Tess Reads What She Wants!

Retired high school Social Studies teacher. Currently teaching at the college level--just one class per semester. I'm really into food preservation now and spend a lot of time reading about it and watching YouTube videos. I live in central Ohio with my husband of 46 years. He is basically chair-bound, so I have lots of time to read. I have 7 grandchildren I adore. The oldest is 22 and the youngest is 4.

I have abandoned my original CATS--too confining! I'm just going to read what suits my fancy when I desire. I will participate in cats/kits if I desire! I will simply number my reads. I am still going to focus on African and Asian reads this year.



Paul's Asian Reading Challenge
JANUARY - Europe of Asia - Turkish Authors COMPLETED
FEBRUARY - The Holy Land - Israeli & Palestinian Authors COMPLETED
MARCH - The Arab World - Writers from the Arab world
APRIL - Persia - Iranian writers
MAY - The Stans - There are 7 states all in the same region all ending in "Stan"
JUNE - The Indian Sub-Continent - Essentially authors from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
JULY - The Asian Superpower - Chinese Authors
AUGUST - Nippon - Japanese Authors
SEPTEMBER - Kimchi - Korean Authors
OCTOBER - INDO CHINE - Authors from Indo-China
NOVEMBER - The Malay Archipelago - Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian Authors
DECEMBER - The Asian Diaspora - Ethnic Asian writers from elsewhere

Notes to myself
2022 HOSTING CATS
February-Country life-Reading Thru Time
February RandomKit Read a CAT—literally!
April Scaredykit-Serial Killers
July ShakespeareCat Measure for Measure, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice theme: justice
November Mysterykit- Gothic

576 books on Mt. TBR as of Dec. 25 2021

My rating system:
1 star--waste of paper and ink
2 stars-Is this literature? -major flaws or mind numbing boring
2 1/2 stars-not so bad I had to stop reading
3 stars-average, neither good nor bad
3 1/2 fun, informative, thought provoking
4 stars-excellent read
4 1/2 exceptionally good, among my favorites
5 stars-in all ways a superior read

Books read thus far in 2022:
1. Much Ado About Nothing
2. The Curtain Call Caper
3. Mrs. Poe
4. The Cat of Bubastes Africa
5. A Headful of Ghosts
6. Woman in Black
7. Victory Asia
8. The Dry Australia
9. West From Home
10. Little Lord Fauntleroy
11. Madonna in a Fur Coat Asia
12. The Women in Black Australia
13. The Stranger Inside
14. Three Tigers One Mountain Asia
15. The China Governess
16. The Hungry Road
17. The Greenhouse
18. The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist
19. Unfamiliar Fishes
20. Into the Raging Sea
21. The Last Monument
22. The Arctic Fury
23. Decluttering at the Speed of Life
24. 101 Hymn Stories
25. Kim Asia
26. King Lear
27. Meditations
28. The Lincoln Highway
29. Things Fall Apart Africa
30. Richard III
31. Umberto Giordano's ANDREA CHENIER Opera Study Guide with Libretto: Opera Classics Library

FEBRUARY
32. The Gold Bug
33. A Year Without The Grocery Store
34. The Revenant
35. Character Still Counts
36. The Silver Pigs
37. The Lost Sea of the Exodus
38. Sylvester
39.The Book Thief
40. The Last Kingdom
41. The Case for Easter
42. Winesburg, Ohio
43. The Practice of the Presence of God
44. A Woman of No Importance
45. Klaus Barbie
46. France the Dark Years: 1940-1944
47. My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner
48. Eusebius
49. The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker
50. What Could Be Saved
51. The Pale Horseman
52. Homestead Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Our Hearth to Yours
53. One for the Road
54. . Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
55. Dark Places

MARCH READS
56. Love in the Time of Cholera
57. New Boy
58. Book Lover's Devotional: What we Learn About Life from 60 Great Works of Literature
59. Wide Sargasso Sea
60. Fool Me Once
61. The Prodigal Comes Home
62. Celestial Bodies
63. Vicious Circle
64. A Wrinkle in Time
65. The Pickwick Papers
66. The Address
67. Radioactive
68. Cold Dish
69. The Genius of Generosity
70. The Land Beyond the Sea
71. The Black Moth
72. Lords of the North
73. Flight Behavior
74. Sword Song
75. The Practice and Presence of God
76. Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule
77. Cinnamon and Gunpowder

Tea or coffee? Enjoy a piece of cocoa-mayonnaise cake with peanut butter frosting. Just made it yesterday!

>3 Tess_W: There is nothing peanut butter I don't love, and I have a fresh cup of coffee right here!

Happy new thread! And yes, please pass me some cake!

>5 mstrust: What she said!

Mmm, that cake looks and sounds delicious! Have fun with your unstructured reading!

Thanks, all!

32. The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe was a short story, very much like others of Poe (The Purloined Letter and ----?). The "mystery" is solved by use of deduction. The Gold Bug is mostly irrelevant to the story, although a catalyst. This fulfills the ScaredyKit for February and also the 19th Century Authors Cat. I read this from a Poe anthology. This story was 80 pages. 4 stars Poe kept me on my toes in this book as far as vocabulary goes. I had to look up about 4 words, amongst them "swackhammer", meaning a person interested in biology; so named after a famous past scientist.

Happy New Thread, Tess! And good on you for starting new if your old categories didn't feel right!

>2 Tess_W: That's a lot of books. Happy unrestrained reading!

You have read a TON, so I think the "read-what-you-want" is definitely the best plan!

>3 Tess_W: dare I ask for the recipe?

Happy new thread!

>8 Tess_W: I've got that one lined up for next week. It's on my desk at work!

>12 thornton37814: Hope you enjoy, I really did! The language is just so intriguing. It's like balm for the mind! It's such a step above most modern writers. I prefer 19th century writing!

>11 kac522:
Mayo-Cocoa Cake:
1 cup water (if you don't mind the fat, use milk, I do)
1 cup mayo
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons pure cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar (optional, I used 2-3 packets coffee sized) Stevia)
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix all the wet ingredient together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. I use an 11 x 7 pan (the 8 x 8 is too small--ran all over my oven!).

Peanut butter frosting
1 cup butter, at room temp
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons milk (I had to use a bit more--to get the right spreading consistency).

If I have chopped peanuts, I also put them on top!

Ice cake after it is cool. Enjoy!

>14 Tess_W: Thank you! Printed and ready to go--maybe tomorrow!

>14 Tess_W: Question--I don't have a 11x7 pan--I've got a 9x9 and 9x12--which do you think?

>3 Tess_W: Happy new thread, and that cake looks AMAZING!

>16 kac522: I would do the 9x9.

Good for you doing the category reorganization! That cake looks wonderful!

Happy reorganized thread! Enjoy your free reading :)

>18 Tess_W: Got it, thanks!

Enjoy your reading!

And mayonnaise is something I would never have thought to use as a cake ingredient ...

>19 lsh63: TY
>20 rabbitprincess: TY

>21 kac522: I think it just replaces oil ????

I'm not sure I need another cake recipe, but that is tempting!

Chocolate Cake is Yum and Peanut Butter Icing takes it to a whole new level.

One of these years I am going to loosen the restrictions of my categories and simply read what I feel like, too. Good idea.

33. The Revenant by Michael Punke is a bleak and fictional account of real-life trapper/explorer Hugh Glass in the 1820's. The book is violent and has a lot of bloodshed. In the afterward, even the author admits that he did embellish certain parts of the book for entertainment purposes. There is not anything good or uplifting about the book. 262 pages 3 stars My husband said he saw the movie but that I would not like it because of all the violence.

I stopped by yesterday to say Happy New Thread but must have forgotten to hit post, so - Happy New Thread. You've had some good reading already. I have a similar cake recipe, but my husband doesn't like peanut butter so usually chocolate frosting or sometimes none.

Happy new thread, Tess! The cake looks good!

>27 dudes22: TY
>28 MissWatson: TY

Reads I would like to accomplish between now and the end of February (notes to myself)
Silver Pigs started A Marcus Falco Mystery
My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner
King John ---trying to read Shakespeare's kings (histories) in chronological order
Sylvester (Georgette Heyer)
Start Dickens' Little Dorrit (Serial Reads-103 issues)
One for the Road a contemporary romance
Wide Sargasso Sea
Radioactive

>14 Tess_W: Thanks for the recipe, sounds good! I've heard of mayo in cake but never used it myself.

I enjoyed My Russian Grandmother; he uses the vacuum cleaner to tell her story and his. And Little Dorrit is probably my favorite Dickens.

>Super! I know that I have some good reading ahead!

34. A Year Without the Grocery Store by Karen Morris. This book was free on Kindle. I've been into food preservation and storage since I've been semi-retired. I am participating in a No spend January/February which is basically eating only from your pantry/freezer. I have allowed myself $10 for things like milk or fresh vegetables each week, although most weeks I have not used the full $10. (because my local stores do not have much in the way of lettuce, spinach, etc....shelves are bare). There are some things in this book that I would not do (such as store water in 55 gal drums) but it did give me some good ideas about items for long-term storage, mostly non-food items. 105 pages 4 stars

35. Character Still Counts by James Merritt. A wonderful book that bases character on Biblical values that are still relevant today. Dr. Merritt pulls no punches. This may or may not be a feel good book. 256 pages 5 stars

36. Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis was the first book in the Marcus Falco detective series. Falco is a PI in ancient Rome who works mostly chasing unfaithful spouses, but gets involved with the government when a young lady he was returning to her family dies and leaves behind a silver pig. A silver pig was one way the Romans forged their silver for trading purposes. These silver ingots were only traded by the wealthy. I did learn a lot about Roman culture, but the mystery was so-so. 352 pages 3 stars

>14 Tess_W: Cake turned out perfect in a 9x9 pan! There's no sugar in your recipe, so I did add 1 cup of sugar--I need some sugar with my chocolate. I also used cream cheese frosting, as we have a person allergic to peanuts in this house. A keeper.

>37 kac522: TY I did forget that sugar is optional. I did not put it in since my husband is pre-diabetic. I figured the icing would have enough! (and he didn't complain)

>36 Tess_W: I might try that series when I need another "ancient setting" book. I suspect the series improves a great deal because I've heard several recommendations for the series.

>36 Tess_W: I've read some from that series and have some unread as yet which I do intend to get to. If trying to rate the series as a whole maybe a little over three stars for the mysteries and four for the setting.

>38 Tess_W: Ok, I was prediabetic a year ago. Got my blood sugar down in July, so I'm not anymore, but I'm still careful. I think you've convinced me to try this!

>41 LibraryCin: I did add 2 individual packets (like for coffee) Stevia.

>42 Tess_W: Good to know. I'm not a fan of Stevia or Splenda, but I find monk fruit sweetener tastes better to me.

>39 thornton37814: I think probably so.......I'm not a big mystery fan to begin with.

>40 hailelib: I agree with your ratings!

37. The Lost Sea of the Exodus: A Modern Geographical Analysis by Glen A. Fritz

There is a lot in the news lately about the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt--did it or did it not happen? I don't know why this popped up now, maybe it's cyclical. There is no doubt the exodus happened. Now it seems the debate is WHERE did the Israelites cross the "Red Sea?" That's the purpose of this book. It has long been assumed that this parting of the sea took place at the Gulf of Suez near Egypt. However, some scholars say this is not the place, but it was nearer the Gulf of Aqaba, some distance from Egypt. This book was expertly researched and the author's analysis is good. That being said, it is still conjecture, as there is no archaeological information for either site. Good read which required me to pull up some good maps and also read and re-read parts of the book of Exodus. 352 pages 3 stars

38. Sylvester by Georgette Heyer. This is the least favorite of the Heyer's I have read. Maybe it was too long.......416 pages 3 stars

>46 Tess_W: I agree that 416 pages would be too long for one of Heyer's romantic novels.

>46 Tess_W:
>47 thornton37814:

Oops, error, was actually 400 pages (not 416). Still too long!

>46 Tess_W: Oh no, one of my favorites! Sorry you didn't love it, but I do understand getting impatient with long books!

>46 Tess_W: You must have a recent edition with relatively large print size as my old copy is less than 300 pages. I always thought it one of her better ones.

>46 Tess_W: I started checking when I read this and it's "odd." There are complaints on Amazon that they received an abridged edition, even though it wasn't marked. My copy is from 2004 and the print is regular, if anything, smaller than I like.

Trying something new to get my reading mojo in high gear. Went to a random number generator and asked for 2 numbers between 1-100. The generator picked:
The Book Thief (a re-read for me because the first time around I don't think I understood it. I gave it a very low rating, but looking over reviews, I'm not even sure I read this very exact book.)

One for the Road, a romance which has been on my shelf since 2015.

Good choices!

>52 Tess_W: Who's the author of One for the Road? The touchstone goes to a travel book.

>53 pamelad: Lynne Marshall--link now fixed! Don't know how good or bad it is, it was a Free Kindle D/L.

39. The Book Thief I remember small parts of this. LT says I read it and even reviewed it--giving it a really low rating of 2.5. However, I have no knowledge of 75% of the book. Did I read an abridged version? (not like me) Did I watch the movie and mark it as the book, instead? I don't have the book. Did I get it from the library, read part of it and return it, later thinking I had read it all? Very puzzling!

However, this is a superb book. The book is narrated by Death, and he is a great story-teller. This book shows us the lives of very ordinary people struggling through the closing days of the war. These people have no control over, and no way to stop what is in progress. However, each of them still rebels in their own tiny ways.

The book is about words, their power, the power to soothe and calm, and the power to terrorize.

My only complaint is that Death drops some massive spoilers along the way. I think the book would have been better has those spoilers not been exposed. Hence, 4.5 stars instead of 5. 608 pages

I joined a group read of Winesburg, Ohio. Now, I can't remember where. Anybody else in on that read?

Hello Tess and Happy New Thread! >55 Tess_W: I have re-read books like this, where I can't really remember what was going on.

This one sounds good, and enjoyed your review.

40. The Last Kingdom (Saxon Chronicles #1) by Bernard Cornwell. Not originally a fan of Cornwell and his ships. However, I found this book fascinating. I know little about The Danes and their invasion of Northumbria and its surrounds. I liked the author's section on the difference between fiction and history. Good stuff! I will continue my read of this series, but need a break from all the killing and taking notes on kings and king wannabes! 368 pages 4 stars



>56 Tess_W: TY!

41. The Case for Easter by Lee Strobel. Good study about the "facts" as investigated by an ex-atheist/journalist. I like how the author included 8 outside sources, (not Christians/Jews) such as Tacticus, who witnessed or interviewed those who were witnesses. 81 pages 5 stars

>56 Tess_W: - maybe if you look at who you share the book with it will give you an idea of who it might be.

>60 dudes22: TY Great idea!

Group read of Winesburg, Ohio beginning in March here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/339258#n7745832 led by Carmenere

Great week for culture last week! On Wednesday I saw the Van Gogh Experience. It was a 3-D exhibition which last 30+ minutes. You were supposed to leave after your set, but since it was 50% empty, we stayed and saw it twice. The pictures and the varied presentations were fab! The music was beautiful! It was a total immersive experience. The gift shop was very nice, also. On Sunday I sent to the ballet with my bff and we saw "Giselle", one of my very favorite ballets. The music was provided by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra so it was like going to the ballet and a symphony.

>62 Tess_W: By the way, Sherwood Anderson's first book was published when he was 40, just in case you need a book for the "first published at the age of 40 or later" Author CAT. I'll be posting that this evening.

Hi Tess, I'm glad you found the Winesberg, Ohio group read. I will be joining in as well and I am looking forward to it.

>55 Tess_W: This has been on my shelf for ages! One day I will get to it.

>58 Tess_W: Another tbr. I watched the first season of the series two years ago and since then I have wanted to read it, but again - one day! I am glad to see that you liked it since I have never read Cornwell and am not sure what to expect.

>63 Tess_W: Yay for going to concerts and stuff again!

>64 clue: Thanks! My choice is easy, then!

Hooray for getting out and doing what you like! It sounds like you really enjoyed your ballet.

42. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson. Requested this hoping to have it by March 1 and got is on Feb. 14; so I read it! I may or may not pop into the group read in March. These are "connected" short stories about citizens living in a small midwestern town. Except for one, all the stories are quite pessimistic. The lives of these poor people in Winesburg sure are tortured. Short stories aren't my thing, and especially these! 308 pages 2.5 stars Just yuck!

43. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. Summary: 17th century Carmelite monk who took part in a conversation with God most of his waking moments. Some gems, but the theology is very muddy. meh 95 pages 3 stars

>70 Tess_W: I am so with you on this! I re-read this last year, and here's part of my review, which I have set as a spoiler, for those who will be in the group read:

What a difference a half-century makes--this was one of the few books I recalled liking from required high school reading, and I have always wanted to re-read it. Well, glad that's over with! Anderson portrays only unhappy, dissatisfied marriages; sad, lonely and disconnected individuals; and there's not a decent, positive woman in sight, except for the "madonna" Helen White. The one thing I took away from this book was the basic values and simple thinking of small-town rural Americans, and how some of that still permeates to this day.

>72 kac522: I grew up in a small town of 195 people. What happened in Winesburg was unique, I think. For the most part, my "town" (which consisted of 1 grocery, 1 gas station, 2 churches) was a close knit community of farmers who helped each other. Of course, I was not privy to much! I'm gonna ask my mom!

>73 Tess_W: I am sure that there are plenty of good people in small towns who are always there for one another. But I think what I took away from Winesburg was how hard it is to be "different" from the norm, whatever that might be. I just finished reading Willa Cather's A Lost Lady, where she portrays some of that loyalty to others, while at the same time revealing the gossip and suspicion of those who are just a bit off-beat.

>74 kac522: I would agree that it would definitely be more difficult to be "different" in a small town.

>70 Tess_W: I hope I like Winesburg, Ohio better than you did, but I suspect I won't.

>71 Tess_W: That's a book I discovered while attending a Protestant Bible college. There are some very memorable passages in it, and it's one I revisit every so often. I especially enjoy this prayer from his work:
Lord of all pots and pans and things,
since I’ve no time to be a great saint
by doing lovely things,
or watching late with Thee,
or dreaming in the dawnlight,
or storming heaven’s gates,
make me a saint by getting meals,
and washing up the plates . . .

>76 thornton37814: Yes, that is one of the gems!

I hope your next book is a good one!

>78 pamelad: Yes, I've had 3-4 really stinky ones! But, things are looking up!

44. A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell. This was the story of Virginia Hall, WWII's most decorated spy. A great non-fiction about Virginia, an American, who ended up being the primary operative in Vichy, France, during WWII. At one time she had 1500 couriers, radio operators, etc., under her auspices. She narrowly escaped Klaus Barbie, who had a bounty placed on her head. This book was so very well researched that it was easy to go down needed rabbit holes, and I did! 368 pages 5 stars



45. Klaus Barbie: The Shocking Story of How the U.S. Used This Nazi War Criminal As an Intelligence Agent by Erhard Dabringhaus. The U.S. employed Barbie and helped him escape punishment in France. This book appears to have been little researched and seems to be opinion. Not worth the time 207pages 2 stars



46. France: The Dark Years, 1940-1944 by Julian Jackson. A superbly written account of France during WWII, especially Vichy. Since reading A Woman of No Importance, I discovered that my studies of France during WWII and U.S. textbooks about Vichy, France, are quite distorted. After reading this I can categorically say that Vichy, France, was by no means a "free zone", and in fact, perhaps more dangerous than Paris. Well worth the 608 pages 5 stars

47. My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner: A Family Memoir by Meir Shalev. The writer is good with words and is witty. However, I "assume" the story is supposed to be cute and nostalgic. I found it sad. A grandmother is so consumed by cleanliness that her family has to eat on the porch instead of the dining room, so they don't dirty it. There are rooms in the house, such as the library and the bathroom, they are not permitted to enter. On the door knob of each door is a rag, in case somebody needs to enter, they need to clean the door knob when they leave the room. Her daughter can not get married in the backyard because her mother is afraid family will dirty the house. I'd say the grandmother has a mental illness; and that is not cute. I did get to see snippets of life in a kibbutz. I read this as part of Paul's Asian reads group (75)--Palestinian/Israeli author. 224 pages 3 stars

>79 Tess_W: I'm glad to see you liked the Sonia Purnell. I've seen it and thought I would read it but haven't made an effort to actually get it. I read Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill last year and gave it 4.5*.

>81 clue: I have Clementime on my WL!

>79 Tess_W: I'm adding A Woman of No Importance to my maybe list.

>83 hailelib: It's very good. Although a non-fiction, it reads like a novel!

March Planning !

Finish from February: What Could be Saved

Random Kit: Hobby Love Read 1/2 canning books
AuthorKat: Either Olive Kittridge or an Eliot I have not read
CATWoman: Radioactive (GN) Marie Curie/women pioneers
ScaredyKit: Switched at birth--The talented Mr. Ripley (?)
MysteryKit: Small Town Big Lies: Snowblind
ShakespeareCAT: Read a book based on a Shakespeare New Boy by Tracy Chevalier (Othello)
Paul's Asian Read--an Arab writer whatever the library has this month!
Reading through time: Read about time, probably A Wrinkle in Time

Personal:
One for the Road, a 40 something romance
The Sekhmet Bed, Africa
When Empires Fall, romantic mystery
Looking for Me, contemporary fiction

48. Eusebius: The Church History, translated by Paul Maier. Eusebius, from Caesarea, is often called "The Father of Church History." Critics say that Eusebius was not the best writer, sometimes writing fully documented pieces of church history and sometimes paraphrasing passages from his sources. I basically read this because I'm working on a project about Roman crucifixions and he witnessed several and interviewed others who had witnessed dozens. This book accomplished that, so I'm not going to be a critic. He covered church history from about 100-300 AD. Maier's comments provided some needed direction and translation. I know nothing of Maier, so again, I have to trust that he got the "gist" of the book correctly! 368 pages 4 stars

Cooking project: all things sourdough! I made my own sourdough starter. Failed twice, did the same thing the third time and it "took", meaning it flowered. The first thing I made was sourdough biscuits. I add 1/4 cup of hemp hearts, chia seeds, and flax seed in place of the same amount of flour. They were wonderful. They did not rise as much as I would have liked, but they tasted great! The second batch I made was English muffins. They taste so much better than store bought--they were smaller and puffier--but I can "fix" that the next time. Once you have the feeder started it will continue to grow as long as fed. This weekend is sourdough pancakes.

Next project: Somebody gave me 20 lbs. of russet potatoes. I'm going to can them in my new pressure canner. Waiting on a delivery of more mason jars/rings.

49. The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett is an epistolary novel written in the 18th century describing Mr. Bramble's tour of England and Scotland under George III's rule. Any action is secondary to the description of the landscapes, nature, and social commentary. This was billed as a raucous, hilarious novel. I found some of it grin-worthy, a tad of wit, but little else. The version I read was 258 pages, a free Kindle D/L. The format was horrible, repeated paragraphs; like it was scanned badly. 258 pages 3 stars--so so.

>87 Tess_W: ETA more than 50% of the potatoes were rotten! No canning!

I find potatoes to be a bit finicky and easily spoiled.

>87 Tess_W: Fantastic! They look good. I don't really like sourdough myself, but I do like English muffins and can appreciate the effort they took.
Sorry the potatoes were rotten.

>91 mstrust: Ooooo, sourdough is my fav! I like it really tangy!

Ha, that's what I don't like about it! But I love most bread, so I'm not missing out on carbs :-D

When my reading is in the toilet, I will choose from this list!

https://www.flavorwire.com/409714/40-trashy-books-that-are-actually-worth-readin...

>94 Tess_W: Ha! I have to admit that I have read a lot of the entries from that list!

50. What Could Be Saved by Liese O'Halloran Schwarz is a sad tale of a young 8 year old boy kidnapped in Thailand in the 1970's. It's the story of the destruction of the family and also of redemption. It was a bit too slow moving and too long for me. 464 pages 3 stars

>88 Tess_W: I just hate the way some of those older books were scanned. I've gotten to where I'll often download a PDF from Internet Archive instead of reading the Kindle version on those free ones.

>97 thornton37814: Thank you for the hint!

51. The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell is the second book in The Last Kingdom Series. This book further fleshes out Uhtred, his motives, his personality, and his loves. This is the story of the time the Danes occupied 3/4 areas of what is now English territory. (9-10th centuries) The only hold out is King Alfred with a rag-tag army in Wessex. Alfred has a vision of a united England. This is just an excellent series and I hope to finish it this year. I need to take a break from all the warfare for a few weeks, though! P.S. I'm thinking Alfred is a bit mad. Don't tell me, I want it to be a surprise! 400 pages 5 stars

52. Homestead Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Our Hearth to Yours by Eivin and Eve Kilcher. Since I just finished up my February reads, I thought I would begin my March reads early. When I chose this book I did not realize the setting was Alaska, so I was a bit disappointed. However, I did get a few good recipes, if I can find romanesco! This book contains a lot of beginner or to me, common-sense information on canning and preparing foods. I was hoping for something "more." 256 pages 3 stars I have to admit to skimming the chapter on fermenting.

I will not finish anything else in February, so here is the month's rundown:

Books read: 21

Cheers:
The Last Kingdom
A Pale Horseman
The Book Thief
A Woman of No Importance

Jeers:
Klaus Barbie
The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker

53. One for the Road by Lynne Marshall was a contemporary romance I've had on my shelf since 2015. Story of a down and out country singer, a 50+ woman newly widowed, and an RV. There was some mild suspense along the way. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this book as much as I did! 278 pages 4 stars

>99 Tess_W: I really need to try Bernard Cornwell, as I really like historical fiction. I've just added the first book in this series to my library wishlist.

>103 mathgirl40: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I like
this Viking/Dane series, but did not enjoy at all the first two books in the sea series.

54. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly was a superb biography of four African-American women, who despite the odds, became leading mathematicians and scientists that aided in John Glenn's space travel as well as putting men on the moon. The author does a good job of putting these women in the overarching political and civil rights movements. The story is great--the biographies and writing style are much like the "old biography writers", fact upon fact. I prefer a more story-like narrative writing style. 349 ages 3.5 stars

My no-spend January/February--food wise is over. Except for the allotted $10 per week for fresh items like milk or lettuce (which was difficult or impossible to find), I stayed within the guidelines. I still didn't make a dent in my deep freeze. I'm going to continue this into March, unofficially. Today I will be using all those vegetable pieces that I have saved for the last several months: celery ends/tops, carrot skins, woody asparagus stems, green pepper cores/seeds, onion ends, etc. I will simmer them in a stock pot on the stove for 2-3 hours, strain, and then fire up my pressure canner and have 4-5 quarts of vegetable broth for my pantry. I will be making all my own broth henceforth as it contains no salt and is cheaper than what you buy. The added bonus is I know what ingredients went into the broth and they are "free."

55. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn was a character based mystery told in two timelines, 1985 and present day. In a nutshell: 3 family members are killed. A 7 year old lived through it and her 16 year old brother is accused and convicted. Twenty four years later, Libby (the survivor), is contacted by a "Kill Club", a group of amateurs who look into murder cases, and asked to speak to the club, for a lot of money! This causes Libby to think about what she has not wanted to think about for 24 years. It also begins a chain of events that explains the murders. I did not find this exciting or scary. I loved Flynn's Gone Girl, but this is about so much teen angst: drugs, sex, satan, etc., that it became repetitive and formulaic. I did not find any characters to like and the ending was a bit disappointing. I listened to this on Audiobook and the reader was very good. 349 pages 3- stars

So......I cleaned/culled my bookshelves. In the past, I've just donated the books to Goodwill or Salvation Army. I had 21 this time--and some were fairly expensive; bought new, paid $12-14.95, etc. I thought, I will take them to a place that buys books! They gave me $10.50 for 21 pristine books! I know, $10.50 is better than nothing, but man, I feel ripped-off! Oh well, I bought 3 used books while I was there. I justified it by saying I really didn't "spend" my retirement funds:
Leave a Message for Willie
I Was Waiting for You
Love in the Time of Cholera

AND...I have 53 cents left!;)

>99 Tess_W: We've got The Last Kingdom somewhere on our shelves and I think I might like to read it sometime this year.

And, good luck on the vegetable broth.

>107 Tess_W: Tess, if your place is like ours, you are better off to get "trade" value. You usually get twice as much as you would get if you "sell" them to them.

56. New Boy by Tracy Chevalier is my first finished read of March. This will fit the ShakespeareCAT-read a book based on a Shakespeare play. Tracy Chevalier is one of my favorite authors and she again scores a hit with this re-telling of Othello. The action takes place in a Washington DC schoolyard over the course of one day. The protagonists are 11-year olds. A great story of racism, bullying, and betrayal. This is part of the Hogarth series. 188 pages 5 stars



In other events.....I have started Love in the Time of Cholera TWICE, read 50 pages, and can not tell you what I have read. From what I can remember, it's not a bad book! Going to tackle it today and try to become more invested, reading 100 pages at least.

>109 thornton37814: Not knowing anything about such things (never done it before), you are probably correct!

I think my broth making was a success! I didn't get as much as I thought from the scraps of vegetables I had saved, but that's okay for a first time! Today I will be canning pinto bean and ham soup. I went into the store to buy carrots and walked by the meat department, and they had an entire ham (14.7 lbs.) for $4. I looked it over and it wasn't expired. I asked the meat guy, "why", and he said it was the only one they had and older stock and they wanted to get rid of it. It was normally $42. The ham is boneless and fully cooked. I prefer the hams with bone that I cook myself, but could not turn down this deal. I soaked my pinto beans overnight and am ready to go. I also have 10 lbs of carrots and a slew of frozen mixed veggies, so I might also try my hand at canning some veggie soup.

P.S. The broth is brownish because I used onions & peels.

>111 Tess_W: Something else we've noticed is that they'll pay more for a mass market paperback than a trade paperback with fiction. It's because of the amount of space it takes to store them. They also tend to sell the mass markets for more than the trade ones. They want them to move quickly. They'll only take hardbacks until they come out in paperback. You'd probably get about 1/4 of what you paid in trade because they'll sell it for half price.

>112 Tess_W: ETA.....I noticed white water marks on my jars at the water level. After some research, evidently I need to put 1 TBSP of white vinegar in my canner to prevent this as I have well water.

Am attempting to read Drawn and Quartered by a Romanian author (perhaps a philosopher!). I don't think I'm going to finish, but did come upon an interesting quote dealing with books, "To send someone a book is to commit a burglary---a case of breaking and entering. It is to trample down his solitude, what he holds most sacred, for it is to oblige him to desist from himself in order to think about your thoughts." Food for fodder. What are your thought on this?

>111 Tess_W: Asking for credit does get you a better deal. We like those types of used book stores and often find some really good stuff for very little.

>115 Tess_W: I think I do agree with that quote, actually! I mean, if the book is a gift based on your actual desires/preferences, that's fine (great, in fact!). But when someone presses a book upon you because THEY love it, but it's not really your taste, it does feel like an imposition! :) I feel the same when people send me "must-read" articles...I hardly ever actually read them.

>112 Tess_W: Excellent! I too have started adding in the parts of veg that usually get thrown away- celery leaves, carrot stalks, pepper seeds. The parts that have more intense flavor and nutrients.
You might look into selling your books on Amazon or Ebay. Then you can set your prices instead of taking what a store gives.

>118 mstrust: Don't add the parts trimmed from the asparagus. I had to throw one batch away as they made it too bitter!

57. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is just a creepy book! I know that the Oprah Winfrey book club billed it as a romance; I find it anything but. I would label it as obsession. The protagonist of the story uses his obsession for Fermina as an excuse to womanize and he keeps records. (622 women to be exact) The last girl was a 14 year-old and she committed suicide when he broke it off with her. To me, this was just a very bleak book. I listened to it on audio. 348 pages 2.75 stars



Giving up on Drawn and Quartered, too pessimistic

>107 Tess_W: That's been my experience too with second hand bookshops. I take pristine books to them and in exchange pay to take home a couple of yellowed paperbacks. Now I just drop off my books at the Wee Free Library.

>119 Tess_W: Thanks for the info. I've never used the stalks just because they're so woody, but you learn by experimentation.

>107 Tess_W: After some similar experiences I've given up on selling books. Sometimes I give them to friends who might like them, and sometimes I take them to the Op Shop (Goodwill?). It's anachievement to match the right book with the right person. >115 Tess_W: I don't think it's an imposition to give a person a book, as long as you don't expect them to read it. I hate it when someone gives me a book then keeps checking up on whether I've read it.

>112 Tess_W: Forgot to mention that your veggie stock looks lovely. I just wondered how you store the vegetable scraps. I used to freeze them but was never really satisfied with the end result.

>124 VivienneR: I do freeze mine until I get a bagful. If the broth isn't tasty enough, I add a couple of tablespoons of dried tomato powder.

58. Book Lover's Devotional: What we Learn About Life from 60 Great Works of Literature by Barbour Staff I have been reading away at this for about 3 years. It's a very simplistic daily reading about a particular classic and a "truth" contained within. Interesting bits of trivia, but I was not really compelled to read, that's why it took 3 years! 247 pages 3 stars

>126 Tess_W: It's a shame that one isn't better. When my brother lived in Wyoming, the Sunday school class he attended studied a poem and discussed it in light of Scripture. I think it was one by George Herbert the week I attended. I found it very interesting although I thought it a little strange to take place in a Sunday school class. I think I was so accustomed to focusing on a Scripture passage in Sunday school that it was a bit odd to focus on a poem to look at the Scriptural truths (or inaccuracies if there were some). I guess what I'm saying is that the book had great potential but apparently didn't live up to it.

>127 thornton37814: I think there is/was great potential, but at the very basic level. I think I was wanting something more deep or profound.

59. Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben was the story of special ops, Maya, who's sister was killed while she was in Afghanistan and who's husband was killed once she came home. The entire book is about the "why." For me, nothing was unexpected. I was disappointed with such a bland ending. 464 pages 3 stars

>107 Tess_W: That's a shame. About twice a year I select decent books from my culled piles and take to a used bookshop in my CBD. The owner gives me credit, last time it was over $200 (NZD) for 2 shopping bags of books. I'd get almost nothing if I asked for cash.

>112 Tess_W: I always make my own chicken stock. I did a batch yesterday and will be making Spanish chorizo soup this afternoon.

>120 Tess_W: That is one I absolutely loved when I read it years and years ago. I've declared never to read it a second time in case it doesn't stand up for me.

>130 avatiakh: If I cull books again, I will either donate to a Little Free Library or ask for a store credit.--lesson learned!

Spanish chorizo soup sounds very good!

60. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys , in general, is a tale of race, power, and colonialism. The protagonist of the story, Antoinette, is caught between two worlds as she is the daughter of a white Creole. Things do not go well for her and she ends up in the attic at Mr. Rochester's home. This is the pre-cursor (although written afterward) to Jane Eyre. I think I liked it more because I knew it was connected to Jane Eyre, rather than liking the book on its own merit. The story was good enough, the writing was good. 3.5 stars 176 pages

61. The Prodigal Comes Home by Michael English. The story of Christian and pop singer Michael English's rise and fall and rise. At one time Michael was a part of the Gaither Band, one of my mother's favorites. I have chauffeured Miss Daisy to many of his concerts. My mother read the book and gave it to me. Good book, but wish it had an addendum because it ends about 2006. 217 pages 3.5 stars

62. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi was the story of 3 sisters living in Oman and their family lives. It might have been a good story, but it was so very disjointed, did not follow any sort of time line, and did not use quotation marks, that I was unable to follow. I think perhaps this was written in stream of consciousness. Surprised myself that I even finished. 2.5 stars 247 pages Read this as part of Paul's Asian reads--Arab authors

Ukrainian academic Lev Shevchenko has used books from his extensive library as a barricade to prevent glass and shrapnel from flying into his apartment in Kyiv during the impending Russian attack.

63. Vicious Circle by C.J. Box was book #17 in the Joe Pickett series. (I didn't know that when I began reading) Joe is a game warden in Wyoming, but the book reads like a police procedural. Joe is trying to neutralize a man he put in prison once, who is now seeking revenge upon him and his family. Wished I had at least read #1 in the series, but this book was ok as a stand alone. I just felt that I didn't know the characters that well....but a good read! 369 pages 4 stars

>136 Tess_W: I read several of those when they first came out and liked them. I need to figure out where I was and pick it back up. I regularly traded books at that time with another reader who didn't like the series as well as I did. Eventually I had so many of her books and others of mine that I just dropped it.

>137 thornton37814: He does churn them out. The first book was in 2001 and there are now 24 in the series. That's 1+ book per year.

64. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle A children's sci-book from the 1970's. The story of Meg, a moody, "misunderstood" genius, and her siblings, who travel throughout the galaxy in search of her missing father, a physicist, who is being held prisoner on another planet. The children travel through multiple dimensions by tesseracts, or wrinkles in time. I guess it's good, if you like that sort of thing. I don't. Maybe the beauty of it is reading it as a child. Maybe not! 277 pages 3- stars.

>139 Tess_W: I'm not a big fan of her fiction, but I've found the first two books of her Crosswicks memoirs very moving. I have the fourth book on the TBR shelf:

https://www.librarything.com/nseries/5826/The-Crosswicks-Journal

>140 kac522: TY. I will most certainly check those out. They seem to have a high rating.

>140 kac522: I've never read her fiction, but having read one of the Crosswicks journals (the one about her marriage) I have to agree that that was terrific, and I genuinely cried reading it. I have another of them (the one about the house, I think) and am looking forward to getting to that.

65. Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss was the first graphic novel, besides Maus, that I have ever read. I'm not a fan of the GN. However, this book was fantastic. It was so very interesting and written in a way that a laymen can understand nuclear fission and carbon-14. The love life of Marie Curie was also interesting. There are many copies of original documents contained within as well as a good amount of end-notes. My only complaint is that there was a lot of white ink on red or orange pages that I could barely make out--I struggled to read a good many pages. I highly recommend this book as a GN, a biography, a NF, and just a plain good read! 176 pages 5+ stars

>143 Tess_W: Ooh, that does sound good! I'm not a big GN reader either, but graphic biographies seem to work quite well for me. Adding to the wishlist.

>143 Tess_W: Sounds good so on my list now.

66. The Pickwick Papers FINALLY! I read this via serial reader, 115 installments. I usually read 3-4 a day, but it grew increasingly difficult. I have loved such Dickens as David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and Bleak House. This was the least favorite of any I have read. The first half was ok, but the last half seemed to be farcical or slap-stick comedy, which I do not care for. It was the story of The Pickwick Club, four odd members, and their traipsing around the English countryside. Trouble always followed them. I didn't find the episodes amusing, I found them irritating. I do understand this was Dickens' first full-length novel. Glad he improved! 801 pages 2.5 stars

>146 Tess_W: My least favorite as well, and I've read all his novels.

>147 kac522: Something I aspire to! My least favorite was Oliver Twist, until I read this.

>146 Tess_W: I read it years ago (before LT). I wasn't fond of it either.

67. The Address by Fiona Davis was a novel, told in two timelines: 1890's and 1985. The primary setting of the novel is the newly opened Dakota Hotel/apartment building. It was fairly easy to guess where/how the two timelines intersected. This was a good historical fiction with some real historical personages such as Nellie Bly, the Vanderbilts, and the Rutherfords. Good read! 354 pages 4 stars I listened to this on Audible.

I saw this on FB and thought is was apropo

>151 Tess_W: Oh! That's by Tom Gauld! RabbitPrincess introduced me to his work a couple of years ago (Mooncop) I hadn't seen this one but I love it! :-)

>152 Tanya-dogearedcopy: never heard of him! Off to look at Mooncop.

>151 Tess_W: That's great!

Also The Address made it to my "someday" list.

My favourite Gauld book is his book of science cartoons, Department of Mind-Blowing Theories.

>155 rabbitprincess: I will definitely look for that one.

68. The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson is the story of Walt Longmire, sheriff in a small Wyoming town which is located next to an Indian reservation. The sheriff is gruff, no-nonsense, and a bit of a rogue. This particular installment concerns three younger men, who ten years previously were given a slap on the wrist for the raping of a teen girl. Now they are being killed. Much as he doesn't like it, Walt must find the killer. Love Walt's friend, Standing Bear. This is book one in a long series. I liked this one well enough to look for book two--although I'm terrible with completing series! I understand from Vivienne that there is a series on Netflix. I think I will read some more before I turn on the TV. I'm not a TV watcher. I have not turned the TV on this year, yet!

Hello Tess! Stopping by to say hello and what a great amount of reading you've done. And the homemade broth; I've always aspired to that level of cooking, but alas. I did save food scraps for the composting pile, but then they would pile up, outside, in the hot Atlanta summers; I'm sure you can guess the rest!

>139 Tess_W: I liked this one OK, but it was her follow-up, A Wind in the Door that I read first (as a tween) and loved. The idea of kything, not mental telepathy, really interested me. If you want to give L'Engle another try, I can recommend "Wind" to ya.

Happy cooking and glad you are continuing with the food journeys!

>159 threadnsong: Thanks for stopping by!

69. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver Not sure how I want to review this book. Unsure if I should take the book at face value or if the author is condescending towards those in Appalachia. The protagonist, Dellarobia, is not likeable, although I can sympathize with some of her frustrations. I'm not sure that the author did a good job of connecting climate change with the overall story, although she did a good job of connecting the monarch butterfly to Appalachia. I may go back and "review" this review later when I've had time to ponder the author's purpose. 438 pages 3 stars

>160 Tess_W: - I haven't read this book of hers, however, I have read her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle where she and her family move to Appalachian area of Virginia, so I doubt she would be condescending toward it. But - I haven't read it yet although it is in my "someday" pile.

>161 dudes22: that is good to know! I have read in somebody's review that the tone was "rednecks and climate change." Perhaps that tainted my reception.

>162 Tess_W: - Although it is somewhat dated now her "Vegetable" book is one of my favorites. Her family lives off the land for a year (with a couple of exceptions) and her husband wrote some side articles in the book. I think it was probably one of the first to look at "sustainability" and living local. There's a "scene" in the Mar/Apr chapter where she goes to the first farmer's market and it's raining and she decides to buy something from every vendor (all 6). The last one has rhubarb and that was one of the things her daughter missed most. So she buys all 6 bundles that he has. (ok -I'm rambling)

>161 dudes22: I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle too and really liked it. She certainly wasn't condescending to her actual neighbours, although I've not read Flight Behaviour so can't comment on that one.

>157 Tess_W: I love this series and the TV series as well. A few of the earlier episodes of the series were based on the books.

ETA: I also read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and liked it .

>146 Tess_W: Congratulations on finishing Pickwick Papers. I read all of Dickens when I was young and it was my least favourite. The Dickensian Alphabet is wonderful!

>157 Tess_W: Glad you enjoyed the Longmire book by Craig Johnson. I never watch tv either but I was running out of things to do with my friend who was visiting from Australia for a month (she didn't want to do any travelling or sightseeing while here). Netflix was her choice and we watched it on my Mac. She was delighted that the actor who plays Walt Longmire is Australian.

>162 Tess_W:
>164 Jackie_K:
>165 hailelib:

I will be putting Vegetable on my WL!

>166 VivienneR: So many people have made the same comment!

70. The Genius of Generosity by Chip Ingram was a thought provoking book about generosity! It was definitely not focused on the obvious, money, but on time, reputation, community, etc. I read this and watched the video in which the author commented and further explained each of the four chapters. This gave me a new insight into generosity. 117 pages 4 stars

Trying to revive a dormant classical music group if you are interested: https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/476/Classical-Music

71. The Land Beyond the Sea by Sharon Kay Penman was the story of Outremer (Jerusalem) from 1174-to about 1200. (2nd & 3rd crusades) During that time Outremer was ruled by the young King Baldwin, or Baldwin the leper. This was a solid historical fiction novel that was steeped in real history with many real personages. I had some difficulty keeping track of all the characters. To add to that, I listened to this as an audiobook. The reader was very good. But so many names were so very similar: Ranauld and Raymond, Sybilla and Isabella. Evidently my hearing is not acute enough to discriminate between these French names....This is the 6th Penman I've read and though this was good, it is at the bottom of the list. 688 pages 3.5 stars

>169 Tess_W: I tried to read this from the library but will probably have to buy it! A Penman is always a good investment, especially because it should be in paperback by now.

>170 rabbitprincess: I agree, good investment! I've read a few historical fiction that have a lot of French words and names and if I listen to the audio, I always struggle. This one I've had on my TBR for several years. In the future, anything with French names or words will definitely be in print. I don't seem to have trouble with the Italian, German, Russia, etc., but do struggle with auditory discrimination of the French!

You're reading a huge variety of books, Tess. Are you still managing to avoid buying new ones?

>172 pamelad: I think I have bought 2 books thus far this calendar year....and I "bought" them with cash I made from turning my old ones in at the used bookstore. I have about 600 on my TBR list, divided between tree books, ebooks, and audio books. I do like variety--that is why I often find CATS too confining for me! I have checked a couple out from the library, but mostly just reading what I have!

72. The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer A swashbuckling romance? The Black Moth, a dastardly scoundrel who means harm to the lovely Diana. Jack, a wrongfully disgraced duke. Do I need to go on? This is the 3rd Heyer I've read and I'm a bit disappointed. +1, -2. 274 pages 3 mediocre stars

>174 Tess_W: The Black Moth was Heyer's first novel, written when she was sixteen so not bad, considering. You could count it for the April AuthorCAT.

>175 pamelad: Most certainly not bad for a 16 year old!

73. The Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell is book number 3 of the Saxon series. This is just great historical fiction. The protagonist, Uhtred, is taken as a slave for two years on a Viking ship and almost dies. He is saved by his half-brother, and together they seek revenge as well as for their sister in Northumbria. 354 pages 5 stars

74. Richard Cottingham: The True Story of The Torso Killer: Historical Serial Killers and Murderers by Jack Rosewood is part of a 30 book series of True Crime by Evil Killers. Richard Cottingham was known as "The Times Square Killer" and the "Torso Killer" because he often cut off the heads and hands of the victims to hinder body identification. A short, gruesome read; not for the faint-hearted. I read this for April's Scaredykit-Serial Killers. 173 pages 3.5 stars (it might have been better, but the explicit details of the crimes made me squeamish and I had to skip/skim those parts)

75. Sword Song: The Battle for London (Saxon Tales Book 4) by Bernard Cornwell. This series just keeps getting better and better. In this installment our hero has a few moral dilemmas and he "passes" the test in all cases (from the Anglo-Saxon viewpoint). Not sure if all the conniving of Alfred the Great or his uber (and sometimes unjust, IMHO) piousness was true; so hard to tell if he's a "good" guy or just a controlling, manipulative man. I have this entire series on Kindle--so glad, because at sometime I will want to re-read them, as I will Gabaldon. When exposed to so much new history and culture, it's hard to absorb it all and I'm sure I've missed many nuances. 338 pages 5 stars



With that being said, I've read some very good series in the last 2-3 years: Outlander, The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon, Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati, The Plantagenet series by Sharon Penman, and this current series, Saxon Tales by Bernard Cornwell. I highly recommend all of them!

>177 Tess_W: >179 Tess_W: Thank you for these great reviews Tess! I find that when I read really good historical fiction, I can go back and read the actual history with more understanding. Like when I read the first in the Thomas Cromwell series by Hillary Mantel, I could go back and re-read The Six Wives of Henry VIII with a whole lot more understanding.

I'm watching the series Vikings on whatever streaming service (Roku? Hulu?) and it's quite well done. Costumes, mannerisms, households all have a look of authenticity.

>180 threadnsong: I'm going to watch the Vikings on TV when I'm finished with the books. I know next to nothing about this period of history so it's all new to me!

76. Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini is a pre & post civil war work of historical fiction featuring Ulysses S. Grant, his wife, Julia Grant, and her one-time slave, Jule. When I purchased the book in 2016, I thought it would be primarily about Mrs. Grant and her slave. I was mistaken. The book is primarily about Mr and Mrs. Grant. This was a great read and I checked out many of the "facts" contained within and have concluded it was based on many true people and episodes. I was delighted that Mark Twain played an important role in the last days of Grant's life. 432 pages 4 stars

>182 Tess_W: I'm glad to see how much you liked this. I've read several of her Civil War Era books but this one is still on my shelves. My favorite has been Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker. I just finished her book on John Wilkes Booth, what a story!

>182 Tess_W: I've really enjoyed her Civil War era books. This is one that's still on my shelves, so I'll have to read it later this year. I just finished her book on John Wilkes Booth. It's not my favorite but it's certainly an amazing story.

I just looked at my TBR and see that I also have Mrs. Lincoln's Sister's waiting. That should be good too.

>184 clue: I also read Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker and liked it. I'm going to look up the one on Booth, now!

I just broke my "no book buying" pledge for this year. I purchased the ebook of A Suitable Boy. I started this as a group read 2-3 years ago and had to quit because the print was too small for me. Yeah! It's now out as an ebook, so I cheated!

>186 Tess_W: Wow! I'm so glad that it's now available as an ebook! As I gaze upon my shelves at the battered, cut, rubber-banded, highlighted and Post It Note-marked copy there, I can't believe it's been three years! The thread is now marked dormant of course, but it's still there if you ever want to check it out again! :-)

I never got A suitable boy read either, the book was too big and uncomfortable to read and the font was indeed too small. It was hard work to try to read. E book or audio is the way to go.

>188 Kristelh: I always wanted an audio edition; but only thing I’ve been able to find is the BBC dramatization. :-(

Has anyone here seen the TV series? I have not as it doesn’t look very good from the trailer; but I could be persuaded!

>189 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I never watched the TV series because it had really lukewarm reviews, and because I love the book so much I couldn't cope if they ruined it!

>186 Tess_W: >188 Kristelh: I think getting the ebook is a good idea. I was much younger when I read it (so were my eyes and wrists), and I'm not sure I could cope with reading and holding that half-brick paper copy these days!

77. Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown was a pirate tale modeled much like 1001 Arabian Nights. In this case, Scheherazade was a cook that was kidnapped and he had to cook the female pirate captain a delightful meal each Sunday or walk the plank. There was some slight humor here and some dishes that sounded tempting. However, the rest was too fantastical or slapstick for me. 3- stars I listened to this as an audio book.

I don't think I will finish anymore books in March, so here is the summary:

Books read: 22

Cheers:
All 3 books in Cornwell's series The Last Kingdom
New Boy
The Wide Sargasso Sea
The Address
The Land Beyond the Sea
Radioactive
The Prodigal Comes Home

Jeers:
The Pickwick Papers
Cinnamon and Gunpowder
A Wrinkle in Time
Celestial Bodies
Love in the Time of Cholera

Everything else was in the middle! I feel it was a good reading month.

Plans for April:
I won't get as much read because I have 2 classes taking final exams and turning in essays--hours of grading!

Scaredykit-Serial Killers The Custard Corpses
AuthorCAT-Debut Authors--not sure I have anything on my shelf
Mysterykit-The Maltese Falcon
ShakespeareCAT-Hamlet
RTT-theme-technology--The Technologists, if I can get it from my library
RTT-Quarterly- 19th Century NA--The Sisters Brothers
Paul's Asian Read-Persian/Iranian writers if I have something on my shelf

Personal Reads:
When Empires Fall
Looking for Me
The Secret Keeper
A Week in Winter
Apocalypse of Baruch and the Assumption of Moses

Note to self: Personal reads triumph over kits/cats!

>189 Tanya-dogearedcopy: you’re right, the audio was a dramatization and I was very disappointed and did not continue it. I will have to get the ebook.

>192 Tess_W: I agree with you about Celestial Bodies. It was a trial to read.