Marell is Booked for 2022

Hi, my name is Mary. I’m retired and living in a very small town with my husband, and only two houses away from my son, daughter-in-law and seven-year-old grandson. Daughter-in-law is not only my friend, but my book friend as well, as we share many of the same interests. I read mostly fiction and mysteries, many of them historical, and non-fiction, along with poetry, some short stories and classics. I’m new to the group and excited to be here. I believe this will be my favorite group, along with “Reading Through Time.” Thank you to all the hard-working hosts who make the group possible for all.

1. Title Contains a Z: Death in Zanzibar by M.M. Kaye
2. LGBTQ+ Author: The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid
3. Set in a Capital City: Dance with Death by Will Thomas
4. Non-Fiction: This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear
5. Title Contains a Month: The Ides of March by Thornton Wilder
6. Children’s or Young Adult: Classic Tales from India: How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head and Other Stories by Vatsala Sperling & Harish Johari
7. Set in Another Country: The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith
8. By a Favorite Author: The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith
9. Character Shares a Name with a Friend: Trade Wind by M.M. Kaye
10. Pub. Year You Joined LT: Red Rover by Deirdre McNamer - 2007
11. Travel or a Journey: Journey by James A. Michener
12. You’d Love to See This Movie: Run to Earth by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
13. Read a CAT: The Treasure by Selma Lagerlof
14. Features a Dog: The Speckled Beauty by Rick Bragg
15. Flowers on the Cover: The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton
16. In Translation: A Country Doctor’s Notebook by Mikhail Bulgakov
17. Modern Retelling: Longbourn by Jo Baker
18. A Gift: Dawn Wind by Rosemary Sutcliff
19. Pub. Year Ending in 2: Pied Piper by Nevil Shute - Published 1942.
20. About Sisters or Brothers: Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
21. Award Winner: Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History by Lea Ypi
22. Weather Word in the Title: Trade Wind by M.M. Kaye
23. A Book Club Read: The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham
24. Silver or Gold on the Cover: The Earth Abideth by George Dell
25. A Long (for you) Book: Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

RUSSIAN AUTHORS



1. Where Love Is, There God Is Also by Leo Tolstoy
2. The Funeral Party by Ludmila Ulitskaya
3. A Country Doctor’s Notebook by Mikhail Bulgakov

EVERYTHING ELSE

1. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
2. The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
3. Fierce Poison by Will Thomas
4. The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
5. The Foreign Correspondent by Alan Furst
6. James Herriot’s Treasury for Children
7. From the Shadows by James R. Benn
8. Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris
9. The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
10. The Village in the Jungle by Leonard Woolf

NORDIC AUTHORS


1. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, translated from the Norwegian by Tiina Nunnally
2. Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson
3. The Treasure by Selma Lagerlof
4. We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen, translated from the Danish by Charlotte Barslund with Emma Ryder
5. Geiger by Gustaf Skordeman

NON-FICTION


1. Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life and Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven, U.S. Navy, Retired
2. Wandering Through Winter: A Naturalist’s 20,000-Mile Journey Through Winter by Edwin Way Teale
3. This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear
4. Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir by Amy Tan
5. God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew
6. Happy Days in Southern California (1898) by Frederick Hastings Rindge
7. Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII by William W. Putney
8. Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History by Lea Ypi
9. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
10. The Compact History of the Indian Wars by John Tebbel
11. A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester

BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS


1. Morningstar: Growing Up With Books by Ann Hood
2. The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
3. The Library Book by Susan Orlean

CATWoman


January: BIO, AUTOBIO, MEMOIR: As Long as Life: The Memoirs of a Frontier Woman Doctor by Mary Canaga Rowland, M.D.
February:WOMEN IN TRANSLATION: Kristin Lavransdatter, translated from the Norwegian by Tiina Nunnally
March: WOMEN PIONEERS: The Treasure by Selma Lagerlof
April: WOMEN OF COLOR: Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan
May: CLASSICS WRITTEN BY WOMEN: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
June: BOOKS SET IN CITIES BY WOMEN: Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska
July: WOMEN IN SCIENCE: Women in Science: 50 Women Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
August: CHILDREN’S/YA/GRAPHIC NOVELS: The Land of the Blue Flower by Frances Hodgson Burnett
September: WOMEN DURING WAR: A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
October: WOMEN AND CRIME: The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra
November: WOMEN’S ISSUES:
December: PRIZE WINNER BY WOMEN: The Optimist’s Daughter by Eudora Welty

MysteryKIT


January: SERIES: The Darling Dahlias and the Voodoo Lily by Susan Wittig Albert
February: COLD CASE CRIMES: The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid
March: SMALL TOWNS, BIG SECRETS: Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson
April: NOIR/HARD-BOILED: Noir, a novel by Christopher Moore
May: DETECTIVES IN TRANSLATION: Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer
June: HISTORICAL MYSTERIES: The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch
July: GOLDEN AGE: The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout
August: TECHNOTHRILLERS: Ice Hunt by James Rollins
September: ANIMAL MYSTERY: Maigret and the Yellow Dog by Georges Simenon
October: MYSTERIES FEATURING FOOD: Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri
November: GOTHIC:
December: HOLIDAY MYSTERIES:

RandomKIT


January: HOME SWEET HOME: In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
February: CATS:
March: HOBBIES: The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston
April: APRIL SHOWERS: Trade Wind by M.M. Kaye
May: MAY FLOWERS: The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton
June: COOKIN’ THE BOOKS: The British Museum Cookbook by Michelle Berriedale-Johnson
July: DOG DAYS OF SUMMER: Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII by William W. Putney
August: CANADA!: Coventry by Helen Humphreys
September: A TIME TO HARVEST:
October: WHAT’S IN A NAME: Claudius the God and his wife Messalina by Robert Graves
November: CITY: Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
December:

Love the kitty picture! Enjoy your reading!

Excited to have you here, Mary! Welcome!

Welcome to the group, Mary, glad to have you along. Hope you enjoy the year's reading. I love the pictures you've chosen to illustrate your categories. I think I like >9 marell: the best. >:-)

Good luck with your 2022 reading!

Hi Mary, welcome to the group! We do have a lot of fun here :) Have a great reading year!

Best of luck, Mary. Welcome to the group. We're 'mostly harmless'.

Welcome to the group from me too! :)

Hi Mary, great to see you here. Thanks for the nod to the "Reading Through Time" group.

>11 MissWatson: Thanks, MissWatson. Looking forward to seeing what you read here and in Reading Through Time!

>12 NinieB: Thank you, NinieB. Your rose pictures are gorgeous! Looking forward to your Mystery reads. Always on the lookout for good ones, and I love me a series.

>13 Helenliz: Thanks so much, Helenliz. I love your Translations category.

>14 Tess_W: Thanks for the welcome, Tess_W. What a clever theme idea, and I really like your categories.

>15 rabbitprincess: Thanks, rabbitprincess. I am indeed looking to have fun here. Thanks again!

Looking forward to following along with your reading in 2022!

>16 majkia: Thank you, majkia. Like you, I am a transplant, only I’m from Southern California, born and raised, until my retirement in 2012, when we moved to this tiny town in Illinois, where son No. 2 and family live, as well as my husband’s sister and brother. They are transplants as well. We have two sons and two grand-daughters still in California, avid readers all, I’m happy to say. I’ll be following you here and on the other groups we have in common. Happy reading!

>17 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie_K. My daughter-in-law and I visited England in 2019, a dream trip for both of us, and we are hoping to visit Scotland in the future. Here’s to a year of fantastic reading!

>18 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, DeltaQueen50. I especially like your Stories from the American West category. I’ll be avidly following that one for sure.

>24 VivienneR: Thanks for your welcome, VivienneR. Looking forward to following along with you, too. 2022 will be here before we know it! Thanks again.

I like the picture with the cats especially. Enjoy reading your categories in 2022.

>29 hailelib: Thanks for the welcome, hailelib! I hope you have a wonderful reading year.

Hoping to follow along this year. I don't do my own thread, but will be reading others in preparation for my own one of these years. Hope you have a great 2022 reading year!

>31 beebeereads: Thank you so much beebeereads! I hope you find some inspiration here and have a great reading year as well.

Best wishes on your 2022 reading, Mary!

>33 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori! I wish you a happy year of reading as well. Your theme is so clever. Makes me want to take a trip to Cincinnati!

>34 marell: I want to go back for a nice long visit myself and probably will do so at some point. I haven't decided if it will be spring break or in the summer.

Last evening I read a few selections from a book my mother gave me for Christmas one year A Christmas Treasury of Yuletide Stories & Poems, and read the short story Where Love Is, There God Is Also by Leo Tolstoy. It cheered my heart so, I’m adding it to my Russian Authors category as the first book of my 2022 category challenge reading year.

Love the images you picked for your categories. Like you, in 2012, we moved across the country - from Indiana to Georgia. I'm still adjusting to the heat.

*edited to change the year - I meant 2012, not 2021!

>37 Crazymamie: Thank you! I hear you. From dry Southern California to the humid Midwest definitely was an adjustment. I need to visit Georgia in the near future. My dad was born and raised there and my favorite cousin settled there after his career in the army. Happy reading in 2022!

Welcome and I hope you enjoy your reading in 2022! This is just my second year in this group, so I am still somewhat of a newbie, too. I have never looked back since I joined, though!

>36 marell: This sounds wonderful! How heartwarming to have such a special reading experience at Christmas.

>39 MissBrangwen: Thank you so much! I really have the feeling this will be my favorite group. It’s such a great idea to have goals. It’s so easy to get in a rut and never read the books you’ve always wanted\meant to. My other favorite group is Reading Through Time. Happy reading in 2022!

RandomKit - January - Home Sweet Home:
In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
Fiction - 638 pages, plus Notes and Questions for Reflection and Discussion.

The house of Brede is a Benedictine monastery in the south of England. The story is an intimate portrait of the religious life. The story begins with successful businesswoman Philippa Talbot, who at age 42, much older than most, leaves her home and everything else behind her, and enters the House of Brede as a postulant. I loved this book from start to finish. I began reading it sometime after Christmas. What a lovely way to end the year and begin the new.

>41 marell: Sounds like a beautiful read. On my WL it goes!

MysteryKit - January - Series:
The Darling Dahlias and the Voodoo Lily by Susan Wittig Albert
Mystery - 266 pages, including Author’s Note

This is the ninth book in one of my very favorite cozy mystery series set during the Great Depression in the small town of Darling, Alabama, involving happenings in the town and among the members of the Darling Dahlias Garden Club. It is 1935 and a cantakerous old woman dies in her bed at Magnolia Manor, a boardinghouse for genteel elderly ladies. Was it a stroke or was it murder? And can Voodoo Lil’s magic help Violet get what she wants? Just two of the knotty problems facing the characters in this little corner of the South. I really enjoy keeping up with the lives and goings-on in these books. The period details are true to the time period, something important to me in historical fiction.

Books About Books:
Morningstar: Growing Up with Books by Ann Hood
Non-Fiction - 184 pages

A very personal book about how reading books transformed and helped shape her life, and showed her the way to become a writer. There are ten “lessons”in the book, each showcasing a particular book. She was a precocious reader from a very early age. This book was okay, some funny bits, a lot of angst. I have read only two of the books she showcased and only one of them was memorable for me and I will most likely never read the others, so I was slightly disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book more than I did. Her thoughts on books and reading in general resonated with me, but like I said, it is a very personal book so everyone has a different story to tell.

Last year I read and really enjoyed her book Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food, so already knew some of her story.

CatWoman - January - Biograpy, Autobiography, Memoir
As Long as Life: The Memoirs of a Frontier Woman Doctor by Mary Canaga Rowland, M.D.
169 pages, plus Chronology, Glossary and Index

This was a book I couldn’t put down. It is written in an odd style, which is explained by the editor, the author’s great-great nephew. Dr. Rowland received her first M.D. in 1901. She practiced in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oregon for 50 years. It is an absorbing account of her life and practice. She lived an extraordinary life.

BingoDog - Children’s or Young Adult
Classic Tales from India: How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head and Other Stories by Vatsala Sperling & Harish Johari
235 pages

This book was written for Western children. It is a book for kids from 9 to 90! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute reading this book and studying the beautiful artwork. These ancient stories are taken from the grand epics of ancient India, such as the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, an epic poem, and ancient text in the Sanskrit language, the Srimad Bhagavatam. It is gorgeously illustrated using a nine-step traditional Indian process.

BingoDog - Pub. year Ending in 2
Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
Fiction - 306 pages

Mr. Howard tells his story to an acquaintance at their London club as they sit out an air raid in comfortable chairs drinking Marsala. Mr. Howard is an old man, who, against all odds, just as France is overrun by the Germans in 1940, attempts to shepherd some children from Dijon to England. The story is full of peril and action but reads calmly and steadily, rather like Mr. Howard himself. This book was all I had hoped for and more, having read On the Beach and A Town Like Alice years ago. So glad I found it.

Non-Fiction:
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life and Maybe the World by Adm. William H. McRaven, U.S. Navy, Retired
e-book, 86 pages

This short book of essays is an expansion of the author’s 2014 commencement ceremony speech at U. of Texas, Austin (speech included at the end of essays). He draws on his training and experiences as a U.S. Navy SEAL to impart practical life lessons and encouragement for everyone. Food for thought and action to begin the New Year.

>43 marell: I've never read any from that series although I've read some of the author's other series.

>49 thornton37814: I have only read one other of her series, The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, which I liked very much.

Russian Authors:
The Funeral Party by Ludmila Ulitskaya
Fiction - 154 pages

This short book is full of characters, mostly Russian emigres, but all types of people flow through the pages, from an Italian neighbor, former lovers, friends and acquaintances, to three Paraguayan street musicians. All these people come together in a broiling New York City apartment, caring for and awaiting the death of charismatic artist, Alik. I don’t quite know how to describe this except to say it was a rather odd and different read for me.

BingoDog - About Sisters or Brothers
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
Mystery - 297 pages

Clark and Division is an intersection in Chicago. The Ito family is forced to move from Tropico in So. California to Manzanar. I grew up in the Tropico area so the first part of the book is quite nostalgic for me and I recognized so many of the places she describes, even though I was born several years after WWII. In my teen years I spent many happy hours at the Tropico branch public library. After two years in Manzanar the family is allowed to relocate to Chicago. When they arrive, they discover that Rose, the eldest daughter, who preceded them some months earlier, is not there to meet them. Aki, her younger sister, seeks to find the truth of what happened to Rose. While the main theme of the story is the Japanese-American experience during WWII, the relationship between the two sisters, Aki’s search for the truth, and her struggle to find her place in life without her sister is what drives the story.

BingoDog - Features a Dog
The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People by Rick Bragg
Non-Fiction - 238 pages

Speck is the shortened version of this dog’s name, The Speckled Beauty. He is an Australian Shepherd mix. The author rescued him, starving and injured. Speck is not your typical family pet, in fact, he is a terrible boy. This is the story of how Speck came to Mr. Bragg at a difficult time in his life and what the dog means to him. It’s a beautiful story, with laugh-out-loud humor. I loved this book and I love Rick Bragg’s writing. If you’ve never read any of his books, this one would be a perfect introduction.

>53 marell: This sounds like a wonderful story! I just had a look at the cover - what a beautiful dog.

Hi Mary, your thread popped up, hope it's ok to post. I read >51 marell: a while back, and it was sufficiently odd for me to remember something about it (not always a given for me!). Certainly packed a lot into a short book: rather like the flat (apartment).

>55 charl08: Hi Charlotte, it is absolutely okay to post! I just didn’t know how to describe my thoughts about that book. So you read the book at some time?

>55 charl08: Sorry I misread what you said. Yes, it was definitely odd.

BingoDog - By a Favorite Author
The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith
Mystery - 229 pages

You’ve heard of Scandi Noir. Now there’s Scandi Blanc. Ulf, Anna, Carl and Erik work in Malmo, Sweden in the Department of Sensitive Crimes under the the Criminal Investigation Authority. As always, Mr. Smith’s books are the perfect quick escape. He pokes fun at the cultural trends and absurdities in modern life, but never in a mean way. This first book in a new series, like all the books I’ve read by him, is just so much fun to read.

Non-Fiction:
Wandering Through Winter: A Naturalist’s 20,000-Mile Journey Through Winter by Edwin Way Teale
347 pages

This is one book of four in the American Seasons series. I began reading this last year sometime. It isn’t something I could read straight through, so I read a chapter here and there until I finished it tonight. There are a lot of facts to make your head spin a bit. Nature in all its diversity, people from the past whose legacies remain today, and people from the present, such as the witch-hazel gatherer, the makers of maple syrup, and people who go to a diamond farm in Arkansas, to name just three. It was published in 1965, so I’m sure some things have changed. Enjoyed this very much, but for me, slow and easy reading, not too much at once.

BingoDog - Title Contains a Z
Death in Zanzibar by M.M. Kaye
Mystery - 270 pages

This is an entertaining, witty, romp of a who-done-it. Published in 1959, the Cold War is in evidence. The heroine’s sometimes dim wits and naivete got on my nerves a bit, but then, she’s young, and until this adventure, had led a sheltered life and had no experience of the world. A good sense of place and time. For pure escape, this is a pretty good one.

>60 marell: I liked all the "Death in..." books, and I believe Death in Zanzibar was my favorite! They all pretty much follow the same formula, but it's a formula I enjoy.

>61 christina_reads: It’s a bit dated, but to me that’s part of its charm.

>60 marell:, >61 christina_reads: I enjoyed this series and also Kaye's The Far Pavilions, which I took with me on a trip to Vietnam in pre-ebook days, when you'd use up a lot of your baggage allowance on books, which you'd swap with people you met along the way. It was everyone's favourite.

>63 pamelad: oh, I love that little travel story. I had no idea. I read The Far Pavilions a long time ago too, and liked it very much. Death in Zanzibar is my first in this “series.”

>60 marell: Like other commenters, I loved all of M. M. Kaye's books back when I read them. I was just sad there were not more.

MysteryKit - February - Cold Case Crimes and BingoDog LGBTQ+ Author
The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid
404 pages

I finished The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid. I thought this was a standalone novel but it is actually the third book in the Karen Pirie series, so I was a bit disappointed because I do like to read series books from the beginning. I may explore more of her books in future.

The discovery of a skeleton on the roof of an Edinburgh building is determined to be five to ten years old, so enter Cold Crimes Unit DCI Karen Pirie, and partner, Detective Constable Jason Murray, to solve the case. The horrors of the 1990s Balkan Wars are at the heart of the matter, and the work of two Hague attorneys also comes into play.

>66 marell: As I wrote in the MysteryKIT thread, I read the first two books of the series for "Cold Case", so this one is up next for me. I liked the first two books a lot, so I can recommend them, and I am looking forward to reading this one!

>67 MissBrangwen: Thank you for the thumbs up. I quite liked Karen, Jason and Phil, so would like to re-visit them in future.

BingoDog - Silver or Gold on the Cover
The Earth Abideth by George Dell
Fiction - 342 pages

This book was written in 1938 but not published until 1986. The story begins in 1866 with the marriage of Thomas and Kate Linthorne, recounting their life on their farm in rural Fairfield County, Ohio, near Lancaster, raising their children, living and working among their neighbors. The story is told almost exclusively through the eyes of Thomas, but not in the first person. The speech is in the vernacular of the time and place. It is real life, the good and the bad. The author’s love of the land as seen through Thomas’ eyes is described beautifully, never long-winded or boring. Here is an example:

“The year breathed like an animate thing—each dawn the world was newmade. Spring stitched the meadows with fresh green, bound fascinators of dogwood and redbud around the heads of the hills. In the woods maidenhair and bladder ferns curled from the rock ledges. By early June there were fireflies over the clover, white pyramids of bloom on the horse chestnuts and catalpas.”

Russian Authors and BingoDog - In Translation
A Country Doctor’s Notebook by Mikhail Bulgakov, translated from the Russian by Michael Glenny
Fiction/Autobiography - ebook

I really, really enjoyed this book. The book recounts this young man’s experiences in his first posting at a remote rural clinic. There are also two other stories, one about a doctor’s morphine addiction, and another entitled, “The Murderer.” The writing is just marvelous. Highly recommended.

>71 marell: Because I liked this one so much, I'm planning to read Heart of a Dog (the novel, not the play) soon.

>72 pamelad: Great! I’ve never heard of that one. I’m going to try to find more of his works. Thank you!

Nordic Authors, Women in Translation, BingoDog - A Long (for you) Book:
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, translated from the Norwegian by Tiina Nunnally
Fiction - 1124 pages, plus two maps, explanatory notes and list of holy days

This book is actually a trilogy: The Wreath, The Wife, The Cross, in one volume. I started it at the end of January and finished it last night. There are a lot of characters and family connections, which for me was pretty daunting, one reason I would recommend reading this in one go, and this translation is purported to be the best one. But I loved it from start to finish and I was always eager to read it each time I picked it up. The portrayal of daily life in 14th century Norway with its customs, traditions, religious life and lingering pagan beliefs is richly depicted.

Another book I highly recommend to anyone interested in the time period of the 14th-15th century is The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley. It is told in the style of the old Icelandic/Norse sagas and is around 600 pages long.

Nordic Authors, MysteryKit - March - Small Towns, Big Secrets:
Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson, translated from the Icelandic by Quentin Bates
Mystery - 302 pages

I enjoyed this first book in the Ari Thor series. The story takes place in Iceland, in the small town of Siglufjordur, near the Arctic Circle. Ari Thor Arason is a newly-qualified police officer. He is rather insecure and impulsive, which I found annoying at times, but I’m thinking he will mature as the series continues. The author made me feel as claustrophobic as Ari Thor as he struggles to get used to his new job in a town buried by snow with only one road in and out of the city, and the people in town seem to know everyone and everyone else’s business. It was pretty good and the mysteries within the story kept me interested.

>75 marell: I haven't read anything by Ragnar Jonasson so far, but your comments make me even more curious!

>76 MissBrangwen: There are some intriguing elements that lead me to think they will be pursued as the series continues. The plot thickens!

BingoDog - Title Contains a Month
The Ides of March by Thornton Wilder
Fiction - 246 pages

I enjoyed this book, written in the form of letters, documents, and journal entries of the last year of Julius Ceasar’s life. I was glad I had some background knowledge of events. I enjoyed most the entries made by some of the other characters, not always those by Julius Ceasar and Cleopatra. It did make me want to read and keep studying to know more about the Roman Republic and Empire, one of my favorite historical time periods.

RandomKit - March - Hobbies
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston
Fiction - 233 pages

I just loved this book. A feel-good story with ephemera on every page. A quick, fun read.

BingoDog - Non-Fiction
This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear
Memoir - 300 pages

As a fan of the author’s Maisie Dobbs series, I was happy to see her memoir. The title refers to a saying of her father that helped the family get through hard times. She tells how the lives of her grandfather and parents influenced her writing novels about the two world wars, about living in the country, growing up with her parents and younger brother, working hard and living in hardship, and about her large and loving extended family. Although we were born in different countries and I am about six years older than the author, born and raised in the suburbs, there were some similarities to our lives I so easily identify with. Thoroughly satisfying.

EVERYTHING ELSE
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
Fiction - 340 pages

I’ve just finished The Lowland. It is the story of two close, but different brothers, Subhash and Udayan Mitra, whose lives take very different paths. It is a family story taking place from the 1940s to the present day, in India and the United States. The sense of place and time is just right. The story is not a happy one, but Ms. Lahiri’s writing is so wonderful, and I was engrossed in it from beginning to end.

CATWoman: Women Pioneers - BingoDog: Read a CAT - Nordic Authors
The Treasure by Selma Lagerlof
Fiction - eBook

Selma Lagerlof was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, first woman to be granted membership in the Swedish Academy, and first woman to be depicted on a Swedish banknote, when the first 20-kronor note was released.

The Treasure is a novella that takes place in late winter/early spring in the 16th century. I love the heroine’s name: Elsalill. She is the only survivor of a terrible murder. The author uses magic realism in the telling of the story. The writing is superb. This can be read in one sitting, it’s that hard to put down. I just loved it and hope to read more of her books in future.

BingoDog - Set in Another Country (Botswana)
The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith
Mystery - 227 pages

The latest in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. This time around, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni gets an opportunity to invest in a new bus company, Ma Ramostswe and Ma Makutsi investigate a “wicked” nurse, and Ma Ramotswe tackles modern-day slavery. I always want to strive to be a better person after reading one of these books.

EVERYTHING ELSE
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
Mystery - 228 pages

The second book in the delightful Detective Varg series.

EVERYTHING ELSE
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
Mystery - 228 pages

The second book in the delightful Detective Varg series, set in Malmo, Sweden.

MysteryKit April: Noir/Hard-Boiled
Noir, a novel by Christopher Moore
Fiction - 339 pages, including afterword

San Francisco, 1947. Sammy “Two Toes” Tiffin is tending bar when in walks a blond dame, Stilton (the Cheese), “don’t call me Toots,” and it’s love. This book gets everything right: time and place; atmosphere; it’s grim, but hilariously funny; and although the language and dialogue is perfect, it’s very raw, over the top for my taste. Oh, and there’s a snake, a black mamba, which creeped me out, but what a character he turns out to be. Great fun.

CatWoman- April: Women of Color - Non-Fiction
Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir by Amy Tan
Memoir - 357 pages

This isn’t a memoir in the strict sense, as the title indicates. Amy Tan talks about herself, her family, her “neediness to know” about her family, and what goes on in her head, all the things that have influenced her fiction writing. I found some parts more interesting than others. My eyes glazed over, however, in the chapter devoted to emails between her and her editor. Perhaps a fellow writer would find the parts about the writing process helpful, but I really struggled through some of it.

RandomKit - April: April Showers - BingoDog: Character Shares a Name with a Friend; Weather Word in the Title
Trade Wind by M.M. Kaye
Fiction - 553 pages

I just finished Trade Wind, and loved every minute of it. I read Death in Zanzibar earlier this year and enjoyed it too, but this book really shows what a good writer she is. Adventure, romance, treachery, and tragedy, make it a satisfying reading experience in every way. Because of this book I plan to read every one of her books I can get my hands on.

Near the beginning of the book, there is a tremendous storm at sea. Later on, the monsoon winds bring rain, rain, and more rain, hindering and eventually helping events on the island of Zanzibar, where the majority of the story takes place. Also, a good friend of mine for many years, shares the name of the character, Olivia, in the story.

I’d like to share this passage:

“As the shadows lengthened the quiet garden of The House of Shade began to fill once again with chattering birds coming home to roost, and beyond the windows and far away on the horizon Hero could see the lilac-coloured hills of Africa, clear and sharp in the evening light and looking closer than she had ever seen them look before: so close that it seemed as though one might reach them in an hour. The sun plunged behind them in a blaze of glory and green twilight enfolded the Island; and suddenly it was night and there were a million stars in the sky.”

>88 marell: I also enjoyed Trade Wind but not quite as much as The Far Pavilions. Have you read Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald? It's in the same family as the M M Kaye books, and I really liked it.

>89 pamelad: I haven’t read Zemindar but it looks like one I would like. Thank you for the recommendation. I read The Far Pavilions way back in the ‘80s, and remember liking it. I had a newborn baby at the time so I think the book didn’t get my full attention!

Books About Books
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Blythell
Non-Fiction - 312 pages

I enjoyed this book very much. It’s entertaining, informative, and funny, with some laugh-out-loud moments. He clearly loves his work, and he loves his country, and I’m glad I was able to visit this little corner of Scotland for a while.

MysteryKit - May - Detectives in Translation
Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer
Mystery - ebook

This is the second book in the Detective Benny Griessel mystery series. Apparently these books don’t need to be read in order. I chose this one because I believe the first one is about child abuse, didn’t want to go there, so I started with this one. The story takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, translated into English from Afrikaans.

It is a fast-paced thriller I could hardly put down. I’ve never read anything by a South African writer, or a book that takes place in that country, so just for those reasons, it was fascinating. I regret that it was an ebook because at the end there is a glossary which would have been easy to access in a print book. I had to Google instead, a right pain. The language is raw, not something I like in a book, but . . .

Anyway, two crimes have been committed on the same day, one involving the murder of a music bigwig, and another the murder of an American girl and the search for her friend before she is killed by the men pursuing her, so it is a race against time. Well-drawn characters, a wonderful sense of place. It will keep you on the edge of your seat.

BingoDog: A Book Club Read
The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham
Fiction - ebook

I read the absolutely wonderful The Moon and Sixpence. This book never sounded like something I would be interested in reading for some reason, and the first few pages made me wonder if I was right. But I was wrong. Such marvelous writing. I’ll never forget this book. In fact, I think it may be my favorite of his books that I’ve read.

>94 marell: Ooh, you're reminding me that I really need to read more Somerset Maugham! I loved The Painted Veil.

Non-Fiction
God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew
Biography - 280 pages, expanded version

For this theme I read God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew, a Dutch man who began taking Bibles into the countries behind the Iron Curtain and distributing them to pastors and churches. This work ultimately led to the creation of Open Doors International, which serves persecuted Christians in over 50 countries by distributing Bibles, giving financial aid to the needy, advocating for the unjustly imprisoned, rebuilding destroyed churches, medical aid, literacy and employment training and micro-loans to start small businesses, training church leaders and other believers to stand firm in persecution, and mobilizing the Church in prayer, giving, and speaking out. It is a thrilling story of a man who with no money stepped out in faith, achieving marvelous things and giving hope to people who thought they were all alone in the world.

RandomKit: May Flowers; BingoDog: Flowers on the Cover
The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton
Fiction - 318 pages

As a teenager I read this in The Reader’s Digest Condensed Version and never forgot it. Years later I read the entire book. Read it again for this challenge. I don’t re-read many books, but this one is a treat every time. It is the story of Matthew and Callie Soames and their four daughters who spend their time between town and their beloved little country home in Missouri. The story takes place between the late 19th Century to around WWII. To my mind, a perfect book and a joy to read.

BingoDog: Travel or a Journey
Journey by James A. Michener
Fiction - 244 pages

This is a wonderful adventure story taken out of his book Alaska. There is a Reflection section at the end of the book which details how this story came to be edited out of the larger work and published on its own which I thought really interesting.

Four English aristocrats and an Irish servant set out for the gold fields in Dawson, Canada, along the Klondike River, in 1897, at the height of the insane gold fever that swept the world at that time. It took them almost two years to get there. A great story by a great writer.

CatWoman - May- Classics Written by Women
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Fiction - ebook

I have to admit my shame that I didn’t even know what this book was about, although, of course, I knew the title. I enjoyed very much this tale of romance and derring-do.

MysteryKit - June: Historical Fiction
The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch
Fiction/Mystery - 435 pages, including Epilogue and Postscript

This book was okay, but somewhat disappointing. The time period and location are what initially intrigued me: Bavaria in 1689, and it is the beginning of a series I was hoping to continue.

First of all, I don’t get the title, since the hangman’s daughter is only one of many characters in the story, but not the main one, which is the hangman. The translater is apparently someone of renown, but when I read, “You think?” and “For sure,” I began to wonder. I even suspected who the culprits behind the mayhem were somewhat early on and was proved right, and another incident which should have been very satisfying, but wasn’t, made the conclusion somewhat anti-climactic.

>99 marell: I envy you coming across those for the first time - they're a romp & a half.

>101 Helenliz: A romp & a half is right!

CatWoman - June - Cookin’ the Books
The British Museum Cookbook by Michelle Berriedale-Johnson
Non-Fiction - 159 pages, including “Cooks, Cookery Writers and Further Reading” and Index

This book was informative, interesting and entertaining. In each section there is a brief introduction to the history, foods and cooking methods used in each civilization, followed by recipes. The ingredients are as close as they can be to the time period, and she gives substitutions if necessary. The cooking methods are authentic to the recipes as well, but she does modernize by use of the microwave, blender, etc., as we don’t often cook over open fires anymore, and some of the original methods are just too time-consuming. There are ten civilizations, some of which are Ancient Persia, Pre-Conquest Mexico, Renaissance Italy and Imperial China. There are a couple of recipes I might try, but just reading them was great fun.

BingoDog - You’d Love to See This Movie
Run to Earth by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Fiction - ebook

This book would be great as a mini-series, and I can think of a few of my favorite British actors for the cast. It has all the right elements: 19th century England, rich and poor, locations in London, Yorkshire, and other parts of the country, conspiracy, murder, etc. The only thing I’d change as a film-maker would be to make a more satisfying ending than the book, which was distinctly unsatisfying. However, it was a page-turner. The author has been compared to Wilkie Collins, so there you go.

CatWoman - June - Books Set in Cities by Women
Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska
Fiction - 297 pages with an interesting Introduction

Set in the 1920s on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, this is the story of the Smolinsky family, immigrants from Poland, as told by the youngest daughter, Sara. The old world tyranny of the father upon his wife and daughters made me want to cry and tear my hair out. Sara breaks away, enduring six years of loneliness to educate herself and avoid the fate of her mother and sisters. She finds, though, that she can’t leave the past entirely behind her. This book was hard to put down.

Non-Fiction
Happy Days in Southern California (1898) by Frederick Hastings Rindge
200 pages

I have taken all month to read this book. It is a tribute to the climate, flora and fauna of So. Cal., especially the area around Malibu. The author speaks to the reader in a personal way. He was very religious, and sprinkles biblical principles and little morality lessons throughout, which I frankly found quite charming. Having lived the first 63 years of my life in So. Cal., this book was quite special to me.

BingoDog - Set in a Capital City: London
* https://www.librarything.com/work/25572132 Dance with Death by Will Thomas
Mystery - 307 pages, including Afterword

This is the 12th book in one of my favorite series, Barker & Llewelyn. The story is set in Victorian England, in 1893. This time the enquiry agents are tasked with protecting the heir to the Russian throne, soon to be Nicholas II, from an assassin, during his stay at Kensington Palace for the wedding of Prince George of England. The series is best read in order. Wonderful period details, and this one is filled with real historical figures. I look forward to each new book in this series.

>107 marell: I think your touchstone has got confused, that takes you to Slaughter House V! Probably not the same at all.
Looks like an interesting series.

>108 Helenliz: Thank you. It came out correctly when I entered it in the wiki but not otherwise. So annoying. Thanks again.

RandomKit - July: Dog Days of Summer; NonFiction
Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII by Captain William W. Putney, DVM, USMC (Ret.)
Non-Fiction - 224 pages

The dogs in this story were mostly pets that civilians donated to the Marine Corps during WWII. They were sent to War Dog Training School at Camp LeJeune, in North Carolina. The dogs who successfully made it through training were used in scouting, guarding, detecting mines, sending messages, and attack. In their role in the recapture of Guam, and later, other islands, they proved to be an invaluable asset in saving the lives of men. The book is a loving tribute to these dogs and the men they served.

MysteryKit - July: Golden Age
The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout
Mystery - 302 pages

This book is the second in the Nero Wolfe series. It was published in 1935. I love the period details: the Depression is hinted at; Archie uses an elevator without the operator with not so good results; there is a switchboard operator at an apartment house, and Archie drives not only a sedan, but a roadster. Funny, clever writing but I cringed a few times over certain terms and attitudes. Details get fine-tuned in succeeding books — the big red chair and the yellow one are not mentioned and people are allowed to leave without Archie’s escorting them out and bolting the door, and Archie is not as sophisticated here and uses poor English.

I enjoyed this one very much. Great fun.

BingoDog: Award Winner
Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History by Lea Ypi
Non-Fiction - 264 pages

From her birth to the age of 11, the author describes her life in Albania under socialism, then the changes that took place after the government collapsed and the country embraced “freedom” and their desire to be “like the rest of Europe.” The contrast in the way of life in Albania and life as we know it in the west was what made the book most interesting to me. Her wry sense of humor was welcome as well.

The book won The Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize, and the Slightly Foxed First Biography Prize.

>112 marell: That looks really interesting. I've added it to the wish list.

EVERYTHING ELSE
Fierce Poison by Will Thomas
Mystery - 292 pages

This is the 13th installment in my beloved Barker & Llewelyn mystery series set in 1893 London. I read this quickly as I couldn’t put it down. An MP in distress enters the agency and almost immediately falls down dead from cyanide poisoning as it turns out. A family is poisoned, leaving only a baby as the survivor. Then the poisoner sets his sight on the enquiry agents themselves. I really liked this one, a star in the already fabulous series.

CatWoman - July: Women in Science
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
YA -Non-Fiction - 127 pages

This is an enjoyable, instructive, and inspiring book for anyone, but especially for girls who might be interested in pursuing a career in science. It has charming illustrations in an interesting format. I loved every minute I spent in this book, and science is not my thing.

Everything Else
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
Fiction - 172 pages

I finished The Lost World, and now am anxious to read The Poison Belt. A superbly written adventure-fantasy about two scientists, a lord and adventurer, and a young newspaperman who go on a quest to a hidden place in South America inhabited by creatures no longer living in the modern world. I loved every minute of it.

MysteryKit - August: Techothrillers
Ice Hunt by James Rollins
Fiction - 397 pages

An American research station in the Arctic finds an old Russian base buried deep in the ice holding terrible secrets and other terrors. The race is on to see who gets there first and life on earth itself is in danger. But things are not as they first appear. . . . This is a technothriller on steroids with non-stop action and a bit of romance. I felt like I was watching a nail-biting movie. I don’t read anything in this genre so it was quite a change of pace for me. It was pretty good, I must say. I’m worn out!

>117 marell: 117 This sounds good, so I've just downloaded the ebook. I like Victorian adventure stories, with their fine young Englishmen and the flower of British womanhood.

>119 pamelad: Yes, indeed. The superiors/inferiors mindset as well, not so good. I look forward to your thoughts.

BingoDog - Modern Retelling
Longbourn by Jo Baker
Fiction - 331 pages, plus Author’s Note

This book is Pride and Prejudice told from the viewpoint of the servants in the household. In those days, servants weren’t viewed as people in their own right, with desires and ambitions of their own. They were just there, as well, servants. When we see the Bennet girls in their pretty dresses, dancing slippers, and elaborate curls, we find out just how much exhausting, back-breaking, and skin-ruining work it took to make them appear so. Not to mention the chamber pots and cleaning of undergarments, especially during the “monthlies.”

As the events unfold among the Bennet family, the servants are there, giving us a different view of the family, and their own stories as well. This book will go down as one of my very favorite books of the year, and a new author to get to know.

I’m really going to have to read Longbourn someday! It sounds great.

RandomKit - August: Canada!
Coventry by Canadian writer Helen Humphries
Fiction - 177 pages

This short novel depicts the bombing of Coventry on November 14, 1940, the night when most of the city and the great cathedral was destroyed, through the eyes of ordinary people, and in particular, three people. Ms. Humphreys can say a lot in a few words.

Everything Else
The Foreign Correspondent by Alan Furst
Fiction - 273 pages

I read an Alan Furst novel, set in 1938-39, The Foreign Correspondent. Carlo Weisz is an Italian emigre’ from Trieste, living in Paris and working as a journalist for Reuters. He also becomes the editor of an anti-fascist underground newspaper, after Italian secret police working in Paris kill the previous editor. There is not a lot of action in this book, but menace is lurking around every corner. It is the story of an honorable man doing his best to help his country on the cusp of war.

In a note before the book starts, Furst tells us that Italian emigres in Paris founded the Italian resistance, producing over 500 newspapers and journals that they smuggled into Italy to give hope and encouragement to the people there.

Everything Else
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children, illustrated by Ruth Brown and Peter Barrett
Fiction

If there is one thing I love in this life, it’s a big, beautifully illustrated children’s book, and this book doesn’t disappoint. The paintings illustrating these charming stories by country vet James Herriot are just right, capturing the beauty and spirit of the Yorkshire Dales. I love all the stories, but two favorites are Moses the Kitten and Bonny’s Big Day.

CatWoman - September: Women During War
A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
Fiction - 355 pages, including Author’s Note

I finished this a little early as I took a brief break to read it from reading a much longer book. This is the 17th book in the excellent Maisie Dobbs novel series. The story takes place in the autumn of 1942, and features the women ferry pilots in the British Air Transport Auxiliary, and the visit to British soil by United States First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. It’s a bit of a complicated story, involving both Maisie and her American husband. I always eagerly await each new book in this series.

>125 marell: That sounds like a beautiful book! I read the James Herriot books when I was a child and enjoyed them so much.

>126 marell: Another series that I hope to get to one day!

>124 marell: I've added this one to the list, it sounds like something I'd enjoy. Thanks for the review!

>128 charl08: I don’t know if you are familiar with his works, but this is one of the books in his Night Soldiers series. The books can be read in any order, and are independent of each other, the only things linking them are recurring characters that show up occasionally and a restaurant. There are 15 books in the series so far and of the 10 I’ve read, Night Soldiers, the first, and The Polish Officer, the third, are my very favorites. There are always a couple of sex scenes, not usually very long, but more graphic than I care for, just so you know.

CatWoman - August: Children’s/YA/Graphic Novels
The Land of the Blue Flower by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illustrated by Judith Ann Griffith
Children’s Fiction - 45 pages

This is another gorgeously illustrated children’s fairy tale. It is story of the young orphaned King Amor, raised by a wise man, who changes the lives of his unhappy people by making a law that they must each plant a blue flower, from seeds that originally came from a faraway emporer’s secret garden.

Nordic Authors
We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen, translated from the Danish by Charlotte Barslund with Emma Ryder
Fiction - 675 pages

We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen is a novel which has turned out to be one of my favorite books of the year. The author is from the town of Marstal, Denmark, and the book is a fictionalized history of this town, its inhabitants and seafarers, that takes place from 1848 to 1945. It’s a fantastic tale from beginning to end.

>131 marell: This is already on my wishlist and your post confirms it!

>131 marell: This was so good! Glad you liked it!

BingoDog - A Gift
Dawn Wind by Rosemary Sutcliff
Fiction - 246 pages

This wonderful children’s novel was given to me for Christmas, along with six other novels in the author’s series about early Britain, by my daughter-in-law. They are the lovely Slightly Foxed editions.

You don’t feel you are reading a children’s story in these books. In this installment, the Romans are gone from Britain and the Saxons have taken over and it is a dark time. Two young people, Owain and Regina meet, each alone in the world, and try to get by as best they can, until Regina becomes ill and Owain is taken as a slave, and they are separated. How will they fare in their new circumstances? This is the fifth book in the series and I have enjoyed each one, and am looking forward to the two remaining in the series.

MysteryKit - September: Animal Mysteries
Maigret and the Yellow Dog by Georges Simenon
Mystery - 135 pages

This is my first Maigret book which I read in one sitting. The setting is a small coastal town in Brittany in the rainy, muddy month of November, 1937, with its rather seedy hotel/cafe, dispirited waitress and louche regulars, and pushy mayor. At the heart of murder and mystery is a big yellow dog. I don’t know how this compares to his other books, but it was pretty good and I’d like to read more.

>135 marell: I have read two Maigrets so far and liked them both, so I would like to read more of them, too. This one sounds very interesting.

>135 marell: I haven't read a Maigret book that I didn't like.

Non-Fiction
The Compact History of the Indian Wars by John Tebbel
311 pages plus bibliograpy

I read this for the quarterly July to September Old West challenge in the Reading through Time group.

I appreciated this book because you get the story from the first encounter between European and Native American to the last battle, tragic though it is. It is divided in two parts, the Conquest of the East, a conflict which took three centuries, and thus, over half the book, and The Conquest of the West, which took thirty years. It is not dry reading in any way, well-written, bringing the times and characters to life.

Books About Books
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Non-Fiction - 310 pages

This book is mainly about the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, but also libraries in general. I worked in downtown L.A. from 1991 to 2011, and frequented the library from its reopening in 1993, after its devastating fire in 1986, until my retirement in 2011. It was only a 25 cent DASH bus ride away from my place of work, and I often spent lunch hours there, as well as stopping by on my way home as my bus stop was just across the street. The lovely Little Tokyo branch was two blocks away and I went there often as well.

Although I now live in a very small town in another state, I am so fortunate to have access to two libraries relatively close by and which use an inter-library loan system like the one in Los Angeles. These libraries also contain bookstores where I can buy all kinds of books, hardbacks for a dollar, sometimes even fifty cents or a quarter. I once found a gorgeous, brand-new Catholic Bible for $5, which I gave to a friend.

As the author says at the conclusion of the book, libraries have always been “a place I love that doesn’t belong to me but feels like it is mine, and how that feels marvelous and exceptional.” All I can say after reading this marvelous book is “Long Live Public Libraries.”

BingoDog: Published Year You Joined LT (2007)
Red Rover by Deirdre McNamer
Fiction - 264 pages

This is a rather depressing book, and sometimes the writing gets a bit too poetic, but in spite of that I would like to read it again in one sitting.

And, this book finishes my Bingo card!

>140 marell: Congratulations on completing the Bingo card!

>141 NinieB: Thank you! It was fun.

>140 marell: Excellent finish.

MysteryKit: Mysteries Featuring Food
Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri
Mystery - ebook

The story takes place in Gravigna, Tuscany, Italy. Food, the description of, the preparing of, the eating and enjoying of, was mentioned on just about every page, as well as, of course, wine, espresso, grappa. I really felt like I was in Italy, and the food is out of this world. A nice, light reading experience.

Everything Else
A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry
Fiction - 292 pages

The majority of the book takes place in Belgium, during WWI, where Willie Dunne fights with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. It is a truthful, brutal story of war in all its horror, but the writing is so splendid, I could hardly stop reading. There are some memorable characters here I won’t soon forget. A mighty work, in my humble opinion.

CatWoman - October: Women and Crime
The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra
Mystery - 271 pages, plus a dictionary and recipes

This was a light entertainment. The setting is 1920s Bangalore, India, and the book captures the sights, sounds, and smells of India, as well as life under British rule, very well. Kaveri is 19 years old and newly married to Ramu, a doctor. A murder is committed on the grounds of The Century Club, where Kaveri and Ramu are attending a dinner. Kaveri and Ramu become involved in helping Ismail, the police chief, solve the murder.

I believe this is the first book in a proposed series, but I don’t believe I will continue with it. It would have been improved by better editing, as the language is often awkward and words are not used quite correctly, in descriptions and in dialogue, unlike dialogue in which this is done purposely to reflect how people actually speak. There is a prologue, which I think should have been followed up on at the end of the book. Also, I just found some things unbelievable. The mystery itself isn’t bad, but I don’t think I will be revisiting this series.

This book would fit in Mysteries Featuring Food as well. Kaveri and Ramu are a sweet couple and Kaveri is still learning how to cook. There are a lot of food descriptions and recipes at the end for food that appears in the story.

>144 marell: I gave this book to my husband as a birthday present, so I am happy to see that you enjoyed it! I guess I will read it, too, once he has done so.

>147 MissBrangwen: I believe there are two more books in the series. I hope you both enjoy it.

>144 marell: This sounds good, and it's on KoboPlus, so it's now on my ereader, ready to go.

>149 pamelad: Great! I hope you like it.

RandomKit- November: City
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
Fiction - 193 pages

I can’t really say I enjoyed the story, but it was certainly interesting and I read it in one day. The city is briefly mentioned twice in the story but is critical to the ending. Methinks the man can write. It won the Booker Prize.

RandomKit - October: What’s in a Name
Claudius the God and his wife Messalina by Robert Graves
Fiction - 467 pages

The sequel to I, Claudius and just as entertaining. It took me awhile to read it as each chapter is packed and I could only manage one or two chapters a day. The book’s timeframe is Claudius’ becoming emperor until his death and in the form of Claudius writing his memoirs. The end of the book tells three accounts of Claudius’ death written by Suetonius, Tacitus, and Dio Cassius. I really like reading about the Roman Empire and these two books don’t disppoint.

Everything Else
From the Shadows by James R. Benn
#17 Billy Boyle WWII Mystery - 317 pages, including historical notes

I’ve read every book in this series and they never disappoint. Two things I like best are that as just mentioned, they are consistently good, and include historical notes. This time the action takes place beginning in October 1944, in Crete, Algiers, and southeastern France in the Vosges Mountains where Billy, Kaz and Big Mike encounter the renowned all-Nisei 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team, as well as other heroic and not so heroic figures. Storytelling at its best.

CatWoman - December: Prize Winner By Women
The Optimist’s Daughter by Eudora Welty
Fiction - 180 pages

This book won the Pulitzer Prize. I have only read two other books by Ms. Welty and although it was long ago, I remember really liking them and was looking forward to this one. However, I didn’t connect with the characters, although I did like the quiet dignity of “the optimist’s daughter,” Laurel, as she comes to grips with deaths in her family, especially as opposed to her father’s second wife, silly, self-absorbed Fay. I still think Ms. Welty is a wonderful writer, but this book was just not for me.

Everything Else
Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris
Fiction - 458 pages

The background for this historical fiction adventure is that Charles I of England has been executed, Oliver Cromwell comes to power, Charles II is now on the throne and an Act of Oblivion has been issued to find the men who signed the king’s death warrant. This is the story of the hunt for these men. The main story involves Colonels Edward Walley and William Goffe, who have fled to America.

The mid to late 1600s were eventful times, including the black plague and the great fire of London. This is no action-packed chase drama. There are a few gruesome scenes. This is a fantastic story well told by an author who rarely disappoints. I really liked this book.

Everything Else
The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo, translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai
Mystery - 189 pages

I liked the setting and time frame of this locked room mystery which takes place in a rural Japanese village in Okayama Prefecture. The murders took place in 1937, but the story is narrated by a writer of mysteries some years later. One of the characters calls upon a young private detective to help the police solve the case. This is the first book in a series but only two, I think, have been translated into English. It was quite entertaining.

>156 marell: My library has 3 and I know Richard Derus in the 75 group has read at least 3, so they are out there, but they're fairly recent, so not necessarily very widespread.

I enjoyed that one enough to intend to look out the others.

Thank you so much. I’ll be on the look-out!

NonFiction
A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester
462 pages, including an Appendix, “With Gratitude,” a Glossary, Suggestions for Further Reading, with Caveats, and Index.

I read this for the Reading Through Time quarterly read.

There is A LOT of science here. The actual account of the earthquake and fire doesn’t begin until page 243. It is an account of not only ancient science, but the New Geology that emerged in the 1960s, and that continues today. It includes not only San Francisco history, but events happening in the wider world, fascinating characters and incidents, and even travel. There are charts, drawings, photographs, and maps. I enjoyed it very much.

>159 marell: I've read and enjoyed many of Simon Winchester's books but I've not read this one yet. I'll have to try to fit it into next year's reading!