lkernagh (Lori) returns to binge read authors and series in 2019 - 2nd Thread

Welcome to my second thread for 2019. For those who don't know me, I am Lori, a walking enthusiast, bookworm, foodie 'gal' (age is a state of mind) who has happily called Vancouver Island home for the past 27 years. When I am not working or reading, my winter months are usually occupied with a craft project of some kind, while my spring and summer months are when I engage in my on-going attempts at container gardening.

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

I am an active walker but I need motivation, especially on those not pleasant weather condition days, when I would prefer to just curl up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea. I recently completed a personal walking challenge to virtually walk across Canada, tracking my daily walking on a Google map, so don't be surprised if a new virtual walking challenge pops up on this thread.
Lastly, I am bringing back my "Luck 'O the Irish" Race as a fun way to track my books vs. pages reading. Which "horse" will come in first: Will it be 75 books read "Pot of Gold" or will 25,000 pages read "Lucky Shamrock" command the track? It is anybody's guess!

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race







Posters and lurkers all welcome here.

Books Read:

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

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

March:
22. Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky -
23. Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett -
24. A Column of Fire by Ken Follett -
25. The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky -
26. The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri -
27. The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye -

Books Read:

April:
28. Baba Dunja's Last Love by Alina Bronsky -
29. The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss -
30. The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion -
31. Echoes of Grace by Caragh Bell -
32. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye -
33. The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye -
34. Home to Cavendish by Antoinette Tyrell -

May:
35. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte -
36. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke -
37. First Execution by Domenico Starnone -
38. Ties by Domenico Starnone -
39. Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke -
40. Trick by Domenico Starnone -
41. Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke -
42. Dancing on a Moonbeam by Kate Perry -

June:

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

CURRENT READING PROJECT

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

Stand Alone Novels:

...

Broken Glass Park - Read Feb 22 to Mar 3, 2019 -
The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine - TBR pile/ ROOT read
Baba Dunja's Last Love - Local library/ To read
Just Call Me Superhero - To source/ To read

Currently Reading:
..

Audiobook:
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett - Book Three in Follett's Century Trilogy - Currently 13.5 hours into this 36 hours and 50 minutes audiobook. Focused on the early 1960's, just finished the Cuban Crisis and tagging along with Martin Luther King and supporters on marches to end racial segregation in the south. Follett has a way with writing sweeping sagas that carry the reader away. Good stuff.
ebook:
Nothing at the moment
Physical books:
Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky - First book in my current Author Reading Project. Just started it, so early days on any thoughts or comments.
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Finished Part 3. While the first two parts were more colourful background and introductions to characters, we are now getting deeper into the story, taking a closer look at socially imposed race and religious barriers.

Happy new thread, Lori!

Happy New One, Lori!

Love the picture at the top. I adore our BC forests.

Happy new thread, Lori. The topper picture does look familiar, probably because the forest across the road from me has similar trees and lots of trails. I notice there is no snow in that picture. lol

Love, love, love the topper, Lori--I want to wander right in! It's been a long winter, and we're supposed to get more snow soon and extra-frigid days here along Lake Michigan. I know that March "comes in like a lion", but this is too much roar for me.

Lori I love the topper too. I recently read Big Lonely Doug about the history of logging especially on Vancouver Island and the stories of some environmental mavericks who are responsible for preserving stands like in Cathedral Grove. Stunning picture! Happy new thread.

Hi Lori! Happy new thread. I love your topper! You've been reading lots of Tana French of Kent Haruf, with pretty good results. Nice.

Happy new thread, Lori.

Happy new thread, Lori! That is a beautiful photo in your topper.

Morning, Lori! Happy new thread! I'm off to catch up with your previous thread.

Happy new thread, Lori! That's a beautiful topper pic. I'd certainly walk through those trees every day if I was there.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Lori. I love the topper.

Happy new thread! Great topper!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Lori! Wishing you a quick slide into the weekend.

Lovely to come back to find so many visitors have dropped by!

>7 katiekrug:, >8 jnwelch:, >9 Nickelini:, >10 Familyhistorian:, >11 kac522:, >12 mdoris:, >13 Berly:, >14 Ameise1:, >15 karenmarie:, >16 Crazymamie:, >17 mstrust:, >18 drneutron:, >19 BLBera:, >20 ChelleBearss:, >21 The_Hibernator: and >22 MickyFine: - Thank you Katie, Joe, Joyce, Meg, Kathie, Mary, Kim, Barbara, Karen, Mamie, Jennifer, Jim, Beth, Chelle, Rachel and Micky for the happy new thread wishes!

>9 Nickelini:, >10 Familyhistorian:, >11 kac522:, >12 mdoris:, >13 Berly:, >15 karenmarie:, >17 mstrust:, >19 BLBera: and >20 ChelleBearss: - Joyce, Meg, Kathie, Mary, Kim, Karen, Jennifer, Beth and Chelle, I am having a lot of fun sourcing Vancouver Island images for my threads this year. For those who don't know, Cathedral Grove is a wonderful old growth forest near Cameron Lake. It is a lovely day trip from Victoria and is on the way to Ucluelet. I love telling friends and family members out visiting that they know they are getting close to the park when they drive past the Old Country Market in Coombs and see the goats grazing on the grass covered roof.


Goat on the Market Roof - as posted to flickr by adrimcm (CC BY-NC 2.0)

>9 Nickelini: - Our forests are something to be proud of, Joyce, even with all the devastation the last two wildfire seasons did to them.

>10 Familyhistorian: -I wish I had a park area like Cathedral Grove near by like you do, Meg! Cathedral Grove is a roughly 2.5 hour drive from Victoria, depending on how "lead-footed" the driver is. ;-)

>11 kac522: - I agree, Kathy, it has been a rather weird and cold winter. Weird for us on the coast because we had such an unseasonably warn January - cherry blossoms started budding weeks in advance - only to have a very snowy and frigid Feb. Fingers crossed March is milder and we can say goodbye to winter for this year.

>12 mdoris: - Making note of the book, Mary as I do support preserving our old growth rainforests. It sounds like an interesting read!

>13 Berly: - My reading plans have been both productive and bountiful with good reads so far this year, Kim. I am having fun mixing things up and doing things differently with my reading plans this year.

>17 mstrust: - That is what I would love to do every day, too Jennifer.

>22 MickyFine: - Thanks Micky, we are forecast for sunshine for the next 6 days, which is fabulous, even if it is a tad chilly. ;-)

Ah, I love the Coombs goats. But then, everyone loves the Coombs goats.

^ Me too. ;-)

Ohhh, gorgeous topper! I have print much like Cathedral Grove that I inherited from my grandma. I've never been to Cathedral Grove, but I have been to Coombs. The Island is fun place. You have so much, if not an Apple store. That surprised me. My niece is due with her first child on March 3. Her hubby is having to head over to Royal Roads to finish up his masters degree, so just yesterday, my neice's midwife group contacted a midwife group in Victoria and my niece is headed over to Victoria to give birth. She had planned to just stay home and she hoped for a slightly early birth. No go. Royal Roads gave them a private room with a private bathroom, so they will be okay. My sister plans to head over to Victoria and pick up my niece shortly after the birth . It will be kind of cool to have Victoria on the birth certificate. ( Unless of course she has him over here next weekend ) . I think she has a friend or two over in Victoria. So it should be good all around.

I really like your idea of focusing on an author at a time -- you totally convinced me to give Tana French a try, despite not being a big mystery reader. Do you have other authors in mind after Alina Bronsky?

>26 vancouverdeb: - Thanks Deb. Your print must be wonderful to look at, both for the image and the fact that your inherited it from your grandma. How exciting that you will be a "great aunt" soon! I think that is the title when a niece/nephew has a child.. I get so confused when the family trees branch out like that. ;-) Glad to see they could coordinate a midwife should she have the child while here on the island.

... as for the no Apple store, well, kind of not surprising. They probably focus those stores in more densely urban areas, just like IKEA, which is something we do not have anywhere on the island. Have to go to the lower mainland to visit IKEA.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Deb.

>27 Cait86: - Hi Cait! I am having a lot of fun with my author/series project reading! So glad that you are going to give Tana French a try. She is a wonderful writer if you like stories more focused on psychological profiles and group dynamics. The mysteries are good, but they some times play second fiddle to the interpersonal dynamics of French's characters.

Yes, I do have other authors in mind after Alina Bronsky. Part of this project reading is to help me clear some books off my TBR shelves and to get caught up with some series I have started and then stalled reading. While I have not settled on any specific order, I do have a shortlist of author project reads planned for this year (including a brief blurb for visitors who may not be familiar with some of the authors listed):

- Jane Gardam - So far, I have read The Flight of the Maidens,The Queen of the Tambourine and Old Filth. All were 4 star reads or better for me, so looking forward to a re-read of Old Filth, before I read the next two books in the trilogy that have been languishing on my TBR shelves, and then see how many of her other books I can source from the local library, etc.
- David Adams Richards - A New Brunswick born and raised Canadian author (appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2017) who literally blew me away with his novels Mercy Among the Children and Nights Below Station Street. I currently have five of his books on my TBR shelves, and more to be sourced from local library, etc.
- Lyndsay Faye - Loved the first two books in her "Timothy Wilde - Gods of Gotham" trilogy - a trilogy I need to complete - and I understand she has a number of stand alone novels that I hope to dip into.
- Terry Fallis - another Canadian author, this time a writer of political satire stories with a fair bit of first hand Canadian political landscape experience from his years working on Capital Hill in Ottawa. I snickered my way through his linked books The Best Laid Plans and The High Road, both about fictional political campaign hi jinks. I have two books on my TBR shelves and two more sourced through my local library.

That is the current shortlist, but I have many more possibilities in mind so it will be a mixed bag of project reading this year. ;-)

Happy new thread, Lori! I really loved all of the books in the Old Filth trilogy - hope you enjoy them, too!

Thanks Anne! I am so looking forward to a uninterrupted - well, more or less back to back with the odd book between - read of Gardam's trilogy. I admit I loved Old Filth but it was a little too long ago (2013) so a refresher is in order before plunging into the other two books in the trilogy. Happy to see you loved all of the books in the trilogy! I am so looking forward to my Jane Gardam project read!

Wishing you a fabulous weekend!

>28 lkernagh: Those authors are all new to me (though I have a David Adams Richards novel on my TBR shelves), so I look forward to your comments on their books!

>31 Cait86: - :-)

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

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

.






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

WEEK 9 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 48.15
Kilometers walked in total: 360.71
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: Southeast of Olequa, about to cross the North Fork Toutle River, heading for Castle Rock.
Points of interest along the way:: Places passed through or nearby this week include Centralia, Chehalis, Napavine, St. Urban and Olequa. Some quick facts about the communities:

Centralia: The town's name was originally to indicate the railway midway point between Tacoma and Kalama, but has proven to also became the I-5 highway midpoint between Seattle and Portland, Oregon. Centralia College is the oldest operating junior college in the state (has been operating since 1925).
Chehalis: Nicknamed the "Rose City", Chehalis began as a settlement around a warehouse beside a railroad track in 1873. First named Saundersville, the name was changed to be named after the Chehalis people. Claquato Methodist Church, built in 1857, is the oldest continuously used church in the state.
Napavine: Nicknamed the "City on Top of the Hill", is named from the Indian word "Napavoon" meaning "small prairie".
St. Urban and Olequa: Are unincorporated communities.

Question for visitors to this post: Does anyone know why the bridge (see image below) over the North Fork Toutle River is called the "Mickey Mouse Bridge"? I found lots of references of the name for the bridge but no explanation.


Mickey Mouse Bridge - as posted to Flickr by Adam Pomerinke (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Sent the other half off to help his boat friend so I am having a lazy "Home Spa" Sunday. My hair (and skin) has gotten rather dry and, in the case of my hair, very brittle, due to the colder than normal February weather. Time to revive.

Happy new thread, and what a lovely topper!

Happy new thread, Lori!
I added two books from your previous thread to mount TBR, can't wait for the next one ;-)

Yes, I will be a great aunt, for the first time. I'm quite excited for my niece and my sister ( and their families)! My neice let me know about her pregnancy way back at about 5 weeks of pregnancy and kept me up to date with pictures from her ultrasounds etc and her plans for birth etc. So, yes, it's quite fun.

Oh, David Richard Adams, he is quite a " heavy writer" - good for you to take him on. I read Mercy Among the Children and while I enjoyed it, it was also rather a bleak read.

And yes I am loving The Hours Before Dawn by Celia Fremlin. I've not finished it yet, but I think it safe to say that I'll be looking for more books from the author. I'm sure you'd enjoy it too.

Your walking is going so well! I wish I had the ability to do so right now. IL makes it difficult because my car is too small for a stroller and he objects to the chest carrier.

>35 banjo123: - Thanks Rhonda!

>36 FAMeulstee: - Thanks Anita! So happy that my reading was able to interest you enough to add some books to your mount TBR!

>37 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb, so exciting waiting for the new addition to the family to make their grand entrance! Yes, David Adams Richards is a rather "heavy writer" or bleak writer as you put it, but I find I am attracted to those deeply meaningful stories, even if they are a bit on the depressing side. That, and the Canadian angle is always a huge sell for me.

Fabulous to learn that the Fremlin book is a recommendation!

>38 The_Hibernator: - Hey Rachel, you are so busy right now I totally understand the desire to get out walking and not have the ability to do so. I can see where the vehicle size and stroller storage requirements would make heading out for any far-flung walking adventures to be a challenge right now. No worries, I imagine you will be stunned at how quickly IL grows. (time flies where you are busy!).

Finished my first book in my latest Author project reading.

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Book #22 - Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky - translated from the German by Tim Mohr
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Author
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: German - 2008; English Translation - April 9, 2010
Acquisition date: May 15,2011
Page count: 221 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

"Sascha Naimann, born in Moscow, now lives in Berlin with her two younger siblings and, until recently, her mother. Unlike most of her neighbourhood companions, Sascha doesn't dream of escaping from the Emerald, the tough housing project where they live. Her dreams are different: she longs to write a novel about her beautiful but naive mother and to end the life of Vadim, her mother's husband and the man who brutally murdered her several months ago. When she isn't busy looking out for her younger siblings or trying to manage their Russian aunt who has come to care for them, Sascha struggles between the forces that can destroy us, and those that lead us out of sorrow and pain and back to life."

Review:
A gritty, contemporary coming-of-age story with themes of friendship, domestic violence, loss, retribution and restitution. 17-year-old Sascha, a Russian émigré to Germany, makes an interesting and unpredictable first-person narrator. She is street-smart, intimidating and fearless. She is also, at times, squeamish, vulnerable and naïve. Sometimes she acts mature beyond her years and other times is strangely childlike, veering off into unexpected moments of self destruction, promiscuity, mania and depression. Sascha’s narrative voice is fantastic. One of piercing honesty, imbued with both a gentle love (for her siblings) and a barely contained rage (against her mother’s murderer).

I give Bronsky (who writes under a pseudonym) full marks for creating such a fascinating character in Sascha. The plot is where the story struggles. At times the plot is disjointed, meandering and off-pace. This works okay to depict an individual (Sascha) spinning out of control, but some events seem to have been included more for shock value than as events for logical plot development. That being said, Bronsky does pack a lot into this story. While I found Sascha’s relationship with the newspaper editor Volker and his son Felix to be rather unusual, I felt real compassion for the characters, including Sascha’s Russian aunt Maria, who struggles to adapt to life in Germany. Laced with wicked humour and smart dialogue, the end result is an uneven story that shines because of its compelling characters. For a debut novel, Bronsky provides a young, edgy, smart talking voice that is shouting to be heard.

Definitely looking forward to reading more of Bronsky's books.

What a great new walking challenge. Happy Wednesday, Lori.

>41 Ameise1: - Thanks Barbara! I am having a lot of fun with my current walking challenge. Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!

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

Still cold temps and - horrors! - a meteorologist "rumour" of potential snow flurries starting this evening. Somehow I think the possibility of snow is next to nil but they are the experts, so what do I know. ;-)

After a rather frustrating day at the office, I was happy to come home and discover that my NetGalley 'wish' for a copy of The Rosie Result, book three in the Don Tillman series by Graeme Simsion, came true! I have now downloaded to book to my e-reader.

BAG (Big Ass Grin)

Hi Lori, I love your author projects. I read two of the Alina Bronsky books and really enjoyed them. I've read three of the Tana French books and own two more that I'd like to read. I need to get more organized with my reading I guess. I tend to be more seat of the pants lol. You're doing some terrific reading, at any rate.

>43 brenzi: - Thanks Bonnie! This is the first time I have ever tried to be "organized" about my reading and so far, it is working pretty good! I am looking forward to reading the other three Bronsky books.

Book #23 - Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett - audiobook narrated by John Lee
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: September 16, 2014
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 1,136 pages / 36 hours, 50 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

"The final book in Ken Follett's Century Trilogy, a sweeping tale that began in 1911, the descendants of five families will now find their true destiny as they fight for their individual freedom in a world facing the mightiest clash of superpowers it has ever seen. Now they come to one of the most tumultuous eras of all: the 1960s through the 1980s, from civil rights, assassinations, mass political movements, and Vietnam to the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidential impeachment, revolution—and rock and roll. 1961, and in the United States George Jakes, a bright young lawyer in the Kennedy administration and fierce supporter of the civil rights movement, boards a Greyhound bus in Washington with Verena, an employee of Martin Luther King whom he is in love with, to protest against segregation. In East Germany, teacher Rebecca Hoffmann finds her entire life has been a lie as she is targeted by the secret police, even as her younger brother, Walli, dreams of escape across the Berlin Wall to Britain. In Russia, activist Tania Dvorkin narrowly evades capture for producing an illegal news-sheet, her actions all the more perilous because her brother, Dimka, is an emerging star of the Communist Party. "

Review:
My favorite book in the trilogy, probably because this one is such an interesting mixed-bag of world events and captures late 20th century events that I have memories of watching on TV or reading about in the newspaper. I like how Follett’s characters get close to the events to provide a credible, fictionalized first person point of view. The author has a knack for writing suspenseful stories and skillfully provides the reader with a history lesson that isn’t a dry, fact filled snoozer. Not quite as hip, snappy and rock and rollish as Billy Joel’s song, We Didn’t Start the Fire, but still a highly entertaining read for me. Yes, Follett does capture the rock and roll era through his fictional British band, Plum Nelly. Hard to do a sweeping 20th century novel with out capturing the music scene, but the focus is also on the politics and impact of the Cold War. Given the myriad of events that occurred between 1960 through to the late 1980’s (the time period captured here), it is not surprising that Follett had to pick and choose which events to focus on and which ones to gloss over. Yes, even at over 1,000 pages, he still couldn't cram in EVERYTHING. Even so, he managed to bring some interesting perspectives. For example, while President Kennedy is in the story, he takes a bit of a back seat to his brother, Senator Bobby Kennedy. Follett barely touches on either JFK or Martin Luther King's assassinations - probably makes sense given the number of books already published on those topics. For the Vietnam War, Follett takes another unique approach by drafting a British born, U.S. landed immigrant into the US Army, presenting an “outsider on the inside” perspective of the war. Yes, one has to accept the fact that Follett’s characters always seem to be ‘opportunely’ placed to witness or be involved with various events, but hey, this is fiction, even if it is anchored by historical events. When Follett decides to “go big,” he does so with without restraint.

Overall a wonderful conclusion to a truly epic saga and one I can highly recommend if you like your historical fiction reads to be entertaining and engaging.

What a journey that Follett series is! I'm impressed that you listened to 36h50m of people talking to you without becoming homicidal (a guaranteed thing I would do after that much blahblahblah).

Can't wait to see where we are tomorrow!

Wow! I've never read anything by Ken Follet and like RD, I'm impressed by your many hours of listening. My niece is and new grandnephew sailed safely home via B.C Ferries yesterday . Dad remains in Victoria for another 10 days or so, but can come home over the weekend.

That does take some stamina to listen to 36 hours of story telling.

Have a splendid weekend, Lori

>46 richardderus:, >47 vancouverdeb: and >48 PaulCranswick: - LOL, Richard, Deb and Paul! I have to admit that I virtually never finish a book in one sitting and my audioreads are usually only when walking or puttering around the house so for me, a good long audioread that carries me through a week or two is actually kind of relaxing. Of course, it does help when the reader has a pleasant, easy to understand voice. Edge of Eternity took me 13 days to finish. Probably best to avoid Follett's books - or at least his historical fiction trilogies - as he writes expansively, similar to Diana Gabaldon, Edward Rutherfurd and the like.

>47 vancouverdeb: - Fabulous news about the new grand nephew, Deb!

>58 BLBera:- Thanks Paul! Weekend has been pretty good. Hope you have had a lovely one.

---------------------------
Still chipping away at current reads, so no new books reviews ready for posting. Spring 2.0 is the weather report for the weekend, today being sun shine and a balmy 8'C. How about I distract you with walking and currently reading updates instead?

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

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

.






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

WEEK 10 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 41.41
Kilometers walked in total: 402.12
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: South of Kalama, hugging the east side of the Columbia River, heading for Woodland.
Points of interest along the way:: First observation I have to make is I was not expecting the Washingotn - Oregon boarder to flow through the middle of the Columbia River, and all of it bends. Okay, maybe not all of its bends, but still surprised to find myself still within Washington State, given the continual southbound journey I have been making all the way. The things you learn.

Communities passed through or near by this week include, Castle Rock, Rocky Point, Longview, Vision Acres, Carrolls and Kalama. Castle Rock is named for a volcanic rock outcropping over the Cowlitz River, rising 190 feet high on the south side of the city. The rock formation, resembling a castle, became a geographic landmark for Cowlitz Indians and Hudson's Bay Company traders as early as 1832. Castle Rock is also the gateway to Mount St. Helens, an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County. Mount St. Helens is most notorious for its major 1980 eruption, the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in U.S. history.


St. Helens Plume from Harrys Ridge - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Lyn Topinka (CC0)

Interesting facts about Kalama:

- Anna Kashfi (born Joan O'Callaghan) Brando Hannaford, the first wife of Marlon Brando, was a long-term resident of Kalama until her death. Kashfi and her son Christian Brando are buried in Kalama.
- The Montgomery House Bed and Breakfast home was built in 1908 on lands that was once a congregating site for the Cowlitz Indians, who were decimated by diseases such as small pox and malaria. Since its original construction as a single family home, the house has been a bordella with a doctor's clinic, a nine room hospital, as storage for an antique store and a bed and breakfast. The house is reported to be one of the most haunted locations in Kalama, and solid bodied apparitions as well as clear disembodied voices, or EVPs, were captured on film in 2009 feature documentary "Montgomery House: The Perfect Haunting" by Danielle Egnew.

Longview has a wonderful fun fact for sharing: It is home to the Nutty Narrows Bridge. I LOVE this one! Titled the "World's Narrowest Bridge" and the "World's Narrowest Animal Crossing", here is the back story: On March 19, 1963, Amos Peters, after seeing many squirrels being flattened, decided to protect squirrels and give them a way to cross a busy thoroughfare without getting killed by passing cars, by building them a bridge. Yup, the original sky-bridge was built over Olympia Way near the Civic Center in downtown Longview and was designed to look like a mini-suspension bridge.


Squirrel Bridge - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Avi (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The bridge gets a lot of attention and given the community's support for the fury little animals, Longview began a new annual festival, known as Squirrel Fest, in 2011. As part of the festival, a new squirrel bridge has been unveiled each year, and as of 2014, there are now four squirrel bridges in the city. How cool is that?

Continuing with the interesting bridge theme - but not located on my designated I-5 walking route, is the Lewis and Clark cantilever bridge that spans the Columbia River between Longview, WA and Rainier, Oregon. At the time of completion (1930), it had the longest cantilever span in the United States. The bridge was named to honor the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Here is an image of the current bridge:


Lewis and Clark Bridge - Washington State Department of Transportation - as posted on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

... and now is the perfect time to mention my love for Rainier Cherries. This hybrid(?) cherry was developed in 1952 at Washington State University by Harold Fogle, and named after Mount Rainier. It is a cross between the 'Bing' and 'Van' cultivars. 'Rainiers' are considered a premium type of cherry. They are sweet with a thin skin and thick creamy-yellow flesh. They are divine cherries, IMO (and this is coming from someone who also loves BC grown cherries)!


Rainier Cherries - as posted to Flickr by digitonin (CC BY ND 2.0)

... So, not exactly sure when I will cross the Washington- Oregon border (I kind of thought I was doing that this week, but borders can be wonky). On that note, I will share a wonderful short YouTube video about unusual borders that I found amusing and informative, especially given the number of borders that are determined by rivers (apologies, there seem to be commercial breaks in this video - you can click Skip Ad):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iidmb0EM6A

Currently Reading:
...

Audiobook:
A Column of Fire by Ken Follett - Book Three in Follett's Kingsbridge Trilogy - Currently 8 hours into this 30 hours, 30 minutes audiobook. Yes, I am hoping to wrap up yet anther trilogy I started and then stalled reading. ;-)
ebook:
The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion - I enjoyed the first two books in Simsion's Don Tillman series so I was very happy to receive an advanced reader copy from the publisher through NetGalley!
Physical books:
The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky - Continuing my current Author Reading Project with Bronsky's second novel. Currently 50 pages in, and loving our narrator, Rosalinda Achmetowna. Best way to describe Rosa: If you have ever seen the British comedy series Keeping Up Appearances think a rather wicked Tartar version of Hyacinth Bucket,completely fixated on her granddaughter Aminat while considering Sulfia (Rosa's daughter and Aminat's mother) completely useless and you get the idea. ;-)
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - Plan to start Part 4 later this week to keep me on track with the tentative check-in days for this group read.

I'll be interested in what you think about the Rosie Result. I enjoyed the first two in the series, so like you, I'll be interested in your take.

I'm with you on the Rainier cherries- they're so good!

Rainier cherries...*Homerdrool*

>45 lkernagh: Glad to see you loved that series as I loved it too!

>49 lkernagh: Spring 2.0- funny! We have had copy turvy weather here too, hot today (30c) and forecast for 13c tomorrow!

>50 lkernagh: they look so like the plums we used to pick and sell at the gate as kids. Yum. But cherries are even yummier, so I would like to try them some day.

I’m loving the virtual journey, Lori. The Nutty Narrows squirrel bridge (and the successors it inspired) - how great!

The Bronsky does sound good, Lori.

I see you're stepping right along.

>52 vancouverdeb:- Hi Deb, fingers crossed I will get to The Rosie Result this weekend. It has been a rather crazy work week but with a three day weekend, I am hoping I can find the time to settle into some actual "reading". ;-)

>53 mstrust: and >54 richardderus: - Rainier cherries are the bomb! So happy to see you both are also fans of the tasty morsels. ;-0

>55 ChelleBearss: - Follett did a fabulous job encapsulating the 20th century, Chelle and I am happy to see you also loved the Century Trilogy!

>56 LovingLit: - Hi Megan! Yes, Spring 2.0 - it has been that kind of winter. Mother Nature has been messing with humans, plants and animal life... teasing us with warm weather, only to slam us in to weeks of cold winter. Nuts I tell you.

What a lovely memory! I am a huge fan of the whole cherry/berry family of fruits, but the Rainier cherries are wonderfully sweet.

>57 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! Yup, the Nutty Narrows bridge is a gem and I love how it has lead to even more bridges being build for the furry friends and I am assuming that squirrel fatalities by vehicle are on a downward trend in the locations where these bridges have been set up.

>58 BLBera: - Hi Beth. For a debut novel, Broken Glass Park was quite an interesting read and I was impressed with The author's sharp, witty humour, her keen eye for detail and seeing things from an immigrant's point of view.

So far, so good on the walking front, but that is mainly because the weather - for the most part - has been cooperating. I don't mind the cold, it is a combination of rain and wind that ticks me off and keeps me indoors. ;-)

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

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend, everyone! I am in the throws of March Madness, and no, I am not talking about the US College/University basketball tourney going on right now. March Madness is what we at work call the month in the lead up to our fiscal year end and the insane craziness of getting projects/contracts wrapped up and new ones set to go as of April 1st. Busy time!

So, what new happened for me this past week? Well, my other half came home with a new, one-person kayak for me (we bought one for him last year), so we are now a two kayak family. My task this weekend is to purchase a PFD (life-vest) and then I am all set for after work and weekend kayaking. So looking forward to being able to come home, pick up the kayak, and head for the water for some post work relaxation.

On the reading front, not much physical reading has been happening. To tired at the end of the day to actually sit down and actively read so I have been focusing all my weekday reading energy into passively listening to my current audioread. Looking forward to shifting back into actual reading mode. In the meantime, here is the review of my latest audioread.

A two kayak family!! Where will you go? I'd love to hear more. Have a GREAT time kayaking this weekend!

Book #24 - A Column of Fire by Ken Follett - audiobook narrated by John Lee
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: September 12, 2017
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 928 pages / 30 hours, 25 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"In 1558, the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn apart by religious conflict. As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love. Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions, and invasion plans. Over a turbulent half century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents. The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost."

Review:
This final book in Follett’s Kingsbridge trilogy was an okay read, but not anything spectacular or riveting for me. Nothing wrong with Follett’s customary storytelling, although he does have a habit of recycling similar plot themes with some of his character pairings, leaving this reader with a “this is oddly familiar” sensation. I should admit that I struggled with this trilogy as a whole compared with his Century trilogy. I loved the first book, Pillars of the Earth, as a great introduction to the Middle Ages period and cathedral architecture. World Without End was a bit of a dud given the huge time jump, so I didn’t go into A Column of Fire with any high expectations. Probably a good thing. At least the final book more or less picks up where the previous book left off (beginning in 1558, and continuing through 1605), so I already had a nodding familiarity with a number of the characters. The story, not surprisingly, has a strong royal and religious focus as we have Tudor family infighting along with Protestant versus Catholic rebellions, neither topic of any great interest to me. It is a bad sign when I find myself skipping forward every three minutes through a chunk of the story because it was dragging. The best part of the story, for me anyways, is near the end where Follett presents the reader with his literary take on Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.

Overall, a rather dud read to wrap up a trilogy that just wasn’t all that riveting for me.

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

Touchstones not working so will come back to fix later

>60 AMQS: - Hi Anne! Ha, the good news is we live very close to the water so I will be able to "go for a paddle" pretty much whenever the urge takes me.... and I am looking forward to that! Also, both kayaks are inflatables (each one only takes 5 minutes of pumping to inflate) and fit perfectly in the back of our Jeep (when deflated) so we have a myriad of options available to us. The other half has a kayak with a stronger constructed hull that is graded for ocean faring while mine is a lighter grade for calmer waters (which is just fine with me.) I love my kayak because the keel and the sides have a barrier (we have to inflate both areas separately), which is a nice safety feature as if one area gets a puncture, the other area will still retain enough air to act as a secondary flotation device. Yes, I am excited!

Congrats on the new kayak! I hope you have a lot of fun with it.

Hi Lori, I hope you are enjoying the same springlike weather that we are. Great walking weather!

Enjoy your new kayak! And hopefully lots of rainier cherries---I love them, too.

Kayak! Cool! We love ours and are eagerly awaiting some warmer weather so we can get some paddling in. Have fun!

Sorry about your dud read with the A Column of Fire. I must confess that I think I have seen my dad or my mom read Ken Follet in the past, and the look of the books never grabbed me. Such persistence to get through a trilogy!

Enjoy your kayak. I must admit I've not done much kayaking in my life. Just a bit of canoeing in the past in well protected waters.

I missed your post about a new kayak, but everyone is congratulating you, so I'm guessing you just got a new kayak? Fabulous! I took up kayaking in the 80s, and I thought it was the perfect sport for me.... but then the reality of not having a car and trying to fit an 18 ft kayak into my 600 sq ft apartment (I lived on Beach Ave, right across the road from English Bay) . . . it sort of fizzled. But we've often rented kayaks over the years and it can be so relaxing. Actually, my first time kayaking was as a child on a remote lake in the Yukon (I was 11), and sticking close to shore because I was alone, but going back and forth in front of the cabin singing "Alouette, gentille alouette".

Kayaking is a fabulous hobby, and such a natural for Victoria (we've kayaked in the Gorge when the girls were in their early teens--you can get right up close to the sunning seals on logs--it's like they don't recognize you as humans).

Sorry to carry on, but you reminded me of my old kayaking days, which I'd kind of forgotten about. One of them was kayaking around False Creek during Expos 86, and paddling behind the pavilion that had the waterfall going into the sea--probably the Ontario Pavilion, imitating Niagara Falls. It was a very special experience.

You've stirred up two long-buried memories. I hope you make wonderful memories for yourself on your kayak!!

>63 mstrust: - Thanks Jennifer, I am loving the kayak and can see that I will be having a lot of water-related fun this year.

>64 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg, the weather this weekend - and especially today! - has been amazing. Did not expect to hit high teens for temps. It is gorgeous out. Great walking and kayaking weather.

>65 banjo123: - Thanks Rhonda, kayak love is happening and I will just have to wait for Rainier cherry season. sighs

>66 drneutron: - I know! I cannot remember when I was so excited about a purchase, Jim. Here is hoping spring heads your way. Two days on the water and I can already see how fun and relaxing kayaking can be!

>67 vancouverdeb: - Thanks Deb. Duds happen, I kind of had an inkling that I wasn't the reading audience for Follett's Middle Ages saga. I just don't have a great grasp on 15th-17th century history so could not appreciate Follett's clever manipulation of history like I did with his Century Trilogy Funnily enough, I grew up as a canoer (is that even a word?) and have never really kayaked before now, but as my dad said when I broke the kayak news to him yesterday, if you know how to paddle a canoe, it is pretty easy to adjust to a kayak, and he was right.

>68 Nickelini: - Hi Joyce! Never apologize for sharing wonderful personal experience stories on my threads. I love learning about other people's experiences. Yes, I am a first time kayak owner, so super excited about that. So far I have limited my kayaking to the Inner Harbour, because that is the water we are closest to. Even with all the traffic - ferries, float planes, other boaters, etc - it is still a peaceful experience. I can so see me hitting the water after work as a way to unwind and recharge. Other half is a tad concerned that he may have just lost his chef to the allure of kayaking (meaning he might have to fend for himself for dinner some nights!), but he seems to be adjusting to my water love. :-) I am keen to pack a picnic lunch and spend a leisurely day paddling the Gorge Waterway.

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

Happy Monday everyone! The weekend was fabulous! As I compose this post, it is sunny and 18'C outside so I think it is safe to say that Spring has finally arrived. I have been having a lot of fun with the new kayak. As today was a day off, I hit the water a little after 9am and had a good 2-hour paddle around in the Inner Harbour. The other half snapped the following pics as I was heading out.

.

I believe my reading this year will depend on the weather. Good weather days I will be out kayaking and not reading. ;-)

I did manage to finish one book this weekend - The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky - but will have to wait for the written review. In the meantime, below please find my walking update (a day late) and my "Currently Reading" update.

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

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

.






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

WEEK 11 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 43.18
Kilometers walked in total: 445.30
Current province/state: (WA)
My current location on the map: In Vancouver, Washington on the bank of the Columbia River about to cross over into Oregon.
Points of interest along the way:: Communities travelled through or past this week include Woodland, Ridgefield, Salmon Creek and Vancouver. Woodlands is home to Planter's Day. Started in 1922, Planter's Day, the longest continuously running civic celebration/community festival in the State of Washington, is a four-day festival celebrating the completed construction of the dikes along the Columbia and Lewis Rivers, preventing the annual flooding in the Woodland area. Woodland is perhaps best known as the home of the Hulda Klager, known as the "Lilac Lady", who was a prolific breeder of lilacs. After her death, her house and lilac gardens were saved in 1964 from being torn down to make room for an industrial site, and are currently maintained as a state and National Historic Landmark by the Lilac Society.


Lilac "Sensation" at the Hulda Klager Lilac Garden - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by PDTilman (CC BY 2.0)

Woodland is also home to Horseshoe Lake. Yup, the lake is shaped like a horseshoe:



Ridgefield is headquarters of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and is notable for the significant Native American (Chinookan people) and Lewis and Clark Expedition history of the area. The American equipment rental company U-Haul, had its start in Ridgefield in 1945. Renamed Ridgefield in 1890, it was formerly known as Union Ridge, named by the many Union veterans among the first large wave of settlers after the Civil War to settle in the area.

Vancouver (WA) is part of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area and was originally established in 1825 around the Hudson Bay Company fur-trading outpost, Fort Vancouver. Based on an act in the 1859–60 legislature, Vancouver was briefly the capital of Washington Territory, before capital status was returned to Olympia, Washington by a 2–1 ruling of the territory's supreme court, in accordance with Isaac Stevens' preference and concern that proximity to the border with Oregon might give some of the state's influence away to Oregon. Vancouver has one sister city (and no, it is not Vancouver BC): Joyo, Kyoto in Kansai, Japan. Vancouver WA previously had a sister-city relationship with Arequipa, Peru between 1961 and 1993. Notable people from the area include U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, singer Willie Nelson and writer Chuck Palahniuk.

Currently Reading:
....

Audiobook:
The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye (narrated by Kirby Heyborne) - Book Three in Faye's fabulous Timothy Wilde trilogy. Hoping to start it tomorrow morning on my way into work. ;-)
ebook:
The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion - Haven't started this yet, but it is on the short list of books to read over the next week.
Physical books:
The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri - 23rd installment in Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series. Will be reading this one next as it is due back to the library on the 25th.
Baba Dunja's Last Love by Alina Bronsky - Continuing my current author project read.
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - I will get around to starting Part 4, just not sure when.

Lori loved you kayaking picdtures. Such nice weather to get your boat wet!

>69 lkernagh:

Oh wow! GORGEOUS! I'm so jealous. My husband and daughters all have Italian citizenship, and there's a lot of paperwork for me to go through to get it, so when they all move to Europe, I'm moving over to Victoria. I can get a kayak and join you, and then we can go have a browse at Russel Books afterwards.

It was so fabulous outside today -- first lunch outdoors this year. Of course, I got hit up by pan-handling drug addicts, so not as nice as your day.

>72 mdoris: - Hi Mary, yes the weather was perfect for going for a paddle!

>73 Nickelini: - LOL! Absolutely, happy to have a fellow LT/kayaker to enjoy water and book adventures with! Always sad to have a perfect day dimmed like that. I admit if I had to choose between downtown Vancouver and downtown Victoria pan-handlers, I will take the ones in Victoria. I am not a fan of the more aggressive pan-handling tactics I have have encountered in Vancouver. The housing crisis and drug addictions are two issues that just do not seem to be adequately addressed, and I just don't have a solution.

Gorgeous forest at the top, Lori, and I love Rainier cherries so much!! Costco always has them when they are in season and we gobble them up.

>74 lkernagh:
Yeah, I'm going to take Victoria pan-handlers over Vancouver too (I happen to work in ---Surrey!--- not sure if our panhandlers are worse than Vancouver's or not)

Love your kayaking photos - and what beautiful weather! Enjoy.

>74 lkernagh: We're having a lot of trouble with panhandlers here too. Arizona is one of the three states that has been hardest hit with the drug crisis, and add to that the city recently extended the train line much further, so now we have them all over our neighborhood where they used to be almost exclusively downtown.

I have A Column of Fire sitting unread on my shelves. I bought it when it came out but then didn't feel the need to read it. Hate when that happens!

Yay for A Fatal Flame! I just finished it and enjoyed it!

>69 lkernagh:

Nice kayak, nice picture too.

I haven't used an inflatable kayak before - I have standard sit in and sit on top kayaks. I wonder, though, whether I should look at getting one. A couple of quick questions:

1. How small can you pack it up? Could you get it in a backpack or something, allowing a mixture of kayaking and hiking?
2. Have you used traditional kayaks? Does wind cause more problems for an inflatable?

Great kayaking stories and pictures. I used to do some kayaking, but it never called to me too loudly.

Great kayaking photos, Lori. I hope the weather continues to be good to be out on the water.

>75 ronincats: - Roni, it is even more beautiful in person, if you can believe that! I love the are for it's ancient growth trees. So amazing. Happy to see more love for Rainier cherries! They are delightful.

>76 Nickelini: - Totally! Nothing more off-putting than aggressive pan-handlers. Don't know why they haven't learned that kindess goes a long way and the quickest way to close a wallet is to aggressively ask for a hand out. Sorry to learn that the aggressive pan handling tactics I new from downtown Vancouver are making it into other areas of Greater Vancouver. ;-(

>77 AMQS: - Thanks Anne! I have been having such a fabulous time with the kayak. Still learning the "lay of the land" of the waters in our immediate area as we have some areas that areas of rock formations that lie just below the surface in lower tide settings - don't want to snag the boat on one of those!

>78 mstrust: - That is very sad to read, Jennifer. The Fentanyl crisis has been nasty and needs to be stopped but like very other drug infused situation, dealers find a way to bring their drug in and connect with buyers, who don't have access to the resources to turn them into a "non-buyer". I could go on at length about prescriptions drugs that can lead to this addiction, but it's not easy to pinpoint and lest be honest, that is only a minor stream of the current Fentanyl users. I know this is being driven by a number different factors but I seriously struggle to understand how any country can be considered "First World" if we have these kinds of unaddressed poverty concerns. IMO, only a country that has effectively solved the poverty situation can truly call it self a "First World" country, otherwise we are just playing, and continuing to play, annoying statistic games.

>79 ChelleBearss: - Hey Chelle, I have been there way too many times to count, so understand totally. ;-) Fatal Flame was fabulous and sad at the same time: fabulous story, sad to see it end. ;-(

>80 sirfurboy: - Thanks! Inflatable kayak was a selling feature for me as we living in a one bedroom unit in a multi-family dwelling and storage of a fixed hull kayak is really not an option. In answer to you questions (and some additional observations from my end):

1. How small can you pack it up? Could you get it in a backpack or something, allowing a mixture of kayaking and hiking? The good news is that it - along with the paddles, inflatable seat and manual pump - fit into a case slightly larger than a gym bag but smaller than a hockey bag. Dimensions of the bag everything (except for the personal flotation device that I bought separately) are:
- in inches: 24.5 x 15 x 9
- in cm: 62 x 38 x 22

2. Have you used traditional kayaks? Does wind cause more problems for an inflatable? No. All of my previous paddling experience has been in a canoe or a dugout. Yes, the wind does cause more of a problem for the inflatable over the fix canoe/dugout. I actually had a good experience of that just today where I hit an interesting patch of water near the entrance to the harbour: the wind made for minor choppy waters but between the waves and the wind, I had to compensate with two/three paddles on side to each single paddle on the other side just to keep on course. Do-able, yes, but takes away from the pleasure of being out on the water, if you know what I mean. Hope the info helps.

>81 LovingLit:- Hi Megan! Ha, so I take it kayaking was just ok for you. ;-)

>82 Familyhistorian: - Thanks Meg, and yes the weather - when I have available time for kayaking - has been more or less cooperating, so no complaints. ;-)

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

Hello everyone and my apologies for the late responses above. As I mentioned "somewhere" up thread, I hit that very busy period of time at work that rolls around every year at this time. That means that at the end of the day I am too tired, physically, and don't want to continue to look at a computer screen. The good news is that "technically" we are a wrap on the year-end work craziness, and can now return to the normal work craziness (the craziness never stops, it just takes on different levels of craziness at different times). ;-)

I continue to love the kayak and the time I am able to get in on the water. Given the tide cycles, the best time to head out are in the mornings - tide levels in the evenings are rather low and it can be challenging with the light angles (setting sun) and the near surface underwater rock formations that I need to avoid - so I have already turned my Sunday mornings into "my kayaking" time. Already making "water friends", just like you make when you walk a certain path at a set time and discover regulars on the same schedule, so that is kind of fun. My other half, the absolute darling that he is, surprised me this past Friday by calling me as I got home after work to let me know that he had my kayak and if I wanted, I just had to change into my kayaking clothes (which is pretty much yoga pants and t-shirt), meet him at our local docking point (which I happily did) and I went for a wonderful 1-hour paddle that completely removed all the built up stress from the week. Perfect way to unwind and start the weekend!

No kayaking this past Saturday. Too busy with spring cleaning activities and having to start a batch of freezer meals for the other half. I will be heading to Alberta for a family visit this coming Saturday and need to make sure the other half has food options while I am away (he tends to live on cereal and chips otherwise). Even with steam cleaning carpets and washing curtains, I still had an enjoyable kayak today, getting to observe the university women's team doing some training and included a rather unexpected close encounter with either a really big sea otter or a smallish sea lion (I really don't know the distinction but the head alone gave me the impression of a rather larger body beneath the surface of the water). He/she was very curious about me but I managed to convince the animal that they were more that happy to observe me from where they were and not come closer. The last thing I want/need is an animal with teeth and sharp claws taking an interest in my inflatable kayak! All worked out well and we both went our separate ways. ;-)

On the reading front, I have finished a couple of books and even pulled together some "slap-dash" reviews. I am behind with my walking updates but I have managed to get those pulled together and will be posting them as well.

Plans for Monday: Flex day for me means "Kayak" day!

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

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

.






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

WEEK 12 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 34.25
Kilometers walked in total: 479.55
Current province/state: . (WA/OR)
My current location on the map: South of Portland, heading for Wilsonville.
Points of interest along the way:: Portland has a wonderfully rich history, filled with some fun facts. Portland lies on top of an extinct volcanic field known as the Boring Lava Field. I love the story how two founding members - Francis W. Pettygrove and Asa Lovejoy - both wished to name the area (at the time known as "The Clearing") after their respective hometowns (Lovejoy's being Boston, and Pettygrove's, Portland). This controversy was settled with a coin toss that Pettygrove won in a series of two out of three tosses, and Portland became the new name. The coin used for this decision, now known as the Portland Penny, is on display in the headquarters of the Oregon Historical Society.



Because I gravitate to towards history that has a bit of the nefarious activity, I was also happy to discover that, at the turn of the 20th century, Portland had a reputation as one of the most dangerous port cities in the world, a hub for organized crime and racketeering (according to Wikipedia). Not surprising, given that it housed a large number of saloons, bordellos, gambling dens, and boardinghouses populated with miners after the California Gold Rush and sailors passing through the port. This "notorious" reputation continued for some time as Portland became of hub of underground criminal activity and organized crime between 1940s and 1950s. ;-)

The city has acquired a diverse range of nicknames throughout its history, though it is most often called "Rose City" or "The City of Roses", the latter having been its unofficial nickname since 1888 and its official nickname since 2003. Other nicknames listed are: "PDX", which is also the airport code for Portland International Airport, "Bridgetown", "Stumptown", "Rip City", "Soccer City", "P-Town", "Portlandia" and "Little Beirut".

Portland is also home to the Pioneer Courthouse. Built in 1869, it is the oldest federal building in the Pacific Northwest.


Pioneer Courthouse - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Another Believer (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Closing off this update with a bit about Oswego Lake and the city that surrounds it, Lake Oswego. (Confused? it gets better). Because the "lake", while naturally occurring, has been significantly altered by a concrete dam, the United States Geological Survey actually records it as a reservoir. In 1865, the Oregon Iron Company was incorporated with the goal of making the town of Oswego an industrial center for the smelting of the abundant iron ore in the area. The company purchased the entire town of Oswego, including the lake and surrounding hills, which were rich in not only iron ore, but trees that would be turned into charcoal to feed the furnaces. That industry eventually faltered due to availability of cheaper coke-fired iron and steel mills. The remains of the Oregon Iron Company Furnace can be seen in Lake Oswego's George Rogers Park:


Oregon Iron Company Furnace restored - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Esprqii (CC BY-SA 3.0)

A controversy exists over ownership and access to the lake. Despite a decades-old status quo in which the Lake Oswego Corporation maintains that it owns the lake and has the authority to restrict access to it, state and local law enforcement have recently indicated that they consider the lake to be public and that they will not pursue charges against anyone for using it. To control the waters, the corporation has posted "no trespassing" signs and issued permits to select individuals who overcome various administrative hurdles.


Oswego Lake sign - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Esprqii (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The ability of the corporation to restrict access to the water has been questioned on numerous occasions and a federal lawsuit over the matter was filed back in 2012, only to be dismissed from federal court, state court judge ruled the city has the right to block access, which was upheld by the Oregon Court of Appeals with plaintiffs appealing the ruling to the Oregon Supreme Court.

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

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

.






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

WEEK 13 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 39.89
Kilometers walked in total: 519.44
Current province/state: (OR)
My current location on the map: Southeast of Brooks, heading for Hayesville, Four Corners and a eastern pass by Salem.
Points of interest along the way:: I should point out that Wilsonville is located within the Portland metropolitan area. The city also includes the planned community of Charbonneau (I am mentioning this now for a fun fact to follow). Fun facts about Wilsonville: Alphonso Boone, the grandson of Daniel Boone - Yes, the very same Daniel Boone of American frontier legend - settled in what would later become Wilsonville in 1846 and established the Boones Ferry across the Willamette River in 1847. Of course, the community was first named Boones Landing after the ferry, but the name was changed to Wilsonville in 1880, named after the first postmaster (so original). Gordon House, the only house in Oregon to be designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was built in 1963 near what became Charbonneau and moved to the Oregon Garden in Silverton in 2001.


Gordon House Front - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Andrew Parodi (CC BY-SA 3.0)


Gordon House Floor Plan - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Freiluft (CC BY_SA 3.0)

Author Walt Morey owned an estate in Wilsonville and after his death in 1992, his widow sold the property to a developer. The housing development built on that property, Morey's Landing, bears his name as does the children's section of the Wilsonville Public Library. Walt Morey Park, a bear-themed park located in Morey's Landing, contains a life-size 8-foot-tall wooden statue of Morey's most famous literary creation, Gentle Ben.

Book #25 - The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky - translated from the German by Tim Mohr
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Main Title has 6+ Words
Category: Author
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: Original German publication - 2010; English translation - 2011
Acquisition date: April 30, 2016
Page count: 262 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"When she discovers that her seventeen-year-old daughter, "stupid Sulfia," is pregnant by an unknown man she does everything to thwart the pregnancy, employing a variety of folkloric home remedies. But despite her best efforts the baby, Aminat, is born nine months later at Soviet Birthing Center Number 134. Much to Rosa's surprise and delight, dark eyed Aminat is a Tartar through and through and instantly becomes the apple of her grandmother's eye. While her good for nothing husband Kalganowspends his days feeding pigeons and contemplating death at the city park, Rosa wages an epic struggle to wrestle Aminat away from Sulfia, whom she considers a woefully inept mother. When Aminat, now a wild and willful teenager, catches the eye of a sleazy German cookbook writer researching Tartar cuisine, Rosa is quick to broker a deal that will guarantee all three women a passage out of the Soviet Union. But as soon as they are settled in the West, the uproariously dysfunctional ties that bindmother, daughter and grandmother begin to fray."

Review:
I definitely preferred this one over Bronsky's debut novel, Broken Glass Park. Why? I like the fictional memoir approach to the story and I really, really like our snarky/sneering narrator,Rosalinda! Crazy, I know, especially given the character's rather disturbing cynical narcissistic personality - one reviewer has described Rosalinda as the "Tartar babushka from hell" - which should be an immediate turn off. Okay, she is not quite that bad - from hell, that is - but boy, does Rose have quite the interesting tunnel vision focus when it comes to her family and the world around her. Think Hyacinth Bucket (Keeping Up Appearances) meets Joan Crawford (Mommie Dearest) and you get the general idea. Thrown into the mix is a really fascinating portrayal of a Tartar who, on one hand, will do whatever it takes to fit into the Russian mold "to get ahead" while at the time, has an internal struggle about losing her Tartar roots. Rose has a lot of common sense ideas that, in principle, are jewels of wisdom so it is pretty easy to start to see things from her point of view (always a slippery slope!). It is Rose's determination to get out of Russia - the economy is collapsing after all - that we really get to see just how ruthless Rose can be. Of course, I am saddened at the state of the family dynamics but I love how each character - from down-trodden on the surface, mousy Sulfia to loud, energized Aminat - add life to what could have been a rather antagonistic story. End result: Bronsky proves once again that she has a gift for constructing compelling narrators. You don't have to like Rose to appreciate Bronsky's keen eye for observation and captivating wit.

Book #26 - The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri - translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: SeriesCAT - Series by a Favorite Author
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: Original Italian publication - 2015; English translation - Feb 5, 2019
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 272 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"The day gets off to a bad start for Montalbano: while trying to break up a fight on Marinella beach, he hits the wrong man and is stopped by the Carabinieri. When he finally gets to the office, the inspector learns about a strange abduction: a woman was abducted, drugged, and then released unharmed a few hours later. A few days later, the same thing happens again, but this time the woman abducted is the niece of Enzo, the owner of Montalbano’s favorite trattoria. The only link between the two events is that both women are thirty years old and work in a bank. Alongside this investigation, Montalbano has to deal with an arson case. A shop that sells household appliances has burned down, and its owner, Marcello Di Carlo, seems to have vanished into thin air. Has he run off with his lover after a holiday in the Canary Islands? Is he fleeing from his creditors, or was he murdered by the mafia for not paying their protection money? At first this seems like a trivial case, but a third abduction —yet again of a girl who works in a bank—and the discovery of a body bring up new questions. Whose body is it? And where has Di Carlo’s secret lover gone?"

Review:
I am always happy to spend time with Montalbano and his team. Camilleri continues to amuse me with the strange cases (and awkward situations) that seem to find their way to Montalbano. Always a challenge to read these books on an empty stomach, what with all the wonderful food descriptions (especially the cannoli!). Always fun as Catarella continues to "garble" names, and Fazio continues to exasperate Montalbano by almost always being one step ahead of him. For me, this series is just as much about the lovable, quirky personalities of its repeat characters as it is about the crimes to be solved.

Book #27 - The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye - audiobook narrated by Kirby Heyborne
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: SeriesCAT - Series by a Favorite Author; AlphaKIT - "L" - Lyndsay
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: May 2015
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 450 pages / 15 hours, 57 minutes of listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"No one in 1840s New York likes fires, copper star Timothy Wilde least of all. After a blaze killed his parents and another left him with a terrible scar, he has avoided flames of all kinds. So when a seamstress turned arsonist threatens Robert Symmes, a corrupt tycoon high in the Tammany Hall ranks, Timothy isn’t thrilled that Symmes consults him. His dismay escalates when his audacious and charismatic older brother, Valentine, himself deeply politically entrenched, decides to run against the incumbent, who they suspect is guilty of assault and far darker crimes. Immediately after his brother’s courageous declaration, Timothy finds himself surrounded by powerful enemies who threaten to harm those he cares about most. Meanwhile, the love of Timothy’s life, Mercy Underhill, unexpectedly appears on his doorstep and takes under her wing a starving Irish orphan who may be the key to stopping the combustions threatening the city—if only they can make sense of her cryptic accounts. The closer they come to deciphering her wild tales of witches and angels, however, the closer Timothy comes to the fiery and shocking conclusion that forces him to face everything he fears most. "

Review:
Always sad when you know you are reading the final book in a trilogy. Faye continues to astound with her wonderfully atmospheric setting of 1840's New York City. The Wilde brothers continue to have that fabulous sibling tension Faye introduced us to in The Gods of Gotham, as well as the street slang "flash" and its unexpected uses. The political angle of the story was just okay as I am not that interested in the details and dealings of 1840's politics. I was more intrigued but the arsonist and the woman's rights angles to the story. Faye does a good job of wrapping up the trilogy, but my favorite book in the series is still Seven for a Secret. Overall, a good conclusion to a fabulous series set in the changing, turbulent times of 1840's New York City.

Interesting review of the Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine. It's been popping up in some of my searches lately and I've wondered about it. I'm always keen to try Europa Editions, although I tend to prefer their more obscure titles over their top sellers (by which I mean The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which I strongly disliked, and My Brilliant Friend which was okay but didn't live up to the hype). This would fit into one of their more obscure titles, so I'll keep it in mind.

>89 Nickelini: - I totally agree with you about My Brilliant Friend. While I was okay with the first book - I tend to give an author leeway when they are embarking on a new series - but by the end, I was all too happy to pawn off my copies in Ferrate's series to a new home!

Bronsky is different in that, only Broken Glass Park has received any acclaim and personally, I find that one a bit too experimental. Good luck with your Bronski reading! I am currently reading Bronsky's book, Baba Dunja's Last Love. Bronsky seems to focus on a certain age group for each narrator. Broken Glass Park was a Russian emigre teenager. The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine was a woman in - I am guessing early to mid-40's - and Baba Dunja's has, I am guessing a slightly older narrator.

>83 lkernagh: Oh dear, anything with teeth and claws is the last thing an inflatable kayak would need! Although cool to see from a distance, I bet!

>91 ChelleBearss: - It was really cool, Chelle! As for the distance, I estimate the head popped up about 10 feet away from me, so, a little too close for comfort for me. I am guessing he/she was hopeful for a handout - which I do not agree with, it is a wild animal, after all - so that may have helped square things: no food, no interest. Still, pretty darn cool.... of course, I am now starting to think about the odd Orca that shows up in the Inner Harbour.... eeks!

>83 lkernagh: Thanks for answering my questions. I will start looking at inflatable kayak options. Portability is a big plus for ad hoc adventures further from home. I think I would avoid it on windy days though by the sounds of it.

Wishing you a lovely Sunday, Lori

Happy Easter weekend, Lori.

Happy Easter, Lori!

Happy new-reads-ahead spring hols. Congratulations on making it past the EOY madness.

Wow, I'm way behind, and see you got a new kayak. I was waking in the canal near us over the weekend and one of the local homeowners was launching a canoe - with his dog on board too! The dog didn't look very impressed.

>93 sirfurboy: - Glad the information was helpful, Stephen!

>94 PaulCranswick: - Thanks Paul! I am waaaay behind with posting to LT. Hope life is good with you.

>95 Ameise1: - LOL, I love the gif, Barbara! Send you Happy Easter greetings.

>96 mstrust: - That looks yummy, Jennifer! Happy Easter to you as well!

>97 richardderus: - Thanks RD and Happy Easter greeting to you!

>98 charl08: - Hi Charlotte. Yes, I have a new kayak and I am loving it! LOL the dog's reaction to going out for a boat ride. ;-) In all the recreational boaters I have encountered so far, none have had a dog or other family pet along in the boat.

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Ukrainian Easter Eggs - Colby Stopa - as posted to Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Hello everyone and Happy Easter to all who celebrate! Image above is a homage to my Ukrainian roots on my mother's side. I have fond memories of watching my grandmother making wonderful decorative eggs like these, while my actually Easter activities tend towards the consumption of copious amounts of chocolate and other sweets. ;-)

RL Update: I am back home after spending time in Alberta visiting with family. A wonderful trip filled with the consumption of too much food and alcohol (Yes, I am now on a diet) and chores around the house for my dad that included thatching the lawn and preparing it for spring growth. Was painfully reminded of just how large a plot of land dad's house sits on and how much lawn he has (and discovering back muscles I don't usually employ in the process!). I have been back home for a couple of days helping the other half with car repairs and a car stereo replacement (other half likes to do his own wiring which can be a bit tricky). Took advantage of the wonderful weather yesterday to get out in the kayak and go for a paddle:





Not looking forward to going back to work after 2 weeks off but, oh well.

Reading Update: I managed to get in some good reading time over the past three weeks and spend a fair bit of time pulling together some reviews for posting.

Walking Update: While not up to my usual walking, I did still get in some walks most days, and have managed to pull together a walking update for posting.

Bear with me as I transition back into a more routine posting schedule. This may take some time. ;-)

Book #28 - Baba Dunja's Last Love by Alina Bronsky - translated from the German by Tim Mohr
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "B"
Bingo DOG: Eastern European author or setting - Russia
Category: Author
Source: GVPL
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 135 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Government warnings about radiation levels in her hometown (a stone's throw from Chernobyl) be damned! Baba Dunja is going home. And she's taking a motley bunch of her former neighbors with her. With strangely misshapen forest fruits to spare and the town largely to themselves, they have pretty much everything they need and they plan to start anew. The terminally ill Petrov passes the time reading love poems in his hammock; Marja takes up with the almost 100-year-old Sidorow; Baba Dunja whiles away her days writing letters to her daughter. Life is beautiful. That is until one day a stranger turns up in the village and once again the little idyllic settlement faces annihilation."

Review:
This is my third Bronsky book and my favorite one to date. Why? In part, because Bronsky’s writing style and story telling continues to refine and polish. Her characters are offbeat personalities that radiate off the pages – and no, that is not a deliberate pun on the fact that this story involves a group of settlers that have returned to live in Tschernowo (which I assume is Chernobyl or a nearby village) after the nuclear accident. Not exactly my first choice for residence but we learn that Baba Dunja and her neighbors each have their own reasons for choosing to come and live in the “dead zone”, to the horror of the authorities. This story offers a rare juxtaposition: the impression of an idyllic, peaceful village life where the residents take the odd visits from scientists (in radiation suits), reporters and authorities as a minor annoyance to just shrug off. For Baba Dunja, this was her home before the reactor accident, she is old (over 80) and her closest living family are her daughter Irina and granddaughter Laura (who she has never met), who live in Germany.

Each one of Bronsky’s stories draw a connection between Russia and Germany. While the previous two books – Broken Glass Park and The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine – had more of a German setting, this one is squarely set in Russia. Once again, Bronsky has managed to take weighty topics and communicate them as delightful antidotes from the vantage point of her wonderful characters. At a mere 136 pages in length, a quick read.

Book #29 - The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss - audiobook narrated by Paul Micheal
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "B"
Bingo DOG: Prize-winning book - 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Biography
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date: May 1, 2016
Page count: 432 pages / 13 hours, 31 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Here is the remarkable true story of the real Count of Monte Cristo – a stunning feat of historical sleuthing that brings to life the forgotten hero who inspired such classics as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. The real-life protagonist of The Black Count, General Alex Dumas, is a man almost unknown today yet with a story that is strikingly familiar, because his son, the novelist Alexandre Dumas, used it to create some of the best loved heroes of literature. Yet, hidden behind these swashbuckling adventures was an even more incredible secret: the real hero was the son of a black slave -- who rose higher in the white world than any man of his race would before our own time. Born in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), Alex Dumas was briefly sold into bondage but made his way to Paris where he was schooled as a sword-fighting member of the French aristocracy. Enlisting as a private, he rose to command armies at the height of the Revolution, in an audacious campaign across Europe and the Middle East – until he met an implacable enemy he could not defeat. The Black Count is simultaneously a riveting adventure story, a lushly textured evocation of 18th-century France, and a window into the modern world’s first multi-racial society. But it is also a heartbreaking story of the enduring bonds of love between a father and son."

Review:
So, it is not surprising that I was enticed to acquire this one, given my love for the author Dumas' story, The Count of Monte Cristo. Reiss delves deep into General Dumas life and his military career during both the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. In pulling together this historical biography, Reiss brings to light the shifting attitudes towards race and slavery of pre- and post-revolutionary France and its colonies as well as the conflicts slavery and plantation ownership - key to economic survival of France - were at odds with the revolutionary ideals of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" versus the economic interests of the colonial plantation owners, which resulted in the re-emergence of racist bigotry that allowed for the re-enslavement of its black population and erasure of the memory of the valiant contributions they made to France - including those of the Black Count.

Reading this, it is easy to see how author Dumas senior felt such admiration for his father, who was a source of inspiration for some of his stories. On the downside, the book goes into a fair bit of detail about military strategies (not a favorite topic of mine). I was intrigued to learn of the conflicts between General Dumas and some senior military personnel, including Napoleon, where Dumas principals did not co-exist well with Napoleon's "empire building" vision.

Overall, an interesting glimpse into the Count/General Dumas and 18th-19th century French empire.

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Book #30 - The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Related to Medicine or Health - Autism, Albinism
Category: Series
Source: Net Galley
Format: e-book
Original publication date: May 28, 2019
Acquisition date: March 6, 2019
Page count: 386 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Don and Rosie are about to face their most important project.
Their son, Hudson, is having trouble at school: his teachers say he isn't fitting in with the other kids, and they'd like Don and Rosie to think about getting an autism assessment. As his parents debate whether a diagnosis might help or hinder, Hudson has his own ideas. Meanwhile, Rosie is battling Judas at work, and Don is in hot water after the Genetics Lecture Outrage. The life-contentment graph, recently at its highest point, is curving downwards. For Don Tillman, geneticist and World's Best Problem-Solver, learning to be a good parent as well as a good partner will require the help of friends old and new. It will mean letting Hudson make his way in the world, and grappling with awkward truths about his own identity. And opening a cocktail bar."

Review:
Having thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series, I was excited to receive a copy of Simsion's latest book. In this final book in the Don Tillman series, Simsion has hit his writing stride. His characters are now settled into comfortable, familiar roles, and provide a solid anchor for the struggles/challenges of parenting captured in this story. The title, "The Rosie Result", is a bit of a misnomer, in my opinion, as the story focus is more on Don and 11-year old Hudson, with Rosie taking more of a supporting role, but that does not make the story less appealing. If you enjoyed the first two books, chances are you will enjoy this one. A number of characters from the previous two books are back, offering their own brand of support to Don, Rosie and Hudson. I love that we get to meet new characters, some who are facing their own challenges (Hudson's friend Blanche, with albinism), some who are full on quirky/offbeat (fellow scientist Minh) and some who are strong supporters of activism (Liz, aka "Autism Activist" and "Black T-shirt"). I am a huge fan of quirky, forthright characters, so Don, Minh et al appeal to me. While there is a lot of fun, laughs and giggles to be had, this story also hits home as Don comes to terms with his own childhood and the parenting styles he experienced as he searches for ways to help Hudson "fit in socially" with his peers. The discussions while Don and Rosie grapple with the idea of autism testing for Hudson are open, candid and balanced.

Overall, a charming, poignant story and a delightful, thought-provoking conclusion to the trilogy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book #31 - Echoes of Grace by Caragh Bell
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "B"
Bingo DOG: Artistic Character - Singer, Actor, Photographer
Category: N/A
Source: LTER
Format: e-book
Original publication date: December 20, 2018
Acquisition date: January 9, 2019
Page count: 571 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Even in death, love survives. Grace Molloy was the darling of the theatre scene. Young and dazzling, she gave it all up to marry the playwright Henry Sinclair, thirty years her senior. Then, one stormy night, she died giving birth to her daughter, Aurora.Left with no memory of her mother, Aurora is raised by Henry and her nanny, Maggie, in a huge old house on the Cornish coastline. All the little girl has of Grace is a portrait – a painting of a woman in a white dress, her beautiful face frozen in time.Aurora grows up, resembling Grace in looks and talent. She pursues her dream of being on the stage and soon achieves great success in the world of theatre, like her mother before her. Then a secret unfolds – a secret that could threaten all that she holds dear . . .Echoes of Grace is the story of a young woman who, having overcome a painful past, must now embrace it to find her real self."

Review:
I loved the opening chapter to the story as it captures the nuances of a deliciously gothic tale, what with a stately manor house situated on the wind swept coast of Cornwall, a young girl (Aurora) raised in seclusion by her playwright father and secrets of her theatrical singer/actor mother who died in childbirth. Oh, yes, I was soooo excited at the prospect of a good gothic tale. Sadly, the story grew into a more contemporary story of family, relationships and love. Yes, there are two evil step-brothers (evil in that they want nothing to do with their father's daughter by his second wife - always amazing how greed comes into play when an inheritance is in the offering) and a new "instant" family when Aurora's father marries for the third time. Aurora as a character has some very naive, childish views, even when she is an adult living in London and New York as she follows in her mother's footsteps to become a singer/actor, and those were a little difficult to take in. While the author tries to wrap the story and the various plot lines at the end, my overall impression is a story that was a tad too long to get to where it was headed.

This story will probably best appeal to readers of contemporary family/romance stories that provide glimpses into the lives of wealthy families with a connection to the theatre world.

Book #32 - Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - audiobook narrated by Susie Riddell
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Children's or Young Adult
Category: Author
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: March 22, 2016
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 427 pages / 12 hours, 15 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.45 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"“Reader, I murdered him.” A sensitive orphan, Jane Steele suffers first at the hands of her spiteful aunt and predatory cousin, then at a grim school where she fights for her very life until escaping to London, leaving the corpses of her tormentors behind her. After years of hiding from the law while penning macabre “last confessions” of the recently hanged, Jane thrills at discovering an advertisement. Her aunt has died and her childhood home has a new master: Mr. Charles Thornfield, who seeks a governess.

Burning to know whether she is in fact the rightful heir, Jane takes the position incognito and learns that Highgate House is full of marvelously strange new residents—the fascinating but caustic Mr. Thornfield, an army doctor returned from the Sikh Wars, and the gracious Sikh butler Mr. Sardar Singh, whose history with Mr. Thornfield appears far deeper and darker than they pretend. As Jane catches ominous glimpses of the pair’s violent history and falls in love with the gruffly tragic Mr. Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: Can she possess him—body, soul, and secrets—without revealing her own murderous past? "

Review:
Having never read Jane Eyre - something I plan to rectify thanks to this story - I can only comment on the story as it stands on its own merits. Having loved Faye's Timothy Wilde trilogy, I was rather intrigued to dip further into Faye's story telling offerings. Jane is a fascinating character. Strong. Gutsy. Determined. As for the setting, yes we are in my favorite of elements: The Gothic Tale. I did enjoy the vengeance piece and seeking to discover the mystery around Jane's possible inheritance of the manor house. So, what not to like. Not much, except for the overall feeling that this is a novel geared towards a younger (YA) reading audience and I found my mind wandering as I listened to certain parts of the story. Some parts were also a bit unbelievable - like the reveal by police constable/inspector(?) Sam Quillfeather and the dramatic Dickensian-like environment of the school run by Augustus P. Sack - which, while adding to the plot delivery, were a little hard to swallow for the this reader.

With a "This book is humbly dedicated to Miss Eyre and Mr. Nickleby" dedication, this book will probably best appeal to Bronte and Dickens fans (or not, given that it comes across a bit like a satirical romp). I liked it enough to want to read Jane Eyre, so kudos to Faye for peeking my interest in that classic novel!

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

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

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

WEEKS 14, 15 and 16 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 106.28 (Week 14=38.55; Week 15=35.95; Week 16=31.78)
Kilometers walked in total: 625.72
Current province/state: (OR)
My current location on the map: South of Coburg, about to enter the northern area of Eugene.
Points of interest along the way:: Over the past three weeks my virtual walking took me through or past Salem, Jefferson, Millersburg, Albany, Tangent, Shedd, Brownsville, Halsey, Coburg as well as the Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge.

Salem is the Oregon state capital. The state has had three capital buildings: A two-story state house, which had been occupied for only two months, burned to the ground in December 1855. Oregon's second capitol building, built on the site of the original, was destroyed by fire on April 25, 1935. The current Oregon State Capitol was completed on the same site in 1938. It is recognizable by its distinctive pioneer statue atop the capitol dome that is plated with gold-leaf and officially named the Oregon Pioneer.


Salem Oregon Fountain (with State Capital in background) - Edmund Garman as posted to Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Interesting connection to Salem: 31st President of the United States, Herbert Hoover, spent three years in Salem, working as an office boy for his uncle's land settlement company. Born in Iowa, Hoover lost both of his parents by the age of 10 and moved to Oregon to live with his aunt and uncle. Hoover credited his Sunday school teacher in Salem, Jennifer Gray, with positively influencing his life, according to Salem History Online. When he became the President, Hoover decided to donate his entire salary to charity. He remained attached to Salem his entire life, returning in 1955 for an 81st birthday celebration and a dedication of his boyhood home.

Millersburg originally was the name of a station on the Southern Pacific railroad line, which was named for a local farming family. Millersburg came into being in 1974 as a way to prevent the city of Albany from attempting to extend its city limits (and increase its industrial tax base) to include the Wah Chang Corporation operated zirconium processing plant.

Albany is called the "rare metals capital of the world," producing lots of metals with a specific focus on zirconium.


Downtown Albany Oregon - M.O. Stevens as posted to Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Albany is home to the Historic Albany Carousel & Museum, housing over 50 hand-carved animals on an antique mechanism, plus exhibits of historic carousel artifacts.


Albany Carousel building - Joe Mabel - as posted to Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Albany! A place in Oregon I've been more than once. My stepmother had family in Portland and our visits were always full of touristy stuff. How odd to have it recalled to my mind here, of all places, and by a Canadian, of all people!

Hi Lori! Callia lives in Salem, as Willamette University shares a campus with the state capitol. She could see the capitol from her dorm room desk last year. We've grown to love it as it is Callia's home :)

Great reading here - you have my attention with the Alina Bronsky books, and I have had The Black Count on my list since Callia and Stelios both read it and then Callia used it as the basis of a paper in high school.

And fabulous kayak photos!! Will you be celebrating Ukranian Easter next week? We think of this one as "the bunny Easter" and the Orthodox one as "Greek Easter." But this year Greek Easter comes on a busy weekend - we will have an all-day track meet, then Prom. Stelios and I will be volunteering for the after prom party and will work an 11 pm-6 am shift, so we will likely spend Greek Easter sleeping!

>106 richardderus: - How lovely to see your post and to learn about your memories of Albany, RD!

>107 AMQS: - Hi Anne, so exciting to learn that Callia is at Uni in Salem! It looks like a wonderful place. Alina Bronsky has pleasantly surprised me with her observant eye and personal emigre experience which shines through in her writing. I am happy to have finally read my copy of The Black Count and can see why Reiss was motivated to write the biography of the count/general Dumas. Glad to see you enjoyed the kayaking photos! I am starting to pay more attention to where I live now that I see it from the water instead of from land. As for Easter, we don't celebrate the Ukrainian Easter (and it has been some 35 years since I last celebrated Ukrainian Christmas!) so I am sure that the event will pass as a normal day in our household. Sounds like your days are very busy during Greek Easter! Sleeping sounds like a good way to celebrate. ;-)

Currently Reading:
..

Audiobook:
The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye (narrated by January LaVoy) - Continuing my exploration of Faye's published works. Hoping to start this one tonight.
ebook:
Home to Cavendish by Antoinette Tyrell - A long, loooong overdue LTER read. So far, 30% in and getting to know the characters but not being "wowed" by what I have read so far.
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - I am seriously far behind the group read on this one (My print copy not exactly conducive to easy transporting while traveling on vacation). ;-) Hoping to find time this week to try and get caught up.

Lori, I am almost done with The Paragon Hotel and have really enjoyed it. I hope you do, too!

Hi Katie. Glad to see you really enjoyed The Paragon Hotel!

I have been wanting to read the black count. Thanks for the review!

Hi Lori!

All caught up - your Walking Challenge posts are absolutely marvelous.

I'm behind on A Suitable Boy, but hope to get caught up late May. It's good, but I'm easily distracted.

Yes, it is fun to follow your walking challenges.

>112 banjo123: - Hi Rhonda, it is a really interesting read. I hope you enjoy it!

>113 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! I am still trying to work my way through the threads so happy to see you stopping by. I am still behind with A Suitable Boy. Looks like I might engage in a bit of binge reading in May to get caught up with the group read. Spring, in general, is a distraction for me. ;-)

>114 mdoris: - Glad to see you have been enjoying the walking posts, Mary!

-------------------------
Happy Saturday everyone! No kayaking today - too windy on the water, with winds gusting to 50km - so instead I have been busy with some sewing projects (taking in two tops that I love but are a tad too baggy fitting for my tastes) and pulling my bike out of storage so that it can get a spring tune up (finally getting back into cycling after a number of years) and experimenting with cleaning up/re-dying our Jeep's original carpet floor mats (clean up some rust stains) and return them - as close as possible - to their original colour.

Not much reading happening at the moment. While I have made progress with my current reads, no books finished so no new book reviews this weekend. At least I managed to pull together my latest walking update, so I can at least share that.

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

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

.






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

WEEK 17 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 30.27
Kilometers walked in total: 655.99
Current province/state: (OR)
My current location on the map: Due east of Walker.
Points of interest along the way:: The city of Eugene intrigues me as it has the same name as one of my uncles. ;-) The city is actually named after Eugene Franklin Skinner, a colonial settler who came to the area back in 1846. Nicknames (for the city, that is) include "Emerald Valley", "The Emerald City" and "Track Town" (I admit I am a little baffled by that last one). The Wilamette River flows through Eugene and is enjoyed in the summer months:


Eugene Oregon Willamette River Summer - as posted to Flickr by Don Hankins (CC BY 2.0)

Eugene is also home to the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House, or "Castle on the Hill". The house is named after the three families who called it home over the years.


Shelton McMurphey Johnson House - as posted the Wikimedia Commons by d70focus (CC BY 2.0)

A fascinating history about the house can be accessed here: https://smjhouse.org/about/history/

Apparently, the athletic apparel company Nike had its beginnings in Eugene, as did the food franchise chain, Taco Time. In January 2006, the FBI conducted Operation Backfire, leading to federal indictment of eleven member of the Eugene-based cell of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), becoming the largest investigation into radical underground environmental groups in United States history. Run Gum, an energy gum created for runners, also began its life in Eugene. Okay, seriously, there is an energy gum for runners??? Who knew! Eugene is also known for its original 1960's hippie population. Author Ken Kesey, best known as the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is from Eugene. Cycling is popular in Eugene and many people commute via bicycle. The North Bank Bike Path is a popular trail for cyclists:


North Bank Trails - posted to Wikimedia Commons by Grrarg (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Eugene's home of a university that's been a powerhouse in track and field athletics forever.

Ain't it purty!

>117 richardderus: - That would explain the "Track Town" nickname!

Well, you've done it, Lori. You've made me very interested in reading Follett's Century Trilogy. I have a real-life friend who has been urging me to read it…and to borrow her copies. Yay! All it took was a little nudge from you. I loved his Pillars of the Earth and found World Without End a tad disappointing. Like you, I think the more modern stories will appeal more to me. I just finished Jill Lepore's These Truths, a comprehensive history of the U.S. and want more so a fictionalized account sounds just right.

I'm another fan of Lyndsay Faye and was sad when I finished the Wilde brothers trilogy. While I enjoyed The Paragon Hotel, it wasn't quite as compelling as the books set in the early days of NYC.

Thank you for sharing your long walk with us. Very interesting and a way to enrich the walking experience.

>119 Donna828: - Hi Donna, Follett is a good writer so I think you will enjoy his Century Trilogy. As for Faye, I loved the Timothy Wilde trilogy, was okay with Jane Steele and trying to wrap my head around my thoughts regarding The Paragon Hotel. Like you, it wasn't as compelling a read as the Wilde trilogy.

Stopping by to say hi, Lori. I'm enjoying your trip into Eugene. A lovely looking city! I had no idea that the Nike Company had it's start in Eugene. Indeed, Saturday was far to windy for any kayaking, I would think. When the BC Ferries are having troubles and cancelling sailings - well, that kind of says it all! :-)

Hi, Lori.

What a lot of good reading you’ve been doing! I’ve thought about reading The Black Count more than once, and it’s good to see your positive response. I’m another fan of The Count of Monte Cristo, and I liked the son’s Musketeers books, too. I don’t mind reading military strategy; Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe books come to mind, where I got to read a lot of it!

I also enjoyed Jane Steele, and I’m glad it’s getting you to read the classic Jane Eyre, which our daughter and I really liked.

Finally, I got a kick out of the first two Rosie books, and it’s reassuring to see your positive reaction to the new one. That one’s in my near future.

P.S. Thank you for the photos from your virtual journey!

>121 vancouverdeb: - LOL, you are right, Deb. When BC Ferries has to cancel sailing due to high winds, probably best to not be out on the water in a kayak. ;-) Sadly, the weather was perfect today - 18'C, sunshine and only a slight breeze - and I am stuck in the office. grrrrr

>122 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! I love Cornwell's Sharpe series but in the TV movie adaptation version with a much younger and very dishy Sean Bean in the starring role. Military strategy can drone on when I have eye candy like that to watch. ;-)

I have actually started Jane Eyre. Early days still (I am currently at chapter 10) but it is promising to be interesting. Of course, it helps that I am now able to make the connections to Faye's adaptation.

Yes, Simsion did a good job wrapping up the Don Tillman trilogy. I think you are in for a treat when you get around to reading it!

Glad to see another follower of my walking posts!

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

I don't have a month end wrap up ready - maybe tomorrow - but I did manage to finish two books and have reviews ready for posting, so I am halfway towards a month end wrap up. ;-)

Book #33 - The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye - audiobook narrated by January LaVoy
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Author
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: January 8, 2019
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 432 pages / 13 hours, 22 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

"“The year is 1921, and "Nobody" Alice James is on a cross-country train, carrying a bullet wound and fleeing for her life following an illicit drug and liquor deal gone horribly wrong. Desperate to get as far away as possible from New York City and those who want her dead, she has her sights set on Oregon: a distant frontier that seems the end of the line. She befriends Max, a black Pullman porter who reminds her achingly of Harlem, who leads Alice to the Paragon Hotel upon arrival in Portland. Her unlikely sanctuary turns out to be the only all-black hotel in the city, and its lodgers seem unduly terrified of a white woman on the premises. But as she meets the churlish Dr. Pendleton, the stately Mavereen, and the unforgettable club chanteuse Blossom Fontaine, she begins to understand the reason for their dread. The Ku Klux Klan has arrived in Portland in fearful numbers--burning crosses, inciting violence, electing officials, and brutalizing blacks. And only Alice, along with her new "family" of Paragon residents, are willing to search for a missing mulatto child who has mysteriously vanished into the Oregon woods. Why was "Nobody" Alice James forced to escape Harlem? Why do the Paragon's denizens live in fear--and what other sins are they hiding? Where did the orphaned child who went missing from the hotel, Davy Lee, come from in the first place? And, perhaps most important, why does Blossom Fontaine seem to be at the very center of this tangled web?"

Review:
A lavish story that is hard to review without giving away spoilers so I will just provide some of my general impressions. Faye’s skill at immersing the reader in the time period of the story shines here. Prohibition-era Harlem and Portland Oregon is richly captured. Faye’s characters are equally lush in personality and development. Alice “Nobody” James fits the bill of a young woman who has witnessed too much and is on the run from a gangster/mafia past. What she finds in Portland – thanks to a Black Pullman porter, Max Burton – is love, friendship and resilience at an all-black hotel where Alice’s Welsh-Italian roots stick out like a sore thumb. While racial intolerance is part of this story, Faye exposes the reader to fascinating personal stories of many of it’s varied characters. Yes, Faye managed to surprise me with a couple of those stories, but they do not detract from the even flow of the main story.

It is easy to see that Faye has delved into Portland’s historic past, including its notoriety of having the largest KKK organization west of the Mississippi River, to come up with such an unbelievably believable story. Of course, I was intrigued by Faye’s choice of title and name for the hotel in the story. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary provides the following explanation of the Old Italian roots for the word Paragon:

Paragon derives from the Old Italian word paragone, which literally means “touchstone”. A touchstone is a black stone that was formerly used to judge the purity of gold or silver. The metal was rubbed on the stone and the color of the streak it left indicated its quality. In modern English, both touchstone and paragon have come to signify a standard against something that should be judged.

After reading this description, The Paragon Hotel is an apt title for this story.

Overall, while the author’s Timothy Wilde trilogy still remains my favorite of her works, it is lovely to be once again captivated by the author’s storytelling abilities.

.
Book #34 - Home to Cavendish by Antoinette Tyrrell
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: N/A
Source: LTER
Format: eBook
Original publication date: February 1, 2019
Acquisition date: January 9, 2019
Page count: 266 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.15 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

"The Irish Civil War is raging across County Cork, and sixteen-year-old Edith Cavendish, bored within the confines of her privileged life, embarks on a forbidden love affair with local rebel Tadgh Carey. But Edith is unaware of the dark secrets surrounding her, both outside Cavendish and within its walls, in the very rooms through which she walks.

Eighty years have passed, and Elenore Stack has inherited her beloved childhood home, Cavendish Hall, from her recently deceased parents. Charming and magical, if in need of much loving and expensive care, Cavendish is woven into the tapestry of Elenore’s life. She must somehow find a way to ensure its survival while preserving its dignity. Then she meets and falls in love with Donnacha O’Callaghan, a property developer, and together they begin to work on changing Cavendish into the family guest house of her dreams. He, however, unbeknownst to her, has plans that will change the house beyond recognition and wipe away her precious childhood memories. As Donnacha’s past shady dealings surface and the prospect of losing Cavendish looms once more, Elenore’s life begins to unravel. Then a fateful discovery in a forgotten corner of the house links her to a young woman from Cavendish’s past – Edith Cavendish – and becomes her lifeline."

Review:
I typically enjoy stories that contain two parallel plot lines, one set in present day and one squarely in the past. If there is a grand manor house with a wonderful European setting at the heart of the story, even better! Tyrrell’s debut novel shifts comfortably between 1922 (thanks to the diary-entry chapters) and more modern times (early 2000’s?). This story fits the bill of a contemporary, lightweight romance with an historical intrigue to it. If you are looking for a story that has complex characters and a riveting storyline, you might be a tad disappointed. I usually steer clear of contemporary romance stories so it is not surprising that I found Eleanore a bit too naïve for my liking. As for Donnacha, he is just a cardboard cut-out of a modern day rake, a gorgeous and shady character of questionable morals. I found it easier to connect with Edith as a character, keeping in mind that Edith’s diary entries are written as a 16-year-old girl “to the manor born” who has very little knowledge or experience of the great wide world or Irish politics of the time period. The story wrap up was just a bit to easy and pat for me, being added on as a “1-year later” epilogue, but that is a minor quibble.

Overall, a decent first novel that appeals to my love for stories with grand manor house setting. If your reading tastes tend towards contemporary romances of the lightweight entertainment variety, with some drama, a historical puzzle to unravel and a stately manor house as the story anchor, or if you are like me and sometimes just feel in the mood for a bit of fluff reading, then I can recommend this one. Definitely fits my idea of a “beach read”.

Thanks especially for the review on Home to Cavendish. I've looked at the one as a possibility, but I'll make sure it's a library book if I do get it. Like you, I really steer clear of contemporary romances. Even historical romance is not my cuppa. The characters can have a small romance in the background, but keep it small. :-)

>126 vancouverdeb: - Well, the good news Deb, is the romance angle is limited - not an awful lot of heavy breathing going on - so you might find it a decent library read for when you are in the mood for something lighter. ;-)

APRIL RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ:
28. Baba Dunja's Last Love by Alina Bronsky -
29. The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss -
30. The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion -
31. Echoes of Grace by Caragh Bell -
32. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye -
33. The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye -
34. Home to Cavendish by Antoinette Tyrell -

April STATS:
No. of Books read: 7
ROOTs read: 1
Largest book read by page count: - Echoes of Grace by Caragh Bell at 571 pages
Smallest book read by page count: - Baba Dunja's Last Love by Alina Bronsky at 135 pages
# Pages read: - 2,649 pages
Average # pages per book read: - 378 pages
Average # pages read per day: - 88
Audiobooks / eBooks / Physical Books: - 3/3/1 - With one audiobook used to read a physical read off my TBR pile.
Male vs. Female Authors: - 2 vs. 5
Fiction vs. Non-Fiction Reads: - 6 vs. 1
Average Decimal/ Star rating for books read: 3.74 out of 5 /
Publication date range of books read: 2012 to 2019

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race - April Update



"Lucky Shamrock" has taken over the lead from "Pot of Gold", but we are not even at the half way mark for this race so anything can still happen. We may see some position shuffling in the months to come.

Nice review of The Black Count, Lori. I'll move it higher on my TBR list.

>116 lkernagh: love the Eugene facts! Who knew!!??!

>128 lkernagh: 571 is a fair few pages, I have to space my chunky reads out, otherwise I feel bogged down by them

Eugene isn't somewhere I've come across before- love the river picture, looks like heaven. I loved The Black Count - so well written. Wishing you another great month of reading and walking.

>129 kidzdoc: - Thanks Darryl, and a special thanks considering I just re-read my review and noticed atrocious run-one sentence. It is a worthy read. It was really an eye opening read for me. Did not know the French colonies racial history, so that made fore some fascinating reading.

>130 LovingLit: - Exactly! I know 571 pages seems like a bit of a chunkster, but reading in ebook format one tends to forget (something about the lack of heft to the book and not have a birds-eye view to immediately see how manages pages still to go, really helps).

>131 charl08: - It is an interesting name for a town/city (and possibly name for a person, as it seems to fit into the older names categories like Eustace). I would love to spend an afternoon floating down the Wilamette River! Hopefully, someone is at the other end to meet the rafters/ tubers.

I agree with you, Reiss did a wonderful job pulling together and writing The Black Count. As I mentioned to >>129 kidzdoc:, I learned an awful lot reading that one.

----------------------------
We made it to the weekend. Weather-wise, it is not looking all that promising at the moment, but that can change. Plans tonight are to watch Miss Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries. Yes, you read that correctly, they have come up with a new Miss Fisher, in the form of a spin off. The spinoff involves Phryne Fisher's long-lost niece, Peregrine taking on her aunt's mantle as lady detective in 1960s Melbourne. Not sure how I will react to this - I love the original series and tend to be wary of spinoffs - but no point in passing judgement with out watching first.

>132 lkernagh: I'd never imagined there would be a spinoff when they're making a feature film! What venue are you watching this one on, TV or streaming service?

Cheers from the dank and dismal fogbound South Shore of Long Island.

>133 richardderus: - Same here. The good news is I have watched the first three episodes and they are not bad. I kind of like the 60s setting and Peregrine is definitely more of a 60s kind of girl... not as polished and worldly as Phryne. Good fun. Watching it through a streaming service, Acorn TV: https://acorn.tv/ Quite affordable and they carry predominantly British and Australian shows/movies.

Sorry to learn about the dismal May weather you are experiencing. Here is hoping the sun comes out and warms / brightens things up for you!

----------------------------------
About to take advantage of a perfect Sunday to head out kayaking but wanted to post my weekly walking and currently reading updates first.

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

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

.






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

WEEK 18 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session:51.15 - My best walking week so far this year!
Kilometers walked in total: 707.14
Current province/state: (OR)
My current location on the map: In Kopp Creek.
Points of interest along the way:: This week my virtual walking journey took my through Cottage Grove. What a tranquil name for a place. Unfortunately, all was not peaceful and tranquil historically. When the Southern Pacific railroad was built through the area in the 1870s, the Cottage Grove station was located on the east side of the river, more than half a mile northeast of the post office. As you can't have a railroad station without a post office nearby, talk of moving the post office caused a neighbourhood dispute that lasted for nearly 20 years as no one living near the post office wanted it moved.

Cottage Grove, known as the "Covered Bridge Capital of Oregon", has six covered bridges near the city and the location of what was the only existing covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River:


Chambers Covered Bridge - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Bruce Fingerhood (CC BY 2.0)

The Chambers Covered Bridge is 78 feet (24 m) long and spans the Coast Fork Willamette River. The original bridge (pictued above) was build in 1925 to carry rail traffic hauling logs from the Lorane Valley to a lumber mill. When the mill burned down (for a second time) in the 1950s, the mill closed and the railroad tracks were removed. The original Chambers Covered Bridge was removed in 2010 an replaced with a carefully constructed bridge identical to the original bridge. The new bridge is open to pedestrians.


Interior of new Chambers Bridge - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Akampfer (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Fun Fact: Portions of the movie Stand By Me were filmed along the railroad tracks east of Cottage Grove, now the Row River National Recreation Trail.

Cottage Grove is also a city of murals, twenty-one in fact, that commemorate stories of Cottage Grove's past. A number of the murals can be viewed in this short two and half minute YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CalTx2p_RCo

Currently Reading:
.

Audiobook / ebook:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (narrated by Flo Gibson) - Yes, I was enticed enough with my reading of Jane Steele to finally get around to reading this classic. Currently at the halfway mark and can understand (after a rather slow beginning) why this book is a favorite for some readers.
ebook:
See above.
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - I know, I keep saying that I will get back to this one (it has now been over a month since I last picked up A Suitable Boy). Something tells me I am going to find myself binge reading at some point to catch up with the group read.

Oh ah, Acorn TV! Yes, they distribute(d?) UK and AUS television shows to PBS once upon a time. Maybe they still do, I haven't watched terrestrial TV in *ages*. Amazon Prime has them as a "channel" on their service.

Covered bridges in Iowa and here in the Northeast make lots of sense since winters can be ubersnowy and/or icy. Oregon? Why ever? Oh well, they're lovely to look at.

Lori, i am thinking you might get some paddling in today between your reading episodes. It is a gorgeous day here!

...you might get some paddling in today...
My mind went in a different direction for a sec.

>137 richardderus: - Yes, Acorn TV continues to distribute UK and AUS shows, movies etc. Here is hoping that the Modern Miss Fisher Mysteries find there way to a convenient viewing option for you, Richard.

LOL the covered bridges. At least they are a bit of a tourist attraction in Oregon, and as you say, lovely to look at. ;-)

>138 mdoris: - Hi Mary, I had a fabulous day out on the water today! Of course, I realized, after the fact, that I forgot to apply sunscreen before heading out. Luckily I have more of an olive, easy tan kind of complexion, so just a slight change to my arms. I will be making sure to apply the sunscreen going forward!

>139 mstrust: - snorts. OMG... I did laugh at your comment. Not sure I want to know where your mind went, but hilarious all the same!

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

Today was a truly wonderful day. Went for a paddle as planned. Spent a good 2 hours on the water and developed a whole new appreciation for the harbour ferry pilots who have to weave and dodge the various kayakers, canoeists and paddle boarders who don't think (or pay attention) while out in the busy harbour area. As I believe I have mentioned before, Victoria Inner Harbour is a working harbour. It sees daily ferry traffic between Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle and Port Angeles. It also sees daily traffic float planes, barges and pleasure crafts,so kind of busy, even on a Sunday, and people should be paying attention as they are out on the water. Today I witnessed Transport Canada put on the flashing blue lights on their boat - I didn't even know they had flashing blue lights! - and hail over their loud speaker two kayakers who thought they could paddle in the corridor that is used by the float planes and the larger ferries. Even with that mini-drama (quick conversation and the kayakers were back on the shoreline area of the harbour), I still find it very relaxing out on the water. Because my kayak in inflatable and I can basically just lift and carry in on my shoulder, I always have interesting conversations with walkers along the pathway as I carry the kayak home. ;-)

That sounds lovely, Lori. Out in the kayak. I've observed the Harbour in Downtown Vancouver and boy, that is busy too. Seabus, pleasure craft, float planes, ships - I have no idea how the harbour masters keep track of it all. I'm pretty sure they have a tower, but still. Yesterday I was walking along the Fraser River dyke across from YVR airport and that is good fun to watch. The float planes are a lot fun. Yesterday the hovercraft zipped out too.

Like you, I am in the midst of changing carriers and upgrading my iPhone. My phone ran out of memory , so I am awaiting the arrival of a new Iphone. My son convinced me that Koodo would be less expensive than TELUS, so I'm going to give them a try. I've yet to get my iphone, but while I'm looking forward to more memory, I'm dreading transferring all my apps etc over to my new Iphone. At last I can keep my same phone number.

I understand the Koodo is the less expensive division of TELUS, but uses the same network. Let's hope so!

Hi Lori!

>116 lkernagh: I used the link and thought I’d posted – the history of the house is fascinating. As always, you do a marvelous job of finding interesting things en-route.

>123 lkernagh: Jane Eyre! I read it as a teenager and was pronouncing it “Jane Air”. My dad said I was wrong, so I bet him $5 that I was right. He took the bet, and in the library book’s introduction, I found “pronounced ‘air’”, showed it to him, and so won the bet.

>132 lkernagh: I’ve made a note of Miss Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries for Bill and me to watch sometime soon, although we don’t subscribe to Acorn. Maybe it’s on Netflix…

Just a public service announcement that some public libraries offer access to Acorn TV through the RBdigital app.

I love hearing about your kayaking in Victoria. Brings back great memories. I love how close to seals sunning on logs you can get. Enjoy your weekend!

Happy weekend, Lori!

>141 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb, I am really, really enjoying the water time! The harbour masters sure do keep hopping with all the activity. I know that the harbour patrol in Victoria has a boat that is constantly cruising around the harbour area, keeping an eye out for anything that could be disastrous. Good luck with your new phone, and new carrier! I am procrastinating on the phone/carrier flip over but at some point I will have to bite the bullet and get it over with. sighs

>143 MickyFine: - Hi Karen, you are not alone in thinking you have posted and then discovered that the post never shows up! Glad to see you are enjoying my walking posts. I have a lot of fun researching each area I pass through, but then cherry pick what I want to add to my posts. Well done on winning the bet with you dad! I admit to be terrible with pronunciations. My other half teases me to this day the way I butchered some of the Scottish place names when we went there on a trip eons ago. Trust the Scot in him to pick up on my errors. ;-) I do hope the new Miss Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries get the same coverage the original series did. It is a goodie!

>143 MickyFine: - Excellent public service announcement, Mickey! My library system does not include Acorn TV in its RBdigital offerings but I do know some other LT members have mentioned their library systems do include it.

>144 Nickelini: - Hi Joyce, lovely to see your post! I am loving the kayaking. it is such a fabulous way to de-stress and even if I am paddling in the same stretch of water, there is always something different to catch my eye. Today, I got super close to not one but to Great Blue Herons. I actually quietly glided past one standing on the boat dock as I was paddling through the paddle corridor. He was less than 4 feet away from me when I went past! I hope you are having a fabulous weekend!

>145 richardderus: - Happy weekend to you, too Richard! So far it has been a rather lovely one. Hope your weekend is also a good one.

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I hope everyone is enjoying a lovely weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all of my "mom" visitors that will be celebrating Mother's Day tomorrow.

I have had a pretty good week. The weather has been quite lovely. This weekend is the annual book sale sponsored by the local newspaper. Every year, the line up for the first day of the sale gets longer and longer. As I have stopped purchasing print novels (we are in the process of downsizing, so new purchases are ebooks) I was there today with a mission: To see if I could find:

1) a repair manual for our Jeep (no luck); and
2) a bicycle repair manual (scored a good condition copy ofRichards' Bicycle Repair Manual by Richard Ballantine and Richard Grant).

I am happy with my one purchase. Looks like I will have to purchase the Jeep repair manual online.

I managed to get out on the water after the booksale for a 2 hour paddle before the winds started to pick up and make the water rather choppy. While paddling, I had a visit from a curious sea otter and managed to gently glide past two Great Blue Herons, one standing on a boat dock and the other standing in the water on a rock. I have never been so close to these magnificent birds before:


Great Blue Heron in mid flight - as posted to Flickr by Scazon (CC BY 2.0)

Not my picture. I was too busy enjoying them to take my phone out of the waterproof pouch and run the risk that they might fly away before I could snap any pics. According to the details posted with this image, it was taken at the Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Sidney, which is roughly 20 km away from Victoria. Apparently, herons on Vancouver Island are the largest in size of the herons found in North America and are considered their own subspecies. Unlike other herons, the Vancouver Island subspecies are isolated from migrating herons and have their own unique characteristics.

I am planning to get back out on the water again tomorrow... hopefully with calmer winds.

On the reading front, I haven't been doing all that much. I have been distracted with streaming episodes of Reilly, Ace of Spies, the 1983 TV miniseries dramatizing the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian Jew who became one of the greatest spies to ever work for the British. The lead is played by a young Sam Neill - who is very easy on the eyes! - and the period setting is wonderfully captured cinematic-ally. I was not able to find any trailers for the miniseries but I did enjoy this fan video of clips of the series set to the tune "Secret Agent Man". :-)

I did manage to finish Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and can understand why this story may appeal to some readers more than, say, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Will try to find the time to pull together a review.... but not today.

Time for some updates.

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

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

.






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

WEEK 19 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session:47.06
Kilometers walked in total: 754.20
Current province/state: (OR)
My current location on the map: South of Roseburg and heading for Myrtle Creek.
Points of interest along the way:: This week my virtual walking journey took me beside or through Oakland, Sutherlin, Wilbur, Winchester, Roseburg and Green. It also took me - a couple of times - across the Umpqua River (Once cross the North Umpqua River and twice cross the South Umpqua River).


Sport fishermen on the upper Umpqua River - as posted to Wikipedia Commons by Llywrch (CC BY 2.5)

The Umpqua River is approximately 179 KM (111 miles) long and is named after the Umpqua, a band of the Coquille Native Americans. The river boasts some of the world's best fly-fishing, salmon fishing, and sturgeon fishing.

Roseburg, traditionally a lumber industry town, has for its motto, "Timber Capital of the Nation". Originally known as Deer Creek due to the confluence of Deer Creek and the South Umpqua River the city was named for settler Aaron Rose, who built the first building in the area, which was used as a grocery store, backed by a dining room and kitchen. Original spelling "Roseburgh" was changed to "Roseburg" in 1894. In the early hours of August 7, 1959 the "Roseburg Blast" destroyed buildings within an eight-block radius and severely damaged 30 more blocks. The cause of the blast: the Gerretsen Building Supply Company caught fire and unbeknownst to the firefighters battling the blaze, a truck parked in front of the building earlier in the evening (before the fire broke out) was loaded with two tons of dynamite and four-and-a-half tone of nitro carbo nitrate, a blasting agent and blew up. A total of fourteen people died in the blast and fire, and 125 were injured. Damage was estimated at 10 to 12 million dollars.


"The blast" Ground Zero, Roseburg, Oregon 1959 - as posted to Flickr by curtis roberts (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Alina Bronsky - Author Project Read: Calling this one completed so I can move on with a new project read
While I haven't 100% completed reading all of Bronsky's English translated works, I have read 3 out of 4. While I find Bronsky's stories make for interesting - and at times very entertaining reading - I have been unable to source the fourth book locally (including a run through the second hand shops) and I am not really that keen on Bronsky's stories to shell out $10 for an ebook copy, so calling this project closed, for now.

Stand Alone Novels:

...

Broken Glass Park - Read February 22 to March 3, 2019 - 3.85 out of 5 /
The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine - Read March 9 to March 18, 2019 - 4.20 out of 5 /
Baba Dunja's Last Love - Read March 24 to April 4, 2019 - 4.30 out of 5 /
Just Call Me Superhero - Not read

Domenico Starnone - New Author Project Read:

Stand Alone Novels:
Taking advantage of the fact that I have easy access to copies of the three Starnone novels that have been translated into English, with one already sitting on my TBR pile and the other two sourced through my local library system. As a bit of a teaser, I was intrigued to learn last year - not sure who brought this to my attention - that Starnone and the author who writes under the pseudonym Elena Ferrante are/were a real life couple and both have written stories about the end of the marriage, Ferrante's The Days of Abandonment as the wife's point of view and Starnone's Ties from the husband's point of view. Having read The Days of Abandonment late last year, I will be looking forward to reading Ties. ;-)

..

First Execution - ROOT, currently reading
Ties - Pending
Trick - To read

Currently Reading:
...

Audiobook:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke (narrated by Suzanne Toren) - First book in Fluke's Hannah Swensen Mysteries series and a perfect fit for the "food-related title or topic" Bingo square.
ebook:
One of Ours by Willa Cather - Started this one this morning while I was standing in line for the booksale, reading it on my phone using the Kobo app. I love Willa Cather's writing and she has already swept me away with this one (currently 17% read). Conveniently, this one also is a perfect fit for the "alliterative title" Bingo square.
Physical books:
First Execution by Domenico Starnone - Yes, I am staying true to my word and getting back into reading Europa Editions books. This is also a ROOT read. Given that only three of Starnone's books have been translated into English so far (all by Europa Editions), I have borrowed the other two books through my local library system, making Starnone my next Author Project.
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - I know.... really, I will get back to this one at some point. Good thing the group read is spread out for the entire year. ;-)

Book #35 - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - audiobook narrated by Flo Gibson
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Mentioned in Another Book - Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: eBook / Audiobook
Original publication date: 16 October 1847
Acquisition date: January 21, 2018
Page count: 492 pages / 18 hours, 52 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from various sources:

"Orphaned at an early age, Jane Eyre, leads a lonely life, abused by her aunt and cousin and then attends a harsh charity school, until she finds a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There she meets the mysterious Mr. Rochester and sees a ghostly woman who roams the halls at night. While Jane remains strong and determinedly refuses to allow a cruel world to crush her independence or her strength of will, what is the sinister secret that threatens her and her new found happiness?"

Review:
What can I say, I love Jane, she is such a strong and likeable heroine. Not one to shy away from adversity, and I think an introvert at heart given that she doesn't like to draw unnecessary attention her way. The story was a bit slow at the start. Is it just me or does anyone else think that Jane's childhood at Gateshead Hall and her time spent at Lowood School has a rather Dickensian atmosphere to it? It was when the scene shifted to Thornfield that I really became engrossed with the story. The interplay between Jane and Rochester is captivating! The drama. The intensity. Just perfect. I loved their intellectual conversations and the way the two would engage in word play, dancing around the elephant in the room. Readers who have read this one may understand where I am coming from when I say that my love for the story tends to ebb and flow: parts were riveting and other parts were... good, if a bit slow and sometimes a tad clichéd. The story has some really great scenes of high drama - loved those bits! - but some of the plot resolutions are a little too perfect and a bit too convenient. That being said, if I had read this one in my youth, like I did Wuthering Heights and other stories, I don't think I would have appreciated it to the level that I do reading it now, so chalking this up as being a worthy read and one that I am glad I finally got around to reading.

>146 lkernagh: - Hi, Lori -yes, I'm having a lovely weekend, thank you. I'm currently sitting in our VRBO in Bellagio on Lake Como and there's a strong wind kicking up whitecaps on the lake outside the window, and church bells ringing, and I feel very far from home in Vancouver. Except it's Sunday and my husband is out on a bike, so that part is the same. I hear you're continuing to have unusually warm weather.

>151 lkernagh: ----Jane Eyre is quite the book, isn't it! I read it in my 30s, and then reread it at university and there were just endless topics in it to explore. My pet peeve is the part where Rochester pretends to by a gypsy fortune teller. I thought that was beyond dumb. I didn't think I'd like it as much as Wuthering Heights, and they are very different, but I like it almost as much.

I'm glad you finally got to read Jane Eyre, Lori. I have read it many times over the years and still love it.

>151 lkernagh: One of those books that invented its own genre, one that's been going strong for 200 years: Gothic romance. Love Charlotte's Ur-text!

>151 lkernagh: I'm quite fond of that one as well. If you're looking for a good film adaptation of it, I'm partial to the 2011 film with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender.

Glad to see you enjoyed the two Faye's! I have yet to get to Paragon Hotel, but I should purchase that soon as it's the last one I need to read. I enjoyed the Wilde books better as well, but Jane Steele was very enjoyable

>152 Nickelini: - Lake Como, how fabulous! Yes, we did have some unusually warm weather but today we have overcast skies and rain - such perfect weather for Victoria Day Monday. ;-) Jane Eyre is a great read. Such wonderful characters. I agree, the gypsy fortune teller bit was just silly, but maybe people did get up to those kinds of hi jinks when a house full of guests was on hand. I am now looking forward to a re-read of Wuthering Heights, especially as it has been a few decades since I last read it and my more recent memories of the story are courtesy of this song by Kate Bush.

>153 BLBera: - Thanks Bet, I am really happy I final read Jane Eyre, too.

>154 richardderus: - Hi Richard, good comments about Jane Eyre. Very impressed with Charlotte Bronte's story telling abilities!

>155 MickyFine: - Hi Micky. I guess I am a bit late to the Jane Eyre love but happy to have finally join the rest of you! I have made a note of the film adaptation and will see if I can source that one locally. Seems like a perfect rainy winter night kind of movie! Many thanks for the suggestion.

>156 ChelleBearss: - Hi Chelle. Faye continues to amaze me... she is so good with historical fiction stories! The Paragon Hotel is very different from the Timothy Wilde books, but she makes the story flow just as effortlessly.

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

Happy Victoria Day to all of my Canadian visitors. The weather today is overcast and rainy - not the best weather for a holiday parade - but I guess better than a scorching hot day and risks of sun and heat stroke, so not complaining. Besides, this means I can enjoy the afternoon curled up with a book, something I have not done very much of these past couple of weeks. This past Friday we finally finished fixing up my bike (new breaks, new pedals, etc) so I went for my first bike ride of the year yesterday and have a sore/tender derrière today. I am sure that that part of my body will adjust, just like my arm muscles did after my first day out in the kayak. Looking forward to a summer of walking, kayaking and cycling for outdoor exercise. ;-)

While I have finished a couple of books I have not had the time to pull together any reviews so just a quick walking update for now.

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

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

.






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

WEEK 20 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session:32.24
Kilometers walked in total: 786.44
Current province/state: (OR)
My current location on the map: South of Canyonville, about to pass beside the Canyon Creek Forest State Park, heading for Azalea.
Points of interest along the way:: This week my virtual walking journey took me beside or through the following communities: Cow Creek Reservation, Round Prairie, Myrtle Creek, Tri-City, Riddle, Surprise Valley and Canyonville, while continuing to travel beside (or crossing over) the South Umpqua River.

Myrtle Creek, nicknamed "Gateway to the 100 Valleys of the Umpqua", was named for the groves of Oregon myrtle (also known as California laurel), growing nearby. Myrtle Creek is also the start and end point for Cycle Oregon's week-long ride. According to Wikipedia, gold was discovered in the area in 1860. By 1890, two large hydraulic mining machines, or "giants", were operating in the area. These machines used high pressure jets of water to dislodge sediments, but were only functional for about three months each winter, when sufficient water was available. To expand the machines' usefulness, the company decided to build a 30-mile (48 KM) canal that would carry water to North Myrtle Creek where the sites were located. This canal, known as China Ditch, was built in part by 100 Chinese laborers.

Unfortunately, the ditch was build only two years before the glory gold mining days for the company came to a close, stacking up unpaid wages and other debts. Today, portions of the ditch remain visible and an 11-mile (18 KM) section is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


A portion of the China Ditch today, near Myrtle Creek - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Ian Poellet (CC BY-SA 2.0)

It's pleasant to know that humanity's insatiable greed for Earth's treasures can in the end produce beauty like China Ditch. Albeit 150 years later.

Lori hope you have had a good day despite the rain. The garden seems to love it and so do I as it has given me a reading day and a day to rest my weary muscles from intense garden work. We are being visited by feasting hummingbirds and already the giant flower has been filled up 3 times. Right now there are 8 on the feeder and they seem to be co-operating. Fun that you have your bike all fixed up and good to go. Just finsihed Oliver Sacks latest and it was a gem.

Glad to hear you had a good long weekend, Lori. Hopefully you got plenty of reading time in on your rainy afternoon.

>159 richardderus: - I agree, Richard.

>160 mdoris: - Hi Mary, it was a lovely day spend indoors and not doing a whole lot of anything, so really relaxing. So exciting that you have so many hummingbirds visiting your feeder! I have some friends who would relate to your intense gardening (and the sore muscles and exhaustion that comes from such work)! I am super excited to have a bike again. The last time I took up biking, they were still "building" - for lack of a better work - some of the bike trails with incomplete sections. It is all done now and I could (if I wanted to) ride the bike trail near home all the way out to Sooke! Glad to see you have gotten in some reading time. I must look into Oliver Sacks' books (that is a new author for me).

>161 MickyFine: - Hi Micky, a lazy Monday was just what I needed. I did get in some reading time and even took a nap! I hope you had a lovely long weekend.

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

Well, the rainy holiday Monday was a lovely relaxing day. Clear skies and sunshine are now back in the forecast for the next 5 days so this evening after dinner, went for a bike ride. Came home wonderfully exhausted (and with a foot cramp to boot)! Thankfully, eating a spoonful of mustard is a remedy that actually works for me to relieve muscle cramps. Before I go and hit the hay, thought I would post two book reviews I have managed to pull together. Will try to get around to the remaining review that is outstanding... maybe tomorrow.

Book #36 - Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke - audiobook narrated by Suzanne Toren
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: Food-related Title or Topic - Cookies
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2001
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 336 pages / 9 hours, 34 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother's attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden's most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah's famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can't get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn't watch her back, Hannah's sweet life may get burned to a crisp."

Review:
Yes, I admit I approached this book with a little bit of trepidation, as cozies are typically not my thing. I found myself pleasantly surprised with this one. Okay, so it's a bit far-fetched to imagine a bakery/coffee shop that only sells cookies and still has a regular morning breakfast crowd, but who am I to judge another person's business/ food choices? ;-) I found Hannah to be a lot of fun. She has a penchant for nosing around when she shouldn't be and her lack of tact (she has a habit of speaking before thinking) makes for some fun moments. Of course, having a cop for a brother-in-law who doesn't seem to mind Hannah's digging around for information and a sister who is happy to "sleuth" along with Hannah, it is not surprising that it is rather easy to connect the dots and solve the mystery, and I am okay with that if I am being entertained in the process. Hannah's relationship with her mother amps up the entertainment value for me as I can relate to some of the conversations Hannah is forced to endure as her mother pursues what she believes to be the right thing for Hannah. For me, Hannah comes across as an amateur "wanna be" equivalent to Sue Grafton's more spunky private detective Kinsey Millhone, living in a quaint lakeside community, baking and selling cookies for a living. Not surprisingly, cookies are mentioned an awful lot throughout the story. I am one of those people who enjoys reading recipe books so I found the cookies recipes that were included throughout the story to be nice bonus. With 24 books in the series to date - and all available in audiobook format - I think I have found my next audiobook series to keep me going during my workday walking commute.

Overall, a fun, light and entertaining first book in Fluke's Hannah Swensen Mysteries series. I am already enjoying the next book in the series.

Book #37 - First Execution by Domenico Starnone - translated from the Italian by Anthony Sugaar
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Author, Europa Editions
Source: TBR
Format: eBook
Original publication date: English Translation - March 6, 2009
Acquisition date: May 1, 2016
Page count: 160 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Mild-mannered retired teacher Domenico Stasi learns that Nina, a former student of his, is being held as a suspected terrorist. His first thought is to contact her-only her innocence can reassure him that his teachings have not contributed to the creation of a monster. But instead of the comforting proclamations of innocence Stasi was hoping to hear, Nina coolly alludes to her guilt. She then entrusts him with a simple task that soon turns deadly serious. A lethal game has now been put intoplay and nothing can stop its course.

Yet matters may not be entirely as they appear. Into the story steps Domenico Starnone - author, retired teacher himself, a character in his own fictional world - and First Execution becomes an voyage to that murky terrain where fiction and real life mix, raising philosophical dilemmas in the process: to what extent do we bear the responsibility for actions taken or not taken? While searching for an answer, it appears only one thing is certain: that no one is innocent."

Review:
When it comes to intelligent, metaphysical books, I am probably not the best person to weigh in with an opinion. I tend to get bogged down in the logical weeds and at some point, become a frustrated reader. I am also not usually a huge fan of books written as a “story about a story” where we have an author agonizing about the story he is trying to write, so I wasn’t sure how I would take to this one. For such a short story – clocking in at a mere 160 pages – Starnone packs a lot of action, suspense, and intriguing monologues into this slim volume. If you are looking for a straightforward story, this isn’t it. In fact, it is easy to get confused. It does not help that both the character Stasi and the author Starnone have the same first name (thankfully, last names seem to predominate) and that the POV shifts are not always easy to spot(hence, some of the confusion while reading). The re-writes of the “story within a story” lend to some deja-vu experiences, which further blur the lines. Within all this “mess”, Starnone surprisingly manages to pull of a compelling psychological thriller, tapping into such interesting topics such as interpersonal relations, family, aging and the all important question of personal responsibility. Suffice to say, the philosophical dilemma taking shape is a layered effect.

Like I said, I am probably not the best person to review this type of story and my comments are probably not very helpful. How about I just say that overall, I found this to be an intelligent, page-turning meta-fiction thriller read, and a better than I was expecting going in.

>163 lkernagh: Apparently there were five films made of the books by Hallmark in the US, so you can add that to your pile of baked goods for those TV days.

>164 lkernagh: I read his Trick and found it tiresomely tricksy.

Happy downslide to the weekend!

>163 lkernagh: Ah a good cozy always hits the spot for me. They're so delightful to curl up with for a few hours. Glad you found one that works for you. :)

Lori, your review of Jane Eyre brought back happy memories. I’ve read it several times and it’s on my list of Forever Favorites, despite it’s flaws.

An inflatable kayak? I didn’t know there was such a thing. That would be perfect for the tiny lake (or big pond) in my backyard...except I would probably fall overboard and I have concerns about the huge snapping turtles. We also have a Great Blue Heron that stops by regularly. It’s interesting to learn about your supersized blue herons.

>165 richardderus: - Interesting... I will see if I can track down the film adaptations. Many thanks for information, RD! Oh dear, Trick is my next, and last, Starnone read. Will keep you comment in mind.

Wishing you a wonderful lead up to the weekend!

>166 MickyFine: - Exactly, Micky. Sometimes a cozy is the perfect read. ;-0

>167 Donna828: - Hi Donna, so happy to learn you have happy memories of Jane Eyre! Yes, an inflatable kayak. It does attract a fair bit of attention but, hey, zodiacs are inflatable as are other boats but most people are used to the more traditional hard shell kayaks. Not sure I would feel safe in an inflatable boat if you have snapping turtles! I love Great Blue Herons... such graceful birds (and so darn peaceful)!

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

Happy Thursday and one day closer to the weekend. Another beautiful day but I am a little tapped out energy wise so homemade pizza for dinner and an early night, I think. Managed to pull together another review (and finished my latest audioread) so I am still in deficit with my reviews... a rather normal trend of late.

Book #38 - Ties by Domenico Starnone - translated from the Italian by Jhumpa Lahiri
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Author, Europa Editions
Source: GVPL
Format: eBook
Original publication date: English Translation - March 17, 2017
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 144 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Like many marriages, Vanda and Aldo's has been subject to strain, to attrition, to the burden of routine. Yet it has survived intact. Or so things appear. The rupture in their marriage lies years in the past, but if one looks closely enough, the fissures and fault lines are evident. It is a cracked vase that may shatter at the slightest touch. Or perhaps it has already shattered, and nobody is willing to acknowledge the fact. Domenico Starnone's work of fiction is a powerful short novel about relationships, family, love, and the ineluctable consequences of one's actions. "

Review:
I read Elena Ferrante’s Days of Abandonment late last year. When I discovered that some commentators view Starnone’s Ties as a counterpoint / rebuttal of Ferrante’s story, my interest was peaked. Even though I hated Days of Abandonment, I am one of those readers who like to be exposed to varying POVs of the same event, hence the motivation to read Starnone’s story. Ties is broken down into three parts, exposing the reader to different POV’s, from the wife to the husband and then the two children, now adults. The story punches high right from the start with sharp, barbed and accusatory correspondence from the wife to the husband, taking readers of Days of Abandonment down very familiar ground, even if the characters names have been changed. The majority of the story is told from the husband’s point of view and is really a very sad commentary on a loveless marriage and the destruction wreaked on the entire family. It is obvious from the books I have read so far that Starnone has a fixation for puzzles, secrets, and the bonds – the Ties of the title – that can cripple us if we let them.

Translated from the Italian by the American author Jhumpa Lahiri, it is clear that Lahiri went to great pains to produce an English translation that captures the subtle Italian meanings. I definitely recommend that readers read both books. It doesn’t matter which one you start with. While both books capture the wife as a self-absorbed, angry and emotionally destructive individual, the husband has his faults and, IMO doesn’t deserve any pity. I found Starnone’s book to be more subtly nuanced and, I don’t know, more “even keel” and not as emotionally dramatic as Ferrante’s stories tend to be.

Overall, an interesting examination of marriage and fidelity.

>168 lkernagh: I learned that the W Network is the Canadian broadcaster for HMM's properties, if that helps.

>169 lkernagh: I am really happy you liked the read! I'll be skipping it, but the fact you enjoyed it shifts me from vaguely hostile to completely neutral.

>164 lkernagh: This sounds intriguing, will see if it is available here.

Love the picture of the heron (ETA - and your description of seeing one like the one in the photo)- I didn't realise that any of them migrated. (Wikipedia tells me the British ones are 'mostly sedentary' - not a word I would associate with a heron!). We've had one on one of the (small) lakes at work, they are so beautiful to watch.

>170 richardderus: - Thanks Richard! I love the fact that we like different books. Makes for a more interesting world, doesn't it? I hope you are having a fabulous weekend RD, and hopefully drier than it is in my neck of the woods. :-)

>171 charl08: - Hi Charlotte, I do hope you are able to track down a copy of Starnone's book. Europa Editions (publishers for the copy I read) are US based. Their business model is to bring lesser known European and International works to North American readers attention. Suffice to say, I have enjoyed expanding my reading horizons by reading their books. ;-)

LOL I agree with you... I wouldn't think of using the phrase "mostly sedentary" to describe herons or any bird, for that matter. A sloth, possibly, but that is about it. Happy to learn you get to see herons near where you work!

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



Happy Saturday, everyone! It is Swiftsure weekend here in Victoria. For those visitors wondering what Swiftsure is, it is considered to be the premier long distance sailing race in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia area. Starting and ending in Victoria, the event is considered international because the midpoint markers for the four long courses are in U.S. waters. Swiftsure is organized by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and the race occurs during the Memorial Day long weekend in May. The race is most popular with sailors from British Columbia and Washington, but it has drawn boats from as far away as California, Hawaii, New Zealand, and even Russia.

In some years, light winds have lead to the race being dubbed the “Driftsure;” in other years, the winds have been so strong (up to 35 knots) that boats had to drop out, some were even suffered broken masts! As with previous years, all available moorage spots were filled with boats racing this weekend. The rain - and lack of wind - for most of today does not bode well for the racers. The rain has stopped, and the wind has picked up, slightly (but still in single digits) so it is possible that we may be in for another "Driftsure".

I am taking things easy today but have managed to pull together a review, my walking update and a new Currently Reading update.

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

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

.






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

WEEK 21 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session:36.48
Kilometers walked in total: 822.92
Current province/state: (OR)
My current location on the map: In Wolf Creek Park due south of the community of Wolf Creek, heading for Grants Pass.
Points of interest along the way:: Not much of interest to share this week as the communities I passed through- Azalea, Quines Creek, Galesville and Wolf Creek - are unincorporated communities and not much information about them except for this nugget:

Wolf Creek is home to the Wolf Creek Tavern, built around 1883 and according to Wikipedia, is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Oregon.


the tavern at Wolf Creek - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Bruce Fingerhood (CC BY 2.0)

Book #39 - Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke - audiobook narrated by Suzanne Toren
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2002
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 320 pages / 9 hours, 8 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"When the president of Hartland Flour chooses cozy Lake Eden, Minnesota, as the spot for their first annual Dessert Bake-Off, Hannah is thrilled to serve as the head judge. But when a fellow judge, Coach Boyd Watson, is found stone-cold dead, facedown in Hannah's celebrated strawberry shortcake, Lake Eden's sweet ride to fame turns very sour indeed. Between perfecting her Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie and Chocolate Crunchies, Hannah's snooping into the coach's private life and not coming up short on suspects. And could Watson's harsh criticism during the judging have given one of the contestants a license to kill? The stakes are rising faster than dough, and Hannah will have to be very careful, because somebody is cooking up a recipe for murder. . .with Hannah landing on the "necessary ingredients" list."

Review:
Another entertaining visit to Lake Eden and its residents. Yes, Hannah is expanding her baking repertoire to include more than just cookies (but cookies are still the staple food item on offer, and yes, recipes continue to be included in the story). While the mystery is not too much of a head scratcher, Fluke still manages to include a couple of twists and some suspenseful moments as amateur sleuth Hannah works her way through the clues. As for the setting, I really enjoy the small town vibe where everyone knows everyone. Of course, this makes it easier for Hannah to makes use of her mother to keep her ear to the gossip mill while Hannah and her sister Andrea search far and wide (and make a few blunders in the process) in their hunt for clues. Even Hannah’s love life is on the upside, adding to the overall charm of the story. Of course, I am starting to notice the ever growing body count and cannot help but ponder that this would make Lake Eden an alarming crime statistic if this were real life. That and the fact that Hannah is starting to exhibit nine lives like her cat, given her uncanny knack for exposing herself to dangerous situations, time and time again.

Overall, another delightful bit of escapism mystery reading that makes for easy audio listening.

Currently Reading:
...

Audiobook:
Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke (narrated by Suzanne Toren) - Yes, I admit I am addicted to these stories, so probably not surprising that I am making this my current series project. ;-)
ebook:
One of Ours by Willa Cather - According to my e-reader I am 39% of the way through this one, about to start Chapter 11. I love Cather's writing style and like to savor her stories, so taking my time reading it.
Trick by Domenico Starnone - Approximately 43% of the way through this one. Given the strong connection / homage to Henry James' short story, The Jolly Corner, I will be reading the short story as soon as I finish Starnone's story, to see what influences Starnone drew on when writing Trick.
Physical books:
A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth - I know.... really, I will get back to this one at some point. Good thing the group read is spread out for the entire year. ;-)

Your latest book covers are amazing....still haven't read Jane Eyre, terribly shocking, I know.

Nice mix of books you have on the go, Lori. Hopefully the wind picked up a bit for the sailing race.

>176 LovingLit: - Hi Megan! Thanks, the reading has been going along at a good clip and I think I am managing to keep the reading interesting. There are a lot of classics that I have yet to find time to read, so it is safe to say I am sure there are may you have read that I haven't. ;-)

>177 MickyFine: - Thanks Micky. The weather did improve - with less rain and more wind - but it was not the best results for this year's races. Here is hoping the smoke is not making things too difficult where you are. Wildfire season really got off to an early start this year!

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Wow, cannot believe that we are already at the end of another month. This year is just flying by! I have managed to pull together the reviews for the remaining books that I finished in May and will post those. I probably won't get around to preparing a monthly recap until some time this weekend.

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Book #40 - Trick by Domenico Starnone - translated from the Italian by Jhumpa Lahiri; and The Jolly Corner, short story by Henry James
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Author
Source: GVPL
Format: eBook
Original publication date: October 11, 2016 / December, 1908
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 176 pages / 38 pages
Decimal/ Star rating:

Trick - 2.80 out of 5 /
The Jolly Corner - 3.35 out of 5 /

Book description/summary:
Trick: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Imagine a duel between two men. One, Daniele Mallarico, is a successful illustrator who, in the twilight of his years, feels that his reputation and his artistic prowess are fading. The other, Mario, is Daniele's four-year-old grandson. Daniele has been living in a cold northern city for years, in virtual solitude, focusing obsessively on his work, when his daughter asks if he would come to Naples for a few days and babysit Mario while she and her husband attend a conference. Shut inside his childhood home - an apartment in the center of Naples that is filled with the ghosts of Mallarico's past - grandfather and grandson match wits as Daniele heads toward a reckoning with his own ambitions and life choices."

The Jolly Corner: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Spencer Brydon returns to New York City after thirty-three years abroad. He has returned to "look at his 'property,'" two buildings, one his boyhood home on "the jolly corner." The second, larger structure is now going to be renovated into a big apartment building.These properties have been the source of his income since the deaths of his family members. Spencer finds he is good at directing this renovation, despite never having done this work before, and he starts to wonder who he would have been if he had stayed in the U.S. He starts to prowl the house at night to try to meet his American alter ego. "

Review:
I chose to read these two books - well, one book and one short story – as a package deal, given the direct references to The Jolly Corner in Starnone’s story and the allusions identified in translator Jhumpa Lahiri’s introduction. Trick was a decided let down for me after having read First Execution and then Ties, Starnone’s earlier English translated works. I should probably mention right up front that Trick only has a passing connection to James’ wonderful short story, unless you are one of those readers who loves to spend oodles of time dissecting a story and scrutinizing it for allusions. I am not one of those readers. I read for (hopefully!) the pure joy of the story in my hands, not to search for connections between stories.

What did I think about Trick? I felt tricked by the author, if you must know. Starnone’s story started out with such potential. We have Daniele, an older man in his 70s, set in his ways, finding himself exploring his identity and reflecting upon his past ( and implications of choices made) while he babysits Mario, his precocious 4-year old grandson in his former home in Naples. Perfect setting for a haunting story of memories, familial images and deeply insightful revelations, I would have thought. Instead, we find an energetic child testing the limits of his grandfather’s patience (which, to be honest, are on a bit of a short fuse). The grand revelations hoped for never seem to materialize, although we do see some exploration of what it means to lead an authentic life and not one overshadowed with illusions. I found the balcony scene to be overly dramatic and even the “ghosts” that come to haunt Daniele fail to give this story the spiritual life it seems to be looking for. In the end, I was left feeling disappointed by this story.

Now on to the James short story. I read somewhere that The Jolly Corner is considered to be the second greatest ghost story written by James, after Turn of the Screw, so I was happy to learn that my maiden voyage into James’ works was with such a worthy story. I was surprised by the depth and complexity of the story’s structure. James wrote such lush prose, even if the concept of the story – a man haunted by himself – is a strange situation to encounter. I am a fan of narratives that involve internal musings with a writing style that leads to thoughts flowing together. Stories written in this manner are meant to be read at a more leisurely pace, especially as the pacing of the story is key to the building psychological suspense.

Overall, while I found myself to be disappointed with Trick, I am happy to have finally taken the plunge to read a work by Henry James, something I probably wouldn’t have done without the impetuous of Trick.

Book #41 - Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke - audiobook narrated by Suzanne Toren
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Series
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2002
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 320 pages / 9 hours, 28 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota's annual Winter Carnival--and Hannah Swensen is set to bake up a storm at her popular shop, The Cookie Jar. Too bad the honor of creating the official Winter Carnival cake went to famous lifestyle maven Connie Mac--a half-baked idea, in Hannah's opinion. She suspects Connie Mac is a lot like the confections she whips up on her cable TV cooking show--sweet, light, and scrumptious-looking, but likely to leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Hannah's suspicions are confirmed when Connie Mac's limo rolls into town. Turns out America's "Cooking Sweetheart" is bossy, bad-tempered, and downright domineering. Things finally boil over when Hannah arrives at The Cookie Jar to find the Winter Carnival cake burnt to a crisp--and Connie Mac lying dead in her pantry, struck down while eating one of Hannah's famous blueberry muffins. Next thing Hannah knows, the police have declared The Cookie Jar's kitchen crime scene off-limits. She's a baker without an oven--and the Carnival is right around the corner. Hannah's only alternative is to cook up a plan to save her business--by finding the killer herself. . ."

Review:
Another fun installment in this cozy mystery series. We get to see things slowly heating up on the romance front for Hannah (can anyone say “love triangle”) , but the story is still focused on the murder mystery and quaint small town living that drew me into the series in the first place. The mystery is a decent one in that I didn’t figure out who the suspect was right away. With a town full of visitors for the local Winter Carnival and a celebrity chef with a reputation for making more enemies than friends, the potential list of suspects (and motives) is high, leading me to make multiple guesses as to the identity of the murderer as clues are revealed. Hannah’s stylish real estate agent sister Andrea is an eager accomplice as Hannah snoops around for clues and yes, their on-going sibling banter adds to the charm this story holds for me. As for Hannah’s poised and polished mother Delores, I love that woman. When she is not trying to angle for a husband for Hannah, she is aghast at Hannah’s love for casual wear, wild hair and her habit of continuing to be the one to discover dead bodies in Lake Eden. Delores doesn’t pull any punches when she makes her opinion known through comments like this one:

“Hannah! You've simply got to stop finding bodies. I swear you attract them like a magnet. If you're not careful, everyone's going to get the wrong impression of you."

Just the kind of comment I would expect to come out of Delores' mouth, and brings a smile to my face.

Overall, another delightful, mystery romp filled with tantalizing goodie recipes.

Book #42 - Dancing on a Moonbeam by Kate Perry
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: RandomCAT - dance, dancer or dancing in title or as subject
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: eBook
Original publication date: June 12 2016
Acquisition date: December 6, 2018
Page count: 278 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Eleanor Westwood-Fehr gave up being a prima ballerina for dreams of love. Big mistake — and one she won't make again. Determined, she won't let anything stop her from opening a dance studio. Not her doubts. Not her teenage daughter. And certainly not her new mysterious neighbor, Max, even as she strikes a deal with him: if Max withdraws the complaint that stopped renovation on her dance studio, she'll help him with his movie score. Being a muse shouldn't be hard, right, because, for Eleanor, there's too much at stake to fail. She just never realized that rousing Max's imagination means rousing his passion too — for the music, and for Eleanor. Which is a problem, because what was supposed to be a simple deal becomes so much more as Eleanor lets Max dance his way into her heart. It should be win-win, except Eleanor isn't sure she can ever be triumphant in love... "

Review:
This definitely fits the bill for an easy reading, frothy contemporary romance story. No real big surprises as the story unfolds, right down to the expected tension between Eleanor and music composer Max. The added family drama of a teenager rebelling against her mom, a dad who has checked out as being a father and the meddling of Eleanor's ex mother-in-law Barbara - nicknamed "Brunhilde" - who is determined to keep Eleanor from chasing her dance studio dreams, keeps the plot going beyond the basic romance lines. Sticking to the sweet, modern fairy tale approach of the story, evil Brunhilde is offset by the calming, supporting and enticing influences of Eleanor's friends, including two friends who do double duty in the fairy godmother department: metaphysical shopkeeper Luna and the dramatic (and highly entertaining) Russian prima ballerina Anya.

Overall, if you like to read stories that fit the bill as a light romance bit of escapism reading, where hope and love wins, Kate Perry (the pen name for Kathia Zolfaghari) may be the author for you.

Hi Lori! You may have answered this already, but how do you choose your virtual walking route? Not the stop/start, but the places along the way (how do you know where you've reached next, mileage wise)?

Love the photo of all of the boats in >172 lkernagh:. I would love to live near water, but I admit I have it pretty good near the mountains.

How's the Willa Cather coming? I do love her writing, though my favorites of hers are not the prairie books. I've never read One of Ours.

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Hi Anne! I pretty much picked a couple of possible routes and did Google searches based on those routes to see what I could come up with. The last time I visited Disneyland I was a mere mite of a girl who drove her parents nuts because I just HAD to watch Tinkerbell fly down at the end of the fireworks celebrations at Sleeping Beauty's castle, every single night of our trip, so Disneyland seemed like a good end point for my 2019 walking challenge. ;-)

I enjoy both water and mountain views (having grown up in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains) so I can understand the appeal of Colorado. If it helps any, the downsides to living near open water is rats. Yup, I actually saw one last month, walking across the front lawn at dusk. I was at a safe, 4th floor vantage point at the time but still.... not a fan of rodents!

I am loving One of Ours. It is set in the prairies but with a WWI backdrop so some interesting community tensions. Looking forward to curling up in bed with the book as soon as I finish posting some updates.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, too Anne!

Domenico Starnone - Author Project Read: - Completed May 27, 2019

Stand Alone Novels:

..

First Execution - Read May 8 to May 18, 2019 - 3.90 out of 5 /
Ties - Read May 18 to May 20, 2019 - 3.80 out of 5 /
Trick - Read May 24 to May 30, 2019 - 2.80 out of 5 /

Overall, I enjoyed this author project read, even though the last story read was not up t o snuff compared to the earlier works, IMO.

MAY RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ:
........

35. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte -
36. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke -
37. First Execution by Domenico Starnone -
38. Ties by Domenico Starnone -
39. Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke -
40. Trick by Domenico Starnone - / The Jolly Corner by Henry James -
41. Blueberry Muffin Murder by JOanne Fluke -
42. Dancing on a Moonbeam by Kate Perry -

May STATS:
No. of Books read: 8 - Not counting the James short story as a book
ROOTs read: 3 - Slowly getting back on track with my ROOT reading.
Largest book read by page count: - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte at 492 pages
Smallest book read by page count: - Ties by Domenico Starnone at 144 pages
# Pages read: - 2,262 pages - Yes, I am counting the short story in my pages read count. ;-)
Average # pages per book read: - 283 pages
Average # pages read per day: - 73
Audiobooks / eBooks / Physical Books: - 4/4/1 - With one audiobook used to read an ebook off my TBR pile.
Male vs. Female Authors: - 4 vs. 5 - counting the James short story read here.
Fiction vs. Non-Fiction Reads: - 8 vs. 0
Average Decimal/ Star rating for books read: 3.41 out of 5 /
Publication date range of books read: 1847 to 2016

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race - May Update



"Lucky Shamrock" continues to hold the lead, but "Pot of Gold" is not ready to give up the race. For those speculating on the winner, I can tell you right now that I will NOT finish A Suitable Boy before I reach 75 books read, so don't expect any huge bursts of pages read to be lurking in the wings... it is stil anybody's guess who will win this race. ;-)

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

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

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

WEEK 22 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session:40.55
Kilometers walked in total: 863.47
Current province/state: (OR)
My current location on the map: In Rogue River, heading for Medford.
Points of interest along the way:: Communities passed through or beside this week include: Sunny Valley, Hugo, Three Pines, Merlin, Grants Pass and Rogue River. Sunny Valley is located near the Applegate Trail Interpretive Center, which offers visitors a glimpse into the colourful history of the region through stories of pioneer settlers, the impact of the stageline, the building of the railroad and the discovery of gold. The Applegate Trail is named after the Applegate family, lead by brothers Charles, Jesse and Lindsay, who sought an easier and safer southern route to the Willamette Valley from Missouri.


East Applegate Trail - as posted to Flickr by the Bureau of Land Management (CC BY 2.0)

Attractions in Grants Pass include the Rogue River, famous for its rafting:


Hellgate Canyon Viewpoint on the Rogue River - as posted to Flickr by the Bureau of Land Management (CC BY 2.0)

Grants Pass is also located nearby the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, a protected area that includes a marble cave:


Oregon Caves National Monument in Oregon - as posted to Wikimedia Commons by Jeffhollett (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The site also has a six story hotel, the Oregon Caves Chateau, that was completed at the site in 1934. The chateau is built across a steep ravine. All floor levels except the top two have ground level entrances because of the steep slope. From the main front entrance the building appears to be only three stories high, but from the creek bed below the hotel, all six floors can be seen.

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Exterior shot posted to Wikimedia Commons by Acroterion (CC BY-SA 3.0) / Chateau coffee shop, as posted to Flickr by throgers (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

I just love the look of the coffee shop... so retro!

Oooohhhh The Oregon Caves Chateau looks amazing! Thanks for showing it to me, I'd never heard of it and it's just astounding.

>183 lkernagh: OMG we have rats now too - we've even seen a few. I have gone my entire life living here without rats, so UGH! I would like to say climate change, and that could be a factor, but we have also had a mange here that has decimated the local population of coyotes and especially foxes. Because of this we have had a glut of rabbits, and now rats. Let's hope those predators make a comeback!

>188 AMQS:
That's super interesting. Where do you live?
I grew up on the edge of a city of Vancouver (50 yrs ago) and we had birds. Now the city is many times larger and we have raccoons, coyotes, eagles, and the occasional bear and even a cougar. And yes, rats. Twenty years ago there were a lot of squirrels around, but now I don't see them very often. I wonder where they went?

>186 lkernagh: What a pretty area and hotel. It looks like it would be a fun Summer family trip, and also a haunted house at Halloween. Thanks for taking us along, Lori!

>189 Nickelini: I live in a suburb west of Denver, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We have all of those animals you mentioned - coyotes, eagles, bears, mountain lions, raccoons, birds, and lots of squirrels. Until recently you would see a rabbit every now and then but after the mange it's rare to see a fox so the bunnies have exploded and the rats have moved in as well. I'm surprised you don't see squirrels - once they arrive they are usually there forever.

>178 lkernagh: The smoke was really bad last week but it got lighter over the weekend. It's supposed to be a bit rainy this week so helpfully that will help keep the smoke at bay.

Congrats on an excellent reading month!

>187 richardderus: - I am agreeing with you there, Richard. I would love to go exploring those caves! As for the Chateau... it is calling me. I love the idea of the Chateau being built over a raven. What a perfect location for a cozy ronde de veaux location, just throw in a good dose of winter. ;-) So happy you enjoyed the very encapsulated visit to Oregon Caves and the Chateau!

>188 AMQS: - Wow, you have rats? Don't know why I thought that they were more prevalent closer to open water, but good information to know.

>188 AMQS:, >189 Nickelini:, and >191 AMQS: - I am finding it very interesting how local animal demographics have been changing as our communities evolve. Good comments from both of you. Here in Victoria, I have noticed a HUGE increase in the local deer population, a disturbing increase in the cougar population and a frightening decline in the racoon population (frightening mainly for the "Where the heck did they go?" response). Squirrels are still around. We still have stacks of birds around. Crows and seagulls continue to predominate but interestingly this spring, we seem to have an influx of male robins... again, no clue why. I am baffled. Climate change? Human encroachment? Environmental factor? I have no answers.

Anyone else notice rather strange shifts in local animal populations? Feel free to chime in!

>190 mstrust: - I know! I love those little gem hide away locations that are frozen in time. Oh, haunted Halloween... that would be fun!

>192 MickyFine: - Well, thank goodness the smoke is abating. I am so sad to see the wildfire season starting so early this year. My heart goes out to the communities impacted.

-------------------------
Wow, Tuesday. Where the heck did the weekend go? Oh, that's right. I spent part of the weekend transferring over to a new cell phone carrier. Other half has convinced me to abandon the carrier that I was not all that enamoured with and to sign on to a newer carrier that has recently expanded into the Victoria market. For my Canadian visitors, I have officially flipped from Bell to Freedom. Am I happy? So far, ecstatic! I am getting 5X the data plan, totally unlimited Canada-wide phone and text (previous plan had a 1000 minutes weekday, daytime limit) for half the price. I have experienced no difference in coverage (In fact maybe an increase in bandwidth - go figure) so no brainer on the decision. I inherited my other half's gently used iPhone 6S and already see a huge difference compared to my rather older Samsung Galaxy Alpha (which served me very well for the 4.5 years I have had it but it was starting to limp along).

Sunday was a beautiful day, with a touch of a breeze, so I went for a bike ride on some of the local trails. Fabulous morning.
Logged a 23 KM ride (I am not counting bike rides towards my walking challenge) and I am already looking forward to a different trail ride this coming weekend. Here are some pics taken from my Sunday ride:

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The bike trail view is part of the Galloping Goose Trail. The water view is a body of water known as Portage Inlet in the neighboring community of View Royal. I should mention that Sunday can be a busy time on the trail - with cyclists, walkers, joggers and bike racers. When I stopped to take a picture of the water view, a lovely elderly gentleman (of European background) I had passed on the climb up to the view caught up with me. We had a wonderful conversation about the view and how way too many bikers just wiz by and don't stop to take in the view. Life is too short to not slow down and enjoy the wonders on your very doorstop.

>193 lkernagh: Many of the animals over here wouldn't appeal in greater numbers! Rats, certainly but it is the snakes that I am more worried about!

>193 lkernagh: Love those views! Have a similar problem on some of our local walks with cyclists passing at great speeds. Fortunately some of them have bells otherwise I'd not get out of the way in time.

>186 lkernagh: Nice photos, Lori. I'll walk with you.

>194 PaulCranswick: - Ha, good point, Paul! I am also not a fan of snakes so I will be quite happy with the furry and feathered animals that are populating my urban location. ;-)

>195 charl08: - Hi Charlotte! It is so hard to try and share the pathways for enjoyment. I can understand why the speed cyclists would prefer to be on the pathways instead of the roads with the cars, but zipping past a family with two little ones on their own bikes is not how they should be acting, especially on a leisurely Sunday when the weather is nice and everyone wants to enjoy the outdoors. Thanks for the reminder. I still need to get a bell for my bike.

makes mental note to go shopping tomorrow.

>196 BLBera: - Thanks Beth. I love sharing the wonderful scenery with others. If you are ever in Victoria, happy to show you that view in person. ;-)

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Weekend time and my plans are currently up in the air. The weather has been rather unsettled for the past 4 days - windy, clouds threatening rain (which never seems to materialize), etc. Windy means no kayaking. Windy and rain means no cycling, so this could potentially be a reading weekend, but I am going to take a wait and see approach.

This thread is getting a bit long in the tooth (what with all the pics), so I will get a new thread posted.

New thread is up. Come on over!

>1 lkernagh: An image in post #1 has been removed, due to a DMCA complaint. Please reach out to us at info@librarything.com if you have any questions.