Tess Reads Her Own Tomes Page 2

Coreopsis and cone flowers--prolific in my clay soil! Hollyhocks--can't get them to be prolific or as full as my grandma used to!

Author Richard Powers: "“I want literature to be something other than it is today. There was a time when our myths and legends and stories were about something greater than individual well-being. "

Hi, my name is Tess and I'm a college professor-Western Civ, American History, and The Holocaust. I teach in real-time and also online.

I've been married to my husband for 45 years; have 2 sons and 7 grandchildren ranging in ages from 2 to 20 years of age. I live in the midwest USA, Ohio, on about 5 acres in a rural area; although a grocery is only 1/2 mile from my house.

Besides reading, I love to cook, garden and travel. I also play the tenor saxophone in a community band.

I've been reading since age 4 when my mother taught me to read from the Bible. My favorite genres are historical fiction (not romance), Victorian, the classics, and Gothic literature. I also like stories about western U.S. settlement and psychological thrillers as well as true crime. I have a great interest in Russia and the Soviet Union. I hardly ever buy a paper book anymore, preferring e-books and audiobooks.

My rating system:
1 star--waste of paper and ink
2 stars-Is this literature? -major flaws or mind numbing boring
2 1/2 stars-not so bad I had to stop reading
3 stars-average, but still quite enjoyable
3 1/2 fun, informative, thought provoking
4 stars-excellent read
4 1/2 exceptionally good, among my favorites
5 stars-in all ways a superior read




BEGINNING TBR: 542

Reading Year: Dec. 25 to Dec. 25

Virtual Bookshelf--This can be an e-book or an audiobook



1. The Strangled Queen by Maurice Druon
2. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
3. When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica
4. Caravans by James Michener 449 pages 4 stars
5. Blacklands by Belinda Bauer 242 pages 4 1/s stars
6. I'll Be Gone in the Dark Michelle McNamara 456 pages 3 stars
7. Demelza by Winston Graham 429 pages 5 stars
8. The Devil's Grin 226 pages 4 stars
9. Maids of Misfortune 337 pages 4 stars
10. City of Silence by Kim Wright 336 pages 4 stars
11. Whisper my Secret by JB Rowley 180 pages 2 1/2 stars
12. The Middleman by JT Conroe 254 pages 3 1/2 stars
13. Song of Years by Bess Streeter Aldrich 429 pages 4 1/2 stars
14. The Story of a Bad Boy by Thomas Aldrich 122 pages 3 1/2 stars
15. The Monk by Matthew Lewis 232 pages 2 1/2 stars
16. Queen Margot by Alexander Dumas 533 pages 3 stars
17. Tread Softly on My Dreams by Gretta Browne 403 pages 5 stars
18. The Painter by Peter Heller 368 pages 2 1/2 stars
19. Mary Rose by Geoffrey Girard 272 pages 2 1/2 stars
20. Their Eyes were Watching God by Zola Neale Thurston 3 1/2 stars
21. Villette by Charlotte Bronte 638 pages 3 stars
22. The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff 369 pages 4 stars
23. My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray 635 pages 5 stars
24. The Silent Patient 297 pages 5 stars
25. A Fall of Marigolds 399 pages 4 stars
26. 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin 288 pages 5 stars
27. Wolf 359 podcast from Stitcher
28. Mrs Dalloway vy VIrginia Woolf 178 pages 2 1/2 stars
29. Dusty Deals by Rae Davis 323 pages 3 stars
30. The Bad Seed by Jory 18 pages 3 stars
31. Giants of the Earth by Ken Follett 865 pages 5 stars
32. The End of the World by Andrew Biss 99 pages 2 stars
33. Thaw by Ryan Dunn 240 pages 4 stars
34. Winter of the World 957 pages 5 stars
35. Maud's House by Sherry Roberts 200 pages 2 1/2 stars
36. Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett 957 pages 5 stars
37. The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel 757 pages 4 stars
38. America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams 288 pages 3 stars
39. Five Presidents by Clint Hill 464 pages 5 stars
40. The Wife's Tale 336 pages 3 stars
41. To the Edges of the Earth: 1909, the Race for the Three Poles 352 pages 5 stars
42. Journey by James Michener 389 pages 5 stars
43. When Christ and His Saints Slept 762 pages 5 stars
44. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper 352 pages 3 (just) stars

Paper books



1. The Stalking Moon by Theodore Olsen 240 page 3 1/2 stars
2. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler} 292 pages 3 stars
3. Charade (Classic Screenplays) (Volume 1) 192 pages 3 stars
4. The Sleeping Tiger by Maurice Moiseiwitsch 247 pages 3 stars
5. Hell House and Other True Hauntings From Around the World 20y pages 2 1/2*
6. The Man With The Broken Ear by Edmond About 91 pages 3 1/2 stars
7. The Tower of London by William Ainsworth 448 pages 3 1/2 stars
8. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carre 292 pages 3 1/2 stars
9. The Moon and the Bonfires 176 pages 2 1/2 stars
10. Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham 4 stars 438 pages
11. Mary Donoho: New First Lady of the Santa Fe Trail by Marian Meyer 143 pages 5 stars
12. Plain Meeting Houses 217 pages 5 stars

Shakespeare--I've read all the comedies and a sprinkling of others.



1. Macbeth COMPLETED
2. Henry V COMPLETED
3.
4.
5.

Reading Through Time



Quarterly Reads
1. Prehistory The First Dog READ
2. Ancient and Biblical Times Brothers (Legacies of the Ancient River) READ
3. Arthurian Britain A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court READ
4. Medieval Times (plus the Vikings) What Life Was Like: In the Age of Chivalry : Medieval Europe Ad 800-1500

Monthly Reads
1. Jan 19th century Ireland Changing Skies: Manchester Irish Writers READ
2. Crime/Mystery Death of a Red Heroine by Xialong Qiu READ
3. March Mothers and Daughters The Kitchen God's Wife READ
4. Off With Her Head! The Tower of London by William Ainsworth READ
5. May Explorers Journey to the Center of the Earth READ
6. June Get thee to a nunnery The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie READ/The Apostate's Tale READ
7. Seashore-Moon and Sixpence by S. Maugham
8. August Epidemics, Famine and Other Health Disasters The Brief History of the Dead: A novel
9. September- I'll Trade You (economics) Poldark #3 (Mining)
10. October Deceptions Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies
11. November Author Biography Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World
12. December Predicting the future Far North: A Novel (dystopian, futuristic)

GEOCAT



January-Geo Area Asia I Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan - My Dear Son: The Memoirs of Stalin's Mother by Keke Jughashvili READ

February--Geo Area: Europe (Excluding Great Britain) -Past Imperfect (France) READ

March Northern Africa & The Mideast: Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey (others) Reading Lolita in Tehran READ

April Australia, New Zealand, Oceania the Daughters of Mars READ

May: Any place you would like to visit! Swan Loch (Maine) READ

June: Space: The Final Frontier...WIll finish listening to Wolf 359 on Stitcher (Pod Cast) READ

July: Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Like Water for Chocolate READ

August: Asia II: Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan Southeast Asia Dragon Seed

September: Polar & Tundra Regions The Worst Journey in the World Antarctic 1910-1913

October: Great Britain, Canada, US Tales from English History: The Truth About King Arthur, Lady Godiva, Richard the Lionheart, and More

November: Africa II All countries excluding those from March. Possibilities: Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia and others East Wind A True Story

December: Catch up month or read another one from your favorite CATegory! Unsure

Books published in 1955 It was a very good year!;)



1. Lolita FINISHED
2. Marjorie Morningstar FINISHED
3. The Talented Mr. Ripley
4. The Quiet American
5. Harold and the Purple Crayon FINISHED
6. The Sleeping Tiger by Maurice Moiseiwitsch 247 pages 3 stars FINISHED

BIG FAT BOOKS--books with 500+ pages


1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie FINISHED
2. Russka FINISHED
3. The Fall of Giants FINISHED
4. Kristin Lavransdatter FINISHED
5. The Overstory FINISHED
6. Vanity Fair FINISHED
7. Winter of the World FINISHED
8. Edge of Eternity FINISHED
9. The Mirror and the Light FINISHED

KITastrophe



Jan Fires The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy FINISHED
Feb Invasions 1812 Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow FINISHED
March Epidemics/Famines Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic FINISHED
April Riots/Uprisings/Sieges The Plot Against America FINISHED
May Geologic Events Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded, August 27, 1883 FINISHED
June Man Made Disasters: The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede FINISHED
July Weather Events Cont Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson FINISHED
August Transportation & Maritime Transportation Without a Trace 1970-2016
September Transportation & Maritime Mysteries and Histories: Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes
October Pre 1900 Firestorm at Peshtigo: A Town, Its People, and the Deadliest Fire in American History
November Outside your home country 57 Hours: A Survivor's Account of the Moscow Hostage Drama
December-Industrial/Chemical/Technology The Hawk's Nest Incident: America's Worst Industrial Disaster

42. Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke was a free Kindle d/l in 2013. It was an 1870's San Francisco mystery and a very well written period piece. My only complaint is the "newfangled" grammar: snuck instead of sneaked and hung instead of hanged; but then, I am a bit of a grammar dinosaur. It probably depicted women with slightly more rights than they would have had during that time period, also. 337 pages 4 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

Happy new thread, Tess!

Happy new thread! >11 Tess_W: I am also saddened by the erasure of "hanged." :)

>12 MissWatson:
>13 christina_reads:

TY!

Happy new thread, Tess! And happy Easter, I hope you are making the most out of this unusal situation.

Happy new thread! Great progress on those big fat books -- only one left on your list, I see :)

>16 rabbitprincess: Yes! I'm the type that always starts out with the biggest/hardest jobs first to get them out of the way. Everything is supposed to be smooth sailing, in theory, anyway!

43. The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally. I wanted to love this book as much as I loved Schindler's List. However, the author made it impossible to do so. Firstly, there were no quotation marks. I should have stopped right there in chapter 1, because half of the time I had no idea who was saying what; even if it was dialogue or not. Secondly, all of the characters were distant and remote. This reader couldn't care for any of them. Thirdly, the ending was choose your own from among several endings! Who does that in an adult novel? This was a DNF for me, as I read 300/509 pages and just couldn't justify the time to finish this book. 509 pages 2 stars CAT: April Geo Cat

>18 Tess_W: I'm not fond of the no-quotation-marks style either. I like books where I need to concentrate on the story or plot or what-have-you, but having to concentrate on the writing itself just takes away from the rest.

>19 antqueen: I agree! I don't want to work on figuring out the grammar!

>18 Tess_W: Understandable that you couldn't enjoy a book with no quotation marks. I've finished one although there wasn't that much in the way of dialogue so it wasn't such a big deal. I believe I'm too old and set in my ways to try another.

44. Spent over an hour Zooming with my 3 year old granddaughter today. Read her 5 books--so I'm counting all 5 as just one, since they were short! All enjoyable. And before I get flack, I do not consider Little Black Sambo racist. It is the story of an African boy who watches tigers chase each other around a tree until they melt and become butter; which his family uses on pancakes. My favorite book from childhood. Also, I know the debate about Peter Rabbit, yes, he does steal carrots from Mr. McGregor's garden......and there are consequences! It's not a book that condones thievery. Too many people overthink these stories and are looking for a political agenda, when there isn't one. The Gingerbread Man is not about cannibalism and Rapunzel is not about human trafficking!

>22 Tess_W: Zooming with a grandchild and books sounds lovely. I have a love of children's books but no grandchildren to share them with.

I agree with your comments about people overthinking many stories. It is such a shame to encumber books with controversy.

>22 Tess_W: The title and the illustrations in some editions wouldn't be used today, but my biggest problem with Little Black Sambo is that the version I loved as a kid also took place in Africa (instead of the original India) and so I was an adult before I learned that tigers aren't native to Africa! :)

So sweet that you got to read to your granddaughter.

>24 madhatter22: You are most correct about the location. As a child I never connected the two!

45. City of Silence by Kim Wright was a free Kindle read from 2016. It was book 3/4 in a series, but can be read as a stand alone with no problems. I liked this book which began with Queen Victoria taking a trip to St. Petersburg to see her granddaughter, Ella, who was married to a Russian count and to investigate the possible marriage of another granddaughter to tsarevich Nicholas (who was going to become Nicholas II). In the book, Nicholas and Alix did not become engaged, but in real life they were married. If was a very good book if you can put aside the fact that there were 3 murders within the palace and the Palace guards and police let the Queen's staff do most of the investigating. The very last page contained a surprise! 360 pages 4 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

46. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne is a classic that I should have read some time ago, but never had. I'm not a sci-fi fan. so I kept putting off this read. All in all, this was a good read. The characters, while no backstory, are well developed within the story line. The journey was alternately exciting and boring. Exciting when we see human-guarding mastodons, but incredibly boring when it takes 120 pages or so to describe the various genus of prehistoric mammals. The ending was a bit abrupt. Verne definitely has a way with words and vocabulary, even in the sci-fi genre. The words are beautiful, varied, and well-placed/used. CAT: RTH (Explorers), Virtual bookshelf A free Kindle edition from 2016. 232 pages 3 stars

47. Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk took place in New York (for the most part). Marjorie was a middle-class, Jewish, seventeen year old who wanted to be an actress. We see her struggle for many years before finally giving up on that dream. The focus of the story is her first love, which was very destructive. It was difficult to like Marjorie as she was so naive, but doubly difficult to like anybody else in the novel. 576 pages 3 stars CAT: 1955

Was looking for something else, and I found this! One of my very favorite childhood books--it's a vintage 1950's and I snapped it right up!

>30 Tess_W: I think my mum and uncles had that one! I seem to recall seeing it at my grandparents' house.

48. The Secrets of Dr. Taverner by Dion Fortune was just a horrible book about the occult. Horrible in many ways: formatting. There were chapter numbers in the middle of a sentence, about every 3-4 pages each page was only a half page and the 2nd half was a lot of numbers and letters looking like somebody's cat was playing on their keyboard. And last but not least, the story (ies) were far fetched. Most of them dealt with Dr. Taverner reuniting people's essence (souls) with their bodies. I can see these stories are very loosely based on Sherlock Holmes type sleuthing. The author, according to the book, was a spiritual guide (medium) which founded The Order of the Fraternal Light in the 1920's. She has written several books and supposedly dictated the last 2 chapters of one such book from beyond the grave. CAT: Scaredy Cat (occult) 248 pages 2 stars

49. Whisper my Secret by JB Rowley is a simple story of adoption in two generations. The setting is Australia and the time is WWII. This was a free Kindle read in 2013. This is a short biography of 180 pages. Nothing out of the ordinary, a quick read. 2.5 stars CAT: Virtual bookshelf

Popping in (late) with a happy new thread. Love the zoom reading, good for grandma!

>34 Helenliz: TY!

50. Swan Loch was billed as a mystery taking place in Maine. It did take place in Maine and then in a Maine in a parallel universe. Everything was "normal" until about the last 2 chapters and then it just got too bizarre for me. This was a free Kindle D/L in 2013. 254 pages 2 1/2 stars CAT: GEOCAT May--a place you would like to visit--Maine, but not the one in the parallel universe!

51. The Middleman by J.T. Conroe was a post WWII thriller about art work stolen by the Nazis. This book was not as good as the Monuments Men, but it did involve more intrigue and espionage. This was a free Kindle read from 2013. 254 pages 3 1/2 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

52. Song of Years by Bess Streeter Aldrich was a straight up sappy wild-west romance. Just what I needed at this time! Originally published in 1939 it tells the story of settlers to Iowa, Indian scares, the Civil War, church socials, one room school houses, and romance. It was very entertaining and a good read. Will look for some more of her writings, but they seem to be difficult to find. 429 pages 4 1/2 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

53. The Story of a Bad Boy by Thomas Aldrich was a mistake buy! I meant to click the book by Bess Aldrich and clicked the wrong one! It wasn't really a "buy". it is a free book on Amazon. I can't say that the short novel (122 pages) was rip-roaring fun, but it was the amusing tale of a pre-pubescent boy in pre Civil War New England. I liked that it used some now obsolete words that I had not heard for sometime. It was a fun, short read! 3 1/2 stars 122 pages CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

54. The Monk by Matthew Lewis is a late 18th century Gothic "horror." To sum the book up in a word: sex! Monks and nuns having all kinds of illicit sex, even with demons. I can tell you that I read every single one of the 263 pages and I probably only made connections about 50% of the time. This book is character heavy and plot thin. It was difficult for me to relate the characters to each other. Lewis does make for a tidy ending though as the evil monk Ambrosio and his hench-lady, the Prioress, are executed. I guess there is nothing new under the sun because this book had "date" rape drugs. This book is considered a classic. 2 1/2 stars, 263 page CAT: Virtual bookshelf There are books ranging from 223-456 pages. I got mine from Amazon and nowhere does it mention that it is abridged? I wonder if that is why I didn't make connections?

>40 Tess_W: In my copy I found a review from the Süddeutsche Zeitung of the edition published in 2002 with an introduction by Stephen King which should make interesting reading (apparently he calls him the Johnny Rotten of gothic fiction). It also says that Lewis wrote this at the age of twenty and ripped nearly everyhing from German sensationalist fiction he encountered during his grand tour across Europe. The reviewer says it is a truly bad book and thus great fun – in the way you can't turn your eyes away from some disasters.

>41 MissWatson: Very interesting! I think King was spot on calling him the Johnny Rotten of fiction. In my edition, it notes that Samuel Taylor Coleridge (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner) despised Lewis and called his work "obscene and immoral." Sometimes it's difficult on an ebook to track down the edition, but I believe mine is 2016.

55. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. I'm not a Harry Potter fan, but I did read the first book to keep up with the kids I teach. I saw this at Audible for free, so I d/l it. It was only 122 pages so I listened to it in just over an hour. It was 5 "fairy tales" with a wizard bent. Two of the tales were to promote muggle love. All in all, not a bad listen; but I would not have wanted it to be any longer. 122 pages 3 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

>40 Tess_W: In Northanger Abbey, John Thorpe hilariously cites The Monk as the only novel he likes. I've never been tempted to read it myself, and your review has pretty much confirmed that decision for me. :)

>44 christina_reads: Don't let my review sway you--many more than I have given it higher ratings.

56. I'm going to count both of these books as one book because one is a children's book and one is a cookbook. Read all of the children's book but didn't ready any recipes that included kale or beets!

Summer Birds The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle to me is a troublesome book for a child. Butterflies are called summer birds I think that would be confusing. Secondly, here are a few sentences from the book, "I have to catch my insects in secret. Neighbors would accuse me of witchcraft if they knew. They believe insects are evil." I don't think younger children would understand this at all. There are 3 such passages in this book. A child would have to understand which witchcraft is and also the concept of evil to understand this book. By the time they do, the book it too childish. Maria Merian did grow up in Germany in 1647 and witchcraft was probably often discussed there as in Colonial America

Sunday Soup by by Betty Rosbottom is a year's worth of soup! We have always had "Sunday Soup" for about 40 years. I always fixed it on Saturday and we warmed it up on Sunday. I was too busy/tired to cook after church so this worked out fine. Paired with a loaf of bread or a salad and it's a complete meal. I needed some new recipes after 40 years and I found at least a dozen that I'm going to try. My first one will be Shaker Summer Tomato, Celery, and Corn Chowder and Penne, Asparagus, and Peas in Parmesan Broth.

>44 christina_reads: I described it as a riot - but not necessarily a good piece of literature. You just sort of hang on and go along for the ride!

>46 Tess_W: Penne, Aspargus and Peas? Sounds delicious!

>48 MissWatson: I'll post the recipe!

>43 Tess_W: This would be more enjoyable and of more interest to a fan as the tales become important and explain events in later books.

>50 JayneCM: I'm sure you are correct! But hey, for free, it was ok!

57. Queen Margot by Alexander Dumas. This is an audio book. I began it maybe a year ago and stopped somewhere in the middle after I realized that I had already read almost the very exact same thing in Heinrich Mann's novel, Young Henry of Navarre. I had also read about Henry of Navarre in Nancy Goldstone's The Rival Queens: Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom. It was just too much at the time. However, I saw LT was starting a group read of Queen Margot, so thought I would join in. When I discovered that I had read 50% of the book, I just decided to finish it quickly and be done with it. I will say that I enjoyed this book the least of the others that I read, and I think that's because it was in audio form. The reader was very good and spoke those French names so fast that I was just processing them and the reader had already gone on for 2 more sentences. Now I remember why I stopped listening! I prefer both Mann's and Goldstone's written versions and I'm sure Dumas would have been great had I read it instead of listened to it; I may still do that one day. Love to read about those Valois! 17.5 hours =553 pages 3 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

>51 Tess_W: A few years back, I read a biography of Catherine de Medici. Her continuation of the French Civil Wars was shocking and the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre was so very disturbing. Queen Margot/Marguerite sounds like someone I would like to read about, either Dumas or other biographies.

>52 threadnsong: Queen Margot was the daughter of Catherine de Medici. I think you would enjoy reading about the House of Valois

>51 Tess_W: I found a copy in the ebook collection for one library. I know I don't have time to get to it until I finish a couple other things, but I'll keep an eye on it and place a hold on it if it becomes checked out so I can get to it by the end of the two months for the group read.

58. Tread Softly on my Dreams by Gretta Curran Browne was the story of the United uprising in Ireland in 1802-1803. I looked up some of the characters in the book and they were real people that took notable part in the squashed uprising. It's billed as a biographical novel-a bit of an oxymoron. This was a free Kindle book in 2013. It is part one of a trilogy. This book was well written and had me staying up all night one night reading until 4:30 AM. I will be reading parts two and three. 406 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Shelf

My last 3 from my Thingaversary............I hope to hold it to this in 2020, but it's only May!?????

All older Bess Aldrich books which are very difficult to find at a reasonable price (but I did!)

The Rim of the Prairie
A White Bird Flying (Bison Book 5)
A Lantern in Her hand

>56 Tess_W: I've hung onto a mass market paperback of A Lantern in Her Hand because I loved it so much.

59. The Painter by Peter Heller was an audio book that I listened to for the past week. It was about a struggling artist who was turning his career around after spending time in prison for killing a man. After he got out he was living a "normal" life and was an observer of a man beating a horse almost to death. He intervened and that began his descent into the dark world again; even though not really his fault. I read this book because a friend recommended it, but it was just too superficial for me. The sentences were short and choppy, the vocabulary was elementary, and the painting side of the story was very brief. 386 pages 2 1/2 stars. CAT: Virtual bookshelf

60. Krakatoa by Simon Winchester was a non-fiction read. It was way too science oriented for me. The history of trade for 300 years before the eruption was fine, but then we get into the geological periods as well as the debate on evolution, it was just too much! I wish I would have chosen a novel based on a true event. I was in pain and suffering while reading this! I "enjoyed" about 25% of the book and suffered through the rest. 416 pages 3 stars CAT: KITastrophe (May, geological event)

61. Mary Rose by Geoffrey Girard is a story of a young 6 year old girl, Mary Rose, who disappears on an island off the coast of Scotland for 33 days and returns, supposedly unharmed. The story picks up at about the time she is to be married. You do have to suspend reality to read this book, that is billed as a paranormal thriller. It is light on the thrills, and light on the paranormal, until the last few pages. There is little action in the book, but a lot of character development, or attempted character development. According to the 26 page prologue, this is a book written as a take off a J.B. Barrie play and the idea for a movie based on the same by Alfred Hitchcock; which he couldn't get funded. I must have missed the word "paranormal" when I read the cover, because I had read that word, I would not have read the book. Read the last chapter twice and still not sure what happened! 272 pages 2 1/2 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf P.S. Note: I thought I was buying a book about a disappearing ship! Ooops!

So I'm really in a mood to buy some books--although I just bought 3 a week ago! I think I boredom shop. Have only left my house twice since March 16. It's wearing on me! I think I'll go to my wishlist and then go to my online library and see if they have them......it's not the same if I can't have them on my bookshelf or in my e-reader.....but I'll see if I can redirect my impulse with that!

>61 Tess_W: I've recently signed up to our library's digital service, and am spending a fun evening looking at their virtual shelves! There are quite a few good books that I've not seen on their physical shelves, so that's good, although I am going to try hard to only get one out at a time so that I still have time to read all my TBR books!

>58 Tess_W: Thank you for that review. I've removed it from my tbr shelf. It doesn't sound like one I would enjoy.

>61 Tess_W: "Boredom shop" describes my shopping & borrowing habits perfectly! Even though I am at home I'm not reading any more, if anything, reading less. Life just seems to be turned upside down.

>61 Tess_W: trying to do that, also, Jackie! But I seem to want books not in the library!

>63 VivienneR: I'm doing the same thing Vivienne, I've been reading so much (8 hours per day) that I'm getting bored with it--I need to get out of the house!

62. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a 1920's novel by Harlem Renaissance write Nola Zeale Hurston. It is the story of Janie Crawford from her time as a teenager through the time she returns to her hometown with her tail between her legs. In between we learn of her 3 relationships and their end. Although things did not work out for Janie, she is still glad for her life and her relationships; she certainly does not have a defeatist attitude. I listened to the audio book and it was atrocious. I had the pace set at 80% but what with the Black dialect at the time, had a difficult time understanding some of the phrases. I think I would have liked to read the book. 200 pages (6 hours 19 mins) 3 1/2 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

>61 Tess_W: >62 Jackie_K: What I like to do is go through the ebooks and add any I like the looks of to the wishlist. Then I delete them later if I decide to. It's really just busy work but it does the trick and keeps me from buying. Our library has given ebook privileges to people who don't have a library card. What has happened is that there are very few books available now although a request can be made. I think it's been used a lot more than expected.

>27 Tess_W: I read Journey to the Center of the Earth in the 1950s when I was in Jr. High. I still remember it. I need to do a re-read as I have downloaded it.

>66 mnleona: Hi Leona! LTNS! Hope you are doing well!

>67 Tess_W: I am, thank you. My kids bring me what I need. I am capable of driving and doing things but my kids want me to stay home. I am sorting my bookshelves and have forgotten what I have.

>68 mnleona: I certainly understand that--I want my mother to stay home and she's almost 88! But she wants to go out to pick up food and meet with the ladies from church (less than 10). I've only been out twice since March 16 and it's getting on my very last nerve. I had radiation in 2018 and I have some scar tissue on my lungs and this virus would not be kind at all to me. I plan on going to the nursery to buy flowers next weekend (with a mask), but after that will stay home until at least June 1 and then probably even after that, but at least I can be outside in the garden and the pool.

>69 Tess_W: Tess, my hubby and I have been to a few nurseries over this last week and have found they are all very well organized with one way rows, social distant rules and safe checkouts. We wore masks and plastic gloves and found the whole procedure pretty painless. Enjoy your outing. We too, are not making any plans until well into June (if then). It's going to be difficult to regain that safe feeling we used to have.

63. Villette by Charlotte Bronte This book was a DNF for me in 2016 and at that time I complained that there were so much French that I felt I was unable to grasp the story. I decided to try again and this time I did make it through, just ignoring the French, which in some cases was an entire page in length. I'm not talking about the occasional "mon dieu!", but entire passages where I felt that pivotal relationships were explored and explained that totally went over my head. The book was depressing most of the time; really depressing and very long. I also did not enjoy the long explanation of the pamphlet and the attempt to get Lucie to covert to Catholicism. I'm sure this was an issue of the day. I know this book was the pinnacle of Charlotte's work; but I much preferred Jane Eyre. I think all these "little" things were just more aggravated by the fact that many parts of the book I could not read. This book was a lot of work to read. 668 pages 3 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf (I read this via Serial Reader)

64. The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff was a WWII story about a young girl, Noa, who gave birth at age 15 but was forced to give up her child to the Lebensborn program. She later found a train stopped and she peered into the last car and there were babies stacked up waiting to be transported and disposed at a camp. She chose a live boy baby and ran with it. She joined a famous German circus and lived a "good" life until they were forced to disband by the Nazi's. This is the story of Noa and her "son," Thiel, Astrid, her circus companion, and some other nominal characters. This was a good story and an easy read. 369 pages 4 stars CAT: Virtual bookshelf (audiobook)

65. The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander; Newfoundland by Jim Defede was a great read about a town who pitched in selflessly to help airline passengers diverted from US airspace for 3 days to Gander. 260 pages 5 stars CAT: June Kitastrophe

>73 Tess_W: I need to add this book to my reading list! My husband and I both want to visit Newfoundland one day. We've been to other parts of Atlantic Canada but never managed to get there.

66. The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie was your typical whodunit. I'm not a mystery or a Christie fan, but I keep reading in the hope that I will come to love her as other readers do. This story really fell flat for me. This was the first Miss Marple book. 305 pages 3 stars CAT: Reading Through Time: Get thee to a nunnery or such

Hi Tess, just now dropping in! We have a lot in common, judging from your bio. Glad to be here!

>22 Tess_W: >30 Tess_W: I have the Runaway Pancake book with the red cover! That has lived at our house since I was a kid. I agree, people overthink things too much sometimes. There is not always a a back story or hidden meaning.

>56 Tess_W: I have a copy of A Lantern in Her Hand from junior high school! Maybe two copies.

>76 LadyoftheLodge: It appears we do!

I've just been frivolous and went on a book buying binge. To my credit, most everything I bought was on sale really cheap. Sigh..............

>78 Tess_W: Looks like a good haul!

>78 Tess_W: That'll keep you going for a while! :)

>80 Jackie_K: The bad thing is that most of them will still be on my shelf next year! I am reading the Hamilton book currently, though.

That's an interesting mix. One for every possible mood?

>78 Tess_W: Excellent choices and a mix of topics. I am glad to see I am not the only person who goes on these book sprees.

I previously had purchased Bramton Wick but today I went back and picked up a couple more of her books. Now I need to actually read one! Enjoy your haul. :)

67. Tess of the Storm Country by Grace Miller White This is a 1909 romance novel about the educated minister's son and the poor fisherman's daughter. I am confused about the girl's speech, because I don't recognize it. The story takes place in Ithaca, New York, so it just must be a fisherman's brogue. I read that this book was made into a silent movie in 1914 starring Mary Pickford. I can't really recommend this book; it's just so predictable and boring. I chose it because of the name "Tess"! 2 1/2 stars 386 pages CAT: Virtual Bookshelf (Serial Reader)

>78 Tess_W: Nice shopping expedition! Patrick Leigh Fermor's books look inviting and have been on my radar for some time. I've put one on hold at the library and will look forward to your opinion of The Violins of Saint-Jacques.

Love your book haul!

68. My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray This was a great story about Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. Eliza was the daughter of a great American patriot General and then the wife of a founder of this country who also served as Secretary of the Treasury and Washington's personal assistant. If you think politics are corrupt today, no more so than during the founding of this country! Washington eschewed politics but Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Monroe, and Madison were all political and personal scoundrels. All the political and military issues in the book are true as well as most of the personal information, as it was a matter of public record. Ms. Dray writes a very interesting and surprisingly accurate work of historical fiction. 652 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

>88 Tess_W: I have that book on my TBR shelf. Someone in our group was reading it and recommended it when we saw "Hamilton" in Chicago last year in April. Why does that seem so long ago now?

>88 Tess_W: If you don't have America's First Daughter by the Dray/Kamoie writing team on your list you should add it. I liked it just as much and I anxiously await their next book. They each write separately as well together but I haven't read any of those. Kamoie is a former Associate Professor of History at the Naval Academy so I feel confident in her knowledge when there are events I'm not sure of.

>90 clue: that is already on my wish-list!

69. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides was a psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I won't post the plot so as not to give away any spoilers. The plot in the book resembles the Greek play, Alcestis, wherein the heroine gets her life back but remains silent for the remainder of it. I can recommend this book. 297 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

70. The Loom by Shella Gillus was a free Kindle book from 2011. It is the story of a white skinned, blue eyed slave passing temporarily as a white woman. There are dozens of books out there with the same story that are probably better. 312 pages 2 1/2 stars CAT: Virtual bookshelf

>88 Tess_W: >92 Tess_W: Two more BBs for me!

I am also keen to read the linked novels that Stephanie Dray has participated in - Ribbons of Scarlet, A Year of Ravens and A Day of Fire. Have you read any of those?

>94 JayneCM: I have not, but they are on my wish list!

>95 Tess_W: I can get them all from the library - when it reopens.

71. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner is a dual timeline story about Ellis Island/Triangle Factory Fire (1911) and 911. It's a very good period piece and quite historically accurate. The author's note at the end is that she is donating a percentage of money from each book to the Save Ellis Island fund, which is now raising money to restore and save hospitals number 2 and 3 on the island. Hospital number 3 was used for those with contagious diseases, most specifically scarlet fever and yellow fever, which figure prominent in the book. This is a historical fiction with a romance aspect, which at times seemed foolish to me; but didn't detract too much from the story line. I listened to this in audio and I found the narrator's voice too childish for this subject matter, although the women involved were 18-20 years of age. 399 pages 4 stars CAT: Virtual bookshelf

72. 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin was the true story of Salvador Alvarenga, a very small-time fisherman who fled El Savador due to death threats to live in Mexico. He fished 2-50 miles from the harbor for shark for about $75 per week; in 2012 that still put him on the poverty line. He could barely read and could only write his name. While fishing one day a storm came up and disabled his radio and blew him and a companion out across the Pacific in an easterly direction. His crew mate died, and 438 days later Alvarenga washed up in a small mostly uninhabited island in the Marianas. This was a most interesting book to read how Alvarenga survived at sea. It seems he coped better at sea that he did when he returned. 288 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

73. Wolf 359 was a podcast from Stitcher that I initially found hilarious. There were 61 casts and a
12 mini or off-topic casts. I listened to the 61 main post casts. The story centered about Eiffel, a communications officer aboard a ship that was orbiting star Wolf 359. Eiffel was a real screw up and always tried to avoid his commanding officer and the ship's Russian scientist, who was always trying to get him to participate in human experiments. As the show progressed, the episodes became less humor related and more like thriller space; which is when I became disinterested. Each episode was about 20 minutes in length. 3 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf, Geo Cat-Space the Final Frontier

>92 Tess_W: I loved The Silent Patient too! Your post is a reminder to look for more books by Alex Michaelides.

74. Loose Screw: Funny Mystery (Dusty Deals Mystery Series Book 1) by Rae Davies was a free Kindle D/L from 2014. It was a mildly amusing cozy mystery. Would not venture to read the other books in the series. 323 pages 3 (barely) stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

75. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. I knew this was not going to be to my liking as I'm not a fan at all of the stream of consciousness. The only thing more boring was the 20 page introduction and the 20 page forward as well as the long, minute, detailed timeline of Clarissa's life. Thankfully, all the aforementioned accounted for 40% of the book so the actual slog was less! 178 pages 2 1/2 stars

>102 Tess_W: I am not a fan of "stream of consciousess" but I actually quite liked Mrs. Dalloway. I was expecting to hate it since I really disliked the one other Virginia Woolf that I read.

>103 DeltaQueen50: I must admit to never reading any Virginia Woolf, other than a summary (I think) of A Room of One's Own (which I would like to read in full). I saw a play of Orlando when I lived in Glasgow which I remember looking beautiful but I had no idea what was going on!

New Color? Is it must me, or has the blue color within LT changed from a comfortable more navy to an almost neon blue?

>102 Tess_W: I found Mrs. Dalloway to be rough going as well. I am also not a fan of that style of writing. I felt as if I should read it, so I did. Glad I am not the only one who did not like it.

76. The Bad Seed by Jory John was a children's book that I found whimsical, but perhaps a bit too negative. Half of the book talks about what a bad seed this seed was: he belched, he didn't hold doors open for other seeds, he didn't wait his turn, etc. He was a baaaaaaaaad seed! Near the end of the book he was reforming his ways, sometimes. I'm just afraid that this book might reinforce in somebody young that they are indeed a bad seed. I would not recommend it to a child, however it was a NYT best seller. 18 pages CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

77. Mary Donoho: New First Lady of the Santa Fe Trail by Marian Meyer was a very interesting non-fiction account of how Mary Donoho replaced 6 other women thought to have traveled the Santa Fe Trail before her. I really enjoyed the specifics of how the historian and the archivist went about their research. 143 pages 5 stars CAT: Tree Book

>105 Tess_W: No, it's not just you. I have noticed it, too, and find it slightly irritating. Haven't found a thread to explain it yet.

>105 Tess_W: >109 MissWatson: I'm noticing a lot of subtle differences in how things look. My guess is that LT is working on accessibility, as the brighter color is probably higher contrast.

>109 MissWatson:
>110 NinieB:

Neon blue is not good for the eyes!

IIRC, The changes were announced months ago as a part of an overdue overhaul needed for mobile and general user experience (UX). The colors will shift slightly and there will be some rearrangement of features under the tabs. The biggest UX change will be an easier way to add books to your library. They were going to roll it all out with fanfare later in the year, but now with so many subscribers at home using LT more heavily, they decided to introduce LibraryThing 2.0 changes sooner. There was a blob post/discussion about it but I unstarred it from my feed and now I can’t remember where I saw it. :-/

78. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett was a great work of historical fiction that covered the time period from about 1900-1926. The book followed five families from England, Germany, Wales and Russia through the Revolution, The Great War, Prohibition, and Women's Suffrage. Although long, this book was very engrossing and historically accurate. The book exposed the harsh political world of the early 1900's in which the poor and women were oppressed by the nobility. It was beginning to change just as the book ended; although in both Russia and the Germany it seemed that one tyrant was replaced by another, which reminded me of Orwell's (Animal Farm) thesis: absolute power corrupts absolutely. I will certainly be reading books 2 &3 in this series. 856 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

>113 Tess_W: I need to just put all others aside and read this. I've had it on my shelf since 2010 and have put it off all that time due to it's size. So ridiculous.

>113 Tess_W: LOL We hit button at same time and received same message number! However, I think the time spent reading this hefty tome will be well worth it. I listened to it on audio (easy to follow) as well as reading it and it did take some time.

79. The End of the World by Andrew Biss was an inane 99 page novella about a son who is "kicked out" of his home. Come to find out everybody was dead and his parents were done with purgatory (?) so he needed to be on his own and he goes to the last boarding house at the end of the world. I'm not sure if the conversation the main character has with several of the dead are philosophical or just stupid; I can't tell. This was a free Kindle book in 2014 and I'm so very glad I did not pay for this trash. 2 stars 99 pages CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

>113 Tess_W: - You are in for a treat with The Century Trilogy, Tess. I enjoyed all three books, my favorite one being the last one, Edge of Eternity.

>117 lkernagh: Half way through #2 already and I'm loving it! (Even if it's 957 pages in length!)

80. Going to count these 4 as one read because they are children's reads. Harold and the Purple Crayon was interesting as Harold took a purple crayon and made his own adventure.

>119 Tess_W: We love Dear Zoo! I bought it for my niece when she was a baby, and then it was in the pack of hand-me-downs we got from them when my daughter was born.

81. Thaw by Bryan Dunn was a true monster story that took place in Newfoundland. It was interesting and the ending was definitely a surprise! This was a free ebook in 2014. 240 pages 4 stars CAT: Virtual bookshelf

>102 Tess_W: Too bad Mrs Dalloway didn't work out well. I've been putting it off because I disliked To the Lighthouse also by Woolf (although I loved other writing by her). But thanks to >103 DeltaQueen50: I might still get around to Mrs Dalloway.

>122 VivienneR: I hope you love it!

82. Winter of the World by Ken Follett was the second book in the Century trilogy. This covered the period 1936-1946. There was a lot of sitting on the edge of the chair and heartbreak. I have already d/l the 3rd book to begin reading tomorrow. 957 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

83. No Fear Shakespeare: Henry V. Normally, I like to read just plain Shakespeare. However, a student bought me this for Christmas. So, I thought, why not? I'm really glad I had this version as one entire scene was totally in French, which I can't read. I did try to keep to the original version but did find myself looking to the modern version instead of looking something up online. This was the story of Henry V's invasion of France and the Battle of Agincourt. I'm not well studied in this area of history, but it does match up with what little I know. I really enjoyed this book. 137 pages (I never rate Shakespeare!) CAT: Shakespeare (2/5 read thus far this year).

>125 Tess_W: I have a "No Fear Shakespeare" on my shelf too. It is an interesting concept.

84. Maud's House by Sherry Roberts was a free Kindle d/l from 2014. It was the story of unconventional Maud, who I really think had some mental issues, trying to survive in a small town in Vermont. Her diet was mostly potato chips and beer. She was an artist and the book tells of other people she reacts with in town. If this would have not have been a short read, I probably would not have finished it. 200 pages 2 1/2 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

Lamb's ears. I let them bloom to feed the bees. I will be cutting off the stalks by July 4.

I use star flowers as ground cover in soil that is rocky and clay.

Anemones and black eyed susan's thrive in clay soil! Some things that don't: clemantis, dahlia, blanket flowers!

I have planted 2 tomato plants, 1 cucumber, and 1 green pepper plant, nothing to picture yet. Just this week they had flowers, so fruit will be coming soon! The blackberry bush died after about 5 years, so I need to plant a new one. I will also add a blueberry bush at the same time. I have one self-pollinating apple tree (Lodi), but fruit won't be ripe until Octoberish. Right now the apples are very sour. I process them by making applesauce and baked apples, which I freeze. I also give a lot away! And of course, eat them when are crisp and tangy!

>131 Tess_W: I'm hoping some of my cherry tomatoes ripen soon. The larger variety isn't close enough yet. I think I should have planted them sooner.

I have one walnut tree and to be honest, I only harvest maybe 25% of the time because the walnuts are ready in late August or early September, right when school starts and I miss it. It's a very short harvest time. If the pods fall to the ground the animals will get them and if they lay there they will get mold. They are a lot of work; maybe that's why they are so expensive! The worst part anymore is cracking the shell to get the nut out. With arthritis, even the small machine used to do this is difficult. This is a 2019 picture.

What beautiful flowers! A real tonic!

>132 thornton37814: I got mine out very late, not until Memorial Day Monday!

I love seeing your pictures. I live on rocky clay too and also have hot, often dry summers, so it takes some experimenting to find plants that will happily grow here or can be babied along. Yesterday I saw one of the most beautiful beds of hollyhock I think I've ever seen and they reminded me of my grandmother. Your pretty apple tree picture reminds me of my dad. He had a very big garden and two apple trees nearby. When he pulled onions he always hung them up in an apple tree to dry (I think that was the reason). We always enjoyed visitors expressions when mother would tell one of us kids to run to the apple tree and get some onions!

I did a favor for a friend last week and she brought me some of her first tomatoes. They may be bad for me but I do love those bacon and tomato sandwiches!

Your garden is so colorful and everything looks so healthy - you obviously have a green thumb. I have friends who have a hazelnut tree in their yard and when they harvest, they stuff the nuts into pantyhose and hang them in their garage - it looks like body parts but keeps the air circulating around the nuts which keeps them from going moldy.

>134 Jackie_K:
>136 clue:
>137 DeltaQueen50:

Thank you!

85. Plain Meetinghouses by Beth Oberholtzer is a wonderful book about the Mennonite meeting houses of Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 1766-current day. I wasn't much interested in the Mennonite splits and divisions, but more interested in the architecture and history of the groups and methods of worship. The colored pictures on each page were a dream. Great book--going to go back on my shelf for reminiscing. 217 pages 5 stars CAT: Tree Book

Thanks for sharing your garden pictures. So peaceful and beautiful.

The anemones are my favourite! So soft and pretty :)

Loving all of the pictures. What a beautiful garden you have!

>128 Tess_W: - Thank you for posting this picture and captioning the plant name. There are a couple of homes on my neighbourhood walking route that have Lamb's ears in their front yards, but I never knew what they were called until now.

>140 Kristelh:
>141 rabbitprincess:
>142 lkernagh:

Thank you!

>142 lkernagh: Try touching them, they feel just like velvet, hence the name!

Here is a picture of my shade garden....looks good now because 2/4 plants are new. I don't seem to be able to grow in the shade.

>145 Tess_W: Those look very interesting, the ones with the dark veins!

>145 Tess_W: I thought those were "elephant ears," but now I see they are not. I'm not sure what they are!

>147 Tess_W: They are pretty, anyway. "A rose by any other name" and all that...

I think I see a coral bell and a hosta. I almost bought that upfront one this year. Love the colors. I like to grow shade plants and try to use a lot of greens, pinks, burgundy and white to complement.

>149 Kristelh: Yes and the other looks like a caladium although I haven't had one with that leaf shape. I love the white caladiums because here where it gets so hot they look so cool.

Those star flowers are amazing! I love succulents, but ours never have those vibrant colours.

>149 Kristelh:
>150 clue:

Yes, coral bells and hosta. I also love caladiums (elephant ears)

>151 Jackie_K: I have others that are just plain pink without the colorful center. I just posted this one because it was the prettiest...another buying "mistake" I thought I was buying just the plain pink, but was pleasantly surprised. Also, love succulents. I have lots of hens and chicks in containers.

86. Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett was book #3 of the Century trilogy. This book covered the time period of 1960 (election of JFK) to the election of Barack Obama. Follett did a great job of tying up all the political situations in in East Berlin, West Berlin, the U.S., and England. Russia not tied up as well--but perhaps not possible, even yet. Unfortunately, I could see Follett's political bias, although he did his best to hide it. I will definitely be reading more of Follett! 957 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

Couldn't get any closer!

87. The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. All I can say is whewwwww! I've been reading this for about 2 months. I read the other two books in the trilogy and I don't remember being in a slog while reading them. However, in this book, I'm in a slog for about the first 500 pages, but then the last 300 went really fast. I was constantly confused with the wide cast of characters and how they related to Cromwell, Henry VIII, Katharine, Anne, Jane or Anne of Cleves. And then top that off with nicknames for everybody and it was quite a few people to remember. (Such as Thomas Howard, sometimes called The Duke of Norfolk, sometimes called Thomas, like Thomas Cromwell! Such as Mary Shelton, Boleyn cousin, also called just Mary, as Mary I often was, also.) I'm not sure if this was because I read the other two books in 2018 and it's been awhile or not. That being said, as a historian, I love those Tudors! Since this was supposed to be a book focusing on Cromwell, I would have preferred to see more on Anne of Cleves, which was the real reason for Cromwell's downfall (IMHO) and less on Jane. All that being said, I did enjoy the book, even if I think it was a bit longer than needed. 764 pages 4 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

>155 Tess_W: Wow, you are reading up a storm!

>156 MissWatson:, haven't really been working since March and not going anywhere. I'm bored! One BFB I listened to on audio, about 30 hours and one I've been reading for 2 months; just happened to finish them both about the same time. I usually read 3 at a time: one audio, one ebook, and one tree book. But yes, this week has been a reading marathon. I am going to be "working" next week from home revising some curriculum for one of the colleges I teach for; so I binge read. Today I get to select 2 new books, an ebook and an audio book!

>151 Jackie_K: I find the hotter climates get the more vibrant colors, but I could be wrong!

You are just plowing through the chunkster reads! Good job!

>154 Tess_W: That is a great picture of Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal!

>158 Tess_W: Yes, I think you might be right! We have lots of different shades of green here :D

>159 lkernagh:
>160 DeltaQueen50:
TY TY TY!

88. America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams by Steve Economides was an ebook from 2014. I think it cost 99 cents. Nothing new here--to me common sense, to some, probably not. Caveat: I do not buy used clothing; it just creeps me out. However, my children and grandchildren do, they love to go to the thrift shop! I also do not eat Spaghettios, but again, kids and grandkids do! That being said, I hardly ever pay full price for meat, I go to the grocery 2-3 times per week just to look in the marked down meat section. I don't buy meat that is discolored; but I do get great bargains that I usually take home and freeze. Also on "new" cars, we buy cars that have 12K miles or less on them and still have a full manufacturers warranty. That saves about $10,000 per car (or more). My husband's career was as an appliance repairman (washers, dryers, fridges, etc.), so we hardly ever replace those--if you can repair them for free with only the wholesale cost of the part, it is worth it. Hubby says all the appliances we have now will last until we die--unfortunately, if we live to be the average age of men and women in the U.S...that won't be too long--sad truth! 288 pages 3 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

Since I mostly just binged read during Covid-19 (and it's still a thing for me--at high risk) I've almost met my yearly goal, so I upped it! It will be a good year for reading. If I can just keep from buying books, I should see my TBR number decline significantly!

89. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is part fairy tale, part romance; or what modern critics call magical realism. The book has 12 chapters, one for each month of the year; however, there is no significance to the actual year/month, they are just titles. At the beginning of each chapter there is a recipe. The story takes place during a Mexican revolution in the early 1900's. Tita, the youngest daughter of the family, is destined (doomed) to be a spinster and care for her mother until her death; thus prohibiting her from marrying the man she loves and who loves her. The remainder of the book revolves around how that plays out and how Tita uses cooking food to sublimate her emotions. I feel this book promoted the usually false narrative of passionate, enduring love at first sight over the more realistic common goals/trust relationship. I find this magical realism theme throughout most of Latin American writings and I'm not a fan. That being said, this book was a diversion and I'm glad I read it. 222 pages 3 stars CAT: GeoCat-Central/South American

90. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin was a 1960's classic. I read it about 50 years ago and saw a copy at a garage sale for 10 cents a few years ago, so picked it up. I wanted to see if it withstood the test of time, and for the most part, I think it has. Of course, women were still drinking and smoking in the 60's when pregnant and they still didn't have a lot of say in their prenatal care. This is the story of Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse who move into an apartment building only to be recruited, unwittingly, to serve as surrogates for the devil baby to be born. The author makes it very plausible and sometimes the reader can't tell if something really happened or if it was imagined; the mark of a good writer! I probably won't read this book again....so many books, so little time. Will donate. 282 pages 3 stars CAT: Tree Book



Note to self: Stop binge reading, get dressed, leave the house, and go do something!

>166 Tess_W: I read this a long time ago too and it scared me to death! Well, not quite but you know what I mean.

>166 Tess_W: >167 clue: I also read it long ago. I sneaked it off my older sister's book shelf, as she usually had stuff that my mom did not approve of me reading. Scared me too!

>163 Tess_W: I had to smile at your comment about used clothing - I feel the exact same way and my daughter doesn't. She loves to shop at the Thrift stores and would often dress my grandkids in used clothing when they were younger and didn't have much of a say in what they were wearing. My daughter also loves to take me with her cause she thinks it's funny that I find it so distasteful.

>165 Tess_W: I'm sorry that you didn't fall in love with Like Chocolate For Water as I did, but I usually do like books that can be tagged as "Magical Realism" though I understand that it's not to everyone's taste.

>163 Tess_W: Agree with your way of thinking about used clothing. I can add "well-used" books. Even if the only copy of a book I want is a slightly dog-eared library copy, it goes back on the shelf.

>166 Tess_W: I too enjoyed Rosemary's Baby half a lifetime ago and still find it scary.

>155 Tess_W: Is this the sequel to the Wolf Hall series? I've read the first two but have not finished the third.

And thank you for all the photos of your walnuts and apples! Our blueberries are still going strong (must pick some tomorrow - note to self) and our yellow cherry tomatoes are coming in perfectly. They are great snacking tomatoes, FYI. Hopefully the larger tomatoes will ripen and not fall over.

Agree with you on leaving the house! Take a walk, enjoy the weather, listen to a good book on audio, etc., etc. Otherwise, how are you doing during these times?

>172 threadnsong: I'm waiting on my cherry tomatoes. They are still green but plentiful. I have a couple of the larger tomatoes coming in. I can't wait for them to ripen!

>171 threadnsong: Yes, The Mirror and the Light is book 3 in Mantel's trilogy. I have never tried to grow yellow or orange cherry tomatoes.....I will put that on my list for next year. My tomatoes are about the size of a pea right now, but didn't get them out till about May 30 and then we had a week where it got down in the 40-50's at night--not good for tomatoes!

>172 threadnsong: Otherwise, I'm doing fine!

The Whale Song Translation was a free Kindle read from 2014. You do get what you pay for! I read 12% of the book until the author tried to foist his religious theories on me as science, and it's not good enough to continue. Two So Cal scientists are going to try to communicate with whales, against all odds.

Didn't read enough to count it as a read, but I can zap it into never-never land!

I've had ripe tomatoes a couple of weeks. This is the only time of year I eat bacon, love those blt sandwiches, though in my case the l is an s for spinach.

>175 clue: I love spinach on sandwiches!

91. The Apostate's Tale was book number one in the Medieval Nunnery series by Margaret Frazer. Firstly, this reader could not tell when this book took place. There was nothing said, no descriptions, no words that would give one a clue of when this story took place. I gathered medieval from the jacket blurb. Secondly, the ending was so convoluted that I'm not sure what the resolution really was! I won't be continuing with this series. 320 pages 2 1/2 stars CAT: RTT Get Thee to a Nunnery!

July's lineup (hopefully)

Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
The Moon and Sixpence
TIOLI 7th on the shelf Brooklyn, a novel
The Plague of Doves
The Invisible Man
The Rosary
Five Presidents

>178 Tess_W: Good luck with your plans!

>178 Tess_W: Looks like a good line-up!

Dec 24 (my year Dec 24-Dec 24) thru June perspective:
# of books read-91
# 5 star reads-20 (22%)
# 2 stars (lowest rating given thus far)-1

Average rating: 3.75

Best 5 star read: Tie between Demelza by Winston Graham and The Strangled Queen by Maurice Druon
Worst Read--2 star--The Daughters of Mars by Kenneth Keneally

On target with all of my CATS/KITS

TBR Dec. 24 2019 568 TBR July1 503

92. Five Presidents by Clint Hill was a close up look at presidents Eisenhower and Johnson as Hill was the lead man on the protective detail for each of these men. Hill also provided protection of Mrs. Kennedy and Spiro Agnew. Hill went on to become the deputy chief of the Secret Service during the time Gerald Ford was vice president and then president. I learned most about President Johnson. Being a historian I've studied most of the presidents and everything I learned about Johnson was just contemptible. However, Mr. Hill, while giving no doubt as to who was in total control (Johnson), showed a more personable side of Johnson, at least to those whom he considered worthy. He was asked to step aside when Nixon became president because Nixon, who knew Hill to be loyal, didn't believe he could be loyal to him since he was loyal to the Kennedy's and Johnson. Although not stated outright, I believe Nixon wanted somebody that would be, if not complicit, at least turn a blind eye to his misdeeds. All in all, a great read by a writer who is not out to dish out dirt, at least in this book. 464 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

93. Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson As usual, this author delivers a non-fiction read just as smooth as the best novel. Larson focused on the U.S. Meteorology units and their total lack of recognizing the seriousness of the situation. There was a lot of political in-fighting and the greater good was ignored. Gruesome descriptions of those who fought for their lives and the lives of their children and then were swept away--Galveston, 1900. 336 pages 4 1/2 stars. CAT: July Kitastrophe: weather

94. A Wife's Tale by Aida Edemarian was a biography (or a memoir?) of the author's grandmother who was born and died in Ethiopia at the age of 92. The story was good and yet somber and sad. Yetemegnu was 8 when she was married to a 22 year old priest-scholar. The marriage was not consummated until she became a "woman", but she had her first child at age 14. Yetemegnu was in labor 2 days and 3 nights and went into a coma, however, she recovered and went on to have 8 more living children and one stillborn. The first three births were all that horrendous. She was beaten with a stick by her husband for the most minute reasons, all part of her upbringing. Usually, she thanked him for teaching her the correct ways. The beatings ceased for the most part while she raised her children. Her husband was often away from home and was eventually jailed for many years on charges of treason. She spent years away from home and allowed her 4 youngest children to go into State care so that she could camp out in front of the prison and see that her husband was fed and cared for. There are ghastly descriptions of mutilation for goiters and also clitoridectomies (although Yetemegnu did not have this surgery). As I stated, the story was good, but it was also in need of a good editor. Oftentimes it was difficult to ascertain whose voice was telling a particular part of the story--the granddaughter or the grandmother. Also difficult to distinguish between grandma's speech and her thoughts. If you do read this book, I would advise that you know some of the history of Ethiopia from just prior to the Great War until the early 1980's. A fair amount of the story is taken up with the Italian invasion and occupation. Also, if you read, there are maps and a word appendage at the end of the book, which I wish I would have known before I read the book! I think other people liked this book better than I because it was a finalist for the Governor General's Aware in Canada. 336 pages 3 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

95. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain was historical, time travel, and inane, all rolled into one! I'm not a Twain Fan, and this surely didn't convert me. However, the daily life of the peons in Britain during this time was quite interesting. The story is told by Hank Morgan (but we don't find that out till the end of the book), a somewhat unreliable and biased narrator who happened to time travel back in history about 1200 years. He doesn't like all the inequities (and hard work) and sets about to rectify them, believing that the church is the culprit for many of the problems. King Arthur is seen as wise and benevolent; Merlin as a magician hack, and Guenevere as a floozy. Hank believes that if he can introduce technology to these people that he can improve the morals of mankind. 317 pages 3 stars. I read this via Serial Reader (54 installments) CAT: Virtual Cat, RTT July-Sept-read a book about Arthurian Britain.

Love that graphic! Thanks for sharing.

96. To the Edges of the Earth: 1909, the Race for the Three Poles by Edward Larson was the tale of explorers Peary, Shackleton, and the Duke of the Abruzzi (K2), who tried for fame, fortune and glory to claim they were the first to go the furthest at the North Pole, the South Pole, and K2, respectively. Although none of them got credit for being the first, they were the pioneers who "almost" made it and their experiences enabled others to proceed with the discoveries. I can highly recommend this book; it read like a novel although it was non-fiction. 352 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual bookshelf

Endurance(by Alfred Lansing) is about Shackleton’s attempts reach the South Pole and is one of my favorite books! This sounds equally compelling! #BB :-)

97. Journey by James Michener was the story of a group of 4 English aristocrats and their Irish servant who attempt to get to Dawson City, Alaska, from Montreal, Canada, via the MacKenzie River. The leader of the group, Lord Luton, despised America and hence the group agreed that they would travel only in Canada. This was a big mistake by a pig-headed leader as the Canadian route was more difficult. This was even told to them by Indians that they met. However, the group supported Luton, they stayed together, and became great friends and companions. Three of the party died: 1 by drowning and 2 from scurvy. Only Luton and the servant (gamekeeper) arrived in Dawson City after a 2 year trek. I've read that this book, short by Michener's standard, at only 389 pages, was taken from his much longer novel, Alaska. I've not yet read Alaska, but this book is able to be enjoyed on its own merit. 389 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

State of the Books Message:

As I reflect on my LT experience:

When I joined LT in 2010 I had over 1400 books on my TBR. 2014 was a very bad year as Amazon started giving away free reads weekly to Prime customers. I acquired them just because I could. I'm now in the process of reading books from 2014 and I basically read the first 25% and decide if I want to continue to read. I've pitched 8 of those books. Today, my TBR stands at 501. That's down 900 books in 10 years and that's about the average that I read, 100 books per year. Since I joined LT I've really tried to keep my purchases down, but occasionally I do fall off the wagon. Thingaversary helps keep me on that wagon. My goal for 2020 was to get my TBR under 500--and with my next completion, I'm on target! Love you guys that encourage me and give me lots of great BB's!

>191 Tess_W: Wow Tess, that's seriously impressive! 100 books a year off the TBR pile! So far this year I'm 16 books down on mine, and I was so impressed with myself! 50 books in 6 months is more than I could possibly manage. Your willpower and self-discipline must be cast iron!

>191 Tess_W: You are doing an excellent job of reducing that backlog! I read mostly my own books and I have already moved over 100 books from my shelves this year, but I can't seem to control my buying habits and have loaded my shelves up faster than I am getting them read. I could use some of your willpower!

>191 Tess_W: That's a great accomplishment Tess, congratulations!

Congratulations on being on target with your TBR goals!

>192 Jackie_K:
>193 DeltaQueen50:

If only I had the same willpower dieting--I'd be a model!

>191 Tess_W: Congrats, Tess, that is so impressive! Especially your discipline in book-buying.

Further crunching of numbers: Of the 501 TBR's, 134 are ebooks, 10 are audio books, 357 are tree books.

98. When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Penman was the story of the founding of the House of the Plantagenet. Most of the book was focused on the 18 years of wars between Maude of Anjou (daughter of Henry I) and Stephan of Blois (Prince of Normandy). Maude was the only legitimate child of Henry I and had been promised the throne; but on his deathbed Henry I gave the throne to Stephan, thus initiating an English Civil War. I thought the most interesting part of the book was the last 200 pages which relates the life of Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. This is the best book I've read in 2020 and I will most certainly be reading the others in this series. 762 pages 5 stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

99. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick was a very basic story of aging, grief, and recovery told in novel form. The story was so-so as was the writing; very average. 335 pages 3 (very low 3) stars CAT: Virtual Bookshelf

Continued here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/322387 (Yes, I named the new page incorrectly...it should be page 3!)