DeltaQueen's 2020 Reading Room of Follies and Quirks - Part III

paintings by Marilyn Dunlap, Mary Francis King and Natalie Rosenmeyer

I've been thinking about the importance of good book stores to my life and I have opened with paintings of three fantasy book stores and then down below I am adding pictures of three of the real life book stores that I deal with. While the real life stores are not as charming as the paintings, they have supplied me with hours and hours of reading.

My name is Judy and I have been doing the Category Challenge for 10 years. I live in the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia with my husband. My two daughters live not too far away and I have two wonderful grandchildren, a boy and a girl. As we are getting on in our years, we live a pretty quiet life but I am always up for a joke or a shenanigan! I read vociferously and from many different genres. I am always ready to put the kettle on for visitors so please feel free to comment on this thread, whether it’s about books or life in general, the welcome mat is always out.

This year I am building my challenge around an LT feature as well as some of the various challenges that I like to participate in. There is a feature on Library Thing called the Folly and this in turn leads to a Librarything Roulette which I am going to use to help me read from my shelves this year. With a push of a button one can find various books in various ways – from following a random tag to finding an unread book on your own shelves. This works for me as I have catalogued all my TBR, Kindle books, and library wishlists on LibraryThing. I have identified 6 captions from the Librarything Roulette that I will use every month to pick 6 separate books. I am giving myself the opportunity to hit the folly button more than once so I can find books of mine that will fit.

When it comes to quirks, one of mine is that I can’t resist a reading challenge, so the rest of my categories will be to help me feed the fever of the Cat and Kit Challenges, the Reading Through Time Challenge, 1,001 Books List Challenge and the TIOLI Challenges. This will give me the option of reading 15 plus books a month and I will allow books for the Bingo to also be used elsewhere. I may not use all categories every month, but hopefully by year’s end I will have at least 10 books in each category.


Albany Books, Tsawwassen, B.C., The Haunted Bookshop, Sidney, B.C. and Dragonfly Books, Langford, B.C.

Categories

A. Random Member - using the folly button to bring up a random LT member and then choose a book that we have in common. I will only use members that have at least 25 plus books in common with me.

B. Random Tag – Again using the folly button to bring up a random tag and then find a book of mine to match that tag.

C. Random Awards or Lists – I will chose a book to read that has been in contention for winning the Award or being on the List that comes up.

D. Random Character – Clicking on this brings up a random character from fictional names to real people. I will read a book that either has a connection to the real character, or has a part of the fictional name in one of characters in my book. Example: I clicked and got a fictional character called Max, checking my books for the name Max, I find I have a number of choices that I could read that have a character named Max.

E. Random Place – While it doesn’t have to be the main setting, this random place must come into the book somehow, either in setting or in discussions.

F. Random Book of Mine: A book from my own library comes up and if I haven’t read it, it will be the choice for that month. If the book is part of a series, I will read the next book in the series that I haven’t yet read.

G. RandomCat: A surprise every month as the theme is chosen by that month’s host.

H. GeoCat – A different location every month!

I. The Alpha Kit

J. The Scaredy Kit

K. The SFFFKit

L. The 2020 Bingo Challenge

M. Reading Through Time Challenge: A new theme every month as chosen by the host

N. 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List: My ongoing project and competition with my brother

O. Take It Or Leave It Challenges: This will be a place to add books that I want to read for these monthly challenges that don’t fit elsewhere. Hopefully I won’t need to use this option every month.

P. Others: For challenges that I won’t be doing every month such as the Non-Fiction Cat & MysteryKit and also Group Reads and other books that don’t fit elsewhere.

Tickers

1. Books Read




2. Pages Read




3. Books Read From My Shelves

How I Rate Books:

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

A. Random Member



Books Read

1. Thou Shell of Death by Nicholas Blake - 4.0 ★
2. Arsenic Labyrinth by Martin Edwards - 3.3 ★
3. The First Days by Rhiannon Frater - 4.0 ★
4. The Missing and The Dead by Stuart MacBride - 4.5 ★

B. Random Tag



Books Read

1. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor - 4.0 ★
2. My Life on a Plate by India Knight - 2.8 ★
3. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai - 4.5 ★
4. The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall - 3.8 ★

C. Random Awards & Lists



Books Read

1. I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale - 4.0 ★
2. After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress - 4.2 ★
3. The Raft by S. A. Bodeen - 3.7 ★

D. Random Characters



Books Read

1. The Trespass by Barbara Ewing - 5.0 ★
2. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty - 4.2 ★
3. The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard - 4.0 ★
4. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi - 4.2 ★

E. Random Place



Books Read

1. The Red Box by Rex Stout - 4.0 ★
2. The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell - 4.1 ★
3. The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe - 3.2 ★
4. Death Message by Mark Billingham - 4.0 ★

F. Random Book of Mine



Books Read

1. Fast One by Paul Cain - 3.0 ★
2. Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal - 4.2 ★
3. Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid- 4.0 ★

G. 2020 RandonCat Challenge



Books Read

1. January - Challenge Yourself: The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner - 3.3 ★
2. February - Leap Year: The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers - 4.0 ★
3. March - Seasons of Love: Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare - 2.0 ★
4. April - Showers or Flowers - Sunshine After Rain by Dee Williams

H. 2020 GeoCat Challenge



Books Read

1. When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi - 4.5 ★
2. Piglettes by Clemetine Beauvais - 4.0 ★
3. The Fourth Queen by Debbie Taylor - 3.8 ★
4. The Dry by Jane Harper - 4.5 ★
5. The Commandant by Jessica Anderson - 4.2 ★

I. 2020 AlphaKit



Books Read

1. A - The Fever by Megan Abbott - 4.0 ★
2. B - Divorcing Jack by Colin Bateman - 4.0 ★
3. C - The Night She Won Miss America by Michael Callahan - 3.0 ★
4. D
5. E
6. F - The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg - 4.1 ★
7. G - The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - 4.3 ★
8. H
9. I
10. J
11. K
12. L
13. M
14. N
15. O
16. P
17. Q
18. R
19. S - The Last Good Paradise by Tatjana Soli - 4.0 ★
20. T - My Name Is Resolute by Nancy E. Turner - 4.3 ★
21. U - Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea - 4.0 ★
22. V
23. W
24. X
25. Y
26. Z

J. 2020 ScaredyKit



Books Read

1. The Rats by James Herbert - 4.0 ★
2. Swerve by Vicki Pettersson - 2.0 ★
3. No One's Home by D. M. Pulley - 4.0 ★
4. Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry
5. The Three by Sarah Lotz - 4.0 ★

K. 2020 SFFFKit



Books Read

1. A Blade of Black Steel by Alex Marshall - 4.2 ★
2. The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook - 4.0 ★
3. A War in Crimson Embers by Alex Marshall - 4.1 ★

L. 2020 Bingo



Books Read

1. Title contains a pun:
2. "Library or "Thing" in title:
3. Published under a pen name or anon: The Year At Thrush Green by Miss Read
4. A Book about books, bookstores or libraries:
5. A non-U.S/U.K. Author: The Three by Sarah Lotz
6. Epistolary or Letters: The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
7. An element from the Periodic Table is in Title: Arsenic Labyrinth by Martin Edwards
8. Book is from a Legacy Library: The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (Virginia Wolff's Library)
9. A Mystery or True Crime: Alligator Candy by David Kushner
10. 3 Letters from bingo, consecutively: The Vanishing Raiders by Fred Grove
11. A story based on mythology or folklore:
12. Set in Asia: When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi
13. Read A Cat:
14. Published in your birth year:
15. Book cover is predominantly red:
16. Published in 1820 or 1920: The Loudwater Mystery by Edgar Jepson
17. Book not set on earth:
18. Published in 2020:
19. About birth or death:
20. Proper Name in Title: Divorcing Jack by Colin Bateman
21. Weird book title:
22. Small press or self-published: Beneath the Same Stars by Phyllis Cole-Dai
23. Involves a real historical event: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
24. LT Author: Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
25. About journalism or written by a journalist: Dispatches From the Edge by Anderson Cooper

M. 2020 Reading Through Time Challenge



Books Read

1. The Burning of Bridget Cleary by Angela Bourke - 2.8 ★
2. Bronze Summer by Stephen Baxter - 4.0 ★
3. The Wife, The Maid and The Mistress by Ariel Lawhon - 3.2 ★
4. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - 2.8 ★
5. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir - 4.2 ★

N. 1,001 Books To Read Before You Die Challenge



Books Read

1. Passing by Nella Larsen - 4.0 ★
2. The Diviners by Margaret Laurence - 4.0 ★
3. Vernon God Little by Dbc Pierre - 3.8 ★
4. The Sea by John Banville - 4.0 ★
5. Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard - 4.5 ★
6. Mr. Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood - 4.0 ★
7. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - 5.0 ★
8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo - 3.3 ★

O. 2020 Take It or Leave It Challenges



For those TIOLI Challenges that don't fit any other challenges.

Books Read

1. January TIOLI #8: Hobby/Skill/Sport - Read a Cozy Mystery: Sprinkle With Murder by Jenn McKinley - 3.8 ★
2. January TIOLI #13: Rolling Challenge Based on Genesis - The Stalking Moon by T. V. Olsen - 3. ★
3. January TIOLI #2: From a Best Books of 2019 list - My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
4. January TIOLI #8: Tag Mash of 20th Century fiction and Existentialism - The Grifters by Jim Thompson
5. January TIOLI #15: Published or Set in any XX20 Decade - The Loudwater Mystery by Edgar Jepson - 3.7 ★
6. February TIOLI #10: Author has a Sorority Connection - Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink - 3.5 ★
7. February TIOLI #2: Morphy's Challenge - Tag Mash of Favorite, Romance - How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff - 4.0 ★
8. February TIOLI #4: Book Title Contains one of the 32 NFL Teams - The Vanishing Raiders by Fred Grove - 3.8 ★
9. February TIOLI #7: Next Book in a Series by a Woman Author - The Year At Thrush Green by Miss Read - 4.3 ★
10. March TIOLI #8: Book Title Includes a Mathematical or Astrological Term - Girl on A Plane by Miriam Moss - 4.1 ★
11. March TIOLI #10: Tour de Suisse - All That I Have by Castle Freeman Jr. - 5.0 ★
12. March TIOLI #12: Anthology of Genre Fiction - Nevertheless She Persisted - 3.7 ★
13. March TIOLI #1: Culture Clash - Beneath the Same Stars by Phyllis Cole-Dai - 4.0 ★
14. March TIOLI #7: Physical Activity - The Run to Gitche Gumee by Robert F. Jones - 3.3 ★
15. April TIOLI #1: Non-fiction About an Animal - A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans - 4.0 ★

P. All Others - Extra Cats & Kits, Group Reads etc.



Books Read

1. January Non-FictionCat: Journalism & News - Dispatches From the Edge by Anderson Cooper - 3.6 ★
2. February Non-Fiction Cat: Travel - Paris in Love by Eloisa James - 4.5 ★
3. February Fantasy Month: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - 4.0 ★
4. March MysteryKit: Golden Age - Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers - 4.2 ★
5. March Non-FictionCat: Biography/Memoir - Aprons and Silver Spoons by Mollie Moran - 4.0 ★
6. March MysteryKit - Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham - 4.2 ★
7. April Non-Fiction Cat: Law & Order - Alligator Candy by David Kushner - 3.3 ★
8. April MysteryKit: Espionage - Decision At Delphi by Helen MacInnes - 4.0 ★

2020 Hosting Plans & Group Reads



February: Non-Fiction Cat – Travel
& ScaredyKit - Psychological Thrillers
March: Reading Thru Time – Mothers and Daughters
April: GeoCat – Australia, New Zealand & Oceania
May: RandomCat
May & June: Group Read - Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas
June: SFFFKit: Aliens and Mythical Creatures
September: Group Read - Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
October: MysteryKit: New-To-You Authors

Welcome!

57. The First Days by Rhiannon Frater - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Member - KrissieMarie
March TIOLI #6: Book Has An Odd Number of Pages



The First Days by Rhiannon Frater is the first book in her zombie trilogy, As the World Dies. It’s been awhile since I have read a “zombie book” and I have to say that I quite enjoyed this one. I find these kind of fantasy/thrillers very good escape reading. While Frater really didn’t bring anything new to the genre, she provided an exciting, page turning story and a group of characters to root for. Two women are front and centre in this story, Katie and Jenni, and it was fun to see how they grew from terrified victims to kick-ass, gun toting, zombie bashing heroines.

The story follows Katie and Jenni as they escape from a heavily populated city and find sanctuary in a small, roughly fortified Texas town. With the men outnumbering the women, and many of the man being young and single, it isn’t long before romance breaks out. Things don’t always run smoothly however, as both Katie and Jenni are recovering from the zombie death of their spouses. While the book doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, there are enough unsolved issues that have me looking forward to the next book.

While The First Days deals with zombies in a very familiar way, and there isn’t a lot of emotional depth to explore, I still found the story compelling enough to clear my mind of the real life difficulties we are currently facing.

Happy new thread, Judy. It's hard to keep track of what is open, what has been cancelled and what might close at any time. Yesterday Vancouver Public Library changed the due date of all books to April 25. It gives me more time to read the ones that I have out and I went down to pick up 7 more holds. I didn't want to leave it any longer because that was 7 to lug home on Skytrain but because ridership is way down it was easy to find a seat.

>23 DeltaQueen50: I enjoy these books too so will have to take a BB for this one.

I like your set up! I'm thinking that maybe next year I will do a folly CATegory.

>23 DeltaQueen50: This sounds good. I watched quite a bit of the TV show Walking Dead partly because I was fascinated with the social upheaval. I get that The First Days isn't great literature, but it sounds like it has some of what I found interesting.

However. Right now I'm spending a fair amount of mental energy reminding myself we are not living in a prequel to Walking Dead, so I may have to wait until later to dip into zombie lit.

Happy new thread, Judy! I love the pics of the libraries you patronize. I think I'd be a regular at The Haunted Bookshop.
Have a good week :0)

Happy New Thread, Judy! I wish I had some of those shops near me.

Happy new thread, Judy!

I take a trip most years with 3 old friends. Although we lived in the same small city for about 20 years I'm the only one left here. One is only 150 miles away but the others are on the East and West coasts. Last year we met up in Seattle and drove to B.C. We stayed a couple of days in Sydney and had the best time there! Since we are all readers, two out of the four are librarians, we hit every bookstore we found including The Haunted Bookshop. We were surprised at how many bookstores there were there.

This year it's the other coast, we're planning on Maine in June. I hope we can go then!

>24 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. I keep checking our library's webside to see if they are still open. At this point they have cancelled all programs and meetings and have waived all late charges through to March 31st. It is strange to see how empty the buses and Skytrain are right now.

>25 JayneCM: It's good to find another zombie lover. They are one of my favorite escape reads. On the more "literary" scale, I really liked both The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey and The Angels Are the Reapers by Alden Bell and I totally fell in love with a trilogy by Sarah Lyons Fleming that included Until the End of the World, And After, All the Stars in the Sky.

>26 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess. So far the various folly categories are working out well. Some categories are a little more tricky than others in that I have to repeat them until something comes up that I actually have books to fit, but it is a fun way for indecisive me to pick my next reads.

>27 NinieB: I am also a fan of "The Walking Dead" even though the show has become pretty repetitive I still watch it and it's spin-offs faithfully.

>28 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. The Haunted Bookshop is over on Vancouver Island so I only get to shop there when I go to visit my family - otherwise, I would probably be in there once a week!

>29 dudes22: Hi Betty. The first (of the real) stores is within walking distance of our apartment. Luckily my branch of the library is even closer so I try to stick with the free books if I can.

>30 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>31 clue: Sidney prides itself on their many bookstores but unfortunately a few have closed down in recent years. Whenever I visit my family we usually plan a day to go to Sidney (about 20 miles away) for book shopping, browsing and lunch. A lovely way to spend a day. I'm glad you and your friends enjoyed your visit - I think it's wonderful that you still get together and travel. I hope June finds us all returned to normal and that you get your Maine trip in.

Happy new thread Judy! You are lucky that your library is still open - mine has closed until the end of the month :( At least I can still get their ebooks and audiobooks online.

Happy new thread! Yes, enjoy the library while you can. Ours are all closed. I can still request audible and kindle books though I anticipate the wait time will increase significantly.

Happy new thread, Judy! Love the photo of The Haunted Bookshop. I used to know the owner.

Happy new thread, Judy. I hope you're staying safe and enjoying your books!

Happy new thread, Judy! And thanks for the review of The First Days. You know I love zombies.
My mom is in Vegas and was insisting that she was going to Costco today, even though she's 77 and not in any dire need of anything. She's always been a bundle of energy and I couldn't talk her out of it no matter how much I tried. But Mike went up to our Costco to get gas and sent a pic of the line of people, hundreds of them, wrapping around the front, side and back of the store, so that talked her out of going.

Happy new thread, Judy, and I'm glad you knee continues to not hinder your movements. I'm glad to know so many people who have books set aside for a moment just like this one. How prescient we all are!

>37 mstrust: Last Friday my son wanted to pick up some things for his robotics competition and we ran by Costco, forgetting that it only opens at 10:00. We were there almost an hour before it opened and there was quite a crowd gathered. We went to Office Depot instead.

I love the book stories, both real and fantasy, Judy.

Happy new thread.

>32 DeltaQueen50: I loved The Girl With All The Gifts too - pretty sure you put me onto it last year! I also enjoyed I Am Legend. I will look for those others books.

Happy new thread Judy, love the images at the top. I wouldn't be able to walk past any of the shops in the paintings without popping in.

>33 leslie.98: Thanks, Leslie. I just checked the library's website and they are now closed until further notice with just their digital content available. This isn't a surprise as libraries are shuting down across Canada. I am lucky in that I have thousands of books on hand, but I sure feel for those who are isolated and don't have a ready supply of books to fill in the time.

>34 Berly: Hi Kim, we have joined the many who have seen their libraries, community centers and public pools/gyms close down. These days I feel as if I am living in a apocalyptic movie.

>35 VivienneR: I love The Haunted Bookshop, Vivienne, it's been my source for many of the vintage mysteries that I love, also it's where I have found most of my Miss Read books. Another thing about book stores is that they often have the most interesting people who either are the owners or work there as they are usually book lovers who love nothing better than to discuss books!

>36 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit. Actually I feel like I've slacked off on the reading over the last few days. I've been checking up on friends and relatives by the phone, watching the unfolding events and practising my walking. Hopefully, I can get some quality reading time in today.

>37 mstrust: It really is difficult for us oldsters to try and change our lifestyle. I never have been all that social so staying home isn't so bad for me, I think my husband finds it much harder. I know my brother has been trying to keep my Mum, who's just about to turn 99, at home but that's pretty much a full time job especially as she tends to forget what's currently going on and has to be sat down in front of the TV to remind her why she's not supposed to go out shopping!

>38 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay. My husband now thinks I am a genius - instead of coming into my book room and shaking his head over the amount of books I have, he comes in and shakes his head in admiration at my forethought!

>39 BLBera: Hi Beth, I don't think I have ever seen a book store that I didn't want to have a browse in - no matter what they look like. But I would have to be dragged away from those fantasy ones above!

>40 JayneCM: There's nothing like a good zombie story to take you away from the daily grind! :)

>41 SouthernKiwi: You and me both, Alana!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hi, Judy! Glad to see you're doing well.

>32 DeltaQueen50: I also loved Girl With All The Gifts and the second one set in the same world, The Boy On The Bridge, tho I'm not a zombie aficionado. It feels like we've been in the middle of the zombie apocalypse since 2016, so I won't be reading any zombie novels right now, but the others you mentioned will be going on my TBRWTGBTN (TBR when things get back to normal) list.

Stay safe and healthy!

It's like we've been given permission to stay home and read, Judy! Although it's minor disruption for us, I really feel for the working public out there, though.

>42 DeltaQueen50: You are totally a genius for having all those book supplies on hand! Happy new thread :)

>44 Storeetllr: Hi Mary. I loved both those M. R. Carey books as well, and I can certainly understand why you don't feel like reading zombie books right now - everyone has their own type of escape reads. Today, I am avoiding the news as every broadcast sounds more ominous than the last one. I know I need to be aware of what's going on so I will catch up with the news later this evening.

>45 ronincats: I totally agree with you, Roni. Even three months of isolation will be tolerable if I have my books, my TV, and, oh yeah, my husband with me. ;) I too feel for people who have children, jobs that they need to go to and debts that they need to handle. I am afraid the financial complications may affect us all much more than we realize.

>46 rabbitprincess: Thanks, R.P. I feel great being a member of LT which is full of like-minded geniuses!

58. The Raft by S. A. Bodeen - 3.7 ★
Category: Random Award - ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
March TIOLI #10: Tour de Suisse



The Raft by S. A. Bodeen is the story of a plane crash and a desperate attempt at survival by a fifteen year old teenager. Robie Mitchell had been visiting her aunt in Hawaii, but now she was cutting the visit short and taking the cargo flight back to Midway Island where she lives with her biologist parents. Through a series of miscalculations, her presence on the plane is undocumented and when the plane crashes into the sea, Robie doesn’t know if anyone is even looking for her. She and the practically comatose co-pilot embark on a messy yet urgent survival journey in the life raft and things get very serious indeed when she discovers they have no water or food.

I am a huge sucker for survival stories so The Raft was a compelling read for me. I found Robie both endearing and aggravating in turns as she struggles to do what is needed to survive and make it home to her parents. Like any fifteen year old she is sometimes selfish, sometimes whiny, but I thought that part of the story was quite realistic. The fast paced story has plenty of suspense but I did find some aspects a little too simplistic, but then, I am not the target audience for this YA story. Overall, I think this is a story that would appeal to the younger range of YA readers and, to survivor junkies like me.

>48 DeltaQueen50: Another BB for me as I am a survivor junkie too!

>49 JayneCM: Any story that involves surviving and I am interested - that's probably why I like zombie stories as they often concentrate on surviving and establishing human habitation again.

>48 DeltaQueen50: BB for me too! Thanks for the review.
And speaking of zombies, I just watched the latest TWD episode last night. I didn't think that big event would ever come...

>51 mstrust: I have been meaning to start watching The Walking Dead (yes, I have never seen it!). Maybe I should start now - or maybe not?!
For a novice, my library has season one of both The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead. Are these totally unrelated or connected in some way?

>52 JayneCM: Fear the Walking Dead is a companion series and prequel to The Walking Dead. Since we are now housebound, my husband is binging on the Walking Dead. To me, it was good through about season 2 and then it became just gore for gore's sake; but hubby is still enjoying it.

>53 Tess_W: Thank you! Will have to give it a tentative try as I am not a fan of gore at all!

>51 mstrust: I have watched it as well and although that was exactly how I expected it to go down, it still surprised me. I'm guessing that Beta won't take this lightly!

>53 Tess_W: & >54 JayneCM: I think it's all about whether you connect with the characters with this show, after all there are only so many ways to kill a zombie (thought they try to be creative about this). But if you start to care about what happens to the characters, then like me, you're hooked.

The Walking Dead is set in a small Georgia town begins a few weeks or maybe a month into the change, with maybe 98% of the population wiped out. "Fear the Walking Dead" begins at the very start of the disease and is set in L.A., so we see a major city turning.
For a long time, my favorite season of TWD was season two, set on an idyllic farm. Now I think my favorite seasons are five and six, set in Alexandria, Va.
I've never been drawn into FTWD as much but it's had some good stuff. They both have scenes of gore in every episode, but if you watch enough you might begin to admire how creative the deaths can be.
And even though Tess answered your question, when someone asks me to explain something about TWD, I'm going to, dang it.

>55 DeltaQueen50: I didn't expect her death this early, or by him. I really thought it would be Carol, and I guess it was in a way. Now we have to see how that deal came about.

>57 mstrust: I guess we now know who let him Negan out of his cell.

Ooh, I hadn't even remembered that!

Well, I'm glad I picked up those library holds, Judy. The VPL closed the next day. So did all the public buildings in PoCo and I was in one of them when they were putting up the closed signs.

I have been getting out every day for a walk if nothing else. Isn't the weather beautiful? There are quite a few people out and about on walking trails enjoying the sun.

>60 Familyhistorian: Sounds like you had good timing, Meg. I was out for a little walk yesterday and it was gorgeous out, today I sat outside and read for awhile, it was ok as long as I was in the sun and out of the breeze.

59. The Fourth Queen by Debbie Taylor - 3.8 ★
Category: GeoCat
March GeoCat: North Africa & the Middle East
March TIOLI #5: On My Shelves Since Before January, 2020



Based on some truth, The Fourth Queen by Debbie Taylor is a remarkable story about Helen Goag, a young Scottish girl who is captured by Barbary pirates when on her way to North America. Her pale skin, green eyes and red-blonde hair set her apart and she is sold into the Emperor of Morocco’s harem.

The bulk of the story is set in this claustrophobic court of women where everyone wants a chance to be with the Emperor with the hope of having children and securing a better life for themselves. Even when the Emperor favours her and raises her to be one of his Queens, her life is in constant danger and she must learn to navigate the schemes, lies and jealousy that surround her. Luckily, she is befriended by the curator of the harem, a dwarf who falls in love with the Scottish beauty.

The narrative switches between Helen and the dwarf so we get to understand the motives of each. The story is a little overlong, some of the characters felt too one-sided to be believable, and there were a few details that didn't ring absolutely true, but overall I enjoyed this exotic, evocative read and found The Fourth Queen to be a highly readable story.

Happy New Thread, Judy. Love the bookshop toppers! How has the COVID 19, affected you, so far?

>23 DeltaQueen50: I'll have to keep Rhiannon Frater's series in mind as I do like zombie stories!

I'm glad to hear that you're well stocked in books. I am too, and my library's digital catalogue is still available.

>63 msf59: Hi Mark, we are in self-isolation for the moment as we are in the high risk category. We try not to get too depressed over this, but it is difficult and seeing the numbers of infected go up every day is disheartening. I am lucky though as I have my husband, my books and TV for company.

>64 mathgirl40: I'm finding it difficult to concentrate on anything too serious right now, lighter reads seem to work best for me, so zombie stores, YA and other favorite genres are calling to me right now.

60. Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai - 4.5 ★
Category: Random Tag - Adapting
March TIOLI #1: Culture Clash



Inside Out & Back Again is a novel written in verse by Thanhha Lai. The book was awarded the 2011 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and one of the two Newbery Honors. Based on the author’s own experiences during her first year in the United States, we read of a little girl whose family has escaped the fall of Vietnam on a boat, was then was subsequently rescued by the Americans, placed in a refugee camp until being sponsored and moved to the state of Alabama.

The story unfolds in short free-verse poems which are easy to read, descriptive and poignant. These poems provide a lot of information about life in Vietnam, including the food, clothing, and traditions, as well as how conditions changed as the war drew ever closer. When she arrives in America, she writes of her struggles with a new language, as well as the bullying and racism that she and her family endured. But her experiences are not all negative, there are new people that are welcoming and as her family adapt and become Americans, there is laughter and joy.

Inside Out & Back Again is a memorable story, told beautifully. It is filled with images and emotions, both painful and joyous and expresses the immigrant experience in a simple, heartfelt manner.

61. Beneath the Same Stars by Phyllis Cole-Dai - 4.0 ★
Category: TIOLI Challenges
BingoDog: Small/Independant Press
TIOLI Challenge #1: Culture Clash



Beneath the Same Stars by Phyllis Cole-Dai is the story of Sarah Wakefield, who with her two young children were taken prisoner in the August, 1862 uprising by the Sioux. Sarah and her family lived on the Dakota Sioux reservation in Minnesota as her husband was the reservation doctor. She was sympathetic toward the Indians plight as she could see that the white reservation managers, including her husband, were not their for the benefit of the natives but rather were looking to line their own pockets. Treaty promises were not being kept, supplies and food was being withheld and conditions were getting worse every day.

Sarah was locked into an abusive relationship with a man who cared nothing about his family or his Indian patients. When the warrior Caske takes her prisoner, he also happens to change her life for the better. He protects her and keeps her alive and feelings grow between them. Thinking that her doctor husband is dead she agrees to marry Caske. However, she soon learns that her first husband is still alive. When revolt is suppressed, Caske is one of the warriors arrested and put on trial. Sarah testifies in his favour but for the most part her defence falls upon deaf ears.

This book was based on the real life of Sarah Wakefield and the author used Sarah’s own book about her experiences as part of her research. This uprising lasted about six weeks and at least 650 Americans were killed. The reprisals upon the Indians were swift and severe. Beneath the Same Stars was an interesting read and clearly shows that the treatment of the reservation Indians was cruel and reprehensible.

>67 DeltaQueen50: Definitely a BB for me! I love books about western settlement and Native Americans.

>68 Tess_W: This one has sparked my interest in this uprising. I am going to be on the lookout for more books about this historical event.

>67 DeltaQueen50: A BB for me too!

>70 JayneCM: :) I hope you enjoy Sarah's story when you get to it.

62. The Night She Won Miss America by Michael Callahan - 3.0 ★
Category: AlphaKit
March AlphaKit: C
March TIOLI #15: A Book With a Country In the Title



Reading The Night She Won Miss America by Michael Callahan was very much like reading two books. The first half of the story was about the actual Miss America contest in the 1950s and it was highly entertaining and interesting. Unfortunately the second half of the book was far-fetched, silly and had the main character dissolve from a sensible and smart young lady into a ridiculous mess of girly indecisiveness. And, even worse to my way of thinking, expected the readers to accept this badly plotted story-line.

I found out at the back of the book that part of the story was based on an actual occurrence in a past Miss America event. A contestant did indeed fall hard for her assigned escort, he in turn did state that he would not be the boyfriend of a Miss America, and she did win. When he broke off with her immediately, she was heartbroken enough to try to renounce her title. This and the actual contest itself, was the basis for the interesting first half of the story. The author then stretched the story out and tried to amp up the suspense which ended in the second half of the book becoming an over-done “on-the-run” story that was just foolish.

This is my first book by this author and I have at least one more on my shelves so I will be giving him another try at some point. For this book, I would have given the first half of the story 4 stars and the second half 2, so will settle on 3 stars for the combined total.

>65 DeltaQueen50: I don't know how we will all manage to keep up the isolation or distancing. My husband is a social butterfly and knows everybody around, knows other walkers by name and he just shrugs when I mention safety measures. Our next door neighbours have their grandson visiting because his college is closed. They have told me he's been in contact with the virus at work "but he's wearing a mask". I'm just hoping husband isn't over visiting with them tomorrow. Not easy for me, the introvert.

Stay healthy, Judy. Bad timing - now your knee is better and you have to stay at home.

>73 VivienneR: I am in the same boat, Vivienne. My husband is much more social than I and is really finding it difficult to put in the hours at home. Luckily he enjoys baking so I was treated to a blueberry/apple pie yesterday but he's already been doing some pacing back and forth today. It's extra hard right now as the weather is beautiful and just calls for us to go outside and enjoy it! Personally I ordered a couple of jigsaw puzzles today but I doubt very much if that will interest him in any way.

Happy new thread! Catching up on your last thread and this one - first happy June thingaversary book buying! Love the way you are stretching it out.

Also, so sorry to hear about what you have been going through with your knee. I very much hope that the current plan works out for you. As a veteran of 8 knee surgeries (hopefully no more because the last two were knee replacements), I thought for sure that surgery could help. And after reading through everything, to be honest, I still think that a minor surgery could make a difference. BUT, I'm only a knee surgery veteran, not an orthopedic doctor...

Have taken a few BBs for After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, The Decoy Princess and The Fourth Queen.

Stay safe and be well!

>75 LisaMorr: Thanks Lisa, I have my fingers crossed that my knee stays as good as it is right now. More than 10 years ago I had pretty much the same problem with the other knee and at that time I had a surgery when the doctor drilled into my knee in three places, relieved the pressure and cleaned out some debris. It worked wonderfully and I haven't had a problem with that knee since. I was expecting the same type of treatment, but being older and having had some heart problems means they don't jump on the surgery bandwagon anymore. Enjoy your book bullets! ;)

63. Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare - 2.0 ★
Category: RandomCat
March RandomCat: Seasons of Love
1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List
March TIOLI #3: Honoring Plant a Seed Day



Ismail Kadare, the author of Spring Flowers, Spring Frost is one of the few Albanian authors whose work is available in translation. Most of his writing has been first translated into French and then into English and this may be one of the reasons why I found this book muddled and confusing. It could also be that I just didn’t understand what the author was trying to say or what message he was trying to deliver.

Spring Flowers, Spring Frost begins by introducing Mark, a semi-successful artist who begins to notice that since the collapse of communism, violence is suddenly becoming commonplace in his neighbourhood. Old vendettas and blood feuds are returning and most dangerous of all the Kanun, an ancient mafia law of settling accounts of honour, has been resurrected. The story is delivered in a dreamlike sequence so I was never quite sure of what was real and what was only in Mark’s head. The best part of the book for me were that occasionally the author inserted counter-chapters that told of strange tales that seemed almost mythic. In particular I liked the story of the Young Women Who Married A Snake. I have no idea if these tales were created by the author or are actually parts of Albanian folk tales.

I have previously read and enjoyed Broken April by this author so I didn’t expect to dislike this book as much as I did. I found the lack of continuity and the bizarre images very off-putting. I am not in the mind-set right now to appreciate books that diffuse reality to this degree and so Spring Flowers, Spring Frost just didn’t work for me.

I've watched last night's episode of TWD now. Trippy. And surprising to see so many past survivors.

Judy--popping in to say Hi! Sorry you are in the self-isolating group, but I am also going out as little as possible, because I have so many health issues. No one is out on the road near me, so I have been getting some great walks in. And also gardening a lot. It's supposed to rain this week, so maybe I'll actually read something. LOL.

>77 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for saving me from reading this one!! Nice review though.

>78 mstrust: I watched it as well. Brought back lots of memories. It's hard to say farewell to another favorite character, but I did like the way they sent her off - maybe we'll see more of this storyline at some point.

>79 Berly: Hi Kim. It seems that everyone is now expected to stay at home as much as possible these days. I am ok with this but I feel sorry for younger families with children or teenagers - must be very difficult. After a number of beautiful days we are expecting it to cool down and rain here as well.

>80 DeltaQueen50: Yeah, my two youngest kids are not happy with this situation and they are not very excited about household projects either. We did come up with an online game last night that was pretty fun: Quiplash.

>80 DeltaQueen50: I was wondering if Michonne would be killed off after she had such success with her movie. I wonder when we'll see her again. But it did seem like they were setting things up for one of the Rick Grimes movies we were promised.
It was interesting to see Michonne as the baddie in so many vignettes of her past.

>81 Berly: That looks like fun!

>82 mstrust: The episode really showed that how you are perceived depends on the outlook - Michonne could easily have met up with someone like Neagan and joined him rather than Rick's group.

Hi, Judy! Glad you are staying safe(ish) and healthy. Sorry your husband is having trouble with the Shelter-in-Place thing. I'm an introvert myself, but even I am starting to get a little stir-crazy staying in and isolating.

>62 DeltaQueen50: I read this a few years ago and enjoyed it. Not the best historical fiction, but a good story anyway.

>84 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, yes, The Fourth Queen isn't the best of historical fiction, but it was a fun read and kept my attention. I am finding reading a little difficult right now, I just can't seem to find something that will hold my attention. Right now I am bouncing between three books plus 1 audio.

Hi, Judy. Glad to hear your knee is mostly behaving itself. Like you, I'm not having any difficulty with staying at home, but the husband here is also chafing at the bit. As he watches the news each night, though, he becomes more aware of how necessary it is.

>86 ronincats: Hi Roni, I am most thankful that I am contented to stay at home with my computer, books and tv. I know the isolation is very difficult for some people, and my heart goes out to them. We are so very lucky that we have this safe internet site to spend time on, socializing and comparing our reads and sharing our experiences!

Dropping in to say good morning, Judy!

>88 mstrust: Morning, Jennifer. I am experiencing deja vu as every day is just like the last. Need to think of something different to do today as I fear I am falling into a rut!

So I ended up cooking a large pot of beef and cabbage soup for dinner over the next couple of nights and then later on I made a batch of cheese and cayenne muffins to go with the soup. Filled in some slow time for me today but now I will have more free time tomorrow as I will just have to warm up the soup for dinner.

Since I wasn't pleased with the book I read for February's ScaredyKit, especially as I was the host for that month, I picked up Phantom Limb to read after hearing about it on Kim's thread.

64. Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry - 4.0 ★
Category: ScaredyKit - Psychological Thriller



Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry is first and foremost a story about twins. Elizabeth and Emily are identical twins who as young children lived a hellish life. From a very young age, their single parent mother would leave them home alone for days while she was out drinking and running around. When she came home the two little girls were subjected to terrible abuse. They were rescued and raised by a loving couple, but too much damage had already been done for these girls to ever totally recover.

The plots twists and turns throughout the book which starts with Elizabeth waking in a hospital room and the last thing she remembers is finding her twin, Emily dead. Before too long she has been placed in the psychiatric unit and being told things that confuse her and make her even more unsure of what is real and what isn’t. Working hard to overcome her personal demons she delves into both her and Emily’s past trying to unravel the psychological puzzle that is her life.

Phantom Limb is a revealing look at what it’s like to have your life spin out of control as your brain tries to provide you with a version of reality that doesn’t agree with the facts. The author is a clinical psychologist and obviously knows about her subject matter. I found Phantom Limb to be a quick, chilling and compelling read.

65. The Run to Gitche Gumee by Robert F. Jones - 3.3 ★
Category: TIOLI Challenges
March TIOLI #7: Book has a focus on physical activity



I had high hopes for The Run to Gitche Gumee by Robert F. Jones as I thought a nice gentle nature story about 2 young men on a 1950 canoe trip would be something to take my mind off the real world. The Firesteel River empties into Lake Superior and is about 150 miles of twists and turns through wooded uninhabited country. The book started out exactly as I had hoped with paddling the river, fishing for trout and having a run in with a black bear. But I guess the author decided that wasn’t excitement enough, and, before I knew it my travellers had run afoul of some bank robbers hiding out in the woods, got on the wrong side of a millionaire when they got involved with his daughter, and had to shoot their way to safety. And this was only the first part of the book.

The story then switched to one of the young man’s war experiences in Korea, then jumped ahead 50 years as the two men, much older now, take a final trip down the Firesteel River. They still have more adventures than was believable, this time with game wardens, a biologist and a millionaire developer.

The Run to Gitche Gumee was not the quiet nature book that I thought I was going to be reading although the sections about the actual paddling and fishing were very well done, the rest of the book was a mess. The story was disjointed and lacked cohesion and was entirely too silly. Although having said that, I surprised myself and stuck with it to the end.

>91 DeltaQueen50: Phantom Limb sounds like something I would like.

66. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - 4.3 ★
Category: AlphaKit
March AlphaKit: G
March TIOLI #6: Book Has An Odd Number of Pages



I truly enjoyed The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. When Lavinia, a young Irish orphan is brought by Captain Pyke as an indentured servant to Tall Oaks, his Virginia plantation, she is placed among the slaves who nurtured and love her. She grows up to feel that these black folks are her family. Unfortunately she also learns to envy and admire the highly dysfunctional white family who own Twelve Oaks. She doesn’t sense the seething hatred and the lies that shape everyone’s life on the plantation.

As a young woman she marries the son of the family, who is a cruel, bad-tempered bully, who all too soon shows her his true colours. As more and more past secrets are revealed, she realizes that she has married a monster and for women in that day, there was no easy escape. As her husband spirals into madness, she dulls reality with laudanum. Finally realizing that living in this drugged state isn’t the answer, she gives up the opiate but nevertheless, her husband now in danger of losing the plantation amps up his cruel behaviour. The story moves at a quick pace and although a little melodramatic totally drew me in. The story is narrated in alternating chapters by Lavinia and by Belle, a slave who happens to also be the daughter of Captain Pyke.

The Kitchen House is a well-written, interesting story that gives us a slightly different spin on plantation life and doesn’t shy away from showing the unspeakable horror that slavery was. It also shows the strong bonds of love and responsibility that we form with the people that we choose to call family.

>94 DeltaQueen50: This one sounds like a good one, Judy. I hope you aren't running out of books; you are reading up a storm!

>94 DeltaQueen50: I have had this book on my shelf for ages - looks like I should get to it soon!

>95 BLBera: Hi Beth. I have no fear of running out of books - I have enough books to keep me going for some time.

>96 JayneCM: This is a book that I have had on my shelf for years as well. It's always fun to pull an old book down that's been there for ages and discover a great read!

>94 DeltaQueen50: The Kitchen House looks like a good one, Judy. Your reads seem to have been a bit uneven lately. I hope your next one is a good one. I also wish that the sun would come back as it lightens the day somewhat.

>98 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I think I am on the right track with my current two reads both have started out excellently. The Missing and the Dead is a police procedural, the 9th in a favorite series. My other read is a historical fiction called My Name is Resolute by Nancy E. Turner about the life of a young girl, taken by pirates from Jamaica and sold as an indentured servant around the time of the American Revolution.

>85 DeltaQueen50: Yes, you're not the only one having trouble focusing. I've got five or six books from the digital library that I've been wanting to read, including a couple by Jacqueline Woodson, plus The Underground Railroad, and I can't seem to settle on anything. Not even The Butterfly Girl. So I'm rereading the In Death series instead, and putting the rest back on hold until my head clears.

>100 Storeetllr: Hi Mary. There's definitely comfort in the familiar - I have been lining up books by authors that I have read before for this coming month, and I am even going to go for a re-read of an old favorite by Helen MacInnes whose books I loved as a teenager. I think we should go with whatever helps us get through this strange time.

>101 DeltaQueen50: Ooh, which MacInnes? I really loved Assignment in Brittany.

>102 rabbitprincess: The challenge is to read an espionage novel that was originally published in the 1960s so that eliminated MacInnes early work. I chose to go with Decision at Delphi which I remember liking. But overall, I agree with you, I think my favorite one of hers was Assignment in Brittany - so that's up for a re-read at some point as well.

My top reads of the first quarter of 2020 are:

All That I Have by Castle Freeman Jr. - 5 stars
The Trespass by Barbara Ewing - 5 stars
The Grifters by Jim Thompson - 5 stars

Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard - 4.5 stars
Paris in Love by Eloisa James - 4.5 stars
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai - 4.5 stars
When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi - 4.5 stars

67. The Missing and The Dead by Stuart MacBride - 4.5 ★
Category: Random Member - Cathyskye
April TIOLI #4: A Book By An Author That I Have Read Before



The Missing and The Dead by Stuart MacBride is the ninth entry in his Logan McRae series. In this outing Logan has been given a “development opportunity” and posted to rural Aberdeenshire. As duty officer he is overseeing an under-manned police force that covers a huge area, including a number of small towns and villages. When the body of a little girl is found, he thinks he is about to head up a murder investigation, but no, the officials instead dispatch his old boss DI Roberta Steel and her crew to handle the case. Then when he arrests a couple of locals for dealing drugs, another crew from the city are sent to take over the case. He is expected to take care of the local shop lifting, removing cattle from the roads, and look into a spate of burglaries.

It’s been awhile since I read about Logan McRae and it was fun reconnecting with him and his cronies. DI Roberta Steel is her usual obnoxious, annoying and highly humorous self. Logan can’t seem to catch a break and has the top brass breathing down his neck for most of the book. Of course, he is his own worst enemy as he can’t seem to help but tread on his superiors’ toes. He is also caring for his girlfriend who is in a coma.

I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the actual police procedures and how the rural police force operate. MacBride is an excellent writer and keeps his reader fully engrossed in the story with strong well defined characters, exciting plot lines, plenty of dark humor and a hero with heart.

I'm excited to see the love for Assignment in Brittany, as I'm planning to read it for this month's espionage MysteryKIT!

>101 DeltaQueen50:, >102 rabbitprincess:, >106 christina_reads: Oh, Helen MacInnes! I was a big fan of her books back in the day and own quite a few. Maybe I'll reread one of those for the MysteryKIT too.

>107 leslie.98: I've got to get digging in my book tubs and find one! I thought the National Emergency Library would be the answer if I couldn't turn up any MacInnes in the house, but now that I've read of the controversy surrounding it, I won't feel comfortable using it.

>105 DeltaQueen50: - I'm quite a bit further back in the series, but you've reminded me of it and that I should try to fit another in sooner.

>105 DeltaQueen50: I keep meaning to try that series. Thanks for the reminder!

>106 christina_reads: I haven't re-read Assignment in Brittany yet although I have it on my Kindle and I am looking forward to it. I hope you enjoy it, Christina.

>107 leslie.98: I was thrilled when I found that they had put her books out for e-readers. She is definitely one of the authors that instilled my love for suspense and mystery.

>108 Dejah_Thoris: I just read about the concerns that authors have with the National Emergency Library and I can understand why people would have second thoughts about using it. I like the idea of eliminiating the wait-lists for e-books during the crisis, but I also wish there was a way for the author's to be compensated for their work.

>109 dudes22: Betty, it had been awhile since I had read one of this series and I think the break was good. I didn't think this one was as violent as some of the previous ones (or maybe I am just used to it), and I appreciated the play between Logan and his ex-boss D.I. Steel. I also really enjoyed the change of scenery from the larger city of Aberdeen to the rural Scottish countryside.

>110 thornton37814: I love this series, Lori but be forewarned - it can be extremely violent and irreverent. The police in this book get through the tough times by using very dark humor.

>112 DeltaQueen50: - Ha!

Hope you have a good weekend, Judy.

>113 katiekrug: Thanks Katie.

Just stopping in to check up on you, Judy!

>97 DeltaQueen50: Well, silver lining, right. We can read down our TBR piles.

>112 DeltaQueen50: Hah.

>112 DeltaQueen50: Haha, mine keeps coming out as gin & tonic.

>105 DeltaQueen50: I need to try that series also. I've visited Aberdeen a bunch of times for work - this would be a neat way to explore it until I get back.

ETA: looks like it's not the right touchstone

>111 DeltaQueen50: I might not like the series then.

>111 DeltaQueen50: - I do like a good relationship or some humor between partners in the more gritty books I read.

>115 ronincats: Hi Roni, I have been struggling a little this week. I hate that the numbers are still going up plus I am feeling a little stir-crazy. On the one hand I want to go out but on the other, I am afraid to go out. I think this week was particularly bad as our building's elevator was out of order the whole week while they gave it a total rehaul. It's operational now so I am planning to get out for a walk at some point today. Living in an apartment is great when things are normal as we do go out and about a lot, but these days it's pretty confining. I haven't missed having a yard until now - I would love to be able to go outside and potter around the garden while easily keeping social distance from people. When we walk we are always nervous that we will meet other people and have to cross the street to avoid contact.

>116 BLBera: Hi Beth. I always justified my bulging shelves by saying that I was planning for the apocalypse, but never thought that something like this would actually happen. I am thankful that I have plenty of reading material and of course, there's always the one-click shopping for the Kindle!

>117 Storeetllr: Rum and Coke used to be my drink of choice - but these days I am much more likely to be sipping a glass of wine. Have a good weekend, Mary.

>118 LisaMorr: Stuart MacBride tends to paint the darker side of the city but I've looked at pictures of Aberdeen and it looks like a lovely place to visit. He did include a forward to this book about how beautiful the district of Aberdeenshire is and his mention of all these little towns had me looking them up on the computer and wishing I could visit this area.

>119 thornton37814: I love this series but I suspect his writing wouldn't be to everyone's taste Lori, but I would suggest reading the first book and seeing how you feel about it.

>120 dudes22: I find that humor really helps when the book is dealing with dark and grim things. I think in real life a sense of humor and an appreciation of the macabre get many a policeman through the day.

68. A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans - 4.0 ★
Category: TIOLI Challenges
April TIOLI #1: A Non-fiction Book About an Animal



A Wolf Called Romeo is nature photographer and author, Nick Jans, reflections on the six years that Juneau, Alaska residents were visited by an unusually friendly male black wolf. The wolf seemed particularly interested in dogs and befriended many. Jans introduction to the wolf was when he was throwing a tennis ball out on the frozen lake and, much to his astonishment, a black wolf ran out and absconded with the ball. The wolf did return and made friends with the author’s golden retriever.

Nicknamed Romeo, the wolf became a regular feature for the residents of Juneau. He located himself by the Mendenhall Glacier and was often to be seen on and around the lake. He appeared to be a solitary but healthy wolf and would tolerate audiences getting within feet of himself, especially if there were dogs. Unfortunately this fearless attitude was dangerous for him, for as much as he had admirers, there were some who thought he should be killed or removed from the area. For six years he was a regular visitor, but then in September 2009, he vanished. Slowly the facts came out, he had been shot by two poachers who were looking for an easy kill. Unable to keep the deed a secret they bragged about killing the beloved wolf. They were also known to have been involved in the illegal luring and killing of young bears as well. Although both were charged with illegal game killing, they were simply given minor fines that were not followed up on when they failed to pay.

A Wolf Called Romeo tells an amazing story and the author is very careful to point out that Romeo’s visits were shared by many. It wasn’t just his life that was affected by this creature, Romeo was shared by the community and was grieved by many. The author also includes many facts about wolves, and discusses the boundaries between wilderness and civilization, and the responsibility that humans have to the untamed creatures they encounter.



Romeo with one of his friends

>122 DeltaQueen50: Once again I find myself wishing the library system were open - or that I felt safe getting books, even if it were. This is definitely one I would have tried to get for a shared read with you. I'll keep it in mind for later.

Thanks! And hang in there.

>123 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks, Dejah. I am missing the library as well. I have been spending too much time stuffing more books onto my Kindle.

69. Mr. Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood - 4.0 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
April 1,001 Group Read
April TIOLI #15: Rolling Challenge by First 15 Countries to Contact Covid-19



Mr. Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood was drawn from his experiences as an expatriate living in Berlin during the early 1930’s and received rave reviews when originally published in 1935, but Isherwood later denounced his work as shallow and dishonest. The book was originally planned to be much longer and more comprehensive about conditions in Germany at the time, but the author decided instead to mostly concentrate the story around the character of Mr. Arthur Norris whom the young and naive narrator of the story, William Bradshaw meets on a train going from the Netherlands into Germany.

These two characters strike up a friendship and Bradshaw goes on to find many aspects of Mr. Norris intriguing. He is a member of the communist party and his frequent disappearances and fluctuating finances raise a certain amount of speculation. He is also a sexual deviant and introduces Bradshaw to the murky side of Berlin. The character of William Bradshaw is that of an observer, while the author delves into the more complex character of Mr. Norris who can be crafty, charming, vain and hedonistic. The author has also added other memorial characters that help to flesh out the story.

While I would consider this more of a character study than an actual story, this was an interesting and informative book. The setting is of Berlin at a critical point in history, Hitler and his Nazis are about to come into power and set aside Germany’s democratic institutions. The understated and dry manner of the story-telling, even the glossing over of incidents of political violence in no way took away my knowledge of the sinister and dangerous future that was on the horizon.

>125 DeltaQueen50: That's another one I would have tried to join you in reading this month! I've been trying to avoid buying too many Kindle books just yet - I'm being financially conservative - it's so tempting.

>126 Dejah_Thoris: It is too tempting by far - and I'm afraid I have no willpower! My husband is reading a lot but he refuses to choose his own books so I try to find a book for him and download it to his Kindle and then, I just seem to always find a book or two that I would like as well - and before I know it, I am clicking away!

70. My Name is Resolute by Nancy E. Turner - 4.3 ★
Category: Alpha Kit
April Alpha Kit: T
TIOLI #4: A Book By An Author You Have Read Before



My Name is Resolute by Nancy E. Turner is a massive story of historical fiction. Set in the New World between 1729 and 1781, the story follows one woman’s eventful life as well as the slow progression toward rebellion and the founding of America. Resolute Talbot was only nine when pirates attacked her father’s sugar plantation and carried herself, her sister and her brother off to be sold as slaves in Colonial New England, she was then captured by Indians and sold again, this time to the nuns of Montreal. There she was taught the trade of spinning and weaving. She eventually escapes the convent and settles in Lexington, Massachusetts. Resolute inherits property, establishes a business, meets and takes as her husband, Cullah, a fiery Scotsman. They raise a family, weather the French and Indian war and find themselves involved with a group of rebels that are pushing for open rebellion against the crown.

The story is long and filled with details about the life of an American colonial. The author lays out the difficult political conditions as well as the epidemics that shaped Resolute’s family and friend’s lives. Resolute, herself, is a memorable character who proves worthy of her name and uses her skills to assist others.

I have a great admiration for this author having read her These Is My Words previously. She writes detailed historical fiction but always ensure that story comes first and historical events are used to advance the plot. My Name is Resolute is an epic that is filled with adventure yet through it all Resolute remains true to herself and her beliefs. She is a heroine that I will long remember.

>128 DeltaQueen50: And drat again - My Name is Resolute is another book I made a note to read and with library access, I'd join you this month. I am so library dependent, lol.

Hi, Judy. Finally checking in. I hope you are both well and staying positive. A Wolf Called Romeo sounds like a lot of fun. My cuppa. I really think you will enjoy Simon the Fiddler, which I am wrapping up. You read News of the World, right?

>125 DeltaQueen50: I'm making a note of this book. I've not read anything by Christopher Isherwood before, but I'm always on the lookout for interesting and recommended books from the 1001 list.

>129 Dejah_Thoris: When you do get a chance to read My Name is Resolute I think you are in for a treat, Dejah. It's a little longbut she keeps the story interesting.

>130 msf59: Yes, Mark, I have read News of the World and loved it. I have also read The Color of Lightning and Enemy Women by this author and enjoyed them as well so I think I am a natural for Simon the Fiddler. :) I am looking forward to it.

>131 mathgirl40: I enjoyed Mr. Norris Changes Trains, it and his Goodbye to Berlin are often paired together. Mr. Norris takes place in 1931 and, I believe Goodbye to Berlin takes place in the later 1930s when Hitler is firmly in control. The play, "I Am a Camera" and then the musical film "Caberet" are based on this later book, so I am looking forward to getting to it soon.

I'm always looking for fiction to give me background on areas I am researching, Judy. You grabbed my attention with My Name is Resolute and my library has it. I'm about to start researching my Colonial ancestors and that will probably be of help.

Did you get out for a walk yesterday? It was nicer here than predicted.

>133 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I did get out for a short walk and it was lovely out. I even sat out on the terrace and read for awhile. I live on a street of apartment buildings and every evening at 7:00 pm we all go outside and bang pots, whistle and wave at each other. It partly to honor the essential workers and party just to let everyone know we are still here. Do you have something like that over where you are? I hope you both enjoy My Name is Resolute and it gives you some information.

Here's a head up just in case you missed that William Least-Heat Moon has a new novel out. It came out in February but I didn't know about it until yesterday. I had been planning to place an order with my favorite independent bookseller during the shutdown period, so I ordered it yesterday. When I gave the order to the owner she was very enthusiastic about it which of course is no surprise.

>135 clue: Thanks for the heads-up! I will definitely be watching for this one - O America looks very interesting.

Hi Judy, stopping by to get caught up and happy to learn that you and your hubby are keeping safe and healthy. Yes, it can be challenging to stay indoors, especially with the lovely weather we are having and are supposed to have this long weekend.

My other half - who is not much of a reader - surprised me this week. He asked if I could look up a book for him, but I was busy prepping for a conference call. When I got off the call, I went to ask him if he still wanted me to see if the book he was interested in was available as a digital resource through the library, only to find him lying on the couch with his headphones on. He had navigated the library catalogue, found and downloaded the audiobook himself and was happily listening to it.

>128 DeltaQueen50: - Making note of the Turner book.

>134 DeltaQueen50: - We have the nightly 7:00 pm appreciation noise making in our area. Two evenings ago, the neighbor's son(?) across the street was out with a drum. What was kind of funny, is he was trying to drum and take a selfie of himself drumming at the same time. It wasn't working out so well, as he had to use the porch railing to support the drum and angle his body to try and get a decent picture.

>137 lkernagh: Hi Lori. Today it felt like summer has arrived - spent a lot of time out on the deck with my books. Wow, if my husband actually downloaded his own book, I would be amazed! I have to find the book, download it to his Kindle, and then key it up for him. When he's finished his book, I have to erase it off his Kindle - I keep telling him he should know how to do all these things - especially as he now only reads the Kindle. I enjoy the 7:00 appreciation - there is so little variety in our day right now, this ritual feel like a nice close to our day. BTW my hubby is fully fully capable of doing his own Kindle maintenance - he just hasn't bothered to learn. It's easier for him to rely on me to do it!

71. The Dry by Jane Harper - 4.5 ★
Category: GeoCat
April GeoCat: Australia New Zealand, and Oceania
April TIOLI #11: Book is Dedicated to the Female Author's Parents



The Dry by Jane Harper is an excellent mystery thriller and the first offering of a new series. The series features Australian Federal Agent Aaron Falk and in this outing, we accompany him back to his small hometown after a twenty year absence. Falk and his father left town under a cloud of suspicion as a young girl was found drowned and the slight evidence that there was pointed to one of the Falks. This return is not a happy one as Falk has come to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend, Luke, who it appears had murdered his wife and son and then turned the rifle on himself.

This small town has a long memory and many people are not happy to see Falk and it isn’t long before the lies and suspicions are being repeated. Also Luke’s parents want Falk to stick around and dig a little deeper into why this terrible murder happened and to determine if, indeed, Luke was the one who pulled the trigger.

The Dry is a chilling story that is set in the blistering heat of an epic drought. Weaving the past and the present together, the author has delivered a mesmerizing story about the big secrets of a small town, with a realistic setting and compelling plot-line.

>138 DeltaQueen50: I'm siding with your husband here. I had my son refigure the connection between the tv and the firestick today. He told me I should be able to do this simple task, but I told him that the entire point of having my tech support living in the same house is that I don't have to learn.

>71 DeltaQueen50: I thought that both The Dry and Force of Nature were terrific - and then I listened to / read her stand alone novel The Lost Man. Wow. I was blown away. Obviously, I can highly recommend it, lol.

>139 DeltaQueen50: that's going on my wish list!

>139 DeltaQueen50: Good review. Another BB, along with the other two mentioned in >141 Dejah_Thoris:.

>139 DeltaQueen50: - I'm debating if I really need another series, but for now I'll take the bullet.

>139 DeltaQueen50: - I was prepared to take a BB for this even though I'm not sure I need another series when I found I already took a BB on this from Roro back in 2018. Guess that means I should.

Happy Friday, Judy! I hope you had a good, healthy week. Hooray for finally getting to The Dry. I really liked that one too, along with her stand-alone, The Lost Man.

>139 DeltaQueen50: I liked The Dry when I read it, but I was disappointed by Force of Nature.

The movie of The Dry will be released in Australia later this year. Aaron Falk is being played by Eric Bana.

>134 DeltaQueen50: said "I live on a street of apartment buildings and every evening at 7:00 pm we all go outside and bang pots, whistle and wave at each other. It partly to honor the essential workers and party just to let everyone know we are still here. Do you have something like that over where you are?"

What a lovely idea! Nothing like that here, at least not in my immediate neighborhood.

>139 DeltaQueen50: I loved the setting for both The Dry and Force of Nature and Falk was an interesting detective. A great choice for this month's GeoCAT, Judy!

What a beautiful day it is starting out to be, warm and sunny, I am going to have to dig out my summer clothes and put away the knits. Hopefully I can spend a good deal of time outside reading today. Hubby and I are disappointed that there won't be a family Easter dinner this weekend, I have a small turkey breast and all the fixings so we will have a celebration dinner for two. I am just about out of flour and can't seem to find any on the store shelves, so I bought frozen pie shells and will make a lemon meringue pie for our Easter dessert. Wishing everyone a Happy and Heathful Easter!

>140 RidgewayGirl: I think my husband gave up on technology when VCRs came along, although he has mastered texting with his cell phone. I'm not much better and unfortunately the moment you start to ignore the new tech, you fall terribly behind. We really miss not having the younger generation around these days to help set things up for us! (Is this the time to admit I had no idea what a firestick was - I looked it up though and now I want one!)

>141 Dejah_Thoris: It's always exciting to discover a new-to-me author. I am now in the market for more books by Jane Harper!

>142 Tess_W: >143 Storeetllr: >145 dudes22: It's an excellent read, Tess, Mary and Betty. I think you will all enjoy it.

>146 msf59: Happy Easter, Mark. I rely on you and many others here on LT to keep me appraised of new books even though it takes me so long to get to them. I'm still catching up on books that I missed from the 1800s and the 1900s!!

>147 thornton37814: I loved The Dry Lori, but I am wondering whether Aaron Falk is a strong enough character to anchor a series. I thought The Dry read very much like a stand alone book - I wonder if the series evolved simply because it was so popular and the publishers wanted more of the same from the author. I will certainly give it a try and see if the series firmly hooks me.

>148 clue: OMG - I love Eric Bana. He certainly doesn't fit the description of Falk, who is supposed to be tall, skinny and very, very blonde - but I think his intensity will bring a lot to the role, and he is certainly easy on the eyes. I'm in!

>149 leslie.98: I think it is a great thing to do, apartment dwellers often don't know their neighbours very well at all. Although having said that our small building is very friendly when we do meet although we don't socialie with each other. Now at 7:00 pm every evening I get to smile and wave at the people in the different buildings across the street. When we finally do get to go out and talk to people, I have some new friends to chat with.

I am glad that I used the GeoCat to finally pull The Dry down from the shelves. Although the author isn't an Australian by birth, she now lives there and has adopted the country as her own.

>147 thornton37814: >150 DeltaQueen50: I have to admit, that I din't like Force of Nature as well as The Dry, although I still thought it was very good. I agree that Aaron Falk is, perhaps, not the best person around whom to focus a series. The Lost Man is definitely a stand alone.

>150 DeltaQueen50: Enjoy your Easter dinner! We're having a similar dinner for two today. Managed to snag the last Butterball frozen turkey breast last week. We also have stuffing, broccoli, peas, corn, potatoes and squash. Should be enough dinner to last us most of the long weekend.

>150 DeltaQueen50: We are doing about the same, Judy. Although I have plenty of flour (the only bag they had was 10#, so I bought it!), so I'll be making a cake of some kind. No kids, no grands, wahhhhhhhhh!

>151 Dejah_Thoris: Hmmm, I think I will try to read The Lost Man next and then continue on with the series later on.

>152 rabbitprincess: Your dinner sounds yummy. I am going with sides of stuffing, mashed potatoes, asparagus and a tomato gratin. Hubby has decided he will make the cranberry sauce.

>153 Tess_W: My daughter must have bought a huge bag of flour recently as she dropped off about 3 pounds for me today. I know how you feel, I can't imagine not having family around on a holiday. :(

72. The Three by Sarah Lotz - 4.0 ★
Category: Scaredy-Kit
Bingo: Author From Somewhere Other than US/UK
April Scaredy-Kit: Paranormal
April TIOLI #10: A Book with 3 or More Themes



The Three by Sarah Lotz first and fore-most delivers the chills and terror that I was expecting. It opens with a terrifying detailed account of a plane crash in Japan. We then learn the stunning news that this was just one of four plane crashes that happened that day. One in Japan, one in America, one over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal and one in South Africa. Amazingly there were three survivors; children, found alive at the site of three of the crashes. These young children become known as “The Three” and become the subject of intense press speculation. Are these three simply “miracle” survivors, or, as some believe, are they aliens who have taken over the children’s bodies. There is even a sect of evangelical Christians who have decided the children are three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and that the Rapture is soon to follow.

When details of the children’s unusual behaviour emerges and some of those closest too them start to shun them, it becomes very clear that these children are not normal – but is it trauma from the horrific crashes that they lived through, or are they, indeed something very, very different. The author chose to tell this high concept paranormal thriller in a non-fiction style in the form of transcriptions of interviews, copies of e-mails and excerpts from newspapers and magazines. For the first third or so of the book, I enjoyed this different format, but after awhile I realized that all this jumping around, following so many different characters and opinions kept me from being totally absorbed by the story.

The Three is indeed an engrossing horror story but it also very cleverly reveals how some stories capture global attention and are spun in many directions by the media and it also clearly reveals that there is an inherent unreliability to every witnesses account. The author gives us, the readers, plenty of information and wisely leaves it up to us to put the pieces together to reach our own conclusions.

>155 DeltaQueen50: Sounds like a good one. Will put it on my wish list for future Scaredy Cat reads!

>72 DeltaQueen50: I liked it as it was so different from many horror stories, far more subtle and not so "in-your-face" as most horror stories are.

I need everyone's good wishes as I have had some very distressing news. My 98 year old mother had a fall on Thursday and has been admitted to hospital. She had a dislocated shoulder which they put back in place but they are keeping her in to ensure she is ok and to assess her mobility. Conditions being what they are, she isn't allowed any visitors, and the ambulence people wouldn't even allow my brother to send a book or her glasses along. She is pretty much stone deaf so can't communicate by phone so she is in the hospital, alone and I only hope has some understanding of why she is there. Hopefully she will be coming home today, I am sure she will be both better off and safer in familiar surroundings. I wish I could go and be with her, but they are stressing the importance of not travelling and there was even a spot on the national news last night about how people are taking the ferry to Vancouver Island this long weekend without giving much thought to how the locals feel seeing all these people arriving. As soon as our "shelter in place" is lifted I will be on that ferry!

>158 DeltaQueen50: I'm so sorry, that's a terrible spot to be in. Hopefully the hospital staff will be especially attentive to her in these circumstances. I'm amazed that people are going to cross over this weekend.

Oh, Judy, sorry to hear about your mom. It's so hard not to be with her right now. I hope she does get to go home today and you can be reassured of her being in the best place for her.

Sending hugs.

>158 DeltaQueen50: Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this. Hope your mum gets home soon.

>157 DeltaQueen50: - Oh Judy, that is distressing news! I will definitely be keeping your mom in my thoughts and prayers, with hopes that she will be discharged soon and back in more familiar surroundings.

While BC Ferries did report full ferries to the islands this weekend, I am wondering what those numbers where, given that they had already cut their service by 50% earlier, and I am guessing that they are supposed to be abiding by the new Transport Canada orders that they restrict ship capacity to 50% to ensure physical distancing measures. Even so, I was disturbed that a reporter managed to interview someone waiting at the terminal who said they were heading to work on their second home (I think it was a ferry to Galiano) and if they got sick, they could just be airlifted off the island. Some people!

>158 DeltaQueen50: best wishes for your family,Judy. I know it is difficult.

>58 DeltaQueen50: I'm so sorry to hear your news, Judy. I hope she is able to come home promptly and that it will be safe for you to visit her soon.

I'm so sorry to hear about your mother, Judy. I hope she gets home soon and heals quickly. We have a friend whose youngest brother had a brain aneurysm and they couldn't even go to say good-bye. I understand how depressing this is for you. Prayers...

I'm so sorry your mom fell. I hope she's healed soon and all together for a happy Easter.

>158 DeltaQueen50: Oh no! I will keep your mother in my thoughts. Such a fall for a 98 year old is always distressing but in this situation it must be very frightening indeed. I hope she gets out of the hospital and home soon!

Thanks for all the good wishes. I spoke to my brother today and it looks like they are keeping her in at least one more day and will perhaps let her come home on Easter Sunday. I just feel so bad for her being all alone there. I really want to pack a bag and head over there but I also know that I wouldn't be able to see her or even do anything for her. My brother, sister and 2 nephews are standing by ready to help in any way they can so I think it would be better for me to stay put for now.

>159 clue: Thanks - I was amazed when I saw how many were lined up for the ferries. They just don't seem to get it, all they see is a long weekend, nice weather, great time to visit relatives etc.

>160 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. It looks like they are keeping her for at least one more day. I expect she has very little mobility and they want to be sure she doesn't go home and fall again.

>161 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP. :)

>162 lkernagh: I know Lori, even after all the sickness and deaths, people just don't seem to get how serious this virus is. They have no consideration for others, I saw a local person from Galiano being interviewed and those small islands don't want an influx of visitors right now, they have neither the personnel or the facilities if an outbreak occurs. The news again stressed that this is not the time to go to the cottage or travel.

>163 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess.

>164 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks Dejah, I know there is nothing I can do for now. I just hope she gets home soon and is able to heal from this and hasn't picked up anything else.

>165 dudes22: Oh, your poor friends - what a terrible situation to be in. At least there is plenty of family on the Island for my Mom when she gets released so it's just me being a little selfish wanting to be there for my own reassurance.

>166 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer. This has been my biggest fear for her. She tends to think of something that she thinks needs to be done and immediately leaps up to do it. In this case, she snuck outside when my brother wasn't watching and was weeding. I think she probably stood up and got dizzy and fell. She most likely tried to brace her fall with her arm and her shoulder took the brunt of it.

>167 leslie.98: Thnaks Leslie, I will feel much better when she is home in her own surroundings.

All my best wishes that your mum will be home soon, safe and among her loved ones.

Happy Easter Everyone and best wishes for a safe and healthy holiday.

>169 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit, but unfortunately they have decided to keep my Mom in the hospital for at least another day. I think they are concerned that her balance isn't very good with only the use of one arm. I am pretty sure my brother would make sure that she isn't wandering about but would try to keep her in a chair in front of the TV or with a book. But I can see washing etc. could be a problem. I am just praying that she isn't getting depressed or confused as I know she must be longing to be home.

Meanwhile life goes on and I've made my lemon meringue pie and have my other ingredients lined up so I will be spending a good amount of time in the kitchen today.

Happy Easter, Judy! I'm sorry to hear about your mom and hope that she is able to go home soon.

>172 christina_reads: Thanks, Christina. I hope you had a lovely holiday.

73. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - 5.0 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
April 1,001 Group Challenge: A Comfort Read
April TIOLI #6: Title Includes Something You Would Use to Embellish a Cocktail



Although Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel covers the serious subject of the life of a woman in turn-of-the-century Mexico, it is a charming interpretation using magical realism to highlight the story. The author opens every chapter with a recipe and sets pretty much most of the action in and around the kitchen as that recipe is prepared.

We follow the destiny of Tita, the youngest daughter of a well born rancher. Her story is not a particular happy one as she has been raised to remain single and look after her aging mother. Tita does fall in love, but her mother quickly puts a halt to the relationship and, in fact, offers Tita’s love interest, Pedro, the hand of her sister. Tita learns to express herself through her cooking and pours her emotions and thoughts into the food she prepares. When she is forced to make her sister’s wedding cake, the power of her thoughts causes every guest to burst into tears when they taste the cake.

In a light-hearted, almost breezy style, the author uses cooking to describe Tita’s frustrations, hope and love in this unusual folk tale. The book is playful, sensual, earthy and engaging and was the perfect read to keep my mind away from the seriousness of real life.

>171 DeltaQueen50: I'm sorry to hear this, Judy. Keeping my fingers crossed.

>174 DeltaQueen50: - I guess I should move this up the TBR pile since you gave it such high marks. I'm not sure why I kept passing by it.

>175 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit.

>176 dudes22: Betty, I loved this folk tale, it's an easy read and sure makes you crave Mexican food!

I just heard from my brother and he was on his way to pick up my Mom. The hospital called him this morning and gave him a list of things that would help with her stabilty (bed rails, a walking cart and a bath chair) now he just has to get her home safely and get her to agree to use all these items - she's very independant! I do know that she will be much happier being in her own home.

Hooray for Mom leaving the hospital!

Great news about your mom, Judy!

So glad to hear your mom is on the way home, Judy. I know you want to be there, but how fortunate that your brother and sister are able to be there for her. And >170 DeltaQueen50:, first I chuckled and then I sighed.

>179 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer, I feel so much better and I am sure she does too!

>180 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie.

>181 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. As soon as we are allowed to go back to our regular lives, I will be on that ferry! I haven't been over there since last October mostly because of my knee problem, but I am doing so much better now, I think I could manage the trip.

74. Alligator Candy by David Kushner - 3.3 ★
Category: Other Challenges
April Non-Fiction Cat: Law & Order
BingoDog: True Crime
April TIOLI #7: A Book I Had Started Before But Had Put Aside



Alligator Candy is about the disappearance and murder of author David Kushner’s brother in 1973 and I think I was simply not in the mood for such a grim book. The author was only 4 years old at the time of his brother’s murder and a good portion of the book is how he, at age four, perceived what was happening to his family. As he got older, he did put the pieces together by reading newspaper accounts and talking to other people, but really, it was a senseless, horrible crime for which there could be no explanation.

I found this a harrowing memoir about a very dark time that this family endured. The story itself was rather repetitive as the event is gone over multiple times although from slightly different angles. I was also taken aback at the overwhelming guilt that the author carried most of his life because he wondered if his brother was only at that place, at that time, because he had asked him to bring home some special candy.

Although Alligator Candy did not particularly enlighten or inform me, I sincerely hope that the author found some peace from writing this memoir and reconnecting with his grief. It was quite obvious that he was trying to lay his fears to rest and close this chapter in his life as he has now become the father of young children himself.

So sorry to hear about your mother's fall and stay in hospital - and glad to hear the good news that she is back home again. I'm sure it will take her a while to get back up to speed but at least she is safe. My best wishes to you both.

I too read about the numbers travelling this long weekend. The single grocery store in Princeton, BC, was completely cleaned out by visitors leaving nothing for the locals. It will be days before their next stock arrives.

Glad to hear your mom is going home.

Hi, Judy. Sorry, I missed the events with your Mother. I am glad it all turned out fine and she is back home. I am sure it is very difficult not to see her, especially at her age. Hugs to my pal.

Some good news, hurrah!

My thoughts are with you and your Mom. It's not easy to not be there for the people we love!

I was about to wish everyone a happy Monday when I realized that it's actually Tuesday! Are the days running together for anyone else? Anyway, we are having a run of beautiful weather here and I am hopefully going to get out for a short walk later on. My husband is going to don his mask and gloves and go to the grocery store. They have started limiting how many they let into the stores at one time, so now the customers have to line up (well spaced) and wait to do their shopping. I ordered some puzzles on the first day of our"Isolation" and now 4 weeks later the post office is telling me they "may" deliver them today. If so, I will be building puzzles and listening the audio books later on.

>184 VivienneR: I wonder if people are just selfish or if they just don't realize how much things have changed and that nowadays one needs to think about everything they do. Our world has changed and jumping in your car and heading out for a get-away isn't the best thing for the rest of us. BTW, I did spend some time at my library's website and I downloaded an e-book. Today I may try to download an audio book to listen to while I assemble puzzles.

>185 dudes22: Thanks, Betty.

>186 msf59: Yes, it is hard not seeing my family but I know this is being felt by millions. Hopefully we can put this virus down and then emerge into a safer, healthy world. Hugs back at you, Mark!

>187 MissWatson: Thanks, I feel like a weight has lifted off my shoulders, Birgit. I know she will be happier at home.

I have picked my folly choices for next month:

* Random Member - Alaskabookwoman - Princess At Sea by Dawn Cook
* Random Tag - "Neighbours" - As She Left It by Catriona McPherson
* Random Award - Shirley Jackson Award (2014 finalist) - Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
* Random Character - Ruth Galloway - The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
* Random Place - Wyoming, U.S.A. - As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
* Random Book of Mine - The Devil's Waters by D. L. Robbins

Hi Judy,
Just catching up here, I was sorry to hear about your Mom falling, but happy that she is going home. I haven't been able to tell what day it is for over a month now. Working from home has advantages and disadvantages, but I don't think I will ever complain about not having time to do things at home ever again!

Hi Judy - I'm sorry to hear about your mom's fall. I hope she does OK at home. It must be hard not to be able to see her.

My Name Is Resolute sounds like one I would like. Onto the list it goes. I also quite liked The Dry. I still have some library books at home to read, but when I've finished those, I do have a few on my shelves and also some e-books.

School is the only thing that helps me keep the days straight!

Take care.

Nice selections for next month, Judy!

And I hope the transition to home is going well for your mom. I know you want to be there - hopefully, it won't be too long.

Very glad to see that your mom has been discharged from the hospital and will be home!

>178 DeltaQueen50: Great news that your mom is going home! Is already home by now I hope :) And fingers crossed that your puzzles arrive - puzzles & audiobooks are a great combo (as I was mentioning in RP's thread just the other day).

>191 lsh63: Hi Lisa, I guess we are all getting a little stir crazy these days! I just came in from being outside on the terrace banging a pot for our 7 pm neighbourhood get-together.

>192 BLBera: Hi Beth. I am very happy my mom is at home, apparently she is doing fine and my brother has a full time job trying to rein her in!

>193 Dejah_Thoris: To make matters even worse I can't even talk to her on the phone as she is pretty much stone deaf. I sent my love and some hugs through my brother and hopefully she will not try to do too much but allow herself time to recover. I am pleased with the books that came up for my May reads - now I just have to hope that they fit into the May TIOLI Challenges!

>94 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Lori. I'm sure the hospital took good care of her but for now, I would rather she be at home away from any public exposure to the virus.

>195 leslie.98: My puzzles did arrive today, and swallowed up my whole afternoon. I can see these will certainly help to fill in the time!

I'm glad your mum is back home, though I'm sure she's now a handful for your brother. I hope that you are reassured now that she's out of hospital.

>197 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie. I am feeling reassured, perhaps unreasonably, but I was scared that she was in a hospital at this time. I feel better knowing she back in home isolation.

75. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir - 4.2 ★
Category: Reading Through Time
April Reading Through Time: Off With Her Head!
April TIOLI #11: A Book Dedicated to the Female Author's Parents



Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir is the engrossing story of Lady Jane Grey. She was the daughter of scheming, ambitious parents who are at first disappointed that their first child was a female, but all too soon are plotting a dangerous future for her. Through her mother, Jane is a Tudor, niece to Henry VIII. Being that close to royalty brought great privileges but in the 15th century it was never safe to have even the slightest claim to the throne.

Jane is raised as a pawn, first with an eye to marrying her to Henry VIII’s son, Edward but when Edward is dying, the protestant powers behind him scheme to have him declare Jane as his heir, in order to prevent his sister, Mary, a staunch Catholic, from taking the throne. Jane, herself, had no ambitions in this direction, would rather have been left alone with her books and meditations, but at age fourteen, she is forced to first marry into a powerful family and then to accept the throne. Meanwhile Princess Mary having learned of Edward’s death, proclaimed herself Queen. In only a few short days, the people and the nobles have declared for Mary, sealing Jane’s fate.

This is a well written, stirring account of this young woman’s life. Weir skilfully weaves British history into an enthralling story and gives life to these historic figures. With it’s riveting plot and rich descriptions, this book would interest anyone interested in English history.

Now this I can relate to:

>200 DeltaQueen50: I love it!

>200 DeltaQueen50: - That's great.

>201 BLBera: & >202 dudes22: I wish I was more tech savy, I really struggle with trying to stay somewhat current but I am afraid it's a losing battle. Right now I am having trouble with the camera on my computer, I can't get it to turn on. As soon as we are allowed out and about I need to take my computer into the Geeks and have them set up the camera for me as I can see much of our daily business may be conducted this way in the future. I see people take about having get-togethers on Zoom and I am sad that I can't join in!

>200 DeltaQueen50: I love that! That's exactly how I feel when I try to explain something to my husband. I don't know how he does it but he manages to log out of wifi, kills the email app, and deletes his contacts list (his reasoning is that he's not actually on the phone with anyone, so why have a list??).

>203 DeltaQueen50: I've always been good with anything techie, but since I retired I'm out of the loop for whatever the current thing is. It doesn't bother me, I have all I need.

I can understand how you fell. I hate the idea of anything new. When our book club decided to do it on zoom, I wanted to use my laptop. But I could see them but they couldn't see or hear me. I ended up switch to my Ipad and then it still took me a little bit to get the audio to work. Let's hope I remember how to do it when we have next month's meeting.

>204 VivienneR: And as un-technical as I am, my husband is even worse. Sometimes we are like the blind leading the blind - I miss having my grandson or granddaughter over to dinner and having all my computer problems solved for me.

>205 dudes22: Kudos to you for being able to get Zoom set up and usable, Betty. It isn't easy learning all these new tricks. I got an e-mail from my doctor's office today, sent out through a server called hushmail, but everytime I try to open it, I get a message saying "an unexpected error occured" and I don't know if the fault is with them or my computer! I will try to give them a phone call tomorrow to find out what they sent me but don't know if anyone is actually in the office.

I've added another three books to count toward my 12th Thingaversary coming in June.

Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
The Network Effect by Martha Wells (Pre-Ordered)
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nichole Davis

This brings me up to 8 books purchased with 5 more to go.

I'm looking forward to all three of these!

>207 DeltaQueen50: Hooray for Network Effect! It's going into my Thingaversary count, too. I enjoyed News of the World, so I'm interested in Simon the Fiddler . I know nothing about The Good Luck Girls - I guess I'll have to wait for your review. :)

I received Simon the Fiddler in the mail a few days ago. I wanted to order a couple of books from the independent bookseller I like so much near Kansas City, Rainy Day Books, just to help them out what little I can. They are very well established, in business over 30 years, but they have now started a GoFundMe. I so hope there are no bookstore casualties from this virus, but if this one is having trouble, the newer and smaller ones will probably be on the brink!

>208 Dejah_Thoris: Although I am purchasing my Thingaversary books early, I am going to wait until the actual date in June before I consider them 'ready to read'. I suspect both The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel and Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles will be the ones I reach for first!

>209 clue: I worry about many of the small stores in our area as well. We had a brand new shopping mall open up a year or so ago not that far away and I also wonder if some of those stores will make it. They haven't been there long enough to really built up loyal clients. My local bookstore is open every day from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and also takes orders on-line. They will deliver the books you buy right to your door and I really appreciate the service that they supply!

I ordered five books from different booksellers. Two have arrived and I received emails to announce the others will be delayed because they are sending priority orders first. What could take priority over books??

Most of my recent books have been in kindle format. Delivery is excellent.

I'm looking forward to reading The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel but it will be a while before that happens. I'll watch for your review.

My local bookstore has stopped curbside delivery in favor of free next day delivery. It's one of the owners driving around in her car and it's much speedier than amazon when it comes to books these days so I'm hoping there are lots of customers. On the bookshop.org site, you can specify which bookstore gets the profit and the site is easy to use and I got the books in a few days.

>211 VivienneR: What, indeed, could be more of a priority than books? :)

>211 VivienneR: I've noticed a real slow down in the mail for deliveries. Could be that they don't have enough workers or just the over-all slow down the virus seems to cause. I guess we all just have to be patient with today's business methods, but I would certainly consider books to be a very priority! ;)

>212 RidgewayGirl: I am loving this "right-to-your-door" service that many shops are offering for free. It will be strange going back to the old way of actually having to go into the store to get your goods.

>213 Dejah_Thoris: Exactly!

76. The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall - 3.8 ★
Category: Random Tag - Wolves
April TIOLI #6: Diamond Birthstone Challenge - White Cover



The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall was an interesting read about re-establishing wolves to the north of England. The main character, Rachel Caine, a wildlife biologist, returns to the Lake District after being in Idaho for the last 10 years working on conserving wolves in America. Sponsored by the Earl of Annerdale, Rachel and her crew oversee the re-introduction of a pair of wolves to the estate. Of course there are protests from local residents about having wolves in the area and much of job is spent in reassuring the public.

Along with this beautifully descriptive nature store, the novel deals with the life decisions that Rachel, now approaching her forties, makes. She arrives in England pregnant and much of the story is about her struggling with this unplanned pregnancy and then single motherhood as well as building a new relationship with a local man. She is also getting reacquainted with her brother and helping him recover from a failed marriage and a drug addiction.

While the book was very well written, my primary interest was in the wolves and unfortunately I felt their story was more or less used as a backdrop to Rachel’s. And while Rachel was an intriguing character to read about, I thought the author’s prose really shone when she was describing the wolves and their habitat.

>215 DeltaQueen50: I loved The Wolf Border, Judy. You know you can Zoom without a camera -- people just won't be able to see your face. That's my techie advice for the day. :)

>216 BLBera: I am finding that my mind keeps going back and going over things that happened in The Wolf Border, that's always a sign that the book had more impact on me than I originally thought. Re:Zoom - it just makes me mad when I know I have a perfectly good camera and I can't get it to work!

You are not alone, Judy. I thought this was a good article.

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/10/832171895/coronavirus-panic-how-to-get-your-think...

Did you click on the video dialog in the bottom left corner of the Zoom window?

>217 DeltaQueen50: Judy, it also depends upon who creates the Zoom meeting.....there is a choice when created to allow video or audio or both for those attending If somebody else created the meeting, they might not have ticked that off. Also, when I join with my tablet, I have to manually choose allow video after I enter the room and takes a few seconds.

>218 ronincats: & >219 Tess_W: My problem isn't with the Zoom program as such, I can't get the camera in my computer to work for anything. Both the microphone and the camera weren't working but I did figure out how to turn on the microphone but when I followed the steps to turn on the camera - nothing! I've had a lot of problems with this computer and I suspect it wasn't set up properly in the first place so hopefully, I can get it in to the Geeks at Staples Office Supply and get it overhauled sometime in the near future. Or just in case the problem is me - I will wait until my daughter and her computer savy husband can safely come for a visit and get them to check it first.

>219 Tess_W: I see I am not the only one who is having some difficulty these days, it's good to know that sometimes taking a deep breath and doing nothing is actually the best thing to do!

77. Decision At Delphi by Helen MacInnes - 4.0 ★
Category: Other Challenges
April MysteryKit: Espionage
April TIOLI #8: An Espionage Novel Published in the 1960s



Although Decision At Delphi by Helen MacInnes was a reread for me, it was like a brand new story as I really hadn’t retained any memory of it. Helen MacInnes wrote wonderful “spy” novels that I discovered at an early age and immediately read through them all. I love the espionage novels set in the 1950s and 60s with their searching of each others rooms and belongings, passing of secret notes, and clandestine meetings in out-of-the-way places.

In this book we follow an architect, Ken Strang, while on assignment to create drawings of ancient ruins for a magazine. His work takes him to both Sicily and Greece. But the actual mystery involves his photographer, a Greek-American who fought in the Resistance during World War II and was a both a witness and has evidence about certain atrocities that were committed. Before very long Strang, the innocent bystander, is drawn into the battle against a grim conspiracy and dealing with some very shady adversaries.

The book is quite long as the author gives very detailed descriptions of scenery, politics, characters etc. But at the same time, this was a page turner. The adventure wakens a longing for travel to picturesque corners of Europe. One thing to remember is that this is a book originally published in the early 1960s and the male attitudes reflect that with women being complimented on their decorative appeal and being expected to defer to the male’s judgements. Overall however, Decision At Delphi is a great combination of mystery, intrigue, romance and action as well as featuring plenty of information on culture and architecture which kept me absorbed throughout the read.

>220 DeltaQueen50: Once we started teaching online, the teachers discovered that about 50% of student and faculty computers had no built in webcam. I even had my desktop custom built for teaching online, albeit-4-5 years ago. At that time, nobody ever even asked if I wanted/needed a webcam on my comp. I did not realize I did not have a webcam on my comp till the school IT guy came out and he "spotted" it in like 45 seconds. The fix was to buy a cheap webcam from Amazon. I had it by the next day, hooked it up and now I have video! I bought a cheap webcam for about $29 and it works like a charm. I would just advise before you pay somebody to take look at it, that you do a test to make sure there is one installed. You can go to this website to test: awebcammictest.com.

>222 Tess_W: Thanks Tess, I will check it out.

Judy, do you already have all four Murderbot novellas? I think the tor.com free books are available in Canada too if you don't.

Tor.com is giving away the four novellas in their free e-book club, one each day starting today through Thursday!!!

https://ebookclub.tor.com/?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=eblast&utm_...

>224 ronincats: I do have all four of the Murderbot novellas, Roni, but have only read two so far. I love the series! But that is an excellent give-away as those novellas are fantastic!

78. Sunshine After Rain by Dee Williams - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Cat
April RandomCat: Showers or Flowers
April TIOLI #5: One of the Main Characters is a Blonde



Sunshine After Rain by Dee Williams was exactly the right kind of book for me at this time. A story about two sisters, Connie and Jenny Dalton, whose father goes down with the Titanic in April, 1912. The girls had always taken their privileged lifestyle for granted but their father had died leaving them penniless and with debts causing them to lose their home. With the arrival of WW I new opportunities are offered to women who want to move ahead in the work place and while Jenny settles for a difficult marriage, Connie learns to drive and works as a tram driver.

Although the story involves woman’s rights and the suffragette movement along with conditions during the war both at home and in France, Sunshine After Rain was a warm and appealing read featuring two likeable sisters who faced life head-on. Romance certainly plays a part in the story, but I liked the fact that the girls didn’t focus all their attention on the opposite sex and that their own independence was very important.

Sunshine After Rain was a good historical fiction read about the turbulent lives of two sisters who mature into strong-minded women set against the backdrop of World War I.

>224 ronincats: >225 DeltaQueen50: That IS a very nice giveaway from Tor. I'm doing a reread of the first four Murderbot novellas and have already ordered the audio of Network Effect from Audible.

I am able to do Zoom meetings on my laptop with audio and video no problem, but I'm not a fan of the app. It's got serious security issues.

>227 Storeetllr: They have really updated their security now that most schools are using this. For example, the waiting room is automatic, unless you disable it; therefore nobody can enter your meeting without the okay. Also, all meetings are now set up with passwords, for additional security as well as when the creator leaves the room, the room closes. Our district vetted several possibilities and preferred Zoom to other platforms.

>228 Tess_W: Our school board said no Zoom. We aren't even supposed to do any 'live' classes even though we could use Google Meetings. Just asynchronous learning.

>229 raidergirl3: Odd, because we are required to do one live session per week.

>227 Storeetllr: Hi Mary. I am looking forward to continuing on with the Murderbot stories.

>228 Tess_W:, >229 raidergirl3: & >230 Tess_W: All I can say is that I applaud all teachers who are coping with education in the middle of this pandemic. Everytime I turn around these days, our world changes!

Glad to see that your Mum is home now driving your brother crazy after being in hospital, Judy.

There are a few people here who bang on pots at 7:00 but not many join in. I was at a friends the other day at the magic hour (yes, we were outside practicing social distancing). She lives close to a fire station and there the fire engines go by at 7 with siren wailing and most of the neighbourhood bangs on pots and pans.

Too bad about your computer camera problems. Mine didn't work correctly the first time I used Zoom but I went onto the Zoom website and changed the setting and now it works, at least on this lap top. I hope you get yours up and running soon.

>222 Tess_W: Tess, I think you may have figured out my camera problem! I don't think I have a camera - I've gone to a couple of different sites and both have said that they don't detect a camera within my system. Oh, well, something else for the Geeks to help me with eventually.

>232 Familyhistorian: Meg, I have become an erratic pot banger. My husband goes out everyday at 7:00 and joins in while I am more moody - someday I join in, some days I just go outside and wave to everyone and some days (when I am in a funk) I don't go out at all. Bad Me :(

79. The Commandant by Jessica Anderson - 4.2 ★
Category: GeoCat
April GeoCat: Australia, New Zealand and Oceania
1,001 Books List



The Commandant by Jessica Anderson is based on a real person, Captain Patrick Logan who served as the commander of the Moreton Bay Penal Colony from 1826 to 1830. During his time there were rumours and accusations of extreme and harsh punishments. These were taken up by some of the more liberal press but the Commandant, who felt his harsh discipline was necessary mostly ignored the criticism.

The novel introduces the fictional character of Frances, the young sister-in-law to Patrick Logan, and she is horrified by the brutality she encounters and it is through her that Logan eventually is forced to face a severe judgment of his own. I found this to be a fascinating read, and although the subject matter is very different from her novels, the writing style reminded me somewhat of Jane Austin’s. Her descriptions of the customs, culture and rules of Colonial society are described in great detail but with a light touch that includes a certain amount of humor. The characters are well developed and interesting but the Commandant himself remains somewhat of a mystery. He is an aloof character, cold, stiff and brooding. While Frances represents the changing views of society on punishment and reform, Patrick is an unchanging man of the old school, doing what he sees is his duty.

Told with various viewpoints highlighted, The Commandant is an interesting, highly readable story that covers both the drawing room manners of the day, the role of women in the colonies as well as the changing of the rules of society on prisoner treatment. Anderson recreates a piece of Australian history and through her skilful and witty writing delivers a great read.

I'm glad you liked The Commandant. Text Publishing is a great source of unjustly forgotten Australian books.

>234 DeltaQueen50: a BB for me!

>234 DeltaQueen50: That one looks good, Judy. Thanks!

>235 pamelad: I am so happy that there are publishing companies like Text Publishing that are reprinting books that otherwise wouldn't be around at all. I knew nothing about The Commandant other than it was on the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List and that it was set in Australia before reading so it was a happy surprise for me.

>236 Tess_W: & >237 Dejah_Thoris: I hope you enjoy The Commandant

80. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi - 4.2 ★
Category: Random Character - Zoe
April TIOLI #4: An Author I Have Read Previously



The Ghost Brigade by John Scalzi is the second book in his Old Man’s War science fiction series. At First this book does not seem to be a direct sequel but has the same setting and features Lieutenant Jane Sagan of the CDF, who was also in the first book. By the end of this book however, the reader can see that these stores are connected and future books will surely highlight this connection.

Set far into the future, humans have gone to space. They have colonized planets but they have also come up against a number of alien races. Jane Sagan captures an alien scientist who supplies the humans with the news that three alien races are in an alliance and their goal is to wipe out humans. They also find out that the instigator of this plot is a human traitor, a genius called Charles Boutin. Before he went over to the aliens, he downloaded a copy of his consciousness into a computer and now the CDF decide to clone his body, install it with his consciousness to see if they can use this clone to figure out Boutin’s plans. It doesn’t seem to work so they give the resulting “person” the name of Jared Dirac and install him in Jane Sagan’s platoon in the Ghost Brigade. But eventually an event occurs which appears to trigger Boutin’s memory and consciousness in Jared.

The Ghost Brigades was an exciting read. The author packs both a lot of action and a lot of information in his books, but they are fun reads that leave you wanting more. With it’s intelligent concepts, great humor and fast pace, I am intrigued to see where is author will take us in subsequent books.

Dear Guru, I thought I would come and hunt you down!

I see that your reading has slowed up none over here.

Stay safe in these difficult days. Wishing you a peaceful and relaxing weekend. xx

>240 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. I wish the same to you - health and happiness.

81. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo - 3.3 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List



The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo is a historical fiction novel that was originally published in France during 1831. The story is set in Paris during the 15th century and is centred around Quasimodo, a deformed bell ringer and his unrequited love for the beautiful dancer Esmeralda.
These two originally meet at the Feast of Fools where Quasimodo is elected “Pope of the Fools” and then beaten by an angry mob. Esmeralda takes pity on him and offers him a drink of water. Quasimodo immediately falls in love with the girl and decides to devote his life to protecting her.

Esmeralda has other admirers, the evil Archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo and her choice, Captain Phoebus de Chateaupers. Due to Frollo, Esmeralda becomes a suspect in the murder of her love and is arrested, put on trial and sentenced to death after she is forced to falsely confesses to both the murder and to witchcraft. Quasimodo attempts to shelter her in the cathedral but Frollo interferes and Esmeralda is released to the ranting crowd leaving Quasimodo to take his vengeance upon Frollo.

This famous tragedy plays out in one of the enduring symbols of Paris, the Notre Dame Cathedral. Hugo paints a vivid story that also shines a light on life in the 15th century. While the author explores what it meant to be labelled a “monster”, the real star of the book is the historic Gothic architecture that Hugo wanted to see preserved. Although this story has been adapted many times, very few adaptations tell the actual story, most revise the ending to give the audience a happy conclusion.

I have been reading this book on and off since last November by installments and as happy as I am to be able to say that I have completed this read, I can’t say that I really felt involved in the story. I think I brought too many preconceptions with me, and the disjointed reading also played a part in my disconnection from the story.

>242 DeltaQueen50: I agree with your review, Judy. I was also disappointed at the ending. However, I had read several abridged editions when I was younger and also have seen 2 different movie versions. Usually liking the book more than the movie, I think this was one of the few times I preferred the movie or stage performance. If I'm remembering correctly (and perhaps not), there was too much architecture discussion and description for me, but I could be thinking of another book.

>242 DeltaQueen50: & >243 Tess_W: Oh dear, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is on my to read list for May. I recall Hugo as being quite discursive in his Les Miserables so I guess I am not surprised.

>243 Tess_W: You are not wrong, Tess. He believed fiercely into the preservation of architecture and there were many pages in the book that reflected this. I agree, I much prefer some of the film versions I have seen to the actual ending of the book. I think this is one of those books that is so well known that not many people don't have strong opinions on the story before reading it.

>244 leslie.98: Yes, he does tend to amble along with much discussion on architecture as well as 15th century customs, religion and politics. But it is a classic story and I, for one, am glad that I have read it. I still have Les Miserables to tackle, which is another book that is impossible to go into without preconceived ideas.

I've been struggling a little with my reading and I've been distracted by what we are all living through so this is going to be the first month that I fail to read all the books I had planned. I know this isn't earth shattering but this is the first time in a very long time that I am not completing my reading goals. I figure I will finish one book today and perhaps two more before month end - so now I have to decide which challenge I won't be completing in April. Hopefully, I can do better in May as once again I have a huge pile of "want-to-reads".

Right there with you, Judy. I've been giving myself pep talks, about how this may be hard for concentration but when else will I ever be able to stay at home like the introvert I am without guilt and that I should take advantage of the opportunity to get a lot of reading, writing, painting, etc. done. It works occasionally.

I also enjoyed Ghost Brigade. Scalzi seldom disappoints.

>247 Storeetllr: Hi Mary. We've been in isolation since early March, and my reading soared during that first month. I think the longer this goes on, the more distracted I am, and I don't see an ending coming anytime soon. I think we will be isolating until well into June. Scalzi is a great author to read at this time, he certainly pulls one out of their surroundings and plants them into his exciting books!

82. Death Message by Mark Billingham - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Book of Mine
April TIOLI #4: A Book by an Author I Have Read Previously



Death Message by Mark Billingham is the seventh book in his police procedural series featuring DI Tom Thorne. Set in London, this book deals both with new crimes and old. When Thorne starts receiving picture of dead bodies the pieces are soon put together that the murderer is the recently released from prison Marcus Brooks, seeking revenge on both those who set him up for a murder he didn’t commit and on those who ordered the death of his girlfriend and son. Tom soon discovers that he is receiving these pictures because an old nemesis had befriended Brooks in prison and helped him plan the revenge murders.

When Thorne figures out that Marcus Brooks was originally set up, he does bend the rules in order to discover who the two corrupt police officers who assisted in the set-up were. This bending of the rules appears about to backfire on Thorne, but the book offers up one final twist, when Thorne realizes that this nightmare has widespread roots in his own past.

Death Message was another exciting read in this superior detective series. The pacing is excellent, the story clever and the characters are engaging. I am looking forward to book number eight.

83. The Last Good Paradise by Tatjana Soli - 4.0 ★
Category: AlphaKit
April AlphaKit: S
April GeoCat; Australia, New Zealand & Oceania
TIOLI #4: An Author I Have Read Previously



The Last Good Paradise by Tatjana Soli is a strangely prophetic yet darkly comedic novel about a group of people who escape to a remote resort on a small unnamed atoll in the South Pacific. They are all running way from something and all feel cheated out of the happiness that they feel entitled to. Ann and Richard are one step ahead of their creditors as a bad business partner and poor management has sunk Richard’s dream of opening a restaurant in Los Angeles, they are also one step away from an imploding marriage. Dex Cooper, rock n’roll superstar is facing his own slide down the fame meter. He’s getting older, fighting with other band members and is daily getting less interested in his young, sexy muse, 20 year old Wende. Loren, the manager of the resort has his own demons to face, and even the workers at the resort, Titi and Cooked have difficulties to work through.

The story explores the relationships and backgrounds of these people, and is in turns both funny and tragic. Beside the wonderfully exotic setting, the author provides some interesting insights into our world and how we cope when we are confronted with no electricity, no internet and no cell phones. As these people unite in various ways, they each discover what they really need in life is to express their passion, be it for cooking, music, art or family life.

I enjoyed this story and tried not to compare it to the other book of hers that I have read, The Lotus Eaters which I loved. The Last Good Paradise uses seductive, funny and quirky scenarios to show us how strong our need to connect with others is and, also, that a one-way ticket to paradise isn’t necessarily the answer.