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

My name is Judy and I have been doing the Category Challenge for over 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 am an avid reader who dabbles into 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.

It’s the middle of August and we are entering the dog-days of summer. In a normal year, this is vacation time for many families, but this year we have elected to stay home and will only dream of going to the beach or getting on the highway for a road trip. Actually one of our daughters has a beach cottage on Vancouver Island and she and her family are over there for a couple of weeks, much to our envy. Since I can’t get to the beach this summer, I am using a seaside theme for this thread. So spread your beach towel or pull up a log, stick your marshmallows on a stick as we gather here to talk about books, life and our favorite beaches.



I recently did a jigsaw puzzle of the above picture which introduced me to artist Susan Winget. I have used copies of her prints to decorate this page.

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 ★
5. Clean Cut by Lynda La Plante - 4.0 ★
6. Bones by Jan Burke - 4.0 ★
7. Morning Frost by James Henry - 4.1 ★
8. The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop

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 ★
7. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin - 4.5 ★
8. American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell - 4.3 ★
9. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Cogan - 4.0 ★

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 ★
6. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy - 5.0 ★
7. Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver - 4.5 ★
8. Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay - 4.0 ★

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 ★
7. To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn - 4.0 ★
8. Constable on the Hill by Nicholas Rhea - 4.0 ★
9. Thursday's Child by Nicci French - 4.1 ★

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 ★
7. The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne -3.4 ★
8. Five Roads to Texas by W. J. Lundy plus - 3.7 ★
9. The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama - 4.0 ★

F. Random Book of Mine



Books Read

1. Fast One by Paul Cain - 3.0 ★
2. Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal - 4.2 ★
3. Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid- 4.0 ★
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 ★
7. Along the Broken Bay by Flora J. Solomon - 4.0 ★
8. Bloodless Shadow by Victoria Blake - 3.8 ★
9. Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison - 4.5 ★

G. 2020 RandomCat 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 ★
7. July - Picture This - Postal, Volume 1, Postal, Volume 2, Postal, Volume 3 - Matt Hawkins & Bryan Edward Hill - 4.0 ★
8. August - Get Your Groove On - Funeral Music by Morag Joss - 3.3 ★
9. September - Reccies - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - 4.1 ★

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 ★
8. Country of the Bad Wolfes by James Carlos Blake - 4.0 ★
9. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - 4.1 ★
10. Cold Earth by Sarah Moss - 4.3 ★

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 - Kissing the Demons by Kate Ellis - 4.0 ★
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 - The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harmon - 4.3 ★
9. I
10. J - Pride of Lancashire by Anna Jacobs - 4.0 ★
11. K - China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan - 4.0 ★
12. L - All The Earth, Thrown to the Sky by Joe Lansdale - 4.1 ★
13. M- Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid - 2.8 ★
14. N
15. O - Girl by Edna O'Brien - 4.2 ★
16. P - Seafire by Natalie C. Parker - 4.0 ★
17. Q
18. R - Holy Island by LJ Ross - 1.0 ★
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 ★
8. The Uninvited by Dorothy Macardle - 4.4 ★
9. The G-String Murders by Gypsy Rose Lee - 4.0 ★
10. Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong - 4.0 ★
11. Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End by Manel Loureiro - 3.6 ★

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 ★
5. Revenger by Alastair Reynolds - 3.6 ★
6. Invasion by Sean Platt and Johnny Truant - 3.8 ★
7. Hospital Station by James White - 4.0 ★
8. Peripeteia by Sarah Lyons Fleming - 4.3 ★
9. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski - 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: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
3. Published under a pen name or anon: The Year At Thrush Green by Miss Read
4. A Book about books, bookstores or libraries: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Cogan
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: The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman
12. Set in Asia: When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi
13. Read A Cat: Country of the Bad Wolfes by James Carlos Blake
14. Published in your birth year: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
15. Book cover is predominantly red: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
16. Published in 1820 or 1920: The Loudwater Mystery by Edgar Jepson
17. Book not set on earth: Hospital Station by James White
18. Published in 2020: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
19. About birth or death: The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harmon
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
7. Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran - 4.1 ★
8. The Sisters of St. Croix by Diney Costeloe - 3.8 ★
9. The Island by Victoria Hislop - 4.0 ★
10. A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan - 4.0 ★
11. Silk Road by Colin Falconer - 4.5 ★

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 ★
11. Summer by Edith Wharton - 4.0 ★
12. The Master by Colm Toibin - 4.0 ★
13. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - 4.5 ★
14. Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathaniel West - 2.0 ★
15. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - 4.3 ★
16. The Once and Future King by T. H. White - 4.5 ★
17. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad - 3.8 ★
18. The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer - 4.0 ★
19. The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann - 3.7 ★
20. The Life and Death of Harriet Frean by May Sinclair - 3.4 ★

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 ★
16. June TIOLI #18: A "Fly" in the Ointment - A White Bird Flying by Bess Streeter Aldrich - 3.7 ★
17. July TIOLI #8: A Inspiring, Cheerful or Uplifting Title - Belles on Their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. - 4.0 ★
18. July TIOLI #1: 7th Book on a Shelf - The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel - 3.8 ★
19. August TIOLI #8: Morphy's Challenge - Immortality - Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie - 4.0 ★
20. August TIOLI #12: Read a book by Louis L'Amour - Lando by Louis L'Amour - 3.0 ★
21. September TIOLI #12: Birthstone Challenge - Dark Blue Cover - Dying Day by Robert Ryan - 4.0 ★
22. September TIOLI #7: Title Starts With a Preposition - In the Dark by Loreth Anne White - 4.5 ★

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 ★
12. July TravelKit - The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman - 4.5 ★
13. July MysteryKit - The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov - 3.7 ★
14. August MysteryKit - Calling Out For You by Karin Fossum - 4.3 ★
15. September MysteryKit - Blood Men by Paul Cleave - 3.7 ★

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

And, let the Beach Party begin!

Happy new thread. I love your new pictures and I love your challenges. I want to use some of your ideas next year, especially the random (folly) selections.

Happy New Thread, Judy!

Love the summery pictures on your top post. They look so fresh on this HOT day. We were in Maple Ridge at 5PM and it was 38 degrees!

Happy new thread, Judy. Lovely pictures!

Happy new thread. I love those new pictures!

Love your thread, Judy. Happy new one. I've never looked at the Roulette feature. I must try it.

Happy new thread and I just LOVE this pics!

You’re so close to a blackout on the bingo! Excellent work :D

Happy new thread! I have the same two BingoDOG squares open (along with several other squares). You'd think that those would be the easiest two to fill!

It looks like a lot of us are ready to pack up and head to the beach! We are having a heat wave right now and I am not one who enjoys the hot weather. To make things worse our power cut out for a couple of hours on Saturday night and our third floor apartment sweltered. I spent 30 minutes or so in the dark having a cold shower and then sat outside with my Kindle but there wasn't a breath of wind to cool us off. I think we are through the worst of it and hopefully some cooler weather is on the horizon.

>23 Kristelh: I am really enjoying using the "Random Picks" for some of my categories. I am usually a dedicated planner for my reading so this little bit of spontaneous activity makes a nice change.

>24 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

>25 Nickelini: OMG, at 38 degrees I would be a puddle! We live close to the ocean here so we are usually a few degrees cooler than inland - I don't know what the temperature here was yesterday but it was really, really warm.

>26 MissWatson: & >27 Jackie_K: Thanks, Birgit and Jackie. I really like the artwork of Susan Winget, her soft colours and her beachy views really appeal to me right now.

>28 BLBera: I have been having fun using the roulette feature to help pick some of my reads this year. I am very indecisive so this helps me make a decision!

>29 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess.

>30 rabbitprincess: I'm getting there, I've found the squares pretty easy to fill in this year. I hope to complete these last two during September.

>31 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay. For me, these last two required some actual planning but I think I have a couple of books that will do the job.

150. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - 4.1 ★
Category: GeoCat
August GeoCat: East & South-East Asia
August TIOLI #4: Book Title Starts With A "P"



Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is an epic historical novel that follows a Korean family through four generations. Opening in Korea in 1910 the story follows this family as they emigrate to Japan and try to build a successful and satisfying life in a country that is largely hostile toward them.

The one constant character in Pachinko is Sunja, a peasant girl whose teenage pregnancy and decision to reject her powerful lover drives the story and creates a family history and consequence that we follow throughout the book. As well as the immediate, personal story, this book also illustrates the plight of Koreans who immigrated to Japan and were never accepted. They couldn’t return to Korea as this was a time of turmoil for that country as it disintegrated and was reformed into two, North and South Korea.

I found Pachinko to be a vivid, interesting and entertaining novel that depicted many aspects of Korean life. It is full of emotional conflicts and family tensions. The timeline covered included the Second World War and I was fascinated by the unfolding of history from the Japanese side of the conflict. The story takes us through to 1989 and touches on many aspects of Korean life in Japan. Although there were a lot of time jumps, the story unfolds in a straight forward manner that was easy to follow. There was something rather impersonal in it’s telling so I never fully connected to any of the characters, but I did remain fully engrossed in the story. Toward the end of the book, the story felt a little rushed but overall this is an excellent piece of historical fiction.

Happy new thread, Judy!

We are thinking about going to the beach, or, as they say here, down the shore. But in October because I don't like the heat. Or crowds :)

>34 katiekrug: October sounds like the perfect time to walk the beach, Katie. We have a resort on Vancouver Island called Point No Point that we love to visit in the cooler months as there are less people, and the chance of wave watching during a winter storm.

Actually, today I would love to be here:


Inner tubing on the Cowichan River, Vancouver Island, B.C.

Happy new thread, Judy! Nice going on your Bingo. For the first time I am having trouble with a few squares and I've been a bit discouraged. It's possible that I'll just blast through the last squares in December.

It was 39C here for the past couple of days and your Cowichan River picture looks so inviting.

>36 VivienneR: Thanks, Vivienne. Which squares have you been having problems with? I don't know what I would do in 39 degree heat but most definitely I would have air conditioning installed and then pray that the power doesn't go out. We have friends that live near Invermere and they recorded 42 degrees on their back deck which prompted them to move wine o'clock inside.

We used to go to the Cowichan River during the summer a lot. It's rather remote and wild up there so I am not able to walk the trails that I used to but I sure miss that cool, green water. In fact, that picture above looks like it was taken right at the pool that we used to go to.

Happy New Thread, Judy. Love the toppers, especially the third one. I also liked Pachinko but not as much as other folks. Keep cool.

Happy New Thread, Judy! I'm sure you'll be able to fill those squares easily.

re: from your last thread - I have both of the Gail Tsukiyama books in my TBR and need to think about getting to them sooner.

>38 msf59: Hi Mark. I am working on keeping cool by sitting under two fans - they seem to be doing the trick.

>39 dudes22: Hi Betty, I think I have two books lined up that will cover both of my remaining squares. Hopefully I can fit both in next month. I think you will enjoy the Gail Tsukiyama books when you get to them. ETA: I just realized that the book that I just finished fits the Bingo for "Library" or "Thing" in the title". Now I just have one more square to fill.

151. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - 4.3 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
BingoDog: "Library" or "Thing" in the Title
August TIOLI #1: A Book Where There Are At Least 750 Conversations on LT



Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was first published in 1958 and depicts scenes from the life of Nigeria’s Igbo society. The main character, Okonkwo is a willful and headstrong man that in turns could be abusive, misogynist, impatience and intolerant. He grew up in a warrior’s culture and under the shadow of a lazy, unsuccessful father, so these traits that we would label as faults today, helped him to become a successful and powerful man of the Igbo.

The story of Okonkwo’s life is also a story of how colonialism impacted and undermined the traditional African culture. It is difficult not to condemn the Europeans with their feelings of cultural superiority and their hypocrisy of pushing their religious beliefs on these people. Written without indulging in sentimentality or strong bias, this book comes across as a parable to the memory of the past.

This rather short book encompasses a lot including African identity, racism, cultural differences, social and political issues as well as capturing a period of change and upheaval for the African people. Things Fall Apart was informative, timeless, important and, best of all, an excellent read.

>41 DeltaQueen50: I also thought this tragic book was excellent. Great choice for the Thing square.

Seeing your nearly full BINGO card reminds me I only have a few remaining (and have had most of these all summer--I did fill one spot). I need to make an effort to fill them. I was waiting to be back in the library to obtain a couple of selections, but I've been back a full week now so I guess it's time to make a list of the ones I need to retrieve and get them the next morning before we open to the public. I'm trying to do the stacks visits for books I'm reclassifying and weeding that way so I'll do the same for books I want to read. We made the elevator limit one, so I'm trying to find a time it isn't really in use to get the books I need.

>42 pamelad: I actually had another book in mind for the "Thing" square, but as I was about to post my review I realized that this one fits that square perfectly. :)

>43 thornton37814: I been pretty lucky this year with the Bingo Card, finding the squares quite easy to fill. I should be able to finish it up next month. Good luck in your stack hunting - I envy you being able to do that!

152. Lando by Louis L'Amour - 3.0 ★
Category: TIOLI Challenges
August TIOLI #12: Read a Book by Louis L'Amour



Lando is the 8th book in Louis L’Amour’s Sackett Family series of which I have been reading on and off for years. This particular story features Orlando Sackett, a young man who has had misfortune follow him all his life. He ends up in Texas and involved in a hunt for missing pirate plunder. He is captured and spends years in a Mexican jail, when he escapes he returns to Texas and plans revenge on those who wronged him.

Although there was plenty of action in this story, I felt it was a little thin on story-line. The reader is told that Lando spends six years in jail, but I would rather have read a little more about this as he went into jail a boy, and came out a fully formed man. As the story progressed, characters came and went with very little explanation, leaving me confused as to their purpose or motives. I also felt that the ending seemed very rushed and wasn’t really very conclusive. I thought perhaps the next book in the series will continue Lando’s story, but a quick check shows that the next few books deal with a different member of the Sackett clan.

Overall this was a very quick read that I was able to finish in one sitting. It was enjoyable enough at the time, but I highly doubt that I will remember much about this story in the future.

Hi, Judy! Happy new thread! The images in >1 DeltaQueen50: made me smile. Delightfully nostalgic!

Happy new thread, Judy. When I read the post about it being 38 degrees in Maple Ridge I had to check to see what day that was. Sunday was rather warm and I'm just down the road from Maple Ridge. I was expecting it to be a lot cooler today but it wasn't much but apparently it's supposed to cool down tomorrow before we get into some rain.

Looks like you are doing well with reading from your shelves. I gave up on that as soon as I was able to get books from the library. I really should read more of my own books but my stack of giveaways is getting tall.

>46 Storeetllr: Hi Mary. I love those prints by Susan Winget. I really enjoyed putting the puzzle by her together as well.

>47 Familyhistorian: I don't want to ruin anyone's summer, but it can't rain soon enough for me. I know the P.N.E. was cancelled this year, but don't we usually get rain the first week of the P.N.E.?

>48 DeltaQueen50: but don't we usually get rain the first week of the P.N.E.?

Yep! You can set your calendar by it. My husband told me tonight that we have a big rain day coming up, and I said "of course, it's PNE time!"

>49 Nickelini: I guess I am a true blue west coaster cause I look forward to some rain! I was out for awhile this morning and it's actually a lovely day today, slight breeze and definitely a few degrees cooler than it's been. Since rain is coming, I will take advantage of this nice day and spend a lot of time outside reading. I have two really good books going right now.

>48 DeltaQueen50: >49 Nickelini: What is the P.N.E.?

Happy new thread Judy! Love the Susan Winget prints :)

>51 NinieB: Our annual fair is called the Pacific National Exhibition and is usually held here in Vancouver during the last two weeks of August. This year, due to Covid it has been cancelled.

>52 leslie.98: Thanks, Leslie. :)

153. Girl by Edna O'Brien - 4.2 ★
Category: AlphaKit
August AlphaKit - "O"
August TIOLI #7: A Book That Has Been Longlisted for the Woman's Prize in Fiction



Girl by Edna O’Brien is a story about the 2014 kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls by the jihadist group Boko Haram. Reading this novel is like taking a punch to the gut, the horrors that were inflicted up these girls are both disturbing and shocking to read about.

Maryam and her friends are taken in the night from their school. They are brought deep into the jungle and there they are repeatedly raped and forced to convert to Islam, the religion of their captors. Given in marriage to one of the terrorists, Maryam, still a child herself, gives birth to a baby girl. When their camp is bombed, Maryam, her baby and a friend flee. She eventually finds her way back home, only to find that many things have changed.

Girl depicts the absolute brutality that was forced upon these girls. The novel moves along at a fairly rapid pace ensuring the reader feels a sense of urgency and tension. While the author does not shy away from the harsh reality of living in a war-ravaged country, she also leaves Maryam and the reader with a feeling of hope and resilience. Girl is not an easy read due to it’s heart-breaking subject matter but it is a compelling and truthful story that the author compiled from interviews she had with some of the survivors.

>53 DeltaQueen50: And I was sure so PNE was something like a Pacific nor'easter season, a particular season of storms! Right up until it came up that COVID canceled it. A fair makes much more sense.

>54 DeltaQueen50: Nice review. Those girls captured my imagination (that idiom has too positive a spin, I suppose) at the time and as there were updates later. It is heartbreaking.

>55 pammab: I was totally appalled by the story of their kidnapping as well. Then the fact that even though some were able to find a way to return home, their lives had changed forever, was pretty disturbing as well. The author of Girl, Edna O'Brien is in her eighties yet she went to Nigeria and interviewed a number of survivors which helped give the book it's authentic feel.

154. Calling Out For You by Karin Fossum - 4.3 ★
Category: Others
August MysteryKit: International
August TIOLI #11: The First Word of the Title Is Longer Than the Second



Calling Out for You by Norwegian author Karin Fossum is a police procedural that is part of her series featuring Inspector Konrad Sejer. Middle-aged, shy Gunder Jomann returns from India a changed and happy man as he has come home a married man. On the day that his bride is to arrive, his sister is involved in a terrible automobile crash and Gunder has to go to the hospital instead of the airport to greet his new wife. He sends his friend who is a taxi-driver in his place, but unfortunately his bride, Poona can’t be located. The next day it becomes known that a woman has been found, beaten and murdered and now lying in a meadow not far from Gunder’s house.

Inspector Sejer and his assistant, Jacob Skarre, work the case carefully and slowly gather as many details as they can. The crime, committed near the village of Elvestad means that a spotlight is now placed on the town and it’s inhabitants. Although people are reluctant to become involved, a few come forward with information and eventually Sejer makes an arrest.

I found Calling Out for You to be both sinister and gripping. The author writes with intelligence and her measured writing and skilful plotting allows for offshoots of drama and occurrences that leave this case with a hazy, not quite finished feeling. Although I see that many people were annoyed by this ending, I found it refreshing and real that Sejer was involved in a case that wasn’t completely “open and shut”. This is an excellent series and each book that I have read is better than the last so it’s no surprise that with great anticipation, I immediately went and purchased the next book.

Happy new thread Judy. I love the seaside theme! That heat earlier this week was tough to deal with! I had to make use of blackout curtains on our east facing windows and get the electric fans going (no AC). Living on the coast, thankfully, this type of weather doesn't stick around too long. Nice to be back to the more moderate temps. Like you, I tend to love the rainy days.... makes everything smell fresh and clean!

>33 DeltaQueen50: - Great review! I keep seeing wonderful comments about Pachinko but I am still hesitant to dive in. Maybe I will consider it as a winter read.

Re: PNE. I think I read somewhere that the PNE will be a drive-thru experience this year. I can see that working for the midway food venues but not for the rides. ;-)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

>57 DeltaQueen50: - I really need to get back to this series.

>58 lkernagh: Hi Lori, glad to hear that I am not the only West Coaster who doesn't love the heat and enjoys the rain. As much as I hate the discomfort of being too warm, air conditioning just doesn't seem sensible when we only get at the most 10 days of extreme heat a year. Like you we draw the curtains and turn on the fans. Pachinko is a good read, don't let the size of it put you off, it's a pretty fast read as well. I am pretty sure you will enjoy it when you get to it. My daughter and her husband went to a drive through Food Truck festival last weekend, they said it worked well but I can't imagine the PNE as a drive-through!

>59 dudes22: I know that feeling all too well, Betty. :)

155. Constable on the Hill by Nicholas Rhea - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Character - Nick
August TIOLI #5: Came into my possession since March 15, 2020



Constable on the Hill by Nicholas Rhea is the first in his “Constable” series that are about the experiences of a rural policeman in Yorkshire. The author himself was a Yorkshire Bobby and the books draw on many of his own experiences. This series is the basis for a popular British TV show called Heartbeat. Nicholas Rhea is actually a pen name which he used to write the Constable series, his real name is Peter N. Walker.

This first book introduces Constable Nick Rhea and give us both some heartwarming and some humorous antidotes about the events in the life of a rural policeman. The book reminded me somewhat of both James Heriot’s books about being a Yorkshire Vet, and Patrick Taylor’s series about the Irish doctors. It is the 1960s and Constable Rhea has been posted to a small village. He, his wife, Mary and his three young children settle into the provided house/office on the hill outside of the village. His job goes from investigating robberies to inspecting dog licences, some of the cases described in this book involve a naked woman running through the middle of the town, policing dog racing events and helping a lost donkey find it’s way home.

Constable on the Hill is a light and entertaining read, filled with quirky characters and showing how the country police solved all problems that came their way. While I definitely don’t need a new series to keep track of, I will keep this one in the back of my mind for when I need a light read.

>61 DeltaQueen50: This looks like a fun series and my library has the first 4! It will probably be early next year before I can get around to it but I've made a note to try it, it looks very suitable for a cold winter night.

>62 clue: I think the Constable series would make great winter evening reads. I hope you enjoy them.

My husband's brother passed away, not entirely unexpectedly, and we have decided to attend the funeral which is going to be held in a small town in the interior of B.C. We are packing our masks along with sanitary wipes and gel and will take all precautions possible. We should be back home by early next week.

Very sorry to hear about your BIL, Judy. Safe travels.

>64 DeltaQueen50: I'm sorry for your loss, Judy. Safe travels.

My condolences to you and your family on the loss of your BIL. Safe travels.

I'm sorry too for your loss. Safe travel wishes from me too.

So sorry for your family's loss, Judy. Stay safe.

So sorry to hear this, Judy. It's hard now to know what to do these days. Be safe.

I’m sorry for your family’s loss. Will be thinking of you. Stay safe!

Sorry for your loss. Be safe!

>45 DeltaQueen50: Seeing one of the Sackett books always puts a smile on my face, since I devoured these books as a kid. It would be fun to return to them now and then. I do own a small collection of those fake leather volumes, which do look good on shelf.

Happy Wednesday, Judy! I hope all is well.

We have been running errands, doing laundry and packing. It's not like the old days when we could decide to go away and just throw a few things in a bag and leave. Now we have prescriptions to fill, appointments to clear, dry cleaning to pick up and car maintenance to have done etc. We are planning on leaving tomorrow morning so today will be dedicated to last minute details.

Thanks for all the good wishes >65 katiekrug: >66 RidgewayGirl: >67 lkernagh: >68 Jackie_K: >69 Storeetllr: >70 dudes22: >71 rabbitprincess: >72 Tess_W: although it is a sad occasion we are both looking forward to being on the road and to seeing some of my husband's family.

>73 msf59: I enjoy a Louis L'Amour every now and again, Mark, but I have found that his books are hit-or-miss. This last one was definitely more of a "miss".

156. Bloodless Shadow by Victoria Blake - 3.8 ★
Category: Random Book of Mine
August TIOLI #10: Birthstone Challenge - lime green cover



Bloodless Shadow by Victoria Blake had been sitting on my bookshelf for a number of years and when I finally brought it down to read this month I was in for a couple of surprises. The first was the timing of the book, for some reason I had gotten it into my mind that this was historical mystery but in actuality, it is the first book in a small series about a modern day British Private Detective. Instead of a light crime story this was a gritty dark story featuring a P.I. that has more issues than her clients. The second surprise was how much I enjoyed this book.

Set in London and Oxford, Sam Falconer is hired by the husband of a missing woman. As she investigates the woman’s disappearance she becomes convinced that this is not a woman that will be found alive. Everyone in the story has secrets, and when Sam receives a letter from her father, a man who has been dead for twenty years, she is forced for confront more than a few secrets of her own.

I found Bloodless Shadow to be a well plotted, developed and written mystery. The main character is an angry, troubled and unhappy young woman but by the end of the book she had confronted her past and had received some closure. It would be interesting to see what happens next but these mysteries are not readily available so, although I will keep my eye open for more, I doubt that I will be continuing with the series.

Do be very careful, Judy. In small town Kansas where my family lives, funerals have been one of the major places where the virus has been spread.

>76 ronincats: Roni, I have to admit I am very nervous about going but I could see my Hubby really wanted to attend and he left the final decision up to me. I decided he needed to go but I intend to be very careful. I went through some procedures with him yesterday, like ensuring that we don't sit together with family but keep a distance, no hugs etc. We picked up a couple more masks so we have about three each plus we are packing some paper masks, sanitary wipes and gel.

It didn't help that I got some distressing news from my brother. He went out to Costco yesterday, and my Mom took it upon herself to go outside and pick some apples. Well, apparently she didn't exactly fall but did go down when she bent over to pick up apples from the ground then she couldn't get up. When my brother got home she had crawled over to the back gate and was trying to use it to get up. He says she just doesn't know how frail she's become. He also says she's fine and I shouln't worry, he will try to keep his eye on her, but I can't help but be concerned. I want to go to the Island to see her, but I expect the virus numbers to jump up in September when the kids go back to school so I will still have to wait and see. I hate this virus!!

Sorry to hear about your brother in law, Judy. Safe travels and good health to you both. The news about your mother is not something you needed on top of that but at least it was minor although another thing to worry about.

Sorry for your loss, Judy. Take care.

Sounds like extra struggles this past week -- lots of good thoughts to you.

We are home again and glad to be off the road. It was quite bizarre out there, some places were extremely strict (which I actually preferred) and others acted like there isn't a virus at all. We wore our masks, and washed and sanitized as often as we could. My husband was pleased that we went and he got to see some of his other brothers and sisters. The funeral was really well done and we left there feeling quite uplifted. We basically did a circle tour of British Columbia by going by way of the southern route and coming back on the Trans Canada Hwy. I believe that we did everything that we could do to stay safe but now we are going to isolate ourselves for a couple of weeks to ensure that if we did pick something up, we don't spread it to our girls or anyone else.

I read a lot on the road and managed to finish most of my planned August reads. I think there was just one that I didn't get to. I am ready to jump into September and have my books all lined up to enjoy.

>78 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. From what we saw out there, it still looks like many younger people in their 20s are simply ignoring the virus and the precautions but older people seem to be wearing their masks and following the rules.

>79 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. This was the first death among my husbands' 9 brothers and sisters so it was a sad time, but we definitely celebrated his life and gave him a good send off.

>80 pammab: Thanks - it was nice to be away from home and on the road, but at the same time, I was more aware of the virus and the dangers than I am when I am safely tucked away in my own place.

157. Morning Frost by James Henry - 4.1 ★
Category: Random Member - CharleyHungerford
August TIOLI #11: The First Title Word is Longer than the Second



Morning Frost by James Henry is the third prequel to the original Inspector Jack Frost series written by R. D. Wingfield. After the death of Wingfield, two of his friends continued the series with three prequels. And although they do not quite reach the level of the originals, they have captured the writing style and the essence of the character.

This is the third and final prequel so, for me, the end of the series. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of the sloppy, irreverent, seemingly inept detective who always manages to close his cases and capture the bad guy. In this outing he and his team are juggling multiple cases, and working under the pressure of being short staffed. Some of the cases they are dealing with include body parts turning up in a farmer’s field, a shooting at a local night club and a rapist who appears to be targeting teachers.

Morning Frost follows the original books with their clever, interwoven plots, great characters and plenty of dark humor. It also closes the time gap and ends shortly before the first book in the series actually starts. I will certainly miss visiting the fictional town of Denton, and reading about the bizarre cases that Frost and his team have to solve.

158. Five Roads to Texas by W. J. Lundy, plus - 3.7 ★
Category: Random Place - Texas
August TIOLI #5: Came into my Possession Since March 15, 2020



Five Roads to Texas was a fun Apocalyptic read to have on the road with me as it was easy to pick up and put down. The book was put together by Phalanx Press by setting the framework of America dealing with a horrible disease that turns people into ravenous creatures. They chose five of their authors to each write a story-line about how their characters stayed alive and reached the safe zone in Texas.

The five authors that contributed to this book are W. J. Lundy, Brian Parker, Rich Baker, Joseph Hansen, Allen Gamboa with a foreword penned by J. L. Bourne.

I enjoyed the story and found it went together so smoothly that it was hard to imagine that five different authors contributed their unique stories that were then melded into one action packed, page turning book. I was a little disappointed when it became obvious that this is just the beginning of the story, with the door being left wide open for sequels. Apparently each author will continue on with the characters that they created. I enjoyed this book as a quick and light read but probably will not follow up with the rest of the books, as there are plenty of other “zombie” type reads for me to explore.

Glad to hear your trip went well even if the circumstances were sad. It's hard to lose your first sibling - maybe makes us more aware of time passing. Sounds like you did a good job of staying safe and I applaud (hands clapping) your decision to quarantine yourselves for a couple of weeks. I find the stories of college openings and the large parties scary. We live in a college town and I realize that many businesses need the student business, but I think the numbers are going to go up again.

>84 dudes22: I think there are a great deal of misconceptions and just plain unknown factors involved in this virus. I think a lot of people believe this is simply a case of a bad flu, but the scientists are now saying this is so much more, and that it can be quite different for each person and now they are finding many long term after-effects. So much more needs to be known. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get people to take it as seriously as they should, and young people seem to be the first to dismiss the whole thing. Apparently there are people who can carry and spread the virus while showing no effects themselves and it would be devastating if either my husband or I passed this along to anyone so we will stay home and away from people for a couple of weeks.

159. The Once and Future King by T. H. White - 4.5 ★
Category: 1,001 Book List
Reading Thru Time 3rd Quarter Theme: Arthurian Times
September TIOLI #4: The Numbers Game



The Once and Future King by T. H. White is based upon the 1485 book Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. It is comprised of four short novels that were published from 1938 to 1940 with the collection being put together as one book in 1958. This complex work is considered the best re-telling of the Arthurian legend.

The first book, "The Sword in the Stone" tells of Arthur’s, called Wart in this volume, upbringing by his foster father Sir Ector, his friendship with his foster brother Kay and his instructions by Merlyn, a wizard . Merlyn knows what Arthur’s future is to be and tries to teach him how to be a good king by turning him into animals, fish and birds with each transformation meant to teach Arthur a lesson to prepare him. This book ends with the death of the current King, and Arthur pulling the sword Excalibur from the stone and being recognized as the new king.

Next comes "The Queen of Air and Darkness" which is set during the early years of Arthur’s reign. He is fighting a number of wars against rebellious Knights and, with the help of Merlyn, comes up with the idea of the Round Table and an order of Knights of chivalry. This book also details his seduction by his half-sister Queen Morgause and the birth of their illegitimate son, Mordred.

Part three is “The Ill-Made Knight” which switches the focus to the love story between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot, how they try to hide it from Arthur, although he knows of it through Merlyn. We also see how the Lady Elaine is affected by this affair as she also loves Lancelot and is the mother of his son, Galahad. I had a hard time sympathizing with either Lancelot or Guinevere as I felt they were so wrapped up in themselves, they had no consideration for others.

The last book, "The Candle in the Wind" brings the various pieces of the story together by telling of the downfall of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot and the last days of the Kingdom of Camelot.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book as I have never been a fan of King Arthur stories but I was drawn in right away by the winsome ways of Arthur, the humor and magic of Merlyn and many of the other quirky characters that were introduced throughout the book. As the story goes on, it definitely gets darker and darker but by that time the reader is fully invested in Arthur and needs to see how everything will unfold. Although the books do not mesh together seamlessly, this is a powerful and at times disturbing story about the desperate struggles that mankind involve themselves in and the evil that is often brought out by conflict. The Once and Future King is a masterpiece of historical fantasy.

I'm glad your trip went well and I envy you that drive through the mountains.

I read The Once and Future King as a kid and LOVED it. I keep meaning to reread; it sounds like it holds up well.

Welcome home. It sounds like it was a good decision to go. Fingers crossed that you didn't bring anything back with you.

>88 BLBera: I remember trying to read The Once and Future King as a child and getting overwhelmed by the size of the book! I keep wondering if it's time to actually read it.

Welcome back. I'm glad your husband and his siblings were able to see off their brother together.

Judy, I'm glad you got to go, visit, and returned safely.

>87 RidgewayGirl: We really did enjoy the drive. We had great weather, not a lot of traffic and wonderful scenery. Although it was a sad occasion, we enjoyed this little escape from reality.

>88 BLBera: When I started the book I was surprised to realize that the Walt Disney film "The Sword in the Stone" was an adaption of the first volume. I really liked how the book started when Arthur was young and carefree, then as he became king and took up the burdens of ruling, the stories grew darker and more serious.

>89 NinieB: I hope you give The Once and Future King a try, I can see that it may not appeal to everyone, but if you like a little fantasy and lots of knights, jousting and warring, then this could be a great read for you.

>90 pamelad: Yes, I think my husband and his siblings felt better about things after they went and saw how many people had cared about their brother. It was also really great to spend some time with his three sons who are all really great young men.

>91 Tess_W: Thanks Tess, we were pretty careful but it is quite scary right now as the numbers are going up in Canada - in particular four of our provinces and this is one of them.

Hi, Judy - Glad you got there and back okay and that your husband was able to get together with family. I'm also glad you were careful. Sorry to hear the virus is gaining ground in Canada. It's getting better in NY, but with schools set to reopen in a week or so (I think the new date is the 14th, though I could be mistaken), that could change.

>93 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. I think until we have a vaccine for this virus it is going to keep coming in waves. I am very worried about the reopening of the schools as I don't think they know enough about this virus to predict with any certainty how safe everyone is going to be. Our schools open next Tuesday.

160. Kissing the Demons by Kate Ellis - 4.0 ★
Category: AlphaKit
September AlphaKit: E
September MysteryKit: Series
September TIOLI #10: Author's Name and Book Title are in Different Colors on the Book's Spine



Kissing the Demons by Kate Ellis is the 3rd entry in her police procedural series featuring D.I. Joe Plantagenet. The series is set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Eborby, which is obviously the walled city of York.

In Kissing the Demons, Joe and his immediate supervisor, Emily Thwaite are drawn into a twelve year old cold case of two missing girls but while following up on this case, a young university student who is slightly connected to the first case, is brutally murdered. Before these cases have been solved there are more deaths to contend with. There are plenty of suspects with secrets to hide but Joe and Emily are dogged in their approach and continue to follow the evidence. One aspect of this series is that it often touches on the supernatural. Mostly the ghostly aspects turn out to have a logical resolution but there are small touches that are left unexplained. In this book, there is a suggestion of a haunted house and a seance that appears to have communicated with a long dead spirit.

I enjoyed this suspenseful read that stays within the parameters of realistic police work even with it’s touches of Gothic spookiness. Kissing the Demons was an engrossing read with it’s various plots and complex characters. Although this series isn’t as well known as her Wesley Peterson series, I will definitely be continuing on.

I really like the Wesley Peterson series, Judy. I'll have to give this one a try as well.

Hi Judy. Sorry to hear about your BIL and your mother's fall. I hope she has recovered well. The pandemic certainly makes funerals and family emergencies a case for careful consideration. For some reason the grocery stores here have suddenly made masks mandatory for customers. It may have something to do with schools opening next week, and the increased chance of infection. We have had very few cases (I believe 13) in the entire Kootenay/Boundary area.

Stay well.

>96 BLBera: Hi Beth. I am enjoying the Wesley Peterson series as well, where that series has side storyline that revolve around archaeology, the Joe Plantagenet series uses supernatural events.

>97 VivienneR: Hi Vivienne, I found it so strange to be driving through such beautiful yet isolated country and yet still see signs of Covid with the staff at all restaurants, hotels, shops and golf courses being masked and precautions being taken. B.C. numbers seem to be on the rise right now and I think once the schools are open they will rise even further. I thought my area had little or no Covid but just before we went away we bumped into some acquaintances and they had both picked it up on a cruise, and they said they knew of others in our area that had contacted the virus as well. So it is out there and hopefully, we will all work at staying safe.

161. Cold Earth by Sarah Moss - 4.3 ★
Category: GeoCat
September GeoCat: Polar and Tundra Regions
September TIOLI #9: The Sum of the Pages Added Together Equal 11 or More



Cold Earth by Sarah Moss is an outstanding story that is a combination of a survival story, a ghost story and a dystopian vision about a virus wiping out the world. It was originally published in 2009, but considering what we are facing today with Covid-19, it certainly feels timely and current.

The story follows a small team of archaeologists and academics who travel to a remote location in Greenland to participate in a three week dig excavating the remains of a Viking settlement. As they leave their homes, a deadly flu-like virus has started to spread rapidly across the world. When the plane that was supposed to pick them up doesn’t arrive, each character writes a “final” letter to leave behind as a record of their existence. These letters are very personal and reveal both inner feelings and glimpses of their past. The super-natural experiences are linked to Nina, an English academic who experiences night terrors and becomes convinced that ghosts are watching them, disturbed by their graves being dug up. The group follow the pandemic’s effect on the world through reading the news on the one lap-top they have but their isolation makes everything seem unreal.

This is an atmospheric story that is charged with touches of abnormal phenomena that leave the reader unsure if this is real or imagined. There is a feeling that all that unfolds is inevitable, these six characters living together in a claustrophobic, remote, cold location while the outside world is experiencing illness and death. Vivid, dark and scary, Cold Earth will be a novel that haunts me for some time.

>99 DeltaQueen50: Lovely review, Judy. It's a BB for me!

>100 VivienneR: Hi Vivienne, I was really taken with Cold Earth, I hope you are as well. :)

>98 DeltaQueen50: I read in the local newspaper that the Covid numbers have been broken down into smaller regions now that there have been more cases. They are by residence so that major outbreaks linked to places like processing plants are disbursed to the various places that employees live.

I didn't realize that Kate Ellis has another series. I have enjoyed the Wesley Peterson books that I've read. I'll have to check out this new to me series.

>99 DeltaQueen50: A BB for me!

>102 Familyhistorian: We just found out that a care worker has brought the virus into the local Kin Centre, a care home for the elderly. We live just around the block from the centre so it's feeling a little too close. I am also concerned about the opening of the schools, my granddaughter will be taking a couple of her classes at the school and the rest will be via her computer. I really like the Joe Plantagenet series so I hope you like it.

>103 Tess_W: This was myfirst Sarah Moss book, but I will be looking out for more by her. I hope you like Cold Earth when you get to it.

162. Thursday's Child by Nicci French - 4.1 ★
Category: Random Character - Frieda Klein
September MysteryKit: Series
September TIOLI #10: Author's Name and Book's Title are in Different Colors on the Spine



By reading their stand alone mysteries I became a fan of husband and wife team, Nicci French, many years ago. More recently I have been introduced to their excellent series that features Dr. Frieda Klein, a psychotherapist who has assisted the police in a number of cases. In Thursday’s Child, the fourth instalment of the series, the story becomes much more personal to Frieda. She is asked to speak to the daughter of an old friend, and this daughter, Becky, revels that she has been raped in the exact same circumstances that Frieda herself experienced when she was sixteen. No one believed her at the time and no one is believing Becky either. When Becky turns up dead she is written off as a suicide but Frieda is certain she has been murdered and vows to find the perpetrator and see that justice is done.

Confronting her past in her abrupt and forceful way causes many of her old acquaintances to wonder what she is up to. Of course there is one who knows exactly what she is doing and plans to ensure that she isn’t successful. Meanwhile Frieda’s difficult relationship with her mother isn’t helped by the realization that her mother is dying from a brain tumor, or by the fact, that psychopath Dean Reeve is still taking an active interest in Frieda’s life.

Thursday’s Child is a chilling and disturbing mystery that is peopled with well-rounded characters, vivid descriptions and plenty of twists and turns. While Frieda herself remains annoying and cold, this book goes a long way to explaining why she is like that. For me, having Dean Reeve turn up again as judge and jury against Frieda’s enemies required me to let go of a certain amount of disbelief but overall Thursday’s Child is a good psychological mystery.

Just delurking to say hello, Judy.

I also thought Cold Earth was well done.

>106 katiekrug: Hi Katie, Cold Earth was a book that I had seen a lot of excellent comments about, that's one of the things I love about LT - the comments are usually spot on! :)

163. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad - 3.8 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
September 1,001 Group Challenge: Name in Title
September TIOLI #6: International Authors



Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad is a story that shows that the mistakes of the past will follow men and can never be fully repaired. We meet a young man named Jim, who, full of romanticized dreams joins the crew of the Patna, taking 800 pilgrims to Mecca. When the rusty old ship strikes something and is holed, Jim and the other officers abandon ship, leaving the passengers to their fate. But the ship is rescued and towed to port and while the other officers flee, Jim is left to be brought to trial.

Jim tells experienced sea captain Marlow his story, in that at first he refused to leave the boat but eventually did jump overboard and saved himself. He now lives with the knowledge that he was a coward and spends his life wandering and trying to avoid his reputation but through Captain Marlow he is given a true second chance. He assigned to a post in an isolated and dangerous jungle region of Malaya. He becomes valued by the tribesmen for his bravery and is called “Lord Jim”. Unfortunately he becomes too trusting and is betrayed and his world falls apart.

I found the parts of the book that Marlow narrated very difficult to get through as he is very long winded and uses three or four words when one would have done. But eventually the story pulled me in and although rather tragic, I found this story of one man seeking redemption and casting out his demons a very good read. I was certainly reminded of his Heart of Darkness, as the themes were similar and the character Marlow appears in both books. Overall I would say the more compact Heart of Darkness is the better book, but Lord Jim is certainly worth the time spent on it.

164. The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Place - Hong Kong
September TIOLI #3: Women Author by the Alphabet



The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama is the sequel to her Women of the Silk and is a story about Chinese women before, during and after World War II. In this book we follow Pei as she and her young friend Ji Shen arrive in Hong Kong and set out to establish a life for themselves in that busy city. She has some connections with other “silk sisters” and is able to find a job and get Ji Shen enrolled in school, but she gets blamed for something she didn’t do and gets fired. Luckily she meets and begins to work for a British woman, Caroline Finch. Of course life changes again when the Japanese invade and conquer Hong Kong. Mrs. Finch is removed to a concentration camp and Pei and Ji Shen must survive as best they can.

There are plenty of struggles for these women and the author inserts plenty of history as well. Pei is rather a stoic person and keeps her thoughts to herself, she is one who puts her head down and works through stress and drama. Pei does eventually prosper as she establishes a business and is able to begin a search for her sister who is living in Communist China.

The Language of Threads is definitely a sequel and there are many references to places, people, and events from that first book so I would recommend that people start with Women of the Silk. And while I didn’t feel a strong emotional connection to the story, I was engrossed by the story of women helping other women and in particular, the struggles on one woman to find a place of safety for herself and those she loves.

<109 I'm glad you liked this, I did too. I still have a couple of her books on my TBR and I've seen that she has a new one coming out.

We had a trace of smoke in the air for the last couple of days but overnight the wind direction changed and we woke up to a very smoky smell and a haze in the air. There are countless wild fires burning up and down the West Coast after this warm, dry spell we've had. I have my fingers crossed for rain as we need to get this fires out.

>110 clue: I still have one of hers on my shelf and I checked out her new book on Amazon today, it looks very interesting so I've added it to my list.

165. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Tag - About Books
Bingo Dog: A Book About Books
September TIOLI #6: International Author



The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan is a fun romance story about Nina, a shy librarian who, when her job becomes obsolete, buys herself a book van, moves to the Scottish highlands and builds herself a new career and a new life. She starts a romantic friendship with Marek, an engineer with whom she exchanges love letters at a train crossing. She lives in a beautifully restored barn which would be perfect except for her grumpy landlord, Lennox, who for some reason Nina can’t stop thinking about.

I listened to an audio version as read by Lucy Price-Lewis who brings the book to life. Nina is far from perfect, in fact she can be a bit of an idiot at times, but she has a big heart, cares about others and loves reading and books. I loved all the bookish references that were strewn throughout the story.

The Bookshop on the Corner is a charming and fun romance about reinventing oneself and finding one’s purpose in life. It is the perfect escape read for some who loves books and perhaps has dreamed of owning a bookshop of their own. I enjoyed joining Nina on her adventure to find happiness and love.

Hooray, I have completed my 2020 Bingo Card!!

>113 DeltaQueen50: Congratulations!

You reminded me that I left off the Nicci French series after I finished Tuesday, Judy. I just put Wednesday on hold at the library. I only read one Sarah Moss as well, which was Ghost Wall. It was good and a bit chilling.

>104 DeltaQueen50: That is a bit close for comfort, Judy. So sad how elder homes keep getting hit with cases. I noticed that school started since I overlook the school playground. The kids seem to come in at staggered hours and today they must have been outside on the playing fields because I could hear a teacher on the loud speaker.

I felt very similarly about The Bookshop on the Corner, Judy. I don't think I would have liked it as much if I hadn't listened to the audio.

I recently listened to 500 Miles From You and Nina and Lennox make appearances in that...

>165 DeltaQueen50: I've wondered about this book, there are so many bookshop books available now. I've never read anything by Colgan but have one about a chocolate shop (naturally) on my TBR.

I hope your smoke situation doesn't get any worse, I'm afraid for people whose air quality has gotten poor, it can have lasting effects.

My sister-in-law and 2 nieces live in Oregon. I started trying to contact her Thursday morning and have not been able to make contact. I'm thinking the cell towers are damaged since calls get nowhere. I have friends who live 40 miles from her and they've offered to go see what the situation maybe but there is a big fire between them and I don't want them risking being out on the road even if, as they say can, dodge the fires. The friends sent me pics taken from their yard and the sky looks like it has been painted an orangey red. The air quality where they live has gotten progressively worse although they are still 30 miles from a fire. It's just a really terrible situation.

Congrats on the Bingo card, Judy! I hope you're safe with all these fires raging!

I think the wind has changed direction and so we do not have much smoke in the air as yesterday but it still is quite hazy which is probably a combination of smoke and fog. September is usually a month that we get a lot of fog what with the warm days and the cool evenings. My granddaughter is coming over for dinner and to stay the night as her parents have gone to their cottage to celebrate their anniversary and her brother has gone camping with friends for the weekend. She is nervous about staying home alone. Whatever her reasons we are delighted to have her come here.

>114 pamelad: Thanks!

>115 Familyhistorian: When I recently went through all the series that LT has listed for me, I realized that there are a few series that have fallen through the cracks and I hope to get back to them - William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor series is one that immediately comes to mind. I am going to have to check out Ghost Wall.

>116 katiekrug: I am reading The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann which is giving my brain a workout, and so I really needed a light, frothy read to go along with it and The Bookshop on the Corner really hit the spot and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this rom-com - I think the audio version had a lot to do with my enjoyment. I just went and checked out Jenny Colgan's books - wow, she's written a lot. I can see more of this author in my future!

>117 clue: I am a sucker for books that have the word "shop" in the title! It can be books, chocolate, crafts, cupcakes or whatever - I love the idea of running a small shop and of course I always like the idea of romance! As for the smoke, I think we are getting a small amount compared to countless others. That is really scary about your family in Oregon, I hope you hear from them soon and that all is well.

>118 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit, I do love our Bingo Cards! The fires are pretty far from us but it is terrible that so many people are being affected by them. It seems that every year the forest fires are getting worse, and yet there are still some that deny climate change has anything to do with it. Meanwhile we seem to be getting hotter and dryer out here in the West.

>120 DeltaQueen50: Glad to hear you're away from the fires. Here in Germany it's the eastern regions who have suffered most from the drought and they are having more forest fires every year, too. It is a scary development.

>121 MissWatson: Although we are some distance away from these fires, I spoke too soon this morning when I said the smoke was lighter today. It is actually quite strong today and I can feel a catch in my throat and an itch in my eyes from it. I have my fingers crossed that we will get a good rain soon.

>122 This-n-That: & >123 This-n-That: Luckily for me, I am not the one with family being affected closely by these fires. Instead I am sure >117 clue: appreciates your thoughts. The artist of my opening pictures, Susan Wingnet, has some prints featuring Autumn so I may very well use her work on my next thread as well. :)

166. Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid - 2.8 ★
Category: AlphaKit
September AlphaKit: M
September TIOLI #1: Title Contains The Name of My Made-up School



Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid is a tribute to the original book written by Jane Austen. Although I am a fan of Val McDermid this book just don’t work for me. Given the nature of this author’s work, I was expecting a much darker version and one filled with mystery and crime but instead this was more of a teen romance with many of the original novel’s plot lines in place but in a contemporary setting.

While there is nothing wrong with this author, known for her dark and intense work, to deliver a lighter, happier romance, I found the effort put into bringing this story to modern times was both obvious and difficult to believe. In order for the book to work, the reader must believe in Cat’s naivety and in today’s world of internet, electronic devices, and media communications, this was difficult to pull off.

Personally, I find Jane Austen highly readable so this modernized version just wasn’t needed. Austen’s stories are charming and delightful, the characters are perfectly suited to the 19th century that they inhabit whereas this updated version has a teenage heroine who does not stand the test of time. She seemed entirely too unsophisticated and gullible to be a young person of the 21st century. My advice is to read the original and skip this updated version.

I think some of Jane Austen’s books lend themselves better to retellings than others. Pride &Prejudice has had countless successful adaptations. But this Northanger Abbey was part of a series. I much agreed with you, and I also found the Emma rewrite similar. I have a copy of S&S still to read. I don’t think they continued on and did Mansfield Park or Persuasion. The later I can totally see working, but MP would be a challenge

As for the smoke, we are in Whistler and it’s better up here. Rather windy and mostly we’re smelling mountain air. But my daughter is sending me grim snap chats from home and a news article that said Vancouver had the worst air quality in the world today. Time for some Pacific Ocean air to blow in

>119 DeltaQueen50: While I didn't go through the LT series feature, I did go through my Kindle to identify a few things I'd like to finish this year or early next. My list includes 7 non-fiction titles and 13 fiction ones. 20 is doable this year, but I also have some ARCs to complete and books from the library's lease shelves to read before they go back to the leasing company.

>126 Nickelini: I've read some of the retellings and enjoyed them, I agree that Northanger Abbey is a tough one to convert into modern times - so much depends on the reader finding the character's actions plausible. We really need some of that Pacific Ocean Air as this morning the smoke is strong and the haze is thick.

>127 thornton37814: Sounds like you have the balance of 2020's reading planned out, Lori. I love making reading plans and list - but usually fail to stick to them - something always seems to distract me and I find myself heading off in another direction.

Congratulations on completing your Bingo card, Judy! This is such a bad wildfire season for the US states, I feel for them. Air quality in Victoria has been bad since Thursday night and I don't see us returning to the clear blue skies anytime soon. Enjoy the time with your granddaughter!

>129 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. We did enjoy having our granddaughter over, she certainly livened up our quiet household. :) It's amazing how far that smoke will travel - we need a strong wind to carry it away - but before that we need lots of rain to help put those fires out.

Hi, Judy! I hope you had a good weekend. Are you getting the smoke and haze from the wildfires? If so, I hope it is just a minor annoyance. I always admire how you keep up with your mini-reviews. I wish I could be as dutiful.

>131 msf59: Hi Mark. Yes, we are getting the smoke and it's not pleasant. We have been told to keep all doors and windows shut which helps a bit, but it also means it gets quite stuffy inside. Luckily the very warm weather that we were getting has abated so we aren't suffering with that as well. I have truly gotten into the habit of writing my thoughts down immediately after I finish a book and this habit is so ingrained now that I would feel strange if I didn't put my thoughts down after each book. Hope you are continuing to enjoy your retirement.

167. Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End by Manel Loureiro - 3.6 ★
Category: ScaredyKit
September ScaredyKit: International Authors
TIOLI #6: International Authors



Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End by Spanish author Manel Loureiro is the first volume of a zombie trilogy. Set in Spain, I found this a particularly grim story, as rebels break into a Russian laboratory and accidentally release a terrible disease. At first Russia tries to downplay what is happening but this sickness cannot be contained and it quickly spreads across Europe and then to the rest of the world.

The main character is a young Spanish lawyer who is still grieving the death of his wife from a car accident. He lives in a walled house which enables him and his beloved cat to sit tight during the first horror filled weeks as the numbers of walking dead increase and eventually overrun the so-called “safe zones”. He knows that he must leave as he will starve if he stays so he manages to get himself and his cat away to the coast and takes control of a sailboat. Of course, this is just the beginning as it soon becomes apparent that finding a safe zone is going to be an almost impossible task. After a number of adventures he has found three others to travel with him, a Ukraine pilot, a young woman and a Catholic nun/nurse.

I found this one of the more realistic zombie stories with a definitive cause for the outbreak that rang true. I enjoyed the setting and found the characters quite believable. The main character isn’t exceptionally brave, he has never used guns and makes a lot of mistakes. He remains alive mostly through sheer luck. His number one priority is his cat and keeping it safe, which isn’t easy given the nature of cats and the situation they are in. One thing that drove me crazy was whenever he described an attractive woman, she had blonde hair and green eyes – this happened frequently and, yes, you guessed it, when a real, alive woman joined him, she had blonde hair and green eyes. As the book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and as I have the next book on my Kindle I will certainly be reading on in the trilogy.

I found this interesting on the news tonight - The weatherman was showing a picture of the beach and said (basically): " This isn't fog you're seeing, it's smoke haze from the upper atmosphere from the fires out west." We're in Rhode Island on the east cost of the US. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it is out where you are.

>134 dudes22: These yearly forest fires remind me of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens way back in the 1980s, although we were hundreds of miles away from it, our car was covered in ash. It's amazing how far these things can spread. We had a little rain overnight so it seems a little better today but it is still overcast with haze and very dark.

It's the 15th of the month, so I have picked my random reads for next month, it was fun bearing in mind Halloween and some other challenges that I plan to work on next month:

Random Member: jan.fleming - The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman
Random Tag: Private Detective - The Howard Hughes Affair by Stuart Kaminsky
Random Awards/Lists: The Giller Prize - Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
Random Character: Maria - Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion
Random Place: Seattle, Washington - Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio
Random Book: Thin Air by Michelle Paver

>128 DeltaQueen50: I'm not always good at following them either, but I just wanted to prioritize some things.

Just saying hi during my diurnal check-in, Judy. We are getting poor air quality and haze from the fires up north as well.

>137 thornton37814: That's the joy of reading, we can plan & prioritize to our heart's content - and then read something else entirely!

>138 ronincats: Hi Roni, are any of the fires close to you? The one that is affecting us the most here in Vancouver is on the Olympic Peninusula in Washington State.

We have one at over 17,000 acres in east county, but it's now contained. It's the big fires up north that are affecting our air.

>140 ronincats: Well, I'm glad that there aren't any near you now, but be careful of that smoke. They are telling us to keep our doors and windows closed and not to go out unless we have to. What with Covid, these fires, hurricanes and tornadoes - I am beginning to wonder if Mother Nature isn't shouting at us to start taking better care of our Earth.

168. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski - 4.0 ★
Category: SFFFKit
September SFFFKit: International Authors
September TIOLI #6: International Authors



The Last Wish by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and translated by Danusia Stok is a collection of short stories that precede the main Witcher series. For anyone having watched The Witcher on Netflix, the stories will seem very familiar as many of the episodes in the book were also in the mini-series. This is an excellent introduction to the characters of Geralt of Rivia, Yennifer of Vangerberg, and Dandelion, the wandering musician. Cirri of Cintra hasn’t been born yet but we do read about the circumstances surrounding her parents marriage. Of course countless others are familiar with The Witcher from the RPGs that are based on this character.

Geralt is a witcher, a semi-human who travels around and disposes of the monsters and fiends that ravage the land. He has some special powers and he is a brilliant fighter. He and the sorceress Yennifer meet and begin their long connection in these pages, and his friend, bard Dandelion often travels with him. The various stories unfold with a dry humor, lots of mythology and many throwaway references to fairy tales.

As this is a short story collection, there isn’t a lot of world building and it’s obvious that this place, called the Continent, is a strange and wondrous land so I am expecting a lot more detail in future books. I found The Last Wish an excellent introduction to this series and it certainly has encouraged me to continue on with the witcher’s story.

169. The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop - 4.2 ★
Category: Random Member - CatieM
September TIOLI #5: A 20th Century Book



The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth Winthrop is the countdown in hours toward the execution of a black man in a small town in the south during the 1940s. The crime is a supposed rape of a white woman, although it soon becomes clear that there was no rape, but a union between a black man and a white woman. This was intolerable to the white residents and so, while the woman commits suicide, the young black man is tried, convicted and sentenced to execution.

With the travelling electric chair on it’s way to the scheduled midnight execution, the story unfolds through the words and thoughts of nine varied people who are connected to this event. The author bases her story loosely upon the executions of a couple of black men during the 1940s and the story has quite an impact. While some are more strongly connected to the prisoner, such as his father, the priest who comforts him and the District Attorney who tried him, some are more distant such as the prison trusty who helps to deliver the electric chair, a gas station owner and his wife who are dealing with their own tragedy regarding their son, and both the wife and the son of the District Attorney. Some strongly question the injustice, others find time for quiet reflection, while still others are eager to see a black man put to death.

With The Mercy Seat, the author has delivered a strong, detailed look at the type of justice that was prevalent during the Jim Crow era. The story resonates with memorable characters and plenty of tension as the midnight hour draws near.

>143 DeltaQueen50: - I really loved this one and gave it the full 5 stars. I'm glad you enjoyed (terrible word for the nature of the story) it, too, Judy.

>144 katiekrug: Hi Katie, I didn't make note of it but now I am wondering if this wasn't a BB that I took from you. It's a beautiful piece of writing.

>143 DeltaQueen50: - What an excellent review - While I was sure I wouldn't read it in the first couple of sentences, it is now definitely a BB for me.

>146 dudes22: As Katie says above, enjoy isn't quite the right word, but I do hope this story resonates with you, Betty.

Hi Judy - It's been hazy here as well. I am so sorry for my friends who are stuck in the middle of all these fires. Sending wishes for rain!

The Mercy Seat sounds good. I don't do zombies. :)

>148 BLBera: We are still under smoky skies but it looks like it will start to rain at any minute which will be good. What - No zombies? Not even for Halloween! ;0

Hi, Judy!

>133 DeltaQueen50: Good review. I'm not strong on zombie stories, but this one looks good. (The only zombie novels I read and abso LOVED were The Girl With All The Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge. Both were outstanding! (The film adaptation was pretty good too.) I'm looking forward to a reread, maybe for Halloween.

>136 DeltaQueen50: I read The Lesser Dead awhile back and gave it a 4.5 star rating. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I don't think I can read The Mercy Seat at this time. I've just managed to drag myself out of a depression and still teeter on the edge. I'm going to be reading lighter fare for awhile, but it's definitely on my TBR list.

>143 DeltaQueen50: definitely a BB for me!

>150 Storeetllr: I certainly understand about reading lighter fare these days, Mary. I think I am ready for a slew of romances. I probably would have given The Mercy Seat a higher rating if it were happier times - so, a good one to save till you're ready. I loved both The Girl With All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge as well, they were outstanding!

>151 Tess_W: It's an excellent read, Tess.

170. The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer - 4.0 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
September 1,001 Group Read
September TIOLI #9: The Sum of all the pages added together equals 11 or more



The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer was originally written in Yiddish and later translated to English. Set in Russian ruled Poland in the late 19th century, it is the story of Yasha Mazur, a magician from the town of Lublin who travels around Poland to perform. Although Jewish he is not particularly devout. He leads a carefree life of travel and performing, leaving his pious wife at home in Lublin. He has lovers in many of the cities that he visits as well as being involved with his young assistant. Currently however he is obsessing over Emilia, a Catholic widow who lives in Warsaw with her daughter.

Although on the surface, Yasha appear to be confident that he can continue to manipulate his various women, deep inside he knows he is living a deceitful and senseless life. When things go wrong and he finds his life has shattered, he repents of his sins, returns home to Lublin and finally turns to his Jewish roots.

The Magician of Lublin is a very well written story about faith and morality. I listened to an audio version as read by Larry Keith. Yasha lived a life of self-indulgence, he knew he was doing wrong but did not acknowledge his guilt. Eventually issues arose that forced him to turn and embrace both his Jewish faith and identity. I thought this was both a very clever and engaging story about living one’s life within the boundaries one is born with, although Yasha professed to not believing in religion or the traditional Jewish customs, those are exactly what he turned to when in need.

171. Silk Road by Colin Falconer - 4.5 ★
Category: Reading Through Time
September Reading Through Time: I'll Trade You (Economics)
September TIOLI #10: Author's Name and the Book's Tilte Are in Two Different Colors on the Spine



Silk Road by Colin Falconer is a grand historical adventure story that totally engaged me. Travelling up and down the famous trade route, two Western men, one a Templar warrior and the other a fanatical priest, are guided along the caravan passage in order to establish a treaty with the Tatars, who have raided far into the West and are now threatening Christian countries.

The Templar, Josseran, has lived in the Holy Lands for some five years and has mellowed toward infidels. He seeks to understand the Mongol people, but Father William believes they are less than animals and does not attempt to hide his contempt for anything that he deems “un-christian”. When Josseran meets a chief’s daughter, Khutelun, sparks fly. After every parting, destiny brings them back together, even when they ended up on different sides in a civil war, they were drawn back to each other.

High adventure and breathless romance blend together as we travel the Silk Road from Palestine, across the endless deserts of central Asia, over the Roof of the World to Cathay. From trade caravans to fighting the Mongol horde, Silk Road is a rich historical drama that totally captivated me.

172. The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann - 3.7 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
September Group Read
September TIOLI #6: International Authors



The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann is a sprawling, dense epic written in 1924. Set in a Swiss tuberculosis sanatorium prior to WW I it has been labelled a modern classic, a comedy of manners and an allegory of pre-world war bourgeois Europe. While not a difficult read, I found it hard to absorb the story as I spent a lot of time puzzling out the author’s hidden meanings.

The main character, Hans Castorp, a naive young engineer, travels to the International Sanatorium Berghof high in the Swiss Alps to visit his ailing cousin, Joachim. What was intended as a stay of three weeks stretches into months, and then years as Hans himself is diagnosed with tuberculosis. I never quite grasped whether Hans really was ill, or whether he pushed himself into the illness in order to fit in with the assorted residents. Hans seemed to glorify in his status and revel in his diagnosis, he embraces the many rituals of tuberculosis – the thermometer readings, the rest cures, the x-rays which give credence to the book being called sick-lit as it portrays illness as a state of mind as well as body.

Between these medical rituals, Hans find himself questioning long-held notions of honour and mortality and has many searching philosophical conversations with his cousin and other residents. This is a book that expresses ideas and touches on many themes such as the meaning and passing of time as well as life, death, love, progress, society morals, and the effect of war. While I thought that the sanatorium represented civilization and the mountain as the scale that humanity must mount in order for civilization to work, it was still difficult to absorb all the ideas expressed within the books’ pages. The author wisely keeps the story from becoming overly grim by adding touches of humor that helped to lighten the narrative. Another point that became obvious is that the author was relishing exposing the entire idea of sanatoriums as places where the doctors were more concerned about making money from their rich and well-to-do patients than in curing them.

The Magic Mountain is a book that many say needs to be read twice in order to fully absorb the details but for me, once will have to be enough and although I didn’t fully grasp the complex meanings, I can see that it is a descriptive and eloquent book of ideas that would most definitely reveal different aspects with each read.

173. The Life and Death of Harriet Frean by May Sinclair - 3.3 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
September 1,001 Group Challenge: Name in Title
September TIOLI #4: The Numbers Game



The Life and Death of Harriet Frean by May Sinclair is a novella sized morality tale about the narrow existence of a Victorian woman. Harriet was an only child and she was brought up in a close family, she was taught that the number one virtue in life is one’s ability to behave correctly at all times. She took her life lesson to heart, even rejecting her own chance of love in order to do the “right” thing. In her efforts to behave beautifully, she didn’t notice the damage she often left behind her. She put her father on a pedestal and it wasn’t until years after his death that she could finally acknowledge to herself that he didn’t always behave in the right manner. She loved her mother dearly but didn’t notice her shrinking away from cancer. As her life comes full circle we can see that always behaving in the right manner wasn’t actually the same as doing the right thing.

The Life and Death of Harriet Frean is a critique of nineteenth century middle-class society and the damage that lurks beneath a front of good manners. In bare, bleak and ironic prose, the author covers Harriet’s life, from birth to death, in less than 100 pages. I read this story in one sitting at Project Guttenberg, and it felt more like an impersonal report than the story of one woman’s life.

>155 DeltaQueen50:
I'm in no rush to read the Magic Mountain, but depending on how long my daughter lives in Switzerland, I may end up reading it. Does he talk about the sanitarium in Switzerland, and why that was a "thing"? Many of the glamorous 5 star hotels in Switzerland now are old sanitariums (renovated for 21st century tastes). There is something about escaping to fresh mountain air away from people--and to do it in luxury is even better.

>157 Nickelini: It's quite the book, so many meanings to be taken from what he wrote. Apparently his wife was placed in a sanitorium for a lung ailment and he visited her there and spent about three weeks. While there the doctors told him he also had a spot on his lungs and he should commit to a 6 month stay, he declined feeling that they were more interested in his money than his health. The clientele of these places were definitely the well-to-do, they had the money to spend and the time to step away from everyday life. Of course the treatment of tuberculosis is very different today and people do not need to be locked away for months or years, and the sanitoriums have mostly faded away. The idea of "fresh" Swiss air still seems to be around today, however.

>155 DeltaQueen50: Nice review of The Magic Mountain. I'm considering doing a reread of it, but I might not get the e-book from the library in time to overlap with the group read. I actually have the copy I'd read 30 years ago, but my older eyes can't deal with this edition's tiny print.

>155 DeltaQueen50: - Your review of The Magic Mountain has intrigued me, Judy. I will probably add it to my "read at some point" list, when I have oodles of time on my hands and the patience to immerse myself in the story.

>159 mathgirl40: I would definitely recommend an e-book for The Magic Mountain as it is a chunkster and could be a potential hazard if you fell asleep while reading!

>160 lkernagh: Having lots of time and patience is the perfect setting for reading this dense but intriguing book, Lori.

174. Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison - 4.5 ★
Category: Random Book of Mine
September TIOLI #10: Author's Name and Book's Title are in 2 Different Colors on Spine



Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison is a western saga set in the 1880s. The book has all the elements one looks for in a western novel, a hard land, lots of corrupt men, kindly prostitutes, along with plenty of guns, booze and horses. What makes this book stand out is the main character, seventeen year old Jessilyn, who is not quite the western heroine we have come to expect.

Jesse’s mother died at her birth and she has been raised without any female influence so has no idea of the narrow role that women were allowed in these days. She identified strongly with her older brother, and she grew up on the back of a horse with a gun in her hand,. After her brother runs off and becomes an outlaw, and her father dies, she learns that a female isn’t safe on her own, so she binds her chest, cuts her hair, and rides off on her horse, Ingrid, to find her brother and bring him home. Although Jesse took on her male role out of necessity, she is comfortable in it and adapts to it well. Her gender fluidity comes full circle when she meets and falls in love with outlaw, Annette.

The story is narrated by Jesse and although she hasn’t been properly educated, she has a lyrical and philosophical manner and her thoughts are both perceptive and descriptive. As this book falls right in my wheel house with it’s setting and subject matter, I, of course, loved it. Whiskey When We’re Dry is one of the new breed of Westerns that are being written today, a story of courage, endurance and bravery, and I highly recommend this book.

>162 DeltaQueen50: - Oh, good! I have this one on my Kindle.

>163 katiekrug: Me too! Hopefully next month!

>163 katiekrug: & >164 clue: I think you will like this one. :)

>162 DeltaQueen50: LOL kindly prostitutes and booze!

>166 Tess_W: Well, as long as one has the cash - the prostitutes are kindly and the booze is plentiful!

175. Blood Men by Paul Cleave - 3.7 ★
Category: Others
September MysteryKit: Series
September TIOLI #6: International Authors



Edward Hunter is the son of a serial killer. His father has been in prison for twenty years for the killing of at least eleven prostitutes. Edward has a wife and child, a good job and lives a happy life, he hates what his father did and feels he is nothing like him, yet when a tragedy occurs and he loses everything he holds dear, he starts hearing an inner voice that wants him to seek revenge.

Blood Men by Paul Cleave is a suspense thriller that although is full of violence and gore, doesn’t quite deliver on the suspense. Edward is a little too philosophical to be believable as a man who only wants to hurt others. Although after visiting his father in prison, he learns that his father also has a dark, inner voice, he still questions whether they are both “blood men” - men who are driven to acts of violence.
Edward goes through the motions of tracking those he holds accountable, but it is obvious that he is really just a deeply troubled man searching for answers.

Blood Men is a well written, gritty crime novel that, for me, just missed the mark. This is the fourth book in his “Christchurch Murders” and some of these books have been excellent which insures that I will continue on with the series.

176. Dying Day by Robert Ryan - 4.0 ★
Category: TIOLI Challenges
September TIOLI #12: Birthstone Challenge - Dark Blue Cover



Set in the years after WW II as the Cold War was just starting to be felt, Dying Day by Robert Ryan is an espionage novel that is atmospheric, clever and intricate. In 1944 SOE agent Diana McGill is flown into occupied France and disappears. Three years after the war, her sister, Laura, who also worked as an operative during the war, has decided to take matters into her own hands and find out what really happened to her sister. This was a very dangerous time as various countries were scrambling for power and control. On the brink of Cold War, Laura needs to act quickly or any information will be impossible to obtain. Her first stop is Berlin, where the man that sent Diana on her last mission is currently operating, and that city is full of the chaos and trickery that broke out at the close of World War II.

I had previously read The Last Sunrise by this author and some of the characters from that book also make an appearance here as the Berlin Airlift plays an important part. The author delivers a first class espionage story full of plot twists and turns. His characters are well drawn, and his research is first rate. The story is based on actual case files which gives it an added layer of authenticity. This is a detailed look at how the front lines of the shadow war were formed, and how both influence and control was being courted by both east and west.

Robert Ryan is an expert at detailing the world of spies. Dying Day captures the 1948 atmosphere of Berlin where clandestine activities mixed with geopolitical tension ran riot. Both entertaining and informative, I enjoyed this story of lies, deceit and the search for the truth.

Hi Judy: Both the Falconer and the Singer sound great.

You've read The Magic Mountain! Give yourself a prize. I haven't read it yet. One day...

>170 BLBera: Magic Mountain is definitely a book whose completion makes me want to celebrate. I didn't hate it but it was long, dense and convoluted. Glad to have this one under my belt and now I just need to read his Death in Venice and Buddenbooks!

Happy Sunday, Judy. Hooray for Whiskey When We're Dry! I loved that one too. I hope all is well with you.

>172 msf59: Hi Mark, I am doing ok, having a few heart issues but hopefully a few tests and then some medical adjustments with get me back on track. I am reading a lot these days and enjoying the books. :)

177. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - 4.1 ★
Category: RandomCat
September RandomCat: Reccies
September TIOLI #11: Book Title Completes the Sentence - "Please tell me _____"



Where the Crawdads Sing by American wildlife scientist Delia Owens is a wonderful read set in the marshes and coastline of North Carolina. A story of a young girl growing up in isolation and learning life lessons by studying the natural world that surrounds her. Her mother walked away when she was six, her brothers and sisters slipped away as well leaving her with a drunk and abusive father, until he too, disappeared on her when she was ten. She was mocked on the one day she attempted to go to school but by making a small group of friends with some unlikely people, she learned to read and how to survive.

We read of Kya from age six through to age 25 as the author skilfully builds the story to a tension filled climax. Opening in 1969 with the suspicious death of a young man, the time line jumps from how his murder is investigated to Kya’s growing years, from 1952 to 1970. As Kya is both known as the Marsh Girl and considered white trash, and, has been seen with this young man, it isn’t long before she is being investigated and local residents are quick to jump to judgment.

Where the Crawdads Sing is the first novel by this author, and she writes with authority and emotion. Kya is a vivid and original character that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings but the author wisely keeps the book from becoming too sentimental, leaving room for some surprise twists. Although set in the past, the themes of racial and social division along with the descriptions of the complexities and fragility of nature are certainly relevant today. Overall, Where the Crawdads Sing is a book with plenty of atmosphere, drama and emotion that drew me in and allowed me to overlook the fact that the actual plot line was pretty predictable.

>174 DeltaQueen50: Glad to see you enjoyed it.

>175 thornton37814: I did, Lori, and I hope to see more from this author!

178. In the Dark by Loreth Anne White 4.5 ★
Category: TIOLI Challenges
September TIOLI #7: Title Starts With a Preposition



In the Dark by author Loreth Anne White is advertised as an homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and I admit I was rather doubtful as to whether this was a tribute or would turn into a plot ripoff. With my skepticism firmly in place I started the read and it didn’t take too many pages before I was fully absorbed by this murder mystery.

Nine people are invited to a new wilderness lodge in a remote, inaccessible area of British Columbia, they are all attending this function as they are business owners who want to nail down contracts for their services. These services cover a wide area that include security, cleaning, catering, and others, all of which a new lodge would need. They are being flown into the wilderness by a pilot who is trying to pick up the contract for bringing guests into this inaccessible place. On the morning they are to leave, they find that one of their members has fallen ill and will not be attending. After they take off, this ill person dies, making him the first victim.

After arriving at their destination, it soon becomes clear that there is something very strange going on, someone is out for revenge and intends to make each of the remaining eight pay. We follow two story lines, both the ongoing chaos at the lodge, and, a week later, the rescue party lead by RCMP investigator, Mason Deniaud and Callie Sutton, head of the local Search and Rescue Team.

I was fully engaged by this story. The fluid timeline allows the reader to experience first hand the horror as it unfolds at the lodge and also enables them to be part of the rescue team a week later. In the Dark is a fun, atmospheric thriller with multiple narrators, not all of which are totally trustworthy and I definitely felt it gave honors to Ms. Christie's original work.

>177 DeltaQueen50: I'm game, especially if there's a pilot and a bush plane in this story! ;)

>177 DeltaQueen50: - Oooh, that sounds good!

>178 rabbitprincess: & >179 katiekrug: I hope you both enjoy In the Dark, I have to admit I felt the author dragged the ending out a little too much, but mostly it was a fun read.

179. Late Nights On Air by Elizabeth Hay - 4.0 ★
Category: Random Award - 2007 Giller Prize
October TIOLI #9: Title Contains the Word "Air"



In Late Nights On Air by Elizabeth Hay the readers are taken on a trip to Canada’s far north, with stops in Yellowknife and The Barrens. The author effortlessly captures the essence of the frontier atmosphere of this far northern land as well as the interesting people that chose to transplant themselves there.

This isn’t a fast moving, plot driven story. Instead in beautifully written prose the author takes us back to 1975 and introduces a handful of diverse characters that only have the radio station that they work at in common. By placing these characters in a variety of situations we are able to peel back the layers and see what makes them all unique individuals. They come together in different ways, but they all are nervous of exposing too much and making themselves vulnerable. Some are worried about their professional life, others are more concerned with their own personal goals but all are searching for a fresh start.

I felt that Late Nights On Air truly expressed a strong Canadian viewpoint, the author included many references to the Mackenzie Valley pipeline that was a big issue in the 1970s with natives, conversationalists and the oil business. The author herself both lived Yellowknife and worked in local radio so she knew of what she was writing about. I liked the book but was a little disappointed with the way that the author foreshadowed every plot point. Overall, an interesting but most probably not a memorable read.

>181 DeltaQueen50:
I liked the book but was a little disappointed with the way that the author foreshadowed every plot point. Overall, an interesting but most probably not a memorable read.

I read this years ago, and liked it a lot more than I expected to. I thought this might have been because I spent a many of the summers of my youth (9, 10, 11 and 17-20) in the far north of BC and the Yukon, and so much rang true. Everyone is from somewhere else, and you get an odd assortment of people. It's been years but I remember many things from this novel. My favourite is when they were off on their excursion and completely lost and then the lone Japanese tourist, who was much better prepared was the one who helped them. But I also think if I go back and read my comments, I'm pretty sure I also noted the over-foreshadowing.

>174 DeltaQueen50: Ever since I saw someone put Where the Crawdads Sing on the same league as Power of One and Song of Achilles, I have had my eye on it. I adored both of those despite never having expected to given a one-sentence plot overview. Funny how some books click that way. It sounds like you quite enjoyed it too, which is another good tick in its favor!

>174 DeltaQueen50: I read this in 2015 and liked it. But when I saw the book cover on your post I immediately remembered the setting and general atmosphere but almost nothing else!

>182 Nickelini: I have never been to our north country but I certainly believed that Elizabeth Hay wrote about it with knowledge and perception. When I was younger we would often go on exploring trips into the backcountry on logging roads and funnily enough, it was often tourists from Europe or Asia that we met up in the middle of nowhere. They would get off a plane, rent a 4-wheel drive and head into the backcountry - looking for that wilderness experience that they couldn't get in their own country anymore.

>183 pammab: Where the Crawdads Sing is a good story and certainly kept me engrossed. I am one of the very few people that hasn't read Song of Achilles or Circe even though the reviews for both those books have been excellent. I have them both on my shelf/Kindle so I really have no excuse. I will have to ensure that at least one of these book is added to my next years reading list.

>184 clue: That is my fear with Where the Crawdads Sing. I loved the setting and the story while I was reading it, but I am not sure it will be a book that I long remember.

I'm feeling a little blue today as some of my family was going to come over this evening for dinner and an early Birthday celebration. Unfortunately, my younger daughter's husband was experiencing some strange symptoms yesterday that ended up with him being taken to ER. They couldn't pinpoint the problem, but as they were similar to Covid, decided to test him. Now they are supposed to stay isolated until they get the results, and of course, if it is positive, then continue to stay isolated. Fingers crossed, that he tests negative.

Since I don't have to cook a fancy dinner or have company tonight, I think I will spend the evening planning my next year's Challenge and assembling a list of possible reads. There's nothing that I enjoy more than putting together bookish lists!

>186 DeltaQueen50: Oh no, I hope your son-in-law gets his test results soon and that he's feeling better quickly. I hope the planning of next year's challenge will be a fun distraction!

Last year the new group went up on Thanksgiving Monday, if I recall correctly, and I think that will be the plan for this year as well :)

>186 DeltaQueen50: That's disappointing. I hope your son-in-law's illness turns out to be minor. Happy early Birthday!

>186 DeltaQueen50: Here's hoping your daughter and son-in-law get good news and a negative test.

"planning my next year's Challenge" - it doesn't seem so long since we were planning 2020 but now it's the most exciting thing I have to look forward to.

>186 DeltaQueen50: hope the tests does come out negative - but better to know than not.
I've started plotting my 2021 challenge as well. Theme and categories only for me; for some reason listing a book is an automatic turn off for actually reading the book!

Hope things work out ok, Judy. I had a thought and have already got my challenge almost set. It's always so much fun to get things setup and "root" through my books for potential reads.

Sending good vibes for your family, Judy.

>190 Helenliz: for some reason listing a book is an automatic turn off for actually reading the book!

I have to admit this is pretty much true for me too. I really enjoy going to the bookshelf and picking something out when I'm ready to start new book.

Thank you to everyone for sending good wishes to my son-in-law, we are feeling pretty positive as he is feeling fine now - also, he says there is no way he wants to have anything in common with Trump so he refuses to get Covid at the same time!

>187 rabbitprincess: Now comes the difficult part of the year, trying to stay focused on this year's challenge but not being able to stop thinking about next year! It's hard to believe that 2020 is winding down - it seems like we were just starting it!

>188 pamelad: Thanks, Pam. This is a big birthday for me - the big 70 - I can't believe I am that old - heck, I still act like a 12 year old much of the time!

>189 VivienneR: Yep, planning next year's challenge is pretty much the most exciting thing in my life right now as well. I did come up with a theme that I am looking forward to and I made a list of books that I really want to get read soon. I've matched some of them to next year's categories, but I like to leave room for surprise picks and mood picks - as well as whatever Cats/Kits we are going to go with next year.

>190 Helenliz: I love planning my reading and making up lists - of course, I very rarely end up following all my lists but I enjoy pawing through my books and reminding myself of what I have waiting for me.

>191 dudes22: I love any excuse to sort through my books and make lists!

>192 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. Our Canadian Thanksgiving is next weekend, so if all is well, we will have our festive family dinner then.

>193 clue: I love it when you get to choose a new book, pull it down from the shelves (or bring it up on the Kindle) and settle down with the hopes of an excellent read.

>193 clue: I do a bit of both - once I've decided which CATs I'm going to take part in I love working out a year in advance what I'm going to read for each month. But other than that, I pretty much just rotate through my categories, and use my Jar of Fate (a jar with each of my books on a bit of paper) to pick out titles at random. It's amazing how often the random pick really hits the mood spot at the right time!

>186 DeltaQueen50: I hope your son-in-law feels better soon, and happy early birthday!

Happy early birthday Judy ! I hope everything turns out well for your son-in-law too. I can't wait to see what you come up with for 2021!

>195 Jackie_K: Thanks for the good wishes. I have always been intrigued by your Jar of Fate, Jackie. I love making random picks and you're right, so often, they are exactly the book I was looking for!

>196 lsh63: Hi Lisa, we are hopeful that it was an allergic reaction but hopefully we should find out soon. It's funny that he is not one of my family members that I am mostly worried about - his wife, my younger daughter, is a nurse and my older daughter, who works on the B.C. Ferries, is in contact with the public. It just goes to show you that no one is safe from this virus.

Since today really feels like Autumn here, I have decided to retire this "beach" thread and move on to my Fall thread. So I am off to construct a new thread. :)

My new thread is ready, please click on the blue writing below and come on over!

Since today really feels like Autumn here, I have decided to retire this "beach" thread and move on to my Fall thread.

Ah, I hear it was very foggy out your way earlier. It's mid-afternoon and feeling very summery still in New Westminster.

See you at your new thread . . .

Stopping by to get caught up.

>181 DeltaQueen50: - Looks like I enjoyed the Hays book more than you did, but as you have pointed out, it has a strong Canadian viewpoint and beautifully written prose. I seem to recall that it was her depiction of the raw power and isolation of the far north that really drew me in.