Sandy's Books: 2020 💌 the Second

Welcome to thread #2: captioned with a heart envelope because February!

I'm looking forward to a west coast sojourn in February ~

This view of Mt. Baker (WA) taken from the lookout at Ten-Mile Point, Victoria, BC. The islands in the foreground are the San Juans (USA).

Next up ~
Quintessential ice formations from the neighbour's garage (furnace exhaust condensation) ~

Reading progress ~ by the month for 2020 (titles/authors)



JANUARY
1. Smoke & Mirrors (Elly Griffiths)
2. A Dream of Death (Connie Berry)
3. Same Place, More Space (Karl Champley, Karen Kelly, Arthur Mount)
4. Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor (Lynda Barry)
5. Finding Moon (Tony Hillerman
6. A Legacy of Murder (Connie Berry)
7. The Codfish Dream (David Giblin)
8. A History of the County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia (DJ Rankin)
9. Liquid Rules (Mark Miodownik)
10. Echo in Onyx (Sharon Shinn)
11. Still Waters (Viveca Sten)
12. Echo in Emerald (Sharon Shinn)
13. Echo in Amethyst (Sharon Shinn)
14. The Minimalist Cooks at Home (Mark Bittman)

FEBRUARY
15. A Death in Chelsea (Lynn Brittney)
16. After the Hector (Lucille Campey)
17. Inevitable Illusions (Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini)
18. Harpist in the Wind (Patricia McKillip)
19. The Clairvoyant Countess
20. The Unravelled Knot
21. Kaleidoscope (Dorothy Gilman)
22. Polar Bears: Survival on the Ice (Jason Viola)
23. Armada Boy (Kate Ellis)
24. Deep Secret (Diana Wynn Jones)
25. Back to Blakeney (Editors: McGrane, Romanow et al.)
26. The Merchant's House (Kate Ellis)

Currently reading (edited February 22, to update my currently reading selection)

Perfect Happiness (Penelope Lively)
The Paper Garden (Molly Peacock)
Miles, Mystery & Mayhem (Lois McMaster Bujold)
Kings Blood Four (Sheri Tepper)

Resolution: no more hold requests until these titles are finished... Okay, I modified that idea. Several book bullets have hit!

Proposed next titles:
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (Katherine Howe)
Hotel Du Lac (Anita Brookner)
The Gauguin Connection (Estelle Ryan)
The Cow in the Parking Lot: a Zen approach to overcoming anger (Leonard Scheff)

There are more WL titles, of course, but these are in my current library request queue.

And now ~ Let the Party Begin

Some Senegalese mafé to start the party off with hot, solid, drink-cold-drinks excellence.

Happy new thread!

Resolution: no more hold requests until these titles are finished!

Ha! Good luck with that! And if you succeed, tell me your secret, so I can do it, too! ;-)

>5 richardderus: Oh MAJOR yumminess!

And as the teenager/younger crowd says: First post!

>6 foggidawn: Hi Foggi, welcome to thread 2, I intend to continue my Springer Spaniel adoration and also my favourite meme of silliness!

>7 jessibud2: Hey Shelley! Thanks for dropping by.
And yeah, if I manage to stay off adding to hold requests, I'll let you know what prompted that resolve.

Happy new one!

Great topper!

Happy new thread!

Happy second thread, Sandy!

>3 SandyAMcPherson: The robins circled overhead. Gotta love Snoopy.

Happy new thread, Sandy. Did you actually read the whole Rankin book? I've only ever dipped in and out.

Hello >11 figsfromthistle: >12 quondame:, >13 karenmarie: and >14 Familyhistorian:...
I'm so pleased you had time to drop by. Thank you.
And yeah, I have such a soft spot for Snoopy and the gang.

Like others, I'm still feeling swamped and yet I really want to not just lurk on everyone's threads. So much interesting talk going on.

To answer Meg about the Rankin tome ~ I was rather drawn into the stories. But no, I didn't read it in it's entirety. Perhaps dipped in and out is a good description, although I read quite a number of the "anecdotes". And possibly calling the histories "anecdotes" sounds like I am trivializing the writing, but that isn't my intention.

It's tricky, isn't it? In this day and age, credibility is measured very much by verifiable records, but I've discovered that those records can be incorrectly recorded. For example, my grandmother's name appears spelled differently on the records at the church where she was baptized compared to her death certificate and compared to the letters her mother wrote to her when she emigrated to Canada. So who knows?

Anyway, I'm just starting to look at Lucille Campey's book. I like it better. As a 2004 publication, it has the feel of authentic research in which I can feel confident.

What did you think of Rankin? And Campey? Or am I terribly late to the party and the discussion is back on the threads 10 years or more?

Happy New Thread, Sandy!

>3 SandyAMcPherson: LOL! Those darn cow takers . . .

Book #11 ~ Still Waters

I may be unpopular for this but →
~

My first impression of Still Waters was thrilled engagement. I thoroughly enjoyed Thomas Andreasson and the characterization of the supporting characters was strong. Then the narrative seemed to be derailed and increasingly overshadowed by some clunky backstory, flash-forward events and extraneous personal drama.

Perhaps some of this roughness was due to inexpert translation. However, that aspect didn't account for why the tale involved a tense matrimonial situation or the intrusion of too much description. I was especially derailed by Hendik's treatment of Nora; his behaviour was a huge trigger for my exclaiming out loud, "You stupid prick, why don't you grow up?".

This degree of emotional involvement on my part does demonstrate that the author's writing can be extremely effective. But did it move the plot forward? Did such drama contribute to the theme developing around multiple murders and the main character's development? I think Thomas got a little lost in the chronicle with a very rushed dénouement. As well, the situation with Nora, which was never fully rounded out, resulted in a flat-lined story that left a strong 'meh' feeling. A sequel with Thomas is all very well, but would not be the place to recapture the tension build up in seeing "what happened with the other characters".

>17 SandyAMcPherson: I downloaded this while it was free and since it's come up in multiple threads lately I was about to move it up the list. Well, it's not like there is nothing else to read.

>18 quondame: Hi Susan. Maybe have a skim through the book? I'd hate to dissuade you, since you might also enjoy the rest of the series, too. I had a "big think" about whether to write this review with my usual candid comments. I know the title was (is) quite popular. So my writing a slightly less-than-glorious review was a chancy thing.

The situation is similar to this one ~ I was an outlier in my opinion of the later Chief Inspector Gamache Series (Louise Penny). Not that I ever wrote up reviews because I wasn't on LT when I dropped reading those. But the Thomas Andreasson character strongly reminded me of Gamache (without the heartbreaking corruption of the police force). And there's lots of love for that author's novels. So maybe you'll like Sten's novels as well, if you liked Penny's?

And yes, you are so absolutely correct, it's not like there is nothing else to read. That's why I probably won't read more of Sten's "Thomas Andreasson" saga.

>17 SandyAMcPherson: Hendrik...yeeesss...he gets worse; his *awful* mother shows up...if you decide to go on, these are real issues to be aware of.

>20 richardderus: Yeah, I thought that woman was @!*# awful. No wonder her son was such twit-face.

Thanks for the implied reassurance, that my decision to move forward in the (post #3) currently reading list was the best strategy. I have angst just thinking about that woman.

Happy New Thread, Sandy! I love the Mt. Baker topper, along with the second photo of the ice formations, on your neighbor's garage. I will try to keep up better on this thread.

>21 SandyAMcPherson: She gets worse.

Move along, little dogie, better reads await. *smooch*

>22 msf59: Hi Mark.
I've been mostly rubbish with staying on top of the talk so far. Some threads are pretty amazing but I lose my reading time if I let 'keeping up' become too high a priority.

Anyway, glad to see you dropping by!

Rubbish or not, you are starting your second thread of the year. Yah! Keeping up with the busy threads, is not for everyone! After nearly 12 years, I understand that.

About Still Waters ... for me, the first book was "good enough to read the next one" and then they got better. And where a lot of crime novels involve a detective and their sidekick working closely together (DCI Nelson and Ruth Galloway as an example), the Sandhamn books develop both Thomas and Nora, but Nora's involvement in the case is often peripheral; they aren't really a crime-solving duo. So yes, the books include a lot about Nora's family and relationships even though those developments don't really connect to the murder investigation.

Happy new thread! That ice formation is pretty cool!

>26 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Nice to see you here... are you killing time trying to get to sleep? I'm one to always be so keyed up before a trip that I have trouble resting.

>27 drneutron: Was the pun deliberate?
:D

And yes, the ice pillar has been amazing this year. It started to sag over at the top, from a warming spell. Then a cold front swooped in late in the day and refroze the sagging point before it actually fell. It was twinkling in the morning sun when I took the photo, but I didn't 'catch' the starry look of the twinkles.

😂 No, but I’ll happily take credit!

>15 SandyAMcPherson: I like Campey's books which often contain things like extant passenger lists in the appendices. However, I find that she must consult some of the same sources that I do, because I find much the same information in her books as I do in others that I consult. The Rankin, I consider a more unique resource. I believe that he was working with the knowledge about local families that had been handed down through the generations. Which I got from something I read toward the end of the book. I tend to lend more credence to what he says, particularly as he was writing closer to the history he was recounting as the book is from 1929.

In fact, there is disagreement over the birthplace of John McNeil, the gentleman I am writing about in my blog. Campey and Rankin do not agree on this point and I have think that I would lend more weight to Rankin.

>19 SandyAMcPherson: Re ‘candid comments’ in reviews: For me, if I can’t write an honest review, why bother? I can't think of too many books where a negative review stopped me from reading it if I really thought I'd like it.

I’m another Penny outlier - I stopped liking the Gamache series probably about book 10 of 15 and finally abandoned the newest one, vowing no more. What I really need to do is cull the 13 I have on my shelves. Maybe next week…

>31 Familyhistorian: These points re Rankin vs Campey are interesting. Fortunately, my cousin who is my conduit to all the info I have confirms her findings with birth (where she can), marriage and death certificates. I'm not as fixated on the original family origins, but I applaud everyone's efforts at preserving these family histories. A sense of where we came from really grounds our children and grandchildren.

>32 karenmarie: Karen, I was reassured by your comments. Thank you.

Have you read Hot Art (Joshua Knelman)? Excellent book: I mention this because Hot Art is non-fiction and discusses the difficulties facing art heist investigations. I think that is the book where I first came across mention of a Canadian detective in the Sûreté.

Later newspaper reports caught my attention about problems in the Québec law enforcement jurisdiction, including mention of this detective's frustration with high-level shenanigans that blocked legitimate investigations. I can't refer back (at this very late date) to the reports, but when Louise Penny's first novel appeared, I immediately (and perhaps falsely) thought Gamache was based on this tale of Sûreté corruption.

The ongoing misery that Penny's protagonist endured in the face of real-life situations (in Québec) was just too agonizing for me. I wanted escape from reality. I guess that's why I read fantasies so avidly.

You're welcome. I do pull punches occasionally when lambasting a book, but if I don't like it I always get that in somewhere in the review. Perhaps if you write a vitriolic review you can save it somewhere on your computer and look at again the next day and see if you want to tone it down. Or not. *smile*

I have not read Hot Art, and it sounds fascinating. I've just added it to my wish list. I can see how you might think of Gamache.

I read a variety of genres including fantasy and SF (although minimally). Mysteries are my favorite genre, even as they've gotten more nitty gritty and grisly. I can escape into a mystery as well as a Regency romance or fantasy. In mysteries the good guys win, even if it takes more than one in a series to get there. My quibble with Penny's novels is her deteriorating writing style that I just absolutely cannot get past any more. A couple of my other favorites are getting editor-proof, too, but not nearly as noticably as Penny.

>35 karenmarie: On LT there is a private comment section when you are editing your book that I have used to store links to the thread which referenced it, but which could serve as a pocket to stuff rants.

Excellent idea, Susan.

>1 SandyAMcPherson: happy new thread! It's not even been a month and you're in thread #2? How can we keep up? :D

>30 drneutron: the best puns are unintentional...

>36 quondame: Oh YES! I never thought of that.

And I should have, because some of my YA books have my notes in the private comments section to act as alerts about appropriate age levels. (I am very prissy when it comes to assessing which novels *I* think my grandchildren should steer clear of.)
:D

>38 fuzzi:, funny.
I didn't think about that... I just keep seeing 10 to 20 new comments daily on many of the threads which I've starred.
My thread is very restrained, so I don't know that it fills faster than people want. Maybe I should combine my replies into a daily update?

I fit in around here, I believe, because I am chatty, so I better not moan about the threads anymore...

Happy new thread, Sandy!

Resolution: no more hold requests until these titles are finished! Good luck!
I took way to many library books with me this month, so I have been brave with my hold requests for now ;-)

Happy second thread! >17 SandyAMcPherson: I read your review of Still Waters even though I haven't started it yet. I have heard from several people that the series gets better as it goes. In any case, I am up for the first book and we'll see!!

>16 jnwelch: Yup. I've used that phrase many a time as an in-joke!
Years ago, I belonged to a creative writing group and was often teased for my turn of words (poor vocabulary on my part) and using $10-words when a 50¢ - word would do.

>41 FAMeulstee: Yes, "good luck" with that is an appropriate reply @#3! Time will tell, I guess.

>42 Berly: You were brave... but then some folks don't feel the novel is spoiled by reading a review, snarky or otherwise. As for spoiler alerts, those act like red flags to me! My emotions kick in and I succumb to the siren song of rampant curiosity. Except in the thriller/horror category.
Further smiles for you ~ I didn't actually know what a "group-read" was until you linked to it in your thread!

Book #12 ~ Echo in Emerald (Sharon Shinn)

~

The second book of this series (Uncommon Echoes) was even better than Book 1 for high adventure, sneaky plot developments, and royal intrigue. The character "Chessie" is very engaging ~ the reader can easily develop great sympathy for her. The supporting characters, especially Dezmen and Jackal, are amusing and mysterious by turns. Shinn's writing felt more fluid and the individuals more fleshed out in this narrative. The final chapters were tense! Fraught with twists that were only slightly anticipated and the conclusion was very satisfying.

>1 SandyAMcPherson: OH! That looks like home to me. Enjoy your February sojourn. I love Mount Baker.

>17 SandyAMcPherson: I echo others in saying that you should absolutely tell it like you see it. If we all liked the same books in the same way, it would be boring. And it just wouldn't make sense.

>3 SandyAMcPherson: I do love Peanuts.

>33 SandyAMcPherson: Family origins are interesting, Sandy, as it gives you a sense of where they came from and why they left. It is those stories and the various other mysteries that I find so fascinating. I'm not sure about grounding the next generations as some of the information found makes one wonder how the family ever made it through.

>46 EBT1002: I always felt so amazed every time we drove to Portland and saw Mt. Hood. It's hard to believe how much volcanic characteristics surround the Pacific northwest. I still remember all the ash from Mt. St. Helen's falling on our town (we lived in the Okanagan at the time).

>47 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. Yes, some, and probably all, the early immigrants were darn brave souls. Just reading those passenger lists in Campey's book on the Hector was a real eye-opener for me. So many families with really tiny babies and such young children. The conditions would have been appallingly difficult.

>48 SandyAMcPherson: The voyages over the ocean were harrowing but think of the people who were going to Ontario, which is where my Scottish ancestors ended up. After that long sea passage there was still plenty of ground to cover, up the St Lawrence past the Lachine Rapids and then further by land or portage.

>49 Familyhistorian: Indeed. Was that in the 1700's?
In the mid-1800's my great-grandfather moved on to Manitoba. Even then the trip would have been such a trek.

>45 SandyAMcPherson: Okay, okay, I just joined Kindle Unlimited for the free two-month trial so I could get this series, Sandy, and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!!!

Book #13 ~ Echo in Amethyst (Sharon Shinn)

~

‼️ Not a succinct review — 💥 I was more than a little disappointed with the third novel of this series.

Book #3's plot was derailed by too much repetitive backstory and bogs down by re-using 'Elyssa', the daughter of a high nobleman of Alberta, the 'Amethyst' province in the Western Kingdom. Readers are already familiar with Elyssa's unpleasant behaviour and her insolence in the face of authority. However the first 120 - 130 pages dwell on Elyssa's cruel treatment of her three echoes, particularly the one who becomes central to the story ~ a considerably less enthralling start to the book compared to the first two. Whereas, Book 2, Echo in Emerald, featured new main characters moving the story of the Kingdom of the Seven Jewels forward (with supporting characters from Book 1 appearing only as side players).

The rather Gothic introduction in #3, of an echo becoming sentient and capable of speech and independent movement, greatly detracted from appreciating the tale of one of the echoes and what happens in the Kingdom when the Western provinces want to sue for more independence.

After the rocky 130-page start, the story became more interesting, but never achieved the same degree of suspense and very little sense of high adventure compared to Book 2. As a stand alone, the story has weak, plodding stretches and a few of the incidents are terribly contrived (such as, the attack by Orenza rebels at an Engagement party attended by Jordan, brother to the heir of the throne as well as Elyssa and several of the other eligible daughters we encountered in Book 1.

The novel's plot was an excellent premise and could have added greatly to the saga of this world with echoes. It was disappointing how clumsily such an experienced writer handled the idea. Book 3 is worth reading ~ it's satisfying to find out where the story leads after the unrest in the Western provinces ~ but the narrative isn't at all up to the quality of the first two novels.

I wonder if there'll be any more novel in the series (Uncommon Echoes)? I'd love a redeeming 4th book.

>51 ronincats: *Takes a deep bow* (actually, I'm probably ducking to miss the culled books).

:D

A very belated wishing of happy new thread, Sandy.

Sorry but I have been a little distracted lately by travelling and family issues. xx

>54 PaulCranswick: No worries!
I have lurked more than posted, plus have been out of the house a lot in the dreaded waiting room limbo, so haven't visited near as many threads as I wanted to.

Hope the family issues aren't too fraught. Thanks for stopping to post a greeting.

Currently Reading update ~
I started a new book yesterday, one of my Christmas gifts: The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock.



This is a biography of "the lady I never heard of" but had seen her work in the City of Amsterdam Museum (a belated realization, "Ohhh, I know who that is").

Mary Delany (née Granville) was an aristocrat born in 1700 and at the ripe old age of 72, became a renowned artist. That very fact immediately grabs me, because I love the trope of women reinventing themselves through their own efforts, to achieve remarkable works.

I'm only on chapter 4: The Damask Rose, so this is not a review. Maybe more of an appetizer. The writing is very easy on my brain, meaning not full of the arty discourse with which I'm so unfamiliar.

>56 SandyAMcPherson: If I remember correctly, I really liked that one.

Happy reading

>56 SandyAMcPherson: - I have this one in the piles and I love the cover art, too! I hope the inside is as good!

>57 figsfromthistle: >58 jessibud2: It's a beautiful book and the edition I have contains the loveliest colour plates.

I've decided it is a 'slow-read' book. Lots to ponder and read when I am less rushed or overtired. So not a bedtime book, because I want to make notes when I feel there's a insightful passage to remember my thoughts.

I have two ARC books on my e-reader that need reviewing, so I have less demanding stories for when I'm maybe needing to let the narrative slide over my brain.

Are there pictures in The Paper Garden? I have it on Kindle and want to read it soon. If there are pictures I would use my Fire, which is in color, rather than my Paperwhite where I do most of my Kindle reading.

>60 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah. Yes, indeed, there are colour plates of Delany's work. I'll post some when I have time to do some book scanning.

Happy new thread, Sandy! Love that shot of Mt. Baker at the top. ;-)

Good morning all!
I hope you're having a great January despite the lack of day length (at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere...)

I have a request: you will certainly appreciate my difficulty, but I bet a lot of snorts and laughs will ensue...
I want to curate (such a fancy word!) my TBR/WL and turn it more into a JL, which is Joy List (as I recently told RichardD). This is an early text list with no hint where I saw the title or author. Most likely from when I first joined LT and looked at books recommended at the bottom of my home page. But now I know a little better who reads along the lines I enjoy (75-ers who visit my Talk thread!).

Some personal criteria that really make a read worthwhile are:
* well-written (good plot; historically accurate)
* not dystopian/horror or too psychologically scary (Greer Hendricks/Sarah Pekkanen are brilliant writers, but I can't read her anymore, for example)
* cerebral crime/murder mysteries (more character oriented/scene setting and evocative of a time/or lifestyle)
* strong characterizations in the fiction books
* Historical, engaging, not dry recitation of facts

The LIST (What, overall, did you think of these books? Are they really worth planning to read?)
1) All the Light We Cannot See (Doerr)
2) The woman who heard color (Jones)
3) Joseph Boyden (author) ~ I didn't note the title
4) The memory code: the secrets of Stonehenge, Easter Island, and other ancient monuments (Kelly)

I have other notes but I won't get to those for awhile and I want these to be on my JL.
Thanks for any comments that you have...

>62 lkernagh: I am a complete sucker ~ every visit to the Island with the clear view across the straits and I take photos!

Hi Sandy!

Of the 4 on your list I've only read All the Light We Cannot See. I liked it but didn't love it - I think I'm probably in the minority here as most people seemed to love it.

My personal wish list is an excel spread sheet with the date I added it and the person who provided the book bullet. There are 414 books listed on it, but I really need to go through and eliminate ones where I can't remember why I put it on the list. You're in there for Hot Art. *smile*

>56 SandyAMcPherson: Ooooo I love the sound of that one!

>63 SandyAMcPherson: Could the Boyden in question be Through Black Spruce? That was a very good read for me.

>65 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I like your comment about my Book #1. It will stay on my original WL but I'm not putting it on my JL list. I want to priorize what I would most like reading this year, so I really appreciate your candid answer.

>66 richardderus: Hey RD! Thanks for suggesting Through Black Spruce.
I think it was Three Day Road that originally caught my eye but now having resisted finding the book for some 3 years now, I'm switching Boyden's book of interest to Through Black Spruce. I do want to read more Canadian authors so this suggestion is excellent.

>63 SandyAMcPherson: - The only Boyden I have read so far is Three Day Road, which I can probably recommend as highly as RD did for Through Black Spruce. Not trying to make you choose, just an observation to answer your request. ;-)

>67 SandyAMcPherson:, >68 lkernagh: I had Three Day Road on my WWI list but that reading cycle fell away when I got slung in the bin in 2014. So I can't comment on its unique merits but can certainly say I'm yet to hit a bad Boyden. Born with a Tooth, his debut story collection, appealed to me quite a lot as well...he really understands what makes a short story sing.

Back at >56 SandyAMcPherson:, I said I'd be awhile reading that biography.

Today I picked up an I.L.L. that was waiting for a few days and thought, "I'll just have quick scan".
Yeah, right. I blew off almost all afternoon reading.

Book #14 ~ The Minimalist Cooks at Home: Recipes That Give You More Flavor from Fewer Ingredients in Less Time (Mark Bittman).

~

Of all this author's books (a few which I have read and others, perused), this one is the most straight-forward. It is the one I would own if I could find a second-hand copy. After an extensive cull of cookbooks about 5 years ago, I declared that "I'm not buying anymore cook books". This one is the first I've yearned to have.

The directions are crisply composed, the ingredients lists are neither exotic nor expensive. By my kitchen's standard, I would have most of the supplies already on hand. Additional love for the preparation being flexible and never tedious. I didn't read absolutely every recipe, but stopped at the ones which had intriguing ingredients or standard items used very creatively. So many of the recipes are intuitive and as the book title claims, fulfills a minimalist's dream. Best of all, I'd actually turn to it when I wanted a simple meal on those days when having to think about What's for dinner just seems so overwhelming.

A friend sent me this quote ~ so appropriate for us on the 75-er group, no?

"...one of the things that books do for us is to help us move between being together and being alone. Often when we read a great book, one of our first impulses is to tell others how great it was, to make them read it too, to enlarge the set of people we know who share this particular knowledge, this particular experience.

We want to stop being alone with the book and start being together with others who have encountered it. And yet that sharing is a strange sort of communion. Book clubs bring people together to share an experience that each of them had alone."
(Tom Mole: "The Secret Life of Books")

I was disappointed that my library system doesn't have this Tom Mole book.

>71 SandyAMcPherson: - Great quote and very well said. So true! I am a real introvert and have never minded being alone. But books (and book people) are one of the things that can bring me out of myself happily and comfortably!

>72 jessibud2: Yes, 'being alone' is not necessarily 'lonely'.

As for book clubs, I like this Talk thread as my "Book Club". I never seemed to find a comfortable arrangement with the club format. However, I do spend countless café meet ups with one or two others and inevitably, our conversation turns to a bookish topic. I like that best.

>73 SandyAMcPherson: - I have tried book clubs once or twice but I am not a fast reader and hated the one time I had to go to a meeting without having read (or finished) the book. I am also a whim reader, reading whatever catches my fancy or according to the mood I am in. I truly balk at *having to* read a book that simply doesn't appeal to me. And yes, LT (and my bookcrossing meetups) are as close to book clubs as I get these days. And that works out just fine!

I've been in the same book club since 1997 and am only one of 4 original members left. I've read some very good books I wouldn't have read otherwise and abandoned books with glee when they haven't appealed. I use LT in some respects as a book club, as you point out, Sandy, so between the two I've upped the quality of what I read and the types of books I read.

>50 SandyAMcPherson: That was in the 1840s and '50s. The trek westward from Ontario didn't start until the early 1900's. Mid-1800s was very early to move to Manitoba westward expansion was still happening in Ontario at that time as they slowly opened up the western sections of the province.

I haven't read any of the 4 books so can't offer an opinion.

I'm way behind on LT (having had a tummy flu).... it is like the returning Christmas vacation crowd brought the 'bug' home with them. Many more people sick with this gastrointestinal affliction than usual. Not exactly a norovirus (apparently).

Dear visitors:

Question (hope you or anyone in fact, can suggest something)...
I recently joined NetGallery to receive 'early review' books (LT seems to have quit *ever* awarding me anything, so I went elsewhere).

About 10 days ago, I received two files (.ascm format). Usually my e-reader (a Kobo) converts these files automatically. But I cannot, for the life of me, get them to become e-pubs. I know I have to go through Adobe Digital Editions, so I tried to make the conversion on my lap top instead, since the Kobo wasn't doing this. No luck there.

Maybe you have some insights? I'll ask on some Canadian LT-ers threads, too, since Kobo is our library-friendly e-book device.

Sandy, sorry you've been suffering with a post-Christmas lurgy. I hope it clears up soon.

The Paper Garden looks like an interesting read - maybe one to look for in the library catalogue when I have a reserve slot left - ahem.

How is your "no more reserving" coming along? :-)

>79 susanj67: I'm doing really well. I haven't added any hold requests since December.
But... (ahem) my WL on LT has had 5 book bullets added. That's different, yes?

Edited to say, The Paper Garden really appealed to me because it is about a woman in her 70's making such an artistic impact. A companion read to Old in Art School, which I certainly enjoyed.

>78 SandyAMcPherson: - Sorry. All this is a foreign language to me! You clearly haven't been here long enough to know how non-techy I am. Sorry. I am sure someone - probably anyone but me - will be more knowledgeable and be able to answer your question. ;-)

Sorry to hear about the stomach flu, but hope you are feeling better, Sandy. No help with the .ascm files. I store them on my computer but know not what to do with them. There's a free program called Calibre that is supposed to help you transform book files.
https://calibre-ebook.com/

Awesome, Roni. Thanks I'm going to try that to and see if I can get the files to be readable. I'm told by the librarian that I must be logged into Adobe Digital Editions which is what derails me, because my reader is always logged in (afaik).

>78 SandyAMcPherson: I *understand* what you're asking but I don't think I have the knowledge to help in a specific way. I used Calibre (mentioned by Roni in >82 ronincats:) to convert a file into Kindle format (or maybe it was e-Pub). But I only did it once and it's been a very long time. It also makes sense that you might need to be logged into Adobe Digital Editions to get anywhere with the file.

I hope you're able to work it out!

How I wish Calibre would work on my Chromebook. It's so seductively simple.

>78 SandyAMcPherson: - Good question, and hopefully my answer will help, as I also read NetGalley books on my Kobo reader. So what I do, is I download the NetGalley books via my computer (or as you have done, onto your laptop) BUT instead of saving the file, I press, the "Open file in Adobe Digital Editions" in the popup window, which should also force Adobe Digital Editions to open if it isn't already. Then it is just a matter of connecting your Kobo reader to your laptop and "drag and drop" the book onto the Kobo in the left hand column of the ADE window.

Hope this helps! If not, happy to try and troubleshoot further.

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday, Sandy

>84 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, That's encouraging... I do think it is the ADE that's giving me problems. I didn't try the Calibre link yet. We had company this afternoon.

>85 richardderus: Why would chromebook be a problem? Is it unfriendly to the ADE? Adobe is ubiquitous, no?

>86 lkernagh: Awesome encouragement. I will try this after dinner tonight.

>87 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I was lurking on your thread and should have at least *waved*. Thanks for stopping by.

>78 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy, I am not knowledgeable about E-books at all. I have a Kobo that I have to charge every time I pick it up which is practically never because I have yet to read a whole book on an e-reader.

>88 SandyAMcPherson: It's not ADE, it's Calibre that doesn't work on Chromebooks. ADE is, you're correct, ubiquitous!

Dear all who came to my rescue (re the ADE and e-reader)...

It turned out that my Adobe log in was "corrupted" so I couldn't download the DRM media. I still had some trouble with one book, but solved the problem otherwise. Thanks for all the responses.

Book #15 ~ A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney

~

Lynn Brittney has written an adroitly-paced crime and intrigue novel that falls into the Cozy British Murder Mystery genre. This is Book 2 in Mayfair 100 Murder Mystery series, set in England during WW1. The execution of the book is smooth, with a strong sense of place and character developed. The story was particularly satisfying because the opening chapters bring the reader up to speed on the cast of characters, and their previous association, without drowning the current narrative in backstory.

Brittney has not belaboured the British procedural trope: the trio of DCI Peter Beech, Victoria, for whom Peter carries a torch, and the wry Sergeant Tollman illustrate strong characterisation that easily engages your attention as the plot progresses. The supporting characters are delightfully idiosyncratic and none are mere two-dimensional personalities. The plot proceeds with something of a rollicking flavour as the Inspector and his unorthodox team unravel old history and complicated reasons behind the death of Lady Adeline, an aristocratic daughter of the Duchess of Penhere, involvement of Scotland Yard rivalries, bent coppers and blackmail.

Two grievances interfered in this being a 5-star read: action that should have moved the story forward was belaboured by too much description leading to the final twist. There’s a point where one wants the author to cut to the chase rather than develop a the side story, such as journeying to a distant village in Kent to chase down a loose end. The other niggle, was the rather weak ending that went on too long with tea and gardening, song and dance. These are minor criticisms however, because overall the mystery was greatly intriguing. Besides which, I was in the mood for a lighter read, after wading through some turgid non-fiction!

This is the first book I've read from NetGallery (having achieved the great ADE difficulty). I think I'll enjoy my membership there. I can choose the books I really want to review and not have to wonder whether I'll go for months with nothing in the way of an Advanced Reading Copy. I also like NG's selection of titles which (so far) seem to truly be advanced copies rather than already reviewed extensively elsewhere.

Book #16 ~After the Hector: the Scottish pioneers of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 1773-1852 (Lucille Campey)

~

My main objective in reading Campey's account was to discover what I could of the families in Antigonish county prior to 1800. There were some historical records which were interesting to me, but not very much about how the families were related to one another.

I found this an easy reference for passenger lists on various ships that ferried the immigrants to North America. Overall, however, the book was quite dry reading. I'm not a genealogist, so cannot comment on how useful other readers might find Campey's reference. I did learn from the passenger lists what an appalling level of chicanery occurred in deceiving passengers. Some reports detail landing immigrants at ports at which they did not want to disembark. There was a prevalence of death in the crossings, with many dying of small pox during the voyage and after landing. One forgets what the realities were like in travel. The conditions must have been so ghastly and I was amazed at how many very young children actually survived the trip.

Book #17 ~ Inevitable Illusions: How Mistakes of Reason Rule Our Minds (Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini).

~

Turgid. May have been a translation difficulty, but this was basically a DNF book. His reasoning and arguments may have been sound, but they did not resonate with me.

Book #18 ~ Harpist in the Wind (Patricia McKillip)

~

This was a re-read for me, after a hiatus of some 20 years. I found the story dragged on too long and bogged down too often with Morgon, the Star-Bearer, repeatedly battling the shape-shifters. Raederele is an interesting protagonist that I felt had short shrift in the book. In several chapters, she could have been more fully developed. Instead there was so much happening and the whirlwind transitioning of Morgon was distracting.

I did take a long time to read the novel this time around, so perhaps that affected my overall view of this narrative. I'll move onto the last book when I feel more like continuing a re-reading this trilogy.

Yeah, I know... Crazy amount of reading!
Next week, I'll be away in the Vancouver area, so my reading opportunities will be confined to airplane mode and departure-lounge-sitting. I might actually get the book on my e-reader finished, but not reviewed: Unravelled Knots by Baroness Orczy,.

I had several currently reading books on the go and yes, I did finish them this month.
I do not wish this lingering tummy virus on anyone, especially since a common cold virus seems to have piggy-backed the infection. On the silver-lining side, The Man has been cooking and vacuuming and I had nearly a week of holding down the sofa with books, a duvet and pillows.

This morning I posted a set of reviews. And finally got around to updating my reading (>2 SandyAMcPherson:).
So far I'm running the whole gambit of 2-star to 5-star books, so I feel quite satisfied with how 2020 reading is progressing.

What's new with you (since I am woefully not au courant with the threads)?

Fun to come by for a visit in your neck of the woods Sandy. Enjoy your Vancouver visit!

>95 SandyAMcPherson: I'm confused. Harpist in the Wind IS the final book in the trilogy. Raederle is the main character in the second book, Heir of Sea and Fire.

>98 ronincats: :D
Thanks so much for pointing that out. I had the review on the wrong "book page"!
I'll fix it.

>9 SandyAMcPherson: The Americans are crazy; their politicians are venal and vile; the Brits have lost their damn minds; the French are appalled, appalled!; the Russians and the Saudis are thrilled.

Me? Who cares, the *world* needs our attention!

>100 richardderus: Hard to argue with most of that.

What the hell are they doing in Iowa?

Ummm, IOWA?? Not here, babes.

>93 SandyAMcPherson: That one sounds interesting.

Update ~ Back at #3, I said no more library hold requests until the "Currently reading" list was completed. It was tough, because while I was at it, library holds came in that had been in the system for awhile (reviewed, now at #'s 93 & 94; one coming below).

I also joined NetGallery and have reviewed (at #92) that one, so I'm feeling very pleased. On the weekend we travel to the Vancouver area and I'll take the Penelope Lively, Perfect Happiness which I'm sure to finish.

A few book bullets have hit me: Hotel du Lac from Ellen and Absolution by Murder on Susan's thread, just to mention a couple. Of course there were more BB's than I am going to admit at the moment!

Book #19 ~ The Clairvoyant Countess (by Dorothy Gilman)

~

This was a BB from Roni. I loved the Mrs. Pollifax stories, which I read at least 40 years ago, but had never seen this title.

It is a lot of fun, a light read despite some nasty episodes, but Gilman used a light hand in describing the episodes. The book reads more like a set of short stories, but there are connections now and then to previous characters and of course the Countess and the policeman appear throughout. I'm happy to give it 4 stars. My one niggle was related to one of the episodes which felt so unfinished - we're not given a denouement, but that is a small issue.

Later in the month, I'll probably look for the next one, since there seem to be sequels.

Hi Sandy. In that list up there, I agree with Karen. I liked All the Light We Cannot See but thought it was over-hyped. Still, worth reading and memorable.

A Death in Chelsea sounds like a fun read. I'm glad you sorted out the NetGalley thing.

Hmm, another BB with The Clairvoyant Countess. Sigh. Dangerous thread.

Hi Ellen, I super enjoyed The Clairvoyant Countess.
My niggle about the paucity of a dénouement was resolved to some degree ~ I'm reading Kaleidoscope now, and there are some satisfying follow-up sequences in this book.

None of my reading is very heavy at the moment. I seem to be gravitating towards comfort novels. Typical February reading, probably.

Hi Sandy! sorry you've been sick and hope that you can get back to the vacuuming and cooking soon. (pathetic attempt at a joke)

Comfort reads are not a bad thing...

>108 karenmarie: Haha Karen... I'm not sick anymore and happily off to the LM on Sunday.

(LM =lower mainland, a.k.a. Vancouver)

:)

Book #21 ~ Kaleidoscope (by Dorothy Gilman)

~

This was an excellent adventure following on with the tales of Madame Karitska's life as a clairvoyant reader of people. As before, the story is told over a series of chapters that evolve from her clients' lives. Mme K's abilities together with the police solve a number of criminal cases.

I liked the pacing in Gilman's Madame K stories. There is mystery and suspense tempered with a gentleness evoked by the main protagonist. It was never boring and Gilman has an uncanny ability to create atmosphere and thrills yet remain in the 'cozy mystery' genre.

As I said >107 SandyAMcPherson:, I am gravitating towards comfort novels and this one was so enjoyable.

(Touchstone for Kaleidoscope doesn't seem to be working tonight.)

Sandy, sorry to hear you've been so ill. I hope you're all recovered in time for your trip tomorrow.

You're doing really well with the finishes! I'l glad you sorted out the ADE issue - is there anything more annoying than the technology not working when there's a *new book* being held captive?

The Dorothy Gilman series looks like fun. I've never heard of her but the library catalogue shows a few in far-flung regions around London.

>110 SandyAMcPherson: That series of stories should've been a TV show. What a great set-up for an anthology show!

Comfort reads are as necessary as comfort foods in a reader's life. I'm always intrigued by what makes a read a comfort read for others. These stories of Gilman's make perfect sense as comfort reads, for example, because they reinforce ma'at and end in Justice Being Done. Always a formula for happy in my book. (Pun optional.)

>111 susanj67: Hi Susan. Thanks for your best wishes. All is well at our end.

>112 richardderus: It's so lovely that others understand the need for comfort reading. Thank you for your sentiment.
P.S. what does they reinforce ma'at, mean?

One really effective way to shut down my busy little brain when I need desperately to *go to sleep*!
... because this scenario is so ME ~

Book # 22 ~ Polar Bears: Survival on the Ice by Jason Viola (Author), Zack Giallongo (Illustrator).

~

Librarians are the most wonderful people! Yes, I know folks on this website understand that, but I wanted to make my thoughts evident: this profession is not valued highly enough in our community funding and employment infrastructure (here at least). I rely so heavily upon their expertise in finding the right book when I'm stuck.

This Science Comics series is a prime example. I needed a way to demonstrate to a class the value of pictures ("graphics") in science. This is part of my volunteer work ~ visiting elementary classrooms and giving presentations that respect scientific facts and don't "talk down" to the students.

Anyway, I was pleased to borrow one of the graphic novels, in this case, on polar bears. My talk wasn't about polar bears, but that was okay. And I was very happy to discover this resource locally.

My review, candid as always ~
An excellent graphic novel format to engage children in science-related topics. Slightly too anthropomorphic in a few of the behavioural sequences, but otherwise a reasonably accurate, natural history portrayal.

Succinct - for a change, huh? *grin*

>113 SandyAMcPherson: I love this. Lately the cat has been waking me up early, and getting back to sleep has been difficult because my mind starts working.

>113 SandyAMcPherson: Heh. Love that comic.

Ma'at is the perfect order of the world.

>34 SandyAMcPherson: Based on your comments, I have added Hot Art to the BlackHole. Thanks for that recommendation, Sandy!

>56 SandyAMcPherson: Adding The Paper Garden to the BlackHole too. I also love the trope of women - and men too, for that matter - reinventing themselves through their own efforts.

>71 SandyAMcPherson: Love the quotes! Sadly, my local library does not have it either.

>113 SandyAMcPherson: That is so me too!

>113 SandyAMcPherson: I stole that comic...

Happy Weekend!

Whatcha been reading ?

>113 SandyAMcPherson: Great comic. Thanks for sharing :)

Hi Laura, Richard, Stasia, fuzzi, figs... and anyone one else I missed while being away

Glad Hot Art hit the TBR list, Stasia. I haven't read very much of The Paper Garden yet. It wasn't a book to take travelling!

So fun that cartoon... I snagged it from somewhere while looking for a different comic to annotate an e-mail letter.

We've just had a week in New Westminster (metro Vancouver, for those thinking I mean in the UK). It rained quite a lot but the days that we really needed some sun happened too.

Discovered a great sushi place on E. Columbia, a few blocks from the Royal Columbian (Hopsital): Sushi Heaven. Our grandchildren have adored sushi from the day they were old enough to eat rice and nigiri/sashimi. So we treated with take out and could have had a couple more dishes. We babysat, so their parents could out for a fancy meal in peace.

Visited second-hand shops and scored a couple novels (a Kate Ellis and a Bujold). My e-book loans for the trip just simply tanked for me:
Oath of Fealty by Elizabeth Moon
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

They might have been better if I wasn't so distracted reading in noisy environments, so I'm adding them to the DNF list for now. Might borrow them another time... I was especially disappointed in the Genevieve Cogman book because the flow of the plot seemed so rocky. I might need a paper-based book to be able to get into it. Sometimes I do just fine with e-books but this one didn't click.

Welcome back, Sandy! Sorry to hear your travel reading was less than stellar. Hope your next read is more satisfying.

Great that your trip to 'Vancouver was so successful!

Book #23 ~ The Armada Boy by Kate Ellis

~

Book 2 in the Wesley Peterson series.
I had the hold "suspended" on Book 1, The Merchant's House while I was away. So The Armada Boy is my first Kate Ellis. Scored in a New Westminster thrift shop this past week.

The Armada Boy is my first Kate Ellis. I liked the family-oriented characters and the village setting. Ellis did a good job of endowing the scene with realities (homeless begging, drugs, petty thieving) so that the story didn't drown in bucolic sweetness.

I liked Ellis' writing but I dithered between 3½ stars and 4 because near the end, the plot became too drawn out and somewhat lost my interest. I also didn't care for the Neil Watson character. At all. The intrusion of this side character into the story to such a degree was irrelevant and his asinine comments, repeated on several occasions, classed him as a smirking jerk. I didn't see this as moving the story forward, although the dig in the chantry ruins was of some relevance. While it may be interesting that Wesley, the main protagonist, originally had a connection to archaeology, I'm not sure why this needed to get such a lot of play in the story.

Four stars won out because my answer to would I re-read this book again? was "Yes". The murder was very adroitly introduced in the first few pages, and I loved the final twists in the plot. Besides which, I really liked the police characterizations. These people were individuals, moderately idiosyncratic and moved the story along with a good pacing.

Hi Laura. Actually, I did have some very pleasant reading, but just not on the e-reader.
At #123, I reviewed an enjoyable Kate Ellis, a BB author from Meg, back in January.

>124 SandyAMcPherson: oh that's good! It would be awful to be on vacation without good reading close at hand.

Book #24 Deep Secret (D. W. Jones)

~

This was a re-read for me. A take-travelling comfort book that I hadn't revisited for over 3 years. I have a thick (heavy-weight) hard cover, which was reviewed as Clearly conceived after attending a Fantasy writers conference. Hilarious and poignant. Obviously I used to be a lot less talkative in my reviews.

The story is still the same to me, especially the family dynamics and the succinct 'Hilarious and poignant' evaluation. Nowadays, I think this DWJ title is one of my most favourite fantasies (despite my niggle at >132 SandyAMcPherson:).

Book #27 (possibly!) Miles, Mystery & Mayhem (LM Bujold)

I'm slow with this book but the SF/Fantasy genre often trips me up. Not a negative, since Bujold is such a capable writer. I'm noting it here because I may be awhile before finishing it for a proper review, but I'm regarding it as my 25th book.

Obviously I jumped into the middle of a world that was built already and I'm just now coming to grips with it.
I like the Miles and Ivan protagonists a lot. For some reason, this a space travel and galaxy world series that seems to stand alone, even if I'm missing nuances. But I like the subtleness of backstory.

Much will be revealed and who knows? Maybe I'll become more of a fan of SF!

>120 SandyAMcPherson: I've just read The Invisible Library and enjoyed it more than you I think. I'll probably go onto the next in the series. Not something to think about too hard, but quite a fun read.

>127 SandyAMcPherson: I love the Vorkosigan books but that's probably a difficult place to start! I'd go back to The Warrior's Apprentice if I were you to get the backstory.

Thanks for the recommendation(s), Rhian.
I'm going to persevere with Miles, Mystery & Mayhem for now. Although I've not much enthusiasm for reading this week... so many things to catch up finishing / needing to start that are not book-related.

So much for so many things to catch up finishing...
>>> did I do the Valentine Hunt? Yes, I did.

I spent way too much time messing with it, in fact.

>126 SandyAMcPherson: Oooh I have that one on the shelves and almost didn't realise it could be a good one!

>131 PaulCranswick:, I am blatantly forgiving of this story because so much of it is an amazing tale.
Ratings Caveat: the 'reporting' to the Upper Room in the last chapter, is a fail. I can't understand why these insights couldn't have been told as they occurred simply by switching to the relevant character.
After all, the chapters give us alternative views (Maree and Rupert frequently alternate).

>126 SandyAMcPherson: I pulled Deep Secret off the shelf after reading this because it didn't pull up any memories. Now, after reading it last night, I still don't remember anything at all about it from the first time I read it, probably 20 years ago when it came out. So thank you for prompting this read. I agree with you about the last chapter, by the way.

Hi Roni.
You'll have noted, I am sure, that despite that criticism, I gave the book 5-★s anyway.

Have you read Merlin Conspiracy? It is something of a sequel, but I didn't connect as strongly with the story as I did with Deep Secret. Nick Mallory who features in this story, but it has been awhile since I read it, so I'm not certain how starry I would make it now.

Hey there , Sandy! So you were in New Westminster? I must admit I don't know the area very well! Shocking really. But my SIL and BIL live there and like it very much. I'm most familiar with Richmond, Vancouver , and South Delta. We are supposed to have sun for the next two days. Cross your fingers!

Hi Deb. Yuppers, New West is a ton sunnier than PoMo, where family used to live. And Richmond and Delta are also better for sunshine (fog...)

I loved the crocus and snowdrops blooming. "Real" spring is what I miss most, living in the prairies, but I sure have lost my tolerance for days and days of overcast and rain.

Today here, we expect almost zero degrees and continuing blue skies with full-on sunshine. I plan on some walking. It is so dry, that it "feels" warmer than the coast. Radiant energy and all, I guess.

I'm way behind on the Talk threads so have just been zooming through as a lurker with very occasional commenting.

Back at the beginning of 2020, I said I wouldn't put in library requests until I finished my Christmas gift books. Well, that didn't go so well. Many of the books were very much sci-fi stories and just don't do well with a constant dose of that genre. I now have several 'currently reading' books on the go.

However, Shelley caught me with an excellent book-bullet: The Cow in the Parking Lot.
I'm expecting some strategies for managing my over-active mind that exacerbates anxiety. As I posted back at >113 SandyAMcPherson:, this scenario is so ME!

Yes, I think that those who are new to the coast biggest complaint is the rain and overcast days. But I guess it is all in what you get used too. There are times I feel that I have had 40 days and nights of grey skies and rain, but really, it has not been that bad. Some days though. I don't even own an umbrella. Just a lot of gortex jackets and rain pants for my 2 - 3 mile daily dog walks. I sure get tired of wrangling our dog, Poppy, into her raincoat, wiping off her paws etc when we walk in the rain. Enjoy The Cow in the Parking Lot. I'm also an overthinker that gets anxious.

>137 SandyAMcPherson: I had a cow in the parking lot the other day - we got a ticket for overstaying and I was less than 5 minutes late and rushing over to the car - "wait please I'm coming!".......the cow in the parking lot gave me a ticket anyway.

Have a great weekend.

>139 PaulCranswick: Oh Boo! These twerps are so merciless. I often have the thought they receive a bonus for the number of tickets written. Of course I have no grounds for that idea... but have been unlocking my car as the meter maid was scribbling. Grrr

Book #25 Back to Blakeney: The Revitalization of the Democratic State, edited by David McGrane, John Whyte, Roy Romanow, and Russell Isinger.

~

This political retrospective was an insightful journey into Allan Blakeney's life during a formative time in Saskatchewan's political landscape. At times, the chronicle is immensely reflective of an era gone by when politician's on both sides of the legislature and, indeed, other provinces, engaged in thoughtful discourse. It was not all glossed over as "polite and gentlemanly", but brought forward how political opposites listened to each other, and actually found common ground.

The authors brought forward how vital it is for Canadian politicians to overcome their short-term attitude to simply being re-elected at the expense of good fiscal management, ethical leadership that respects the constituents' rights and to focus on the promotion of Federalism that benefits all members of our diverse, multi-cultural society.

In our 2020's political landscape, there are salutary lessons from what was written in this book by several contributors, including Dave McGrane (a political science professor at the University of Saskatchewan) and Roy Romanow (12th Premier of Saskatchewan). David Coletto's chapter (Money Matters:A Democratic Assessment of Canada's Political Finance System) was an especially educational chapter for me.

I realize that in a global place like LibraryThing, this particular book may be dismissed as too regional. However, the truly appalling state of the political landscape in countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK (to name just a few which should have better informed voters), I believe this is compelling reading in a philosophical sense.

By knowing what good aspects often used to be the standard of the day, we can feel that "governments weren't always so corrupt, prejudiced and benefitting the privileged". I may be accused of being a Pollyanna, but if we don't harken to good examples, how ever can we encourage less selfish candidates to come forward?

Book #26 The Merchant's House by Kate Ellis

~

This is Book 1 in the Wesley Peterson series ~ having read Book 2 first, this title, was a bit lack-lustre in comparison. The characterizations were not as vivid but the parallel mysteries between the archeological skeletons and the current day death and missing child were masterful.

Part of the story involved Wesley and Pam's interactions with a physician at a fertility clinic. Somehow, this was too much side-play and it was strange that in the end, the doctor wasn't charged with illegally being paid to abet infertile women in finding surrogates. Despite this distraction, I was kept guessing who committed the murder until close to the end.

This is a slightly suspenseful mystery which had three-dimensional characters that were engaging. Recommended for fans of the cozy mystery genre.

A weird thought keeps intruding as I read Ellis's Peterson series --- I'm frequently drawn to comparison with Elly Griffiths' stories about Ruth Galloway. While I have some criticisms of the way she writes about the RG character, Griffiths' writing is really great stuff. Eliis's series is strangely parallel, although with an archeologist taking the secondary role and Wesley the main policeman character. I'm not liking the Neil Watson character much and that colours my appreciation of the series. I also find Ellis didn't develop her suspense very smoothly. A bit clunky here and there.

Still, I'll look for the next title at the library in due course. I really did enjoy Book 2 and allow for the fact that Elly Griffiths also had (for me) some less than engaging novels in her RG and Magic Men books.

>142 SandyAMcPherson: I added that to my wish list to consider it for my Thingaversary next month.

>142 SandyAMcPherson: I'm glad you spoke to the RG comparison because as I started reading your review I thought, "what?! another crime-solving archaeologist?"

It sounds like it would be worth reading book 3. Sometimes the first book in a series isn't so great but the books improve over time.

>141 SandyAMcPherson: - Excellent review, Sandy. I am such a pessimist, though and believe that the line has been crossed a long time ago and we will never return to those days. I agree with your assessment the truly appalling state of the political landscape in countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK (to name just a few which should have better informed voters). The internet age has only made all this so much worse. When you have a President Tweet controlling and driving the message on an hourly basis, and others racing and scrambling to keep up, what else could one possibly expect? Certainly not decency or sanity, for that matter. Sadly, tragically, this has become the standard and the standard that all future politicians feel they have to meet (I almost said *rise to* but that would be wrong).

It's all rather disappointing, to put it mildly.

Commentary appreciated:
In my post at #3, I listed my next reading titles, amongst which is The cow in the parking lot: a Zen approach to overcoming anger. In my public library hold request, Leonard Scheff is listed as the author but on LibraryThing, Susan Edmiston is listed.

In a google-search, I note that these are co-authors. So my question is ~ why would only one author be mentioned? The touchstone picks up only the second author. From an academic pov, co-authors should be acknowledged, no? And besides, LS is evidently the more qualified in this scenario, due to his experienced career. Not to discount Susan Edmiston, but her presence online appears more of the literary editor-reviewer aspect.

So what's appropriate? And why does an Amazon book listing show her as first author, when the book cover displayed beside the listing clearly shows Sheff as first author?

I know! This is a completely pedantic question, but first authorship is an important position, indicating significance in the academic/scholarly world...

>146 SandyAMcPherson: It is not in the least pedantic; it comes up in cataloging issues raised very often. It's down to how the person who entered the record chose to enter it: alphabetically, or by role (if such can be ascertained between co-authors of record).

Many bloody battles have been waged and more will be in future, and no one will ever be entirely happy no matter what or how a decision is made.

Hi Sandy!

>120 SandyAMcPherson: I abandoned The Invisible Library after 145 pages in April of 2018. It just absolutely not appeal and I don’t envision returning to it.

>148 karenmarie: Hi Karen!
You know what!? I feel utterly relieved at hearing about your abandoning the Genevieve Cogman book. I had great hopes of that series and wondered that quintessentially unconfident question, "Is it me".

Originally, The Invisible Library books came to my attention when I very first started on LibraryThing but I was so focussed on reading through potential culls that I didn't make it a priority until this year to borrow the first book.

I've felt quite disappointed in several of the books I've tried out so far in 2020. Now, I'm having a nervous reaction to reading and abandoning books to the DNF graveyard this year, because there's a sense of "what if I persevered and discovered a great read?" The Sheri Tepper paperbacks my family so enthusiastically tracked down as gifts are a case in point. I thoroughly enjoyed Marianne, the Magus, and the Manticore but Marianne, the Matchbox, and the Malachite Mouse did not click. I'm bogged down on Kings Blood Four right now which is a shame. I'm sure it's going to be interesting if I can read it past the initial world-building stage.

I think 2019 was a stellar year for good reading because I had so many books to revisit off my shelves ~ and I knew they were going to be fairly captivating. Plus I lucked out on some new authors, so I had a source for long months of satisfying reading.

>149 SandyAMcPherson: I can certainly understand the split between the 1st & #rd Marianne books. Not only is who Marianne is determined by the 2nd book, but it is an entirely different sort of story - though as I said, I loved Buttercup and that milieu. King's Blood Four is more a young boyman out in a wild world adventure tale that was so much the thing in the 70s and 80s and isn't from the same cloth as most women written modern fantasy. I still love the series, but then I go back pretty far with it.

>150 quondame: Hi Susan. I was thinking of your past Sheri Tepper conversation with me when I wrote about Marianne in #149.

I'm still on the hunt for a copy of Marianne, the Madame, and the Momentary Gods so I allow that the 3rd in that series maybe would appeal to me had I read #2.

I'm fairly sure to like King's Blood Four, so it is in my bedside currently reading stack. The Man opines that I've been reading when I'm bone tired at night and I should try an after-lunch time slot. Wise suggestion because I've lately only managed 2 or 3 pages at night before I have to put the book down.

I enjoyed a reading glut while we were travelling because the trip afforded a great deal of sitting around on the Sky Train and airport departure lounges and flying times.

I haven't read any of these Teppers! I've put the Clairvoyant Countess on my audible wishlist too.

Oh and a vow to seriously fill in my DWJ gaps! I might listen, in fact, she is such fun and that would enthuse me about the driving around I seem to be doing these days.

Apologies for infrequent visits, I have no real excuses, only that I've been opting out of computer time whenever possible!

Hi Lucy, Good to see you dropping by with a message.
I'm also attempting to modify my computer/screen time.

I wanted to stay caught up on threads but I have a complete inability to just scan the conversations without jumping in with my two-bits. I have written way less in the last 2 or 3 weeks, which has made me realize how much time I spent every day on Talk. I wasn't managing to keep up very well anyway!

>151 SandyAMcPherson: I don't imagine your feelings about Matchbox would change much. It's just not the same type of story, and even the second isn't, but the investment in the characters is what gives it more satisfaction for me. Now, if I could only remember what I did with my copies. I'm so accustomed to being able to look up from my monitor and seeing them collect dust, that I just assumed they were still there.

It is hard to keep up with the threads, I agree, Sandy. As for second hand bookstores, we have two very nice ones in Richmond, which I mentioned on my thread.

>147 richardderus: Thanks for this thought... (down to how the person who entered the record chose to enter the record)

Yeah, you're right. I should also lighten up... I must have been tired.
Last night I flung myself into The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan. It has sucked me in at a rate to rival the gravity of a blackhole!
I'm loving the combination of an art heist adventure, crime & intrigue together with really idiosyncratic characters. I can't understand how missed this author! Estelle Ryan is great and best of all ~ 13 more in the series.

>156 SandyAMcPherson: That's such a good feeling, to find a new-to-you author that you like and realize that they have written many books that you can look forward to enjoying.

Hi foggi!
It feels good to be on a roll. I'm rapidly understanding that oft-mentioned LT comment: Life is short; enjoy your reading without wasting time on the less-satisfying titles.

I just gathered two more BBs from Susan's thread. These Bujold novels about Penric look really appealing and I like that author a lot.

>158 SandyAMcPherson: I like Bujold, too. But somehow, I haven't rushed to read everything she's written.

Foggi, neither have I.
I am not so enthralled with her SF work as much as the mediaeval fantasy adventures like Curse of Chalion. I hope the Penric novels are more in that type of theme.

>160 SandyAMcPherson: Curse of Chalion is one of the all time great fantasy books. The sequel which collected the Hugo is good, and gets many points for having a middle aged female protagonist, but isn't quite the tour-de-force of Curse. The Penric's are mostly good storytelling fun but do hold similar weighty content if not too tightly. Another magnificent fantasy that is glaringly absent from lists of bests is Stephen R Donalson's duo Mordant's Need.

>161 quondame: I think I may have read one of those portal-fantasy novels ages ago. Can't say it stuck with me because when I read the reviews the stories were only vaguely familiar. I kept thinking of one of McKillip's novels, The Tower at Stony Wood. So maybe neither Donalson or some of Bujold's fantasies click for me. I'm lightly drawn to the idea of a middle aged female protagonist, however! Thanks for that. I don't have the sequel's title (or did you recommend it when I reviewed Curse?)

>162 SandyAMcPherson: Paladin of Souls. It's the ending of Mordant's Need that takes it from well written idiosyncratic world fantasy with naif protagonists to something quite out of the usual, so if you only read from A Man Rides Through, though I totally loved it when it first came out, much of the punch of the whole can't happen.

Hi Susan, thanks so much for your insights... always good to know that sometimes the parts alone, do not make a whole until you actually get there

>154 quondame: Just opinions, insights is more than I can lay claim to.

Sandy, you mentioned being interested in cozy mysteries like my last read, The Right Sort of Man. Apparently a second in the series , A Royal Affair: A Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery by Allison Montclair is coming out in the summer. You could check your library. There is another cozy murder series that I really love. It's BC writer, Iona Wishaw and she about 5 books in her series so far. I really enjoy the sense of place and time. The first in the series is A Killer in King’s Cove . If you can find them in your library, I'd encourage you to do so. The main character is young woman from the UK who used to serve in the special forces during WW1. She escapes that by moving to small rural town outside of Nelson B.C. There are plenty of colourful characters in the rural area, and in Nelson itself, a couple of Nelson Police who assist her with the murders . Here is a link - https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/iona-whishaw/https://www.bookseriesinorder.com...

I'd encourage you to read them in order, as there is a definite character arc and plot line that carries on from book to book.

Just ignore the first book that they list. It is not part of the series. There are more in the series that the link indicates and another book coming out sometime this year.

>165 quondame:, Insights are (imho), informed opinions! Claim away... you belong in the front seat for reviews.

Also, >166 vancouverdeb: I didn't think that I'd add another mystery series to my TBR/WL of reads, but I was wrong!
This author (Iona Whishaw) certainly looks up my alley ~ are these the order of titles you were suggesting (your url didn't lead me there)?

(2015) Dead in the Winter
(2017) A Killer in King's Cove
(2017) Death in a Darkening Mist
(2017) An Old, Cold Grave

Amusing factoid ~ a long (long) time ago, I lived near Nelson ~ Procter, BC ~ a cable-ferry ride near Balfour to Harrop. I loved the West Koots. Don't miss the rainy/snowy/no sun-on-the-north-side of the mountain, though.

I'm slowly making my way through your thread, Sandy, but felt that I had to add my $0.02 worth (that expression doesn't really work anymore) to your comments in >114 SandyAMcPherson:. One of the GNs that I took along to illustrate to the team that is trying to turn our exhibit posters into a GN was The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy which introduced me to philosophical concepts and history in way led to a better understanding on my part and looks to be kid friendly. Hmm, maybe I should study it because one of my tasks is to make a kid friendly version of our GN.

The Kate Ellis novels came before the Ruth Galloway ones and the writing in the Ellis ones reminds me more of the early Alan Banks series which I am also making my way through now. The genre itself seems to have become more mainstream or something with more polished novels and better presentation altogether at a time when prices have increased and also the size of the novels. The ones by Iona Whishaw are really good and also good examples of the more polished mysteries.

>168 Familyhistorian:, The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy looks really great.
I could use the GN approach when *I* want to brush up quickly on a topic.

>169 Familyhistorian: Great recommendations, especially as I had never known of Iona Whishaw until now. I was away (from my computer) while travelling and enjoying Kate Ellis, so I didn't have a chance to see whether Elly Griffiths pre- or post-dated the Ellis mysteries.

I read a number of Alan Banks novels many years ago but abandoned the series when it degenerated (imho) into really gruesome horror stories preceding and subsequently, the one that came out in 2007 (Friend of the Devil). I was literally haunted with memories of that theme.

>166 vancouverdeb: Awk! What went wrong with my link? Yes, you have the books right. Dead in the Winter does not seem to be a part of the series, - or I've not seen it. The 1 st in the series is A Killer in King's Cove . She has a new book in the series coming out later this spring. A Match Made for Murder: A Lane Winslow Mystery. It is number 7 in the series. I discovered her books reading a review in the Globe and Mail a few years ago. I really do enjoy her series. I hope you do too! How cool that you lived near Nelson at one time. I can only claim to being born in Winnipeg and living there for about 4 years and then my family moved to Richmond and I've been here ever since.

>171 vancouverdeb: A Killer in King's Cove is an alternative title for Dead in the Water, if I understand correctly.
The touchstone shows Whishaw's work, but doesn't let me select the alternative touchstone in the normal way when I try to annotate it from the 'select work' list.

Sometimes titles are confusingly changed, depending where the publisher in a different country is distributing an author's work. I have never figured out why it is considered necessary to change a title in Canada, for example compared to the original publication in, say, Britain ~~~
Originally, Penelope Lively's Dancing Fish and Ammonites was sold in the UK as Ammonites and Leaping Fish.

Book #27: The Gauguin Connection (Estelle Ryan)

~

Estelle Ryan is a delightful new author for me. I really enjoyed her writing in the first Genevieve Lenard series of a conspiracy for forged art, corruption in international policing with good-guys versus the baddies. The protagonist, Genevieve, is a highly intelligent young woman coping with some level of autism. I know very little about the autism spectrum, so cannot evaluate whether it was accurately portrayed. However, the story seemed totally feasible from that point of view and Ryan made the situation sympathetic and 'Jenny' a very engaging character.

The supporting cast were well drawn, fully 3-dimensional people. The crisp writing allowed the plot to proceed smoothly and not overwhelm the story with too much superfluous detail. That detail did threaten on occasion, but the action led to enough suspense to make it work out.

Lost a star because the dénouement was wrapped up all too quickly and lost sensible momentum with Genevieve foolishly following the main criminals and leaving her protective companions with no idea where she had gone. It was entirely unrealistic that she wasn't killed outright.

Despite this criticism, the next book in this rather unique series is on my list of "next immediate reading".
Estelle was a book bullet from a 75-er group member, but danged if I can find who it was...

>126 SandyAMcPherson: My local library does not have that one, so I have ordered a copy from ABEBooks. I hope that I like as much as you do, Sandy!

>173 SandyAMcPherson: Adding that one to the BlackHole!

The Blackhole continues (with ☕️ and a new photo stream) .... Thread the Third