karenmarie's eclectic reading - chapter 4

Welcome to my fourth thread of 2019.

There is no new way for me to say how much I love being retired, so here’s last year’s message, although I’ve changed the graphic.

Being retired is bonaroo! It’s the berries! It’s aces, snazzy, hot, smooth, sweet, swell, keen, and cool. It’s also the fox’s socks, the cat’s pajamas, the bee’s knees, the eel’s hips, the monkey’s eyebrows, the sardine’s whiskers, the gnat’s whistle. I do not miss working at all. I still do a happy dance every morning I don’t have to wake up to an alarm.



I read, am a charter member of the Redbud and Beyond Book Club, now in its 22nd year, am Treasurer for our local Friends of the Library (henceforth abbreviated FoL), and manage our home, finances and etc. as my husband heads off to work Monday – Friday. I love having the house to myself to recharge my batteries and have huge blocks of time to read.

I have been married to Bill for almost 28 years and am mother to Jenna, 25, living about 3 hours away and working on a 2-year business administration program at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. We have two kitties, 19-year old Kitty William and almost 12-year-old Inara Starbuck. We live in our own little corner of paradise on 8 acres in central North Carolina USA.

This year’s picture theme Children of the Family. Hawthorne, California, September 1965. First day of school, me going into 7th grade. Laura (almost 9), me (12), Doug (10). Mom made our dresses. Yikes on my hair.



My goal is to read 100 books in 2019, down 5 from 2018. Of those 100, I’m going to try to read 45 that were on my shelves prior to January 1, 2019. I am only going to count pages, not strive for pages this year, so have set a counter for 30,000.







A few quotes from one of my favorite authors. I plan on reading all her fiction works in published order this year. I give you Dorothy Leigh Sayers, 1893-1957, one of the most intelligent and articulate writers I have ever been privileged to read.

The popular mind has grown so confused that it is no longer able to receive any statement of fact except as an expression of personal feeling.

Time and trouble will tame an advanced young woman, but an advanced old woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force.

A society in which consumption has to be artificially stimulated in order to keep production going is a society founded on trash and waste, for such a society is a house built upon sand.

Wherever you find a great man, you will find a great mother or a great wife standing behind him – or so they used to say. It would be interesting to know how many great women have had great fathers and husbands behind them.

My theme for 2019 is eclecticism – picking and choosing what to read from a wide variety of genres, styles, centuries. I always try to do this, but last year ended up being mostly American writers and mostly mysteries. Within the scope of my goal of reading what is fun and challenging yet pleasurable, I want to read more from my shelves – books I have acquired by non-US writers and that I don’t automatically go to when looking for something new.

Books read

1. The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam 1/1/19 1/3/19 ****1/2 233 pages trade paperback
2. Nerve by Dick Francis 1/3/19 1/5/19 ***1/2 313 pages mass market paperback
3. The Body in the Transept by Jeanne M. Dams 1/7/19 1/8/19 *** 1/2 206 pages mass market paperback
4. Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers 1/8/19 1/9/19 **** 137 pages hardcover
5. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers 1/9/19 1/14/19 **** 296 pages hardcover
6. Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston 1/13/19 1/16/19 ****1/2 121 of 176 pages Kindle
7. Kindred by Octavia Butler 1/16/19 1/18/19 ****1/2 306 pages hardcover **Kindle**
8. Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann b. Ross 1/18/19 1/20/19 **** 273 pages hardcover
9. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett 1/20/19 1/22/19 **** 180 pages mass market paperback
10. Relic by Preston & Child 1/22/19 1/25/19 **** 468 pages mass market paperback
11. Reliquary by Preston & Child 1/27/19 1/30/18 ***1/2 464 pages mass market paperback
12. Last Friends by Jane Gardam 2/1/19 2/5/19 **** 1/2 205 pages trade paperback
13. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry 1/30/19 2/8/19 **** 420 pages hardcover
14. Freddie Mercury: A Kind of Magic by Mark Blake 1/5/19 2/9/19 ****1/2 206 pages hardcover
15. The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie 2/9/19 2/11/19 **** 207 pages hardcover
16. The Great Believers by Rebeca Makkai 2/11/19 2/13/19 ***** 2018 421 pages hardcover
**abandoned Octavia Butler's Kindred - a graphic novel adaption by Damian Duffy and John Jennings
17. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 2/13/19 2/15/19 **** 211 pages trade paperback
18. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle 2/15/19 2/16/19 ****1/2 211 pages trade paperback
19. The Arrival by Shaun Tan 2/19/19 2/19/19 **** hardcover
20. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle 2/16/19 2/21/19 **1/2 278 pages trade paperback
**abandoned Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle - I did not care about Sandy and Dennys's story and do not care about any more of L'Engle's fiction
21. Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French 2/22/19 2/26/19 **** 372 pages hardcover
22. Thursday's Children by Nicci French 2/26/19 2/28/19 ***1/2 336 pages hardcover Kindle
23. Friday on My Mind by Nicci French 2/28/19 3/2/19 **** 301 pages trade paperback
24. The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer 3/3/19 3/7/19 **** 315 pages mass market paperback
25. Dark Saturday by Nicci French 3/3/19 3/12/19 390 pages ****1/2 Kindle
26. Sunday Silence by Nicci French 3/12/19 3/13/19 **** 403 pages trade paperback
27. The Day of the Dead by Nicci French 3/13/19 3/15/19 ****1/2 404 pages trade paperback
28. Absent in the Spring by Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie) 3/17/19 3/23/19 ***1/2 182 pages hardcover
29. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer 3/23/19 3/26/19 **1/2 185 pages trade paperback
30. Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers 3/26/19 3/29/19 **** 191 pages hardcover

Currently Reading:

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens 3/1/19 856 pages hardcover, 1850
These Truths by Jill Lepore 1/5/19 960 pages hardcover 2018
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth 1/17/19 1349 pages trade paperback 1993
Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney: Slavery, Secession and the President's War Powers by James F. Simon 10/24/18
The Gospel in Dorothy L. Sayers edited by Carole Vanderhoof 11/10/18 235 pages trade paperbook 2018
Red:A History of the Redhead by Jacky Colliss Harvey 6/28/18 218 pages hardcover
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari 5/5/18 464 pages hardcover, Kindle

Books added - goal: Less than the 422 *winces* added last year. Note: Any books acquired before 1/1/19 but added now will be noted and not counted against this year's total.

January
1. Louise - Betrayed by Lisa Scottaline
2. Louise - If I Die Tonight by Alison Gaylin
3. Louise - Accused by Lisa Scottaline
4. BookMooch - Bookmooch - The Body in the Transept by Jeanne M. Dams by Jeanne M. Dams
5. Louise - The Snow Globe by Judith Kinghorn
6. Louise - Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
7. Jenna - Freddie Mercury: A Kind of Magic by Mark Blake
8. Amazon - These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore
9. Habitat - The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
00. Kindle - The Dry by Jane Harper - acquired 11/19/18 added to catalog 1/13/19
10. Louise - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
11. Louise - Orchids For Dummies by Steven A. Frowine
12. BookMooch - The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan
13. Habitat - The Day of Atonement by David Liss
14. FoL Sale - Winny de Puh (Winnie the Pooh in Spanish) by A.A. Milne
15. FoL Sale - Cattus Petasatus: The Cat in the Hat in Latin by Dr. Seuss
16. FoL Sale - Gilgamesh: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell
17. FoL Sale - Intensive Latin First Year & Review: A User's Manual by Carl A.P. Ruck
18. FoL Sale - The Last Days of the Incas by Kim MacQuarrie
19. FoL Sale - 1492: The Year the World Began by Felipe Fernández-Armesto
20. FoL Sale - Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman
21. FoL Sale - Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill
22. FoL Sale - How Language Works by David Crystall
23. FoL Sale - Latin Reader. First Part. by Friedrich Jacobs
24. Amazon - Last Friends by Jane Gardam

February
25. reconsidered from cull - The Red Breast by Jo Nesbo
26. Amazon - The Lost Man by Jane Harper
00. Bill - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - acquired 12/25/19 added to catalog 2/21/19
27. Amazon - Thursday's Children by Nicci French Kindle
28. Louise - Every Fifteen Minuts by Lisa Scottaline
29. Louise - The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
30. Louise - The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
31. Amazon - Dark Saturday by Nicci French Kindle

March
32. Amazon - Blacklands by Belinda Bauer
33. Karen - Are You Somebody? by Nuala O'Faolain
34. Amazon - Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
35. Amazon - The Comforts of Home by Susan Hill
35. Early Reviewers - Dubious Documents by Nick Bantock
36. FoL Spring Book Sale - Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (audiobook)
37. FoL Spring Book Sale - Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews
38. FoL Spring Book Sale - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
39. FoL Spring Book Sale - Brilliant by Jane Brox
40. FoL Spring Book Sale - The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War by Bruce Catton
41. FoL Spring Book Sale - Missing You by Harlan Coben
42. FoL Spring Book Sale - 95 Poems by e. e. cummings
43. FoL Spring Book Sale - A Gentleman of Fortune by Anna Dean
44. FoL Spring Book Sale - A Place of Confinement by Anna Dean
45. FoL Spring Book Sale - A Woman of Consequence by Anna Dean
46. FoL Spring Book Sale - Autobiography of Mark Twain by editor Harriet Elinor Smith
47. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Compact Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary: Volume III: A Supplement to The Oxford English Dictionary, Volumes I-IV by editor R.W. Burchfield
48. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Hidden Charles Dickens by editor Stefan R. Dziemianowicz
49. FoL Spring Book Sale - Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
50. FoL Spring Book Sale - Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones
51. FoL Spring Book Sale - One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
52. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Stories of Jane Gardam by Jane Gardam
53. FoL Spring Book Sale - Amphigorey Again by Edward Gorey
54. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths
55. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
56. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
57. FoL Spring Book Sale - Dashiell Hammett: Complete Novels by Dashiell Hammett
58. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Lazarus Project by Aleksander Hemow
59. FoL Spring Book Sale - Malice by Keigo Higashino
60. FoL Spring Book Sale - Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill
61. FoL Spring Book Sale - Advice on Dying and Living a Better Life by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
62. FoL Spring Book Sale - Hillbilly Elegy by J.A. Vance
63. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Western Star by Craig Johnson
64. FoL Spring Book Sale - A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
65. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Pursuit of Alice Thrift by Elinor Lipman
66. FoL Spring Book Sale - Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie
67. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
68. FoL Spring Book Sale - Caravans by James Michener
69. FoL Spring Book Sale - Lightening Men by Thomas Mullen
70. FoL Spring Book Sale - Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe by John Evangelist Walsh
71. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Book on the Book Shelf by Henry Petroski
72. FoL Spring Book Sale - Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick
73. FoL Spring Book Sale - Crimson Shore by Preston & Child
74. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Pharoah Key by Preston & Child
75. FoL Spring Book Sale - Going Wrong by Ruth Rendell
76. FoL Spring Book Sale - The World According to Fred Rogers by Fred Rogers
77. FoL Spring Book Sale - Miss Julia Takes Over by Ann B. Ross
78. FoL Spring Book Sale - Adventures of the Mind by Saturday Evening Post
79. FoL Spring Book Sale - 1066 and All That by W.C. Sellar & R.J. Yeatman
80. FoL Spring Book Sale - Sixteen Short Novels by Wilfrid Sheed
81. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Teaching of Buddah by The Society for the Promotion of Buddhism
82. FoL Spring Book Sale - Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas
83. FoL Spring Book Sale - Whose Boat Is This Boat? by Donald J. Trump (by accident)
84. FoL Spring Book Sale - Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
85. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester
86. FoL Spring Book Sale - Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews
87. FoL Spring Book Sale - My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
88. FoL Spring Book Sale - An Elizabethan Bestiary Retold by Jeffery Beam, Ippy Patterson, M.J. Sharp
89. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne
90. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
91. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
92. FoL Spring Book Sale - Hidden Depths by Ann Cleeves
93. FoL Spring Book Sale - Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves
94. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Lost Letter of William Woolf by Helen Cullen
95. FoL Spring Book Sale - Bibliomysteries by editor Otto Penzler
96. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Penguin Book of Bird Poetry by editor Peggy Munsterberg
97. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler
98. FoL Spring Book Sale - When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin
99. FoL Spring Book Sale - Tinkers by Paul Harding
100. FoL Spring Book Sale - A Guide to Jane Austen by Michael Hardwick
101. FoL Spring Book Sale - False Colours by Georgette Heyer
102. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
103. FoL Spring Book Sale - Death Without Company by Craig Johnson
104. FoL Spring Book Sale - Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
105. FoL Spring Book Sale - Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson
106. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
107. FoL Spring Book Sale - Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson
108. FoL Spring Book Sale - Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson
109. FoL Spring Book Sale - As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
110. FoL Spring Book Sale - A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
111. FoL Spring Book Sale - Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
112. FoL Spring Book Sale - Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
113. FoL Spring Book Sale - An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson
114. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Dead of Summer by Mari Jungstedt
115. FoL Spring Book Sale - Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
116. FoL Spring Book Sale - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah by Rav Michael Laitman Ph.D. with Collin Camright
117. FoL Spring Book Sale - Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
118. FoL Spring Book Sale - West with the Night by Beryl Markham
119. FoL Spring Book Sale - All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
120. FoL Spring Book Sale - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
121. FoL Spring Book Sale - My Dream of You by Nuala O'Faolain
122. FoL Spring Book Sale - One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash
123. FoL Spring Book Sale - Dark Corners by Ruth Rendell
124. FoL Spring Book Sale - When the Music's Over by Peter Robinson
125. FoL Spring Book Sale - Corrupted by Lisa Scottaline
126. FoL Spring Book Sale - Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides
127. FoL Spring Book Sale - Low Country Boil by Carl T. Smith

April

Books culled goal: More than the 84 from last year.

The Harry Hole books by Jo Nesbo:
1. The Bat - hardcover
2. Cockroaches - paperback
3. Cockroaches - audiobook
4. Nemesis - hardcover
5. The Devil's Star - paperback
6. Redeemer - paperback
7. The Snowman - hardcover
8. The Leopard - paperback
9. Phantom - hardcover
10. Police - paperback
11. The Redbreast - paperback

12. White Noise by Don DeLillo - started it, didn't like it
13. The Body in the Transept by Jeanne M. Dams
14. The Shimmering Stones of Winter's Light by Constance Walker
15. A Man without Breath by Philip Kerr
16. Anvil of Stars by Greg Bear
17. Betty-Anne's Helpful Household Hints by
18. Billy Budd by Coxe and Chapman
19. Death of a Greedy Woman by M.C. Beaton
20. Death of a Bore by M.C. Beaton
21. Death of a Charming Man by M.C. Beaton
22. Death of a Dentist by M.C. Beaton
23. Death of a Dreamer by M.C. Beaton
24. Death of a Dustman by M.C. Beaton
25. Death of a Gentle Lady by M.C. Beaton
26. Death of a Hussy by M.C. Beaton
27. Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton
28. Death of a Prankster by M.C. Beaton
29. Death of a Scriptwriter by M.C. Beaton
30. Death of a Snob by M.C. Beaton
31. Death of an Outsider by M.C. Beaton
32. Four in Hand by Stephanie Laurens
33. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
34. Hard Courts by John Feinstein
35. In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches
36. Jumping the Queue by Mary Wesley
37. Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon
38. Summerland by Michael Chabon
39. Summerland -audiobook by Michael Chabon
40. Teach Yourself Beginner's Dutch by Gerdi Quist and Leslie Gilbert
41. Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon
42. The Appeal by John Grisham
43. The Case of the Deadly Toy by Erle Stanley Gardner
44. The Case of the Fan-Dancer's Horse by Erle Stanley Gardner
45. The Case of the Howling Dog by Erle Stanley Gardner
46. The Case of the Substitute Face by Erle Stanley Gardner
47. The Case of the Troubled Trustee by Erle Stanley Gardner
48. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon
49. The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld
50. The New Yorker Album 1925-1950 by
51. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
52. The Royal Physician's Visit by Per Olov Enquist
53. You Can't Be Serious by John McEnroe
54. Fiddlers by Ed McBain
55. Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
56. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
57. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
58. With the Old Breed by E. B. Sledge
59. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
60. The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
61. Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym
62. The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
63. Kate Vaiden by Reynolds Price
64. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
65. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by Daviud Wroblewski
66. The Pink Irish Rose by Hazel Rash Fleming
67. Bliss, Remembered by Frank DeFord
68. Grafton Square by Alfred J. Batty
69. Dandy Dutch Recipes by Mina Baker-Roelofs
70. The Twelve by Justin Cronin
71. The Cherry Blossom Corpse by Robert Barnard
72. The List of Seven by Mark Frost
73. Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke
74. Death of an Old Goat by Robert Barnard
75. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
76. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig
77. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig
78. The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
79. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
80. The Skeleton in the Grass by Robert Branard
81. A City of Strangers by Robert Bernard
82. Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
83. An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
84. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Yay!

85. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
86. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
87. Troubling a Star by Madeleine L'Engle
88. A Live Coal in the Sea by Madeleine L'Engle
89. Coffeemakers by Ambrogio Fumagalli
90. In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
91. Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer
92. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo - re-culling

Statistics Through March 31

30 books read
2 books abandoned
8487 pages read
0 audiobook hours
Avg pages read per day, YTD = 94
Avg pages read per book, YTD = 283
Avg rating of all books read, YTD= 3.98
Month-end TBR (incl started) 2072
(but excluding Spring Book Sale acquisitions)

Author
Male 33%
Female 67%

Living 57%
Dead 43%

US Born 40%
Foreign Born 60%

Platform
Hardcover 37%
Trade Pback 30%
Mass Market 20%
Audiobook 0%
e-Book 13%

Source
My Library 83%
Library 17%

Misc
ARC/ER 7%
Re-read 30%
Series 70%

Fiction 93%
NonFiction 7%

Author Birth Country
Australia 3%
England 57%
US 40%

Original Decade Published
1920-1929 10%
1930-1939 7%
1940-1949 3%
1950-1959 3%
1960-1969 7%
1970-1979 10%
1990-1999 13%
2000-2009 7%
2010-2018 40%

Genre
Biography 3%
Fiction 17%
Graphic Novel 3%
Historical Fiction 7%
History 3%
Mystery 43%
Romance 3%
Science Fantasy 13%
Thriller 7%

The next message is yours!

Happy new one, Karen!

Happy new thread, Karren! Oh, that photo brings back memories, for me too! The *flip*. lol!

Happy new thread, Karen!

Happy new thread Karen!

Happy New Thread, Karen. I saw a red fox earlier, but very little bird activity.

Hey Horrible. It's getting close to sweet pea time.

Have a better day than that damned coldishness would allow on its own.

Thank you Mamie, Shelley, Harry, Rachel, Mark, and RichardDear!

Those are lovely flowers, thank you RD. I’m watching MSNBC on my laptop, making cornbags, and getting ready to do some reading.

Happy new thread, Karen.

Happy New Thread, Karen! I hope you feel better soon.

So, what are cornbags?

Happy New Thread, Karen!

Corn bags? Is this a new tradition?

I agree about retirement! Did you say it’s the cat’s pajamas (probably) or the dancer’s tap shoes (probably not - whoever said that?)

>14 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara!

>15 streamsong: Thanks, Janet.

>17 karenmarie: Thanks, Joe! I did say it's the cat's pajamas. Lots of other things, too - bonaroo! It’s the berries! It’s aces, snazzy, hot, smooth, sweet, swell, keen, and cool. It’s also the fox’s socks, the cat’s pajamas, the bee’s knees, the eel’s hips, the monkey’s eyebrows, the sardine’s whiskers, the gnat’s whistle. Don't know about the dancer’s tap shoes.

So corn bags are cloth bags about a foot square that you fill with deer corn, sew completely shut after filling. You can then microwave them and they provide heat for a very long time.

Mind you, I am no seamstress. My sister sent me 6 of them at Christmas, empty of corn. I bought a 50-lb bag of deer corn (no smaller size available, alas). I've given one to a friend and made a second one today simply because I need to get them all filled, sealed, and microwaved the first time. Laura made the blue/black flannel ones a tad larger for some reason. The next one I'll fill with more corn.

I use one when sitting in the living room for cold feet or hands, hug it to warm my core, put it in the bed for warm feet way past when I fall asleep. Four unfilled on the left, some polished cotton, some flannel, a flannel one on the right, filled.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread!

>17 karenmarie: Lots of good information - corn bags and deer corn are both new version on old themes for me. I think the bags I know best are filled with bran, but I bet corn can be acquired for less and would offer somewhat better nutrition in the direst emergency extreme.

Happy new thread, Karen. I love the photo in your topper. My mom just brought some old pictures, and they are a lot of fun.

Hi Karen my dear, happy new thread.

>18 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>19 quondame: Thanks, Susan! You can also fill them with rice - I have a long skinny rice bag inherited when my MiL passed. It's good, too. And of course rice and corn CAN be eaten in a pinch, even if already nuked hundreds of times, I suppose.

>20 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I love seeing my sibs and myself when we were young and happy together. Old pics are tons of fun. I already know which pic I want for next thread, if I can find it, that is.

>21 johnsimpson: Hi John! Thank you. Sending love and hugs to you and Karen.

>17 karenmarie: I have one similar to that from the pharmacy. I think it's called a Magic Bag. It's long and I heat it and wrap it over the back of my neck when it's sore at work

Hi Chelle! It sounds wonderful. I love heat. All the times I've been told to use ice instead of heat I've ignored it (except for tooth problems). I hate using ice.

I finished Thursday's Children a while ago, and here are my updated stats: >5 karenmarie:

>17 karenmarie:. Thank you! I learn something new on LibraryThing every day.😀

You're most welcome, Joe.

21. Thursday’s Children by Nicci French
2/26/19 to 2/268/19





From Amazon:

The electrifying fourth book in the internationally bestselling Frieda Klein Mystery series

Frieda Klein is uninterested in catching up on old times when her former classmate, Maddie Capel, shows up at her door—until she hears about Maddie’s troubled daughter, Becky. The teenager claims she was raped in her own bed one night while her mother was downstairs. Her assailant left her with a warning: “Don’t think of telling anyone, sweetheart. Nobody will believe you.” And no one does—except Frieda.

Becky’s story awakens dark memories of an eerily similar incident in Frieda’s own past that she’s been avoiding for decades. When Becky is found hanging from a beam in her bedroom, Frieda returns home, seeking out her old high school friends to ask what they remember about the night that prompted Frieda to leave town for good. But confronting the ghosts of the past turns out to be more dangerous than she ever expected.

Why I wanted to read it: Fourth in the Frieda Klein series. I couldn’t resist going right to it after finishing Waiting for Wednesday.

We meet a much more human Frieda in this book, opening her flat up to Claire and boyfriend, friend Sasha and baby Ethan, dinner invasions by Reuben and Josef. Frieda likes it and doesn’t like it, feels obligated to help her friends more than most people would.

We learn much more about Frieda’s family, girlhood, and teenage years and the event that caused her to leave her hometown.

We also see the ruthless side of Frieda in her dealings with boyfriend Sandy and her mother. She hasn’t seen her mother in over 20 years, and Frieda forces her mother to see a doctor, leading to a terrible diagnosis. There are painful scenes with Sandy.

The elephant in the room is that Dean, her nemesis from Blue Monday, the twin supposed to be dead, is protecting her in a bizarre way so that he can eventually punish her himself. So in this installment we know who the rapist/murderer is about three-fourths of the way through the book, but the police can’t act because there’s no evidence and Frieda is helpless to act against him. Dean, however, has no such compunction, and tortures and kills Ewan. This clears the decks so that only one psychopath is stalking her – Dean himself. Frieda is alive because of Dean, fearful of Dean, stalked by Dean, protected by Dean, revenged by Dean.

Frieda is a fascinating character, as prickly as they come, as unyielding as a Mack truck. I’m not sure how well I could take this in real life, but Frieda’s eccentricities, more fully explained now in this book, are endearing and dangerous in this amazingly interesting and complex series.

Happy new thread, Karen. I picked a good time to follow up with your thread as I was on my way to the library and you reminded me of the Nicci French books. I am now on my way home with Tuesday’s Gone.

Thank you, Meg! Yes, good timing. Good for you. I've started Friday on My Mind.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Karen! My mom made some of our clothes as well but I think what really annoyed my older sister was how we received similar outfits, with me looking like my sister's "mini me". Apparently, I was rather annoying when I was young, as my sister continues to remind me to this day. ;-)

>17 karenmarie: - What a great idea!

>27 karenmarie: - It took all my effort to not click the spoiler, but I do like that Frieda is a "prickly" character.

Great topper! I think you had quite a respectable hairdo. I shudder to think of mine in the 7th grade.
Wait! What happened to Friday???? Did I miss your review? Oh wait. I see that you've started it now. I'm curious as to why you've read them out of order.
Love the sound of those corn bags.
Read the purged list with some regret. (You really wanted to get rid of Barbara Pym?) I should try to make your library sale to pick up the Harry Hole ones that I don't have, but I haven't read the ones I own yet, so never mind.

My mum made a lot of my clothes as well, and regularly made matching outfits for me and her; me and my cousins, me and my brother or me and my best friend. Luckily for me, she's a really good seamstress so everything looked good. I even requested a school-leaving outfit from her when I was 13 (the worst age) and she made my prom dress.
She's also made plenty of her own clothes throughout the decades, and while she rarely makes anything from scratch nowadays I often joke that the only clothes she owns that she hasn't put a needle and thread into is her socks and underwear. Always "adjusting" things.

>27 karenmarie: For me I need to read this series in the correct order because in my opinion they are related to each other. Usually I'm a person who reads books of a series not in the correct order.
Happy Friday, Karen. It's raining here and windy but not cold.

My grandmother used to use feed sacks to make clothes for my Mom and Aunt. They were sacks of grain printed with decorative patterns, some were really pretty and a lot were too cute for words (think cartoon puppies and Dutch children circa 1950). Anyway, I've got a box of the damn things that have followed me through the past three moves. They're about to get Marie Kondoed.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. It will inch up to 36 today. Whoopee!! I am enjoying Black Leopard in the early going.

>30 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>31 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! My sister was the annoying younger sister – she was always more slender than I was, cuter than I was. One thing Mom didn’t do was make us matching outfits because I was a redhead (still red highlights but in the last 10 years so it’s become more light brown with a few white strands now) and Laura was a blonde. She’s a summer and I’m an autumn, ‘colors’ wise.

I don’t remind my sister about how annoying she was. What I do now is tell her that I love her more than she loves me, which she disputes. *smile*

I try to be careful about spoilers but can’t control other peoples’ self-discipline. I debated putting it in at all, but it is something that I wanted to say. Stay strong.

>32 LizzieD: Thank you re my hairdo. I never did go crazy with my hair but did rat it as I got older.

I haven’t read the books out of order, Peggy – Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs, now Fri. Then Sat (which I have already acquired on my Kindle), Sun and last one on my shelves.

Sorry about the Harry Hole books – if I can reacquire them I will. Looks like you have Nemesis and need the others. The sale is March 28-30. I’d love for you to come to the sale. I can see why you wonder about the Pym since you have 14 of them on your shelves! But I’ve stared at it for years and don’t anticipate reading it.

>33 PawsforThought: Hi Paws. I admire people who can sew. I took Home Economics in the 7th grade with Miss Letitia Perry (“A place for everything and everything in its place.”). We were supposed to make a dress. The pattern was chosen by teacher’s pet Bonnie Lou Simmons and was not very flattering to me. I never finished it and was willing to take the grade hit, but seem to recall that I got a B in Home Ec. I’ve never tried to make anything since. I’m good at closing corn bags and making simple clothing repairs.

>34 Ameise1: Hi Barbara! It’s important to read this series in order for sure. Our weather is similar – rainy, a bit breezy. Pretty cold at 35F, but no threat of snow/ice/sleet.

>35 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry. When flour manufacturers saw women turning their flour sacks into clothing, diapers, dish cloths, and more, they started packing their flour in pretty patterns. It may not be worth the effort, but you might consider taking them to a consignment shop.

And why the hell was Marie Kondo at the Oscars, eh?

>36 msf59: Hi Mark! Yay for above freezing. I’m envious – I’ll acquire Black Leopard, Red Wolf sometime down the road because it’s getting such high praise here on LT.

…
Today is a brief run into town, puttering, housecleaning, reading. My first mug of coffee is almost gone.

I'll also be setting up a group read thread for David Copperfield and will post the link when it's all ready to go.

>37 karenmarie: I have professional weavers and lace makers among my ancesters, plus centuries of people who had no choice but to make their own (and their families) clothes.
Your home ec. class sounds dreadful. Our home ec. was focused on cooking and eating healthy, we had a separate class for sewing and such: textile crafts. We had 90 minutes a week for one term a year - the other term it was wood and metal crafts. Every year from 3rd to 8th grade. In 9th we got to choose which one we wanted to do (I picked textile) for the whole year.

Fantastic - weavers and lace makers.

My grandmother made all my mother and aunt's clothes plus she sewed tap and ballet costumes for them. I've seen pictures and they were stunning. My paternal grandmother crocheted and tatted. I know how to knit and perl but it's not something I enjoy doing. I'd rather be reading.

Your Home Ec sounds wonderful. You can tell that I have unhappy memories of Home Ec since I am still dedicating brain cells to them since 1965-1966. We also had cooking/baking which I loved, but I only had the one year. We had a huge room next door to the boys wood/metal working class. I'd have preferred to take that for sure! We weren't given an option - neither were the boys.

Here's the link.

David Copperfield Group Read

>39 karenmarie: My grandma (the professional weaver and also knitter extraordinarie) taught me how to knit before I'd learnt the alphabet. I can knit socks really well, but rarely do much else. I'm sure I could do jumpers and cardigans and things like that if I wanted to, but I'm too lazy to do that big a project.

I think the switch over from "girls do sweing and boys to wood working" at school was in the 70's here, so after my parents had finished school but before I was even born. I like the system we had - I think it's really good that you get to try both things.

Your mother and aunt's dance cosutmes sound darling! My grandmother (not the knitting/weaving one) used the cloth from sugar bags to made tiny suits for two of my uncles. The bags were made of linen, which was the nicest fabric they could get their hands on. She also hand washed the feathers and down from all the various birds my grandfather shot when he hunted and made pillows out of them. Crafty woman.

Good morning Karen!

Ah! A David Copperfield group read. I would join, but I've already read it and am trying to focus (for now) on reading unread books in my library. Hope you enjoy it.

>40 karenmarie: Thank you for the link to the David Copperfield read.

It's snowing out, so the balance is tipping towards evil.

I never liked anything I sewed in Home Ec either but did go on to sew a lot of stuff later. I made my friend's wedding dress when I was 18 (it was a simple full length A-line) and also my own when the time came much later. Strange because my mom didn't sew but did have a sewing machine, one of those old Singers with the treadle.

Passing through and waving hello! *wave*

My grandmothers both sewed, and sewed a lot of things for me. My mother quilts, While she didn't have much time to sew once she started having kids, she did sew her own clothes before that, including her wedding dress. She also made my wedding dress. I did not have the option of Home Ec in school, and came to sewing rather late. I have sewn quite a few things for my kids - t-shirts and skirts, shorts, etc. I've also made a couple nice long sleeve shirts for my husband. It's a useful skill. :)

I was horrible at sewing but just fine with cooking in home ec. We only got 2 or 3 six week periods a couple days a week (at most) of it in middle school. Aprons were our 6th grade project. I remember doing a purse in 7th grade. In 8th grade, I think we had the option of doing something else, and I chose the latch hook rug.

>41 PawsforThought: I think that you have to have a passion for knitting anymore, since relatively inexpensive clothing is readily available. I remember making slippers. Mom made me a beautiful yellow cardigan and a beautiful blue mohair sweater when I was young. Being Mom, nothing was ever saved, so I don’t have them. I remember loving them, though.

I would have loved to have tried shop. Who knows? I might have had an aptitude for it. Those tiny sugar-bag suits sound lovely. Homemade pillows, too. Impressive.

I have several goose-feather basters my great-grandmother made. They lived on a farm in Iowa and used everything.

>42 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! Thanks, I completely understand about wanting to read unread books.

>43 pgmcc: You’re very welcome, Peter! So glad you’re joining us for another Dickens read.

>44 richardderus: Ugh. Snow. Coffee, books, blankies, inside. *smooch*

>45 Familyhistorian: I’m so appreciative of people who sew, just never had the knack or desire. Wow. Two wedding dresses.

>46 nittnut: Hi Jenn! *wave* I’m just happy that I can do minor repairs with needle and thread and sew the edges of corn bags. *smile*

>47 thornton37814: It’s amazing what we remember, isn’t it Lori? All on his own, sometime in his early 20s, my husband latch hooked a rug. We’ve got it somewhere around here…

…
Went to the library for Friends business and the bank ditto. I stopped off at the local diner because Friday is coconut cake day but they hadn’t made them yet (it was a calculated risk, because they only guarantee them for dinner), so here I am back home.

>48 karenmarie: I like working with wood, but it requires both space and tools - neither of which I have much of (save for a couple of knives). I have woodworking "in my blood", too - there are at least 3 carpenters/woodworkers in the family.

It's a shame your mother didn't keep the cardigans, they sound lovely and it's really nice to be able to keep things like that. At least you have the memories. My grandma was very good at donating clothes to those who were in need, so not a lot remains from mum's childhood. Therefore, mum has been really careful to keep a fair amount of mine and my brother's clothes. I'm really grateful for that, because there are some real gems there.

I love learning about people who really use all the materials that are at their disposal instead of just picking a few things out and and throwing away the rest. Obviously, back in the day this was a necessity because they couldn't afford to do otherwise, but it's inspiring to see people do that today when we're where we're at in terms of climate and overusing resources.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Finally wrapping up my long work week. Whew! I loved David Copperfield and also read it in a Group Read, a few years ago.

>49 PawsforThought: My brother was an artisan with brick - he could lay the most beautiful herringbone pattern walkways... He also carved fishing bobbers. I have several of them.

I'm glad that your mum saved your brother's and your clothes. Things like that are important. My daughter is sentimental about clothing and we have quite a few things from her childhood and teenage years. I have a few things from my 20s - special outfits and an old purse or two. Also some business things I was wearing in the 1980s - those I really need to donate.

>50 msf59: Hi Mark! I was busy on the threads today but didn't check my own! Glad your work week is over.

Since you've read David Copperfield recently, perhaps you'll be up for a group read of A Tale of Two Cities in the fall.

...
I went to a talk today by the author of The Children of Harvey Milk, Andrew Reynolds. He is an able and interesting speaker and provided us with some fascinating information from his book. What interested me most was his discussion about the global aspects of the LGBTQ communities as opposed to a US-centric view. I'll be reading the book one of these days.

Happy Sunday, Karen.

>51 karenmarie: Be warned, The Children of Harvey Milk isn't the easiest read.

*smooch*

>52 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara!

>53 richardderus: So you've read it? Our library has one copy. I could have checked it out yesterday, but I'm participating in three group reads right now AND am totally immersed in the Frieda Klein series by Nicci French. I figure it will be there next month when I'll have some literary breathing room.

*smooch* from your own Horrible

...
Today is our annual Home Owners Association meeting at 2 p.m. Then tonight is book club to discuss The Essex Serpent.

Bill and I have been watching Marcella and it's a constant punch in the gut. It's very well done and we're hooked. Second season's almost done, though it appears that there's a season three coming. IMDB describes it as Scandanavian noir on the streets of Britain.

>54 karenmarie: Yep. I got a DRC from Oxford. Not cheery, the state of my folk's right to exist in this vile, violent world. The book'll be there when you're ready.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. We have a kid's party to go to this afternoon, but I plan on spending a block of time with the books. I have read A Tale of Two Cities, but it has been about 10 years or so. Maybe, if I find it on audio. I am long overdue for a Dickens.

Happy new thread! I must be a few years younger than you as I was part of the Title IX revolution in middle school. Girls took shop. Boys took home ec. And in mixed gender classes! The shop teacher was at something of a loss as to what to do with girls but I remember making a wooden bracelet that we cut, sanded and shaped and then stained.

My maternal grandmother was the crafty one in the family. She taught me to crochet. Recently, I found a box of the clothes she made for my Barbie and Ken: hand knitted sweaters and hand sewn dresses. I still crochet but am not much good at the sewing machine.

>55 richardderus: I've made a note to revisit it on April 1. My memory being what it is... *smile*

>56 msf59: Hi Mark! Thanks. Have fun at the kid's party but I hope you can make serious headway with your books! I've made a note for October 1 for a group read thread of A Tale of Two Cities.

>57 witchyrichy: Hi Karen and thank you! You're lucky you got to take shop. From Wikipedia:

Title IX is a federal civil rights law in the United States of America that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. This is Public Law No. 92‑318, 86 Stat. 235, codified at 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681–1688. It was co-authored and introduced by Senator Birch Bayh in the U.S. Senate.

I graduated high school in 1971.

How exciting that you have a box of homemade Barbie and Ken clothes! I have one beautiful black skirt my paternal grandmother made for my Barbie. I got in trouble for having Barbie be pregnant while wearing it - she and Ken weren't married, you see, and my grandmother, born in 1882, Did Not Like That At All. I was probably 9 at the time, certainly no older than 10 since that's when my grandmother passed away in spring of 1964.

My dad could do or make anything and my mom was a wonderful cook. My superpower is ordering food online.

I contacted a place that sells things on eBay for you but haven't heard back from them. I'd really like to shift these boxes of feed sacks. I've already gotten rid of a ton of stuff lately.

Ps- I've got two of the five remaining bookcases filled! Since they've always been double-stacked there are a ton of books I'd forgotten I had.

For lunch imma have the Savanna Smiles cookies I bought yesterday from the Girl Scouts.

Belated happy new thread, Karen!
I love the picture at the top, the hair is just a sign of the time ;-)

You are really into Frida Klein I see. I am not sure yet if I dare to try, as they sound a bit on the scary side.

Hey. Karen. Thanks for the comments on the Frida Klein mysteries. I haven't come across them yet, but I'll be on the lookout.

I was four years ahead of you in public school, graduating in 1967. Girls were still required to wear skirts, and still assumed to be heading toward home-making in the traditional sense. Home-ec was a complete waste of my time, since I already knew how to sew and the only dish we made was tuna fish salad. Worthless. I would have LOVED to take shop classes, but was too stuck in the old stereotypes to raise the issue.

My sister was in your cohort, and could by then wear jeans to school. Alas, she wasn't interested in shop classes. I was just discussing with someone else from my years that we were sort of caught mid-stream in the women's movement, and we can now see it created a lot of hesitancy for us even though our parents supported any choices we wanted to make.

It's interesting to me how the handcrafts movement is on the rise when so much is available cheaply. My sister knits, spins and weaves, loves to make her own socks. I'm knitting again a little bit (lost my favorite knit hat!), and can do repairs and such without much trouble. Sewing anything from scratch involves more fit problems than I'm willing to take on at the moment. But the idea of things like corn-sacks intrigues me - anything as long as I don't have to fit the curves!

>57 witchyrichy: In 1962 I caused a bit of a scandal by signing up for summer school wood shop class. The first girl ever. All the "but your might be cut off", exclamations. No fingers were lost, by me or anyone else. I was not particularly talented at making mirror image wings for my model plane. I wish I could have made a case for my dolls, but then I was judged too old for dolls (I have 100s of dolls)

Well, I graduated High School in 1979. I recall having to wear dresses until grade 3 or 4. Initally girls could only wear " pant suits" - that is to say, pants and vest or some such thing that matched. I can't remember when we could finally wear jeans like the guys - perhaps grade 7 or grade 8? At the same time that the pronouncement came down that girls did not have to wear dresses / skirt in school, the obligatory reading of a passage of the Bible was also stopped. I believe that the principal of the school being able to spank a child ended than too. Corporal punishment in public schools was banned. I'm not sure what prompted the change, but I was very pleased to be able to wear jeans. Home Ec was still forced on girls in grade 8 , and as far as I know, we could not take shop. That changed a year or so later, but I was not interested in shop or Home Ec or sewing. Not at all! My own mom could not sew, and thankfully I had a good friend who sewed rather well and she helped me limp through the sewing aspect of Grade 8 home Ec.

>27 karenmarie: I haven't caught up - it's too late, and my eyes are tired. But I now see! Your review was for Thursday but somehow the cover for Saturday is posted.
I didn't read carefully enough or remember exactly what happens in which book.

Morning, Karen. I graduated in 1977, from Oak Park IL. Hemingway's birthplace. Bitter cold again. Only 13F. WTH? At least I am off tomorrow. A good day to thaw out. I am seriously sick of it. Better by the weekend.

>59 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hey Larry! So the apple fell far from the tree? *smile* I am in awe of your superpower. Congrats on filling more bookcases. We’ve already eaten the Girl Scout cookies. Mostly Bill, but I did some damage to the Samoas.

>60 FAMeulstee: sorry Anita - see #101 below.

>61 ffortsa: Hi Judy! You’re welcome. They are very good indeed. We still had to wear skirts or dresses when I graduated high school in 1971. Don’t know when they changed the dress code. There were two Pants Days per year when we could wear pants but not shorts or jeans.

Ditto on parents supporting me, although they had to borrow money for me to go to college. When I was a sophomore I started working and saving and paid for the rest of my tuition/books/living expenses. I wasn’t nice about it to them – told them I didn’t want their money and my degree would be my own.

I’m wondering if part of the handcrafts movement is the way the internet has made it easy to find like-minded individuals and spread the word about access to materials, patterns – a KnittersThing, if you will.

>62 quondame: Hi Susan. By the time I got to high school I was on a college track – in 4 years the only non-academic courses I took were PE which was required, and shorthand and typing which were not. The shorthand was great in college – I took notes in it and transcribed them, reinforcing the knowledge I had heard. I still use it, but only to make snarky comments to myself about the dumb things people say in meetings.

Sorry they wouldn’t let you make what you wanted to make. And dolls. Would you describe your collection?

>63 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Those dates seem consistent with what was going on here dress-wise. I just remembered that for Grad Night ’71 at Disneyland we had to wear pant suits if we didn’t wear a dress. *shudder* Yay for a good friend who could sew.

>64 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Ah, that explains your comments. My fault, and I have fixed the image. It just proves that I’m not perfect, doesn’t it? I’m not sure I could explain each book now, and I’ve read three in a row.

>65 msf59: Hi Mark! Your weather looks nasty all week, doesn’t it? Sorry you have to be out in it today.

We’re supposed to get hard freezes tomorrow night and Wednesday night. A farmer friend of mine is having a tough time – it’s too wet from all the rains to plant, but if they did they’d have problems with the hard freezes. And she’s still waiting for money back from the government for damaged crops last year.

Did the girls have to wear skirts/dresses when you were in high school?

…
This morning is a FoL board meeting. Jenna’s coming home for a few days sometime this week – spring break - and I hope to have a meet up with Jenn Wednesday or Thursday.

Hi Karen,

Such nostalgia...;-p We had to wear uniforms of sorts, in high school. Gray skirts, white blouses and disgustingly ugly school sweater (green and red sleeve stripes). In grade 9 or 10, we had a sit-in outside the principal's office with our petition, *demanding* to allow girls to wear pants. Not jeans, just regular *slacks*. We won, and after that, I don't think I ever wore a skirt again (to school). (1969/70, or thereabouts)

Good for you, Shelley! A sit-in that worked.

Remember 'granny' dresses? I had two and wore them my first and second year of college. After that, hip-hugger bell bottom jeans and 'cool' shirts, but not usually t-shirts.

Well, *I* couldn't wear a dress to school, not even to prom! As to sewing, I've always considered it one of the Black Arts that gets women burned at the stake. Taking some skinny string and a mile of floppy stuff printed with soppy li'l pinkypoo fleurs and turning it into a dress?! HOW?!?

In league with de debbil, all y'all.

Happy Monday, Karen! Interesting conversation about home-ec and shop. When I was in school we took both, alternating half the class in each and then switch.

>69 richardderus: Well, Billy Porter has taken it beyond kilts. I did love the vibrancy of the shirts young men wore in the 70s and 80s, if not the fabric. I don't expect to live to see men strutting about in finery to compare with the 15th-18th centuries, but it would be grand.
I was initiated into the dark arts of 2D->3D transformations by the example of a fearless sister who left patterns and tools lying about, and then bullied into the basics by the whirlpool of the Russian immigrant who taught Jr high Home Ex and High School Russian and hated the girls in my family while doting on the boys. A small part of why I hate small towns.

>71 quondame: Ugh, I hated Billy Porter in that dress. With his height and figure he should totally have gone with a shift cut on the bias.

>72 SomeGuyInVirginia: I think it said what he wanted it to say. No to the bias cut gown, but I too think he could have made a more flattering choice if that was his aim. He wanted to take up the space, big time, and twirl the skirt. Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to twirl the skirt? Delicious!

>73 quondame: Twirling in a skirt is one of the great joys in life.

I left school in 1979 and as is normal in British schools, we had a uniform: skirt, blouse, sweaters & tie. No trousers! It’s still not uncommon for girls not to be allowed to wear trousers as part of their uniform. When we started in 1972 age 11, girls did needlework and cookery and boys did metalwork and woodwork, but by the time we left it was getting more flexible. I can’t say that I learned very much in either lesson!

I devoted yesterday afternoon to rereading The Unknown Ajax – I’m about halfway through and will continue today. I needed something light after Frieda Klein and These Truths. So I wasn’t on LT much. Thanks, visitors!

>69 richardderus: It is magic, RD, a kind of magic for which I do not have an affinity.

>70 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! Thanks. I had a combination busy and lazy day yesterday. It is hard for me to imagine having both shop and home ec offered to both boys and girls - did the boys take home ec too?

>71 quondame: I just looked up Billy Porter, Susan. I’ve never seen or heard of him before. So HE’S the guy who wore a full length tuxedo dress at the Oscars – I saw pictures later. I like 2D -> ‘3D transformations’ and your ‘whirlpool of the Russian immigrant’ reminds me of our home ec dictator Miss Letitia Perry.

>72 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry! Maybe he wanted to ease people into seeing a man in a skirt by making the top severely ‘masculine’ and the voluminous skirt flowingly ‘feminine’. “I wanted to create a space where we can have a dialogue about the masculine and the feminine and everything in between,” the actor explained to E! News after the Oscars.

>73 quondame: I used to love my big skirt-covered bouffant petticoat…

>74 PawsforThought: … and twirling around in it and was a joy.

>75 SandDune: Hi Rhian! For a while it seemed like daughter’s middle school was going to try to go to uniforms in the 2002-2004 era. It would have made quite a few parents happy (barring the expense) but my daughter was livid about the idea. I would have insisted that she be allowed to wear shorts or pants, though.

I'd be up to a reread of Tale of Two Cities in the fall. Last I read it was in high school, so I would certainly have a different opinion of it this time around.

Hi Rachel!

Nice! I've added you to my list of people to remind once I set the thread up. It's my book club's December 1 discussion book, so I'll set the thread up October 1, I think.

Good morning, Karen! Just passing through, trying to get caught up...

Hi Katie! Good morning to you, too.

I am gathering my strength to visit your 86-unread-message thread... *smile*

"Did the girls have to wear skirts/dresses when you were in high school?" Not at our public school.

Morning, Karen. I am enjoying my A.M. at home. I have not cracked a book but getting a few things done. I do have a couple of quick errands but most of the afternoon will be reserved for the books. I need to get out and freshen up my feeders. They have been busy, of late. Mostly, goldfinch, juncos and housefinch.

Hi Mark! I hope you have a wonderful day off after the continuing weather nastiness in Chicagoland. I'm filling my 5.1 quart sunflower seed feeder every 3rd day recently, and I'll need to fill it again this afternoon or early tomorrow. I filled everything else except it and the suet feeder yesterday. Right now I've got a very angry sounding Blue Jay on the Crepe Myrtle and a dozen or more Cardinals sharing the feeders with some sparrows.

I agree with >73 quondame:, when I saw it I thought 'very 17th century'. Or 1968. Either.

Got a ton of sleep last night. Even with Parker jumping on my head at 4:30 I was rested. What a difference a day makes!

Hi Larry!

I'm glad you slept well, even with Da Floof providing early alarm-clock services.

I'm reading part 3 of These Truths. It is absolutely fascinating and filled with the history I was never taught in school.

I had to wear uniforms all through my schooldays. Tunics with white blouses and navy blue or white socks in elementary school, a white blouse, navy blazer and grey skirt in high school. They were pretty disgusting towards the end of the year where it warmed up (no aircon) and no pants with short skirts was not the most practicle in the winter in Montreal. When I started work women still had to wear skirts (early ‘70s).

Wow. I read all your stories about school uniforms and I'm so grateful that I grew up in a contry that not only has never had school uniforms, but where it's actually forbidden by law to require school uniforms. We were always allowed to wear whatever we wanted, which is why my class photo from prep year (pre-1st grade) features me in matching sweatpants and sweatshirt.
And I've never worked anywhere that has requires any sort of dress code (bar the plain black t-shirt that was the "uniform" when I work retail) - always been allowed to wear whatever. I can't think of any workplace over here that requires dress codes other than maybe law firms, banks and obviously the ones where it's a hygiene or safety issue, etc.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. I am nearly finished with The Fall of Wisconsin. It has been an excellent book, impeccably researched but also dark and disturbing. That evil GOP. I am then thinking, of taking a left turn, and listening to The Dry. I have been curious about this series of crime books for awhile and I am intrigued by the setting. Have you read it?

I ordered a new bird feed hopper, like the one I all ready have. It is squirrel proof. The old one, is beginning to rust in spots and showing other signs of wear.

>85 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! Since it wasn't an option, I guess it was just a problem from a weather-related point of view. I wore suits/blouses through the late 1990s not because it was required but because I already had so many that hadn't gone out of style that it saved buying good slacks.

>86 PawsforThought: Do tell, Paws - what country? And although there is a dress code for lawyers, larger businesses, and of course weird retail outfits, everything else is much more casual here than it ever was. Bill wears jeans and nice LLBean shirts to work and most days he's overdressed! They'd cut a tie off if he wore one...

My dress code here at the house is strict - jammies for a couple of hours after I get up then usually stretchies and either a long-sleeved shirt or t-shirt depending on the season. LLBean mocs or wool sox in either case - my feet are usually cold. *smile*

Hi Mark! Happy Wednesday to you, too. I read Force of Nature last year, not realizing it was the second in a series. It's totally excellent, by the way. I've got The Dry on my Kindle just waiting for the right time. I also bought her new, standalone book The Lost Man, also just waiting for the right time.

It's a brand new day, the Weather Goddess left the freezer open again, and I'm sipping coffee in a cardigan under a blanket. Not too bad.

Good morning, RD! It's a nice bright 25F outside, a chilly 62.1F inside, but I'm all cozied up in my fleece jammies and thick wool socks. I'm sipping coffee, too. Well, taking it in intravenously because I woke up out of some serious, detailed, weird dreams and am a tad foggy.

Looks like the damned raccoons are eating all the wild bird seed from one of my feeders. I'd stopped taking the feeder in every night because after accidentally leaving it out overnight there was no evidence of thiefs, but I filled it two days ago and the whole thing has been emptied. Sigh. Alarm back on my cell phone to bring it in every night again, and I'll be filling it up in a bit.

Coons need food, too. Problem is they're able to get it more easily than not-seagulls. Like out of our trashcans. That's an annoyance I don't miss...also don't miss deer eating the annuals...and squirrels nesting in the attic...wow, I love city life!

They do, I agree, but not my wild birdseed. They used to knock over the feeding station in the back before we got a squirrel/raccoon proof one, then they started climbing the stairs in the front and perching on the railing to attack the one that now needs refilling.

I'm feeding the deer some corn left over from making corn bags. I'm also feeding birds, two you-know-whats, and a betta fish named Freddie. I think that's enough.

Yes, we started shop and home ec in elementary school (grades 6-8, if I remember correctly) and both boys and girls had to take it. I remember sewing a pencil case in home ec, and I don't remember what I made in shop. I would have been in those grades in about 92-94, I think. High school was the same, but I think we chose either home ec or shop. I took home ec and Nate took shop. We still have a chair and a table in our house that he made in high school.

Hi Chelle!

It is way cool that you still have a chair and table he made. We have a yellow table that Bill's great-grandfather Jefferson Davis Cranford (!) made. He also made a doll's bed for his youngest daughter, born in 1913, that I have in the attic. I have the table here in the Sunroom and keep a plant and culled books on it.

I also have, somewhere, a beautiful hanging 2-shelf rack my brother made in shop. Hmm. I should look for it and figure out a place to put it. I also think I've got a wood/metal fish he made...

>88 karenmarie: Sweden! We're a very relaxed country when it comes to things like this. I work in a high school and I know people at work who wear sweatpants every day.
I like your dresscode - especially the wool socks. I live in them two, and usually combine with a pair of sheepskin slippers and not just one but two cardigans. Always cold.

We also don't use titles and call people by their first name no matter who they are. There was the so-called "you-revolution" in the sixties (the Swedish words for "you" is different in singular and plural, just like in French and German) and after that people stopped saying "Mrs Johnson" or "Doctor Brown" and started saying "Anne" and "Daniel Brown" instead.
I've never in my life referred to someone by a title - always full name (if it's a stranger) or just first name (if it's someone I know even a little bit).

Thanks, Paws! Very good.

I've added my LLBean mocs on top of the socks today. My feet are what gets cold first.

Interesting about names and titles - I was raised to call someone I don't know well by title/last name, and have modified that to Mr./Ms. unless I know for sure they prefer Mrs. or are a doctor. (medicine, dentistry, PhD, whatever).

When I was a kid the rule was that anyone who was my age or older was 'sir/ma'am', and I still do that unless I consciously try to avoid it. Some people can get shirty about it.

Did I tell you this story? I was in college and out west when a guy in his 40s held an elevator for me. I said thank you sir, and he said 'You know kid, one day somebody is going to call you sir and it's going to ruin your whole day.' I thought he was a crank. Then one day this PISHER called me sir and I gave him the 'sir/ruin whole day' spiel. He said 'I'm sorry to hear that, sir.'

Ireland is very much a first name culture. If someone uses your surname you ignore them. If they call you Mr. or Ms. Surname you know you are in trouble. :-)

>97 SomeGuyInVirginia: If I ever called anyone "Herr'n" or "Frun" (sir/ma'am) they'd stare at me and wonder if someone from the 1930's had managed to invent time travel.

A little mix up in answering up there >66 karenmarie:, so I will ask again:
You are really into Frida Klein, Karen, I am not sure yet if I dare to try, as they sound a bit on the scary side.

Hi Anita! I'm sorry. My >66 karenmarie: message above is sort of fixed - I'll answer it here.

You're right about the hair being the sign of the times. It's just that my mother was not very kind about doing our hair and had even once told me that she hated combing our hair... so that was my young effort at making curls. I slept on rollers and in bobby pins and was always stressed about what my hair looked like. It's sad sometimes, the things we remember. I love my mother deeply, but there were certain things she was just not a good mother about.

Frieda Klein. You can have mysteries and psychotics and terrible things occur without the presence of true evil. I felt the presence of true evil in the first book. The following spoiler talks about the series as a whole, at least as far as I've read it, the first 5 of 8 books. It took me 5 months before I'd read the second book, then 5 more months until I read the third book. Since then I've read them quickly until now - I needed a break so am reading a Georgette Heyer instead. I've got 3 more to go in the series.

The first book set up a storyline that has continued throughout the books. It's scary and disturbing. The first book is stunningly well written and intellectually satisfying yet the evil is there and makes you look over your shoulder. I can say no less about the other books except that other cases/problems are the main storyline and you tend to forget about the underlying and ongoing thread until you're reminded of it here and there.

I don't remember - do you read the Cormoran Strike series? Frankly these are no worse than those, but both series take a rather strong stomach. Frieda herself is likeable in a very uncompromising way, and one of the beauties of the series is that she grows even as she sets a course that may hurt herself but benefit other people.

>101 karenmarie: Sleeping in rollers! I remember it and remember how fruitless it was in my case. During "rat week" in my women's college in 1963 (I graduated from high school in '62 and didn't even own a pair of slacks or jeans), freshmen were supposed to wear their hair ratted and uncombed. Sophomores with fine-toothed combs roamed the campus looking for freshmen who didn't have that wild woman look. I had to get a note of dispensation from the president of the sophomore class because the ratting would fall out of my fine, straight hair in about five minutes. *sigh*

Hi Peggy!

I've never heard of "rat week". Definitely hazing... What a strange thing it seems from the vantage point of 2019. By the time I was in 8th grade in Los Angeles the style was long straight hair with bonus points if you were a blonde. Center part, long bangs that you would swoop behind your ears. I had wavy red hair that absolutely would not grow past my shoulders and wild bangs that were not tamable. It took until my early 20s before I loved my hair.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. The Dry is off to a good start. I have been shifting away from crime series fiction, but I am glad I took a chance on this one.
Finally inching our way up to seasonal temps this weekend. 'Bout time!!

'Morning, Mark! Thank you. I'm glad The Dry has started off well. I'm glad your weather is working its way towards seasonal and not frigid/ridiculous.

Sleeping in rollers! Memories! Never again. I'm glad hot rollers came out before the big hair of the 80s. I still have mine, but my hair isn't long enough to use them now. It wouldn't take long to grow out if big hair came back into vogue. My hair has always been thick and grows quickly.

Hi Lori! The things girls and women went through! Never again is right. You're lucky to have thick and fast-growing hair. I have lots of very fine hair that doesn't grow quickly.

...
I just finished The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer, inspired by @RichardDerus's recent re-read. I wanted something not heavy and not challenging after reading 3 Frieda Klein books in a row. Absolutely brilliant, fun, beautifully written.

I'll never forget moving into my dorm room for freshman year of college, when my roommate came in carrying a set of rollers. I was like, WTH are those? Heh.

ETA: That was 1996.

Morning, Karen! SO interesting to read all the comments about titles and what we call each other. In the Deep South, titles are very big and ma'am and sir are very prevalent. I hate being called Mrs. - probably because I share that name with my MIL. In my next life I will keep my own family name. Anyway, when we moved down here, I had a hard time with everyone calling me Mrs. - please, it's just Mamie, I would say. I would invariably get the "my mother raised me right" speech, which just means that they will use my title and surname regardless of what I might prefer. Finally, because I do believe that you teach people how to treat you, the next time I got that response, I had to speak up and say, well my Dad raised me to be kind, and it would be a kindness if you would call me by the name of my choice.

Good morning, Karen. I hope your week is going well.

>109 Crazymamie: There there, Mistress Mamie, we'll never ever think of the dreadful battleax who bore your husband when we address you!

Hey Horrible. It was a three-cup morning.

>108 katiekrug: 1996? Seriously. Wow, Katie.

I have quite a few of Bill's Mama's and Grandma's things, and we have a plant/? stand that has two small triangular drawers. One has two rhinestone/plastic hair combs and the other has plastic u-shaped hair pins. We always leave these kinds of things where they are - I would imagine they've been there for upwards of 40 or 50 years. Each drawer has a small bar of soap - possibly to keep bugs out. *smile*

>109 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! You're right about ma'am and sir here in the South. I taught my daughter that almost out of self-defense, and it's stood her in good stead. But I can also understand not wanting to be called the name that is, to you, your MiL's. You came up with a perfect solution! You killed them with kindness.

Until I stopped having my cleaning ladies in January, they always called me Miss Karen.

>110 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! Yes, a good week. Jenna came home yesterday for the second half of her spring break and we watched Bohemian Rhapsody and then played Yahtzee. After dinner the three of us watched the beginning of season 4 of Rizzoli & Isles.

Today we're going to get betta fish Freddie a nice home, eat lunch out, then stop at the grocery store for a few things. It's a beautiful, if cool, day weather-wise, so we'll have a nice ride.

>111 richardderus: Hi RD! I've just finished my second mug of coffee.

Maybe I'll listen to The Unknown Ajax. I was going to start Brave New World after realizing that Alan Turing was boring.

>109 Crazymamie: well my Dad raised me to be kind, and it would be a kindness if you would call me by the name of my choice. You've just channeled my paternal grandmother. Srsly, that was her voice exactly.

>109 Crazymamie: Perfect, Mamie!
>112 karenmarie: One of the sad things in my life is that a couple of my non-white friends (a little but not a lot younger than I am) call me Miss Peggy in spite of objections and my calling them Miss _____ back.
*UA* is on my list of favorite Heyers. I still hold Frederica as my number one, but several others including *UA* come so close that a prioritized list is pretty meaningless. I should read a Heyer soon!

At 62, I hate being called 'dear' or 'dearie'. It seems to be common with store clerks - as in "You're welcome, dearie." It makes me feel 102.

Karen! Karen! HELP HELP I forgot to favorite the message with your top Heyers list in it and now I can't find it HELP WHERE IS IT HELP MEEEEEE

>113 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! It’s a fun read. It suited me perfectly after challenging or emotionally devastating reads.

>114 SomeGuyInVirginia: Now that you mention it, Larry, it sounds like Bill’s Mama, although she would have said “Daddy” instead of “Dad”.

>115 LizzieD: My cleaning ladies are white, very ‘Old Chatham County’. Although now I’m thinking about it, some of the people at work, black and white, older than me and younger than me called me Miss Karen. I just let it ride, a la Mamie.

You should absolutely read a Heyer soon. Especially now that your second cataract surgery is behind you and the world is all bright and shiny again!

>116 streamsong: Hi Janet – that might be a Western thing, not sure, but I did hear it a lot in Montana when I visited Karen (and you) last summer. I agree about feeling 102 when called that. Miss Karen makes me feel part of an economic class system that I don’t completely understand.

>117 richardderus: Okay, RD! Hold Keep your pants on!!!

Rather than just give you my top 8, here's my complete list. This is my lifetime rating within all Heyer romances, rather than what I've got showing in LT which is across all books - therefore they go from 5 to 1.


Devil's Cub
Faro's Daughter
The Nonesuch
The Quiet Gentleman
The Talisman Ring
The Toll-Gate
The Unknown Ajax
These Old Shades


A Civil Contract
An Infamous Army
Black Sheep
Lady of Quality
The Convenient Marriage
The Masqueraders
The Reluctant Widow


Arabella
Bath Tangle
False Colours
Frederica
Regency Buck
Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle
The Black Moth
The Corinthian
Venetia


April Lady
Charity Girl
Cotillion
Friday's Child
Powder and Patch
Sprig Muslin
The Foundling
The Grand Sophy


Cousin Kate

Whew! Thanks, it's favorited. I am pleased that neither of us had much use for Sprig Muslin. Sort of blah.

>118 karenmarie: Wow that is quite some list, Karen. Not read any of 'em thus far though.

>119 richardderus: You're very welcome, RD. I've read 3 of her mysteries but thought them Agatha-Christie-wanna-bes, so re-homed them. I've also read The Great Roxhythe, which I thought was very good.

>120 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I've been reading and re-reading Heyer since I was 13, so ...gulp... 52 years.

>121 karenmarie: Gosh

Oh, Karen! The Grand Sophy and Cotillion rate only 2 stars??????? How can that be? I am at least happy that you value A Civil Contract highly. Lots of people don't, I understand.
>116 streamsong: I don't get "dearie" or "dear" here, thank heaven. I do get a lot of "baby" from mere snippits of girls. That may be a very local, mostly Lumbee thing; I don't know.

>123 LizzieD: I'm with you on Cotillion, it's one of my favorites, but Sophy is my least favorite Heyeroine.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday! Flurries out there at the moment but it is supposed to inch up to 40F. Yah! I heard my first red-winged blackbird yesterday. Double Yah!!

>122 PaulCranswick: Yup. *smile*

>123 LizzieD: Sorry, Peggy. The Georgians are my favorites. Reviewing my list against the The List of Works of Georgette Heyer I realize that there a few books I own by her that aren't in the above list:

The Spanish Bride Regency - added as a 4 to the above list
The Great Roxhythe - already mentioned, historical
The Conqueror - historical - read, not rated
Simon the Coldheart- historical - read, not rated
Royal Escape - historical - read, not rated
Pistols for Two - Regency - short stories - to be read
My Lord John - historical - to be read
Beauvallet - historical - read, not rated

>124 quondame: Hi Susan!

...
It's interesting which ones each of us prefer. In compiling this list I realize I haven't read Pistols for Two and My Lord John. I think I'll start Pistols for Two today.

I started Dark Saturday, the sixth in the Frieda Klein last night.

Hey Horrible, I found a ceramic tchotchke you might like:

David Burnham Smith is the potter.

I figure I owe you something lovely for the Heyer info. One of...them...is sufficiently painful and unpleasant to me that it demonstrates real gratitude, no?

>118 karenmarie: I love to see people's lists, Karen. I will have to think about the ones I've read. I think we have some similarities although Frederica would be among my favorites.

>127 richardderus: Richard my dear! That is a beautiful one of ...them... and I sincerely appreciate the gratitude and effort. Thank you! *smooch*

>128 BLBera: Me, too, Beth! I love lists. For me that translates into spreadsheets...

I don't think I realized that she had five categories of writing:

Georgian
Regency
Other Historical Novels
Detective Novels
Essays

...
Jenna and watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. We then transferred Freddie from his old cheesy glass jar to his new 3.5 gallon filtered heated well-lit home. So far so good.

>101 karenmarie: It is hard to do everything right, Karen, being a mother. When I was young I wanted long hair, like my sisters had. My mother kept my hair short, as according to her, I didn't sit still long enough when she combed it.

Thank you, yes, I have read the first three Comoran Strike books, and liked them. The scary I can't take is not blood, gore or evil, but when it gets close and realistic, like it could happen (near) to me. So if I can stand the first Frida Klein I will probably be good for the whole series.

Cotillion and The Corinthian are the only ones I've read.

I've never read a Georgette Heyer. I have owned The Grand Sophy for a couple of years, but so far it's not called to me. But you never know when or why.

Karen--Just catching up here on all the Miss/Mrs/Dearie discussion, as well as the fish transplantation and Heyer ratings. : ) Wishing you a great weekend!

>88 karenmarie: Having to wear uniform was a problem as uniforms were expensive and you didn't get to learn how to dress appropriately.

It has been a while since I pulled out any of my Heyer collection but you are making me want to revisit it. I think my favourite is These Old Shades.

>130 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita! I think every parent makes one or mistakes with their children. And what I finally figured out sometime after I’d left home is that each child had a different childhood because the parents were in a different stage of their lives and marriage. So as an example, my sister, the youngest, got the worst aspects of my parents as they dealt with my mother’s alcoholism. It became more overt and debilitating after Doug and I had left home, leaving Laura to cope with the neglect, embarrassment, and unhappy home situation. No wonder she married at 18, and married into a family that appeared to be healthy, happy, and above all not dysfunctional.

There were still things that I realized weren’t good about my childhood when it all came to a head in my early 30s. This may sound arrogant, but it was absolutely necessary for me to ‘forgive’ my parents. I never confronted them or told them that I forgave them, but I did. They did the best they could and all the problems I had were first world anyway, as I realized even though I didn’t use that term until very recently. I was loved, kept safe, kept warm/cool, kept clothed, given support and intellectual freedom.

Frieda Klein is very realistic, but also easy to distance yourself, IMO, because she is not someone who I could personally relate to. I don’t think the books are any more disturbing than the Cormoran Strike books.

>131 The_Hibernator: They’re all a lot of fun, Rachel, a great break from serious or challenging reading – at least for me. This is not to say that they aren’t intellectually satisfying, if you like historical fiction and revel in a pretty accurate representation of the time period.

>132 vancouverdeb: The Grand Sophy is not one of my favorites, Deborah, but most people here on LT rate it highly. I know what you mean about a book calling to you.

>133 Berly: Hi Kim! It’s all a lot of fun, here on LT, isn’t it? Thanks re my weekend – Jenna’s still here. We’re going to have a late breakfast and an early dinner to accommodate the Carolina Duke game at 6. In between Bill and I will run a few errands while Miss J plays her newest PS4 game – we have a pretty nice TV and she’s been anxious to see how the new game looks on it.

>134 Familyhistorian: Those are excellent points about the expense and not learning how to dress appropriately. I had thought about the expense when Jenna’s middle school was making uniform noises, but I never thought about how it might affect if kids learn to dress appropriately.

Heyer’s so much fun to read! These Old Shades is, as you can see from the list above, absolutely one of my favorites.

>135 karenmarie: each child had a different childhood because the parents were in a different stage of their lives and marriage
That is very true, me being the youngest, ment I was trapped alone with my parents in the last four years. I married young, at 21. Franks family turned out to be almost as dysfunctional as mine ;-)
I had the chance to talk about my families dysfunction, both with siblings and my parents. My father was open about his mistakes, and I could forgive him. My mother (and my remaining sister does the same) denied everything, didn't accept any critisism, believed (or wanted to believe, not sure about that) she did everything right, and if someone was to blame it was my father, me or someone else. I stopped these conversations when I was 40, as it was useless and didn't get my mother and me closer to eachother. Now my mother has completely lost her memory, that makes it easier for me to forgive her. Her decline is hard to watch, but I can't blame anything anymore to the clueless shrunken old woman in the nursing home, who used to be my mother.

You and my sister were in the same situation, Anita, being the last at home. And married young. I didn't mention it above, but the family my sister married into was as dysfunctional as mine was, although in a different way. I wonder how many families there are out there that don't have some elements of dysfunction.... I remember thinking how wonderful Bill's family was as I got to know them, only to realize that they were just as human as the rest of us and had made mistakes and would continue to make mistakes. I stood up to them a couple of times in our marriage, always in defense of Bill or Jenna.

I'm glad you tried to have discussions but then stopped when it didn't benefit you.

My mother didn't take criticism well and retreated into a hurt silence. I tend to do the same, unfortunately, but occasionally say my truth with Bill and/or Jenna. We scrape along pretty well, when all's said and done.

Hey Horrible, happy Saturday and good reading ahead. *smooch*

Thanks, RD! *smooch*

Morning, Karen. I did stop by yesterday. Just sayin'...Not bad out here at all, temp-wise but rain moving in. I am hoping the worst of it, holds off until I finish the route. Fingers crossed...

We had snow last night! It only dusted the grass and was probably winter 2018's last hurrah.

Parker has not adjusted to the new place as well as I'd hoped so I'm going to blow off a party and spend today with him. Plus, I get to lay around and read. He had 'poofy face' the other day where the hairs on his face seemed to not lay as flat. It sounds goofy, is very subtle and it's probably useless at the vet's, but it's an infallible diagnostic for when a cat does not feel well. Sure enough, well the rest is gross but he's fine today.

>141 SomeGuyInVirginia: We got 30 cms yesterday... Sadly, I don't think it'll be the last for this winter, but here's to hoping! (We had quite a lot of thawing a few weeks ago, and I'm ready for spring, though I know it'll be at least a month until the snow is gone.)

>125 msf59: Sorry, Mark! I didn't mean to overlook your post. I read it but then must have had a brain fart. yay for Red-Winged Blackbirds. Do you count recognizing a bird's call if you don't see the bird on your life list?

>140 msf59: We've got rain this weekend too. Bill heard that this is the first time since 1996 that we've had four straight weekends of rain. Fingers crossed for you for the rain holding off.

>141 SomeGuyInVirginia: I do hope it's winter's last hurrah. Poor Parker. I've never been aware of kitty poofy face - you're a good kitty daddy for recognizing that he wasn't feeling well. What about the new place doesn't he like? Or do you think it's just the strangeness, still?

>142 PawsforThought: Wow. 30 cms of snow. After using my handy-dandy units converter I see that's about a foot of snow. Our region would have been completely paralyzed.

...
Errands run. Wild bird seed and suet acquired. Prescription for Bill picked up. Trash taken to recycling center. Food acquired.

I'm going to make some cheese straws then relax a bit before we go out to an early dinner.

Carolina-Duke at 6 p.m., naturally. *smile*

>143 karenmarie: I mean, we had a level 1 warning (lowest level) for heavy snow. But while it's more than average, it's by no means enough to cause any real issues. You just trudge through it. It obviously took a while to plow all the roads but all the bigger ones were done by the time I went to work (07:15) and then re-done in the afternoon (when all the smaller ones had been finished).

Last year was record-breaking - after many years of appallingly little snow, we had a cumulative snow depth of almost 170 centimetres (that's about 5 feet 8 inches).

Hi Karen my dear, I have to add that I have a few Georgette Heyer books on my shelves and need to get back round to them as I haven't read any of hers since I was about 14 years old. I do enjoy historical fiction and have a number on the shelves besides what I have already read.

The weather has changed over here since the beginning of March, we have had a drop in temperature and then rain and winds combined. This weekend it has rained so far with more to come tomorrow along with some snow showers, the snow will not amount to much at lower levels with only 5 to 8 cm on the hills.

Hope you are having a good weekend so far and send love and hugs to you and Bill from both of us dear friend.

>144 PawsforThought: Impressive plowing, Paws. I live on a private road off of a secondary road. Our private road gets plowed by one of our neighbors, Larry. The secondary road is usually plowed in a day or so by the state. It's always been that if we can get to the highway, we'll be fine. It's just getting to the highway. 5'8" is 3.5 inches taller than I am - that's a lot of snow.

>145 johnsimpson: Hi John! I've never asked you if you re-read books, but your message above implies that you do. Yay for Georgette Heyer.

I almost hesitate to say that it's supposed to get to 72F (22.2C) today here. And we switched to Daylight Savings Time so are befuddled.

Jenna will go back to Wilmington today after a 4-day visit. It's been a good visit.

"Do you count recognizing a bird's call if you don't see the bird on your life list?" Seasoned birders count bird song as sightings, but I do not, due to my inexperience. I am definitely getting better though but I need to keep working at it. It is a trait I admire.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. I am feeling a bit fuzzy this A.M. due to a late night and short sleep, but I will hang in there. I have reading to do.

Hi Mark! The only time I've counted a bird just by call/song alone is a Eurasian Collared Dove when I was closing Mom's house in the summer of 2017. I didn't have a good pair of binoculars with me - I hadn't thought to bring my own a I did last year in Montana, but their call is distinctive as compared to a Mourning Dove and thus it went on the list. I did actually see some in Montana last year. It's a trait I admire, too. I remember listening to Louise's daughter and SiL debate a warbler's song. They had recorded it on their cell phone. A bit esoteric for me....

I hope your fuzziness dissipates and lots of reading happens today!

Hi Mark. There are several bird songs/calls I can identify without seeing the bird, but like you, I won't count them as *sightings* unless I actually *see* them. One in particular that drives me crazy is the good old Blue Jay. I hear them all the time but they don't often show up at my feeder. Except that once last fall when 3 were here together and stuck around long enough for me to get some decent shots. Oh well. I also learned that they have at least 3 very different and distinctive calls/sounds, only one of which I knew before. I had to see and hear at the same time to realize this!

Edited to add: Hi, Karen!! Oops, I thought I was on Mark's thread, for a moment! ;-)

Hope you are having a good weekend. It's raining here but warmer than it's been in ages. I may even take my car out of the garage and leave it in the driveway, to let it get *washed*!

Hi Horrible, it's rainy and 40° so I'm uncomfortable but...dry, warm, fed. *happy sigh*

>146 karenmarie: In a day or so? Jeez. If things went that slowly here, no one would ever get to work during the winter months. It's up to the municipality to make sure the plowing gets done properly. Last year the contract was to a firm that didn't do a great job (too slow, and focused on the wrong roads), so they had to break the contract and get someone else for this year.

Hi Karen! Hope you're having a great Sunday.

>149 jessibud2: Hi Shelley! Much less bird stuff occurs here, but occasional sightings occur…

>150 richardderus: Hiya, RichardDear! Dry, warm, fed. Not things to take for granted. *smooch*

>151 PawsforThought: We live 8 miles from the closest town, 2 miles off the 4-lane highway. People get to work, but it’s unfortunate that there’s pressure to do so even when the county says to stay off the roads.

>152 The_Hibernator: We had a bit of breakfast, I baked some cheese straws, daughter’s laundry is drying and she’ll be hitting the road soon. It’s breezy and I’ve seen the female Red-Bellied Woodpecker on my sunflower seed feeder, so all’s right with the world. I hope your Sunday is going well, too, Rachel.

Daughter and I split winning at Yahtzee. We play three games at a time, using this 6-dice score card:



We've played this one so long, 3 games at a time, that regular Yahtzee seems tame. First game is face value, second game total is doubled, third game total is tripled. Lots of fun!

DC is supposed to hit the high 60s but it's only in the mid 40s now. Maybe we're getting a late warm front.

I googled cat poofy face and what I got was was scary and wrong. My brother was diagnosed with MERSA years ago and his doctor told him to not go home and look it up online because it would just frighten him. Of course he did look it up and of course he scared the hell out of himself. Luckily he's been in remission for years. I swear that kid is both cursed and blessed.

God forbid, next time you see a cat that isn't 100%, check his facial hair and see if it isn't a little ruffled. Poofy face.

>126 karenmarie: I haven't read a Heyer in decades, but oh, The Spanish Bride! I devoured it, just about memorized it, and can still recall important scenes. Top of the list for me. la mano de mi Enrique!

I haven't played Yahtzee in so long! May have to fix that soon.

>146 karenmarie:, Hi Karen, I don't re-read as such but I have re-read some books that I had read before I started noting down my reading in 1995. Apart from books read before 1/7/1995 I just don't have the time to re-read books with so many on the TBR pile to go at and I am still buying books. Any shops or market stalls that have books, I am drawn to as if magnetized.

I hope you are having a good weekend my dear and having Jenna home for a few days must be nice, sending love and hugs dear friend.

>154 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry! Googling medical stuff is taking a major risk – and don’t EVER look at images of diseases. I still have shudders over things I’ve looked at.

I’ll check poofy face next time I see one of my furries acting a bit off.

>155 ffortsa: I loved The Spanish Bride even though I don’t remember details, Judy. I wonder if next year will need to be a Heyer re-read year?

>156 Berly: Hi Kim! Go ahead – Yahtzee’s fun. Jenna and I can play it for hours. We chat and play and laugh and have tons of fun. Bill’s not a game player, unfortunately, but Jenna is. We also play Hand and Foot and Spite and Malice (a.k.a. Shit on Your Neighbor – that’s what my grandmother called it! She was a cutthroat game player.)

>157 johnsimpson: I can understand not re-reading because there are so many books and so little time. For me, though, they are comfort reads and a known quantity.

I’ve been trying to buy less books recently, and compared to last year I’m ahead IF you discount the special foreign language book sale in January. I got 10 there, and that’s done me in.

Love and hugs back to you and Karen!

Karen, we play Yahtzee after holiday dinners as it is my youngest son’s favorite game. He is very exuberant when he scores a Yahtzee and it entertains the rest of us. I prefer card games but will go along with what anyone likes to play. I wish I could stir up some interest in Hand and Foot. Love that game! This week is my monthly Canasta game with the ladies. Twelve of us play and we change partners after every three hands. We also throw some money in the pot. Winner gets $30. That’s much more lucrative than my duplicate bridge games!

Hi Donna! Your son and my mom! When she got a Yahtzee (regular score card, 5 dice), she'd say "Ritzy-Titzy-Hotsy-Totsy-Yahtzee!" and beam at us.

My mom was in a Bunco group and frequently at least won a door prize, if not the top prize. I love all types of card games except Bridge - I've mentioned here before that I seriously embarrassed myself twice in my life trying to play bridge. Never again. My maternal grandmother played bridge and apparently was very good at it. She's the one who used to beat me consistently at Spite and Malice aka Shit on Your Neighbor.

I've never been in a card-playing group. Good luck with your ladies - hope you win the $30!

>127 richardderus: Ooooh, gorgeous!!!

One of the benefits of being retired is basically ignoring time changes, for me!

Morning, Karen. I did get some reading in yesterday, although more would have even been better and I felt much better after our hearty dinner.

Still cooler today, about 40 but it looks like a much more comfortable week and I hope to get out birding on Wednesday, my day off.

>149 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. I am getting much better at bird song/calls but I still have a lot of work to do and warblers...forget about it. I am still learning how to visually identify, those evasive little buggers.

>161 ronincats: Hi Roni! I woke up at a pretty normal time for me, but now the clock said 8 instead of 7. I'm sure Bill is feeling the effects of getting up at body time 5:30, clock time 6:30.

>162 msf59: Hi Mark! More reading would always be better..... I'm glad the week is looking to be more comfortable, and yay for your Birding Wednesday.

...
Friends of the Library check writing, lunch with a friend. Reading, of course. *smile*

Happy Monday, Karen! Hope you had a great weekend!

>163 karenmarie: The FoL do know what a treasure you are and how very much they owe you, right?

Happy Monday, dear Horrible.

>164 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! I had a fun weekend with Bill and Jenna, thanks.

>165 richardderus: I'm thanked frequently so do feel treasured and most of them know how much time I spend. Being Treasurer's usually the most time-consuming and least-acknowledged role in any PTA/band boosters/FoL/etc. organization.

So far so good on Monday. Just spent 1 1/2 hours on FoL stuff. Of course it feels like 9:36 when the clock says 10:36...

Hi, Karen! I wouldn't be treasurer of any organization again for anything in the world! More power to you and those like you who take it on.
Yahtzee ---- I immediately here the tinkle of dice from the ceiling of our dorm room as our upstairs neighbors were fanatics.
One of the joys of retirement is reading what I want to read when I want to read it. I have, therefore, put aside several fascinating books that I was reading to reread *UAjax*. Thank you!
It was 80° here yesterday, but I know full well that winter is not over.

Morning, Karen. I should get my new bird feeder hopper today. It is to replace the big green one, in my BF topper. Not cheap, but completely squirrel proof, which I really like. Still stuck at nine species for the year, in the backyard, but that should be changing with the warm up coming.

>167 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I'd like to be able to hand this over to someone else this year, but that won't happen. Finding someone willing to spend that kind of time is harder than almost any other role. What I'll do is get everything into QuickBooks, which will make it an easier 'sell'.

Yes! to The Unknown Ajax. My J-O-R read right now is Dark Saturday. Just think - I'll be able to review my ER copy of The Day of the Dead sometime this spring!

The consolations of this time of year are the migrating birds and my gorgeous forsythia (which did not take a hit in the hard freeze last week because it was a bit windy); otherwise it means that summer's a-comin'. I don't mind more winter.

>168 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Your backyard setup will confound the squirrels. They need to be confounded.

I'm looking forward to the migrating birds, too.

...
No errands today. I don't have to leave the house if I don't want to.

Hi, Karen.

I’m enjoying the “re-reading” discussion. I do a fair amount of that - Agatha Christie, Jane Austen and Neil Gaiman come to mind. They’re all good storytellers. I should add in Heyer, although I’ve still got new-to-me ones of hers I want to read.

Hi Joe!

I've re-read most of Georgette Heyer's books, having started with Faro's Daughter in 1966. I've re-read many of them, many multiple times, but only read Cousin Kate in 2010 for the first time and will never read it again. But I keep it on my shelves. BTW, it's my lowest rated Heyer romance at 2.5.

This year I'm reading and re-reading all of Dorothy Sayers's fiction. Christie, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Rita Mae Brown, Bill Bryson, J.K. Rowling, and J.D. Salinger are other authors I re-read even if I haven't read all of their fiction.

25. Dark Saturday by Nicci French
3/3/19 to 3/12/19





From Amazon:

Recommended for summer reading by TIME magazine

LOUISE PENNY says Nicci French's books are "fabulous."

JOSEPH FINDER says they're "in the rich vein of Kate Atkinson."

And TAMI HOAG calls them "truly unique."

Enter the world of NICCI FRENCH with Dark Saturday, an electrifying, sophisticated psychological thriller about past crimes and present dangers, featuring an unforgettable protagonist...

A decade ago, 18-year-old Hannah Docherty was arrested for the shocking murder of her family. It was an open-and-shut case, and Hannah has been incarcerated in a secure psychiatric hospital ever since.

When psychotherapist Frieda Klein is asked to meet Hannah and give her assessment, she reluctantly agrees. But what she finds horrifies her. Hannah has become a tragic figure, old before her time. And Frieda is haunted by the idea that Hannah might be as much of a victim as her family — that she might, in fact, be innocent.

As Hannah's case takes hold of her, Frieda begins to realize that she's up against someone who will go to any lengths to keep the truth from surfacing — even kill again.

Utterly compelling and enthralling, Dark Saturday speeds readers down a twisting trail of secrets, suspense, and murder.

Why I wanted to read it: Sixth in the Frieda Klein series.

Frieda digs deep in this one. From small glimmers, throwaway phrases, things thrown away but collected by a blogger, and meeting tirelessly with police, witnesses, Hannah, her family members and former friends, Frieda pieces together what actually happened. At the same time, she’s seeing evidence of her house being systematically stolen into and thing moved subtly, leading her to the conclusion that the person who has been protecting her, stalking her, and psychologically tormenting her has escalated his involvement in her life.

The book was a bit confusing for a while, as chapters of Frieda’s story are interspersed with “interludes”. These interludes parallel the timing of Frieda’s investigation and are an integral part of the ironic ending.

The underlying menace of both stories – Frieda’s tormentor and Hannah’s incarceration are beautifully written and totally, scarily believable.

Morning, Karen. I am enjoying the day off. Light rain at the moment, but it is supposed to clear up and warm up. Maybe even hit 60!! Yah!! I hope to get out on one or two birding jaunts. I am getting that itch.

Still buzzing, about all those Sandhill Cranes yesterday. I could not count them but there had to be hundreds.

Hi Mark! I hope it turns into blue skies and perfect birding weather. Hundreds? Oh my.

...
I'm supposed to meet with the Membership Chair of the FoL this morning to work on implementing Wild Apricot Membership software but haven't heard back from her confirming that we're on for 10 a.m. Last time we had plans she completely forgot about them...

edited to add: There are few things more satisfying than remembering an unused Amazon Gift Card and then spending it! I just bought Black Leopard Red Wolf and most of The Comforts of Home by Susan Hill - the newest Simon Serrailler.

Good morning, Karen.

>174 karenmarie: Unexpectedly unused gift cards can be a real pick-me-up. I don't recall it ever happening for Amazon (those don't usually last out the day they arrive, I think), but we have had it happen with others.

Hi Harry!

This was a late Christmas gift and was tucked in a stack of things that I had to move when I bought Freddie the Betta Fish's new aquarium/stuff. Joy!

Of course I will now have more books that will interfere with the 3 group reads I'm involved in - A Suitable Boy, These Truths, and the one I'm responsible for, David Copperfield.

I'm already struggling because I'm on the penultimate book in the Frieda Klein series and will jump into the last one, The Day of the Dead as soon as I finish Sunday Silence. I really do need to read DotD since it's an ER book that I received last year, but am behind on all three group reads.

>176 karenmarie: I can sympathize. I have planned four shared reads this month, and to date I've only finished one of them, in part because of interlibrary loans coming in that needed/need to be finished first.

>174 karenmarie: That's a great feeling indeed! Yay you. It's a better Humpday for that.

Stopping by to say hello and get caught up on all the comments about dress codes and sewing and more. I am the youngest of two girls and I guess my dad decided I was going to be the son he wasn't going to have so turned into a tom boy. I had barbies but also a model plane and a chemistry set. But I also craft: mostly paper creations and crocheting.

I work from home where it is always casual Friday. This past Monday, I had to go to a "high level" statewide meeting and getting dressed up including hair and makeup was just hard. But, I did get some compliments on how nice I looked so perhaps, perhaps, it was worth it.

Spring has sprung hear in Virginia although the weather man warned us not to get too enthusiastic about planing anything just yet.

>177 harrygbutler: Good luck with the rest of them!

>178 richardderus: Yes. I'm very happy about new books coming into the house.

>179 witchyrichy: Hi Karen! I was a tomboy who had a Barbie AND Lincoln Logs AND an Erector Set. I don't craft and admire people who do, but it just isn't me.

I can't remember the last time I wore makeup and should probably throw away everything I still have.

Today Spring has sprung here, too, but we're supposed to get more seasonal weather next week.

I think I had your Heyer ratings at one point, Karen, and somehow lost them. Where might I find them on LT?

Hi Joe! Funny you should mention them - I've reposted all of them on this thread in >118 karenmarie:.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Low 60s today. Yah!! I will have to get to A Suitable Boy one of these days, but frankly, I am spooked by the sheer size of it.

Hi Mark! Sweet Thursday indeed! I just had my first sip of coffee, fed Kitty William, and have a massage scheduled for 11 today.

The group read of A Suitable Boy is year-long. The schedule has us reading through part 3 by February 26th - the first 191 pages - and part 4 by March 17th - the first 125 pages. It would be relatively easy to catch up and then follow the rest of the schedule. Here's the thread in case you or anybody else is interested. A Suitable Boy

My copy is 1,349 pages. I got it at the FoL book sale some time ago, and I love this copy because it's published by Penguin Books India and originally cost 500 Rupees. The pages are tissue-paper thin.

>182 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen! Saved.

Many match my thinking, and you've given me some new highly rated ones to try, like Faro's Daughter. I'd forgotten how much more I liked The Grand Sophy than you did. That was my first one I read, and I loved it.

You're very welcome, Joe. I think you'll like Faro's Daughter.

Perhaps I should re-read The Grand Sophy. Or, perhaps I'll hold off 'til January 2020.

As I mentioned upstream here at >158 karenmarie:, I just might consider a Heyer romance re-read starting next year. There are 35 Romances. I've read all except Pistols for Two.

The way I'd do it would be to read from lowest to highest 'Karen' rating. This would have me re-reading things I've either never re-read before or only re-read a long time ago. Being an "I don't want the internet to know what I do with my time" person, I don't keep an online calendar and so have made a note for January 1 2020 in my Lett's Desk Diary. *smile*

26. Sunday Silence by Nicci French
3/12/19 to 3/13/19





From Amazon:

It started with Monday. But it doesn't end with Sunday.

Read Sunday Silence, the new novel in the series that LOUISE PENNY calls "fabulous, unsettling, and riveting" — and brace yourself for the breathtaking series finale in summer 2018.

Lover of London, gifted psychologist, frequent police consultant — Frieda Klein is many things. And now she's a person of interest in a murder case. A body has been discovered in the most unlikely and horrifying of places: beneath the floorboards of Frieda's house.

The corpse is only months old, but the chief suspect appears to have died more than seven years ago. Except as Frieda knows all too well, he's alive and well and living in secret. And it seems he's inspired a copycat...

As the days pass and the body count rises, Frieda finds herself caught in a fatal tug-of-war between two killers: one who won't let her go, and another who can't let her live.

Crackling with suspense, packed with emotion, Sunday Silence is a psychological thriller perfect for fans of Elizabeth George and Paula Hawkins.

Why I wanted to read it: Penultimate in the Frieda Klein series.

I debated between 3.5 and 4 stars. 3.5 stars definitely for the mystery part because of way too many deus ex machina moments. Intellectually I can see how Frieda focused on the person who eventually proved to be the copycat, but if you look at messy reality and think of the hundreds and thousands of persons who could be the copycat, the things that Frieda notices barely stand up in court, so to speak. The building of suspense is done exceptionally well across the entire book, but I give a surprisingly low 2 stars for the last minute rescue of Yvette Long based on Josef’s seeing the break in a pattern on a building, although I was rooting for Frieda and Josef to find her.

4 stars for the interpersonal relationships. Frieda’s ‘family’ is the focus of the copycat’s activities. The description above is somewhat deceptive as there are attacks that don’t kill and the body count is not really that high. Just sayin’.

Nicci French has been remarkably consistent with the family and friends in Frieda's life over the course of the first 7 books. Each character is a whole and 'real' person, flawed and lovable at once. I find that to be quite an exceptional accomplishment.

Frieda worries about them constantly and although still emotionally self-contained does have a few emotionally satisfying scenes with those she loves.

Ultimately, I found this book to be a means to an end. It was good, I was curious and intellectually involved. Each book has led to the next and this one is no different. Many of the books, including this one, have a last minute zinger that is the premise for the next book. We know that The Day of the Dead is the last in the series, and the setup of this book is interesting.

Have you had some Pi today?

>187 karenmarie: It's so much fun when, seven books in, you're as happy to be reading along as you were three books in.

I hope your massage will result in a deliciously boneless afternoon.

>188 weird_O: Hi Bill! No Pi or pie today, sadly. Had I been awake at 1:59 this morning or paid attention at 1:59 this afternoon I could have had a double dose of pi. (6 digits instead of 3...)

>189 richardderus: You're absolutely right, RD! I'm thinking of the series I've abandoned, and this one stands the test of 7 so far, most likely 8. *smile*

The massage was wonderful. After, Sherry and I went out to some property she owns and I actually walked up and down the hill to her back property line without dying. And my feet don't even hurt. It was pretty steep, but beautiful and isolated. I did huff and puff a bit, but not as bad as I thought I would. Stopped off at the library to do some FoL business, then home, late lunch, here, and very soon I'll be reading #8.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. We are back to cooler temps, through the weekend. It looks like we can NOT, just turn the corner. I am getting ready to start a bird-related book. Maybe, this will spark something.

HI Karen. Happy Friday. I must get to Nikki French.

>191 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you, too. Today the high is supposed to be 76F but will go down to 59F tomorrow, which is seasonal for us. We're supposed to get lots of rain and perhaps some thunderstorms.

>192 BLBera: Hi Beth! Thanks, I hope your Friday is a good one, too. I'm hooked and am now at page of 116 of 404 of The Day of the Dead, the last book in the series.

Happy Friday, Karen!

Thanks, Chelle!

I've finally taken the Christmas boughs off the mantle and put up other things we keep on it, watered all the house plants, and taken the Christmas wreath down and put the mirror back up.

This was all done to make myself feel better about just wanting to read The Day of the Dead the rest of the day.

Touchstones are taking a long time to load for me today.

Horrible dear, it's a shocking and disorienting fact that I've been unable to process anything except negativity this week...until the Irish Prime Queer, I mean Minister and his doctor husband got right in Mother and Daddy's space and schooled their nasty hateful christian souls on what tolerance and class look like.

RD, I'm sorry this week has been so tough for you. *smooches* from your own Madame TVT Horrible

I love that article - thanks for sharing.

Pence is a menace to all good thinking people.

Don't forget Mother. Her anti-QUILTBAGgery is as vile and pervasive as his. She couches it in terms of education or, as I call it, indoctrination.

Hi Karen! Spring is coming your way, forsythia flowering? Taking the Christmas wreath down!

Here we had a whole week of rain, and wind, but in a couple of days it will get better. I have started repotting plants (geranium) to put outside on the balcony. Always feels nice, to be able to do that.

Have a nice weekend. I think I will join the David Copperfield group read. Feel like reading something nice and familiar.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Just wrapping up my second cup of coffee before heading out. Both of my new books are starting off well. This will help with the work day.

Have a good one!

>198 richardderus: Agree. And to think they call themselves Christians.

>199 EllaTim: Hi Ella! Spring will be official in 5 days, so I figured getting spring-i-fied was in order. Sorry about all the rain and wind, but I hope you continue enjoying spring activities.

Yay for joining in the David Copperfield read! I've been remiss and self-indulgent. By this I mean that I have been only reading the Frieda Klein series for about a week now. But, I finished The Day of the Dead yesterday, will write a review AND put it on the work page in order to make the ER gods happy (I received it last August) and work on David Copperfield.

Hmmm. The touchstones don't seem to be working for me right now.

>200 msf59: Hi Mark! Thanks. I hope your work day is uneventful and book rich.

...
Today is errands, my review, perhaps making corned beef and cabbage since tomorrow I have lunch and a matinee of Life of Galileo. I won't get home 'til 5:30 and Bill's stomach doesn't do well with late dinners.

>201 karenmarie: I hope you enjoy Life of Galileo. We saw a great production of that with Darryl a couple of years ago.

Good to know, Rhian! I'm looking forward to it.

>199 EllaTim: >201 karenmarie: The group read is a good way to make yourself indulge in those longer Dickens books. I always love Dickens' work, but the chunkster factor often prioritizes them low until a group read emerges.

Hi Lori! It is definitely a good way to read chunksters.

...

My forsythia, last year's picture, but it looks much the same and even survived the hard freezes of 2 weeks ago because of the slight wind that night.

>201 karenmarie: Forsythias are proof that there is a goddess and she loves us. Cheer, beauty, lesson in toughness rolled into one yellow froth.

Happy weekend reading, smoochling.

Yellow froth. *smile*

Thank you, darling Richard. I've just finished two chapters of DC by you-know-who.

Now I will read Part 4 of A Suitable Boy to keep up with the year-long read.

We're waiting for the local tree service guy to come over and give us a quote to do bunches of stuff that we've gotten behind on. He's got 2 properties on our road to look at first and will come to us soon. Late lunch/errands, but fortunately the ACC tournament final is tonight so Bill won't be missing it. But since Carolina lost last night he might forego it anyway...

27. The Day of the Dead by Nicci French
3/13/19 to 3/15/19





From Amazon:

LOUISE PENNY says the Frieda Klein novels are "fabulous."

JOSEPH FINDER says they're "in the rich vein of Kate Atkinson."

And TAMI HOAG calls them "truly unique."

Now the final book in this extraordinary series is here. And it's an ending you'll never forget.

A decade ago, psychologist Frieda Klein was sucked into the orbit of Dean Reeve -- a killer able to impersonate almost anyone, a man who can disappear without a trace, a psychopath obsessed with Frieda herself.

In the years since, Frieda has worked with -- and sometimes against -- the London police in solving their most baffling cases. But now she's in hiding, driven to isolation by Reeve. When a series of murders announces his return, Frieda must emerge from the shadows to confront her nemesis. And it's a showdown she might not survive.

Criminology student Lola Hayes has tracked Frieda down with a single-minded pursuit: she wants to delve inside the mind of a woman besieged by darkness. But in following every move Frieda makes, Lola is exposing herself to the same terrors—and the same twisted fixation of a diabolical psychopath.

This gripping cat-and-mouse thriller pits one of the most fascinating characters in contemporary fiction against an enemy like none other. Smart, sophisticated, and spellbinding, it's a novel to leave you breathless.

Why I wanted to read it: It is the eighth and final book in the Frieda Klein series.

This is an extremely well done psychological study of Lola Hayes as she descends into almost psychotic fear and paralysis after being pulled into Frieda’s and thus Dean Reeve’s orbit.

It’s also the story of how Frieda successfully stays hidden from Dean, maintaining her sanity and figuring out how to survive. Her hiding places work for a while then stop working. Who’s leaking the information?

There is a new series of killings. The pattern is one that is meaningful to Frieda but requires a bit of juggling to bring off. It is one of the few plot contrivances that seemed obvious to me, but I forgave the authors because of how the entire novel depended on it.

Dean and Frieda are communicating with each other – “I’m here”, “I’m watching you”, “I understand the pattern”. To say too much gives away some basic plot features that only gradually become apparent to the reader.

In the meantime, the people Frieda loves and who love her are desolate at her having gone underground and don't even know if she's alive. Josef takes care of her house, the un-named cat goes to live with Reuben and Josef. Her niece Chloe and Josef take on a labor of love, a physical testament to their belief that she will survive.

In all of this, Frieda is calm, calculating, playing Dean and being played by Dean. It’s an intricate dance, the end of which is predictable yet totally unexpected in the way it plays out.

I’m not sure I’d be willing to spend much time with Frieda, but the time would be productive and thought provoking. It would also be hard work and not for anybody who isn't willing to look into their innermost self for truth.

It is not an easy thing to build suspense consistently across 8 books. It is not easy to believably create a foe as psychotic and divorced from any normal human feelings as Dean Reeve. It’s also not easy to give us such a complicated, distant, yet ultimately lovable character as Frieda Klein. The authors come through magnificently.

If you love psychological thrillers and challenging reads, this is the series for you.

I'm happy that you have made it to the end so happily, Karen. The last one was my least favorite, I think, but I applaud the wrap of the series even though I wish for more Frieda. I'd be glad to know her if I were someone that she cared about. On the other hand, being her friend would be demanding, at least.
Now you're free to get back to other things, and aren't you a bit bereft?
(I still have my ER monster from last May The Mad Patagonian, which I must jump back into. Talk about demanding!!!!! I guess the algorithm is cutting me some slack since it's 1200+ pages. I should have done a review at the ½way point for several reasons, but I didn't.)

>208 karenmarie: Brava for making it through in one readerly piece! the authors are to be congratulated. You, too, for absorbing their effort and making it your backstop. Authors love readers like you.

>209 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy! I'm surprised that it's your least favorite, though. I haven't read any of the other reviews - assume you have one there since it was an ER book for you, too.

I am a bit bereft. I need to catch up with A Suitable Boy, David Copperfield, and These Truths. Plus, my Christmas Amazon Gift card books arrived yesterday - Black Leopard Red Wolf and The Comforts of Home, the 9th Simon Serrailler by Susan Hill. I need to hold off 'til at least Monday on indulging one of those two in order to feel good about the group reads again.

>210 richardderus: Thanks, RD! I loved this series, as you can tell by my reviews. Looks like there are twelve other books by the wife/husband team of Nicci Gerard and Sean French.

...
Bill and I are watching DCI Banks on Amazon Prime. It's absolutely fantastic. So far most of the episodes are based on the Inspector Banks books by Peter Robinson. I read the first in the series, Gallows View in March of 2009, but for the life of me can't remember a single thing about it. Sigh.

I just finished Tuesday in the series but it looks like I have a lot more books to look forward to. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend, Karen.

Ohh, you have the new Simon Serrailler , The Comforts of Home. I really loved that book and that series. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I still haven't set my tee-bee up, but I did binge on The Umbrella Academy. The CGI of the monkey is amazing. The professional hitters Hazel and Cha-Cha are also brilliant.

Well, I've hit a new milestone. Or low. Either. I have to buy delicate underthings because I haven't been able to face the laundry room and it's 'do laundry or buy new clothes.' For reals. I think I'm going to look into getting a washer/dryer in my place.

>212 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! I'm glad you like the series.

>213 vancouverdeb: I saw that there was a new one out on your thread, Deborah. As soon as I 'found' the Amazon gift card, it got ordered.

...
Today is The Life of Galileo at the Playmakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill with my friend Louise. We'll have lunch first and then see the matinee.

By Bertolt Brecht
Adapted by Joseph Discher
Directed by Vivienne Benesch

HOW LONG CAN A TRUTH BE DENIED?

Galileo Galilei: father, hero, heretic. When a chance discovery leads to evidence of a seismic shift in scientific thinking, Galileo sparks a dangerous dispute with authority. To challenge the idea that the earth is the centre of the universe is to challenge the all-powerful Roman Catholic Church.

Brecht’s dramatisation of the battle between belief and reason considers whether proof matters when dogma reigns.

Featuring original music by Justin Ellington and directed by PlayMakers’ Producing Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch.

Sounds like you have a wonderful day planned. Enjoy!

>211 karenmarie: Wow, do I understand this dilemma. I need to catch up on These Truths, and several other NF books that I am reading. In the meantime, several new library books are just itching to be read. I'm also way behind on my LTER books. Sigh. No wonder I always have so many books being read at the same time.

Hi Janet!

Today was a good day for sure. The play was our least favorite of the season, but that's not to say it wasn't good - it was just challenging and demanded a lot of intellectual attention.

Yah, catching up is not the same as reading books 'just itching to be read.'

8 pages to go to be up to date on A Suitable Boy, so I think I'll just sit here in the Sunroom and read them before heading off to bed.

I spent most of this day believing it was Monday. I was upset because my wife missed her 2 p.m. Monday appointment, then realized it was Sunday.

March has definitely been a low-achievement period for me. Completed Jon Clinch's Finn, a clever backstory created from scraps Mark Twain scattered in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn about Huck's father, "Pap" Finn. Pretty good. Clinch's debut novel.

Now back to Beowulf. I've set aside a translation done in the 1930s in favor of Seamus Heaney's, which was published in 2000. It's got some narrative drive.

Library book sale in a couple o' weeks. (Wheeee!)

Watching The Quiet Man. Didn't have the whump to get cottage pie made for dinner; we'll do it tomorrow. At the butcher today, the matriarch, Verna, tried to hustle cocoanut pie; I asked if she had Irish soda bread. It went right past her, but her grandson, who was ringing up my purchases, kinda smirked.

Morning, Karen. I had a great day off yesterday. My wife joined me on a short hike and I spent a good chunk of the afternoon with the books and had a beer or 3, along the way. Nothing to report on the birding front...

>218 weird_O: Hi Bill! Long time no 'see'. I've done that, thought it was a different day than it really was. It's completely disorienting.

Ugh. I read Beowulf 11 years ago. It's another one of those books I just don't get. More power to you.

Yay for Library Sales and cottage pie.

Bill's absolutely not Irish and I'm now about 85% convinced that I've not got any Irish in me. So except for making corned beef and cabbage for dinner tonight St. Patrick's Day has gone by without any acknowledgement or celebration by us.

>219 msf59: Hi Mark! So glad you had a great day off. Books and beer, hiking with your wife. Sweet.

...
Today is getting a few things for our taxes, training 3 people on Square credit-card processing for the FoL book sale next week, and making cb&c as mentioned above. Reading of course.

When I came downstairs this morning I realized that last night I hadn't taken in the only birdfeeder that is not squirrel-proof. A raccoon was scarfing down seed like nobody's business until I went outside in a whirl of noise and irritation, scaring him off. I've replenished the seed and hope I heed the reminder that I have set on my cell phone to bring in the feeder when it goes off tonight at 6:30.

I'm all caught up with A Suitable Boy. Here's what I posted for chapter 4 - just tidbits, really, but the two things that I felt were comment-worthy.

I have finished part IV.

It's extremely convenient to be reading 2 feet away from my computer because a brief mention of dancing of a "few clumpish steps of quasi-kathak" had me spending another 20 minutes learning of the 8 major forms of Indian classical dance and then seeing several youtube examples.

But before that, at the end of part 4.2, was this poignant description of how Partition affected Kedarnath:

He thought of his own sudden fall from wealth in Lahore to the virtual destitution of 1947; the hard-won security he had obtained for Veena and Bhaskar over the last few years; the problems of the present strike and the dangers it would mean for them. That there was some special spark of genius in his son he believed with uttr conviction. He dreamed of sending him to a school like Doon, and perhaps later even to Oxford or Cambridge. But times were hard, and whether Bhaskar would obtain the special education he deserved, whether Veena could keep up with the music she craved, whether they could even continue to afford their modest rent, were questions that troubled and aged him.

But these are the hostages of love, he said to himself, and it is meaningless to ask myself whether I would exchange a head of unworried hair for my wife and child.

Heady stuff.

>196 richardderus: *Snort!*

Congrats on finishing a series, Karen.

>220 karenmarie: Good for you for keeping up with one of your humongous reads, Karen. I only have These Truths among my gigantic reads and am finding it hard to keep up.

Morning, Karen. It is supposed to reach 50 today and stay about there, for the rest of the week. I wish it would be 60 but I will gladly take it. Still hearing and seeing the Sandhill Cranes, making their way north.

>208 karenmarie: I really enjoyed the Freida mysteries. I had to read straight through the last 3. I must get back to Simon Serailler. I am way behind.

>221 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

>222 Familyhistorian: I'm trying, Meg. This week and next are a bit complicated by the Friends of the Library Book Sale (28th - 30th).

>223 msf59: Hi Mark! Good news to hear that you're finally getting some decent weather. Yay for Sand Hills Cranes.

>224 nittnut: That's basically what I did, Jenn. I didn't even realize there was a new Simon Serrailler until @vancouverdeb mentioned it.

...
I'm training 4 people today on Square credit-card processing at the Library. It'll be back and forth a bit but a couple of 45-minute chunks waiting at the library for the next one. I'll probably take These Truths and my Book Seat...

Good morning, Karen.

Beowulf is powerful and vivid, but its impact likely does depend in part on the translation (if reading in translation) and on one's affinity to epic. I have fond memories of reading it in Old English for a course in my first year of graduate school — painfully slow work at the start, as my Old English was minimal, but fluent reading by the end of the semester, with a grounding that has stood me in good stead since.

Hi, Karen,

I am just popping along to let you know I am enjoying David Copperfield. Have reached Chapter XXX so only XXXIV chapters to go. At this point I can see Dickens is showing David to have matured a bit; just a bit.

I am looking forward to your getting everything out of your way so you can jump into the book and join in the discussion thread. I see my early lead on the thread has been whittled down and some people have caught up and even passed the point I have reached with my pedestrian reading pace.

I hope all is well with you and that you had a great St. Patrick's Day.

Hi, Karen.

I join Bill in recommending the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf. It’s the most readable and entertaining by a long shot, IMO.

You've convinced me, when I go to the lie-berry tomorrow to pick up my hold in going to talk with them about joining the Friends of Library.

Wow! Yesterday got by me. I did some training and did some tax-prep work and here we are, 24 hours later!

>226 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! I admire you for reading it in Old English and admire people who can appreciate Beowulf. Alas, I’m not one of them.

>227 pgmcc: Hi Peter! Nice seeing you here in the land of the 75ers. You’re much further along than I am, although I’ll be finishing chapter XIV before I take Bill for some oral surgery, and hope to get another couple of chapters read while waiting for him. Poor baby’s getting a tooth pulled. 

Your chapter summaries are brilliant, and I’m thoroughly enjoying them. I’ll be back to the thread shortly!

We’re doing well except for this tooth thing. Muddling along as usual, enjoying the signs of spring and preparing for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. I’m trying to figure out my bracket…

>228 jnwelch: Hi Joe! I read it and am glad I did, but honestly don’t see what the fuss is about. There. I said it. I’m keeping my copy of Heaney’s translation on my shelves for a well-rounded library and in case Jenna wants it someday.

>229 SomeGuyInVirginia: Larry, that's fantastic. It's such a worthy cause. Thank you from this FoL volunteer!

…
We’ll leave in 45 minutes, so I want to visit a thread or two and finish chapter XIV of David Copperfield.

>230 karenmarie: I am afraid real life has prevented my continuing chapter by chapter with my comments, but I have added an all encompassing catch up post.

I hope the tooth pulling is not too traumatic.

Morning, Karen. We have another mild one here, but unfortunately it is also raining. Actually, I prefer the rain today and not tomorrow, since I will be doing some birding, along the way. Sure getting that itch.

Happy Wednesday, Karen! Hope your week is going well!

Hi Karen - I am laughing at your topper. My daughter told me that Scout has been misbehaving, modeling her behavior on her new favorite, Calvin. Love it!

>231 pgmcc: I certainly the real life interference, Peter.

>232 msf59: Hi Mark! We’ve got rain here, too, tonight, which prevents us seeing the Supermoon. Yay for non-rain birding.

>233 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! Thanks. The week has been busy and frustrating, mostly, but nothing major. Bill deliberately ignored the instruction to not eat anything 6 hours prior to his appointment and had 2 saltines because he would be nauseated if he took his meds without eating something (don’t take your meds first thing!) so after 45 minutes drive, and half an hour checking in/realizing he could be in life-threatening danger if they went ahead with the IV-anesthesia after his having eaten something, we came home without the tooth coming out. Fortunately he's not in any pain with it. I was rather pissed, frankly, but he’s the one who has to go through 2 more weeks of stress and another course of antibiotics. Blech.

Book-wise the week is good, with me catching up on the A Suitable Boy group read and making slow but steady progress in David Copperfield.

>234 BLBera: Hi Beth! I love Calvin & Hobbes but feel for your daughter.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. I was expecting it to be a better weather day, it is damp, cool and gloomy but I am getting ready to head out, for a stroll or two. Enjoy your day.

Hi Mark! Thanks. Have a wonderful stroll - I hope there are birds along your way!

I'm jealous - Louise saw a Red-Headed Woodpecker this morning, first at a neighbor's, then in her back woods. I can't see it from my house. I went out with the binoculars, but no luck.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. Cool and breezy here again. Still have not turned that corner...sighs.

Ooh, I can't wait to see my first Red-Headed Woodpecker of the year. One of my favorites.

Hi Mark, and happy Friday to you, too. Sorry it's cool and breezy. That's what it is here, too, but our cold and breezy will be 62F, not 44F.

Happy Friday! I left my contact info at the lie-berry tonight about becoming a Friend. Huzzah!

Yay Larry! Follow through is everything.

...
I'm having lunch with a former work colleague and his wife. Our morally corrupt company walked him out the door after 40 years simply because his new manager didn't like the power he wielded as Master Scheduler. Bitter? Oh yes. However, we don't talk about it as a rule. We talk about books, which is what made us friends at Marelli in the first place. His wife reads voluminously, too, so I'm looking forward to meeting them at Lizzie's Grill-n-Chill at 1 p.m. After that it's off to drop off our tax documents. And who's to say that I might not stop at the donut shop on the way home? *smile*

After Beowulf, I read John Gardner's Grendel, that being a telling of the story from Grendel's perspective. He has a decidedly different view of the Danes and the Geats. You could say that Grendel has a 20th century mindset, viewing the activities and beliefs of the humans as strange and self-defeating.

Happy Friday, Karen.

our cold and breezy will be 62F, not 44F. I live in Mark's part of the world, and I'm envious! 62 F would feel like a holiday right now.

We took care of our tax documents this week, too. Congratulations on the drop-off. That definitely deserves a stop at the donut shop.

>235 karenmarie: Ooof! Silly!
Although I'm not much better as I "forgot" that my blood test was supposed to be fasting and I had a coffee (no sugar, just cream) and a few bites of banana an hour before the test. My results for thyroid were good, thankfully, but my glucose was high. Not pre-diabetes high, but "at risk" high. I guess I'll have to repeat it at some point and actually follow the instructions.

>242 weird_O: Hi Bill! I admire you for working on a theme.

>243 jnwelch: Thanks Joe! Ditto. I had a nice lunch, dropped off the tax documents, and DIDN'T stop off for donuts, which I regret right along about now. Sigh.

>244 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! One out of two isn't bad. Yay thyroid, high glucose from the banana, I presume.

...
Bill's watching b-ball, Duke whomping the 16 seed. Carolina plays next, and I might sit in there with him and watch a bit.

I'm working on These Truths, part 3. I need to read 120 pages by the end of March to stay on schedule. Frankly, it makes me weep. Lepore has a way of exposing the venal, the greedy, the fundamentalist twist on Darwinism (equating Darwinism and Social Darwinism). We're up to 40 million killed and 20 million injured in WWI. Wilson brings Jim Crow into federal government by segregating the entire civil service.

>245 karenmarie: Dropping in to wish you happy Friday! I have about 150 pages to read this weekend to stay on track with These Truths. Yikes. Good thing I am enjoying it. I just need more time! ; )

I got nothing except good wishes for your weekend and cheers for the thyroid! Sorry about Bill's tooth.

Sorry about Bill's tooth situation. At least Bill is not suffering. We've already got out tax returns back. But ours are simple and in Canada, you are practically are forced to file your taxes online ( quite simple for us, it turns out ) or go to a tax expert. My son has done our taxes online for us in previous years, but I tried it myself this year. I'l show those kids! :-)

>245 karenmarie: Glad to hear you are still with These Truths. I had to take my copy back to the library.

>246 Berly: Hi Kim! I haven't read a one volume history of the US in a long time, so this is good. I read a lot about specific periods: pre-US colony/Dutch-US history and the 1900-1930s, but usually skip most other periods. I am stuck about halfway through Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney: Slavery, Secession and the President's War Powers by James F. Simon, having started it when I visited Jenna last fall but gone back, like an addict, to the 3-CD Queen's Greatest Hits I, II, and III. Of course it's been 5 months now, but I'm on CD 8 whenever I decide to pick it back up. Good luck with your reading.

>247 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! HOW 'BOUT THEM HEELS!?!?! Bill got so stressed that at the half he cut it off, wondering if it would be the second time in tournament history that a number 1 got upset by a number 16. I checked WRAL about midnight and saw that they did what Duke did - had a crappy first half and then pulled it out.

Chelle mentioned thyroid - hers is fine after a blood test - and my doctor has never brought up any issues with mine. Thanks re Bill's tooth - the only problem with it now is that we have to go another day to get it pulled. He's not in any pain with it at all.

>248 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! Good for you for doing your taxes. I wish ours were simple. Bill used to do them before we had his property development business after getting laid off by Nortel in 1998, then they became too complex in addition to him needing someone to help him with the taxes for the business. Since then it's totally worth the money to have them done.

>249 LovingLit: I bought myself a copy, Megan, with Christmas money. Otherwise I'm not sure I would have joined the group read.

...
Today is errands and Bill OD'ing on basketball, I imagine. I'll therefore probably read a lot. I did something hinky with my back on Thursday, and my lower back and right hip are giving me fits. It's bad timing because I'll be on my feet all day tomorrow and half-day Monday helping to set up for the Thursday - Saturday book sale, when I'll be on my feet most of the time, too. Sigh. Ibuprophen and I will become good friends.

28. Absent in the Spring by Mary Westmacott – a.k.a. Agatha Christie
3/17/19 to 3/23/19





From Goodreads (which I feel has the best description):

Returning from a visit to her daughter in Iraq, Joan Scudamore finds herself unexpectedly alone and stranded in an isolated rest house by flooding of the railway tracks. This sudden solitude compels Joan to assess her life for the first time ever and face up to many of the truths about herself. Looking back over the years, Joan painfully re-examines her attitudes, relationships and actions and becomes increasingly uneasy about the person who is revealed to her.

Why I wanted to read it: One of the Agatha Christie books I’ve never read, and one of six she published under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott.

Now, of course, I want the four that I don’t have. The six are:

Giant’s Bread
Unfinished Portrait – on my shelves
Absent in the Spring – on my shelves
The Rose and the Yew Tree
A Daughter’s a Daughter
The Burden

The title is a quotation from William Shakespeare's sonnet 98: "From you have I been absent in the spring,..."

Dame Agatha was a master at building tension and developing characters. By very slow degrees Joan sees things differently, gains understanding about people in her life and events from her past and starts to understand what her relationship with her husband is and what she wants it to be.

Dame Agatha was also a master of laying out a path – left turn does this, right turn does that. Throughout this novel she nudges you first one way, then the other, as you start to understand what is actually happening to Joan. Will she or won’t she change?

Beautifully executed, a wonderful psychological portrait.

No call yet from La Chew about my being a Friend. Bound to happen. It's fate. I was there at the branch dedication, with a political speaker I didn't support. Stood there with my arms by my side the whole time. He retired, I love the new Rep. Don Beyer. I button holed him one night and told him how our class studied his car commercials, and how clever I thought they were. I hope that was a fair trade because I don't give money to any politician for any reason. Period. Rep. Beyer ( D-VA 8) is a genuinly likable guy. Now stop turning every road into a toll road. What are we, New Jersey?

>251 karenmarie: Fie on you, Karenmarie! Couldn't you have kept this Mary Westmacott under wraps? Did you have to say out loud (so to write) that Agatha Christie wrote some really good stories using that pen name? Great gobbledegook! What am I gonna do now. I must have around two dozen books she wrote under her own name threatening good order in the TBR Vault^TM.

>251 karenmarie: Oh, That's news to me, six books I didn't know about, have never read. Must try and find them! And Absent in the spring sounds interesting.

Have a nice week ahead!

>251 karenmarie: I haven't read anything by Mary Westmacott even though I am a Christie fan. Maybe I should do something about that.

Morning, Karen. I hope you had a good weekend. I wasn't able to visit many threads, the past couple of days but I will try to catch up. I had a great bird outing yesterday, which included a couple of lifers. Yah!! I work the next 4 days but looking forward to that 3-day weekend.

>252 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry! Did you fill out a form? We have a membership form and people decide what they want to do money-wise and send the form/check to us at our PO Box. Then I, as Treasurer, pick up the mail, record/deposit the check, then turn over the form to our Membership chair, who acknowledges the membership/renewal. It can take up to several weeks, depending on my schedule and Sue’s schedule. They’ll get to you, for sure!

I donated $25 one time, in the 2016 election cycle, and got bombarded with e-mails from every level of candidate – county, state, federal. It irritated the shit out of me, so I haven’t donated any money again and tell exactly why if the caller is persistent if I’m stupid enough to answer the phone to a caller I don’t recognize in the first place. We have some toll roads, too, near Raleigh. A regressive tax if I ever saw one.

>253 weird_O: Ignorance was bliss, eh, Bill? I’d say I’m sorry, but it was good – much better than I thought it would be, frankly. They aren’t easy to find and not inexpensive when you do, so you might be able to NOT get them based on economics or availability.

>254 EllaTim: Good luck, Ella! This week is prep for the sale, and then the sale on Thursday – Saturday.

>255 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! They’re categorized on the Wikipedia page as ‘romances’, but this one was a psychological portrait, with romance brought up in the context of the character’s personal growth.

>256 msf59: Hi Mark! My weekend was a mixed bag. I wasn’t able to visit many threads either and am now seriously behind. I’ll check out your new ‘lifers’ here in a minute, congratulations. And yay for the upcoming 3-day weekend.

…
I did something to my back and right hip last Thursday and muddled along well enough until yesterday, when 6 ½ hours of walking, carrying (small) armloads of books, and stretching and bending over aggravated it so badly that I could barely limp into the house. I have to go back for 3 hours of book sorting this morning and possibly tomorrow morning as well. I’m going to call the chiropractor, who I haven’t visited in 2 years, and see if she can fit me in any day this week. I’m in moderate pain.

But on the bright side, I found 4 books that I’ll count as my volunteer books for Sun, Mon, Tue, and Wed.

Hammett Complete Novels - Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key and The Thin Man
Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick (signed – they don’t up-price signed copies if they’re older than a year or two with rare exceptions, and this book is from 2014)
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
The Stories of Jane Gardam

Sorry your back didn't agree, Karen. I hope the chiropractor can help you out.

Hi Anita!

I was able to see the chiropractor today and she adjusted my back and hip. They are not 100% yet, but I definitely feel better.

I'm glad that your back and hip are better, Karen. It's a misery when they are out of whack. (So says Ms. Sciatica Unlimited, now thankfully not being bothered much with it.)
Hammett! OOOO! Ditto the Philbrick! I have Pachinko on Mt. Bookpile, and JG's stories will be good. Great picks!

>259 karenmarie: Glad you are feeling a bit better! Nothing like a good chiropractor. : )

>257 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Sorry to hear about the back and hip issues. I am glad you got it adjusted quickly. Ooh, I'll be interested in hearing about The Stories of Jane Gardam.

>260 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I'm guardedly optimistic this morning - able to walk almost normally. I've already taken ibuprophen and will alternate with Tylenol every 3 hours.

Ugh. Sciatica. I've had it once in my life and that was more than enough. Nerve pain is the worst.

I'm pleased with the volunteer books I found too. Thanks.

>261 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I've been using a chiropractor off and on since about 1973. I don't know what I'd do without them. This is the first woman chiropractor I've ever had, and she's very good.

>262 msf59: Hi Mark! I was lucky that they had a no-show and that I was already in town. I hobbled over there as fast as I could.

...
I think I'll try to go this morning to help finish sorting. It's really too much for Rhoda and I'll come right back home if it's too much.

>263 karenmarie: Sorry to hear about the back and hip. That is really debilitating. Look after yourself well. To paraphrase Bill & Ted, "Be excellent to yourself."

Healthy back and spine vibes coming your way!

>264 pgmcc: Thanks, Peter. It definitely makes me feel old, for sure. I'm home, in comfy clothes, and will read and be supervised by Kitty William - he's sitting on a volunteer book I took away from the book sale set up today - Amphigorey Again. They didn't up price it, so fair's fair... *smile*

>265 SomeGuyInVirginia: Thanks, Larry. I was glad to be there to help Rhoda, more glad to be back home.

Treat your acute injury with the respect it deserves! Rhoda's chronic condition is a whole different kettle of fish. Enjoy the day with your preferred companions. *smooch*

Thanks, RD! If I do anything today, it will be unloading the dishwasher and putting the dirty ones in - nothing else except read and R&R.

Good point about an acute injury vs. a chronic condition.

My sympathy re the back and hip problems, Karen. I’m glad you’re guardedly optimistic and being good to yourself. Edward Gorey - what a great choice for when you’re laid up. I’m glad you have Kitty William to keep an eye on you.

Thank you, Joe. After a glorious nap with Inara Starbuck at my side, I just now finished Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer for April's book club discussion. I'm debating between 2.5 and 3 stars - it didn't do anything for me except leave me frustrated.

>264 pgmcc: Speaking of Bill and Ted:



Sciatica Oh my. I'm dealing with the same crap myself. It's much diminished from a couple of weeks ago, but a bit of a flareup (or flaredown, since it's a fiery bolt from hip down to knee) yesterday. Book sale on Saturday, so I need relief for at least that one day. Ha ha.

>271 weird_O:
I noticed that. It will be interesting to see what they do with it.

Sorry to hear about the sciatica, especially with a book sale on the horizon. I can empathise.

>270 karenmarie: Sorry to see Annihilation didn't do it for you. I kind of forgot to get back to that series. So yeah.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. I broke a tooth last Sunday and I can finally get in to the dentist this A.M. so I took the day off. I sure hope they can repair it without removing the rest of the tooth. I have been very careful this week, chewing anything.

Guess who's going to see David Sedaris next week? Me!

>275 SomeGuyInVirginia: Lucky you!

Yeah, Annihilation left me in the meh zone, too.

>271 weird_O: Hi Bill! Would you believe I’ve never seen Bill & Ted 1 or 2? I hope your sciatica is gone by Saturday. No fun hobbling around a book sale – I should know. More below.

>272 pgmcc: Hi Peter!

>273 ChelleBearss: Yup. Whole lots of meh, Chelle.

>274 msf59: Hi Mark! I’m sorry about your tooth – yuck to dental stuff. I hope your visit today had the best possible result.

>275 SomeGuyInVirginia: Yay! You’ll have so much fun Larry. We'll expect a report...

>276 quondame: Hi Susan. I saw Sedaris last August – he’s soooo marvelously snarky in person.

>277 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I can’t believe the average rating for Annihilation here on LT is 3.69.

…
First day of book sale, excellent revenue - $13,574. $9300 was in credit card sales – almost double % of previous sales. Made for quick tabulations – less cash and checks.

I got 49 books, 3 movies, and one audiobook in addition to the previously mentioned volunteer books. I’ll make a list eventually – right now I’m whupped. My hip and back weren’t as painful as I thought they’d be, but that could be because of another chiropractic adjustment yesterday AND alternating ibuprophen and Tylenol every 3 hours today.

Right now it’s off to bed to finish Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers. I’m completely stalled on David Copperfield and somewhat stalled on These Truths. I’m caught up on A Suitable Boy.

And finally, just for fun, one of my March Madness brackets is doing well, with me having 13 of the Sweet 16 teams.

I got another two bags of books yesterday, am hanging in there with my back and hip, and Carolina lost last night to Auburn. Sigh.

Today's the last day of the book sale, 9 - 2, $5/bag day. I will get a bag or two most likely.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. It sounds like the book sale was a resounding success. Yah! Looking forward to seeing some of that book booty you got.

>180 karenmarie: I forgot about my erector set! I had my dad's, and in high school I made a mousetrap car using its parts for the physics competition.

>205 karenmarie: Your forsythia is beautiful! I posted a photo of mine...it is small but satisfying as this is really the first time I've any luck getting it to bloom. I am hoping it looks a bit like yours next year.

Happy Saturday!

Good luck with the book sale and your hip and back today, Karen. Two bags of books sounds right so you will be in balance when you carry them.

>280 msf59: Hi Mark! Total success, both from a revenue standpoint ($19,300) and personal standpoint (7 bags of books and several volunteer books) I'm seriously whupped but gloating over my haul - will post soon.

>281 witchyrichy: Hi Karen! Yay for erector sets. Thanks re the forsythia and glad yours has bloomed. Ours is actually 3 1-gallon forsythias planted quite a few years ago. I love 'em.

Thanks re my Saturday. I'm happily home, tired beyond measure, glad it's over. Until six months from now...

>282 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. My hip did fine until I tried to bring one of the bags of books in just now... it twinged a bit. I'm already on tap for another chiropractic appointment this week and can't wait for it!

I played old lady - had strong young men take my bags of books to my car and put them in the back. Bill and I got them in the house. They're sitting here on the card table. I'm too lazy to take a picture now, but after I get them listed and cataloged I'll take a picture of them on the Sunroom dresser. They'll be tagged 'TBS' for now - to be shelved, and I can figure out where they go over the next several days. One of my favorite things to do.

Anybody else having problems seeing their books? I'm getting an error that says "Problem with the concurrent query manager in the LibraryThing Bureau of Garbage Collections."

I can't wait to see the record of your take, Karen! Hope you don't pay for your volunteerism too dearly in pain. Good for you to play old lady! I find more and more uses for that card.
Oh woe for our Heels. That's about all I can say.
I need to look at the *DC* thread at the very least. Obviously, I didn't make it past the first chapter.

Congrats on finishing the Frieda Klein series. I still have three to go. I love this series so much. Wishing you a splendid Sunday.

Insomnia... fortunately the sale's over and I can get back to sleep in a while and then do NOTHING the rest of the day.

My books 'came back'. Weird.

>285 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I'm creating a spreadsheet of my take first because I bought some books for daughter and 3 friends and want to keep track of what's what. I'll be back in a bit with the list...

>286 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! I was thrilled with it. They have non-Frieda Klein books, too - I will need to check those out eventually. Wishing you a splendid Sunday too.

I've read a few non Fieda Klein books before I started the series. I liked them all.

Okay! Here is my semi-annual book orgy, spring edition. 120 items.

7 were 'free' books for volunteering 7 days in a row, one way or another (sorting books, acquiring cash for cash boxes, working at the sale)
26 are gifts
87 are ones I bought for myself (2 deliberate duplicates to upgrade quality, 1 book bought twice at the sale on different days)

Average price is $1.26/item. *smile*

I'm pretty excited to get the first 12 in the Longmire series, all the same softcover format, plus the 14th in hardcover.

audiobook
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

DVD
Fargo
Love Actually - for Jenna
The Princess Bride - for Jenna

hardcover
Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
Brilliant by Jane Brox
The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War by Bruce Catton
Missing You by Harlan Coben
95 Poems by e. e. cummings
A Gentleman of Fortune by Anna Dean
A Place of Confinement by Anna Dean
A Woman of Consequence by Anna Dean
Autobiography of Mark Twain by editor Harriet Elinor Smith
The Compact Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary: Volume III: A Supplement to The Oxford English Dictionary, Volumes I-IV by editor R.W. Burchfield
The Hidden Charles Dickens by editor Stefan R. Dziemianowicz
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones
One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
The Stories of Jane Gardam by Jane Gardam
Amphigorey Again by Edward Gorey
A Tear and a Smile by Kahlil Gibran
The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths
The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
Dashiell Hammett: Complete Novels by Dashiell Hammett
The Lazarus Project by Aleksander Hemow
Malice by Keigo Higashino
Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill
Advice on Dying and Living a Better Life by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Field of Bones by J.A. Jance
Hillbilly Elegy by J.A. Vance
The Western Star by Craig Johnson
With Child by Laurie R. King
A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
The Pursuit of Alice Thrift by Elinor Lipman
Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
Caravans by James Michener
Lightening Men by Thomas Mullen
Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe by John Evangelist Walsh
Phantom by Jo Nesbo
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
The Book on the Book Shelf by Henry Petroski
Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick
Crimson Shore by Preston & Child
The Pharoah Key by Preston & Child
Going Wrong by Ruth Rendell
The World According to Fred Rogers by Fred Rogers
Miss Julia Takes Over by Ann B. Ross
Adventures of the Mind by Saturday Evening Post
1066 and All That by W.C. Sellar & R.J. Yeatman
Sixteen Short Novels by Wilfrid Sheed
The Teaching of Buddah by The Society for the Promotion of Buddhism
Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas
Whose Boat Is This Boat? by Donald J. Trump (by accident)
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester

softcover
Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews
Lady Susan/The Watsons/Sanditon by Jane Austen
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
An Elizabethan Bestiary Retold by Jeffery Beam, Ippy Patterson, M.J. Sharp
Bingo by Rita Mae Brown
Six of One by Rita Mae Brown
One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson
The Civil War: An Illustrated History by Ken Burns
The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne
The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
Hidden Depths by Ann Cleeves
Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves
The Lost Letter of William Woolf by Helen Cullen
Bibliomysteries by editor Otto Penzler
The Penguin Book of Bird Poetry by editor Peggy Munsterberg
The Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin
Tinkers by Paul Harding
A Guide to Jane Austen by Michael Hardwick
False Colours by Georgette Heyer
Dead Wrong by J.A. Jance
Deadly Stakes by J.A. Jance
Partner in Crime by J.A. Jance
Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance
The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
Death Without Company by Craig Johnson
Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson
The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson
Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson
As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson
The Dead of Summer by Mari Jungstedt
Shonen Manga by Kamikaze Factory Studio
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah by Rav Michael Laitman Ph.D. with Collin Camright
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo
My Dream of You by Nuala O'Faolain
Streak of Chalk by Miguelanxo Prado
One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash
Dark Corners by Ruth Rendell
When the Music's Over by Peter Robinson
Yellowstone Bear Tales by Paul Schullery
Corrupted by Lisa Scottaline
Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Low Country Boil by Carl T. Smith
The Daughter of Time Special Edition by Josephine Tey
Vanity Fair by W.M. Thackeray
The Authorative Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

^That is an impressive mountain of books, Karen. Many gems! Hooray for the Longmire books too. It is one of the very few series that I have been keeping up with. Good luck sorting everything and putting them in the correct location. Yikes!

Happy Sunday, my friend!

Thanks, Mark!

An Elizabethan Bestiary Retold is actually listed on Abebooks for $150-$175, but this is an ex-library copy, sadly. It's in perfect condition but has a Dewey stamp on the spine, a library stamp/discard stamp on the inside front page and a barcode scan stamp on the back cover. There's even an original bookmark in it...

I'll probably be spending the next several days getting everything under control.

Nice haul, Karen! I read My Dream of You eons ago and loved it. I don't remember much about it now. Might be time for a re-read.

Wow! is right, Karen. What a haul of books. I hope the hip is OK after all that toting and carrying.

>292 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Better me than you, with a move in your relatively near future, right? I've never read any Nuala O'Faolain before, but friend Karen just sent me a copy of Are You Somebody? so her name was on my mind.

>293 BLBera: Hi Beth. I'm feeling it a bit today, but only as a vague ache in my lower back. If I sit, I can't feel any pain in my hip. Yay. I will go to the chiropractor this week and continue to use drugs today.

Have I mentioned that there are 18,000 items for sale at EACH of the two book sales per year? I could barely move 7 bags of books, but we have many strong folks who move thousands of books every six months. Books are heavy. We know this, but unless you start toting boxes around, you tend to forget it in the ease of pulling one book off your shelves.

Today is the 13th anniversary of my father’s death. He was 84, would have been 85 in June. He was born in 1921, died in 2006.

Dad was a musician, engineer, bowler, golfer. He loved cigars, cats, fishing, and camping. He was an AAU swim champ in high school in Omaha, Nebraska. He played trumpet in swing bands in the early 1940s before serving in WWII, slogging all over the eastern European theater. He ended up with shrapnel in his right leg that set off metal detectors every time he traveled. He came back from the war with PTSD, although the Greatest Generation just carried on and didn’t complain. He never talked about the war except to tell two humorous stories. After the war he went to the University of Iowa in Iowa City where he met and married my mother. Their honeymoon was driving to southern California, where he had rented a nice little house for them. He had a job lined up as an expediter with a small engineering firm, which he eventually parlayed into the position of Chief Engineer. I always miss him, but especially today.

.........

30. Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
3/26/19 to 3/29/19





From Barnes & Noble (which I feel has the best description):

The wealthy old woman died much sooner than the doctor expected. Did she suddenly succumb to illness—or was it murder? The debonair detective Lord Peter Wimsey begins to investigate, with the help of his trusted manservant, Bunter, and Miss Alexandra Katherine Climpson, a gossipy spinster with a gift for asking the right questions. The intricate trail leads from a beautiful Hampshire village to a fashionable London flat, where a deliberate test of amour, staged by the detective, will expose the elusive truth once and for all.

Why I wanted to read it: Next in my year-long re-read of Dorothy L. Sayers novels.

Originally published in the UK in 1927, published in the US in 1928 with the title The Dawson Pedigree.

I love mysteries where the smallest incident or comment ends up being a full-blown mystery.

The doctor overhears Peter discussing murder with Charles Parker at a restaurant, tells his tale, decides to remain anonymous and not have Peter pursue the case. Of course Peter does, discovers who the doctor and the victim are, and 191 pages later we have another thumping good mystery by Ms. Sayers.

Sayers has an opinion of writers: “… it isn’t really difficult to write books. Especially if you either write a rotten story in good English or a good story in rotten English, which is as far as most people seem to get nowadays.”

We meet Miss Climpson for the first time in the chapter titled “A Use for Spinsters”:

”Miss Climpson,” said Lord Peter, “is a manifestation of the wasteful way in which this country is run. Look at electricity. Look at waterpower. Look at the tides. Look at the sun. Millions of power units being given off into space every minute. Thousands of old maids, simply bursting with useful energy, forced by our stupid social system into hydros and hotels and communities and hotels and posts as companions, where their magnificent gossip-powers and units of inquisitiveness are allowed to dissipate themselves or even become harmful to the community, while the ratepayers’ money is spent on getting done for which these woman are providentially fitted, inefficiently carried out by ill-equipped policemen like you. My god! It’s enough to make a man write to John Bull. And then bright young men write nasty little patronising books called ‘Eldrly Women,’ and ‘On the Edge of the Explosion’ – and the drunkards make songs upon ‘em, poor things.”

“Quite, quite,” said Parker. “You mean that Miss Climpson is a kind of inquiry agent for you.”

“She is my ears and tongue,” said Lord Peter, dramatically, “and especially my nose. She asks questions which a young man could not put without a blush. She is the angel that rushe sin where fools get a clump on the head. She can smell a rat in the dark. In fact, she is the cat’s pajamas.” pp 357-358 in my edition

And here are two more wonderful quotes, showcasing Sayers’s beautiful use of the language and her deft characterizations:

To the person who has anything to conceal – to the person who wants to lose his identity as one leaf among the leaves of a forest – to the person who asks no more than to pass by and be forgotten, there is one name above others which promises a haven of safety and oblivion. London. Where no one knows his neighbor. Where shops do not know their customers. Where physicians are suddenly called to unknown patients whom thy never see again. Where you may lie dead in your house for months together unmissed and unnoticed till the gas-inspector comes to look at the meter. Where strangers are friendly and friends are casual. London, whose rather untidy and grubby bosom is the repository of so many odd secrets. Discreet, incurious, and all-enfolding London. p 467 in my edition

Miss Climpson was one of those people who say: “I’m not the kind of person who reads other people’s postcards.” This is clear notice to all and sundry that they are, precisely, that kind of person. They are not untruthful; the delusion is real to them. It is merely that Providence has provided them with a warning rattle, like that of a rattle-snake. After that, if you are so foolish as to leave your correspondence in their way, it is your own affair. p 509

Language, plot, cleverness, characterization (especially that of the murderer), bravery, and all’s well that ends well make this a charming, fun, and intelligent read.

>289 karenmarie: *happy sigh* I feel better already.

Glad to oblige, RD! *smooch*

starting a new thread... give me a few minutes then come join me on my fifth thread of the year!

>295 karenmarie: I get it.

>284 karenmarie: I had the same problem, Karen, and reported it in the "Bug Collectors" group. Tim solved it some hours later and explained what happened: https://www.librarything.com/topic/305349

>289 karenmarie: That is some haul!!
Make me feel less bad about the 20 books we acquired this month ;-)

>302 karenmarie: Thanks, Anita! I wasn't seriously worried because I could see my books on the LibraryThing app, just knew there was some strangeness somewhere that they would eventually fix. Strange that it fixed itself. Corrupted cache refreshed.

Adding my WOW!, Karen. What a book haul. I noticed all those Longmire books, too. You'll have fun with those. I was happy to see the Ruth Galloway mysteries and Calvin & Hobbes, too. Who knew there was a Penguin Book of Bird Poetry

Hi Joe! Jenna gets the Calvin & Hobbes - I already have them. And I must admit that my first thought when I saw the Bird Poetry book was that I hoped it rhymed...