Tricia's 2024 tries to meet her challenge!

Hi! I'm Tricia from the western part of South Carolina. After pretty much abandoning my challenge last year (although still reading and managed about 160 books) I am trying again this year. My categories are little different this year and there will be some books for the CATS and KITS but I probably will just do some and not try to fit them all in. Same for the Bingo card. My main goal for the year is to actually stay the course.

Hoping for a good reading year for all of us

Cats

HISTORY

JAN: North & South American Wars & Conflicts; SillverWolf28
FEB: Georgian/Regency Britain; pamelad
MAR: Science & Medicine; librarycin
APR: Riots, Revolution, & Mayhem; Tess_W
MAY: Middle Ages; NinieB
JUN: Historians; MissWatson
JUL: Spies; christina_reads
AUG: Byzantine Empire; h-mb
SEP: WWI/WWII; JaymeCM
OCT: Disasters; KeithChaffee
NOV: Ancient & Classical History; susanna.fraser
DEC: Religions and Religious Festivals; MissBrangwen

PRIZE

January: Long-Running Prizes - Hugo award - Three-Body Problem
February: A Prize from Your Own Country - NinieB
March: A Prize That's New to You - pamelad
April: Women's Writing Ish63
May: Doubling Up - books that won two or more awards - Robertgreaves
June: Book Lists - Tess_W
July: A Prize from a Country Other than Your Own - JayneCM
August: A Prize for a Genre - susanna.fraser
September: A prize winner/longlist/shortlist that also fits another CAT/KIT- NinieB
October: One That Missed Out - a book on a shortlist/longlist that didn't win - JayneCM
November: Children's Book Awards - Tess_W
December: A Prize of Your Choice - antqueen

CALENDAR

January - Hosting: majkia - https://www.librarything.com/topic/355820
February - Hosting: Tess_W
March - Hosting: pamelad
April - Hosting: SilverWolf28
May - Hosting: DeltaQueen50
June - Hosting: MissWatson
July - Hosting: JayneCM
August - Hosting: KeithChaffee
September - Hosting: lsh63
October - Hosting: bookworm3091
November - Hosting: LadyoftheLodge
December - Hosting: LibraryCin

KITS

SFFKIT
January - swords & sorcery/ epic fantasy - The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon
February - critters/creatures - Hosting: JayneCM
March - Space Opera - Hosting: DeltaQueen50
April - Time Travel - Hosting: KeithChaffee
May - Archaeology - Hosting: majkia
June - Monsters - Hosting: whitewavedarling
July - First Contact - Hosting: h-mb
August - paranormal/space detectives - Hosting: amberwitch
September - Gods/Mythology - Hosting: antqueen
October - Women Authors - Hosting: susanna.fraser
November - TBD - Hosting: fuzzi

MYSTERYKIT
January—short story mysteries— My Gal Sunday by Mary Higgins Clark
February—true unsolved mysteries—mstrust
March—historical—Robertgreaves
April--series--DeltaQueen50
May—golden age—JayneCM
June—authors new to you—NinieB
July—cross genre mysteries—antqueen
August—amateurs—Christina_reads
September—upstairs/downstairs—MissBrangwen
October--not too scary mysteries--LadyoftheLodge
November--noir--Ish63
December--culinary mysteries--KeithChaffee

ALPHAKIT
Jan - A Y - Mansfield Revisited and Five Minute Marriage by Joan Aiken for A
Feb - F E
Mar - H R
Apr - U O
May - N P
Jun - J B
Jul - I S
Aug - M G
Sep - V C
Oct - D T
Nov - L W
Dec - K Q

Mysteries

1. The Killing of Polly Carter by Robert Thorogood
2. Blessing of the Lost Girls by J. A. Jance (c. 2023)
3. The Way of the Bear by Anne Hillerman (c.2023)
4. The Bangalore Detective Club by Harini Nagendra (c.2022)
5. A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (c.2022)
6. Promises in Death by J. D. Robb (c.2009)
7. The Man Who was London by Anthony Gilbert (c.1925; this edition 2023) - ebook
8. The Sanctuary Seeker by Bernard Knight (c.1998; this edition 2022) - ebook
9. These Names Make Clues by E. C. R. Lorac (c. 1937; this edition 2022) - ebook
10. The Strong Room by R. A. J. Walling (c. 1927; this edition 2023) - ebook
11. A Cast of Falcons by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (c. 2022) - ebook
12. By Hook or by Crook by Emma Lathen (c. 1974; this edition 1977)
13. The State Counsellor by Boris Akunin (c.1999; translation c.2008; this edition 2019)
14. Death and the Joyful Woman by Ellis Peters (c. 1961; this edition 2015)
15. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman (c. 2023)
16. I Could Murder Her by E. C. R. Lorac (c. 1951)
17. Death by Carpet by P. F. Ford (c. 2014)
-----------
2nd quarter

18. Black Diamond by Martin Walker (c. 2010) - public library
19. Devil's Claw by J. A. Jance (c.2000)
20. The Fatal Glove by R. A. J. Walling (c. 1917 in serial form; this edition 2023)
21. The After House by Mary Roberts Rinehart (c. 1913; this edition 2014)
22. No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer (c. 1939; this edition by Panther Books 1963, 1971 printing)
23. The Hand of Justice by Susanna Gregory (c. 2004)
24. Death in Wild Boar Woods by P. F. Ford (c. 2015; this edition 2024)
25. Hell and Back by Craig Johnson (c. 2022)
26. In the Woods by Tana French (c. 2007)
27. The Mark of a Murderer by Susanna Gregory (c. 2005)
28. A Mischief of Rats by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2023)
29. A Generation of Vipers by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2023
30. Case in the Clinic by E. C. R. Lorac - (c. 1941)
31. Crook o'Lune by E. C. R. Lorac - (c. 1953)
32. Death in a Skip by P. F. Ford - (c. 2016, 2024)
33. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto - (c.2023)
34. The Tarnished Chalice by Susanna Gregory - (c. 2006)
35. A Trace of Hares by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2024)
36. Death in the River by P. F. Ford - (c. 2016, 2024)
37. Bonecrack by Dick Francis - (c. 1971)
38. High Stakes by Dick Francis - (c. 1975, this edition 1977)
39. Enquiry by Dick Francis - (c. 1969)

SFF

1. A Second Chance by Jody Taylor
2. A Civil Campaign and Winterfair gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold (c. 1999;2004;2008)
3. Demon Daughter by Bujold (c.2024)
4. The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King (c.2017)
5. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (c.2015)
6. The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington (c.2016)
7. Into the West by Mercedes Lackey (c.2022) - ebook
8. The Danish Scheme by Herb Sakalaucks (c. 2013) - ebook
9. The Battle for Newfoundland by Herb Sakalaucks (c. 20170 - ebook
10. Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2023) - ebook
11. On Basilisk Station by David Weber - ebook
12. The Honor of the Queen by David Weber - ebook
13. The Short Victorious War by David Weber (c.1994; this edition 2014) - ebook
14. Field of Dishonor by David Weber (c. 1999)
15. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley (c. 1997; this edition 2014)
16. Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey (c. 1990)
_________
2nd quarter

17. Toll of Honor by David Weber (c. 2024) - ebook
18. Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton (c. 1955 ; this edition 2012) - ebook
19. Los Angeles A. D. 2017 by Philip Wylie (c. 1971; this edition 2014) - ebook
20. Pandora's Crew by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c. 2018) - ebook
21. Arachne's Webs by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c. 2019) - ebook
22. Hunted by Meagan Spooner (c. 2023?)
23. Red Country by Joe Abercrombie (c. 2012) - ebook -
24. The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (c. 2015) - ebook
25. The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis (c. 2023) - Public library
26. The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei (c. 2023) - ebook
27. Hunted by Meagan Spooner (c. 2023?)
28. Bellwether by Connie Willis (c. 1996)
29. The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey (c. 2019)
30. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (c. 2021, this edition 2022)
31. Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher (c. 2017)
32. Magic's Price by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 1990)
33. Foundation by Mercedes Lackey (c. 2009)
34. Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - (c. 2024)
35. Fledgling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - (c. 2009)
36. Intrigues by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2010)
37. Changes by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2011)

Other Fiction (novels)

1. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (c.1811, 1982)
2. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach (c.1970, 1973)
3. The House of Vandekar by Evelyn Anthony (1988; 2015)
4. The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1904; 2012)
5. Kingdom Lost by Patricia Wentworth (c.1931; this ebook 2016)
6. Season of Evil by Elsie Lee (c.1965)
7. To the Edge of the World also published as This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson (c. 2005)
8. Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham (c. 1915; this edition 2012) - ebook
9. The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (c. 2022) - ebook
10. Venetia by Georgette Heyer (c. 1958; this edition 2011) - ebook
11. The Captains and the Kings by Jennifer Johnson (c. 1972) - ebook
12. Endless Night by Agatha Christie - (c. 1967)

Short Reads: Stories, novellas, essays, etc.

1. From Stories of Books and Libraries edited by Jane Holloway
a. Community Life by Lorrie Moore
b. A Morning in the Bodleian by Mary Arnold Ward aka Mrs, Humphry Ward
2. Eric Flint's 1632 & Beyond Issue #1 edited by Ivor Cooper (2023)
3. A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis
4. the Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie (c.1971; this edition 1987)
5. Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse (c. 2023) - ebo
6. How it Unfolds by James S. A. Corey (c.2022) - ebook
7. The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie (c. 1939; this edition 1975)
8. The Long Game by Ann Leckie (c. 2023) -
9. The Price of Love by Peter Robinson - (c. 2009)
10. A Knot in the Grain by Robin McKinley - (c. 1982, 1984, 1085, 1994)

Nonfiction

1. A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup (c. 2015; this edition 2016)
2. The Root of Wild Madder by Brian Murphy (c. 2005)
----------------
3. Four cities : a secret history of the urban age by Annalee Newitz (c. 2021) -public library
4. Matthew Fontaine Maury & Joseph Henry: Scientists of the Civil War by Patricia Jahns (c. 1961)
5. Attending Marvels: A Patagonian Journal by George Gaylord Simpson (c. 1934; this edition 1982)
6. Baking Soda for Health by Britt Brandon (c. 2018)
7. The Doctor's Kidney Diets by Mandip S. Kang (c. 2015)
8. The Society for Useful Knowledge by Jonathan Lyons - (c. 2013)
9. The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller - (c. 2014)
10. The Book of Books by Melvyn Bragg - (c. 2011)

Books left from last year

1. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (c.2006, 2014 for English translation)
2. Pandora's Crew by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c. 2018) - ebook
3.

Other Challenges

Reading Through Time:

January - Janus - The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne (c.2021)

British Authors

Joan Aiken - Mansfield Revisited - The Five-Minute Marriage

Bingo



1. A book with an ugly cover - The Law and the Lady
2. Something that takes place in multiple countries - To the Edge of the World also published as This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson (c. 2005)
3. Set in the city - The Bangalore Detective Club
4. Involves warriors or mercenaries - The Black Gryphon
5. Epistolary or diary format - A Patagonian Journal
6. Title contains a person's name - The Killing of Polly Carter
7. Written by an author 65 or older - The way of the bear
8. A book with nothing on the cover but the title and author
9. Features a paper based item in the plot - The Night of Many Endings
10. Reread a favorite book - A civil campaign
11. Something themed around food or cooking - Black Diamond
12. A book with fewer than 100 copies on LT - The House of vandekar
13. Read a CAT
14. A book featuring water - The Great Mistake
15. A book written in another cultural tradition - The Three-body Problem
16. The words "Big" or "Little" in the title
17. A book featuring twins - Ribbon Dance
18. A short story collection / Anthology - My Gal Sunday
19. Read a current/recent bestseller - The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman (c. 2023)
20. A book about a topic about which you have specific knowledge or expertise - The Root of Wild Madder
21. A book about Friendship - A Cast of Falcons
22. First published in a year ending in 24 - Demon daughter
23. A book from one of the libraries listed under the "Similar libraries" featured on your LT profile page - A is for Arsenic
24. Something written by a person of colour - Binti
25. A three-word title. - Sense and Sensibility

Valdemar in Chronological Order

This fantasy series begins with several books before the founding of Valdemar some of which I will have to track down.

The first three appear to be a trilogy about the Mage Wars with Gryphons as characters.

1. The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey
2. The White Gryphon
3. The Silver Gryphon

4. Beyond
5. Into the West
6. Valdemar

7. Magic's Pawn
8. Magic's Promise
9. Magic's Price

10. Foundation
11. Intrigues
12. Changes

Books to remember, maybe reread, recommend.

1. From April 2022 - The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne - The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa

2. From October 2023 - Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

Copyright and/or date published: Before 1990

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (c.1811, 1982)

The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins (c. 1875; this edition 2015)

The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett (c.1904?; 2012)
The After House by Mary Roberts Rinehart (c. 1913; this edition 2014)
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham (c. 1915; this edition 2012)
The Fatal Glove by R. A. J. Walling (c. 1917 in serial form; this edition 2023)

The Man Who was London by Anthony Gilbert (c.1925; this edition 2023)
The Strong Room by R. A. J. Walling (c. 1927; this edition 2023)
The Dinner Party at Bardolph's by R. A. J. Walling - (c. 1927) - ebook

Kingdom Lost by Patricia Wentworth (c.1931; this ebook 2016)

The State vs. Elinor Norton by Mary Roberts Rinehart (c. 1934; this edition 2013)
Attending Marvels: A Patagonian Journal by George Gaylord Simpson (c. 1934; this edition 1982)

These Names Make Clues by E. C. R. Lorac (c. 1937; this edition 2022)

The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie (c. 1939; this edition 1975)
No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer (c. 1939; this edition by Panther Books 1963, 1971 printing)

The Great Mistake by Mary Roberts Rinehart (c.1940; this edition 2023
Case in the Clinic by E. C. R. Lorac - (c. 1941)

The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo (c.1946;this edition 2020)

I Could Murder Her by E. C. R. Lorac (c. 1951)
Crook o'Lune by E. C. R. Lorac - (c. 1953)
Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton (c. 1955 ; this edition 2012)
Venetia by Georgette Heyer (c. 1958; this edition 2011)

Blue Fire by Phyllis A. Whitney - (c. 1960) - ebook
Death and the Joyful Woman by Ellis Peters (c. 1961; this edition 2015)
Matthew Fontaine Maury & Joseph Henry: Scientists of the Civil War by Patricia Jahns (c. 1961)

Season of Evil by Elsie Lee (c.1965)
Endless Night by Agatha Christie - (c. 1967)

Enquiry by Dick Francis - (c. 1969) - own

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach (c.1970, 1973)
The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie (c.1971; this edition 1987)
Los Angeles A. D. 2017 by Philip Wylie (c. 1971; this edition 2014)
Bonecrack by Dick Francis - (c. 1971)
The Captains and the Kings by Jennifer Johnson (c. 1972)

By Hook or by Crook by Emma Lathen (c. 1974; this edition 1977)
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters - (c. 1975. this edition 1976) - own
High Stakes by Dick Francis - (c. 1975, this edition 1977)
The Five-Minute Marriage by Joan Aiken (c.1977, 2018)

A Knot in the Grain by Robin McKinley - (c. 1982, 1984, 1085, 1994)
Mansfield Revisited by Joan Aiken (c1984)
Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks (c. 1987; ebook 2008)

The House of Vandekar by Evelyn Anthony (1988; 2015)

Copyright and/or date published: In or After 1990

Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey (c. 1990)
Magic's Price by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 1990)

On Basilisk Station by David Weber (c. 1993)
The Honor of the Queen by David Weber (c. 1993)
The Short Victorious War by David Weber (c.1994; this edition 2014)
The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey (c.1994)
The White Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon (c.1995)
Flag in Exile by David Weber - (c. 1995) - ebook

My Gal Sunday by Mary Higgins Clack (c.1996)
Bellwether by Connie Willis (c. 1996)
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley (c. 1997; this edition 2014)
The Sanctuary Seeker by Bernard Knight c.1998; this edition 2022)

The State Counsellor by Boris Akunin (c.1999; translation c.2008; this edition 2019)
Field of Dishonor by David Weber (c. 1999)
A Civil Campaign and Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold (c.1999; 2004; 2008)
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear (c. 1999) - ebook

The Affair of the Thirty-nine Cufflinks by James Anderson - (c. 2003, this edition 2011) - ebook
The Hand of Justice by Susanna Gregory (c. 2004)
The Root of Wild Madder by Brian Murphy (c. 2005)
To the Edge of the World also published as This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson (c. 2005)

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (c.2006, 2014)
The Tarnished Chalice by Susanna Gregory - (c. 2006)
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (c.2007)

Promises in Death by J. D. Robb (c.2009)
Fledgling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - (c. 2009)
Foundation by Mercedes Lackey (c. 2009)
The Price of Love by Peter Robinson - (c. 2009)

In or After 2010

Black Diamond by Martin Walker (c. 2010)
Intrigues by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2010)
Changes by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2011)
The Book of Books by Melvyn Bragg - (c. 2011)
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie (c. 2012)
Redoubt by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2012)

Bastion by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2013) - ebook
The Danish Scheme by Herb Sakalaucks (c. 2013)
The Society for Useful Knowledge by Jonathan Lyons - (c. 2013)

A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor (c.2014) (2019)
The Gift of Magic by Sharon Lee - (c. 2014, 2015) - ebook
The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller - (c. 2014)

Binti by Nnedi Okoafor (c.2015)
The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (c. 2015)
Death in Wild Boar Woods by P. F. Ford (c. 2015; this edition 2024)
A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup (c. 2015; this edition 2016)
The Doctor's Kidney Diets by Mandip S. Kang (c. 2015)

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington (c.2016)
Death in the River by P. F. Ford - (c. 2016, 2024)
Death in a Skip by P. F. Ford - (c. 2016, 2024)

A Lot like Christmas by Connie Willis (c.2017)
The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King (c.2017)
Language at the Speed of Sight by Mark Seidenberg (c.2017, this edition 2018)
Byrony and Roses by T. Kingfisher (c. 2017)
Pandora's Crew by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c. 2018)
Baking Soda for Health by Britt Brandon (c. 2018)
Arachne's Webs by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c. 2019)
The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey (c. 2019)

The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne (c.2021)
The Bitter Taste of Murder by Camilla Trinchieri - (c. 2021) own

The Killing of Polly Carter by Robert Thorogood (2022)
The Bangalore Detective Club by Harini Negendra (c.2022)
A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (c.2022)
Into the West by Mercedes Lackey (c.2022)
A Cast of Falcons by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (c. 2022)
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (c. 2022)
Hell and Back by Craig Johnson (c. 2022
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (c. 2021, this edition 2022)

Eric Flint's 1632 & Beyond, Issue 1. Various Authors (Vol. 1, September 2023
Moving Universes by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c.2023)
1635 & Beyond Issue 2 from Eric Flint's 1632 (2023)
Stories of Books and Libraries (c.2023)
Blessing of the Lost Girls by J. A. Jance (c. 2023)
The Way of the Bear by Anne Hillerman (c.2023)
Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse (c. 2023)
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman (c. 2023)
How it unfolds by James S. A. Corey (c.2022)
Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2023
Hunted by Meagan Spooner (c. 2023?)
The Long Game by Ann Leckie (c. 2023)
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto - (c.2023)
A Mischief of Rats by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2023)
A Generation of Vipers by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2023)

Demon Daughter by Lois McMaster Bujold (c.2024)
Toll of Honor by David Weber - (c. 2014) - ebook
Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - (c. 2024)
A Trace of Hares by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2024)

16.

17

18

19

JUST IN CASE. Probably more than I'll use.

It's great to see you back, Trisha!

Have a(nother) great reading year, Tricia! 160 books is amazing.

With all those extras you're prepared for anything! Happy reading in 2024.

Good luck with your reading in 2024. I will be back to see what additional categories you create.

Wow, 160 books is a lot! Congratulations and happy reading in 2024!

As usual, I'll be following your reading especially the mystery category. Happy reading in 2024.

Thanks everyone for stopping by.

I've been lurking as people have been putting up their 2024 challenges and there are a lot of interesting themes (which I don't do myself) which I enjoyed reading about.

>23 MissWatson:; >26 MissBrangwen:
160 does sound lot a lot of books but many of them were rather short, some under 200 pages.

>28 hailelib: Still, a book is a book! And sometimes the short ones can be more challenging than the big ones.

Glad to see you back! Reading is what counts, not really the cats! (I had to learn that the painful way!)

>30 Tess_W:

So true!

I'll be trying to stick mostly to my own shelves, especially the never read books, but there will probably be some from the public library. (And fewer purchases of new books.)

>31 hailelib: That's always my goal.......but in reality.......

Added info to >12 hailelib: and >13 hailelib:. I'm making a project of reading all the extant novels for the long running Valdemar series in chronological order.

Started The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey. In the timeline for her Valdemar series this is the first book. It just occurred to me that it could fit the Janus theme for another challenge being the beginning of that "history". Also there are warriors some of whom are mercenaries which would be a Bingo square.

Hi Tricia. Stopping by to wish you a wonderful year of reading and congratulations on reading 160 books in 2023!

Hi Tricia! Happy new year! I too abandoned my thread mid-year last year. I hope to find a better balance this year with time for all the things I enjoy. There just aren't enough hours in the day!

>35 cbl_tn: - If you find some extra hours, could you send a few my way?

Hope you have a great year of reading. I had trouble keeping up last year, but I'm hopeful this year will be better.

>34 lkernagh:; >35 cbl_tn:; >36 dudes22:; >37 thornton37814:

Thanks everyone for stopping by. I've been reading a lot of threads the past couple of days but not much posting, not even here.

This year I'm going to go for fairly simple when posting reading to help me keep up.

This is what I've read so far:

1. The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon for SFFKIT; the opening of a long series so could sort of fit the Reading through Time challenge; also warriors and mercenaries galore, so a Bingo square.

Good enough fantasy with magic and multiple non-human characters as well as human characters. The leading characters for me were Skandranon Rashkae (gryphon) and Amberdrake (human). The story takes place early in the Valdemar universe but before the founding of Valdemar itself. (1994)

2. Two selections from Stories of Books and Libraries (c.2023) edited by Jane Holloway.
The first was Community life by Lorrie Moore about a librarian who takes up with a man that isn't a very good fit for her. Not a story I would read again.
Next was A Morning in the Bodleian by Mary Arnold Ward. The forword for the story told how at seventeen she was the first female allowed into the inner areas of the library. She wrote this description in 1871 when she was about twenty. Later she became a best selling novelest as Mrs. Humphry Ward. I might read this again.

>39 hailelib: The 2nd selection certainly sounds interesting.

>40 Tess_W: Her LT Author page is pretty good and there is a good wikipedia page for her as well.

Off to read some Challenge threads. A lot of lurking, maybe a little posting.

>39 hailelib: Stories of Books and Libraries sounds like a wonderful book, and I am intrigued by A Morning in the Bodleian. Actually, I think I would read anything just because it is set there!

>42 MissBrangwen: This is a nicely done book from the Everyman collection and so far I am liking the selections for the most part. I particularly liked the opening story from Ray Bradbury.

3. My Gal Sunday by Mary Higgins Clack (c.1996) for the MysteryKit and a Bingo square. This is a collection of four stories with the third one being close to novella length. While OK, they didn't really excite me. The last one was a Christmas story.

4. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor (2019) The third book in the Chronicles of St. Mary's where the Historians make several jumps to interesting places, where things rarely go as planned, and an ending that I did not expect. I'm trying to read the novels in order and this one confirms that to be a good idea. Haven't read many of the short stories as yet.

-------

Currently reading:

Sense and Sensibility
A rose for Ana Maria by Frank Yerby
John Livingston Seagull
A recent 1632 anthology on Kindle

5. Eric Flint's 1632 & Beyond Issue #1 edited by Ivor Cooper (2023) Short Stories mostly from 1632 universe. Only for fans of the series.

I also read some Connie Willis Christmas stories last night.

A little catching up to do -

6. A Lot like Christmas by Connie Willis (c.2017) - Short stories, some weirder than others. I liked most of them but All Seated on the Ground was

7. The Killing of Polly Carter by Robert Thorogood (2022) - A light mystery based on the TV series of Death in Paradise. I enjoyed it enough that I might read another one from the series.

Currently I have mostly been reading Sense and Sensibility and should finish it tonight.

I hope everyone that has been impacted by the US weather is doing OK. We just had rain and more rain and a night of wind.

>46 hailelib: All Seated on the Ground is definitely one of my faves in that collection as well!

8. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach (c.1970, 1973) Photographs by Russell Munson - A little book about a lot, persistence, knowing who you are, etc. I'm almost inclined to reshelve it in philosophy. A quick read.

9. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (c.1811, 1982) - A classic that is well known with over 500 reviews and a rating of 4.09 on LT. Although I enjoyed the story it took a long time to read because I could only tolerate the very small print in my old paperback for short periods.

Two more finished -

10. The Five-Minute Marriage by Joan Aiken (c.1977, 2018) - This was the large print edition which was the only copy in the public library. I read it in one day and enjoyed it very much. The novel compares favorably to my favorite authors I was reading in the 80's and 90's that were writing Regency romance for people who liked Geogette Heyer's type of romance.
This was read for the British Author challenge.

11. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (c.2006, 2014 for English translation) - One of my ebooks that were started, got interrupted, and somehow I didn't get back to it.
Starting in where I left off was a little confusing at first but I quickly remembered enough to read the second half. Not quite sure what I think about the story and I may or may not continue with the trilogy. Judging by the ratings and reviews on LT it is definitely not for everyone.
For my leftover category and for a Bingo Square (other cultural tradition - China)

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Currently reading:
The House of Vandekar
A Rose for Ana Maria
Mansfield Revisited

>49 hailelib: Adding this one to the wish list because I do like a traditional Regency romance. Like you I like those written in the 80s and 90s, before the heroines became modern women plonked down in Regency England and participated in graphically described sexual encounters.

>49 hailelib: Our library often only purchases the "large print" copy too, so I've read more than my fair share of mysteries that way.

>49 hailelib: - I often request both a large print and a regular print from the library if it's a popular book. Often the large print comes in first and I just cancel the other one.

>50 pamelad: I hope you enjoy it!

>51 thornton37814: Apparently ours, when they think a book will be really popular, orders 3 or 4 regular hardcovers and 1 audio, 1 ebook, and one large print book now. Often an older book will only have the large print one left. They spread the hardcovers out over all four branches so if I put a hold online it is a day or two extra at times to get the book as it may be coming from another branch.

>52 dudes22: That can be a good strategy but I don't usually mind waiting.

>49 hailelib: I'd read The Three-Body Problem some years ago and had mixed feelings about it. However, some book-loving friends whose judgement I trust have been recommending that I finish the trilogy. I may have to reread this first one to get the details again before I continue to the second.

>54 mathgirl40: Now that I've thought some more about it, I probably will eventually try the next one.

Another cold day in South Carolina. We've had some sun but it's not yet creating any warmth. A day to read some more.I've managed to finish some ebooks the last few days.

12. The House of Vandekar by Evelyn Anthony (1988; 2015) - Lost my description and won't repeat it. Something of a family saga following three generations. OK, if you like that sort of book. Bingo

13. Blessing of the Lost Girls by J. A. Jance (c. 2023) - A good suspense novel about the hunt for a serial killer. Mostly a Walker family story so I was a bit disappointed by the relatively small role that Joanna Brady played. Her daughter, Jennifer, was the one who came up with the important clue and continued helping solve the mystery. I should try another Walker family story soon.

14. The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett (c.1904?; 2012) - A free version on Amazon that had a print length of 470 pages. Not my usual reading but I kept on reading and finished in two days. Lots of description and philosophical musing but a pretty good story. Some cheap editions may be abridged since at least one has less than half as many pages. A book bullet from this year.

More later.

15. A Civil Campaign and Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold (c.1999; 2004; 2008) - A reread from the Vorgosigan Series. Miles courts Ekaterina and makes mistakes while copping with Gregor's wedding and Mark's introduction of butterbugs into the house. - Bingo square

16. Demon Daughter by Lois McMaster Bujold (c.2024) - The next entry in the Penric series. I maybe liked this one better than some of the others. They do need reading in order and are fun reading. - Bingo square

Fr om the public library:

18. The Way of the Bear by Anne Hillerman (c.2023) - This entry into the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series is set in Bears Ears National Monument and involves the activities of some paleontologists and archaeologists researching in the region. There are murders and Bernie also is troubled by a personal problem. I like Anne Hillerman's books at least as well as her father's. Bingo

19. The White Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon (c.1995) - The second book in the Valdemar chronological order and the second in the Mage Wars Trilogy.
I liked the first one better but this one was OK. Here the survivors from the previous book become involved in the affairs of one of the Black Kings of the lands to the south.

>57 hailelib: Yay Vorkosigans! I read the whole series in 2022 and loved it. I really need to get going on the Penric & Desdemona series soon!

>58 hailelib: I, too, love the Vorkosigan novels. I have most of the Penric books but haven't started them yet.

>59 christina_reads:;>60 DeltaQueen50: - A book from the Vorkosigan series is one of my go to things to read when I'm in the mood for something familiar. The Liaden series is good for that too.

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The last two days have been the days of the repairmen. Over a week ago the stove quit working properly and beeped a warning every three minutes when being used. The appliance guy didn't have the parts and didn't know where to find them. Jim had to do a long internet search to find the sensor and the control panel and then there was a wait for the parts to arrive. Then after the repairmen left the heat pump threw an error code and we had those guys today. By a stroke of luck they had the parts and it turned out that parts are still under warranty until sometime in March.

More ebooks

19. The Bangalore Detective Club by Harini Negendra (c.2022) - Set in the Bangalore of 1921 with Kaveri who is new to the city. While formally married three years before she has recently joined her husband Ramu, a medical doctor, in Bangalore for the first time. When a young boy who delivers milk to their house asks for her help in finding his brother and she witnesses some odd happenings during a dinner at The Bangalore Club, Kaveri starts investigating. Luckily for her Ramu is not as conservative as many husbands of the time.
I did finish the book and many of the details of life in Bangalore were very interesting but I became rather annoyed at Kaveri's constant crying and her tendency to jump into things without thinking it though. - Bingo

20. The State vs. Elinor Norton by Mary Roberts Rinehart (c. 1934; this edition 2013) - This was different from other books I've read by Rinehart. It takes the form of a story of the life of Elinor Norton and how the two men, her husband and her lover, met their deaths and is told by the man who had loved her since they were children. It wasn't really what I expected but I read it straight through without many breaks. Since I've read only a few of her books I can't say how typical it is.

21. Mansfield Revisited by Joan Aiken (c1984) - A fairly quick and easy book with many of the characters from Jane Austen's book making a reappearance. The main character is Susan, Fanny's sister, who took her place at Mansfield Park. Good if you like continuations of Austen's novels.

22. The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne (c.2021) - Five people are stuck in a small town library during a particularly bad Colorado snowstorm. They are the librarian, the library security guard, an old and opinionated woman from further up in the foothills, a homeless drug-addicted man, and a teenage girl. Each one has a problem that is holding them back in life. During the night they talk and learn each others secrets and begin to understand themselves. Recommended. This was, in fact, a reread for me as I kept thinking about the story. Bingo - one other challenge

>21 hailelib: The State vs Elinor Norton looks interesting, so I've added it to the wish list.

>62 hailelib: - I recently read The Bangalore Detective Club and liked it well enough. Strikes me as a cozy mystery where the protagonist frequently jumps into things without thinking, so that's how I looked at it.

>62 hailelib: I just put Rinehart's book on my WL.

>64 pamelad:; >66 Tess_W: I hope you enjoy it when you read it.

23. The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo (c.1946;this edition 2020) - Interesting take on the detective story featuring a locked room murder. I might read another from the series.

>68 hailelib: I read this one last year and was unsure if I wanted to continue in the series or not, but I will probably read the next one since I do have it in the stacks.

>68 hailelib:, >69 Crazymamie: I've read the next one as well, The Inugami Curse, which I liked because it was absolutely ridiculous. The Village of Eight Graves is in my tbr pile.

>68 hailelib: I was sold on these by the gorgeous new covers. The cases themselves are a bit more involved than I would normally read, I think. Settings are fascinating though.

>69 Crazymamie:; >70 pamelad:; >71 charl08: -It might be worth reading another one as the time and place are interesting.

>71 charl08: I also love the covers, Charlotte.

>72 hailelib: This is a very good point. Also you got me for the second entry with "it was absolutely ridiculous" - now I have to read it. *grin*

A few more for January.

24. The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King (c.2017) - Aimed at older teens according to Amazon but An OK fantasy. It's been on my iPad for ages so I finally got around to it. Good enough that I might read the next one eventually.

25. Kingdom Lost by Patricia Wentworth (c.1931; this ebook 2016) - A standalone rather than in her series. Also not her best by a long way. A young girl found alone on a small island where she has been all her life and raised by the man who was shipwrecked with her when she was a baby. Taken back to England with papers that identified her as an heiress she has trouble fitting in. I believed the story less and less as it went along. Not recommended.

26. A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (c.2022) - I actually liked this mystery in the end and the information about bats and badgers was interesting. Dr. Nell Ward came under suspicion of murder since she was actually on the estate doing an ecological assessment at the time the murder occurred there. As in many mysteries she decided that the only thing to do was to investigate. The cover was a bit copycat which put me off some but I will probably read the next one before long.

In the middle of these ebooks I wanted something different so raided my shelves for this reread -
27. Season of Evil by Elsie Lee (c.1965) - Season of Evil is a romantic suspense book that begins with a divorce. Bianca is being divorced by her husband, Ludo, and has no idea why. She is academically brilliant but clueless about a lot of things. The story is about her finding out why and who her real enemy is. The character Peace Beloved provides some humor. This is a very '60's novel but I have always liked it.

For January I sort of had a plan which I only partly followed but still finished a lot of books. some were rather short and some were ones I had started earlier. Somehow, without really trying, I managed 11 Bingo squares. Of the books I read 17 were already owned, 5 were from the public library and 5 were ones I bought for reading on my iPad.

I think in February I'll do less in the way of a plan and finish some of what I meant to read in January and then see where my fancy leads me.

Currently reading: A is for Arsenic, The Silver Gryphon, and A Rose for Ana Maria. Also, on Kindle, New Orleans Mourning.

Sounds like an excellent January, Tricia. 11 Bingo squares is kind of amazing.

I loved A is for Arsenic when I read it.

>76 Crazymamie: I've only read the first chapter so far but it was pretty good which is encouraging for the rest of it.

>77 hailelib: What a great January, in several ways! Here's to a good February!

>74 hailelib: Sorry the Wentworth was not up-to-par. I need to investigate A Murder of Crows as it sounds like I might enjoy it.

>78 Tess_W: I expect February to be a bit slower but that's OK.

>79 thornton37814: There are some more featuring Dr. Ward with the next being A Cast of Falcons.

28. The Silver Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon (c.1996) - The third in the trilogy The Mage Wars, this one is something of and adventure story. The young partners, Tad and Blade, are assignment duty at an outpost deep in the rain forest but run into trouble on the way. They are both injured and must survive until rescue arrives. The three books take place in the very early history of the Valdemar universe.

29. New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith (c. 1990;ebook 2012) - I did read to the end but I probably won't read the others I have any time soon. The puzzle was OK but I didn't really like any of the characters including Skip Landon.

I've added a library book, The Great Mistake to my current reads but haven't yet picked out an ebook to read.

Last week I received an invitation to the 60 year reunion of my high school class. I won't be going but I need to reply. It is nice to know that there are some of us left out of the class of '64.

Rather than reading the last couple of nights we played records on the turntable we've had for years. Jim plans to refurbish it with a new belt and cartridge now that one can find such things. Friday night we listened to '60's oldies (mostly folk music) and last night some Gershwin, Brubeck, and Sheherazade. I also looked at some of this huge book about the Beatles with all the lyrics and lots of pictures. One of the pictures was taken in New York and was of Ed Sullivan, the Beatles, and Peter, Paul and Mary. It struck me as a strange collection of people.

30. The Great Mistake by Mary Roberts Rinehart (c.1940; this edition 2023) - short introduction by Otto Penzler - public library
A longish mystery narrated by Pat Abbott, one of the central characters who is writing the story of what happened. There is a lot of foreshadowing and a few surprises. The best of Rinehart that I've read so far. - Bingo because the river and the swimming pool are important in the story.

31. The Man Who was London by Anthony Gilbert (c.1925; this edition 2023) - ebook - an early mystery by Gilbert. OK, but must be read as a product of its times as there is obvious racial prejudice. Two of the female characters are rather silly although at the very end Evie has grown up some. I didn't like most of the characters and near the end I knew who the murderer was before the police detective had a clue.

Still meaning to get back to A Rose for Ana Maria, and reading A is for Arsenic and The Golden Ball and Other Stories. Haven't picked the next ebook as yet.

>83 hailelib: I read Death in Fancy Dress by Anthony Gilbert because I mistook her for Michael Gilbert. I can recommend Michael.

>74 hailelib: I agree that the cover of A Murder of Crows looks overfamiliar, but I still like it and added this book to my WL. I have had a soft spot for badgers since reading The Animals of Farthing Wood as a child!

>84 pamelad:; >85 MissBrangwen: - Thanks for visiting.

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Since I'm so far behind on everything I'm just going to list the ones I've finished recently for now.

32. The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie (c.1971; this edition 1987) - stories all new to me
33. Promises in Death by J. D. Robb (c.2009) - typical of series
34. Binti by Nnedi Okoafor (c.2015) - a bingo square - need to read the next one sometime
35. The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington (c.2016) - definitely want to read the next one

>81 hailelib: I tried to read that book by Smith years ago. I abandoned it.

>87 thornton37814: Definitely not for everyone!

Music most nights has definitely cut into reading time but I did finish some that had been in progress for a while over the weekend. Some of the "concerts" are a little eccentric, like the night we had The Grand Canyon Suite, two pieces by Stevie Wonder, then The Wind that Blows the Barley (Southern Appalachians music with lots of dulcimer)

36. A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup (c. 2015; this edition 2016) - nonfiction

The author discusses the fourteen poisons that Agatha Christie used in her books with a chapter for each. We learn about the particular poison and any related chemicals and how they affect the body. One interesting fact is that some of them can be used as an antidote for some of the others. Harkup also discusses the way Christie used the poison in one of her stories and how accurate she was in its use. Agatha Christie was a hospital dispenser in both world wars and therefore very knowledgable about poisons since many had medical applications. A very good book that doesn't get too technical. I learned a lot and would recommend this book.

Also two from the iPad Kindle app:

37. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks (c. 1987; ebook 2008) - I started this book at least a couple of years ago and after reading about 15% it was put down and somehow never started again. I had to start over to make sense of the story. Lots of violence, lots of death, but interesting world building. I'll probably read another in the series eventually but probably not for everyone. First book in The Culture series.

38. Moving Universes by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c.2023) - A collection of short fiction by authors who got a start in the 1632 universe and several are from that series. OK, but mainly for completists with an article on economics at the end. The stories themselves deal with modes of transportation in the various universes. I was reading these one at a time in-between other books.

>89 hailelib: Taking note of A Is for Arsenic!

>37 thornton37814: I have read a few of Iain Banks books such as The Wasp Factory and Crow Road but I haven't tried any of his science-fiction, but I have to admit I am tempted.

>82 hailelib: The records and reminiscences sound like fun!

Everyone thanks for visiting.

Finished since my last post:

39. The Short Stories in 1635 & Beyond Issue 2 from Eric Flint's 1632 universe.

40. The Sanctuary Seeker by Bernard Knight c.1998; this edition 2022) - ebook - Medieval mystery that was a bit different from others I have been reading. I may read more of the series.

41. These Names Make Clues by E. C. R. Lorac (c. 1937; this edition 2022) - ebook
Mystery set in London. I think some of Lorac's others are better.

42. Into the West by Mercedes Lackey (c.2022) - ebook - Second in the founding of Valdemar trilogy. I'll be reading the next one soon.

43. The Danish Scheme by Herb Sakalaucks (c. 2013) - ebook - This and the next one are about a colony attempt in North America backed by the Danish king in the 1632 universe.
44. The Battle for Newfoundland by Herb Sakalaucks (c. 20170 - ebook

45. Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse (c. 2023) - ebook - 45 and 46 are science fiction short pieces in an Amazon original collection. OK, but I hope the other four are more to my liking.
46. How it unfolds by James S. A. Corey (c.2022) - ebook

47. The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie (c. 1939; this edition 1975) - I read this as a follow up to A is for Arsenic a couple of stories at a time in between other things. Typical Poirot short stories .

I've made a note of #40 because I know that the Medieval age is coming up in RTT and I will need a book!

>95 Tess_W: - I did like The Sanctuary Seeker by Bernard Knight and expect to read more of that series but I also like the Owen Archer series and the Matthew Bartholomew series. It's been a while since I read a Cadfael book but those are good too. All about different times and places during England's medieval period.

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Some more recent reading:

48. On Basilisk Station by David Weber (c. 1993) - ebook - The first book in the Honor Harrington series. Space opera and for me comfort reading. The only trouble is that on finishing I want to read the next one so I did. A number of ongoing characters are introduced in this volume.
49. The Honor of the Queen by David Weber (c. 1993) - ebook - Another naval assignment for Honor that means a diplomatic mission to the planet Grayson. An interesting society and environment, more new characters and more space battles.

50. The Strong Room by R. A. J. Walling (c. 1927; this edition 2023) - ebook - An early British mystery billed as a Golden Age mystery. Just good enough that I spent the 99 cents for another of his books. This was a new author for me.

51. Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2023) - ebook - The third book in The Founding of Valdemar trilogy. Not the place to start but we do find out the origin of the Champions that appear in many of the Valdemar series books.

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Now mainly reading To the Edge of the World by Harry Thompson and The Root of Wild Madder by Brian Murphy. Also started The State Counsellor by Boris Akunin.

A February recap better late than never ...

February was pretty much a read what I want month. I read 22 books, some rather short, with 3 Bingo squares.
There were four print books from my shelves and three from the library. The rest were ebooks a few of which were recent purchases. March began with The Strong Room.

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Currently, I've finished The Root of Wild Madder and the first of three "books" in To the
Edge of the World both of which are pretty good. Now reading The State Counsellor, By Hook or by Crook, A Cast of Falcons and The Short Victorious War. Two in print and two ebooks.

52. The Root of Wild Madder by Brian Murphy (c. 2005) - Bingo square - The subtitle is Chasing the History,Mystery, and Lore of the Persian Carpet which tells you what the book is about. Brian Murphy was a journalist who was doing a lot of stories in the area from 1999 to 2004. He was fascinated by carpets and began seeking out carpet merchants and weavers, and anyone connected to carpets in the Persian world which he defined as mainly Iran and Afghanistan. Also, one of the first men he talked to told him that to understand carpets he must understand Persia and that he should read Hefez. Murphy also was very interested in the role of wild madder as a main vegetable dry in carpets. This is the story of his search for the meaning of carpets, the meaning of the poetry of Hefez, and for wild madder.

This has led me to something of a rabbit hole - I now have Hefez on my iPad along with the fictional Adventures of Hajji Baba of Isphahan and I suspect something about Gertrude Bell who translated Hefez may show up. Meanwhile one of my mysteries features carpet merchants. I already knew about a number of topics in the book but I learned a lot as well.

>98 hailelib: That sounds really interesting. I'll have to see if I can track down a library copy sometime. I love it when my reading connects serendipitously. Or did you select the mystery to read now because of the carpet merchants?

>99 cbl_tn: That series has been on my shelves a long time but I hadn’t read By Hook or by Crook in years and this seemed a good time for it. Amazon has several of Lathen’s books, some at $2.99 US.

Two books finished -

53. A Cast of Falcons by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (c. 2022) - ebook - Bingo - Started this on impulse and found it moved pretty fast. I didn't like it quite as much as the first in the series, I think because there was less of the ecology information. There is, however, a great deal about family discord around the wedding of Nell's best friend. There is also consideration of friendship. I will be continuing the series at some point.

54. The Short Victorious War by David Weber (c.1994; this edition 2014) - The book begin with a quote from the Russian Minister of the Interior to the Minister of War on the eve of the Russian-Japanese War (1903) : "What this country needs is a short, victorious war to stem the tide of revolution." As Honor returns to duty after a long recovery from wounds suffered in the previous book, the prospect of war with Haven is greater than ever and the Havenites are becoming more and more dissatisfied with their government. It is now looking for a way to calm down the people and give them a reason to feel patriotic instead of rebellious.

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Currently working on By Hook or by Crook and The State Counsellor and will be picking up the next book in To the Edge of the World also known as This Thing of Darkness in the 3 in 1 ebook edition.

The music listening continues most nights and we recently listened to several songs by Gordon Lightfoot while I was clicking around on YouTube. There were so many songs we remembered. We decided to order one of his albums which will arrive soon along with a couple of books from Amazon. (We usually pick free shipping since we don't mind waiting.)

Also, last night I pulled The Illuminated Rumi from the shelf. Went I first acquired it I just looked at it without really reading and thinking about it. Now is the time to read as he predated Hefez and was also a well-regarded philosopher in his home city.

55. By Hook or by Crook by Emma Lathen (c. 1974; this edition 1977) - This book is part of a series I discovered in the 70s and still reread one of them from time to time. The series features John Putnam Thatcher and his colleagues at the Sloan Guaranty Trust in New York City and each one explores what can go wrong (including murder) for a different (mostly) business client of the Sloan. In this case we delve into the affairs of Parajians, Inc. which deals in high-end oriental rugs. The books are written to a formula but are fun reads, at least I think so.

56. Then I went and started Field of Dishonor by David Weber (c. 1999) because it was sitting right there on my iPad and while I meant to read just a chapter between other books I got engrossed and finished pretty quickly. The next volume is hardcover and is going to stay on my shelves for a while. Just about anything I say about Field of Dishonor would be spoilers for the previous book but one should definitely read the series in order anyway.

Currently reading

From my shelves: The State Counselor and The Illuminated Rumi
From my iPad: To the Edge of the World; Magic's Pawn
Just got from the public library: Chenneville and Four Lost Cities

Right after I posted the above UPS delivered a package containing some CDs and two books which were Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart and Remarkable Books, a big beautiful book from DK. I've already looked at the first few pages of Remarkable Books which give a short history of books and the illustrations are great.

I've also during the last few days caught up on reading peoples Challenge threads. Although I didn't do much posting and tried to avoid book bullets my list at the public library is quite a bit longer as is the one at Amazon.

And I finished a book this morning.

57. Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey (c. 1989) - ebook - Magic's Pawn is set fairly early in the history of Valdemar and is the first of a trilogy. The story follows the young teen, Vanyel, from his family's home to Haven and the guardianship of his Herald-Mage aunt. Vanyel begins as a misunderstood and rather whiny young boy but in Haven he meets another young boy and they fall deeply in love. However, fate has shocks in store for Vanyel as his mage gifts are awakened. This probably won't end up as a favorite trilogy but I will continue since he is starting to grow up.

58. The State Counsellor by Boris Akunin (c.1999; translation c.2008; this edition 2019) - This is the sixth book in the Erast Fandoran series and was OK but not a favorite story from the series. We are in the waning years of Tsarist Russia and it's 1891 in Moscow. The revolutionists are becoming bolder and are committing terrorist acts resulting in the deaths of important government officials. Fandoran investigates the latest ones. I do have the next one and will eventually continue the series.

59. Death and the Joyful Woman by Ellis Peters (c. 1961; this edition 2015) - ebook - Here in this entry in the Felse Investigations Felse's 16 year-old son Dominic takes the lead. He has fallen in "love" with the beautiful Kitty and when she is arrested for murder sets out to prove her innocence. Some teenage emotions and Dominic's relations with his father are important parts of the story.

I started Chenneville yesterday and have read about a third of it. It's pretty good so far.

A bright but relatively cold day here although it's supposed to warm up later and be definitely springlike tomorrow. And the equinox is tonight so officially it is spring.

Three books finished:

60. The Case of Sir Adam Braid by Molly Thynne (c. 1930; this edition 2016) - ebook - A pretty good Golden Age Mystery. It was a quick read and I went straight through it. I may read another by this author.

61. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley (c. 2000) - ebook - Another book that I read without more time out than I had to take. An excellent fairy tale retelling with good world building.

62. Chenneville by Paulette Jiles (c. 2023) - I spent more time over Chenneville but enjoyed it just as much. A good story about the aftermath of the Civil War and what was then still largely frontier west of the Mississippi. Many of the Western states were divided in their peoples' loyalties and they were still in turmoil in the first years after the war ended.

>108 hailelib: Love Robin McKinley! Spindle's End is one of hers I've read several times, and I always enjoy it.

63. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley (c. 1997; this edition 2014) - ebook from public library - A pretty good retelling of Beauty and the Beast and worth rereading sometime although my favorite retellings are from Mercedes Lackey. I also acquired Beauty for later reading from Kindle books.

My current ebooks are The Law and the Lady and To the Edge of the World and for paper books I have Four Lost Cities and The Cruelest Month.

>102 hailelib: I love Gordon Lightfoot! Although I wouldn't mind if I never heard The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald again. I don't hate it, but I don't love it, either.

I had a strange realization a few years ago that my dentist for ~30 years (now retired) talked like Gordon Lightfoot sang. There's something about the voice quality that's really similar. I had plenty of opportunity to evaluate it since I've had lots of dental work and my dentist kept up a running monologue while he worked.

I've been sitting here watching it rain an reading some challenge threads which have added several books to the possibles list at my local library. Also finished the Wilkie Collins book earlier today and am about halfway through The Cruelest Month.

64. The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins (c. 1875; this edition 2015) - ebook - Bingo square - Although it seemed to me to feel definitely Victorian I did enjoy the story and it did move along fairly well even with some odd characters.

65. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (c.2007) - Another odd death in Three Pines with Gamache and his team returning to investigate. Secrets everywhere come to light. Recommended but read the series in order.

Added Of Human Bondage to my currently reading. I first read this the summer I turned 14. I was at my maternal grandparents for part of the summer and went up to explore in the attic. There were some books up there including one called The Week-end Library which was an anthology ranging from Of Human Bondage to poetry of Walt Whitman that I still have. However it's a thick book with tiny print so I am reading a cheap Public Domain one from Kindle. There were also a lot of Shakespeare plays and other interesting ones which I mostly have.

More books, 2 from the library and 2 from Amazon (with 2 more on the way) have come in to the house.

They are Black Diamond, the Last Devil to Die, Bryony and Roses, and The Bitter Taste of Murder.

Of course, I went ahead and started The Last Devil to Die. Also added another title to my library list today. I read not long ago that over a million books are published in the US every year. Don't see ever catching up!

I read 'til way too late the last few nights and now I have a few books to report as finished.

66. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman (c. 2023) - public library - Bingo square - I enjoyed this just as much as the previous ones about the Thursday Murder Club. The gang is all here with a few new bad guys and the mystery of where did the shipment of heroin disappear to. Joyce even gets to lead the group while Elizabeth is elsewhere.

67. To the Edge of the World also published as This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson (c. 2005) - ebook - Bingo square - Based on events between 1828 and 1865.
The first of the three books begins with the events that led to Captain FitzRoy being given the Beagle to command and chronicles his experiences as its captain during its mission in the waters of southern South America and particularly the area of Tierra Del Fuego.
Book two introduces Charles Darwin and mainly tells of FitzRoy's and Darwin's experiences
in the second voyage of the Beagle to survey the coasts and waters in the southern waters. They surveyed the Falklands, the southern coasts of Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego and also some of Chile and New Zealand and then continued around the world back to England.
Book Three gives us the rest of FitzRoy's life as well as something of Darwin and his publications. At this point the two men disagree about the meaning of their observations and are no longer friends. In the end this novel is more about FitzRoy than Darwin.
The novel is well researched and seems to closely follow the actual events. In his Author's Postscript at the end, Thompson does tell the reader where he departs from an actual event. There is also a large bibliography for further reading. I read The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin a few years ago and I didn't see any problem with Thompson's version.
Also, the novel was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and short-listed for the Pendleton First Novel Award. At about 800 pages (print length) this took most of March to finish but it was worth it.
There are at least three unread paper books on my shelves that are related to these events and I may be reading all of them soonish.

A couple that I popped in between others:

68. Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey (c. 1990) - ebook - The second book in The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy. Vanyel is older and wiser but at the book's beginning he is worn down by his work fighting evil magic on Valdemar's border. Taking a break, he is going to visit his family for the first time in several years only to find troubles when he gets there. A fairly good fantasy. I'll be reading book 3 soon.

69. I Could Murder Her by E. C. R. Lorac (c. 1951) - ebook - One of Chief Inspector Macdonald's cases. The domineering matriarch dies and her entire household is suspect. An interesting case which made for good light reading.

>116 hailelib: I Could Murder Her was one of the better E. C. R. Loracs, I thought. Good to hear you enjoyed The Last Devil to Die. It is on my wish list.

One more for March -

70. Death by Carpet by P. F. Ford (c. 2014) - ebook - aka Death of a Temptress (UK title) - A police procedural of sorts with two DIs who are in disfavor investigating a case that might save their careers. Their investigation leads them to a side issue that turns out to be important before they refocus on their actual case. I liked it well enough that if the second book comes my way I'll read it.

>115 hailelib: I read This Thing of Darkness quite some time ago, before I joined LibraryThing but I still remember it very clearly. I thought it was an excellent piece of historical fiction.

>119 DeltaQueen50: With its length I think that my breaking it into parts worked really well. It was certainly worth every minute that I spent on it. I even liked all the sailing details.

Two tangentially related books on my table now are a book partially about Matthew Muary, who was exploring weather forecasting in the U.S. at the same time as FitzRoy, and Attending Marvels: A Patagonian Journal.

A quick recap for March - I mostly read what I wanted to and ended up with 20 books for the month.
12 ebooks; 1 nonfiction; 4 print from my shelves; 4 library loans ( one was an ebook); also 3 Bingo squares

Currently reading On Human Bondage, Matthew Fontaine Maury and Joseph Henry by Patricia. Jahns, and Attending Marvels

>115 hailelib: I keep meaning to try the Thursday Murder Club series but I haven't managed to work it in yet.

>116 hailelib: I have one book by E. C. R. Lorac in my library but I haven't read it yet. It originally belonged to my father.

>121 hailelib: There's a 1934 film of Of Human Bondage starring Bette Davis and Leslie Howard. Bette Davis is brilliant!

>122 cbl_tn: I've enjoyed the Thursday Murder Club quite a bit. Lorac is pretty good if you like older mysteries occasionally.

>123 pamelad: I wonder how closely they followed the book. I'm about 30% into it and not sure that I remember much about it from reading it decades ago.

The first book for April.

71. Four lost cities : a secret history of the urban age by Annalee Newitz (c. 2021 -public library - Nonfiction
Discusses the history of four ancient cities: Catalhoyuk, Pompeii, Angkor, Cahokia and their demise as major centers. The author argues that they weren't really lost but that people began leaving for other places when they became less attractive to their inhabitants. At some point, after a disaster or a cultural change, people left instead of rebuilding and settling elsewhere but not necessarily forgetting where they came from. Pretty interesting and recommended even if the author injected herself into the story a little more than I liked.

No set in stone plans for April but I am currently reading:

On iPad - Toll of Honor which was just published today and Of Human Bondage
From the library - Black Diamond by Martin Walker
From my shelves - Matthew Fontaine Maury & Joseph Henry: Scientists of the Civil War and Attending Marvels: a Patagonian Journal

Thinking about adding Devil's Claw, Mr. Darwin's Shooter, and maybe some of On the Origin of Species, Light from Uncommon Stars, A Blunt Instrument and Where the Lost Wander

72. Toll of Honor by David Weber (c. 2024) - ebook - Here Weber is introducing a new major character and the action parallels that of Field of Dishonor and part of Flag in Exile. He's telling the story from the viewpoints of people other than Honor Harrington and filling in 'missing' scenes between events in those books. I enjoyed the book but some readers of the series don't much like his side books. I think they do add to the overall story and I liked his small reference to Travis Long (a character in the Mantacore Ascendent series).

And I will finish Black Diamond later today.

73. Black Diamond by Martin Walker (c. 2010) - public library - A fair mystery, some French history, some cooking, a good series which I will continue. The details of food preparation and hunting are enough that I'll use this as a Bingo Square about food.

74. Devil's Claw by J. A. Jance (c.2000) - reread - Review from 2018 - Sheriff Brady has a busy week coming up as there is a birthday celebration for her daughter, Jenny, her own wedding plans to finalize (at least Butch is taking care of most of those) and her desk to clear so she can take a week for a honeymoon. The last things she needed was the death of an elderly neighbor, a missing teen, and a murder to solve. Another good mystery set in southern Arizona.

I will probably read the next in the Brady series soon.

Also slipped in a couple of fast iPad reads over the weekend.

3 short books on my iPad -

75. The After House by Mary Roberts Rinehart (c. 1913; this edition 2014) - ebook - OK, but I'm unlikely to ever reread this. Takes place mostly at sea. Not the author's best.

76. The Fatal Glove by R. A. J. Walling (c. 1917 in serial form; this edition 2023) - I enjoyed this one although the behavior of Noel Pinson was a little over the top. He was a good detective though. I did decide on on the correct villain before the end. And I still have one by the author that I'll probably read.

77. Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton (c. 1955 ; this edition 2012) - Pretty good for a fifties space adventure and somewhat typical for this author.

>129 hailelib: I've read two by R. A. J. Walling, They Liked Entwhistle, which was breezy and enjoyable, and Follow the Blue Car, which wasn't.

>130 pamelad: I've had that same experience with some authors.

Two books came in from the library today: Hell and Back by Craig Johnson and In the Woods by Tana French.

78. Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham (c. 1915; this edition 2012) - ebook - I read this with several pauses as Philip went through changes over twenty plus years. He's a small boy in the beginning of the book and about thirty at the end. At times I wanted to shake some sense into him when he once again made a bad move. Philip spent a lot of mental energy trying to figure out just what he believed and what was the meaning of life. Philip also tried out more than one career before finding one that suited him. He tended to live in the future rather than make make the best of the present. It took him a long time to learn how to live his own life rather than the life family and friends kept pointing him toward. A good book but a rather serious one.

79. No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer (c. 1939; this edition by Panther Books 1963, 1971 printing) - A fairly good mystery that I substituted for A Blunt Instrument which was lost in the shelves. This is a reread but it had been long enough to be reasonably fresh. The most important clue is right in front of the reader and it did point me in the murderer's direction but it is easily missed on a first reading. I do recommend Heyer's mysteries for readers of older mysteries.

Still working on the list of books in >125 hailelib: plus the new library books.

>125 hailelib: I'm taking a BB for the Scientists of the Civil War book. I have a read later this year where a civil war book is needed, and all I have on my shelf right now is Gone With the Wind, which I've read twice.

Tess, I bought my copy several years ago but Amazon does have it as Scientists of the civil war. I also see it in google books where there is a long list of libraries that have it. I’m almost through reading it.

Tess, you can most easily find it on Amazon using the author to search on. Also in a number of libraries according to Google Books.

>134 hailelib: Yep, I found it and purchased it!

80. Matthew Fontaine Maury & Joseph Henry: Scientists of the Civil War by Patricia Jahns (c. 1961) - I found this book some years ago in Elder's Bookstore in Nashville,TN and bought it in part because of Maury's name as I lived in Maury County,TN for a few years as a child and my father's parents continued there until their deaths and so was much visited. While Maury was born in Virginia, his parents went west to Franklin, TN when he was young and he grew up there. At some point, the county was divided and part of it went to form the new county of Maury, named for his uncle. (My mother's parent lived just outside Franklin so I was familiar with that area as well.) My other reason was that I'm interested in history in general and the history of science in particular.

The book is a mix of biography, Naval history, Civil War history, and science history. Both Maury and Henry were known for their work in Europe as well as the US. Maury was in some ways the first oceanographer and a pioneer in tracking and predicting weather and corresponded with Robert FitzRoy of the Royal Navy on that subject. Henry was interested in the relationship between electricity and magnetism and the SI unit of inductance is named the henry for him. He was also the first Secretary of the Smithsonian and was very interested in weather phenomena as well.

I enjoyed reading about these scientists but was not really fond of the writer's style. It had , in places, the feel of a YA book and I felt she injected her opinions a little too much. However, I did come to agree that Henry was the better man in his personal and professional life and Maury was his own worst enemy.

>136 hailelib: You are at least the second person who claims it had a YA "feel."

>137 Tess_W: It also had a bit of a fifties feel but that is because of when it was written.
--------
Some ebooks that I haven't added yet -

81. Los Angeles A. D. 2017 by Philip Wylie (c. 1971; this edition 2014) - ebook - This fictional story is a warning that man is messing up the planet and the pollution of all kinds will eventually eliminate humans. There is also a lot about the role of sex and how we 've gotten it all wrong. I finished it but not one to read again.

82. The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (c. 2022) - ebook - The disappearance of Agatha Christie as told by the other woman. I wondered how Nan knew a lot of what she was telling the reader. While interesting, I was never fully engaged in the narrative and liked a different book on this subject that I read a while back better.

83. Pandora's Crew by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c. 2018) - ebook - A left-over from last year. For some season I only got a little way in before being distracted by something else and ended up starting from the beginning. This space opera was a fast read with some odd characters and I got involved enough to immediately find the next book in the series and read it. The authors got their start writing stories in the 1632 universe.

84. Arachne's Webs by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (c. 2019) - ebook - Starts shortly after the end of Pandora's Crew. More space jumps, some battles, and lots of characters some of whom change their names when they join a different clan. A style of narrative that has numerous jumps between locations and characters. I'll be reading the other two in the series eventually.

85. The Hand of Justice by Susanna Gregory (c. 2004) - ebook - Another medieval mystery in the Matthew Bartholomew series. This is the tenth book in the series and is fairly typical. It has a number of continuing characters and a couple of characters from a previous book looking to make serious mischief. Best probably read in order. The location is Cambridge University in the 1350's with a historical note about actual events and characters this fictional story is based on.

86. Death in Wild Boar Woods by P. F. Ford (c. 2015; this edition 2024) .- ebook - The sixth book as I am reading out of order. OK but not great. Contemporary police procedural in an English town.

87. Hell and Back by Craig Johnson (c. 2022) - public library - A bit weird but an interesting read. Walt Longmire appears to be stranded in a strange version of FT. Pratt and keeps meeting characters from his past. Is something odd or even supernatural going on? What does Walt need to do to get back to his normal life? He even seems to have traveled back in time to a former Indian boarding school. Anyway I did enjoy the book and will keep reading Longmire adventures.

88. In the Woods by Tana French (c. 2007) - public library - It took me a while to get into this book but it was good in the end. A missing child found dead and a conflicted detective who should never have been on the case. I'll probably read the next in the series.

Still working on Attending Marvels on paper and reading Red Country by Joe Abercrombie on my iPad. Just started Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki in a paperback.

Two going back to the library this week and picking up Hunted and The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis

I've neglected threads recently during a busy time and now trying to catch up. You've had lots of reading since I last visited and I appreciate that you provide opinions for everything. We share many titles and some are still on Mount TBR.

>141 VivienneR: Thanks for stopping in. I've some catching up to do myself.

Been busy so a while since I posted but I have a few books to add. I'm going to be short in describing these.

89. Red Country by Joe Abercrombie (c. 2012) - ebook - Pretty good but lots of violence, cursing.
90. The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (c. 2015) - ebook - I liked this and good description of life in the mountains.
91. The Long Game by Ann Leckie (c. 2023) - ebook - short Amazon original. Not very memorable.

Now in May -

92. The Mark of a Murderer by Susanna Gregory (c. 2005)- ebook - Typical of the series. Good Historical Note. I'll keep reading these.
93. Venetia by Georgette Heyer (c. 1958; this edition 2011) - ebook - A good Regency romance though not my favorite Heyer.
94. The Captains and the Kings by Jennifer Johnson (c. 1972) - ebook - Short novel by an Irish Author. Old age and what may have been dementia. Misunderstandings. Didn't really like it enough to look for more by the author.
95. The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis (c. 2023) - Public library - I enjoyed this but some may think the humor not to their taste. Lots of good quotes. Aliens that look like tumbleweeds. UFOs and alien abductions. Road trip.
96. The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei (c. 2023) - SF. Space. Generation ship. I'll be looking for her next book.

97. Attending Marvels: A Patagonian Journal by George Gaylord Simpson (c. 1934; this edition 1982) - Nonfiction - Bingo Square - Simpson kept a mostly daily journal during his expedition to look for fossils The author showed that he had a sense of humor that appealed to me. The text is primarily his journal entries with a few chapters explaining the country as he experienced it Recommended for those interested in paleontology. (There were mentions of Darwin's visit to Patagonia and a town named for Capt. FitzRoy.)This edition was part of the Time-Life Reading Program.

Now that I'm almost caught up on books read, I hope to catch up on threads this week, if not sooner for some. I might even manage a (late) April summary!

98. Hunted by Meagan Spooner (c. 2023?) - public library - A pretty good retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a different type of Beauty. Billed as being for teens but enjoyable for one who really likes retellings of fairytales.

Here the mountain laurels ae blooming, a sign of late spring. We're also having one thunderstorm after another including two with hail. At least the weekend is forecast for clear skies although cooler than it has been.

You are closing in on 100 fast!

>146 thornton37814: The Bingo card is doing pretty well too and I'm not even trying.

For April I read 23 books - 5 from the public library - 3 I was own in print - 14 ebooks.

Currently reading - Light from Uncommon Stars - Where the Lost Wander - both in print.
On the iPad - A Mischief of Rats - The Society for Useful Knowledge which, so far, is mostly why Ben Franklin was so important to the founding of the US and the character of the nation.

There are also some library books ready for pickup.

>144 hailelib: Don't give up on Jennifer Johnston yet! How Many Miles to Babylon? was excellent.

Congratulations on reading so many books, and on widely differing topics.

>148 VivienneR: Thanks for the information on Jennifer Johnston.

Been gone longer than I realized! Books to catch up on. Today I want to list the library books as they need to return later this week. Short comments only.

99. Bellwether by Connie Willis (c. 1996) - public library - I really enjoyed Bellwether but I can understand why some people prefer other books by Willis.

100. The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey (c. 2019) - public library - One of her Elemental Masters series that features John and Mary Watson and a little involvement by Sherlock. OK, but these alternate Holmes tales are not my favorite Elemental Masters novels.

101. Baking Soda for Health by Britt Brandon (c. 2018) - public library - Mildly interesting. The author seems to think that baking soda can solve pretty much everything.
Scanned through his 100 uses rather quickly. Only convinced because one of my doctor's prescriptions is for daily doses of sodium bicarbonate.

102. The Doctor's Kidney Diets by Mandip S. Kang (c. 2015) - public library - The only thing I got from this one is the reason for taking the sodium bicarbonate. Otherwise he tells me that I should NOT do what my doctor has me doing.

Tomorrow maybe I'll get around to listing my print and ebooks that I've also been reading.

>150 hailelib: I'm a fan of Bellwether as well -- glad you enjoyed it!

>152 christina_reads: I've yet to read one by her I didn't like.

103. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (c. 2021, this edition 2022) - The mix of aliens, music, and transgender issues actually worked to give an interesting and enjoyable story.

104. Byrony and Roses by T. Kingfisher (c. 2017) - Still another retelling of Beauty and the Beast which I did like well enough to keep for a possible reread though Bryony isn't my favorite Beauty.

Now a quick listing of the ebooks I've read recently.

105. A Mischief of Rats by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2023) - ebook - Another Dr. Nell Ward mystery. Lots of family angst and an ending that made me go looking for the next one right away.

106. A Generation of Vipers by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2023) - ebook - More family stuff. Also lots of snakes. Even though Nell doesn't like snakes her current project requires her to deal with them. Also another dead body to investigate.

107. Case in the Clinic by E. C. R. Lorac - (c. 1941) - ebook - An impossible murder until Macdonald was on the case. I still like this series for a quick and entertaining read.

108. Crook o'Lune by E. C. R. Lorac - (c. 1953) - ebook - An interesting puzzle set in Lunesdale and again Macdonald investigates at the urging of his Lunesdale acquantances.

109. The Society for Useful Knowledge by Jonathan Lyons - (c. 2013) - ebook - About BenjaminFranklin and his colleagues and their roles in establishing science, technology and, eventually, a new country in North America. Lots of information that I didn't know so worthwhile even though I had problems with the author's style. Too enthusiastic about Franklin and more repetition than necessary I thought.

more books soon ...

110. Magic's Price by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 1990) - Book 3 of the Last Herald Mage Trilogy. Completes the story of Vanyel and Stefen. Good. At the end are included songs from Vanyel's time in Valdemar.

And more ebooks

111. The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller - (c. 2014) - ebook - Miller didn't talk about the content of the books as much as his reaction to the various ones he read, a little of why he picked them and how regular reading affected his life. Funny in places and a fast read which I liked.

112. The Price of Love by Peter Robinson - (c. 2009) - ebook - A short story which didn't really tell me if I would like his novels. Guess I'll have to try one to find out.

113. Death in a Skip by P. F. Ford - (c. 2016, 2024) - ebook - Another mystery featuring Norman and Slater. About average but I didn't like the identity of the killer or his motivation.

114. A Knot in the Grain by Robin McKinley - (c. 1982, 1984, 1085, 1994) - ebook - An anthology of five of the authors short stories. These were all pretty good and worked as something to read between other books.

currently reading -

two new books from the library: Foundation by Mercedes Lackey and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
In print: Where the Lost Wander - need to get back to this
ebooks: First Ladies of the Republic, and The Book of Books - both of these just missed being abandoned but they got better so I will finish them - too much repetition and not very good prose but lots of things I didn't know.

Wow - you've slipped way on past 100 now!

Lots of reading going on!

A lot of catching up to do ...

158 and 159 Thanks for stopping by.

Books finished in June in no particular order -

115. Foundation by Mercedes Lackey (c. 2009) - public library - Book 1 of the Collegium Chronicles. The story of how the poor orphan Mags was chosen and became a Herald Trainee in Valdemar.

116. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto - (c.2023) - public library - I enjoyed this mystery mostly for the interactions of the characters.

117. The Book of Books by Melvyn Bragg - (c. 2011) - ebook - About the King James Version of the Bible and its impact on the world. Should have been edited to a lot fewer pages. Some good history but I wasn't entirely convinced of some of his ideas.

118. The Tarnished Chalice by Susanna Gregory - (c. 2006) - Matthew and Michael travel to Lincoln and immediately are comforted by murder. The 12th in the series set in 1356.

119. Endless Night by Agatha Christie - (c. 1967) - ebook - Not really her usual mystery story and I didn't really like it. The clues were there but rather subtle and a twist at the end.

120. A Trace of Hares by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett - (c. 2024) - ebook - Now this one I liked and can recommend the series featuring Dr. Nell Ward, an ecologist.

121. Death in the River by P. F. Ford - (c. 2016, 2024) - ebook - OK mystery for a short quick read but nothing special.

122. Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - (c. 2024) - ebook - The latest Liaden book with Padi being the star. Read very quickly and loved it. there was a note from Sharon Lee at the end about the plans now that Steve Miller has died.

more later

one more ebook -

123. Fledgling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - (c. 2009) - ebook - a reread in the Liaden series. Read because I came across a second edition of the novel with added content. The Amazon reviews were generally favorable but one reviewer said that he read the original right after reading the new version and there wasn't enough difference to need both. So I read my copy and the story works just fine and I see no need for the later one. Introduces Theo as a main character.

Moving right along ...

124. Intrigues by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2010) - public library - Book 2 of the Collegium Chronicles - Some assassins, masquerading as envoys, are unmasked and one thinks he recognizes Mags. This led Mags to a search for information about his parents. I then started the next book to find out more.
125. Changes by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2011) - public library - Book 3 - Mags and his friends have various issues they need to address. Still a good story and I want the next book soon.

Three early mysteries by Dick Francis. These were short easy rereads that I zipped through. Sort of comfort reads for me.

126. Bonecrack by Dick Francis - (c. 1971) - own - the usual formula mostly taking place in Newmarket
127. High Stakes by Dick Francis - (c. 1975, this edition 1977) - own - a definite favorite and one where the main character owns horses instead of riding them.
128. Enquiry by Dick Francis - (c. 1969) - own -What can a jockey do when he is wrongly suspended? Another good one.

Wow, lots of reading! I think I will take a BB for the Trace of Hares book. It sounds like something different. Although, I think I will look up book one and read it first!

>162 Tess_W: I hope you enjoy it.

Now, after so long away, to catch up through the end of June.

129. Blue Fire by Phyllis A. Whitney - (c. 1960) - ebook - OK, but I think I liked her a lot better years ago. First time I read one of Whitney's books in decades.

130. Bastion by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2013) - ebook - The last book in The Collegium Chronicles and not as good as the others but does provide some closure for Mags. Lackey used bits from the previous books to show Mags remembering previous events. I probably would have liked it better with more time between the books.

131. The Gift of Magic by Sharon Lee - (c. 2014, 2015) - ebook - Two stories that take place in Archer's Beach. I may eventually read the novels in this series.

132. The Affair of the Thirty-nine Cufflinks by James Anderson - (c. 2003, this edition 2011) - ebook - The third book of three with some of the same characters and the same country house. Just good enough that I might read the first one which I have in paperback and no memory of the story.

133. Flag in Exile by David Weber - (c. 1995) - ebook - A reread on the Kindle app because we couldn't locate the print copy. I reread the Honor Harrington books often.

134. The Dinner Party at Bardolph's by R. A. J. Walling - (c. 1927) - ebook - Barely OK. I liked the other Walling book I read earlier this year better.

135. Redoubt by Mercedes Lackey - (c. 2012) - public library - Part of the Collegium Chronicles. I've listed these out of order!

135. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters - (c. 1975. this edition 1976) - own - It's been a while since I read an Amelia Peabody adventure but this first in the series has always been a favorite.

136. The Bitter Taste of Murder by Camilla Trinchieri - (c. 2021) own - The second book with Nico Doyle and his new home in Gravigna, Italy. He was formally a homicide cop in the US and is asked to assist and the local maresciallo, Perillo asks for his help in investigating a recent death. Lots of food descriptions as Nico is working in the restaurant of his deceased wife's relatives. I'll probably read the next one fairly soon.

>163 hailelib: I have The Affair of the Thirty-Nine Cufflinks on my shelves -- will be curious to see what you thought of it!

I've added comments and another book to June reads at >163 hailelib:.

>164 christina_reads: It was good enough that I may read the first two eventually. A British country house setting and beginning with family gathering for the funeral of an elderly relative. I would more or less agree with the LT rating of 3.7.

>163 hailelib: On the Trinchieri book: I loved the first one. I gave the second one which is the one you read only 3 stars. I'll only say that I've liked each book a little less than the first. I haven't read the fourth in the series yet, but I'm not rushing out to get it. I hope you like it better than I did, and you seem to have liked the second better than I did.

>166 thornton37814: Thinking about it, the first one was a little better for me than the second.

For July so far:

137. Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear (c. 1999) - ebook - This is what some would call "hard" science fiction and the science involved is human biology and particularly genetics. It took a little while to get into and there are a lot of characters to keep up with and involved what various health agencies were seeing as a pandemic. The so-called Herod virus was causing pregnant women to miscarry or give birth to a deformed and dead baby.
Lots of complex science and politics before anyone found out what was really going on. I do mean to read the sequel soonish.

138. Language at the Speed of Sight by Mark Seidenberg (c.2017, this edition 2018) - own - A slow read especially in the middle section. The first part was pretty interesting about reading, writing, and speech. The next section was about how we read and the cognitive science of reading. It got rather involved and was a bit of a slog to get through. The last section was his thoughts on why so many Americans read at barely basic levels or even are functionally illiterate. He theorizes that the problem is with the way reading is taught in the US and that everyone should have phonics early on. There is a lot of information in the book about dyslexia, what it is and how to approach it. Not an easy or fast read for me.

Several started but nowhere near finished. Mainly The City of Brass, This is how you lose the time war and Learn the Facts about Kidney Disease. And I need to go back and finish First Ladies of the Republic. Mainly I'm rereading Honor Among Enemies as an easy follow up after two somewhat difficult books.

Also trying to catch up on other challenge threads but not much posting.

>163 hailelib: I think I liked her a lot better years ago

I feel the same way about Phyllis Whitney! Either her books haven't aged well, or my taste has changed. Maybe a little of both.

139. Field of Dishonor by David Weber (c. 1994) - own - Read in the first quarter but somehow I failed to mention that I finished it. Lots of politics in this one as well as the space action. Honor Harrington is put on half-pay after she kills two men in duels which are legal but frowned on on Mantecore. One was the hired gun that killed her lover and the other the man who hired the professional killer.

Today I added some ebooks bought over the last week to my catalog (all impulse buys after adding to my gift card):
Penric and the Bandit
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Outcrossing
The League of Frightened Men
The Cavalier of the Apocalypse
Undocumented

For my birthday I've received the following paper books as gifts:
Darwin's Children
Closer to Home
Closer to the Heart
Closer to the Chest
The Snow Leopard
Captain, Woman, Rebel
The History of the Hobbit

>171 hailelib: Happy Birthday!

>171 hailelib: Happy birthday! Enjoy your new books!

Happy Birthday, Trisha! Books are the best gifts!

Happy birthday! You got an excellent haul there! I bought The Snow Leopard recently too, the ebook was on offer on kobo. I'm not sure if there are photos, but if there are and I like the book then I'll look out for a paper copy.

Happy Birthday! How wonderful to start the year with a fine new stack of books!

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday, and enjoy your bookish presents! :)

Happy birthday! Books are good, as gifts to yourself or from others!

Happy birthday! What better present than books? Enjoy!

>172 pamelad:, >173 MissWatson:, >174 DeltaQueen50:, >175 Jackie_K:, >176 RidgewayGirl:, >177 lowelibrary:, >178 christina_reads:, >179 Tess_W:, and >180 VivienneR: Thank you everyone. Yes, books make good presents

I have also received Alice's Book from my son and my husband received Language Acquisition The Basics which I am reading before letting him have it. (He often snatches books I've bought for myself before I get to them so it's my turn to do the same thing.)

139. Honor Among Enemies by David Weber - (c. 1996) - own - The next in the ongoing saga of Honor Harrington. Military SF. Reread.

140. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire - (c. 2010). - own - The second book in the October Daye series which I had been looking for for years before finding an affordable copy. I enjoyed this novel although I should have reread the first one before tackling it. good fantasy.

141. Learn the Facts about Kidney disease by Steven Rosansky - (c. 2020) - own - Better than the previous one I read.

I think I neglected to add this one -

142. Tales of the Flying Mountains by Poul Anderson - (c. 1970) - own - ebook - A collection of short stories about the colonization of the astroid belt joined together as tales told by a meeting of people setting out in a generation ship to Alpha Centauri. Fair, but probably won't be reread.

143. Penric and the Bandit by Lois McMaster Bujold - (c. 2024) - own - ebook - The latest novella in the Penric series. Good, but the series is best read in order.

144. The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout - (c. 1935, 1963) -own - ebook - An early Nero Wolf story. OK, but some of the later ones are better.

145. First Ladies of the Republic by Jeanne E. Abrams - (c.2018) - own - ebook - Finally finished! The last section where she summarized her ideas about Martha, Abigail, and Dolly was the best section. I think that there are probably other books on these women that would make better reading.

146. Pemberley; Mr. Darcy's Dragon by Maria Grace - (c. 2017) - own - ebook - A fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I'll be reading the next one.

Been focusing elsewhere so a bit of catching up to do. Print books I've finished in July are

147. The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen - (c. 2014; translation c. 2015) - public library - The sixth book with the characters of Department Q. They have to do a bit of traveling to solve this cold case and they have a new member, Gordon. A few twists before Carl & company find the correct conclusion. I'll probably get to the next one soon as I enjoyed this one.

148. The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters - (c. 1981; this edition 1988) - The second book in the Amelia Peabody series and a reread. This time I particularly noticed how Amelia is convinced that she is always right and Emerson is often a step ahead of her. We also are introduced to their son, young Ramses. I liked the story well enough but some of the other volumes in the series are better.

149,150,151. I read this trilogy in the long-running Valdemar series one after the other starting right at the end of July. Closer to Home begins when the travelers From Bastion are approaching Haven and home and new duties at the Collegium. Mags and Amily want to get married but her father, Nicholas, asks them to wait awhile. Then Nicholas has a serious accident leading to Amily becoming the King's Own in her father's place. In Closer to the Heart they have somewhat settled into new roles but problems arise for Valdemar that they must solve. Along the way, Mags and Amily do manage to get married. Then in Closer to the Chest there is a spate of poison pen letters and there is also harassment of women shop owners down in the town. Are these related or separate problems? Mags and Nicholas use their spy networks to try and discover the answers.
The author is Mercedes Lackey and they are from 2014, 2015, and 2016.

>183 hailelib: You've reminded me that I have left the Jussi Adler-Olsen series on the shelf for far too long - the next one up for me will be #5 The Marco Effect.

>184 DeltaQueen50: - That's the next one for me too. And I saw it today as I was moving some books around.

Way behind, as usual!

ebooks since I last listed any -

152. Lost Birds by Anne Hillerman - (c. 2024) - own - ebook

153. Outcrossing by Celia Lake - (c. 2018) -own - ebook

154. Opps: Reality TV Sort Of - by Gorg Huff - own - ebook

155. The Window at the White Cat by Mary Roberts Rinehart - (c. this edition 2024) - own - ebook

156. A Strange Disappearance by Anna Katharine Green - (c. 2017) this edition) - A selection from The Leavenworth Case & Other Detective Novels -own - ebook

to be continued