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

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I have opened this thread with some pictures of one of my favorite flowers, the rose. In these days of isolation, it is important to take time to appreciate the beauties of nature. It's a bit early here for roses, but I expect there will be a few showing by the end of May.

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.



Orange Rose above is called Candelabra
Yellow Rose above is called Butter Yellow
Pink Rose above is called Rebeka

Red Rose above is called Mr. Lincoln

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 ★
5. As She Left It by Catriona McPherson - 4.5 ★
6. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth Jr. - 4.2 ★

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 ★
4. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes - 3.8 ★
5. Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich - 4.5 ★

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 ★
5. The House At Sea's End by Elly Griffiths - 4.0 ★
6. Lucy by Ellen Feldman - 3.8 ★

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. The Leaving of Liverpool by Lyn Andrews - 3.8 ★
5. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson - 4.2 &39733;
6. Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie - 4.1 ★

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 ★
4. Death Message by Mark Billingham - 4.0 ★
5. The Devil's Waters by David L. Robbins - 4.0 ★
6. The Last Survivors by Bobby Adair and T. W. Piperbrook - 3.0 ★

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 - 4.0 ★
5. May - Believe in Your Shelf - Gone With the Windsors by Laurie Graham - 4.2 ★
6. June - Take to the Sea - The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - 3.7 ★

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 ★
6. Dead Water by Ann Cleeves - 4.2 ★
7. Local Custom by Sharon Lee - 4.5 ★

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 - All The Earth, Thrown to the Sky by Joe Lansdale - 4.1 ★
13. M
14. N
15. O
16. P - Seafire by Natalie C. Parker - 4.0 ★
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 - Death on Account by Margaret Yorke - 4.5 ★
26. Z - We by Yevgeny Zamyatin - 3.3 ★

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 - 4.0 ★
5. The Three by Sarah Lotz - 4.0 ★
6. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman - 4.1 ★
7. Hunt for the Skinwalker by Colm Kelleher - 1.5 ★

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 ★
4. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov - 4.0 ★

L. 2020 Bingo



Books Read

1. Title contains a pun: Gone With the Windsors by Laurie Graham
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: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
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: Hunt for the Skinwalker by Colm Kelleher
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 ★
6. The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami

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 ★
9. The Water Margin: Outlaws of the Marsh by Shi Nai'An - 4.5 ★
10. Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas - 3.7 ★

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 ★
9. Personal Goal to Complete Series - Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon - 4.2 ★
10. May MysteryKit - No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase - 4.0 ★
11. June MysteryKit - Dead Man's Grip by Peter James - 4.2 ★

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!

Happy new thread, Judy! Gorgeous roses!

Happy new thread, Judy! I'm looking forward to seeing roses in person but there are plenty of other colourful flowers around to keep me happy for now.

Happy new thread, Judy. The roses are lovely, mine won't get anywhere near this. I guess I'll be lucky to see buds, but I love to try.

Beautiful roses! I have wanted to add Mr. Lincoln to my garden, but there are so many to choose from!

Happy New Thread, Judy. I put some beach roses in last year and they are finally starting to get some leaves. The weather here has been so below normal that everything is slow this year.

Happy new thread! Love the flowers.

Happy new thread, Judy!

Happy new thread, Judy! Love the roses!

>23 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks, Dejah.

>24 Familyhistorian: I am pushing the rose season aren't I, Meg. We still have lilac season (another favorite flower) to go through!

>25 MissWatson: I used to grow roses, Birgit, and mine never looked as good as the pictures either. They are a lot of work, but the blooms are so beautiful.

>26 JayneCM: One of the roses I used to grow was Mr. Lincoln and it was truly a gorgeous shade of red. It was also less susceptible to black spot and mildew which I was constantly battling.

>27 dudes22: Hi Betty, we are taking slow steps toward summer. We do tend to have very long springs here, which is fine by me, I am in no hurry for the hot weather to arrive.

>28 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori.

>29 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I sure hope we are back to some normalcy by the end of this thread.

>30 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer.

84. Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon - 4.2 ★
Category: Other Challenges



Whoo Hoo, after 45 hours of listening, I have completed this book!

Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon is the eighth book in her Outlander series, about Claire, a woman from the 1950s who falls back in time, finds herself in the 17th century and falls in love with the dashing Jamie Fraser. Their love story has been played out over the eight books in the series and has covered both a lot of ground and a lot of history. From the Scottish highlands to North Carolina, with side trips to France and the Caribbean, these two have loved, married, adventured, and gathered a family along the way.

This book opens with Jamie and Claire’s reunion after he was thought to have drowned, they are in Philadelphia as the British evacuate and the Americans under George Washington actually look to the victors in this war. Jamie fulfills his obligations to Washington and then he, Claire and members of their family return to their home in South Carolina. Meanwhile in the 1960s, Claire and Jamie’s daughter Brianna, is having her own troubles which eventually finds her, her husband, Roger and their two children travelling back in time.

I thought this was the last book in the series, and although there are a few loose threads in the story, it seemed to have been brought to a successful conclusion. Claire is now 62 years old and Jamie 58, so I thought they deserved their happy ending but I have learned that there is to be another book concerning the Frasers and their family. Although I am ready for this series to be over, I have loved it and will certainly read on, or in my case, listen to the excellent narrator, Davina Porter, who has given life to both the characters and the story. The Outlander series is remarkable and one that I will follow to the end.

>32 DeltaQueen50: Congratulations for finishing that monster! I keep telling myself, I will get to Fiery Cross, I will get to Fiery Cross - er, but maybe not this month, lol. Well done, Judy.

>31 DeltaQueen50: As for roses, there are currently no roses in the yard, but I've ordered two shrub roses that shouldn't require spraying or pruning - we'll see how they do.

>33 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks, Dejah, it kinda took the wind out of my sails when I discovered that there will be at least one more book in the series - I thought I was done. Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't jump on it the minute an audio version is available, I just hope they get the same narrator, she has become the voice of Claire and Jamie for me.

>32 DeltaQueen50: Good luck with the roses. :)

Hi Judy,
Lovely roses! I bought a rose bush but then took it back to the store because I realized that it would involve a great deal of work. Between the allergies and the knee that likes to give out on me, I'll stick to my few hostas.

Happy new thread, Judy! And 84 books read already -- that's impressive!

Happy new thread! And what beautiful roses to start it off!

Happy new thread! Hope you have great weather out your way. We're supposed to be getting rain for the rest of the week, but Saturday is currently expected to be nice: sunny and 19!

Happy New Thread, Judy! LOVE the colorful roses at the top! I hope you and the family are doing well.

Happy new thread Judy! The roses are gorgeous & bring welcome thoughts of summer and warmer weather.

Happy new thread, Judy and congratulations on completing the Gabaldon audiobook! I really want to revisit the earlier Gabaldon stories (I think I stopped my read of the series at book 5) but will hold off until I finish my binge listen to Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr books. ;-)

Came by to share some of my roses with you, Judy! All my rosebushes are blooming like crazy. I took a lot of photos today but don't have them online yet.

And here they are:

>43 ronincats: Wow!

>32 DeltaQueen50: I also listened to the entire series. I love Gabaldon and also Porter. I can't wait for the last one, supposed to be out any day now. Good thing I have a stock of tissues, because I think I will need them.

Gorgeous roses!

>35 lsh63: Roses are a lot of work, I remember battling mildew and black spot, and nagging my husband to help with the pruning. I did love them and one thing I miss in our apartment is not being able to step out to the garden and pick a bouquet of flowers for the house. We grow a lot of flowers in containers during the warmer months but I always feel that I'll ruin the display if I start picking them.

>36 RidgewayGirl: Thanks, Kay. I have felt like my reading is slowing down somewhat these days, but then again, I was concentrating on finishing off some doorstoppers with Written With My Own Heart's Blood and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Also I have been chipping away on a 2,000 plus book with The Water Margin, a Chinese classic.

>37 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie.

>38 rabbitprincess: We've been getting pretty good weather, I've been out without a jacket a few times. Our days are usually a mix of sun and showers, it can chance in minutes.

>39 msf59: Hi Mark. We are all doing well, I do worry about both my girls working with the public, but I am sure they take every precaution. Hope all is good with you and yours as well.

>40 leslie.98: Leslie, I am looking forward to summer this year and hoping that our lives will be a little more like normal by then.

>41 lkernagh: I am glad that I switched to audio versions for the Outlander series, they fit that format well. I have the first three or four Sebastian St. Cyr books on my shelves so I have been happy to see you enjoy them so much, :)

>42 ronincats: and >43 ronincats: Your roses are gorgeous, Roni and after seeing some pictures of them, I was inspired to open my thread with rose pictures. Yours look so healthy as well - I see no mildew or black spot!

>44 MissWatson: I feel the same, Birgit!

>45 Tess_W: Have you heard if Davina Porter will be the narrator for the audio version, Tess? I sure hope so.

>46 thornton37814: Roni deserves lots of praise for the beautiful results she gets with her roses, as for me - my virtual gardener thanks you! ;)

I don't have any mildew at the moment, but several plants do have the dread black spot, Judy. Glad everyone is enjoying them as much as I do.

>43 ronincats: So gorgeous! How lovely to always be able to have fresh roses in your house.

>47 DeltaQueen50: Since Porter has narrated them all, I'm hoping she gets the last one, also!

>48 ronincats: It gives me joy to see your beautiful flowers, Roni.

>50 Tess_W: We'll have to keep our fingers crossed but I can't imagine that they would have anyone else narrate the book.

85. The Leaving of Liverpool by Lyn Andrews - 3.8 ★
Category: Random Place - Liverpool, England
April TIOLI #5: One of the Main Characters is a Blonde



The Leaving of Liverpool by Lyn Andrews is a British family saga about the Parkinson family, in particular, the two daughters, Ellen and Phoebe-Ann. Set in the immediate years after World War I, the Parkinsons are a working class family that has lost their father to a working accident and then the two older boys in the War. The four remaining children all have jobs with both Ellen and Phoebe-Ann are in service, while the boys work on Liverpool’s busy docks and dream of emigrating to North America. The mother, Lily, is about to take a second husband, Albert. At first apprehensive about this new man coming into their family, Albert fits in wonderfully and soon the family automatically turns to him for advice and guidance.

While Ellen is the sensible sister, Phoebe-Ann tends to be the flighty one and follows her heart where it leads her. Eventually it leads her into a terrible marriage. Tied to the drunken Jake Malone, a member of the notorious Malone family. Meanwhile Ellen has her troubles. Although she has the faithful and caring Edwin wanting to marry her, she first suffers a terrible attack and needs lots of time to recover, then other family problems seem to conspire to keep these two from starting a life together.

I find this author writes interesting and well-crafted stories that hold my attention. The story unfolds in a straight forward manner and the reader learns how difficult life could be in the days of no government support for the poor or disabled. The Leaving of Liverpool was a light read about a lower class family who strive to improve themselves by hard work with plenty of family, fussing, feuding and romance thrown into the mix.

Happy new thread, Judy! Your rose photos are gorgeous, a perfect timing just as I am perusing rose catalogues.

Happy new thread, Judy. I love the roses!

I hope you are staying well.

>53 VivienneR: Thanks, Vivienne.

>54 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I find myself having good days and bad days but I really shouldn't complain, I have it easier than most with no children to keep amused and no job worries. We had a scare the other day as my grandson started feeling very ill and had a fever. His parents eventually took him to the hospital, but of course, couldn't go in with him. They tested him for a few things including the Corona virus, but it turns out he has an infection caused by Strep Throat. He's feeling pretty rough, but it could have been much worse. Poor boy, he's having his 21st birthday next week but it won't be much of a celebration.

86. No Orchids For Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase - 4.0 ★
Category: Other Challenges
May MysteryKit: Book to Film
May TIOLI #1: Author's Name Contains an Item of Food or Drink



No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase was originally published in 1939. This is a very dark crime story with some of the most vicious, depraved criminals I have ever read about. This is a very American book with it’s mid-west setting but surprisingly the author was British. Apparently he particularly admire the work of James M. Cain and tried to duplicate his noir stories, although I found the brutality and earthiness more like the hard-boiled crime novels of the 1950s. No Orchids for Miss Blandish was quite controversial at the time due to its explicit descriptions of violence and sex and it has been adapted into a couple of films as well as a play.

When a newspaper announces that a millionaire’s beautiful daughter will be wearing her famous pearls to an event, a small gang of criminals decides they will get their hands on these pearls. The robbery goes awry and they end up with both the pearls and the girl. Another larger, more organized and certainly more violent gang called the Grissoms move in and take both the girl and the pearls. They secure a large ransom from her father, but since the girl has caught the eye of the psychopath son of the gang's leader, they keep the girl for him to use and abuse. The millionaire hires a private detective to track his daughter and this leads to a blood-bath of a conclusion.

No Orchids for Miss Blandish is a lurid, gritty, dark story. The writing is on-point considering the author used an American slang dictionary and articles about the criminal underworld to help give the story an authentic feel. While I wouldn’t recommend this book to many, I do admit that it both surprised and shocked me, and totally held my attention during the reading.

>56 DeltaQueen50: I have to admit that, although it sounds appalling, I'm tempted to join you for this one. I don't read much of the really dark noir / hard boiled stuff, but I may give it a shot.

>56 DeltaQueen50: And on to the wishlist it goes!

>57 Dejah_Thoris: I am a huge fan of hard-boiled and noir and I think No Orchids for Miss Blandish is well worth the read.

>58 RidgewayGirl: I love that so many publishers are re-issuing these old crime stories.

>59 DeltaQueen50: I already picked it up on Kindle, lol. For years I've not spent a lot of money on books - I'd only buy them if the library couldn't provide and even then, sometimes I just figured I had enough books to read and do without. Since the library system closed (and isn't scheduled to open again until June 1st), I've given myself permission to buy books - and it's going to be hard to go back to not buying on a whim!

>60 Dejah_Thoris: My Kindle has been both the best and the worst thing - I love that many obscure books are available for e-reading and I love the simplicity of it - but at the same time, it's just so easy and tempting to simply click and buy!

87. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman - 4.1 ★
Category: ScaredyKit
May ScaredyKit: Occult
May TIOLI #2: Book Written by An Author From a Different Country



I read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman for an occult reading challenge and although the book is full of witches, magic and the casting of spells, there are no warts or black hats, instead this is a gentle love story that uses magical realism to seamlessly advance the plot. The theme of this book is that love is inevitable and there is no point in fighting fate.

Full of eccentric characters, this is mainly the story of the Owen sisters, Sally and Gillian. The Owens family has practised witchcraft for generations and the girls have grown up observing their aunts selling love potions and casting spells. While Sally becomes a practical, conscientious young woman who marries and has two girls of her own, self-indulgent Gillian is far more impulsive and has had three divorces before she ends up on Sally’s doorstep one night with a dead body in her car. While Sally and Gilliam grapple with their problems and concerns, Sally’s daughters are growing up and have their own romantic concerns which at times also require a touch of magic.

This is the first Alice Hoffman book that I have read and I was delighted with her ability to sprinkle a layer of magic into the most unlikely of places. This is a tale of love and life and is peopled by appealing characters that are fun to read about. I was rather surprised and taken aback by the fact that the book and the popular movie that was based on it are very different from one another. Once I got my head wrapped around that, I was able to settle in and be transported by this enchanting story.

>62 DeltaQueen50: I don't always like Alice Hoffman but I loved this and now that you've reminded me I'll put it on my reread list!

Hello and happy new thread, Judy! Thank you for sharing your beautiful rose pictures with us. My sole, solitary rose bush still lives and is about to begin blooming soon.

I've read several novels by Hoffman and liked them all, some more than others. Practical Magic is actually not among my favorites, but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

>59 DeltaQueen50: I've been reading a lot of '30s & '40s mystery novels (I love the ones with humor, and the comedy/mystery movies they were making during that era) in the last few years. If you haven't run across them yet, look for:

* Craig Rice
* Kelley Roos
* Richard Lockridge & Frances Lockridge

A couple of my favorite movies from the time period are based on their books:

* A Night to Remember
* Home Sweet Homicide

>56 DeltaQueen50: Aha, I knew the author's name was familiar to me! I've had his I'll Bury My Dead on the shelf, unread, for a number of years. Your review is making me pull it down and put it on my "sooner rather than later" stack.

>63 clue: I listened to an audio version of Practical Magic and I thought the narrator did an ok job - not great but she got the story across. It took me awhile to settle in as I was expecting the book to follow along the same lines as the movie - and it didn't.

>64 threadnsong: I'm envious that you are able to grow a rose, but I am thinking that since I am limited to container gardening, I might just treat myself to a minature rose or two.

>65 katiekrug: Hi Katie. I'm not sure where to go with this author next - any suggestions? I have The Foretelling, Fortune's Daughter and the Practical Magic prequel, The Rules of Magic on my shelves.

>66 ReneeMarie: Oh dear, you are getting me in trouble! Luckily, I have the first Mr. & Mrs North mystery by the Lockridges but I went and checked out Craig Rice and before I knew it, I had clicked and purchased Home Sweet Homicide. I'll save Kelly Roos for another day. ;)

>67 mstrust: Hi Jennifer. I'll look for your comments on I'll Bury My Dead.

>68 DeltaQueen50: Mwa ha ha. IRL I work as a bookseller, so....

I've read the least of Kelley Roos, because they're hard to find in my library consortium. With the Lockridges and Craig Rice, I read the books before seeing any of the media based on them. With Roos, that's reversed: I read The Frightened Stiff because of my LOVE for the movie "A Night to Remember." It's a comfort watch -- I once played the movie 6 times in a row (watch to the end, hit play, watch ...).

My 2 cents on Hoffman: my historical fiction book group loved The Dovekeepers. It was great storytelling. (And it was the only Hoffman I've managed to finish so far.)

>68 DeltaQueen50: - I haven't read any of the ones you have on your shelves, unfortunately. My favorite, so far, is Blackbird House, and I also really enjoyed The River King, and The Ice Queen.

>68 DeltaQueen50:, >66 ReneeMarie: Ooh, good pick for your first Craig Rice! And she has some noir stand alone books as well I believe (Innocent Bystander for example). And here is a fun fact: Craig Rice, a former crime reporter, was the first writer of detective fiction to make the cover of Time magazine.

>71 leslie.98: Relatives of Rice's father lived in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, so the library there has a ton of her books. Unfortunately they are mostly non-circulating, so I've had to rely on interlibrary loan to get access to some of them.

The Hoard Museum in Fort has a page about her:
https://hoardmuseum.org/craig-rice/

I've also read a biography about her sad, strange life (Home Sweet Homicide is supposed to be semi-autobiographical): Who Was that Lady?: Craig Rice: The Queen of Screwball Mystery by Jeffrey Marks. It was sometimes difficult to feel empathy for her.

Her book Trial by Fury in the John J. Malone series is set not far from Fort Atkinson. Malone et al. are based in Chicago, though.

And I've seen and enjoyed movies with the Malone character (warning: don't expect any of the movies I've named today to be TOO close to the books they're based on):

* Having Wonderful Crime
* Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone

Ooh, look what you started....

Your review of Practical Magic got me to take the book off the shelf and put it in the to be read soon pile, Judy. I read The Rules of Magic first, so the characters will probably come back to me and never saw the film, which sounds like it is a point in my favour.

I'm with you on the lilacs. They are some of my favourites. There are some in our complex but, unfortunately, not close to me. We have a rhodo, a red one that is in front of my neighbour's door - she doesn't like it either.

>69 ReneeMarie: Well, as a book-seller, I'd say you did your part with your book bullets. While looking for Kelly Roos yesterday, I stumbled onto a publishing series called Femme Fatales. When I came for air, I had purchased Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty, Bunny Lake is Missing by Evelyn Piper, The G-String Murders by Gypsy Rose Lee and Bedelia by Vera Caspary. I'm excited by all of these and there are more of this series that I have my eye on.

>70 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I will probably tackle the ones I have first but I have taken note of your favorites.

>71 leslie.98: & >72 ReneeMarie: I am looking forward to Home Sweet Homicide, I had never heard of her till ReneeMarie mentioned her yesterday but she seems to have been very popular in her day. My brother collects old movies and has a humongous library so I will see if he either has or can get any of these older movies for the next time I get over to Victoria for a visit with my family.

>73 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. I was torn whether to start with Practical Magic or the prequel, The Rules of Magic but decided to go with the publishing order. I definitely think it's an advantage not to have seen the movie before reading the book - they really are very different. Today is my grandson's 21st birthday and lilac's always make me think of him. When he was born, I vividly remember the scent of lilacs being in the air but around here I don't think they have bloomed yet this year.

88. The Devil's Waters by David L. Robbins - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Book of Mine
May TIOLI #6: Title Contains One of the Four Elements



The Devil’s Waters by David L. Robbins is a military adventure thriller about an elite American Air Force Pararescue unit. The story develops as aid is requested by a Russian super-sized freighter travelling the waters of the Gulf of Aden. When the unit arrives to stabilize two injured seamen, it is determined that one of the Americans should remain on board until the ship reaches Djibouti, the next major port on route, and the injured men can be hospitalized. What is unknown at this point is that this ship is carrying a top secret weapon destined to eventually reach Iran. Also unknown at this point is that Somalian pirates are about to overtake the freighter.

What follows is an entertaining and educational story that is full of action and plot twists. This author knows his military jargon and uses it in a spontaneous and natural manner. He also has an eye for both the historical and cultural details about the pirates of Somalia. As the pararescue team return to the ship both to get their stranded team member and to come to the aid of the hostages, they receive secret orders about the mission. It is far more important to ensure this weapon does not fall into the wrong hands than it is to save lives. Timing is important in this story and as the clock ticks down the tension mounts.

The Devil’s Waters is the first book in a trilogy about this U.S.A.F. special force, and I am looking forward to the next two. With it’s detailed plot and fast pace, this was a story that gave me an authentic glimpse of how a pararesue team operates and delivered lots of thrills.

>75 DeltaQueen50: I'm taking this one as a BB, I'll read it and pass it on to one of the fellas in my family, it's right down his alley.

>74 DeltaQueen50: I really liked Bunny Lake Is Missing! And I forget, did you read Laura? Femmes Fatales published that one too.

>74 DeltaQueen50: So I knew at least the first 3 of your purchases were also movies (G-String Murders was filmed as Lady of Burlesque). I checked IMDb, and it turns out Bedelia was also filmed (in '46). Bunny Lake Is Missing was the most recently filmed (in the '60s).

NOTE: It was rumored that Craig Rice actually wrote friend Gypsy Rose Lee's books. Marks' biography disputes that, IIRC.

While you're checking your brother's movie collection, see if he has any of the Hildegarde Withers mysteries (based on novels by Stuart Palmer). The ones starring Edna May Oliver as Hildegarde Withers are my favorites, like The Penguin Pool Murder.

And Oliver was in another mystery-ish movie a few years earlier called Ladies of the Jury. I like her as Hildegarde Withers better.

And now for something COMPLETELY different. If anybody wants to watch something light and fluffy in these depressing days, check out another of my favorite old movies: The Divorce of Lady X from 1938. Laurence Olivier is swoonworthy in it. It's a farce and a screwball comedy. I watched it this morning as an antidote to the news.

>66 ReneeMarie: Thanks for the crime recommendations. There are so many re-published books that it's hard to know which ones are worth the trouble. Another couple of suggestions for light-hearted mysteries: Matthew Head, Delano Ames.

>74 DeltaQueen50: I enjoyed Bunny Lake is Missing, Laura and Bedelia and would like to find more by Vera Caspary.

>79 pamelad: And thank you! I'm not actually familiar with either author you mentioned. Two things intrigued me:

* Robert Graves apparently owned at least one Delano Ames.

* Matthew Head's character Mary Finney is compared to Miss Marple (I'm team Marple, not team Poirot). The negative: Finney's a missionary, apparently. For me, that's a major turn off. On the plus side, the description of The Congo Venus says she doesn't act like one.

>80 ReneeMarie: Not at all like Miss Marple, except that she's fiftieish and female, and she's an unlikely missionary. I don't remember any religion in these books!

>76 clue: That's exactly how that book came to be on my shelves - I originally bought it for my husband and then hung onto it for myself after he finished with it. It is the first in a trilogy, I think each book covers a separate mission.

>77 rabbitprincess: Yes, I have read and loved Laura so I was excited to find another book by Vera Caspary. The film Laura is also an old favorite.

>78 ReneeMarie: I don't think my brother has any of the Hildegarde Withers mysteries as he is a huge fan of Edna May Oliver and I am sure I would have seen one of these mysteries if he hadone. I am also sure that he is on the look-out for one of them. I like The Divorce of Lady X as well, Olivier was quite the hunk in his day. Apparently my Mom's favorite male movie stars were Laurence Oliver and Henry Fonda.

>79 pamelad: The Femme Fatales had one more Vera Caspary, it's called The Man Who Loved His Wife.

>80 ReneeMarie: & >81 pamelad: I'm trying not to look at any more authors right now as I have just about blown by May book budget and I still have a few more books to buy for my upcoming June Thingaversary!

>82 DeltaQueen50: I checked oldies.com first, but they were out of the Hildegarde Withers collection I have. For your brother (don't look!):
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dvd-hildegarde-withers-mysteries-movies-collect...

James Gleason shows up in these movies, as well as in Home Sweet Homicide. And he's in the movie The Clock with Judy Garland and Robert Walker. I have become a fan of his -- love him in everything I've seen him in.

Am I the only person who didn't know there was a traditional book buying binge as part of a Thingaversary? Yikes.

>83 ReneeMarie: Oh, that's great - this just may be purchased as a birthday gift for him (and I get to enjoy them too!)

Thingaversaries are great excuses to go on a book buyng binge. I will be celebrating my 12th in June so I decided to split up my purchases over a number of months so I could spread out the expense of buying 12 + 1 books. Of course that doesn't mean that I don't get caught up with daily deals, or interesting books that I just can't wait to have!

I think Practical Magic was the first book by Hoffman that I read, Judy. I also liked it. Your comments bring back memories of it. I would like to read Rules of Magic - one of these days!

Stay well.

I read Turtle Moon first, rated 4 stars, Ice Queen rated 3 stars but probably was better than I rated it at the time. I know I haven't forgotten the book. I read Practical Magicwhich I liked. Some like the movie better but I preferred the book, 4 stars. And I read The Dovekeepers which I rated 4 stars. This one I thought was less magical realism that is normally found in her book and more historical fiction, and Jewish.

Happy new thread, Judy and here's to the beauty of nature!!! I can almost smell the fragrance of those gorgeous roses.

I thought for sure I had read Practical Magic but in looking at the books I have on LT by her, it's not there. I think I had decided to go back to her first book and start at the beginning. I guess I'll have to add that to the list I have. Of the ones I've read so far, I really liked The Probable Future and Blackbird House which is a collection of stories.

>85 BLBera: Hi Beth, I have Rules of Magic so I will be reading it at some point. I see she has a new book coming out this October that also deals with the Owen family. This one goes back to the Salem witch trials and the first of the Owen's witches. It's called Magic Lessons and I am definitely adding this one to my wish list.

>86 Kristelh: She has quite an extensive catlogue which makes me happy, I will have plenty to chose from.

>87 Carmenere: Hi Lynda, right now I am smelling lilac's in the air, which is lovely. Roses will come later this month and into June. One of my other favorites is Sweet Peas. I've tried growing them here in containers but they didn't work very well. My daughter grows them and, for her, they are outstanding.

>88 dudes22: Well, it seems that everyone has a different favorite Hoffman, with Blackbird House getting a couple of nods. I will probably read the ones that I already have, and then if I am still a fan, will pick up some more by her.

89. As The Crow Flies by Craig Johnson - 4.2 ★
Category: Random Place - Wyoming
May TIOLI #16: May Birthstone Challenge - Green Cover



As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson is the eighth book in his Sheriff Walt Longmire series. As the story begins, Walt and his best friend Henry Standing Bear are in the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in southern Montana. They are trying to locate a wedding site for his daughter whose wedding is just two weeks away. They are at the bottom of the Painted Warrior Cliffs when they see a woman falling from the top. When they reach the body they realize that she carried her baby down with her and he is very much alive. As they rush to get the baby to the Indian Health Center, they are followed by the newly appointed Chief Lolo Long, who promptly slaps handcuffs on Walt, takes his gun and arrests him for running a stop sign on the trip to the hospital.

Thus Walt makes the acquaintance of the very prickly Lolo Long, and even with this difficult start, Walt decides to stick around and help her as he can see that she is in way over her head. All the evidence points to this being a murder and Lolo, although she hates to admit it, needs an experienced mentor. As the story is set away from Absaroka County, the usual supporting cast is missing, but the author peoples this book with plenty of colorful and interesting characters. Between dealing with the difficult Lolo, searching for a murderer and planning for Cady’s wedding, Walt has a full plate.

Walt Longmire is a wonderful character, his wry humor and gentle strength enrich this well-crafted story and this series continues to be appealing, exciting and enjoyable.

90. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov - 4.0 ★
Category: SFFFKit
May SFFFKit: Sentient Things
BingoDog: Published the Year I was Born
1,001 Books To Read Before I Die List
May TIOLI #9: A Book With A.I. or Sentient Things



I, Robot by Isaac Asimov is a collection of connected short stories, all dealing with robots and the ideologies that surround them. Although originally published in book form in 1950, many of these stories were written during the 1940s, and his look to the future was partly zeroed into both the years we are living in now and our immediate future, which makes his ideas and concepts all the more interesting. Asimov foresaw a word, even a universe, in which mankind is aided and assisted by ever evolving robots.

Most of these stories revolve around the three laws of robotics that the author developed, these being that robots cannot harm or injure humans, that they must obey orders given by humans and that they can protect it’s own existence as long as it doesn’t conflict with the other two rules. Although sounding very straight forward, these laws were open for interpretation by the robots, and thus variations did occur and the benefits and flaws of this system are examined in these stories.

Although A. I. hasn’t developed to the extent of this book, Asimov’s ideas from the 1940s and 50s show incredible foresight on his part. I found I, Robot to be both a thought provoking and highly enjoyable read.

>91 DeltaQueen50: Glad you liked it! I plan to reread it this month too. Since I know that you like mysteries as well as science fiction, you might like his The Caves of Steel which combines the 2 genres when a human cop is paired with a robot to investigate a politically sensitive murder case.

>92 leslie.98: Thanks Leslie. This was my first Asimov and I quite enjoyed it so I am definitely going to be on the look-out for The Caves of Steel

Hi Judy. Stopping by to get caught up. Very excited to learn that the Outlander series audiobooks are narrated by Davina Porter! She is the narrator for the Sebastian St. Cyr audiobooks. She is a wonderful narrator. Sorry to learn your grandson came down with Strep Throat, but as you said, better than that other virus that is capturing all the news. I do hope he is feeling better soon.

I understand we are in for some wonderful weather this weekend. I just might even get the kayak out (first time this year).

>94 lkernagh: Hi Lori. I can't think of a better place to be than out on the water today so I hope you did get the kayak out. My grandson is much better and is thinking of returning to work next week, his mother and I would both rather he wait a little longer but it's hard to rein them in at that age. I have the first three Sebastian St. Cyr books on my shelves, but with that narrator, I may switch to audio!

91. The Water Margin: Outlaws of the Marsh by Shi Nai'An - 4.5 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
1,001 Group Read
May TIOLI #6: Title Contains One of the Four Elements



The Water Margin is a novel attributed to Shi Nai’an and is considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese Literature. I started this book early in February and been reading a chapter or two a day since. This is an epic story about rebels, resistance, war, friendship and revenge. It concerns the gathering together of 108 people who, for various reasons, defy local authorities and join a bandit force hiding out on a march-surrounded mountain. While it is an absolute door-stopper of a book at over 2,100 pages, it is not a difficult read and is full of adventure, humor and traditions of 14th century China.

The book lends itself well to reading in chapters, each one contained a story and each ended with phrasing to the effect that if you wanted to find out what or why something happened then read the next chapter. I was charmed by the story and it took me back to the 1990s when I played a series of RPGs called Sukoden which was loosely based on this book, and in many ways my game playing helped me understand what was happening in this book. The challenge to this read was keeping all the characters straight, and understanding the various military campaigns. There is a lot of information included that concerns tactics, strategy, and military maneuvers on a large scale.

The characters were fascinating and many had very colourful names such as The Jade Unicorn, Du Xing the Demon Face, “Cut Your Heart Out” Wang, and Oily Mudfish which certainly helped to identify them. One of my personal favourites was the drunken monk, Sagacious Lu. Although the book is mostly about action and features battles, kidnappings, assassinations, torture and single combat, one character does do a fair amount of reflection. This is Song Jiang, who emerges as the leader. Also called The Timely Rain, it is he who handles the organization and strategy and has the most empathy of all the characters.

The Water Margin is truly a grand adventure story and is a work of stunning achievement. I enjoyed my read of this book and feel it was well worth the time invested.

>96 DeltaQueen50: That sounds fascinating, Judy. There seem to be many versions out there. Do you mind sharing which version you read?

>97 Dejah_Thoris: There are a ton of versions of this book! Also there are many mysteries about the actual authorship and timing as well. I read a Kindle version whose cover is pictured above. There wasn't a lot of information included with this edition, but authorship is credited to Shi Nai-An (first 71 chapters) and then to Luo Guanzhong of Three Kingdoms fame and translation to Sidney Shapiro. Apparently in many of the original translations most of the sexual content and episodes of drunkeness was eliminated, this version restores all of that. There are 100 chapters in all and although there was no page count in my version, the file size was given as 3,648 KB whereas another version of the book which give a page count of 850 had a file size of 2,536 KB. I hope you give it a try and that you enjoy it.

>98 DeltaQueen50: Excellent! That's the version I'll get. I'm very intrigued.

I've been seeing blooming lilacs around for the past week or so, Judy. So looks like we were just a bit out with the timing in your memories. Isn't it gorgeous out there?

>94 lkernagh: There were kayakers as well as tubers on the Coquitlam River today, Lori. I hope you got out on the water today.

>95 DeltaQueen50: and >100 Familyhistorian: - No kayaking this weekend for me, Judy and Meg. I have to rely on the tide tables as my favorite entry point is a small lagoon area with rock formations I need to be able to float over to get into the larger harbour area. High tide this weekend is either 4am or 10 pm. Low tide is at noon. *sighs*

Happy Mother's Day, everyone. I had a lovely day. We are having a heat spell so I spent a lot of time sitting outside with my book today. One daughter dropped by and brought me a gorgeous hanging basket while the other daughter called and is dropping by tomorrow evening - with some goodies for me, I think. Saw my granddaughter as well as she was with her Mom when they brought the hanging basket over. My husband did steak on the BBQ for dinner so other than whipping up a dessert and popping a potato in the oven, I didn't have many kitchen duties. Now I am going to post a review on the book I finished, and then try to catch up here on LT. I wish I could have spend today with my own Mother but I sent her a card and understand that she is still healing from her fall. There is a chance that I will be able to go visit her later this month for her 99th birthday, but if not, hopefully, travel will be allowed in June.

>101 lkernagh: Sorry you couldn't get out on the water, Lori. Hopefully this is just the start of some great weather and that you get plenty of chances to get that kayak floating!

92. Gone With The Windsors by Laurie Graham - 4.2 ★
Category: RandomCat
May RandomCat: Believe in Your Shelves
Bingo Dog: Title Contains a Pun
May TIOLI #1: Author's Name Contains an Item of Food or Drink



Gone With the Windsors by Laurie Graham is a re-telling of the love affair between Wallis Simpson and the Prince of Wales, soon to be Edward VII. Told through the journal entries of Wallis’ best friend Maybell Brumley, a fellow American. Wallis and Maybell grew up in Baltimore together and were schoolmates. When Maybell’s millionaire husband dies, she move to England and becomes reacquainted with Wallis. With Maybell’s money and Wallis’ connections, they set their eyes on meeting the Prince of Wales as knowing him gives them an entree into the high society that they wish to be part of.

There were two camps to English high society, those who strictly followed the age-old rules and were on the side of King and Queen. They shook their heads over the lively society that the Prince of Wales kept. His was a society of cocktails, gossip and high jinks that reminded me somewhat of high school with the Prince of Wales as the head boy and his current paramour at his side laying down the rules to everyone else. Wallis neatly snags the Prince away from his current companion and takes over all aspects of the Prince’s life. He is totally enthralled by Wallis and does his best to marry her and have her proclaimed Queen of England. The scandal and the eventual abdication play out while storm clouds are gathering over Europe with the likes of Hitler and Mussolini coming into power.

Gone With the Windsors was very humorous as the author uses her witty insight to skewer not just the situation, but the people, customs and rules that came into play during these years leading up to the abdication. Wallis Simpson comes across as a controlling, ambitious, and very intelligent woman. She lures the rather simple-minded Prince into her snare and he becomes putty in her hands. The author gives this familiar story a fresh spin by giving a voice to the rather dim Maybell who admires Wallis and see most things through rose-coloured glasses. I found Gone With the Windsors to be an entertaining and enjoyable read.

Hi, Judy! Okay, your review makes Water Margin Tales of the Marshes sound like I need to read it. Even at 2,000-plus pages. *yikes!*

Love the roses in >1 DeltaQueen50:. I have to say, I miss having roses, but I miss having lilac bushes even more. If we're still here next spring, I think I'm going to plant some of each.

>105 Storeetllr: I too am missing the lilacs.

>105 Storeetllr: There are a lot of versions of The Water Margin available, Mary, so if you aren't up to the whole 2,000 page experience, you could try some of the shorter ones.

>105 Storeetllr: & >106 leslie.98: The apartment building up on the corner of our street has a group of lilacs right next to the sidewalk so I get to walk by them everytime we go for a walk, I love the scent!

93. The House At Sea's End by Elly Griffiths - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Character - Ruth Galloway
May TIOLI #5: Morphy's Rolling Challenge - A Marked Book



The House At Sea’s End by Elly Griffiths is the third book in the Ruth Galloway series, and in this one she is experiencing the ups and downs of being a new mother, as well as becoming involved in a mystery that goes back to World War II with the discovery of six bodies that were exposed due to coastal erosion. As a forensics specialist, Ruth is called upon to help date and identify the bones.

This find suddenly becomes a modern mystery when it becomes obvious that someone desperately wants to guard this wartime secret from coming to light. DCI Harry Nelson and his team, including Ruth, are left trying to solve the older secret in order to discover who is so determined to keep it hidden.

While overall I found the actual mysteries in this book a little weak, The House At Sea’s End was a very good addition to the series in that it continues to explore the complicated relationship between Ruth and Harry as well as developing and expanding the reoccurring secondary characters. Elly Griffiths mysteries continue to use the setting as a main factor in her crime stories and in this one we experience the changeable weather of spring on the Norfolk coast with it’s surging tides, cool temperatures and sudden changes. I am looking forward to continuing on with this series both for the mystery aspect and for the emotional predicaments to come.

>107 DeltaQueen50: No, I don't do abridged versions. Not even for *gulp* 2,000-plus page books.

>109 Storeetllr: I sure hope you enjoy the book, Mary.

Hi Judy - The Water Margin sounds great; onto the list it goes. Great comments. This is maybe a good time to tackle some tomes.

>111 BLBera: Beth, one of my reading goals is to tackle some of these very long books - all too often I tend to push them aside for a shorter book. Group reads help a lot with this, and also reading by installment. The Water Margin although huge, is very easy reading. Currently I have started Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas which is a group read over May and June, so far I am liking it but again, keeping characters straight is a bit of a problem - it seems every other fellow was named Henri!

Well, the only English version of The Water Margin on Kindle I can find has only 850 pages, but it doesn't say it's abridged. It's translated by J. H. Jackson. I borrowed it and will let you know how it goes.

>113 Storeetllr: Mary, the book has many mysteries around it, one is of authorship, many believing that only the first 70 chapters are original to the story and the other 30 chapters were added over a number of years, even centuries. So you may have the original 70 chapters or it could just be a font size difference or the version of the translation - whatever, 850 pages is still a huge investment of time so I hope you have fun with it.

I picked up two more books today that will count toward my 12th Thingaversary. This leaves me with 3 more books to purchase which I will do in June which is the actual month of my Thingaversary.

Today I bought:

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

>115 DeltaQueen50: I hope you enjoy The Flatshare! I was so charmed by it.

I hope you enjoy The Tender Land. Although I liked Ordinary Grace better, this was wonderful too.

Sweet Thursday, Judy! I love how you churn through the books. Yah! And hooray for Walt Longmire! What a great series.

>117 dudes22:, >115 DeltaQueen50: I think the same although they are quite different books. I'm glad to be reminded of The Flatshare, my library has it so I'll get a request in. I picked up a book curbside today and have another on hold already. The person that brought my book out today told me as she made a quick handoff that the circulation department is staying very busy during their shutdown!

>116 christina_reads: - What Christina said!

>116 christina_reads:, >117 dudes22: & >120 katiekrug: I am looking forward to both books. The Flatshare has good such good reviews from many of my LT friends and sounds like a perfect light read. And I too, loved Ordinary Grace so I am looking forward to This Tender Land

>118 msf59: Hi Mark, yep, lots of reading going on over here. I've sort of neglected Walt Longmire recently, we watched the Netflick series and then I just sort of forgot about continuing on with the series. I was happy to get back to it.

>119 clue: You will be reading The Flatshare before I get to it so I will be looking forward to reading your thoughts on it. I have bought a number of books for my Thingaversary in June and I have promised myself not to start any of them until after my actual Thingaversary.

I also thought The Flatshare was charming, Judy.

>122 BLBera: I'm pretty sure your Flatshare review was one of the ones that influenced me to add this to my Thingaversary purchases, Beth. :)

It's hard to believe that May is half-way through. I doubt very much that I will finish all the books that I had planned to read this month, but I still went ahead a picked my random books for June.

Random Member: Snakethumper - Clean Cut by Lynda La Plante
Random Tag: Family Life - Cheaper By The Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth
Random Awards: American Book Award (1985) - Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
Random Character: Eleanor Roosevelt - Lucy by Ellen Feldman
Random Place: England: Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie
Random Book of Mine: The Last Survivors by Bobby Adair

>124 DeltaQueen50: I'll probably join you for Cheaper by the Dozen, Judy - it's an old favorite.

I loved Love Medicine! Hope it's a winner for you too, Judy.

>125 Dejah_Thoris: Glad to have the company. This is another book that has been on my shelves for far too long!

>126 katiekrug: Katie, a number of years ago I read The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich and I really liked it. I don't know why it has taken me so long to get back to this author.

94. All The Earth, Thrown To The Sky by Joe R. Lansdale - 4.1 ★
Category: AlphaKit
May AlphaKit: L
May TIOLI #6: Title Contains One of the Four Elements



All The Earth, Thrown To The Sky by Joe R. Lansdale is a YA novel that takes place during the Dust Bowl Depression in the mid-1930s. Jack Catcher’s parents have died, his mother from lung disease and his father from suicide. When neighbours Jane and Tony Lewis show up and explain that they have also become orphans, the trio decide to head out to East Texas to look for relatives of Jane and Tony. Their trip takes a downward turn when they have a run in with a couple of gangsters. They learn that these two criminals are on their way to kill Strangler, a former gang member who stole their loot and plans to get his crippled daughter an operation. Jack, Jane and Tony decide they must warn Strangler of the danger he is in. Along the way they encounter all types of people, learn new skills, and many life lessons about honesty, common sense, and best of all, Jack learns how to have hope for the future again.

All The Earth, Thrown To The Sky was a fun road trip adventure. The author keeps the story moving at a brisk pace and paints a vivid picture of Depression-era Oklahoma/Texas along the way. I found this book to be a great read with a good balance of humor, suspense and information. The characters are likeable and easy to root for, and I particularly liked Jane who always embellishes her stories and isn’t afraid to speak up and say what she thinks. Long after my memory of this story fades, I believe I will remember this tough, brave, cheeky young lady.

>128 DeltaQueen50: I'll have to put this one on my list, I read a few of his books years ago but nothing for quite awhile. I have The Bottoms on my wishlist, I think it won the Edgar.

>129 clue: I have The Bottoms on my wishlist as well, it seems to get very good reviews and, yes, it won a number of awards including the Edgar, the Anthony and Macavity.

Hi there, Judy. Fresh flower pictures on my thread for your delectation, should you choose!!

Happy Thingaversary, Judy!

You will enjoy The Flatshare. Like so many others, I loved it.

>131 ronincats: Hi Roni, I am on my way!

>132 VivienneR: I am looking forward to it, Vivienne. :)

95. The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami
Category: Reading Through Time
May Reading Through Time: Explorers
TIOLI #2: Written by an Author from a Different Country



I have mixed feelings about The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami, on the one hand it was a fascinating story presented as the memoirs of a black Moroccan slave who accompanied his master on the 1527 exploration of what was to become the Gulf Coast of the United States. The leader of the expedition, Panfilo de Narvez brought with him a crew of about 600 men and 100 horses. His goal was to claim this area for Spain, and to acquire wealth and prestige for himself. Unfortunately this expedition seemed to be cursed, they faced resistance from the natives, made navigational errors, and suffered from starvation and disease. Within a year, there were only four survivors, one of which was our narrator, Mustafa al-Zamori.

The drawback for me was that I listened to an audio version of the book as narrated by Neil Shah which presented a number of problems for me. First I found it very difficult to keep the many characters straight as to my uneducated ear, the Spanish names often sounded the same. While the narrator had the Castilian accent down pat, I found his voice quite irritating and his performance at times rather over wrought. Woman’s voices were particularly irritating, they all sounded like simpering fools. I think if I had read this book rather than listened, I would have loved it, instead I found my constant irritation pulled me away from the story.

It’s hard to give this book a rating as I believe it would have been four plus stars if I had read the book whereas as an audio that rating comes down to a 2. So I have decided not to give this book a numbered rating as I don’t want my feelings about the narrator’s interpretation to take away from the excellent writing and research that produced such an interesting story based on actual history.

>128 DeltaQueen50: Whoa, Lansdale is writing YA?! So, he cuts the swearing down to every other sentence? ;-)

>135 mstrust: I didn't realize that it was YA until I saw it classed as such over at Goodreads. But when I think about it, he did clean up his language and the story was pretty straight-forward and simple. I find that most coming-of-age tales are given the YA label so I don't pay that much attention to it.

I'm another one who enjoyed The Flatshare, Judy. I hope you get in some more outdoor reading today. Looks like we're in for rain for the better part of the week.

>137 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. We had to run some errands today but I did manage to finish my current book. I started the day off in cropped pants, then it clouded up so I changed into jeans, then it got warm and sunny again, so I ended up back in the short pants. I like it when we have sunny days and cool evenings. Wow, I knew that many of my LT friends liked The Flatshare - I must be riddled with bullet holes from that one!

96. Dead Water by Ann Cleeves - 4.2 ★
Category: GeoCat
May GeoCat: Set in a Place I Would Love to Visit
May TIOLI #6: Title Contains on of the Four Elements



Dead Water by Ann Cleeves is the fifth book in her Shetland Mystery Series. While Inspector Jimmy Perez is still being affected by events from the last book and has only returned to work on a part time basis, a new character is introduced in Willow Reeves who has arrived to oversee the investigation into the murder of journalist Jerry Markham. Jimmy finds his interest is aroused by this case and with his local knowledge of both people and landscapes, he and Willow are able to eventually bring this case to a successful conclusion.

I really liked this book, the murders intrigued me, the Shetland setting captivated me and I was interested in seeing Jimmy Perez start to recover from his depression and begin to show some interest in his life again. This series often highlights how many secrets the close-knit communities on the Shetland Islands hold, and once again as this investigation leads the police around the islands, the reader gets a sense of this remote place and it’s cultures, both old and new.

Dead Water was a very satisfying read. Since I watched the BBC drama that was made of the series, I cannot help but picture actor Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez. Although he looks nothing like the written description of the character, the portrayal of this down-to-earth, steady detective who balances his work with his love and care of his daughter is spot on. I am looking forward to continuing on with book number six.

One of the things that I have not been as good at lately while dealing with some of the anxiety produced by COVID-19 is catching up on threads. But here I am finally to report on several book bullets from your previous thread and this one, thank you! (The Dry, The Three, Innocent Traitor and No Orchids for Miss Blandish)

Also, so glad to hear your Mom is ok - very scary to hear about something like that and to be unable to visit with her. Hopefully you'll be able to see her soon.

>140 LisaMorr: Hi Lisa, I have been a little slow in getting to catch up with everyone here as well. Glad I was able to give you a few BBs. Yesterday was my Mom's 99th birthday - I wish I could have been there - but my brother said they celebrated quietly. He made a strawberry shortcake for her birthday cake and she was able to read all the e-cards that were sent to her. Phone calls won't work with her anymore as she is deaf. She is still recovering from her fall and having some difficulties with her shoulder, but she is at home and is healthy so we are thankful.

97. As She Left It by Catriona McPherson - 4.5 ★
Category: Random Tag - Neighbours
May TIOLI #2: Written by an Author From a Different Country Than Mine



Opal escaped from her drinking Mother and went to live with her father when she was twelve, but ten years later, after her Mother died, she returned to the house on Mote Street in Leeds. She was surprised to find most of the same people still living there, and that nothing much had changed. But she was mistaken in that, some things had changed and some very important things had happened. First among them, was the disappearance of her favourite neighbour’s grandson. Opal remembered him as a baby, but at three years of age, he wandered off from his grandmother’s house and was never seen again.

In furnishing her new place, she buys a second-hand bed. Inside one of the bed knobs she finds a message. A message from a lost girl that Opal feels she must follow up on. Then there is her old music teacher and neighbour, who goes by the nickname of Fishbo. He is failing in health and says he can never go home again, Opal resolves to help him find some family to ease his last years. Opal hopes that these three quests, plus her new job at the local Tesco grocery store will keep her so busy that she doesn’t have time to dwell on her own clouded past. But as she discovers, secrets have a way of coming to the surface.

I really enjoyed As She Left It. This a different, unpredictable story that has been excellently plotted. The author delivers a compelling story that is full of unique and engaging characters and the working class setting helps to shape and give substance to the story, As She Left It was both a mystery and a compelling personal journey and I will be looking for more by this author.

>142 DeltaQueen50: Great review and a BB for me!

>141 DeltaQueen50: Happy belated birthday to your mom! :)

>142 DeltaQueen50: You make that one sound really interesting, Judy, and I wouldn't say that's a book I'd normally pick up. I'll check and see if my library has it, since the be starting curbside pickup soon.

>143 Tess_W: I really enjoyed that book, Tess. Apparently the author is well-known for a historical mystery series with a main character called 'Dandy Gilver', plus she has written a number of stand alones. I fully intent on following up with more of her stand-alones.

>144 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP, it is quite a milestone.

>145 Dejah_Thoris: I enjoyed As She Left It alot, Dejah. I would say it reminded me a little of the first books I read by Denise Mina, the Garnethill Trilogy. So if you are a fan of Denise Mina, this one may resonate with you.

Woe is me. It looks like this is going to be another month where I can't complete all the books that I had committed to. Now I have to go through the pile and decide which ones are "must" reads and which ones I can let go for now.

Note to myself - don't overbook yourself in June!!

Happy birthday to your Mom!

And a BB for me for As She Left It.

My first visit! Adore your photos of the roses. Thanks for giving me the link to "find" your thread.
Lots of intriguing reads here.

>147 DeltaQueen50: I hope you enjoy As She Left It, Lisa.

>149 SandyAMcPherson: Welcome to my thread and thanks for looking me up, Sandy.

Wow, 99! Happy birthday to Mom!

Hello Judy! Catching up again after a couple of weekends off of LT.

Glad you enjoyed I, Robot. I've found that Asimov is very much one of the more empathetic early sci-fi authors. He's quite different from Heinlein (whom I'm reading now for the SFFKit challenge). I read both The Gods Themselves and the first Foundation and in each, there is a caring for the characters that is refreshing. And the bad "guys" get their just desserts.

Water Margin sounds absolutely fascinating. I have a similarly long tome on my shelves, Tirant Lo Blanc, that I hope someday to read. Maybe with "Water Margin"?!

And Gone with the Windsors sounds absolutely fascinating. And funny. And with well-developed characters based on contemporary sources (instead of the usual speculative accounts about their motives).

Happy birthday to your mother, glad your grandson is feeling better, and enjoy your lilacs!

Oh, and did you get roses to grow in containers?

I am celebrating the end of Ramadan, Judy, a time of thanks and forgiveness and I want to say my thanks to all my LT friends for helping keep me somewhat sane these last few years.

Lovely to see your reading numbers as impressive as ever my dear Guru.

>151 mstrust: Hi Jennifer. Yes, 99 - although my brother said she kept insisting she was only 96! He wasn't sure if she was joking or if she has really forgotten a few years. I said let her be whatever age she wants as long as she is happy and healthy. :)

>152 threadnsong: I'm looking forward to reading some more Asimov in the future, and as I haven't read any Heinlein, I would like to try some of his work as well. I have Friday on my Kindle and I think I should give Starship Troopers a try at some point as well. As for the roses, I haven't seen any minature roses for sale yet this year. You know how it is, when you're not looking for something you see it everywhere but when you are looking for it - it can't be found. Nurseries are not set up for easy browsing right now, our trips there have mostly been in and out. I expect at some point I will stumble over a display of minature roses.

>153 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, well, thank you for joining LT and brightening all our lives. LT has become my "happy place" I know I can always come here and feel safe and secure and surrounded by books and book loving people (the best kind of people). :)

98. Seafire by Natalie C. Parker - 4.0 ★
Category: AlphaKit
May AlphaKit: P
May TIOLI #6: Title Contains One of the Four Elements



Seafire is the first volume of a trilogy that revolves around Caledonia Styx, the captain of an all female crew who sail the seas looking for vengeance against a brutal tyrant who controls their known world. Caledonia was fourteen when she lost her family in a brutal massacre. She and her friend, Pisces were the only survivors, and four years later they have reclaimed their damaged ship, rebuilt her and recruited an all female crew. Their goal is to play havoc against anything that is under the control of the warlord Aric Athair and his men, known as Bullets. Aric Athair ensures the loyalty of his men by keeping them addicted to a drug, leaving him means a harsh withdrawal from it’s comfort.

This was a fast moving story filled with action and adventure. I found myself quite engrossed in rooting for these young women. When they allow a deserter Bullet to live, they learn that Caledonia and Pisces’ brothers are still alive. They have been turned into Bullets but the girls decide they will attack the ship they are on and reclaim them. This is a YA story, and as such there is the beginnings of a romance added into the story, but really I found myself most interested in the action and the relationships between the women. This is a racially mixed crew, and in this world, skin color and ethnicity are accepted and someone’s worth is judged solely on how well they do their job.

Seafire is the first book of the trilogy and so it did end in a slight cliffhanger, but I expected this so was not too dismayed that the story didn’t come to a full conclusion. I have the second book waiting and when I am in the mood for a fun escape and some female swashbuckling, I know where to turn.

Hi, Judy! Just checking in. I have been enjoying a long holiday weekend. I could get used to this and our weather has finally warmed up. Hope the books are treating you well.

>154 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for echoing my thoughts about LT, which has been my lifeline during these oh so strange times.

Hi, Judy! Glad your mom's doing better but sad you can't be with her. As for shaving off a few years, if it were me, I'd be adding a year, bragging about turning 100. I mean, that's quite the accomplishment!

>156 msf59: Hi Mark, enjoy your holiday weekend. We Canadians kicked off summer with our holiday long weekend last week, although looking outside at the rainy weather today, it doesn't look like summer. :(

>157 LadyoftheLodge: I think we all bless the day we found this site, I was looking for a way to catalogue my books and I found so much more.

>158 Storeetllr: Hopefully, she'll get it straight for next year, Mary.

You got me with a BB for As She Left It and my library has it which is good. I just hope they open the doors soon.

>160 Familyhistorian: I hope you enjoy As She Left It, Meg. Fingers crossed for library openings!

99. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin - 3.3 ★
Category: AlphaKit
AlphaKit: Z
1,001 Group Monthly Challenge: Short Title
May TIOLI #8: A Science Fiction or Speculative Fiction that has been adapted for film or television



I think the main significance of We by Yevgeny Zamyatin is the fact that it was published before either Brave New World or Nineteen Eighty-Four and obviously influenced the authors of both those books. In this imagined world of the 26th century it is held that happiness and freedom are incompatible. This is a future where life is dictated by math, logic and rules. Imagination, emotion and dreams are frowned upon.

Under constant surveillance, the people’s lives are tightly controlled. There is no individuality allowed. They exercise by marching to the state’s anthem, they live in glass houses where they can be observed at all times. There is no marriage and children are created in a lab and raised by the state. Sex is rationed and one can only draw the curtains in their home while engaging in this activity. While I found this all very interesting, I did not connect with the main character or become particularly engaged by the story.

Yevgeny Zamyatin wrote this dystopian novel during a time of change in Russia, he had just come through a revolution and a new system was taking control. He, personally had run afoul of both the white Russians and later, the Communists. We takes a hard look at totalitarian government and the flaws of forcing people into a rigid way of living.

>162 DeltaQueen50: I read We in university for a class about dystopian fiction. Think I'm going to have to read it again to see what I think!

>163 rabbitprincess: I read both Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four when I was much younger and both those books really impressed me. I think I may have been more receptive to this type of distopian fiction when I was younger and more open to political bias and new ideas.

>164 DeltaQueen50: I'd read We a couple of years ago and had a similar reaction to it. I didn't find it particularly engaging but I was glad I'd read it because of its significance in sci-fi literature. Just recently, I finished a reread of 1984 and today, one of my book clubs discussed it over Zoom. It is still a very disturbing read, especially in light of the political situations around the world these days.

>165 mathgirl40: I remember that 1984 really had an impact on me when I originally read it, and it is still much clearer in my mind than Brave New World. It's scary that there are definitely times now that I fear we are moving ever closer to that scenario.

>165 mathgirl40: >166 DeltaQueen50: I feel as if I am living in a dystopian novel sometimes! We finally got to go to church, and there were about 12 people there, all widely separated from each other, all wearing masks, no music. It was surreal.

>167 LadyoftheLodge: It is surreal. I just watched a program where the infectious disease doctor said that even wearing a mask doesn't help much, we could get infected from one another in 4 minutes even if both were wearing a mask. He also says 6 feet of social distancing isn't enough to keep us safe. I think living with this disease is going to be our new normal for some time to come.

100. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes - 3.8 ★
Category: Random Award - 2014 Finalist - The Shirley Jackson Award
May TIOLI #2: Author Comes From a Different Country Than Mine



Creative, shocking and unsettling, Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes is a mash-up of a horror and police story. Set in Detroit, Michigan, this is also a rather depressing look at modern day urban decay. Opening with a bizarre murder where a young boy’s upper body is grafted onto a deer, the story gets progressively weirder as it goes on.

We follow a number a characters who get caught up in these murders. A Detroit detective, her teenage daughter, a would-be internet journalist, and a homeless man. All have their own story-lines and there is a lot going on with each character. Eventually these characters’ stories join together in the final pages of the novel, and this over-the-top conclusion is where I have some difficulty with the book.

Beaukes delivered realistic yet flawed characters and her wonderful writing totally drew me into the story, but the ending felt rushed, abrupt and left me scratching my head as I wonder whether these paranormal monsters are real or imagined. I think if you have read this author before and liked her work, this book would appeal to you, but I would not choose this one for a first read of this author.

>161 DeltaQueen50: The library I found As She Left It in was the Vancouver library so it will take a while longer to get to it, Judy. I find the way they are opening really strange.

I'm glad that the restrictions are being lifted. The first day that Chapters opened I made sure that I went in. Have you taken advantage of any of the new openings?

>170 Familyhistorian: We've been very cautious so far, Meg. We have been sticking to the places we have been going to all along - Canadian Tire, Walmart, Shoppers and Save-On. I haven't checked my local bookstore recently to see if it's open but I would certainly go in there. I'm not a big shopper at the best of times and I don't really need any clothes or shoes etc. right now, so I haven't really checked around to see what is open. I would love to go to a restaurant for a change, but I'm nervous about that so will most likely stick to drive-throughs and take-outs for the time being. We are taking a big step today and having our cleaning lady come in - I've felt very bad for her - all her clients stopped using her and she hasn't had a source of income for some time. We decided it was safe for her to come and we will maintain a proper distance.

Hi Judy - I say let your mom choose her age! She sounds incredible.

We is on my list. Maybe this summer.

Link is up for the Sector General summer group read--check it out!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/320907

>172 BLBera: I totally agree. She will hopefully get it straight next year when she turns 100 and gets a letter from the Queen!

>173 ronincats: Thanks Roni. I have my book(s) and will give them a start either later on this month or early July.

101. Princess At Sea by Dawn Cook - 3.0 ★
Category: Random Member - Alaskabookwoman
May TIOLI #5: Morphy's Rolling Challenge For May



Princess At Sea by Dawn Cook is a mix of action, adventure, fantasy and romance as the story of Tess, the decoy princess comes to a conclusion. I found myself wanting this book to come to an end quickly as the personality of Tess was irritating me. Considering how intelligent she was supposed to be and that she was now acting in the role of an ambassador, she was a very bad judge of character. She constantly backed the wrong person and her stubbornness and blindness got her in hot water over and over again. She always felt that she should be the one to fix any problem and blindly would jump to an assumption, often the wrong one, and end up making things worse.

It’s difficult to enjoy the story when all you want to do is give the main character a shake. I enjoyed the first book, and hoped that Tess would play things a little smarter in this second book, but obviously she hadn’t learned any life lessons from all her experiences. The story was full of action and adventure as pirates kidnap the new Queen, her husband and Tess. Loyalties are tested and the plot gives us a few twists and turns but overall, I wasn’t surprised by the outcome. In fact my biggest surprise is that the author says there will not be a third book, I thought that the romance angle was lacking in this book because it would be addressed in the next one.

Princess At Sea ended up as a book with all the right ingredients, but somehow the recipe just didn’t come together properly.

Judy - when are you planning to read Flatshare? I'll try to join you if I can get it from the library in a timely manner.

>176 Dejah_Thoris: I am planning on reading it in August as it will fit the AlphaKit Challenge that month. Hope you can join me!

>177 DeltaQueen50: I'll aim for August, then. It sounds like fun.

>177 DeltaQueen50: Me too! I have it on hold at the library but not sure when I will ever get it! I'm sure it will be before August! :)

>179 JayneCM: I am looking forward to some light, fun summer reads - and by that I mean romances, space operas and zombies!

>180 DeltaQueen50: That sounds about my speed in books these days, Judy. Every book I read in May had an element of romance in it, be it murder mystery, historical mystery, scifi, or fantasy.

>181 Storeetllr: It's getting harder and harder to escape into a book what with the horrendous events now unfolding in the States. I certainly hope that Trump's days as president are numbered and that change for the better is on the horizon.

102. Hunt for the Skinwalker by Colm Kelleher - 1.5 ★
Category: ScaredyKit
June ScaredyKit: Cryptids & Legendary Creatures
BingoDog: A Weird Title
June TIOLI #2: Rolling Challenge - Published in First Two Decades of Any Century



The Hunt for the Skinwalker by Colm Kelleher, Ph. D and George Knapp was a bizarre and silly book posing as a story of scientific research into some strange occurrences on a ranch in Utah. I choose this book to read for a challenge as I was under the illusion that it was about the legendary Bigfoot, and although Bigfoot was indeed mentioned, so were witches, aliens, were-creatures, ghosts and a Navajo Skinwalker.

These strange events included vanishing and mutilated cattle, the appearance of strange creatures, disappearing objects, unexplained lights, and flying orbs. A research team lead by Colm Kelleher spent hundreds of days and nights at the ranch and investigative journalist George Knapp was allowed to witness and document the team’s work. Unfortunately, the resulting book read more like a titillating tale of unexplained phenomena than a scientific report. I find it laughable that the book has the subtitle of “Science Confronts the Unexplained” as I got the distinctive feeling that this is an effort by the authors to embellish upon the events in order to make money.

Although the book opens with the author whining about the loss of respect both he and Colm Kelleher have experienced because they made the effort to look into these events. I think perhaps the loss of respect may actually be because the book is silly, the writing sloppy, and instead of scientific research, the end result is a piece of delusional weirdness based on here-say and folklore.

>183 DeltaQueen50: Gee, I guess I can take a pass on that one, lol.

Sorry it was a dud.

>183 DeltaQueen50: From the title, I thought it was a history of Navajo Skinwalkers and their importance in Navajo culture, which would be interesting. Oh, well.

Judy--I lost you there for a bit. Sorry. Wow, you have been killing the challenges up top! I keep saying I want to use the LT random search and then I forget. Sigh. Maybe I 'll go look right now....

>183 DeltaQueen50: Wow! You took one for team there, Judy. Sorry it was so...unsatisfactory.

>184 Dejah_Thoris: I was expecting this book to be very unscientific - after all it was supposed to be about legendary creatures, but this was just a mess. Definitely one to avoid.

>185 RidgewayGirl: I am still uncertain as to how the Navajo Skinwalker got into this book. There was specualtion that a Skinwalker put a curse on the ranch causing all the strange events to occur, but there was no evidence to back this up. Certainly not a book to read if you want information on the Navajo culture.

>186 Berly: Kim, I am still enjoying my random picks, I thought I would get tired of them, but these challenges are really helping me read from my shelves.

>187 Matke: Glad to oblige, Gail - I was overdue for a stinker - so now, hopefully, I've gotten it out of the way and can look forward to some good books for the rest of the month.

>182 DeltaQueen50: Amen, sister.

And on that note, I requested my absentee ballots for August and November in the last few days.

>189 ReneeMarie: Good for you, I strongly feel that the world would be a better place if that man was removed from the office of the president!

Whoops, double message!

>191 DeltaQueen50: It's worth saying twice, Judy.

I just mailed in my absentee ballot application (NY requires an application, even though the primary voting will all be by mail this year unless a voter wants to risk his/her life by voting in person).

>192 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, I usually avoid politics here but things have gotten so bad, I am fearful of the future.

103. Dead Man's Grip by Peter James - 4.2 ★
Category: Other Challenges
June MysteryKit: Police Procedurals
June TIOLI #12: Title Contains 3 or More Words



Dead Man’s Grip by Peter James is the seventh book in his D.I. Roy Grace series that is set in Brighton, England. This is one of my favourite police procedural series, as the author gives the reader a perfect amount of action mixed with authentic police details. Grace’s team are familiar characters and I have come to know what to expect from each of them.

In this book, Roy and his team are assigned to look into the details surrounding a fatality that occurred from a traffic accident. It turns out that the victim was the grandson of a New York Mafia chief and his mother is out for revenge on anyone she deems had a part in the death of her son. When the drivers that were involved in the accident start being murdered, Roy needs to go into overdrive to find this professional hit man and stop him.

Meanwhile in Roy’s home-life, he and his partner are expecting their first child and are dealing with some pregnancy problems. He is also taking steps to have his first wife, Sandy, declared dead after her disappearance ten years ago. One of the steps he must take is to place notice of her death in various newspapers. This notice is being read quite avidly by a woman in Germany who, it turns out is indeed Sandy.

I find these books to be absolute page turners and I am excited to continue to read about the Brighton police force at work as well as finding out what is going to happen next in Roy Grace’s personal story.

104. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - 3.7 ★
Category: RandomCat
June RandomCat: Take to the Sea
June AlphaKit: K
June TIOLI #5: Book Written by a Woman and Recommended to Me By a Woman



The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley is a historical romance about a modern day author, Caroline (Carrie) who comes to Scotland to write a historical fiction novel concerning the 1708 Jacobite Rebellion. We are in actuality given two settings, that of modern day Scotland with Carrie and travelling back time to 1708 Scotland with Sophia, a dependent of the countess of Slains Castle, and main character of the book that Carrie is writing. The time lines are intermingled throughout the book, but easily kept straight.

The bridge between these two women is found in Carrie’s family history. There is an ancestral connection between Carrie and Sophia, and this physic link enables Carrie to deliver more fact than fiction in her writing as she is literally able to see and experience Sophia's life. There are romantic complications for both women, but I actually never felt all that connected to the romance angle in this book.

The book was a little slow to get going but the author keeps a firm rein on her historical facts and research and the insertion of real historic characters gives the story authenticity. The author uses fate, destiny and genetic memory to twine these stories together, and overall I think it worked well. The Winter Sea is a well written novel of history and romance that was quite satisfying to read.

105. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth Junior - 4.2 ★
Category: Random Tag - Family Life
June TIOLI #8: Book is About Something You Missed During the Covid-19 Lockdown



Cheaper by the Dozen is a tongue in cheek memoir by Frank Gilbreth Junior and his sister Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. These siblings were just two of the twelve children that their parents raised. Frank Gilbreth Senior and his wife, Lillian Moller Gilbreth were efficiency experts who raised their 12 children in a large house in Montclair, New Jersey. The book takes a humorous look at the unusual child raising methods of Frank Gilbreth. He believed in a hands on approach and in working closely with his wife in order to guide his children. They worked well together even though they were polar opposites.

Frank believed that his efficiency methods that were effective in the workplace could also work well with the children. He taught his children to type, speak different languages, learn math shortcuts and, to readily allow themselves to be guinea pigs for many of his ideas. Although his methods often fell short or ended in hilarity, one thing that came across clearly was the love both of these parents had for each other and their family.

Cheaper by the Dozen is an enjoyable and nostalgic look back at yesteryear. The children were raised during the 1920’s and the book was originally published in 1948. I have seen the charming film version starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy. Apparently many of the events described in the book actually did happen, but the authors used artistic license to enhance the episodes. It is interesting to note that Lillian, in addition to giving birth and raising these children, had a degree in psychology, and worked as one of the first female engineers. I found Cheaper By the Dozen to be a pleasurable read and I look forward to picking up the sequel, Belles on Their Toes in the future.

>196 DeltaQueen50:
Oh, I loved both the book and movie of Cheaper by the Dozen! We seem to have lost the art of (or maybe the market for) funny and gentle memoirs of childhood.

>196 DeltaQueen50: >197 Matke: It's a classic! My parents had it on the shelf when I was a kid and I read it several times. Lillian Moller Gilbreth was from Oakland and got her degree from Berkeley, I think. (As a California kid I took note.)

>196 DeltaQueen50: - Oh, fun - I didn't realize the family lived in Montclair. That's a neighboring town, and has some of our favorite restaurants and shops.

Glad it was a fun read for you.

>196 DeltaQueen50: Love this book! It's on my shelf and I've probably read it 3-4 times in my lifetime. Our school also put it on as a play 5-6 years ago. It is very comparable to Life with Father and The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (which I plan on reading again this summer)

>197 Matke: I love those gentle, humourous memoirs but they are getting more difficult to find. Cheaper by the Dozen was a lovely escape into the past.

>198 NinieB: I was quite fascinated by the mother in this story, she was an interesting lady and I am surprised that she is not more well known. She and her husband were equal partners in their business and she continued to run the business after his death. She consulted for a number of high profile companies, among them Johnson & Johnson and Macy's Department Store. She was friends with Herbert Hoover and his wife, was very active in vounteer work and the Girl Scout organization.

>199 katiekrug: Katie, Cheaper By the Dozen was a quick, light read that made a pleasant escape from today's headlines. Another interesting fact is that apparently the children got together and ensured that their house was demolished as they didn't want anyone else to live in their house. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

>200 Tess_W: I remember reading Five Little Peppers and How They Grew when I was very young. I'll be interested to see if you think it has held up over the years as I am always nervous about revisiting any childhood favorites.

>201 DeltaQueen50: I'm always hesitant to revisit my childhood favorites for that very reason.....I have fond memories and I don't want them destroyed!

>194 DeltaQueen50: I have one of Peter James' books on the shelf and there is one at the library. He sounds excellent. I think you shot me with the BB originally, like many of my BBs.

>197 Matke: >201 DeltaQueen50:

Try Sting-Ray Afternoons by Steve Rushin. I'm not into sports (except horse racing), and he's a sports guy, but it was enjoyable anyway.

I also liked A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel.

>196 DeltaQueen50: I have vintage copies of both of those books, as well as Five Little Peppers and How They Grew and Five Little Peppers Midway which are my original childhood editions! I also have recently re-read Betsy, Tacy, and Tib and others in the series by Maud Hart Lovelace.

>202 Tess_W: When my granddaughter was younger I did a lot of reading to her and was able to enjoy the Little House on the Prairie series which stood up well and some others. It was interesting to see which ones she really took to - her favorite was The Wizard of Oz.

>203 VivienneR: I hope you enjoy Peter James, Vivienne. I still vividly remember the first book in the Roy Grace series, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

>204 ReneeMarie: Thanks for the recs. A Girl Named Zippy looks like something I would enjoy.

>205 LadyoftheLodge: I have some of the Betsy and Tacy stories on my shelves, they were favorites of mine way back-in-the-day. :)

>201 DeltaQueen50: basically the Bible and the Bobbsey Twins are how I learned to read! I have some of the original Bobbsey Twin books from 1957-1959 and later ones that I need to revisit. I revisited my Little Golden Books this year: Little Black Sambo, The Red Hen, Chicken Little, The Gingerbread Man, Peter Rabbit, etc. and for me, they withstood the test of time. I also re-read some of the fairy tales from the omnibus by Shirley Temple and they were also still satisfying. I did not read the Wizard of Oz books, but did watch the movie. I have read the first two books in that series and I rated them 3/5, so they much have also been satisfying. I have read the Little House series probably 4 times in my lifetime. I'm now in the process of collecting all the peripheral books related to Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter, Rose. I've read several and have really learned a lot about the backstories.

I loved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. My 3rd grade teacher read it to my class but I think my older sister had read it to me too. I've just looked at Amazon and I'm surprised to see the author, Betty, MacDonald, died in 1958 at 51. Looking over her books for adults I think I'd like to read them, I don't think I've read any except The Egg and I and I didn't realize that was by the same author as the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books.

>200 Tess_W: I read Five Little Peppers and How They Grew a couple of years ago. Admittedly I didn't really have childhood memories of it although I know I read it. As an adult, though, I found it fascinating because of the description of the poverty in which the Peppers live.

>208 clue: I love Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. That is also a re-read planned for this year!

>207 Tess_W: I have some of the original Bobbsey Twins books too! We loved those when we were kids. I also have some of the Nancy Drew books in the original covers, as well as some of the yellow spine ones. I have Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle too. I guess we are into comfort reading!

I sent the old Bobbsey Twins books to entertain my granddaughter. She loves the stories, so I guess they're ageless!

>207 Tess_W: I think the Bobbsey Twins had a big hand in my learning to read as well, Tess. I'm so old that I remember a time when my family didn't have TV so we were read to a lot. My Mom used to read fairy stories to us before bed, which is strange as some of them are pretty blood-thirsty. I loved Beauty and the Beast, Rose Red and Snow White and East O'the Sun and West O'the Moon. I remember my sister loved The Snow Queen and The Goose Girl.

>208 clue: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is either one that I didn't read or that I don't remember. The Egg and I sounds like a fun read and so I have picked myself up a Kindle copy.

>209 NinieB: I remember reading a few stories about the Peppers and I have to admit I am tempted to give the original one a re-read - maybe later in the year I will do so.

>211 LadyoftheLodge: I collected Nancy Drew books and had quite the collection, but my Dad was in the Navy so we moved a lot and I think I gave the books away at some point. I also had other books about teenage sleuths - does anyone remember Donna Parker or (I am guessing at this name) Polly White? My all-time favorite was Trixie Belden.

>212 SandyAMcPherson: That does my heart good to hear that the Bobbsey Twins are still popular with youngsters of today. :)

106. Local Custom by Sharon Lee - 4.5 ★
Category: GeoCat
June GeoCat: Space
BingoDog: A Book Not Set on Earth
TIOLI #5: A Book By A Woman and Recommended to Me By a Woman



Local Custom by Sharon Lee is part of the Liaden Universe series. I think that every time I read one of these books I declare this one is my favourite, so I won’t do that again, but this was very satisfactory read. This author knows how to deliver romance and science fiction stories that are realistic and rewarding. In Local Custom the romance is between two intelligent adults who had a past connection, a connection that lead to their having a son. Relationships between two alien cultures, in this case a Terran and a Liaden is usually frowned upon. The cultural differences between these people are huge, with the Liadens living in a complex organized world of clans, honour and duty.

The story grows from the cultural differences that these characters have. It’s not that they don’t communicate, it’s more that each one doesn’t really understand what the other is meaning. This isn’t a story of action, instead the reader is constantly rooting on Anne and Er Thom in the hopes that their emotional connection will flower into a lasting relationship. As I have read some Liaden books that was further along in time, I knew the outcome of this romance, but this in no way took away from my enjoyment of the book.

Local Custom was a totally entertaining read filled with well rounded characters and emotional conflicts that rang true. I am loving how I am learning a little bit more about the Lianden universe with every book that I read as the author pretty much always concentrates on relationships and culture. One of my favourite characters in this book was Daav, who it appears, is the main character in the next book as he in turn finds romance. I am looking forward to reading it.

The Bobbsey twins discussion reminded me of other childhood favourites: Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five; all those boarding school stories where girls had midnight feasts, played lacrosse, and solved mysteries; Seven Little Australians.

I remember reading Cheaper by the Dozen as a kid and thought it was hilarious. It might be time for a reread.

Happy June, Judy. I hope all is well and I hope those books are treating you fine. I had mixed feelings about Broken Monsters, but I really liked the premise.

>215 pamelad: Oh, I loved Enid Blyton's books. I so wanted to go off on a bicycle trip with my friends and have adventures like her Secret Seven and Famous Five groups. The Famous Five were another huge favorites with my granddaughter, but unfortunately we couldn't find very many of these books (I didn't have my Kindle in those days). I haven't read Seven Little Australians but I do have it on my Kindle.

>216 BLBera: Cheaper By the Dozen makes a nice, light escape read, Beth.

>217 msf59: Hi Mark, the books are doing well by me. I just finished an Alexandre Dumas historical story and now I am deep into an Agatha Christie mystery.

107. Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas - 3.7 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
May/June Group Read
June 1,001 Group Challenge: Author Does Not Come from USA/UK
June TIOLI #4: Title Contains a Word You Would Use to Name A Puppy



Queen Margot, while not as engrossing or as sweeping as The Count of Monte Crisco was still a highly readable and enjoyable historical novel. Dumas doesn’t let actual history get in the way of his story-telling, for him the story always comes first so characters motives and actions are not always in line with the actual facts. His plot was full of schemes, quarrels, revenge and the politics of the day. Catholics versus Protestants was an ongoing issue, particularly in France, for centuries. The Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre that occurs in the opening chapters of the book actually happened and is believed to have been instigated by Catherine de Medici, the mother of both the King of France and of Margot, the bride of just a few days to the Protestant King of Navarre.

This massacre is the event that draws Margot and Henry of Navarre together in a strong political alliance even though they both look to others for romance. Political ambition is also a driving force in their marriage. However, I never felt that Margot was the main character of this story, I think the author felt more comfortable writing about men, although I suspect he got great enjoyment writing about Catherine de Medici and her many poison plots. Dumas excels in action scenes, swordplay comes alive under with his directions and his descriptions are lively and realistic. A weakness is his characters, to me they are fairly one-dimensional and he does seem to like his women to be rather flirtatious and somewhat fickle. A point in his flavor is that he does give his women intelligence, both Margot and her mother, Catherine had a good read on the politics of the day and knew how to manipulate situations in their favour.

Queen Margot is a long book and I felt it was starting to drag a bit by the time I finished it. While the story never became as stirring emotionally as The Count of Monte Cristo, and at times seemed a little repetitive, I nevertheless enjoyed this entertaining book.

>219 DeltaQueen50: Nice review. I like it when the reader/reviewer is very reflective about the story and brings a strong sense of 'being in the moment' whilst describing the narrative. Duly up-thumbed.

>213 DeltaQueen50: I LOVE TRIXIE BELDEN. I WANT TO BE HER WHEN I GROW UP. I WANT TO MEET JIM.

Sorry for shouting, but those books are among my favorites of all time. Which Trixie is your favorite? I'm partial to Trixie Belden and the Happy Valley Mystery and Trixie Belden and the Mystery of Bob-White Cave.

I don't know the other two you mentioned, but do you know Meg Duncan?
https://www.librarything.com/series/Meg+Duncan

Both series were from a publisher in my home state of Wisconsin.

>213 DeltaQueen50: >221 ReneeMarie: Donna Parker . . . now there's a series I had totally forgotten about. Trixie Belden is more familiar. And . . . happy Hollisters, anyone?

>220 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks for the thumb. Dumas wrote great stories, I am always pleased when I pick up a classic and I find myself enjoying the story.

>221 ReneeMarie: I loved Trixie Belden as well. I wanted to grow up and get to meet her older brother, Brian - he was my heart throb. When I was young there were the original 6 Trixe Belden books by Julie Campbell and just a few more under the pseudonym of Kathryn Kenny. I loved all the original six and I also remember really liking the 7th which was The Mysterious Code. Years later I read the books to my daughter and by that time there were at least 30 Trixie Belden books. I don't believe I ever ran across any Meg Duncan books, but there were a lot of books featuring teenage sleuths around - Ginny Gordon and Cherry Ames were a couple more that I remember.

>222 NinieB: Trixie Belden was my favorite and then I liked Donna Parker next, I particularly remember liking Donna's best friend Ricky (Fredericka), Nancy Drew came in at third place. I don't think I read any Happy Hollisters, but looking at the covers, if I had come across them, I would have certainly read them!

>222 NinieB: - I thought I was the only person who ever read the Happy Hollisters. I loved that series.

>223 DeltaQueen50: I looked at the Donna Parker book covers and I'm 99% sure I read Donna Parker in Hollywood. Even the pink cover looks familiar. I'm sure I read some others too, just not sure which.

>224 dudes22: I think there were six kids? As my brothers were much older than I, my childhood resembled only childhood. I was endlessly fascinated by having siblings close in age.

>193 DeltaQueen50: I hear you.

Nancy Drew was my series of choice when I was a kid. I've got a few of those books on my shelf but haven't reread them yet. It may come to that; I find myself doing a lot of comfort rereading during these very scary times.

>225 NinieB: I was looking at the Donna Parker covers too, some of them were so familiar, I know my sister and I had a number of them on our shelves.

>226 Storeetllr: I've been thinking about re-reading a few Nancy Drew books, maybe the first three or so, just to see how they stand up. I know they may be dated but I often enjoy books that are set in the early years of the 20th century - so bring on the roadsters!

108. Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie - 4.1 ★
Category: Random Place - England
June TIOLI #14: Title Contains an Activity One Can Do Inside



Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie, the final Miss Marple mystery, was published posthumously in 1976, although she had written it years earlier during the Second World War. As a new bride comes to England ahead of her husband and purchases a house in which to start their life together, she starts having flashbacks about a murder. It turns out that she had lived in that very house as a very young child and may have been an eyewitness to the murder of her step-mother. Miss Marple, a family friend, although fearful of stirring up the past, does help the young couple as they investigate and, just as Miss Marple thought, the murderer is still very much in the picture and has no intention of allowing his crimes to be exposed.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sleeping Murder. Miss Marple was shrewd yet compassionate and the newly weds were very likeable and sympathetic characters. Agatha Christie certainly knew how to put masterful puzzles together and then slowly allow the pieces to fall into place. With a few red herrings scattered about the sharp instincts of Miss Marple are called into play and she doesn’t disappoint.

I was a little concerned about this being touted as Miss Marple’s “last case”, but Sleeping Murder was a clever, well-written story with no hint of finality aimed at Jane Marple. Once again I was both charmed and satisfied by an Agatha Christie mystery.

109. The Last Survivors by Bobby Adair and T. W. Piperbrook - 3.0 ★
Category: Random Book of Mine
June TIOLI #17: A Book I've Been Meaning to Read For More Than 3 Year



The Last Survivors by Bobby Adair and T. W. Piperbrook was not the book that I was expecting it to be. I was expecting a modern day ‘end-of-the world” story with zombies, but actually this was a book about a dystopian society many generations after the world as we know it changed. This is a backward society that is ruled by fear. There are zombie like creatures roaming outside the town walls, these are creatures that were once human until they were taken over by spores that changed their appearance and drove them mad. Although the book had aspects that I enjoyed, I am very tired of dystopian stories that have society regressed back to a Middle Ages setting. The strict morals and religion, the lack of technology, the fear of anything “new” seems to be a theme that is all too common. But for me, the worst is the appalling treatment of women as second class citizens.

The story follows a woman called Ella, she has already lost her husband when he became infected by the spores and now she sees evidence that her young son is infected as well. Knowing that this means immediate death for him, she and her son escape the town but they are being hunted by soldiers led by an iron-fisted general. I enjoyed the adventure and survival aspect of this part of the story. However, there is a secondary story line that dealt more with the politics, religion and history of the society that I didn’t find very interesting. This book is the first volume of a trilogy so I expect the seeds are being planted for future story lines.

The book is well written but at this point I am not sure that I will be continuing with the trilogy even though this first one ended with a cliff-hanger. I may pick up the next books if the price is right – and by right, I mean a Kindle Daily Deal.

110. Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich - 4.5 ★
Category: Random Award - 1986 American Book Award
June 1,001 Books Group Read
June TIOLI #16: Author's Birthday Falls Between May 10th and June 13th (Pentecost/Shavuot)



Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich was originally published in 1984 and is her debut novel. In a series of connected short stories the book highlights the lives of three generations of Ojibwe families living on reservations in Minnesota and North Dakota. The stories cover many years from the early 1930s up to the 1980s and all help to define Native American lives and their own thoughts on identity and survival.

Each story is told from the viewpoint of a different character, a member of the Kashpaw, Lamartine, Morrissey, Pillager or Lazarres family. These entwined families share joint history as they have grown up together, married into each other’s families and share children. The opening story delivers a strong statement and lets the reader know they are in for something special. Dealing with dark subject matters such as alcoholism, adultery, illegitimacy and failed dreams, the author is wise enough to insert some humor and light moments as well. The writing is strong and poetic and although at times I had difficulty keeping the characters straight, overall this was a wonderful reading experience.

As a member of the Chippewa and Obijwe tribes, Louise Erdrich has become a strong voice in Native American Literature. In this her first book, she draws on the readers emotions while also teaching us about Native American traditions and beliefs. I will long remember this group of stories and the community of characters she introduces to us.

>230 DeltaQueen50: - Although I've had Erdrich on my radar for a while and even have a few books, I really need to get going and read her. I do like to start with a debut novel usually and this sounds like one I would like. So a BB for me.

>232 Tess_W: I have her Plague of Doves on my shelf and need to get to it! Thanks for reminding me!

>231 dudes22: I hope you enjoy Louise Erdrich when you get to her, Betty.

>232 Tess_W: I loved Plague of Doves when I read it a number of years ago, it was my first Erdrich and I am only sorry it took me so long to get back to her.

I loved Love MEdicine, too.

>228 DeltaQueen50: I recently finished Sleeping Murder as well. I thought it was really good. I love how Christie would incorporate some “spooky” elements in her stories and then resolve them in a no-nonsense sort of way—unless they were Harley Quinn stories, of course.

>229 DeltaQueen50: Wouldn’t it be refreshing if we saw some post-apocalyptic books that involved women taking a front place with healing and herb lore? And then not persecuted because they know and apply these things, but valued as important parts of society?

Erdrich is one of my favorite writers, Judy. So glad you loved her first one. It is one of her best, for sure.

Happy Saturday everyone. We finally decided to venture out and have lunch in an actual restaurant and it worked out just fine. We went to a popular chain restaurant called Milestones and there was only two other tables occupied so I guess people are really hesitant to start eating in public again. I understand that British Columbia's chief Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry was written about in the New York Times for her outstanding work during this Covid-19 crisis. B.C. has had only one new case in the last few days, so we are hopeful that all this social distancing, wearing masks and gloves is working. I have my fingers crossed that we won't be hit with a second wave.

>234 katiekrug: Have you read other Louise Erdrich books, Katie? If so, which ones do you recommend?

>235 Matke: I have a real soft spot for the Miss Marples stories and this one certainly didn't disappoint. As to female empowered dystopia stories - Amen, sister!

>236 BLBera: Hi Beth, I have now read Love Medicine and A Plague of Doves by this author - loved both of them!

I see the July CAT Challenges are starting to be posted so this is a good time to choose my 6 July Random Reads:

Random Member: Red Queen - The Complete Steel by Catherine Aird
Random Tag: Guilt - The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
Random Awards/List: The 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List - Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
Random Character: Phillip - To Sir Phillip With Love by Julia Quinn
Random Place: Michigan, U.S.A. - The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne
Random Book of Mine: Along the Broken Bay by Flora J. Solomon

I'm always interested to see your folly choices. I used folly as one of my categories a few years ago and used a different folly each month (as I recall). I think the hardest one for me was the random character. But I used to like the random member, looking at their profile and the books they like to read.

>239 dudes22: Yes, Random Character can be difficult. A few times it has actually hit on a character in a series that I am reading, and at least once (this month) a famous person that is a character in one of my books. Mostly I have gone with first names which are easier to match.

111. Death on Account by Margaret Yorke - 4.5 ★
Category: AlphaKit
June AlphaKit: Y
June TIOLI #10: June Birthstone - Aleandrite - Book Cover is a Reddish Purple or Teal Color



I have come to expect very good mystery thrillers from author Margaret Yorke and my latest read, Death on Account was no exception. This was a clever, engaging story that I had trouble putting down. It isn’t often that I sympathize with the villain of the piece, but I did with this story.

Robbie is a mild, quiet man. People call him “Old Robbie” though he is only in his mid-forties. He is married to Isabel, who bosses him around and treats him like a servant. Ar work he is ignored and overlooked for promotion. But inside of Robbie is a very different man, he imagines murdering his wife and robbing the bank that he works at. He knows there is a powerful, passionate man inside, he just needs to bring him out. Then when he acts upon an impulse and goes ahead with one part of his plan, he finds himself on the brink of a better world, one where he is happy and fulfilled – he just needs to take the next step. Of course, the police are working quietly in the background, trying to solve Robbie’s first crime, are they going to put the pieces together and take away Robbie’s chance at happiness?

I loved this story of henpecked, middle aged Robbie who yearns to change his life but goes about it in the totally wrong way. The story pulls you in and continually builds until you are eager to see how it will end. Having high hopes I admit I was a little disappointed with the final resolution but it was true to the time in which the book is set. Margaret Yorke wrote her thrillers throughout the 1960s and 70s, and they are not only exciting page-turners, subjects like divorce, promiscuity and lesbianism that were suddenly in the public eye during these decades are all lightly touched upon. I highly recommend this author and, in particular, this book.

112. Lucy by Ellen Feldman - 3.8 ★
Category: Random Character - Eleanor Roosevelt
June TIOLI #4: Title Contains a Word You Would Use to Name A Puppy



Lucy by Ellen Feldman is a historical fiction novel based on the life of Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd who became the love of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s life. They met when she worked for his wife, Eleanor as her social secretary in 1914. At this time, F.D.R. was the assistant secretary of the navy and they continued their relationship as Lucy had moved on to join the women’s auxiliary during World War I. Eleanor was told about their love for each other and agreed to step aside, but Roosevelt wasn’t prepared to give up on his political dreams and so in the autumn of 1919 they parted. Lucy met and married the wealthy Winthrop Rutherfurd and was quietly contented with her marriage. Of course, Roosevelt when on to become the President of the United States. Although they did not see each other, and F.D.R. now had secretary Missy Le Hand in his life, they continued to occasionally write to each other.

Just as World War II was about to break out, Lucy brings her ailing husband to Washington for treatment. She and the president find themselves once again together. When Rutherfurd died in March of 1944, they begin to make plans for their future. He did accept the Democratic nomination to run for a fourth term, but after than he planned to retired and have Lucy at his side. His marriage to Eleanor was purely a business partnership by this time with both having outside interests. Unfortunately, as Lucy and he were taking a break at Warm Springs, Georgia, Franklin Roosevelt passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage.

While this was a very interesting story, I think the author never quite managed to reveal the true personalities of the main characters. I found F.D.R. came across very selfish and ambitious with none of the charisma he was known to have had. Lucy is entirely too docile as she always allowed herself to be set aside or given a back seat. Eleanor never seemed to develop much of a personality in this book, she was always just drifting around in the background. While I have no doubt that ambition and political interest had a great deal to do with why the Roosevelt’s stayed together and why this bittersweet romance was doomed, I expect that all three of these main characters had many more facets to show.

As a love story, I found it difficult to root for this couple as the power was so one sided but I expect this is the way of it when some gets involved with a well-known celebrity or politician. The actual writing is good, the story mostly believable but I felt the rather one dimensional characters didn’t help to breathe life into the book.

>223 DeltaQueen50: >225 NinieB: >227 DeltaQueen50: Will have to look for books about some of the teenage sleuths mentioned. I would bet my older sister had some of the Donna Parker books, especially since they were also Whitman publications.

P.S. -- If you reread Nancy Drew, you might want to check out whichever version you DIDN'T already read. I didn't grow up with them, but found out that the ones from the '60s that most people know were rewritten versions of the original books (to make Nancy more modern). Applewood Books published some of the originals:
http://nancydrew.info/nd0.htm

And I love the Nancy Drew movies from the '30s that starred Bonita Granville. I wish there were more:
https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/28598/original-nancy-drew-movie-mystery-collecti...

>243 ReneeMarie: Whitman Publications really rang a bell with me - I think most of the teen sleuth books that I read came from them. I think I have shelved my Nancy Drew re-read for now, I have so many books on my shelves and Kindles that re-reads just don't make sense.

>215 pamelad: and >218 DeltaQueen50: I grew up in the UK so Enid Blyton was my favourite author. I couldn't get enough of those stories and fortunately Blyton obliged by writing so many.

>242 DeltaQueen50: Great review! I found Harding's The President's Daughter to be very much the same way: powerful men (selfish and ambitious) and the women the have on strings! (docile and in the background). There is a school of thought that believes FDR's personable traits were for public show and when not in public or in front of the mic was just a hateful person.

>242 DeltaQueen50: I have this on my tbr after reading White Houses by Amy Bloom, about Eleanor.

>245 VivienneR: I loved Enid Blyton as well. I think being Canadian we were able to have good access to both American and British authors. My grandmother was a great reader and she was the one who always provided us with Enid Blyton books.

>246 Tess_W: I suspect that most politicians would be difficult to be involved with, their career dictates everything and wives, mistress, girlfriends and children have to be ready to simply be background (or non-existent) if needed to be. I was expecting Eleanor to be more of a powerhouse in this book as she seemed to be so in life.

>247 RidgewayGirl: I think I need to read something that is more directly about Eleanor, I have always admired her and I don't think this book did her much justice - but then, it was written as the point of view of the "other" woman so I imagine listing Eleanor's good qualities wasn't high on the list.

ETA: I am adding White Houses to my list.

>248 DeltaQueen50: I think you'd really like White Houses. I loved it. I do like Ellen Feldman's writing, especially Scottsboro, although I have to admit that some of her novels are better than others.

>245 VivienneR: I credit Enid Blyton with fostering my love of reading - I didn't love all her books, but so many of them I read over and over in my childhood, particularly the Famous Five, and the Adventure books.

>249 RidgewayGirl: I have Scottsboro on my shelves for a future read.

>222 NinieB: Yup, I *devoured* The Happy Hollisters.
But I never kept any... and when I saw a set at a garage sale a few years ago, I took time to read-skim part of one and decided not to buy them. Old childhood memories were good, but they weren't all that well written compared to other authors of the day.

I also loved the Thornton Burgess books, Sammy the Jay, Paddy, the Beaver and so forth. Kids today would perhaps find them uninteresting, I don't know though.

Edited to add that the early Enid Blyton's seem pretty solid still. My 9-y.o. granddaughter is reading some as well as early Nancy Drews. She really enjoyed the Nancy ones. Probably depends on the kid as to what appeals.

>252 SandyAMcPherson: Yay for Thornton W Burgess!
Johnny Chuck, Reddy Fox, and all his delightful (if now incredibly old-fashioned) characters who often acted like naughty children—hence their appeal.

>243 ReneeMarie: Do you (or does anyone) remember Ginny Gordon and Cherry Ames? How I loved those stories, and the Whitman Press struck a chord with me as well. I was a voracious reader (and re-reader: not a lot of money in our house) of these books and nothing made me feel happier or safer than the week after Christmas when everything had quieted down and I could just dive into my books.
But my all-time favorites, I think, were the Dana Girl mysteries with the odious Letty as a subsidiary character in their boarding school.

Oh my. Sorry for the extended nostalgia run here.

>252 SandyAMcPherson: I remember my mother reading Paddy the Beaver to us and probably a few more as well. My sister and I loved them.

>253 Matke: Another Thornton W. Burgess fan! I had a copy of Ginny Gordon and the Lending Library - and I re-read it so many times I think I still remember much of the plot. I also read Cherry Ames as well. Don't worry about extended nostalgia - I think these memories help us in what we are dealing with now. We all had happier, easier times - and they will come again!

I've set up my next thread so please come on over and join me - just click on the blue continued phrase.

>253 Matke: No, sorry. None of those series are familiar to me. But I'm taking notes, and when the library allows ILL again, they're on my list of things to ask for. I have at least heard the name Cherry Ames before.