious is on my to-read list :)

>156 rabbitprincess: I am going to try to fit the other two books into my reading plans for this year plus I also want to read one of his non-fiction books, The Road to Jonestown this year as well.

>155 DeltaQueen50:

You got more out of The Nose than I did. It's an excellent way to gain on your brother in the 1001 race.

>155 DeltaQueen50: - Your review alone is making me chuckle. Sounds like something I need to check out. :)

Hi Judy - I am a Gogol fan but haven't yet read The Nose. It's on the list.

I hope you get your oven mix-up sorted soon.

I am a Chandler fan, and Farewell, My Lovely was a good one.

>149 DeltaQueen50: This sounds good as well.

>158 Nickelini: Joyce, I owe you a big "Thanks" for suggesting The Nose to me. I have now read two Gogol's and have enjoyed them both which is a surprise to me. It is such a silly story that it's a good thing that it was only thirty some pages long, the enjoyment would have faded if the story had gone one much longer. My brother is reading just enough to continue holding the lead, he's about 20 books ahead of me, but I am still hopeful that I will eventually slip past him!

>159 LittleTaiko: It's a fairly silly story, but the characters take it all so seriously that it just made me smile. It is very short which kept the story from becoming too bogged down.

>160 BLBera: Hi Beth, reading the 1,001 list has introduced me to some great authors and Gogol is one of them. And of course, I have loved all the Raymond Chandler's that I have read. I enjoyed The Final Six but be warned it does end rather abruptly and the story is left hanging. I am assuming there will a follow-up but it's not out yet.

40. The Complete Beatles - The Stories Behind Every Track Written by the Fab Four by Steve Turner - 5.0 ★
Category: Non-Fiction
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Book That Makes You Feel Nostalgic
March TIOLI #12: A Book You Had to Wait For



The Complete Beatles - The Stories Behind Every Track Written by the Fab Four is a wonderful index of all the songs authored by the Beatles that includes tidbits of back story, who wrote the song, how it came together and the inspiration, if known, for each song. While perhaps not everyone wants to know the details behind such songs as “Polythene Pam” or “Dear Prudence”, I was totally engrossed.

Beatle music is the soundtrack of my teen years, and every Beatle song evokes a memory, an occasion or an event. It is obvious that the author, Steve Turner, was also a fan as he exclaims, ““the elements of surprise in the tunes that made them so captivating when they were first released still sound unexpected. They have a magical capacity for retaining their freshness.” Along with supplying all the lyrics of their songs, this book is a timeline for the group itself. The early songs reflect their original enthusiasm and excitement while later on John’s jaded poetry and Paul’s world weary attitude as the group dynamics are unwinding combine to produce some amazingly complex and original music.

The Complete Beatles is large book, with hundreds of both color and black and white photographs, and information on the four members of the group, their various partners and friends, associates and fellow artists. During the course of reading this book, I often found myself digging out my old Beatle tunes and hearing them in a different way. Lots of good information here and although this is a book that will mostly appeal to die-hard Beatle fans, it was a five star read for me.

>162 DeltaQueen50:

I've added that to my wishlist. Unfortunately, the local library doesn't have it.

>163 hailelib: I hope you are able to track down a copy, Trisha. I was happy that my library had it, but I did have to wait a few weeks to get my hands on it. I guess the Beatles are still popular with some people. :)

>162 DeltaQueen50: That does sound like a fascinating deep dive! A couple years ago I embarked on a project to listen to all of the Beatles' studio albums in chronological order (there are 12 in all)...I think I made it to the White Album, but I always mean to continue!

Before the Beatles were well known I saw a paragraph about them in Seventeen magazine along with a picture. Sometime later I saw a magazine about them for sale at a local "five and dime" and bought it even though the only thing I knew about them was what was in that one short paragraph. Time passed and one afternoon I was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework, I can remember it very clearly, and I Want to Hold Your Hand came on for the first time on the local radio station. The name of the group had not even been announced but I knew immediately who the group was because the sound was so different.

I'll hunt this book up, I think I've read another book by Steve Turner about them but I don't have it logged in my LT library so I don't know the name.

>165 christina_reads: Although I grew up with their music I was surprised that I still remembered so many of the lyrics to their songs. I still have all my albums stored away but I no longer have a machine to play them. I had to resort to finding their music on U-Tube.

>167 DeltaQueen50: I also remember the exact first time I heard about the Beatles and listened to their music. Although I loved plenty of the 60's groups like the Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks etc. it's only the Beatles that I have such clear memories of. I hope you are able to track down a copy of the book.

41. Celebrations At Thrush Green by Miss Read - 3.4 ★
Category: Reading From My Shelves
March SeriesCat: Series by a Favorite Author
BingoDog: Read A Cat
March TIOLI #5: Rolling Challenge Based on the Countries in the United Kingdom



Celebrations At Thrush Green by Miss Read is the 11th book in her Thrush Green series and I guess it was bound to happen but this volume was rather a dud. Usually I sink into her tales of small village life with a sigh of enjoyment and continues on through to the end of the book. This time, although it was nice to catch up with some of my favourite characters, the story never drew me in.

The village is preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their school and it has also come to light that their is another centennial to celebrate, that it was also a hundred years since Thrush Green’s most distinguished son, Nathaniel Patten has opened his African mission. A number of years ago a statue of Nathaniel was erected in the village green to celebrate this man, but some felt that this would be a good opportunity to once again recognize this dedicated man.

For me, the story centered too much on Nathaniel and his past deeds. I would rather have read more about the plans that the school master was making for the school’s celebrations. I also felt that the story was so concentrated on this one event that the author’s usual details about the seasons and nature were lacking. There is one more book left in the series for me to read, and I hope that the author reverts to her former style and gives Thrush Green the send off it deserves.

42. You by Caroline Kepnes - 4.0 ★
Category: One Word Titles
March TIOLI #2: A Book for March's "Joe" Day



You by Caroline Kepnes is a thriller story about an obsessive stalker who poses as a Manhattan bookstore employee but is really living as a predator, hunting and tracking his victim. The book is unusual in that it is told entirely from the stalker’s point of view. The reader gets deep into Joe’s thoughts which are all involving the “You” of his current stalk. He meets Beck when she comes into the bookstore, but something about her attracts him and then they bond over literature.

Joe sees Beck as his perfect match, but his way of worming into her life, leaves no doubt that this is not a romance, but deeply disturbing psychological behavior that is going to eventually implode. Joe uses technology to stalk Beck, and I don’t mean that he follows her on Twitter. He hacks into her e-mail, lifts her cellphone and monitors her text messages. He methodically removes anything or anyone that he sees is an obstacle all the while telling himself this is for her own good.

The author excels at placing the reader firmly into Joe’s head and as he works through various situations the sense of impending doom heightens. You is a dark, twisted story that kept me totally engrossed and reading well past my bedtime.

> 169
Well, that sounds interesting!

>169 DeltaQueen50: I've heard the Netflix TV show is also compelling!

>170 Nickelini: Although I can't resist reading them, I find that thrillers are often disappointing with stories that are too far out there, or rely on the silliest of plots so I was happy to read one that mostly made sense, felt like it could be possible and was still gripping.

>171 christina_reads: I have added it my lineup but will mostly likely wait awhile so the book isn't so vividly in my mind.

>162 DeltaQueen50: That sounds very like Revolution in the head: the Beatles’ records and the sixties by Ian MacDonald that I read last year, also a five-star rating. It's a large book too but no pictures - not that I needed any.

>173 VivienneR: It's fun to look back and remember all those great songs, isn't it!

43. The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown - 3.6 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
March AlphaKit: "U"
March TIOLI #9: Profession or Occupation in Title or Author's Name



The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown is a novel of historical fiction based loosely on a real 17th century witchfinder, Matthew Hopkins. The story is told by his sister, Alice, who recently widowed and pregnant has come to Essex from London to her brother’s household. Alice can only watch in fear and horror as her brother fanaticism and cruelty increase day by day. She fears that his behavior has stemmed from his childhood and is based on his disfigurement in a fire at a very young age and a desire for revenge.

Eventually Matthew calls upon her to accompany him as he travels to various communities to search out witches, question them and put them on trial. As the questioning of witches is little more than torture, Alice eventually rebels but then her brother turns on her. During the course of Matthew Hopkins time as the Witchfinder he was responsible for the deaths of over 100 women. The Witchfinder’s Sister is a well done story of both the power of men over women in those days and how abuse of that power can lead to tragedy.

While I always appreciate good historical fiction, I never really warmed up to this book. I think part of that was the voice of the main character. Alice related her story in a remote, unemotional voice, very much as a witness not an active participant. I would think watching a man victimize the old, the feeble, the poor and the defenceless would have generated much more emotion that she showed. Overall an interesting historical novel but not one that I found particularly compelling.

>172 DeltaQueen50:
I completely hear you there

44. The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna Van Praag - 3.6 ★
Category: Library List
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Article of Clothing on Cover
March TIOLI #13: Article of Clothing Mentioned in First Sentence



The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna Van Pragg is a romance that uses elements of magical realism to weave a spell on people who are badly in need of love. Etta, the owner of a small but enchanting dress shop supplies the magic. She believes in happy endings and only needs to place a few special stitches in order to help people find theirs. First and foremost is her granddaughter, Cora, who has totally locked down her personality since the death of her parents and spends most of her time in her science lab while her friend, shy bookstore owner, Walt settles for loving Cora from afar.

At first I thought this was a story about Cora and how she finds romance, but Cora is just one of the many characters that Etta has a hand in helping. Sometimes Etta’s magic meddling doesn’t go exactly as planned, but that is a big part of the charm of this story. Unfortunately, with so many characters ot root for, the story seemed a little watered down. Another quibble was that I would have liked more time to have been spend on the how and whys of the dress shop and how Etta discovered her particular talents.

The Dress Shop of Dreams is a combination of mystery, romance and magic. It is a whimsical and light read that was perhaps a little too fanciful for me, but I expect who love both romances and magical realism will enjoy this book immensely.

45. The Double by Jose Saramago - 3.8 ★
Category: 1,001 Books
March 1,001 Group Read
March TIOLI #2: Celebrating "Joe" Day



The Double by Jose Saramago is the story of a history teacher who, while watching a film, spots a minor actor who is his exact physical double. This sends him into a frenzy of renting videos to try and find out who this actor is all the while hiding this activity from his lover, his mother and a suspicious colleague. When he finally discovers the identity of the actor, he first suggests a meeting.

These two men are much more than simply look-alikes, they share the same birth date, have the same birth mark and each one has a scar on a knee from a childhood injury. The history teacher becomes obsessed as to what will happen to one when the other dies. The actor is not happy with having a mirror image and the story escalates into a competition which does set the stage for the dramatic closing.

This was a very interesting story but unfortunately I had a difficult time with the reading. The author writes in long winding sentences, using a lot of commas but very few periods. The result is a rambling, often confusing narrative. There were also the author’s frequent asides to the reader which didn’t help to keep my concentration on the story. Although the author’s style was not to my taste, I did find the story very intriguing and one that I needed to keep reading to find out what happened next.

>178 DeltaQueen50: - Excellent review! I have not read The Double, but I am one of those readers who loves Saramago's 'free flowing/stream of consciousness" writing style. His writing style can be problematic. It does drive me a bit batty when he refers to various characters through pronouns, making it challenging to keep the characters straight, but eventually, I "click" with the writing style and then the story flows wonderfully.

I've owned The Double for years but I've heard it's confusing and difficult to read. Your description of the story sounds good (although I think now it wouldn't make much of a story because he'd just check IMDb and know who the actor was immediately). Anyway, I might read it one day but I still haven't forgiven Saramago for Blindness, which I hated with all my being.

>178 DeltaQueen50: - I have a couple of his books on my TBR and your and Lori's >179 lkernagh: - comments about "stream of consciousness" writing are not encouraging as I really don't like that style of writing. I'm afraid they may stay there a while longer.

The sun is shining and the temps are getting warmer. I went for my dental check-up and cleaning this morning and I have been cleared for another six months (I hate getting my teeth worked on) so all is well. I have no further plans for today other than a little housework, but I expect I will also be doing a fair amount of reading.

>179 lkernagh: Lori, this was my first Saramago and what you say about eventually "clicking" with the writing style sort of happened to me. I was never entirely comfortable with it, but the story part was different and interesting so I was able to adjust to his style. I know there are more of his books on the 1,001 List but I am not really looking forward to them.

>180 Nickelini: Ha - part of the main character's problem was that when he first saw his double it was in an uncredited role, so he struggled to find out who this guy was. As I said above I know I have more Saramago in my future, but I am not all that eager to dive into his writing again.

>181 dudes22: Betty, the words 'stream of consciousness' don't encourage me either. I don't know why this author makes his reader work so hard, he delivered a great story but then made me work so hard to comprehend taking away (for me) the enjoyment.

>182 DeltaQueen50: The worst part of having teeth worked on is the bill that comes at the end.

>181 dudes22: I have one of Saramago's books too. Stream of consciousness is not a style I care for, so it might be one that eventually ends up in the donation box.

I'm in the camp that is a fan of Saramago's stream of consciousness style. Once I get into the rhythm of the book it just flows. I was just marking this book on GR as something for my wishlist when I saw the following comments regarding his writing style. Someone found these interview quotes of his and used them to answer another users question regarding why he didn't use much punctuation.

«As you know, when we speak, we don't use punctuation. We pause to breath and even, as I say in my books, the only two punctuation marks are the full stop (or period, in American English) and the comma, are not punctuation marks, they are a pause, a brief pause and a long pause. In the end, as I often say, to speak is to compose music» - in Expresso, 2004.

«(..) I see myself as an oral narrator when I write and that the words by me written ought to be read as well as to be heard. Now, the oral narrator doesn't need punctuation, speaks as he was composing music and uses the same elements as a musician: sounds and pauses, highs and lows, some, brief or long, others.» - in Cadernos de Lanzarote – Diário II (1994)

>184 LittleTaiko: You have given me the idea that perhaps for my next Saramago, I will try an audible version, if there is one available. Perhaps listening rather than reading will make the story flow easier. His explanation does make sense and I wonder if the lack of connection I felt could be overcome by listening rather than studying the printed words.

46. Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett - 5.0 ★
Category: Book Bullet - Katie
BingoDog: An LT Rating of 4.0+
March TIOLI #10: Complete Madness



Hell’s Bottom, Colorado is a collection of ten interconnected stories about three generations of a ranching family in eastern Colorado. The author who was raised on a ranch, writes knowingly and beautifully about the ranching life. The stories include forest fires, still born animals, violence and both family dysfunction and family togetherness.

Each story reveals a part of this family’s history and their connections to each other. They are both a clear-eyed look at living close to nature and dealing with all that entails and a fiercely tender revelation of connections. Each story would stand alone and all reveal one or two characters but it’s by taking the collection as a whole that the reader comes to know the family.

Many of the stories are highly emotional yet all give an expressive view of this family’s dynamics. One word of warning however is that some readers may be disturbed by the casual cruelties of ranching life. I personally was spellbound by the author’s strong, rich writing and her use of the evocative and vivid Colorado ranch-lands to deliver such authentic and memorable stories.

>186 DeltaQueen50: - Yes! Such a great book.

>187 katiekrug: Katie, I was just giving you a big thank you over at the TIOLI thread. So thanks again, this was a great book bullet and now I want to read everything by this author!

>188 DeltaQueen50: You got me with this one.

>186 DeltaQueen50: - I've come back to your comments a couple of times and I think I've decided to take a BB on this.

>189 clue: I think you will be glad that you took a hit on this one! :)

>190 dudes22: Betty, if authors like Kent Haruf and Larry Watson work for you, I am sure that Laura Pritchett will also appeal.

47. I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara - 4.0 ★
Category: Non-fiction
March ScaredyCat: True Crime
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Published Posthumously
March TIOLI #8: Woman Author born in the 20th Century



I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara was unfortunately published posthumously as the author died suddenly in 2016. True Crime readers would likely know of McNamara from both her website TrueCrime Dictionary and her published magazine articles, many of which were about the Golden State Killer.

The Golden State Killer was a serial killer, rapist and burglar who committed at least 13 murders, more than 50 rapes and over 100 burglaries in the state of California from 1974 to 1986. The name Golden State Killer was coined by the author to describe this monster who, before the use of DNA profiling and identification was thought to be more than one person. Many of his crimes were linked in the early 1980’s when DNA profiling was used. In fact DNA evidence was finally the nail in the coffin for Joseph James DeAngelo. The Golden State Killer was apprehended in 2018, unfortunately after the author’s death and he is currently being processed through the courts. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark was written and published before the perpetrator was known and so deals more with the actual crimes and how the victims were affected.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is both informative and chilling. This book consists of very dark subject matter and the author makes every effort not to dwell on the horror or sensationalize the crimes in any way. She delivers the information in an honest and straight forward manner and includes information on how the investigations developed and how they all so often lead to a dead end. At the time of her death the book was still unfinished and consisted of legal pads full of notes and files of related research. People closest to the author helped put the book together which explains to me why the book felt a little disjointed at times. Nevertheless, this is an excellent true crime story by an author that was totally dedicated to this project.

I'm going to read that one eventually. His last murder was committed not far from where I grew up. I wish the author had been able to see that all her work may have led to his arrest.

>175 DeltaQueen50: The Witchfinder's Sister sounded like it had such promise, Judy, too bad it didn't live up to it. I have I'll Be Gone in the Dark in the stacks. Good to hear that it doesn't dwell on the horror.

Can you believe there is a possibility of snow in the forecast for the next couple of days? I am so done with this.

>194 Familyhistorian: Can you believe there is a possibility of snow in the forecast for the next couple of days? I am so done with this.

Whaaat? I hadn't heard that. It.can't.be.true.

One more storm tomorrow, Judy, and then we are supposed to dry out and warm up. Hoping for more typical weather to hit your vicinity as well.

>193 mstrust: I'm beginning to think there was something strange going on in the 1970s - so many serial killers were active - Ted Bundy, The Green River Killer, the I-5 Killer, the Golden State Killer, Son of Sam and so many more! Is it just as bad today and we just don't hear about them or wwa there something going on in the 1970s?

>194 Familyhistorian: Snow - of, say it isn't so. Just when I think we're finished with winter - back it comes. I shouldn't be complaining so much as I think you have been hit far worse than us. I was a little disappointed that I found the main character in The Witchfinder's Sister so flat.

>195 Nickelini: I have everything that crossable crossed for no snow! We are known for our long Springs but it just doesn't seem to be getting a foothold this year!

>196 ronincats: Button down the hatches, Roni and hopefully we will all be back to our normal weather soon!

>197 DeltaQueen50:
Is it just as bad today and we just don't hear about them or wwa there something going on in the 1970s?

Interesting question. It certainly seems like there were more in the 70s--more famous ones, anyway. Your question sent me to:

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

I'm amazed at how many in Canada and the US I've never even heard of. Hmmm.

>194 Familyhistorian: *random stat time* in the UK we are statistically more likely to have a white Easter than a white Christmas. Not that this random fact helps with the feeling of being just a bit fed up of winter.

>197 DeltaQueen50: I can't decide if the Serial Killer 70s was a matter of better, faster news coverage so we were hearing about murderers from all over the country instead of just by region, or if there was an actual rise in serial murderers. I've heard the theory that there was a greater number of serial killers in that era due to the number of women joining the work force, that the killers were men feeling threatened by women's liberation, as the victims were usually female, so if it's an actual surge, that may have explained it happening in that particular era.
I'm sure there are plenty of serial killers right now. They just aren't getting the coverage that politics do.

>169 DeltaQueen50: I had no idea that was a book first! Nate and I just finished the series on Netflix and loved it! I'll have to snag a copy of the book and see if it's better!

So it's been raining steadily for a few hours and 4 degrees. I hope this melts that snow, because 6 degrees and sunny wasn't moving it very fast (my southfacing backyard is bare, but my northfacing front is deep in snow)

>198 Nickelini: & >200 mstrust: I've also been looking in this and found that there are a number of reasons today that make serial killers more likely to be caught - there are more cameras today, people are more aware, hitchhiking was more common in the 1970s and 1980s, also DNA analysis and forensic evidence gathering has advanced, law agencies are more likely to communicate with each other, computers and profiling. Unfortunately it still happens but they are much more likely to be caught today.

>199 Helenliz: A 'White Easter" just doesn't sound right to me!

>201 ChelleBearss: My hubby and I will probably watch the Netflix series in the near future. I hope you enjoy the book, Chelle.

>202 Nickelini: I am happy to report that we only got rain here today, in fact, we are just about to go out on our evening walk so I hope it isn't too cold out there.

>203 DeltaQueen50:

I've also been looking in this ....

I can see logic in all of that. I think DNA is a wonderful tool for so many reasons, including this. I work in fraud detection for the BC government, and computer linking is the key, but you still need smart people behind it making connections that the computers are missing (we just had this discussion at work on Friday). People who care and have a super-spidy sense, like Michelle McNamara. The problem is that in your job, they always look at production-- and to get to the heart of a crime, you need to dig (as shown in the Oscar-winning movie Spotlight)

>204 Nickelini: What an interesting job you have, Joyce. Michelle McNamara dedicated her life to following the trail of serial murderers, she called it her obsession, but you are right, it takes someone like that to dig deep and follow every loose end.

48. The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham - 3.8 ★
Category: Vintage Crime
March CalendarCat: "Pig" Day - March 1st
BingoDog: Animal in Title
PopSugar Challenge: Meant to Read in 2018
March TIOLI #10: Complete Madness



The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham is the 8th book in her crime series that features the dapper Albert Campion and his personal thug of a valet, Lugg. I was very happy that this outing featured Lugg in a fairly major way, as he always livens up the story.

The Pig that is mentioned in the title is an old school rival of Campion’s and the book opens with Lugg reading the obituaries to Campion of which one is for the late R. I. “Pig” Peters. Campion attends his funeral but five months later he receives a call from an old friend and mentor to help solve a murder. When he arrives and examines the body, he finds it is none other than Pig. To complicate matters others who also attended the first Pig funeral arrive in the village and all too soon, Campion finds himself matching wits with a madman that has planned more than a few murders. To make matters even more confusing, Campion is dealing with a number of romantic high-jinks as well.

Apparently this is the only book in the series that is actually narrated by Campion himself. It is quite short but there is plenty of action and Allingham delivers this mystery with a light hand and quite a bit of subtle humor. The Case of the Late Pig is a fun addition to the series.

>203 DeltaQueen50: All excellent points on why serial killers get caught now. Especially that the police are communicating outside their jurisdiction now. Did you see the two-part follow-ups to the "Golden State Killer" series, filmed after he'd been caught?

>207 mstrust: I have to admit that I had never heard of the Golden State Killer before I read the book. Previously I have read books about Ted Bundy and the I-5 Killer probably since both were committing crimes not all that far away from where I live. Perhaps since it took them so long to actually figure out they were dealing with one man for all those varied crimes, he didn't get the mass publicity of many serial killers. I would like to see the show about the Golden State Killer - was it on Netflix?

Hi, Judy.

What a lot of good reading you’ve been doing! Like you, I loved Hell’s Bottom, Colorado, and our true crime aficionado daughter lauds I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.

I don’t think I’ve tried Margery Allingham. I should give the Campion and Lugg mysteries a try.

>208 DeltaQueen50: I grew up in Orange County and we didn't hear anything about it, probably because it took so long for authorities to realize it was all the same guy and for them to link their information between counties, as you pointed out. The show, which was originally may be six episodes, aired on HLN. It was filmed before he was caught but very recently, so maybe late 2018. The follow-up episodes, after his capture, have law enforcement talking about how they narrowed it down to DeAngelo and the steps they took to arrest him.
I made the mistake of watching three episodes in a row on a night I was home alone. Don't do it.

>209 jnwelch: Hi Joe, oh, I think you would enjoy meeting Albert Campion and his valet, Lugg. Margery Allingham writes with her tongue-in-cheek and Campion, who apparently has connections with the royals, is a master at both detection and espionage.

>210 mstrust: My husband and I watched The Ted Bundy documentary that is currently on Netflix and then I read I'll Be Gone in the Dark so that's enough about serial killers - I think I will stick to crime fiction for the forseeable future.

49. Legend by Marie Lu - 3.7 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
March AlphaKit: "L"
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Two Books - One Title - Part 1
March TIOLI #8: Woman Author Born in the 20th Century



Legend by Marie Lu is the first entry in a YA dystopian thriller trilogy. The main characters are fifteen year old teens, Day and June, who are on opposite sides of a regime in what was once Los Angeles. Day is the kid from the slums, he is on the run and being hunted as an outlaw. He is stealing money and medical supplies to help his family, in particular his younger brother who has contacted the plague. June, is being groomed to be a military leader. She has been brought up with wealth and privilege by her older brother. When her older brother is murdered she vows revenge upon the criminal Day who has been blamed for the death.

Legend has an interesting set up and the author has delivered her story with style. Being a YA story, I found it very easy to see who were the good guys and who were the bad. But the author keeps the story moving along at a good pace and the main kids are likeable and easy to root for. The story is told in an alternating first person narrative, one chapter by June and another by Day. This first volume really just set the scene for more adventures to come, it felt a little rushed and I felt perhaps the story could have have been a little more nuanced, but overall I believe this story would appeal to younger teens. I am hoping that the world building is expanded upon in future volumes as up to this point the author has revealed very few details.

>212 DeltaQueen50: Interesting. Have you read Marie Lu's Warcross? I really enjoyed it and have the second in the series to get to at some point this year.

Lots of good reading here, Judy. I keep meaning to try Miss Read; it sounds like my cup of tea.

I also loved Hell's Bottom Colorado and keep meaning to read more by Pritchett.

I love the Campion books as well. I keep meaning to reread the series in order, but I am on #2 right now. :)

Too many books!

Happy Friday, everyone! My husband has been teasing me all morning as I run around the place giving everything a quick tidy as the cleaning lady is coming later on. I am the only one who doesn't want the cleaning lady to see how messy we really are?

>212 DeltaQueen50: I haven't read Warcross, Chelle, I will have to go and check it out.

>214 BLBera: Hi Beth, it's funny that you say Miss Read sounds like your cup of tea - that exactly what reading her makes one think of - a cup of tea, sensible shoes and a tweed skirt! They are the perfect leisurely escape reads. That one book by Laura Pritchett has me vowing to read everything by her, and I love my in-frequent visits with Albert Campion.

>215 DeltaQueen50: Nope that is not just you. I justify it as I want my cleaner to spend her time actually cleaning, not tidying up so that she can clean. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it...

I was reading the Campion series, only I ran into a snag - we didn't have one of them. And I've not quite got around to filling the gap in order to move forward. A task for another day. I did consider skipping the missing one, but then I knew I'd have to explain myself to some people around here, and decided that no amount of skipping ahead was worth that amount of pain. >;-)

>215 DeltaQueen50: & 216 Ha! My "cleaning lady" spends way too much time on LibraryThing and reading books!

>215 DeltaQueen50: - I do the same thing on cleaning lady day, Judy! And my husband also thinks I'm odd for it. But if I don't tidy up, she can't do as good a job...

>217 VivienneR: LOL, that's exactly what I told my hubby this morning! I am much to anal retentive to read a series out of order - or even skip one, it would haunt me day and night. I wish I could loosen up a little in this respect.

>217 VivienneR: The cleaning lady is relatively new for me, Vivienne - and now that I have her I don't know how I ever managed without her. I love not having to put in the effort and sweat. All I have to do is relax and enjoy the benefits!

>218 katiekrug: Good to know we are not alone in this, Katie. :)

No wonder, I couldn't find you, Judy! I did not have you starred and I had forgot you were not on the 75. Seriously Bad Mark!! Honestly, I usually rely on my Talk Feed to find my pals and not seeing you there, I kept spacing it out.

Hooray for Hell's Bottom, Colorado! Yippee! I just finished her last book, The Blue Hour and will also give it 5 stars! She is an amazing author.

I am also glad to see you liked I'll Be Gone in the Dark. Always nice to see my warbling pay off...

>221 msf59: Glad you found me, Mark. Another 5 star read from Laura Pritchett - now that's something to look forward to!

50. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin - 4.5 ★
Category: Reading From My Shelves
March TBRCat: Acquired on a Trip
BingoDog: Short Stories/Essays
March Reading Through Time: Downtown
March TIOLI #1: Rolling Challenge Based on the Last Letter of the Previous Author's Name



Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin is the first volume in a group of novels that consist of stories written originally in a serialized form that appeared as installments in the San Francisco Chronicle. In this volume, the stories were inspired by his observations of life in the city during the mid 1970’s and feature a group of people who are loosely interconnected, but the star of the book is the city of San Francisco.

There is a marvelous mix of characters from gay to straight, old to young, male to female. They are sympathetic, vibrant and realistic. Their stories run the range of emotions from playful to sentimental, humorous to touching. The author effortlessly carried me back to the 1970’s with a simple whiff of Charlie perfume, a mention of a movie called “Young Frankenstein” and a stray pamphlet encouraging one to vote for Jimmy Carter.

Like a small time capsule, Tales of the City captures that short period in San Francisco when the hippies had moved on and AIDS and HIV had yet to appear. Maupin captures the rhythms of the city that he writes about and with it’s authentic setting and whimsical stories, I enjoyed this book immensely.

Your review has reminded me that this has been on my shelf forever. Thanks for the reminder of why I bought it in the first place!

>224 mstrust: I loved this book, Jennifer and hope that you do as well when you get to it. Right now, the touchstones are driving me crazy - I can't get them to work on Tales of the City even though I haven't had any trouble in the past.

ETA: And now the touchstones seem to be working again!

I need to read Tales of the City; it sounds wonderful. I should have taken it to SF to read while I was there!

>226 BLBera: I think you would enjoy Tales of the City Beth. It would be the perfect book to read while in San Francisco! (I mixed up my numbers up above - I did reply to your message in >214 BLBera: but under the wrong number - it's fixed now.)

So far behind but encouraged that you will consider giving Saramago another go, in audio format. May I suggest Blindness, if you can access an audio version? I know you are not as squeamish as I can be and Blindness is a truly fabulous story!

Catching up here, Judy, even if I don't have much to say. Don't have a cleaning lady, but if I did I would definitely pick up before she got here.

Sigh. When I went back to work full time, my husband and I were all over hiring a cleaning person. But it hasn't happened. We need that for sure. I feel like hiring someone is more work than it saves. Tell me I'm wrong, and then give me a name! (My weekends are full of chores, and our friends text us "we're at our place in Birch Bay! Come down!" and I'm all "uh, doing chores".)

>228 lkernagh: Lori, I think my next Saramago will be either Cain of which I have the audio version or Baltasar and Blimunda, a historical fiction novel that sounds interesting. If I am going to experiment with this author again, then I am selfish enough to want the book to be on the 1,001 List so I can count it, so even though Blindness does sound intriguing, it will have to wait until I decide if I can learn to accept his writing style.

>229 ronincats: Hi Roni. I guess it's human nature to want to present our home in the best light. I doubt if I am fooling my Jenny as she is a pretty sharp cookie!

>230 Nickelini: Joyce, I wish I had gotten a cleaning lady when I still worked. Looking back I can't believe all that I accomplished - a full time job, 2 daughters and a hubby, cooking and cleaning a four bedroom house - Ugh. Now there just the two of us in an apartment, but I am so happy when Jenny comes and does all the grunt work. We just have her coming once every 4 weeks and we do the upkeep between her visits. She just raised her price to $30.00 an hour and she usually comes for 2 to 3 hours so we pay somewhere between $60.00 - $90.00. We found Jenny through an old neighbour, she works for herself and is local, our elder daughter and she have a lot of friends in common, so she feels like someone we have known for years.

51. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham - 4.3 ★
Category: Series
March SeriesCat: Series by a Favorite Author
BingoDog: Part of a Series
March TIOLI #5: Rolling Challenge Based on the Countries of the United Kingdom



The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths is the 4th entry in Harry Bingham’s police procedural series featuring Detective Fiona Griffiths. In this outing Fiona goes undercover trying to expose a high level computer scam that is in the process of siphoning off millions from various companies and is also leaving behind a number of dead bodies.

It’s the excellently developed characters that make this story special and unique. In particular it is Fiona herself who holds the reader’s attention and although the story is told from her perspective, we don’t always perceive or understand her mindset. Fiona is still suffering the after-effects of a mental illness called Cotard’s Syndrome and she has difficulty understanding the nuances and complexities of human conversation and interactions. Developing a new personality for her undercover work is particularly dangerous for her as she begins to have trouble separating her new self from her old and this escalates to an even higher level when a third identity is needed. This brave and feisty character is fascinating and ever changing. The other character that stood out for me was Vic, who at times is threatening and scary while at others shows a caring humanity.

The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths is an excellent addition to this series, the intricate plot is clever and explained in easily understood ways, the writing helps to set the rapid fire pace and although Fiona throws herself into dangerous situations without fully thinking about consequences, the author keeps the story plausible and leaves the reader eager for more.

>232 DeltaQueen50: Go Fiona! Good review, Judy. I love this series.

>233 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. It's a great series, I love reading about Fiona. :)

>206 DeltaQueen50: I have read a few of the Campion series, Judy, but I don't remember Lugg. I'll have to start reading them again and have a watch out for him.

The genealogy community heard about the Golden State Killer in a big way because of the way that law enforcement went about finding DNA evidence. I am not sure if I heard about that before I heard about the book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark.

>232 DeltaQueen50: Yay! I think that is my favourite in the series so far. All of them are great, of course.

>235 Familyhistorian: Meg, Lugg doesn't have a big part in many of the books, in fact, he may not even be in some of the books, but like Lord Wimsey's Bunter, he is a necessary part of Campion's life.

>236 rabbitprincess: That's what is so great about this series, I find that each book just keeps on getting better. Fiona is a great character and the author brings her so vividly to life.

52. The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson - 4.0 ★
Category: Young-At-Heart
March RandomCat: Brexit Madness
BingoDog: Children/YA Lit
March TIOLI #8: Woman Author Born in the 20th Century



Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson is a children’s story about a young orphan who, abandoned at birth, goes through a series of adventures in order to find out where she truly belongs. I am a fan of this author and this book has become one of my favorites by her.

Set in Vienna, the city is an important part of the story and the author obviously knows and loves this city as it is brought to life through her descriptions. Annika, the abandoned baby, grows up in the care of a cook and housekeeper, but her family also includes the three professors that the servants work for, and indeed, many of the surrounding neighbours. Although a very happy child, she nevertheless dreams of her mother coming to find her. Her life takes a drastic turn when one day a regal looking woman comes knocking and claims Annika is her long lost daughter.

This is a timeless story that would appeal to the young at heart of all ages with it’s clever plot revolving around Annika’s heritage. Being a children’s story, all ends are neatly tied up by the end of the book but with it’s pre-WWI setting of Vienna and engaging characters, The Star of Kazan is a satisfying, feel good story for all ages.

>238 DeltaQueen50: That sounds really lovely!

>238 DeltaQueen50: I adore Eva Ibbotson and really enjoyed this book too!

>232 DeltaQueen50: I loved that series! Unfortunately I am all caught up :(

>232 DeltaQueen50: - I was going to take a BB but then I saw that I've already taken one from you for the first book in the series. Need to get to it!

>239 Jackie_K: It is a lovely read, Jackie, I have liked all the books that I have read by this author.

>240 christina_reads: I fell in love with her writing with The Countess Below Stairs which is my favorite of hers, but The Star of Kazan runs a pretty close second. :)

>241 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle, I guess there is some advantage of being behind on a series, I still have at least three more Fiona Griffiths to get to!

>242 dudes22: The Fiona Griffiths books are all excellent, Betty, but I would definitely recommend reading them in order as the story flows from book to book.

>243 DeltaQueen50: Judy, A Countess below Stairs is my favorite too! It's the perfect comfort read, in my opinion!

Sweet Thursday, Judy. Trying to check in, in a more timely fashion. I am not reading much series fiction these days. My literary fiction, my short fiction and my NF, have been hogging all my time. I have no problem with that. Grins...

>244 christina_reads: It is a comfort read and although the word "charming" can be overused when describing an author's work, that is the first word I think of when I hear Eva Ibbotson!

>245 msf59: Hi Mark, it is hard to fit all the various genres into our daily reading, I have increased the number of books I read each month but there are still so many books I have yet to get to! (And there are all those LT members who insist on shooting book bullets at me!)

I've moved on to my next thread, please follow the link and come join me.