Witchyrichy (aka Karen) Reads Across the Shelves - Thread #2

Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love the bee balm so I let it grow with abandon.

I am 57 years old, living with my husband and 2 old dogs in an 1854 farm house on 18 acres in southern central Virginia. We've had pigs and chickens but now just have a couple royal palm turkeys that free range along with some barn cats that drive the dogs crazy.

I work from home running a state nonprofit related to educational technology, teaching online and doing instructional design consulting and project management. I get to tinker with lots of technology as part of my job.

We are getting out of the farming business, but I still dabble in the garden with some tomato and pepper plants, herbs, and a small crop of ginger that we grow in our high tunnel.

Besides reading and techie stuff, I love to crochet. I want to bring more music into my life in 2019: I play piano pretty well, know a bit about guitar, and have plucked at a ukelele.

I love to read and have shelves full of books in the library. (That was one of the selling points of the house: an honest to goodness library.) I love buying books, too, but really need to think about downsizing the collection. So, my goal for this year (the same as last year) is to read for free...either from my own shelves or the public library. I'm using various challenges to help me locate books to read.

Reading List:



= Reviewed

January 7
Lethal Letters by Ellery Adams (audio) and Writing All Wrongs by Ellery Adams (audio) -- Review
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton -- Review
Blessings by Anna Quindlen -- Review
Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile -- Review
Killer Characters by Ellery Adams -- Review
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman -- Review

February 9
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon RLBG -- Review
The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson - Review
A Picture of Murder: A Lady Hardcastle Mystery by T.E. Kinsey
The Quantum Labyrinth: How Richard Feynman and John Wheeler Revolutionized Time and Reality by Paul Halpern -- Review
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Mountain Man: John Colter, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the Call of the American West by David Weston Marshall
The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas -- Review
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

March 10
Of A Feather: A Brief History of American Birding by Scott Weidensaul
The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow -- Review
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe -- Review
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo -- Review
Well-Read Black Girl -- Review
The Book of Unholy Mischief -- Review
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
Looking for Alaska
Books for Living
The Happiness Equation

April 10
brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
What She Ate by Laura Shapiro
Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen -- Review
Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry
A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
The Museum of Mysteries by Steve Berry and M.J. Rose

May 15
In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
The Vengeance of Mothers by Jim Fergus
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Charles Vess' Book of Ballads & Sagas by Charles Vess
Murder in the Reading Room by Ellery Adams (audio)
The Barrytown Trilogy by Roddy Doyle
The Kings and Queens of Roam by Daniel Wallace
Maus I by Art Spiegelman
Maus II by Art Spiegelman
In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen
Squirm by Carl Hiasen
The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg
Death at Dawn by Caro Peacock

June 11
With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome
The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates (audio)
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen (audio)
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
The Demon Breed by James H. Schmitz
The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin -- Review
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth by e.l. konigsburg

July 7

And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez -- Review
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan -- Review
The Blackstone Key by Rose Melikan -- Review
The Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss
Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg -- Review

August 7

Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts
Indian Country by Peter Matthiessen
King of the Scepter'd Isle by Michael G. Coney
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Puddin' by Julie Murphy
The Incredible Crime by Lois Austen-Leigh
Beatrice On Her Own by Rosemary Zibart -- Review

September 5

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman -- Review
The Land: Founding by Aleron Kong -- Review
The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welchn -- Review
The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (audio)
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

October 5
A Well-Read Woman by Kate Stewart
Our Towns by James Fallows
Something Read Something Dead by Eva Gates (audio)
When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd
The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery

November 3
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
Circe by Madeline Miller (finally!)
The Christmas Boutique by Jennifer Chiaverini

December 9
The Girl on Legare Street by Karen White
Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer
The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters
The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay
The Tainted Relic by The Medieval Murderers
The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins
The Bookseller's Tale by Ann Swinfen

Alpha KIT

Jan: Q, A
Blessings by Anna Quindlen
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman

Feb: K, O
The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Mar: U, L
The Last Witchfinder: A Novel by James Morrow
The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

Apr: B, M
The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

May: H, V: Pulled a few things off the shelf:
The Vengeance of Mothers by Jim Fergus
Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickam
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

Jun: J, D
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Jul: C, P
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
The Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss

Aug: N, I
Enchantress of Numbers
Indian Country
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Sep: F, W
A Well-Read Woman
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

Oct: G, T
Our Towns
Something Dead Something Read by Eva Gates

Nov: S, Y

Dec: E, R
Ellis Peters

BingoDOG



Author Uses Middle Name or Middle Initial: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth by e.l.konigsburg
Debut Novel: Queen Sugar
About or Featuring Siblings: The Secret Keeper
Book Bullet: Uprooted
Mentioned in Another Book: brown girl dreaming
Animal in Significant Role: Flora & Ulysses
Artistic Characters: The Summer Before the War
Eastern European Author or Setting: In Paradise
Children or Young Adult: On the Come Up
Alliterative Title: Lethal Letters
Part of a Series: A Picture of Murder
Read a CAT: The Happiness Equation (March Calendar CAT: International Day of Happiness)
Prize Winning Book: The View From Saturday (Newberry Medal for 1997)
Weather Word in Title: Let It Snow
Short Stories or Essays: Books for Living
Made Into a Movie: Dumplin'
A Fairy Tale: Charles Vess' Book of Ballads & Sagas
Graphic Novel: Maus I and Maus II
Title Has 6+ Words in It: The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street
Cover Has At Least 2 Human Figures: The Last Witchfinder
Book in Translation: The Librarian of Auschwitz
Food Related Title or Topic: What She Ate
LT Rating of 4+: The Poet X
Title Contains Homophone Word: Writing All Wrongs

Happy new thread, Karen. I love your topper.

Lucky you to have a library. That has always been a dream of mine -- to have a house with a library.

Hi Karen and Happy New Thread!

Lovely topper and your bingo card is getting soooooo close.

I enjoyed your review of Dumplin on your last thread. It sounds like one to add to my list.

Hi Karen, happy new thread my dear.

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Karen.

Happy new thread, Karen! You are killing the Bingo card. : )

Happy New thread and congrats on making it to 50 books at the halfway point.
I'm still trying to figure out what to read for the "weather-related" square on the BingoDOG card.

Happy new thread, Karen!

I love the topper, the bee is obviously happy you let the flowers florish :-)

>5 BLBera: >6 streamsong: >7 johnsimpson: >8 drneutron: >9 PaulCranswick: >10 Berly: >11 EBT1002: >12 FAMeulstee: Thanks for stopping by my new thread! Getting ready to post my July reading plan and then start working on my June stats.

>6 streamsong: Hope you like Dumplin'. I may try to get to one of her other books. She is one of the YA authors that I follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andimjulie/

>11 EBT1002: I found Mountain in the Clouds on my shelf.

Been offline and hanging out with my parents in the mountains for a few days. They both turn 84 this year and are doing pretty well. But they are slowing down so we had a relaxing drive along Skyline Drive with lunch at Skyland, a little Plow and Hearth outlet shopping and then just relaxed at the condo for the late afternoon and evening with a sandwich and vegie dinner. I may have even napped at one point.

Started my July reading with And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander. It was recommended to me by the New York Public Library via Twitter as I asked for books like Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell mystery series. it did not disappoint, weaving a compelling personal thread through the mystery.

Currently reading: Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

AlphaKIT: C, P
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

BingoDOG:
Mountain in the Clouds: Weather

Library Loan:
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Timely:
Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America by James Fallows and Deborah Fallows

Happy new thread!

>!5 Thanks!

Reading Unsheltered on the Kindle and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in paperback. Not getting all that far with either of them as I have been watching tennis and crocheting.

My mother requested some small clutch purses and a thread crochet table runner for Christmas but she also has a birthday in August so I might be able to fulfill at least one of the requests. Working on a filet crochet runner right now and looking forward to watching Roger in a little while. The weather is summer sticky with storms coming early today.

I have one more overnight on Sunday. Just up the road in Richmond but the Monday event starts early so I want to be in place. Then I get almost ten days in a row at home with a summer light to do list. Scheduling lots of pool floating and reading time!

Happy new thread, Karen! Glad you were able to face your travel difficulties with equanimity. Did you get to the Dr yet?

>18 AMQS: Thanks!

I have not gotten an appointment yet and am planning a call to the medical center tomorrow to check in and make sure I haven't missed something. I have not been part of the medical establishment beyond annual exams for a long time so am getting used to the system. We did figure out saving money on prescriptions. Turns out the Walmart price on the drug was significantly better than the coupon being offered on the app. Interesting...

Meanwhile, I am struggling a bit with I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. It seems much darker than other books like The Hate U Give and even Dear Martin. The main character is so angry and unhappy. She is dealing with the death of her sister and finding it difficult to navigate life with her mother. Her friendships and school work are suffering, but she refuses to reach out for help. She can be rude and obnoxious, even to strangers. I keep wondering if it is going to get any better for her, waiting for that moment of uplift, but then I think it is just my own discomfort as I live with this realistic character. She does not sugar coat her life or her feelings for the benefit of anyone, including the reader. I'll keep reading because I am interested in how it plays out. A happy ending might be too much.

Update: I finished I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and am still thinking through the book. It was powerful in its darkness. I mentioned Julia's anger and grief. It deepens as she learns more about her parents' journey to the United States and the secrets her sister kept from them all.

I had not read any reviews of this book and assumed it would be similar to books like With The Fire on High and The Hate U Give. This was not those, I don't think, at it focused both on poverty but also mental illness. We only see the world from Julia's eyes and it turns out it is a narrow vision, one that does not allow for other interpretations. She creates a world and then shatters it. She does rebuild it. In the end, there is uplift in the story but the dark edge is still there, a somewhat happy ending with some horrible lessons learned along the way.

The Bookshop on the Corner was just what I wanted: a pleasant read with some decent people finding their ways in the world. Nina is a plucky main character who ends up in Scotland running a bookshop out of a van. Not great literature but there were a couple twists and sub stories to hold interest. It was fun to see the way Nina's love of books spread throughout the town. Plus, it was fun to imagine doing just that very thing even in this day and age of digital books.

I didn't really have a plan for July reading, and I feel like I have been slow. I'm blaming tennis.

I re-started LovingKindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg. I have listened to her talks and meditations through the 10% Happier app and like her approach to life. Plus, she went to India in the 70s and is still a meditation teacher. That seems important somehow.

Spinning Silver is up next on the Kindle, borrowed from the library.

I'm waiting on Circe from the public library.

I need an analog book to read at the pool. Was tempted by the supposedly waterproof Kindle that was on sale for Prime days. But, I like holding a book and floating and reading.

And I have also lost track of my own thread since I did have a plan that I posted! I have sort of followed it but last night, I started The Blackstone Key by Rose Melikan. Gothic and mysterious as Mary Finch heads to her uncle's house. Think it will be a good one. it will be my pool book, I think.

And, I need to read Between the World and Me finally. I'm heading up a task force on diversity and inclusion in Virginia education and I think it seems like a seminal piece of writing for this kind of work.

Hi Karen - >21 witchyrichy: This sounds like a good summer read.

I still need to read Between the World and Me as well. I 've read his essays and loved them, so I'm sure this will be a powerful read as well.

How are you liking Spinning Silver? I know Marina has The Hate U Give and I have been meaning to pick it up. I think I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter sounds like an important read, and also maybe not for me at this time...

Hi Karen my dear, hope all is well with you and your husband and that you are having a great week, last weekend was good for us and we finally got over all the celebrating of my birthday and the KISS concert, Karen loved it as it was her first concert. Sending love and hugs dear friend.

>24 BLBera: I have made it along and it is, indeed, a good summer read.

>25 AMQS: I haven't started it yet and I better as it is a digital loan. Between tennis and the pool, I haven't been reading on my iPad. LOVED The Hate U Give but it just had a different "vibe" from Sanchez's book. Not sure vibe is an official literary word ;-)

>26 johnsimpson: We are doing just fine here in Virginia although the real summer (95 deg and 100% humidity) has finally arrived. I am holed up in the air conditioned library reading and relaxing. I am glad you had a great birthday. Love and hugs coming right back to you!

I love serendipity. I read The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen, Jacques Pepin's memoir. It was wonderful: he is a lot of fun as a writer and full of stories of restaurant life in France and the United States. He was a close friend of Craig Claiborne and Julia Childs, and he was part of two food revolutions: Howard Johnson hired him to develop the food for his new chain of restaurants, creating delicious items that could be mass produced. From there, he moved on to become a pioneer television chef. He also has an MA from Columbia and is an avid painter.

Last night, I opened up the PBS app and found the American Masters segment about Pepin. He was interviewed and told some of the stories from the book. Other people included his wife and daughter and lots of chefs. Sadly, Anthony Bourdain was a major voice. He also wrote the introduction to the book.

If you support PBS, you can probably access it through the passport. Link

Getting caught up on many reviews and realized I posted one to the book page but not here.



I loved The Last Witchfinder. This book can only be described as historical fantasy. Morrow uses the horrific history of witch finding from England to America through the character of Jennet Stearne who spends her life trying to come up with a grand argument that would legally undermine witchfinders, the livelihood of her father and brother. Along the way, she is abducted by Algonquin Indians, shipwrecked with Ben Franklin, and accused of witchcraft herself. The narrator is Newton's Principia Mathematica, the text that Jennet used for her argument, and in the interludes, the book describes its battle against the Malleus Maleficarum, the witch hunting handbook. Here's where fantasy really takes over. The writing was rich and evocative, often ironic, and sometimes just fun.

June Stats

Total Books 11
Pages Read 1694
Hours Listened 3 Hours

Male 27%
Female 73%

Fiction 64%
Historical Fiction 9%
Mystery 9%
Science Fiction 9%
Memoir 9%

Living 82%
Dead 18%

Source
My Shelf 36%
Library 45%
Audible 19%

Most Powerful: Dear Martin
Most Interesting: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

The List:

With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome
The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates (audio)
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen (audio)
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
The Demon Breed by James H. Schmitz
The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth by e.l. konigsburg

Just catching up in order to wish you well, Karen.

>31 PaulCranswick: Thanks! I am hunkered down inside, away from the heat, reading and updating LT books reviews. So, yes, all is well.

Read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time for my RLBG or otherwise probably would not have. I know it seems silly, but I don't like books where animals die. Of course, the dog is dead when the book opens but the image haunted me throughout the whole book. Such a violent action. It colored the whole book for me.

it was a fascinating look at the impact of autism on those who live with it each day. I just started re-watching Parenthood and this is a theme in that book as well as parents try to make a normal life for their kids while living within their comfort zone, which can be very small.

The relationship of father and son was difficult in its raw detail.

The Last Witchfinder sounds like a good read.

>34 AMQS: I really enjoyed it! A nice balance of history and philosophy with fun characters and a fast moving plot.

Hope all is well!

Got outside early to tend to the ginger plants and then scurried right back inside. I suspect I will not go out again today. The headline said it would be hot and only get hotter until Tuesday. I have actually started working on Christmas gifts. I finished a crocheted table runner for my mother and am going to do a shawl for my nephew's girlfriend. My mother also requested some clutch bags and they are perfect for using up extra yarn.

Watched Ken Burns' National Park series again and loved it. A cross country trip will be one of the first things we do when I retire. Now back into Midsomer Murders and watching the last episode with Tom Barnaby.

I will definitely get some reading in today as well, still working on The Blackstone Key. I have been working on my book list: posting links to reviews and writing reviews. I had done pretty well at the beginning of the year but then life got busy.

Karen - My sympathies re: the heat. It is cooler here this morning, thank goodness.

>33 witchyrichy: I haven't read this yet; it sounds like a worthwhile read.

Hi Karen my dear, I hope that you are having a good start to the weekend despite the high temperatures that you are having to endure at the moment. It rained yesterday here and today has been a bit of a mix but from tomorrow the temperatures are to rise here through the week and then cool down a bit by Friday which will not bother us as we will be on a plane.

Sending love and hugs to you and your husband from both of us dear friend.

We've just had our heatwave, and now it's in the east. We're looking forward to some cooler temps and hope there are some in your future also.

>37 BLBera: >38 johnsimpson: >39 AMQS: One more day and then it will be a high of 71 degrees on Tuesday! It's an excuse to stay inside and crochet and watch stuff and read.

>37 BLBera: It was a fascinating book.

>38 johnsimpson: Best to you and your family as well although we may not want to hug right now as I'm kinda sweaty ;-)

>39 AMQS: Yay to cooler temps that are, indeed, coming. Hope we get at least one good storm to water the gardens that have been baking away.

Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim featured short essays by wonderful writers, many telling the stories of when they finally found themselves in a book. But, they also talk about reading in general and their love for books. Something we all share, I think. I can remember being the kid on the band bus curled up with a book on the long rides back and forth to football games. I also know that it was easy for me to find myself in Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume and the nostalgic Charlie Brown television specials.

I posted the full list of all the books on my previous thread. Took three posts and I need to figure out where to move it. But that list: From Charlotte's Web to Soul on Ice and even Sweet Valley High, it occurred to me that it could be a canon for this century. Shakespeare might be missing as an author but I suspect is there as in influence.

Well-Read Black Girl has a great Instagram presence, focusing on black female writers as well as contemporary readings and books. Link: https://www.instagram.com/wellreadblackgirl/

Rose Melikan has written a contemporary Gothic mystery, paying homage to the historical genre but with a bit of a tongue in cheek. In The Blackstone Key, she weaves issues of class and money with smugglers and spies. There were secret codes, double agents and lots of fun characters. I especially like the main character. Mary Finch was as feisty as she might be at the end of the 18th century, not satisfied with her lot in life at a boarding school. She is ready for adventure and inserts herself in places where women would not normally be included simply by tagging along.

And...when I went to grab the image code, I discovered this is a series! None of them get rave reviews but I wouldn't mind spending time with Mary Finch again.

Well, the cold front blew threw late last night with at least two major thunderstorms. That meant I spent an hour or so comforting my big old hound dog in the middle of the night. He just shudders and sheds and pants and when you stop petting him, he pokes you to continue. Eventually, it calmed down, I fell asleep, and he moved on to his own bed. Today is cool and overcast with rain predicted. My husband is laughing that the forecast is 100% chance of scattered showers. He just headed out to see what damage the storm might have wrought.

I am blessedly home for a couple weeks so can space out work a bit. This time of year, the to do list is pretty light anyway so a couple hours each morning gets enough done to open the day for my own pursuits. I had planned to start Spinning Silver but the loan expires in five hours. I've requested it again but was put back in the queue. Meanwhile, I have The Night Gardener on loan so that may be the next read. And I checked my Circe hold: about 8 weeks.

The Book of Unholy Mischief takes the reader to 15th century Venice, a city of violence and intrigue, with rumors of a book of alchemical secrets circulating to only heighten tension. The narrator is a street urchin adopted into the doge's kitchen by the chef. He works hard and excels in the palace but is also unable to cut his ties with his old friends who resent his success.

Basically, everyone wants the book and will do almost anything to get it. A novice nun provides some love interest. But what I remember is Venice and food. Luciano is a creature of the city and moves around it with ease, avoiding the secret police and connecting castle to street. We are pulled into the magic of the food as well as Luciano learns his craft and the chef weaves his recipes.

If I had a rating system (and maybe I should), this would be a 3/5: Not sorry I read it but it isn't a must read for anyone else.

Free Range Reading: I found A Conspiracy of Paper on my book pile and it seemed an appropriate follow up to The Blackstone Key. This mystery is set earlier in English history with a focus on stock jobbers and trading but has a similar style. I am several chapters in and intrigued. Plus it meets both of the AlphaKIT for July.

It is on the top of the pile of my first #unreadshelfproject2019 post on Instagram: Link

I also loved Well-Read Black Girl, Karen. There are certainly a lot of good lists in the book.

>44 witchyrichy: I think I've had this on my shelf for years. One of these days...

It has been a somewhat challenging few days. I am finally getting some help for my bad hip but don't have an orthopod appointment until Tuesday. In the meantime, my local doctor prescribed meds to help with inflammation and pain. I was doing fine until Friday morning when I woke up dizzy and a little nauseous, two of the less scary side effects of the arthritis med. I called the doctor and got permission to stop taking it. Took all day to get better: fortunately, I was able to lay on my right side without the room spinning drunkenly out of control. Weak but vertical yesterday and feeling normal today, even did a little gardening. Back to OTC ibuprofen.

I was able to sit in my favorite rocker on the porch and read a bit. I finished The Conspiracy of Paper. It was a great companion to The Blackstone Key although set earlier the 18th century during the economic crisis known as the South Seas Bubble.

I have been dabbling in meditation for the past year or so. Sharon Salzberg is featured in a course related to lovingkindness in the 10% happier app. I am working my way through the course and felt like I wanted to dive deeper by reading her book. I don't think I'm really ready for the full lovingkindness practice by myself but have been using the guided meditations provided in the app.

Her book--Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness is a layperson's introduction to metta, the Buddhist practice of lovingkindness, or compassion for all beings. Salzberg takes a step by step approach with direct instruction in Buddhist concepts and practices along with stories from her life and Buddhist texts. She is kind and thoughtful and always ready to share her own learning experiences. Her themes are typical of many current "happiness" books with its focus on gratitude and compassion. But the foundation of Buddhism gives those concepts some more substance.

I also like her voice for guided meditations. She doesn't try to sound mystical or deep. Just lays out the practice, gives you some time to try it, then moves forward in her guidance.

I read The Happiness Equation earlier this year and it includes meditation as one of the practices that can promote happiness. But I think Neil Pasricha's idea of happiness may be different from Salzberg's Buddhist idea. This article from The Guardian talks about the current "mindfulness" movement and discusses the notion of secular spirituality, which struck me as a good term for works by folks like Pasricha who does a lot of work with the kinds of companies mentioned in the article.

A little slice of farm life: we have two royal palm male turkeys that are at least five years old. They are semi-feral, venturing far afield but always returning to their roost on our back yard fence each night. They are brothers and they act like it: some days, they spend the whole day fighting. But they are usually together, resting, eating, gobbling at the sirens together. One recent morning, however, we only found one turkey wandering around and a whole lot of turkey feathers strewn across the driveway. Something, it seemed, had taken our turkey. His buddy gobbled for him all that day but we never heard an answer. Night came and the lone boy roosted in the usual spot. I felt sorry for him: they do like companionship so I contacted a local friend to see if someone might be interesting in adopting. He would be happy just hanging out with someone's flock of chickens.

The afternoon of the next day my husband got a call from our neighbor Charlie. Think country neighbor here: they live across the cotton field from us, probably a quarter of a mile or more by road. Low and behold, our turkey was hanging out in his back yard. My husband took a drive over but wasn't able to catch him. "He didn't want to be caught," he reported. He did confirm that the bird seemed fine, missing some feathers, but walking and gobbling and eating. Charlie said he thought he had heard the brother calling, but it would have been a long way for this guy to get back through the cotton. I think they both had just given up.

We went back at dusk to see where he was roosting. But, he still wasn't ready to be caught and jumped from the trailer to the ground, heading towards the woods. We backed off and returned after dark and were able to grab him and get him into the back of the pickup truck. Once home, he took some coaxing to get out of the truck but then quickly found his way to the roost. They have been back to their usual behavior for the past two days.

We have a bit of a mystery as to what might have attacked him and scared him enough to run that far. (They really don't fly for any distance but maybe in a panic, he was able to lift himself in the air.) Sussex County does have coyotes, but we have seen no evidence like scat. And, sadly, our security cameras did not seem to pick up any unusual activity. It is a reminder about how close we live to the natural world here on the farm, with patches of actual wilderness, or at least what passes for it here in the suburban southeast Virginia corridor.

>49 witchyrichy: Oh, I am so happy for a positive ending! I was very nervous for awhile! What a wonderful story...

>50 Dianekeenoy: We were relieved! The turkeys are our last animals (we had pigs, chickens and ducks at one point). We love their gobbling.

>49 witchyrichy: Oh my goodness, what a great story and I loved the happy ending (I was readying myself for a not so happy ending)!! But, wow, what a mystery. I hope whatever frightened them doesn’t come back anytime soon. They are beautiful birds.

>52 Copperskye: So far, so good. They are in the middle of their late summer molt so they look pretty crummy right now but we can see the new feathers growing in. Our neighbor thinks he may have seen a coyote trotting down his driveway and that is the only thing we can imagine it might be.

I have arthritis in my hip. For now, we're trying physical therapy and a cortisone shot in September. I've been to PT twice and really like it. It's in the next small town so it's all local folks. We are in a small room together with the therapists and we chat while we swing and march and stretch. It is fun...and then you get home and realize all that friendly banter just covers their evil plans for making you work hard. I was sore! But a good sore. I came home with exercises and have been walking in the pool. The second day, I felt straighter. And, today, I finally got the app installed that talks you through the exercises and let's them know you did it. I am an overachiever so this is exactly what I needed to start moving again.

Meanwhile, I am almost at 75 books: Finishing up The Incredible Crime by Lois Austen-Leigh, a great great niece of Jane Austen. She was part of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, although less well known. This book was just recently reissued by the British Library. I am enjoying it. She uses an interesting lens, it seems, to focus on a main character that you feel you trust but then to pull out to show that not everyone trusts that character.

Hope to finish it tonight. Also reading my ARC of Beatrice On Her Own. Historical fiction that place a young refugee from WW II London in New Mexico just as Pearl Harbor is bombed. Just a few chapters in but hooked on the story.

Celebrating 75 books! The Incredible Crime was fun: I saw one big clue towards the end about what was going to be the trick but was still a little surprised. It was fun with glimpses of English society and gentry just as the world was changing. There was a snarky kind of love story as well. I'm thinking about working my way through Poisoned Pen Press's library of British crime mysteries.

Hi Karen!

>45 witchyrichy: I enjoyed A Conspiracy of Paper.

>47 witchyrichy: I’m sorry to hear about your bad reaction to the arthritis med. My right hip frequently gives me small amounts of grief (degenerative disk disease). Ibuprophen helps, and I already have plans to call the chiropractor this week. Adjustments seem to help me but I just don’t like spending the money too often. I also get a massage once a month and whatever she does to stretch muscles and ligaments helps, too. Thursday's the day this month.

>49 witchyrichy: What an interesting story. I’m so glad that he survived whatever attacked him and that he’s safe and sound at home. I was reminded of you and your heritage turkeys the other day while at the local feed store buying bird seed – they had a Royal Palm turkey feather taped to a pen for credit card slip signing. One of their customers raises them here, apparently.

>54 witchyrichy: I hope the PT and cortisone shot work.

>55 witchyrichy: Congratulations on 75!

>56 karenmarie: Thanks! I have been going to physical therapy for two weeks and we are seeing some progress in the stiffness. Mostly I would like to be able to easily tie my right sneaker. I am going to ask them about chiropratic work as well. I had to put off the shot until later in September but have heard good things from others.

Yay to 75! Doesn't mean I'm slowing down but it is nice to reach the milestone early. Hope you are well. I haven't been around to threads yet: I'll bet you are in the double digits!

Actually, I haven't gotten to 75 yet - two more to go. Too much going on this year, but my goal is 100 and I anticipate getting there.

I've heard recently from two good sources that acupuncture might help me...

Hi Karen, sorry to see that you have arthritis in your hip my dear and hope the cortisone injection does the trick. I hope that you and your husband are both well and I will get back to visiting the threads more from the beginning of September as I seem to be in a lull this month. Sending love and hugs from both of us.

Hi Karen! I'm glad the PT is helping your hip. Yes, I hear you about the therapists working you hard! Some days I come home and collapse.

Congrats on the 75 - we are on the same path as I made it this week, too. I usually read about 100 books a year; this year it may actually be a few more since I'm a bit ahead of schedule.

>55 witchyrichy: Congratulations on reaching 75, Karen!

>58 karenmarie: I knew you were almost there.

I am going to ask about some alternative options like chiropractic and maybe acupuncture. My orthopedist is not ready to go rushing to surgery so he might be willing to prescribe something different.

>59 johnsimpson: Thanks for stopping by, John. I hope you are well. We are enjoying the end of the summer here at the farm. I am also very far behind on threads but hope to find time tomorrow.

>60 streamsong: Congratulations! Hope all is well with you. We're just heading out of summer and I bet you're thinking fall, aren't you?

>61 FAMeulstee: Thanks!

Karen - I love the turkey story. I'm so glad you had a happy ending. My granddaughter lives on the edge of town - cornfield across the street, but she sadly told me last week that she can't have chickens. The town doesn't allow them. She loves her animals so was disappointed.

Sorry to hear about the arthritis. Are you looking at a hip replacement?

>64 BLBera: Sorry to hear about the chickens. So many places have begun to allow them. We had "illegal" birds at one point but were away from anyone who would really care. Plus, you give fresh eggs to your neighbors so they are complicit. The secret is no roosters ;-)

As for the hip, a replacement will be in the future but I am a little young. I joke that I 3-D printed my new hip but can't find anyone to replace it.

>49 witchyrichy: Way back up there, I was happy to hear about the reunion of the turkey brothers. My MIL had turkeys, ducks, chickens, and sheep on her little retirement farm. There was one time the turkeys chased me all around the farm yard..... they were actually a bit scary huffing and chuffing after me!

And we had two chickens back in Oregon. Iris and BC. They were wonderful layers for about 6 months and I very much enjoyed them. BC would let me hold her and she liked having her black feathers combed with my fingers. Iris was sociable but not to the point of being picked up. But she would follow me if I had cherry tomatoes to offer!

I have arthritis in my right knee. When I return from this trip I'm going to try acupuncture but a cortisone shot may be on the horizon.....

Oh, and P got a new hip two years ago this month. It has totally changed her life for the better!

>66 EBT1002: Our turkeys have scared a few folks as they approached them but the secret is to walk straight towards them with your arms out and ask for a big hug. They turn and hurry off. (I saw a youtube video of a turkey like mine hugging someone and got the idea.) My turkeys are definitely NOT huggers. Thanks for sharing the story of your chickens! They are interesting birds with definite personalities.

>67 EBT1002: I have heard the same thing about hip replacements from several friends. But I am also glad my doctor didn't go there right away. I can see that the PT is helping my mobility and am actually looking forward to the injection to see if that increases the quality of life as well.

A Twitter friend recommended The Land: The Founding as a great YA book that adults would enjoy as well. She called it life changing but since I know her, I know she is also very much into virtual reality worlds like Second Life and plays other games as well.

So, while it may have changed her life, I'm not sure I am the right audience for this book even though I do a bit of Minecraft. Richter, the main character, is a video game player who is sucked into a real gaming world where life and death are real. He takes on a variety of quests that mostly involved brutally killing others to earn points and levels even as the cause seems just.

In between, he becomes a land owner and starts the Mist Village, the basis for the series. That part--how he learns to be a leader and do the best for his people--held my interest, but I found the details related to the gaming to be a little too much. Not sure I am interested enough to continue with the series but if you are looking for a book for a reluctant middle school or older reader, this might be one to consider. I recommended it to a friend with two boys who love Minecraft and games.

I received this book as an early reader.
Beatrice On Her Own by Rosemary Zibart

An intriguing look into the home front during World War II. Beatrice has been sent from England to escape the bombing and other dangers only to find herself facing Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. This book focuses on the Japanese relocation program, with a camp opening in her new home town. Beatrice is smart and feisty, ready to do what needs to be done to protect others. This would be an excellent book for middle schoolers and a great book to read as part of a study of WW II.

It is actually the third in the Far and Away series.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine is my RLBG read for September. The librarian highly recommended it and I can do the same. Eleanor has a challenging past that was once quite newsworthy but she now lives a quiet, carefully controlled life. Honeyman uses lots of foreshadowing so the ending, even with a little twist, isn't a huge surprise. What is a surprise is how Eleanor is really the one to break out of her constraints as she begins to connect with the world, first in a negative way but then, as she opens up to other, in more positive ways. I am looking forward to the discussion next week.

Born to Run was pure Bruce Springsteen...his voice rang out from every page, often through lots of capital letters. He had a dream but also a strong work ethic and a commitment to perfection that gives him the right to be pretty proud of what he has done. I suspect he might be a little hard to work for but he would never ask anyone to do more than he is doing himself. This is a story of joy and sorrow and living life out loud. He can sound arrogant at points but also has a sense of irony and can be self-deprecating as well.

I listened to Terry Gross's interview with him before reading the book so that may have impacted my reading as I had already heard him tell the stories. And, I was left with an indelible picture of this larger-than-life human being sitting in his pajamas having cereal at his kitchen table in Jersey.

Here's the link to the interview. I also have the Broadway show queued up to watch at some point.

I get out to Southwest Virginia at least once a year but never made it to the bookstore at Big Stone Gap. Sadly, it was sold this summer and will revert to a private home. Wendy Welch's memoir of opening and operating the bookstore was an honest and loving tale of the challenges of moving into a close knit community. It could well be a foundational document for others who wish to do the same with lots of "lessons learned" about creating and growing a customer base. Organized in essay style that generally followed the chronology of the store as well as their eventual welcome into the community, the book takes its time and drags a bit in the middle as Welch comes to some understanding of her own role in connecting with her neighbors. It was a nice story, however, and made me nostalgic for this beautiful part of my state.

I loved Eleanor Oliphant!

I have Springsteen’s book in my Audible library. One of these days I’ll get to it.

>74 Copperskye: My book group generally liked it as well. We had an interesting discussion of about loneliness and I think I need to ask a few of my BG members out to lunch!

Does Springsteen narrate the book? I could hear his voice throughout the whole thing: he can be arrogant but I guess he has earned it.

>75 witchyrichy: Yes, he does narrate it. I love the sound of his voice.

Now I have two new series to follow: Nevermoor on audio and The Winterknight Trilogy in text. Finished both this week and loved them! Courageous young women are the main characters, both living in but not of the societies in which they find themselves. They use that outsider status to do extraordinary things. Thinking I'll listen to Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow as I crochet and start The Girl in the Tower later today. I was able to check it out in Overdrive.

I spent last weekend on the road and in planning meetings so this weekend is all about doing what I want to do! I love my colleagues and board members but am happy for some down time.

I did have Sunday evening on my own. The Peanut Butter Falcon was streaming in the hotel room. I loved it! Quirky movie set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina that had me laughing and crying.

>73 witchyrichy: I knew Wendy was talking about selling it when I went there. I'm sad it's gone, but I enjoyed visiting there and purchasing a couple of books.

I am another fan of Eleanor and after hearing the enthusiasm for Bruce, I might have to get that one, and I need some more good audios...!

>78 thornton37814: A beautiful part of Virginia! Wish I had gotten there.

>79 Berly: Have fun! Have you seen his Broadway show? I watched the video and it was good.

Hard to believe it has been a month since I posted last. I have been busy--a leadership event in early October and a visit to family last week--and I stalled out on two books: A Well-Read Woman and Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America. Both were interesting but neither was compelling. I did listen to a cozy mystery from Eva Gates: Something Read Something Dead. It is part of the Lighthouse Library series with Gates imagining a public library in the Bodie Island Lighthouse on the Outer Banks. It is a lovely fantasy, living in a nook on the fourth floor and solving mysteries.

I didn't want to start another book so I spent time crocheting and binge watching Poldark and previous seasons of The Durrells of Corfu. My gift pile is growing so I am working on an autumnal crochet piece for myself with a variegated thread. I'll post a picture when I finish.

I picked up a few used books at the Treasure Trove, the second hand store at my parents' retirement community. Started Sue Monk Kidd's When The Heart Waits, her memoir of her mid-life anxieties. Even as she longed to escape the pain of this crisis, she learned to wait, to live with the sorrow, to explore the issues, and trust that she will see how to move forward.

It’s funny how quickly time slips by! Sounds like October was a good one.

Hi Karen! I hope you're doing well. Poldark is not at all a bad thing to binge watch. *smile*

>82 drneutron: >83 karenmarie: Thanks for keeping this spot at least a little warm. I am sorry to see the end of both Poldark and the Durrells. But I discovered I have access to Food TV so have been binge watching holiday baking championships.

Another trip in early November, this time to a small conference in Northern Virginia, with state tech directors and others. It's a fun group as we've gotten to know each other and have lots of time to interact.

Then I put my head down and worked on the almost-final details for our annual conference that takes place in early December. 900 people, 75 exhibitors and three days of ed tech fun with great K-12 educators. It's at the Hotel Roanoke and it is beautiful during the holidays.

We're using a company to print the name badges so we have sent those files to someone else to deal with. And the rest is pretty much done since we are sold out. And, for the first time in many, many years, we are not hosting Thanksgiving nor are we traveling. We are going to have a quiet holiday at home. My hip replacement is scheduled for November and I am happy to just be home and relaxing.

Been reading a bit but nothing too challenging. I did enjoy The House on Tradd Street by Karen White. Old houses, ghosts, good and bad guys, plus Charleston as a lovely setting. I have the second book on hold.

Busy time but we are blessedly home alone for Thanksgiving. I had fun watching the parade with the 360 degree YouTube video.

The next two weeks will be just a little challenging. The conference will be in full swing a week from today. And, I will be there through Monday and then return home and get my hip replaced on December 11. I had planned to wait but with various doctor appointments and surprisingly expensive physical therapy, I'm really close to the magic 100% threshold. Makes good financial sense to get it done in 2019. I am actually excited. My hospital is recognized for its work with joints, and they hosted a luncheon where we met the team and went through the whole process, even got to tour an amazingly spacious room. We both feel much more comfortable and confident. I go in for a personal consultation next Monday.

I did finally get Circe from the library and just devoured it. Thick wonderful prose with a complex narrator. I say one review that called it a subversive version of the story and I agree. I read the Odyssey with high school students (well, an English textbook version) and Odysseus was definitely painted as a hero. We talked a bit about his shortcomings, mostly his ego, but we also talked of his cleverness and bravery. it would be great to read the original along with this telling.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I haven't been to threads for a very long time. I am sure many of you are in double digits by now. It doesn't mean I haven't been thinking of you.

Hi Karen my dear, hope you have a really lovely Thanksgiving Day and send love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

>87 johnsimpson: Thanks, John! Hope you also had a nice holiday.

Tomorrow, I am getting a total hip replacement of my right hip. I have degenerative arthritis and have been limping around for a few years and resorted to a cane in the last few months. I had planned to wait until the new year but insurance being what it is, it made sense to get it done now. I was able to attend two days of my organization's annual conference and then had today at home to rest. May not be back online until 2020.

Wishing everyone a restful holiday and a marvelous new year!

Hi Karen, I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts! Best wishes to you with your surgery tomorrow and I hope you are soon back on your feet and feeling better! I hope to see you back here soon, too. Early Happy Christmas and New Year wishes to you!

My brother-in-law had a hip replacement right before Thanksgiving and seems to be doing well. This aging thing is for the birds! :)

>90 Copperskye: Thanks for all the good thoughts. I was home after just 30 hours in the hospital and have been doing PT at home. Getting around with a walker and cane but my therapist is confident I will be able to abandon both of them at some point. So, all in all, a successful experience so far. But, you're right about the aging thing: it is for the birds and it is NOT for sissies!

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a magical New Year!

Wishing you a speedy and pain -free recovery from your surgery.

Hi Karen my dear, I am glad that the surgery went well and that you are now home and that you have been able to do some home physio. I am sure that you will be able to get rid of the cane and walker after a reasonable length of time as the physio progresses. Take care my dear and take things nice and steady and do not overdo things even if you think you are fine. Sending love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

>92 figsfromthistle: >93 johnsimpson: Thanks for the well wishes. I was concerned about pain but it has not been too bad. My doctor told me to just get up and walk and I will be fine. For now, I’m digging back into life slowly and managed to get around to threads today! Lots of interesting reading going on out there.

Wishing you and your new hip a wonderful holiday season!

I hope the recovery is speedy and that you are moving about without cane or walker soon.

I agree with your thoughts about Circe. I loved it.

>89 witchyrichy: Sorry you had to go through a hip replacement, but on the other hand I am glad that is an option. Wishing you a speedy recovery and no more pain!! I, too, am a fan of Circe--loved it on audio. Happy reading.

Congratulations on your hip replacement surgery, Karen! Technology being what it is these days, you'll definitely be ready for spring gardening.

I read Circe in July and devoured it, just like you did.

>95 EBT1002: >96 Berly: >97 karenmarie: Thanks for the well wishes. I see a little progress every day, some more than others. I’m mobile and almost independent. Now, if we would just get those sunny warm days they have been predicting and then putting off, I would feel great. Old house is gray and cold when the sun doesn’t shine.

Aah...sat on my south facing sun porch and just baked in the sun until I couldn't take it any more. The dogs stuck it out with me, and we are now cooling off inside.

A reading friend loaned me a pile of books for my convalescence including the first two Brother Cadfael mysteries. I haven't read them or watched the series so am getting to know the monk for the first time and enjoying the acquaintance.

Marty Wingate's new series, with its setting in a society dedicated to the great era of classic British mysteries, has me wanting to read more. I dabbled in Agatha Christie a bit along with some of the crime classics from Poisoned Pen Press. So, one reading goal for 2020 is to do some more exploring of that genre.

Merry Christmas Karen my dear from both of us dear friend.

>100 karenmarie: >101 johnsimpson: Merry Christmas to you and yours!

to you and your new hip and all your loved ones, Karen!

Merry Christmas from Montana!



I hope you are continuing to feel better and better!

>103 EBT1002: >104 streamsong: Thanks! My new hip keeps getting better: hip hip hooray! And while we are laying low this holiday and missing family, we shall have a reunion in late January to celebrate Christmas and my parents' 65th wedding anniversary!

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

Hi Karen! I admit I am hopelessly behind, but got a start scrolling past your turkey photo. I;m glad that story ended well. I was... let's say threatened by a gang of wild turkeys a couple of years back, and I'm still afraid of them!



Merry Christmas to you and your family!

>106 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the greetings! Getting ready to set up my new thread right now.

>107 AMQS: I completely understand both about threads and turkeys. Ours will run if you approach them but they look very scary.

Best wishes this holiday season!! See you in 2020!

>109 Berly: Thanks and same to you! And you've already warmed my new thread.

I make steady progress with my hip recovery every day. We have had balmy holiday weather so I have been able to get outside for walks every day. I can get up and down the stairs with husbandly oversight as they are steep. So, all in all, looking forward to 2020.

I am proud of myself for staying away from work. Our offices are closed until January 6, and my assistant finished out the last week without any emergencies, but I could always dive into the emails that I know are waiting. And, yet, I really haven't been tempted. I will be ready to go back to work but am also hoping these weeks off will give me a better perspective on the role it plays in my life. Create new routines and practices and then fit work into those rather than the other way around.

Stay tuned...and here's the 2020 thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/314355

A reading friend gave me a pile of books that included the first two Brother Cadfael mysteries. I haven't read the series or watched the television show. But as of today, I have done both.

I enjoyed the books and then found the series on Amazon Prime. I watched the first one, which was very faithful to One Corpse Too Many, the second book in the series. I'll find A Morbid Taste for Bones tomorrow and watch that. After that, I think I'll read the book first and then watch the show.

I have Monk's Hood planned for the January MysteryKIT which focuses on historical mysteries. Since Peters' is credited with beginning the genre, Cadfael seems appropriate for the theme.

Hi Karen!

Putting work into perspective is a good thing for you, and congrats on resisting the urge to read e-mails. They will be waiting for you on January 6 of course...

I also loved Circe, Karen. In fact, it will be on my 2019 favorites list.

I'm glad the hip is improving.

>113 karenmarie: I saw your advice about retiring too early. I certainly don't want to have to go back to work. But, I have been working for myself since 2001 in several different consulting capacities and I suspect I won't give them all up. So maybe "retire" is a strong word. Restructure, refocus, reduce.

>114 BLBera: I have been following the discussion from PBS and I want to read it again to dig into all those details. Definitely one of my top five. As for the hip, I have taken a few tentative unsupported steps and it feels good!

A reading friend loaned me The Printed Letter Bookshop for my convalescence. Started it yesterday and finished it this morning when I woke early. Told from the perspective of three very different women, the story unfolds in a small suburb of Chicago where a failing bookshop brings them together. We never meet the real main character as Maddie, the original owner of the bookshop, has died and left it (along with a house, car and lots of debt) to her namesake niece who has neither seen her nor spoken to her for nearly 20 years.

By weaving the three stories together, Reay shows how our own misinterpretations and misunderstandings can stand in the way of real connection with other people. I was reminded of that meme you see sometimes reminding you that everyone has a story, everyone has hurts, maybe we need to give everyone the same space we want and just love each other.

While the book is not overtly religious, one of the key elements is from the verses in Proverbs about the wife of noble character, and I appreciated Reay's use of them but also her interpretation of them in this context. And then there are books and lots of them. Some mentioned, some only hinted at as Maddie left each woman a list of books to read as a way to guide them even when she was gone.

A rainy day so I finished another book: The Tainted Relic by the group of writers know as The Medieval Murderers. The story follows a piece of the True Cross stained by the blood of Jesus through several different Medieval mysteries and ultimately ends during Shakespeare's time with a contemporary epilogue. I enjoyed this romp through various historical mysteries as another way of learning more about the genre. And, I liked the short story format: I could read one and then take a break to read something else. I am definitely adding the series to my wish list at the library.

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins may be my last book for the year and it was a good one. A seemingly simple tale about a woman who finds a town and a family but there was a bit of magic and mystery that touched a deeper chord. I found myself thinking about times when things--people, books, events--found me when I needed them. It was a quirky book with quirky characters who could be prickly and pushy but always worked from a place of love and concern.

I settled in and finished book 99: The Bookseller's Tale by Ann Swinfen. It has been on the Kindle for ages and I finally got around to it as a fit for Brother Cadfael and the Medieval Murderers. I'm not feeling compelled to go looking for the series right now but I did enjoy learning more about pre-printing press book making as well as the Oxford setting.