Tess & her tomes 2024

In the words of an American hero, "Let's roll!" Link to my introduction: https://www.librarything.com/topic/356108#n8330197

In a nutshell: avid reader, gardener, history prof, food preservationist, almost homesteader, and cook. Fav genres: historical fiction, history, general fiction. I try to have one paper book and either one ebook or one audiobook going at all times.

My rating system:
1 star--waste of paper and ink/DNF
2 stars-Is this literature? -major flaws or mind numbing boring/Should have DNF'd!
2 1/2 stars-not so bad I had to stop reading, but I wanted to!
3 stars-average
3 1/2 fun, informative, thought provoking
4 stars-excellent read
4 1/2 exceptionally good, among my favorites
5 stars-in all ways a superior read

My reading year runs from Dec. 25 to Dec. 24

I try to always read from my own TBR. I have whittled down my TBR from 1500 books to a little less than 300 in the past 10-11 years. My goal is to get down to somewhere around 100. New books are so tempting!

>1 Tess_W: Tess I am really pleased to see you joining us in 2024. I will follow your progress with a great deal of interest.

Have a very richly ornamented branch on the Tree of Life in 2024, Tess, and thank you for visiting my thread.

>2 PaulCranswick: TY
>3 richardderus: TY

My reading year runs from Dec. 25-Dec. 24. I adopted this schedule 30+ years ago so that I could begin reading my new Christmas books right away! LT wasn't in existence then, but I kept reading lists in notebooks.

My first read of 2024 (my year runs from Dec. 25-Dec. 24) (Started before Christmas)
1. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens. Since I read this in 2022 and was not enamored of it, I was dreading the re-read. However, I had set my mind to reading Dickens' canon in publication order. Since I read it the last time, this time I thought I would listen to it on audio. Sadly, the audiobook irritated me more than the original paper book! This book was narrated by Rory Kinnear and Neil Gaiman. They were horrendous! The yelling and the falsetto voices were just atrocious. It was also difficult for me to clearly understand great parts of the working class speech. Was the story any better? Meh! For enjoyment purposes: 2.5 stars 32 hours 27 minutes. (Personal Dickens Canon)

>4 Tess_W: Yikes, Tess. I read Pickwick a long time ago and remember enjoying it even though it was about double the length advisable.
I'm not a lover of audio books although my son absolutely swears by them.

>4 Tess_W: Totally agree. First time I read Pickwick, I could barely tolerate it. Tried it last year on audio (as part of a complete re-read of all of the novels) and it was a no-go (even with a fairly decent narrator). It's just too all over the place for me, and I just don't find it all that funny.

I then ended up skipping a re-read of Oliver Twist and The Old Curiosity Shop, neither of which were hits with me the first time around. So I started with a re-read of Nicholas Nickleby and have continued in order, and have enjoyed almost all that I've listened to. Only mediocre part was some of the middle of Martin Chuzzlewit. I'm now on Bleak House and loving it. From here on out, I know I'll be happy.

I may go back to Oliver and Curiosity Shop (I do love Dick the Swiveller) when I'm done, but right now I'm in a good place.

Welcome back, Tess!

>6 kac522: Bleak House is one of my favorites. I likened Pickwick to slapstick comedy.

>7 drneutron: TY!

>8 Tess_W: Yep. Will you be doing all the books on audio, or some in print?

Hi! Thought I'd return visit your thread!
I love History!

Hi Tess, thanks for stopping by my thread.

A history professor who reads historical fiction? That’s very brave of you. I can’t imagine the amount of inaccuracies that would drive a lesser person mad.

I want to get to the whole Dickens canon too, but 2024 will not be that year for me. The Pickwick Papers is one of those I haven’t read yet. And I find it hard to comprehend that anything Neil Gaiman does is not superb, but still think I’ll read the paper version when I get around to it.

>10 kac522: Most will be in print (ebooks). When I do re-reads, I like to try something different! However, I do have two more Dickens on audio..........

>12 PawsforThought: Well there are thousands of years of history, and I only know this much: .! However, in the areas in which I have expertise, I can easily pick out where poetic license has been employed. I just finished a book on Marc Antony, though, and I had to look a lot of things up, because that is not an area of my expertise!

>14 Tess_W: Completely understandable. Which is your area of expertise, by the way?

>15 PawsforThought: Modern history--specifically Western Civ Renaissance-modern day and US History--post Civil War to modern day. My research work was on WWII--specifically the Holocaust.

Dropping a star and wishing you a Happy New Year and good readings in 2024.

I love Dickens. I reread David Copperfield this year (audio read by Richard Armitage - so great), but have had The Pickwick Papers on my shelves for years.

>16 Tess_W: That is fascinating, Tess. I do look forward to some of your insight if your are able to join in for the War Room Challenge at the appropriate times.

>16 Tess_W: Sounds super interesting!

>17 ctpress: TY! Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, andBleak House are my favs.

>18 PaulCranswick: TY Paul. I will try! Sometimes my reading for the job has to take priority over my reading for pleasure! And along those same lines, for enjoyment I often read fiction, because in the course of work I get enough non-fiction! I'm afraid that I can't find the link for the War Room, could you please provide?

Thanks for popping in on my thread! Sorry about The Pickwick Papers -- one of the few I haven't read of his, and now just might not! LOL. Happy New Year!

>21 Tess_W: The present link is in the 2023 group still Tess. I will go and find it and put it here for you, but I will set up a thread for the challenge here tomorrow.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/355667#n8316938

This is the link and fiction is just as encouraged as non-fiction!

>23 PaulCranswick: TY TY!

Hi Tess, just stopping by to return your visit to my thread. Yours caught my eye the other day; I just hadn't posted yet. Happy New Year!

Dropping my star in passing.

>26 thornton37814: See you here or in the CATEGORY Group!

>25 lauralkeet: TY You, also!

My reading year begins on Dec. 25. Started many years ago so I could jump right into those new Christmas books! That being said...

Lots of short books last 2 days. Football on TV from 11AM-well after 1AM each day, so it's my husband's "sitter/entertainment!" I just have to plop a plate in front of him and he's so happy! Meanwhile...I just read!

2. The Death of a Neanderthal by Lonnie Goff. This was a short, poorly written book. By poorly written, I mean misspellings, incorrect punctuation, etc. If the author can't even get that correct, what about the information? I have my doubts about the 500 million years ago.....anyway. Not impressed at all. There really wasn't anything in this book that would be a surprise to anybody. 101 pages 2 stars (I should have DNF'd it, but it was so short.....)
RTT-Prehistoric

3. The Denisovans by Charles River Editors About a species (not a word I concur with or would use) of man, related to the Neanderthals. They found 5 skeletons in a cave in Russia in 2008. However, Neanderthals and homo sapiens also used this cave, so I'm not sure what good DNA analysis may be. I am not learned enough to argue anything on these prehistoric topics, except the dates used by anthropologists or paleontologists are not what is usually used by historians. Quite frankly.....I'm bored with this type of book that argues dates and dates and dates! Sadly, I'm just not interested enough to do any research myself. 49 pages 2.5 stars RTT-Prehistoric


4. H is for Hawk by by Helen Macdonald has been languishing on my shelf for several years. This is the story of Helen, who is grieving the death of her father. As something to take her mind off the passing of her father, she decides to train a falcon. She was heavily influenced by T. H. White's book, The Goshawk. (He is better known for his book, The Once and Future King). White was a tortured individual and so is Helen. The writing is beautiful and transfixing when describing nature. However, the reader is unsure if at times Helen is describing her own experience or relating something that happened in White's book. The entire book has an mystic quality; making the reader decipher What is real, imagined, or being retold. 300 pages Non-Fiction CAT: Birds of a Feather 3 stars

Greetings, Tess! Have a lovely 2024 with many great books!

>29 PersephonesLibrary: Back atcha!

You won't catch me complaining about all those football games! (=reading time!)

5. Life and Death in Rebel Prisons: Giving a Complete History of the Inhuman and Barbarous Treatment of Our Brave Soldiers by Rebel Authorities, ... Ga., and Florence, S. C (Civil War) by Robert Kellogg This was a non-fiction read and the diaries of John Ransom, a Union soldier and POW. The conditions were atrocious and sickening. However, I'm not sure it was entirely on purpose, as the Southern States were starving themselves and short on supplies. The sheer cruelty was intentional and there was no excuse. A good read. In the past I wanted to read the novel Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor, but not sure that I now want to read the fiction after reading about it from the horses mouth. Excellent read! (From the Sabin Americana Collection) 394 pages 5 stars

Thanks for stopping by my thread, Tess! I am glad to see that after a rough start to your reading year your most recent book was much better for you. I will have to see if I can find a copy of the Robert Kellogg book. Thanks for the recommendation!

Happy New Year!

Hi Tess. Happy New Year to you and your family. I read your intro and am very impressed by your pantry! I could learn a lot from you.

I will be joining Paul and Stasia in the War Room group. Hope to see you there.

>34 Donna828: Hi, Donna! Don't be impressed, everything I do is by trial and error! I didn't have anything to do during the pandemic, so I thought, let's learn to grow and process my own food! I also had a goal to lose 100 pounds--which I did, by eating ONLY food that contained ingredients that I knew about. About 6 years ago I also had cancer and after finding out it was not genetic, came to the conclusion it was environmental. Therefore--I need to eat clean food. The only thing I'm "stuck" on is meat.....I can't produce my own organic meat! I need to eat protein in the form or eggs and meat or I can't keep my strength or think--I've tried the vegetarian route. I do buy very little meat and eat very little meat that is organic--it is cost prohibitive, especially if one is retired.

Yes, I'm excited to take part in the war room!

>33 alcottacre: TY! Happy New Year to you, also!

Happy New Year, Tess!

Hi Tess and Happy New Year! I'm dropping off a star and wishing you many reading adventures in 2024!

>38 EBT1002:
>37 ronincats:

TY and backatcha!

Hi Tess!

Wishing you a great one!

So today (Jan 1), in between taking down the Christmas decorations, I made grape jelly. A friend of mine cleaned out her pantry and had 2 gallons of grape juice that she didn't know why she bought and didn't want! The expiration date (which doesn't mean anything to me) was Dec. 2023. She called me and I was then in possession of 2 gallons of grape juice-unsweetened. I have never made jelly before, and not really a fan, preferring more jam or preserves--but hey--it was free! I use a low-sugar recipe with a special pectin that I buy from Amazon with jam, so just substituted it in the jelly recipe. All went well and I have 30 half-pints of grape jelly. Will give at least half of that to kids/grandkids and other teachers at school. I'm taking part in a January challenge on Youtube by a homesteader, called Canuary, so this fits right in. Later this month, I will clean out freezer number 1 of any meat that has been frozen for longer than 9-10 months and also can that to extend its life.

I'll add pic tomorrow!

Happy New Year, Tess!

Happy reading in 2024, Tess!

>41 Tess_W: Happy 2024!

Wow! That's a lot of grape jelly. Hope it tastes good as well.

Happy New Year, Tess! Looks like you’ve hit the deck running. Five books already, even if you started a week ago, and I haven’t even figured out yet what I want to read for my first book.

I never read Pickwick Papers, so can’t comment on it, but I am surprised Gaiman’s narration was so rough. He’s one of my favorite readers.

Hello Tess, over for a visit! That grape jelly sounds wonderful! Very good idea to eliminate the processed foods.

Happy New Year!

I read the link to your introduction thread and the prices of fresh produce that you listed shocked me! Here in Ontario we pay at least three times more for those items, and sometimes much more than that. $5 for a week of produce is unheard of here. $5 will get me a romaine lettuce, maybe a few apples.

Dropping a star and looking forward to following your reading in '24

Happy new year Tess.

Happy New Year! I was intrigued by your post on the introductions thread -- I also live on an Ohio farm, so I'll be interested to hear about your adventures.

Cool story about the grape juice. I used to make jelly with my mom back when I was a kid., always enjoyed the process.

>47 ChelleBearss: It varies greatly by season! But head lettuce has held steady for the last year between 1.79 and 1.99 per head. But in 2022 it was only $.99 Now, for romaine, we are going to pay 3.99-4.99. I grew my own romaine this past summer, only harvested 4 heads, so we eat the good stuff in the summer! But I know that my prices are much cheaper (midwest) than on either coast. That being said, difficult to find organic within 20 miles of me. That's why I try to eat only what I grow, but in the dead of winter, have to give in! I have a case of pears ("uglies"-mishapen) and a case of cuties coming from California in mid January (organic), so that will be our fresh fruit for the remainder of the winter. In my pantry I have home-canned peaches, cherries, blueberries, and raspberries. Except for the peaches, which we often eat with cottage cheese, the other berries are usually used for baking.

>45 Storeetllr: Not sure others would consider it rough. I consider the Pickwick Papers to be slapstick comedy. The voices went with the story--both were awful! Don't be impressed by the 5 already read--I don't watch TV--at all, unless the OSU Buckeyes or Cleveland Browns are playing! So my evenings from 7pm till I fall asleep are nothing but reading unless the kids are over--usually once a week.

>42 DianaNL: TY
>43 FAMeulstee: TY
>44 figsfromthistle: Even after giving away half, the other half will probably last 2-3 years.
>48 RebaRelishesReading: TY
>49 fairywings: TY

My best wishes for your 2024 as well as your 2024 books!

>50 foggidawn: I don't live on a farm, just 2.5+ acres, and most of the soil is clay. So my veggie growing is in buckets or raised beds, except pumpkins, weeds, and most flowers will grow in clay soil! I live about 20 miles outside of Columbus. Where are you near?

One of the reasons we want to move back to western Oregon is for the long gardening season!!

>56 EBT1002: We have a "guaranteed" 120 days (last of May-Last of September). It has been known to frost here in early-mid October. However, the nights are way too cool for anything to grow much past 2nd-3rd week of September.

Impressive whittling down of the books chronicled in your opening post, Tess. I hope to do more of that this year.

>55 Tess_W: We're south of Canton -- we have 46 acres, mostly hayfields. We keep chickens and rabbits. My gardening is mostly raised beds as well, though this summer I'm going to add some squash, cucumbers, maybe melons (I don't know if I am diligent enough about watering to have success with melons here) in the ground near my raised beds. My husband has been improving the soil in that area with chicken and rabbit manure, so I think garden plants will do well there.

>41 Tess_W: "Canuary" is a *great* idea! I hope you and the giftees enjoy the grape jelly...not a favorite of mine, either, but free = good in my book.

Enjoy the next reads more, Tess.

*Looking for grape jelly*

My what a great start Tess! Reading up the veritable storm.

I'm happy to find your thread, Tess, and happy to have a minute for a visit!

I have always been a Dickens lover. In fact, my D is for Dickens and my Lizzie is for Hexam. That said, I haven't reread anything for several years. My last reading of Our Mutual Friend left me less happy than i used to be. That was likely more Lizzie than Dickens. His prose still stirs me to near worship.

I just searched your library for Living the Good Life and Five Acres and Independence. We devoured them in our early marriage although my DH was more motivated than I. Gradually, over the 53 years we've lost the impetus but still try to live as simply as we can.

I never thought of making grape jelly from juice. We used to have access to Thomas grapes from the family farm, and I jelled them. No more.

Anyway...... Happy New Year! Enjoy your reading and this great group!

Happy new year and happy new thread.
All the best for you!

Happy New Year, Tess. The book about the Southern prisons during the Civil War sounds really good. I read Andersonville years and years ago and remember liking it although it was shocking to me. I suspect you are right and the nonfiction account is better.

>62 LizzieD: Ideally, when using grapes, which I find too cost prohibitive to make a jelly we don't "love"), I would make jam; meaning crushed grapes, pieces of fruit, etc. Then, after making jam, there will be juice remaining, which would be made into jelly (no fruit pieces).

I think you hit the nail on the head, "Living more simply." I would also add more intentionally. Another "theme" of mine--use it ALL! (bones to make broth, carrot tops, onion peels, etc.) I even made apple scrap vinegar from the peels & cores of the apples last summer.

I have put those two books on my WL and if available at the library may take a look-see.

>58 Familyhistorian: It was so difficult and not really enjoyable all the time!

>59 foggidawn: Good luck with those melons. I don't know if our growing season is too short, the soil, ???? I can never get them to mature. I'm sure the squash and cukes will take off! I actually planted cukes in front of and underneath the peony bushes last year and they were prolific.

>67 Tess_W: Yeah, I may be over-ambitious with the melon idea! I'll have to look for seeds best suited to our region.

>53 Tess_W: Um, I don’t watch TV either, not even sports, so I have no excuse. Actually, I take that back. About 5 times a year, I stream a film or a tv series like Good Omens or watch a DVD of a favorite series like Firefly or the BBCs Pride and Prejudice or films like LOTR. I binge for a day or two, then I’m satiated till the next time months later when I get the urge to watch instead of read.

Dropping off a star. >28 Tess_W: H is for Hawk was an enjoyable read for me. I found her follow up Vesper Flights a good read as well.

>1 Tess_W: Happy New Year and happy reading!

Happy New Year, Tess!

Happy New Year Tess! Wishing you happiness, health and lots of reading adventures in 2024.



I'm impressed by your drive to live more sustainably. I would like to try but just trying to persuade my sons not to waste electricity is hard enough.

>28 Tess_W: Normally, I'm not a fan of authors reading their work, but Helen Macdonald did such an excellent job with it and it added to the eerie feeling of loneliness and - as you say - "mystic quality". Liked it a lot.

>69 Storeetllr: That is "sort" of my pattern, also. My husband will find a series he thinks I will like, and we will watch it together. The last was The Last Kingdom taken from the Bernard Cornwell books, which I later read. As soon as the BBC gets its 2024 series going this year, we will enjoy our yearly 4-5 episodes of "Vera." Other than that, just football games for me. I think I like football games because you can get up and be gone for even 30 minutes at a time and really not miss too much!

>70 Oberon: Glad you liked it. It's not that I didn't--average is ok!

>71 ocgreg34: TY and backatcha!

>72 ronincats: TY, you also!

>73 humouress: TY, I totally understand the son thing!

Hi Tess! Happy new year!
Good for you, making that grape jelly. I still have some grapes in the freezers, and lots of blackberries.
I’ll be visiting your thread, every now and then. I’m trying for sustainable living as well.

Have a fantastic Friday, Tess!

I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead, Tess.

>80 EllaTim:
>81 alcottacre:
>82 EBT1002:

Thank you all!

6. Come into my Cave by Linda Hardy. This was a prehistoric novel that centered on a young boy and his scandalous idea of overwintering in a cave instead of making the long arduous trip south. His "people" did not live in caves as it was the abode of animals. In this cave, an alusia is seen tending to her babies. The description makes this animal seem as if it is a small dinosaur. I did a quick search of Google, and I can't find such an animal. An integral component of the plot is who is more dangerous: man or animal? I feel as if this book might be a YA book, however there is no indication that is the case. I picked this up at a Friends of the Library sale for 10 cents--and it was worth that and no more! This quarter in the Reading Thru Time group, the time period is prehistoric. I got the stinkers from my shelf out of the way and now I'm going to get serious: The Inheritors by William Golding (Lord of the Flies) and Bernard Cornwell's Stonehenge. First, though, I must finish Helen of Troy for Paul's Greeks/Romans month. I'm listening to that on audio and am 7 hours into a 22-hour book. It's very good. I'm hoping to get more into politics and warfare instead of just arranged marriages and poisoned potions.

Ok....does anybody know how I can get my pics (only from my phone) rotated so that my jelly is not hanging in mid-air?

>84 Tess_W: I upload from my desktop and found that "editing" and saving the picture before uploading it got rid of orientation problems.

>84 Tess_W: Try editing the photo (not just rotating; try cropping it) on your phone and then uploading to LT.

But wow! That's something you only see in cartoons :0)

>85 quondame: Great minds and all that.

>84 Tess_W: As long as the lids are tight, you should be fine ... 😀

>85 quondame:, >86 humouress: even the tiniest little crop will do the trick.

>83 Tess_W: Well, I certainly hope your next read is worth more than 10 cents to you!

Hi Tess my dear, i have starred you and will be visiting throughout 2024, a belated Happy New Year dear friend.

7. Background: When I was working on my Master’s and PhD., I bought all the “suggested”, but not required readings. Of course, I never read them because I was too busy. Now I have two shelves of what I call “Academic Readings.” I purged over two shelves of them last year, reading some and tossing others. My goal, in 2024 is to read 5 of these books/journals etc. or pitch them.

Since I have one that fits Paul’s Greeks/Romans, I read this one: The Early Christian Fathers by Cyril C. Richardson There were many case studies, but I only read the ones dated about 110 CE to 160 ish CE. That took care of more than 50% of the book. The most interesting was Ignatius of Antioch’s Letter to the Romans and The Martyrdom of Polycarp. Ignatius is asking his fellow Roman believers to leave him alone and not be generous with their gifts or clamoring. He is afraid that these will draw people’s attention to him and away from God. He feels that by whatever means (fire, cross, wild beasts, wrenching of bones, etc.) that he is on the path to Jesus Christ and is eager to meet him. In 156 CE Polycarp, the leader of the Church in Smyrna was martyred. His followers wrote the article I read, and it is one of the earliest known writings about martyrdom. This article traces the account from hand to hand, who copied what, who carried to whom, etc. This were well edited and not a bad read. I would recommend only if you are interested in Church History or Christian martyrdom in the 1st-2nd Century CE.

Ok, I learned a new skill today--how to crop a pic. Never had to do that before! I do need to work on the technique!

Below is the aforementioned grape jelly. Also included is the vanilla I made for colleagues and neighbors for Christmas--it was 3 years in the making. In December I also started some Almond extract. Should be ready in 18-24 months.

>85 quondame: TY!
>86 humouress: TY and LOL!
>87 humouress: LOL!
>89 alcottacre: Hopefully. It's great when those FOL books are good, but when they stink.....

>90 johnsimpson: TY John. I'm sure between here and BFB I will pick up some BB's from you!

Wow! The grape jelly looks lovely. And I am impressed you made vanilla!

Happy new year!

Happy new year of reading Tess!

>94 banjo123: Also a little bit smitten by the grape jelly!

Great to see you make such an active start with us this year. xx

Happy new year of reading, Tess!

Hi Tess! May 2024 yield many a good book!

Hi Tess, thanks for visiting my thread. I am dropping my star here on this interesting looking one. Happy new year.

Happy Monday!

>97 Kristelh:
>98 The_Hibernator:
>99 sirfurboy:
>100 PaulCranswick:

Thank you!

>92 Tess_W: Glad that worked! I've been known to rotate a pic 360 degrees to get it to post right side up. lol.

I'm impressed that you have made vanilla and almond extract.

Hello!
Nice to meet you and welcome :)
I don't veggie Garden but I do keep houseplants. Love to hear what you grow. And I'm fascinated with homesteading so I'm excited to see more here.

>4 Tess_W: As a Gaiman and Dickens fan I'm disappointed to see this one isn't worth my lists. Ah well.
>28 Tess_W: The Hawk book sounds great. I'm a sucker for unique prose.

>104 Ravenwoodwitch: I houseplant, too! However, I only have north and south windows (except for the bathrooms) and no sills. So my houseplant variety is limited. I grow a mean philodendron, which of course, take no sunlight. They are prolific. I also have four flowering cacti-such as Christmas & Easter Cactuses, one African violet (haven't killed it yet!), and one poinsettia--since Christmas. I rotate the plants that need sun to expose them to the light and have limited success-meaning they survive, but not big & luscious!

Outside....again, I feel "limited" as my soil is clay--the grey kind that water just sits in. We have amended some of it over the years, with limited success. As far as veggies, I grow zucchini, potatoes (red & sweet), carrots, and cherry tomatoes (when the horn-worms don't destroy them). This summer I'm trying lettuce. I buy both tomatoes & green beans by the bushel from an organic farmer and can each year--it's still more economic than buying them in the store and I know exactly what is in each jar. From the tomatoes I've made marinara sauce, ketchup, tomato juice, tomato sauce, and our favorite-salsa. I also tried my hand at sweet and sour sauce last year, but I need to work on that recipe. It was edible and not bad, but also not "excellent!" As far as outside flowers, we have added tons (literally) of manure and good soil to our clay beds. I can grow peonies, roses, hollyhocks, delphinium, coneflowers, bee balm, Russian sage, cardinal plants, and various others that I don't know the names of. In my flower beds I plant only perennials, so after 20 years I have really full beds. I love annuals but limit myself to one or two pots of geraniums and petunias on the deck.

So, what type of houseplants grow at your home?

>103 mdoris: Don't be--vodka, vanilla beans or crushed almonds, and TIME! (and a glass mason jar!) Took 2 minutes to prepare and 3 years to distill!

>105 Tess_W: That flower bed sounds like my dream garden.
So I don't know enough to know what kind of direction the window faces, but our apartment has two big sliding glass patios and we have a big ole plant stand. Several have passed by trial and error but current survivors are my chinese money plant (survives inconsistent waters and I've propagated it three times) and my china doll plant. In my bathroom is a single window with a small sill. I've managed to keep a croton alive in there though its very small.
I also have my spider plant that's been around at least three years. Made several spiderettes, survived some bad haircuts, also lives in the bathroom right now. Though I think I'm starting to overwater it, because the leaves are kinking.

>92 Tess_W: I knew you could do ti!! And they look so much better right side up! LOL. Although defying gravity was kinda cool.

>105 Tess_W: I have lots of indoor plants. I am fortunate and have really good lighting, both ambient and direct, depending on the plants' needs. Now I just have to figure out some fertilizer needs! My Christmas cacti had very few blooms this year...

Greetings, Tess! Found and starred you! Hope the new year and your books are treating you well!

9. Bad Days in History: A Gleefully Grim Chronicle of Misfortune, Mayhem, and Misery for Every Day of the Year by Michael Farquhar Wickedest, weirdest, wildest, grim, true stories of much little known incidents in history. It took me 3 years to finish, but glad I read it and also glad to be finished. Decidedly from a western perspective. 3.5 stars 484 pages

>4 Tess_W: A British friend who “read” English at university as so many of us did back then regularly declares that Dickens is rubbish and at a point in order to do a better job defending him I decided to reread Dickens from the beginning. I may have skipped Pickwick Papers as not a fully-realised novel, but got through Oliver Twist up to Dombey and Son with increasing dismay, as my friend’s negative judgement seemed quite apt in many areas. Fortunately for me I skipped ahead at some point to Little Dorrit and was reassured. More recently, in COVID times, I read Barnaby Rudge for only the second time, thinking it might be interesting to read as an earlier depiction of demonstrations stirred up by purveyors of misinformation. Despite its obvious weaknesses I judged it more generously than I had the other early Dickens novels. Subsequently read Dickens the Novelist and as a result reread David Copperfield, which also stood up in my estimation. Certainly the whole exercise has been a prime example of how one cannot step into the same book twice.

Happy New Year, Tess. I like your taste in books. I loved H is for Hawk, along with her follow-up Vesper Flights.

>111 booksaplenty1949: Very interesting! I can vouch for David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, and Bleak House. I liked them so much that the others were somewhat a let down, hence I thought by re-reading them I would pick up on something I had originally missed. It seems thus far, that is not the case. I might agree with your friend. Many of Dickens' works were serial newspaper columns, for the masses. That is why so many depict the woes of the lower working classes, for it appealed to them. I might go in search of Leavis work.

>112 msf59: I'm not yet ready for another Macdonald, however, I did purchase White's novel, Goshawk, upon which Macdonald based her novel.

>113 Tess_W: *All* Dickens’ works were written in monthly numbers, before coming out in book form. I don’t think Dickens necessarily pandered to working-class taste—-after all, many working-class characters are there for comic effect rather than to excite sympathy. In The Wound and the Bow Edmund Wilson credibly argues that Dickens’ childhood experience in the blacking factory after his father’s bankruptcy left him permanently aware of the precariousness of his own middle class status, with interesting artistic effect. He certainly had no skill at creating upper-class characters.
In any event, I definitely think his novels get better as his career went along, but none are “rubbish.”

>115 booksaplenty1949: Agreed to both his novels get better and that none are "rubbish", although for my personal reading, some are not well digested.

10. Helen of Troy by Margaret George A retelling with embellishments of Homer's epic, The Illiad. The story really focused on Helen, Paris, and Menelaus. As I find with myths, I really needed a chart of who's who and who is a god and who is mortal. This was one of the better. George always tells a good story. 636 pages 4 stars

Hi Tess.

>92 Tess_W: Wait, what?? You made vanilla? I am seriously considering a move to your neighborhood. Haha.
>106 Tess_W: Thanks for the recipe. I might have trouble with waiting 3 years. It would be good for my patience.

Congratulations on reading ten books already.

Will try to get to the boards this week. I had a trip to the dentist for a temporary filling, a trip to the endodontist for a root canal, a yearly cancer screening (nothing! PTL), and the college class I am teaching this semester starts tomorrow...been a bit busy!

11. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell A great psychological thriller, my favorite sub-genre. No more because I don't want to give away anything. Glad I gave Jewell a second chance, because my first read of hers, The House We Grew Up In only netted 2.5 stars. Listened to this on audio and the reader was good. 10 hours 44 mins. 4 stars CAT: January Scaredykit-Psychological Thrillers

>117 Tess_W: If it can be libraried nearby, Tess, I would aim you towards Bettany Hughes's book on Helen of Troy, Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore. Her careful way of presenting all the parties to the story is down to her profession as an historian. The read was fabulous for me, so I urge it on you.

>120 richardderus: Thank you for the rec, Richard. I most certainly will seek it out!

Well, to be terribly honest (with myself), there is no way I can keep up with this thread or this group! Too large! I will continue to participate in Paul's War Room and the non-fiction challenge, but I just can't promise anything else. Good intentions and all that!

>122 Tess_W: I know what you mean. I just do the best I can. Last year I got way behind. Right now I'm doing okay, but I'm still a little behind (even though I've been home).

No pressure here!! Just have fun. : )

>122 Tess_W: We all completely understand, Tess. Do what works for you. As Kim says, just have fun (and beware book recommendations to exceed your time or budget ha ha).

Agreed - any participation is welcome!

My neurodivergence makes it tricky for me to keep up with everything here, so I completely understand. I say do what feels best and natural for you, guilt free :)

It definitely shouldn't feel like a job to keep up. Poke around when you can/feel like it, and let the rest just flow by like a river. :)

Just catching up with you now, myself.

A couple of points;
- you could join the Decluttering thread to help with your deacquisitioning.
- I agree with Kim >108 Berly:; that looks even better. Vanilla?! But I assume you don't grow your own?
- >105 Tess_W: Yum!
- don't discuss Dickens with Richard.

I hope you'll visit LT occasionally. That works for me; I do a round as and when I have time to catch up.

Hi Tess! I agree with everyone here, it shouldn’t be a task. So do what works for you.
I did pick up a book bullet from you, Helen of Troy
I’m reading The Iliad, and amazed at the story, all the fighting, and this stupid guy Paris who won’t give her up.

Some catching up to do here--both on posting of books and stopping by threads!

12. What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman This was the story of Clare, committed at age 18 to an asylum for the insane by her father for rebellion. This was the 1920's and women had very few rights. She spent all of her life institutionalized in brutal conditions. This was a work of fiction, but very realistic from the non-fiction that I have read on the same subject matter. I listened to this on audio and it distracted from the story as the reader was overly dramatic, breathless in every sentence. There was a dual timeline, which was totally unnecessary, dealing with teenage angst, for the most part. 11 hours 20 mins 3 stars



13. I completed Rosemary Sutcliffe's The Lantern Bearers The action picks up when Rome decides to leave Great Britain. Without Roman "protection", Britain is ripe for invasion. The protagonist of the story, Aquila, a member of the Legion, deserts, and he and his family decide to stay behind. The remainder of the book tells of Aquila's trials and tribulations in repelling the Saxons. I found Aquila not to be a really likeable person, but that is neither here nor there as far as the story goes. "We are the Lantern Bearers, my friend; for us to keep something burning, to carry what light we can forward into the darkness and the wind" This is a book written for YA's. However, teaching YA's, I can tell you that in no way, at least for the current majority, would YA's have an interest in or be able to understand this book's place in history. I enjoyed this book and in the future, on one of my buying "sprees", will look for the other books in this series. 240 pages 3.5 stars (Paul's January "War Room")



Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy by Philip Freeman. Freeman is well known in the historical world as the author of what is considered "the best" biography of Julius Caesar. (I have not read). In this book, the author begins at the beginning when Hannibal's, father, Hamilcar Barca, became General of the Carthage forces. Hannibal was aged around 8-10 at this time and swore to his father that he would never become a friend to Rome. After the death of his father and at the age of 26, Hannibal became the General of the Carthage forces. Some print was dedicated to the "story" of the war elephants, but this author said too much is made of that particular episode as it was not nearly as successful as people currently believe. Most of the book centered on the Battle of Cannae in 216 BCE and what Hannibal did and did not do. What he did was surround Rome and route the Roman legion. What he did not do was invade the city proper and raze it; for he could have. He has been hailed as both a hero and a coward for this decision. Hannibal thought it not a wise use of resources nor worth the loss of the tens of thousands of lives it would have cost for an invasion of the city proper.

I also liked this book because the 19 pages at the end listed several of the main scholarly writings from which the author obtained his information. Amongst them: Livy, Polybius, Pinder, and Plutarch. The author attempts to evaluate their bias.

I loved this book! This has been my most interesting read thus far this year. Thank you, Paul, for creating this Ancient Rome War Challenge and getting me out of my comfort zone. 239 pages 5 stars BINGODOG: Less than 100 members (40)

15. Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell is a 497 page novel about the building of Stonehenge. IMHO, it was more about the actual transport of said stones, which is conjecture, and paganism than anything else. I was not impressed. I have read better concerning Stonehenge, but I can't put my finger on the title or author. I read Cornwell's Last Kingdom and loved it. Stonehenge, with it's plethora of minor characters that I could not keep up with, not so much. 497 pages 3 (barely)*, RTT Prehistoric Times P.S. I've been to Stonehenge, and it's marvelous in that it makes you wonder! The Salisbury Plains are also quiet and peaceful.



16. I cheated a bit and managed to sneak another piece of history into my reading this month, The Histories by Herodotus. I did not read the entire book, but focused on The Second Persian Invasion of Greece, since it was timely for this challenge. I read about 30+ pages.

This from the preface: Knowledge of the invasions is derived almost entirely from the account of Herodotus, who wrote about 20 years after the actual events. It is generally believed that his accounts of the Persian invasions to be somewhat accurate; with numbers being primarily in question.

My favorite part focused on the resistance of the Spartans during the second invasion, led by Persian King Xerxes. There is reported dialogue between King Xerxes and Spartan Demaratus. (I had to look him up, either a traitor or an ex-pat) Xerxes has asked how Sparta can stand up to the might of the Persians. This is where most historians say Herodotus makes a numerical error, stating the Persian army numbered 2,641,610 warriors. According to Marincola (editor), this was and astronomical and impossible number. The remainder of this “book” (section) is Herodotus’ account of the stand of the Spartans under their king, Leonidas at the mountain pass of Thermopylae.
Herodotus writes that the men were buried where they fell, along with those who had died before the departure of the men Leonidas had dismissed. There is an epitaph over the mass grave which said,: In this place, four thousand Peloponnesians fought four million men.” This was a Persian victory in 480 BCE.

I found this portion of The Histories to be fairly accurate given the above caveat. That being said, I know next to nothing about ancient history, so I have nothing to dispute! 33 pages 3 stars Paul's War Room: Ancient Greeks/Romans



17. The Making of Byzantium, 600-1025 by Mark Whittow This particular version has been on my shelf since 2009. There is a newer version and from reading the cover of that newer version, I believe some of Whittow's criticisms of archaeological research (or lack thereof) during this time period has been addressed. This book begins with the last 14 years of the Roman Empire, which was already in decline. The authors spends much time about the "name" of the empire, which went way over my head. He argues that because the name had changed from "Rome" to "Byzantium", it signaled a significant change. Admittedly, I don't teach this period of history, so I can't negate that idea. However, I would think any reader of history would agree that it wasn't only the name that indicated a significant change in the status quo post Roman empire. Whittlow's second emphasis is on the loss of the aristocracy as it had been known. He points to various studies on members of the ruling elite and the senate remnants who completely changed their name(s). He claims that instead of longer names that indicated esteemed heritages, names were shortened to just one or two names, such as a first name and perhaps a surname. His thesis is that the aristocracy of the 7-8th century (and indeed until the 16th century) was unawares or unconscious of their ancestry. The third main point of the book dealt with economics and agriculture--not so interesting! IMHO the author does a great job of tying all these things together to "create" a "New Rome." Off the shelf! 480 pages 3.5 stars

18. Extinct Birds by Julian P. Hume. I bought this brand new (plastic wrap still intact) in 2009 at a garage sale. This is a beautiful book listing and detailing bird extinctions of the last 1000 years. Sometimes there are only 2-3 lines on a specific bird, but oftentimes there are 2-3 pages. Some of the extinct birds have only been "recovered" through fossil records and have never been recorded as being seen. This book is more like a reference book with copious notes. It isn't a book to just sit down and read. I have read it in portions, trying to cover one letter of the alphabet weekly. However, that really didn't work and it has taken me three years to complete the book. I have to confess that the lengthy portion on Hawaiian and New Zealand birds sort of blurred together. This is a beautiful book, but since the price is exorbitant on Amazon, it's off to be listed! 604 pages 5 stars



ETA: Paid $2 at a garage sale, sold on Amazon for $60 in one day!

19. The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore This was a biography of Elizabeth Packard. Elizabeth was involuntarily committed to an insane asylum in 1860 by her husband for not believing in the same religious (denomination) values as himself. (so she must be crazy, right?) This book is the story of her fight for freedom and her fight for the rights of women across the U.S at a very difficult time. (1860-1864) This fight for those diagnosed as "insane" was the catalyst for the fight for women's rights in general, and the right to vote and own property, specifically. It was a great book....until the prologue, where the author goes into modern day politics...sort of ruined it for me; hence minus 1/2 star. However, I will say that to dismiss or silence one, hinting that they are "crazy" is a workable tactic. 560 pages 3 1/2 stars Feb Prize Cat: A prize in your own country. This book won the Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (2021)



20. The Devil's Disciple by George Bernard Shaw. This was a simple play in 3 acts. The protagonist is known to be anti-religion??? However, in the end, we do see that his heart is not all black. Meh........100 pages 2.5 stars Going to count this an the ugly cover on the BingoDog.



21. I completed To Try Men's Souls by New Gingrich. This was a book that explored four main facets of American's War for Independence: 1) Washington Crossing the Delaware 2) Thomas Paine's contributions 3) Brutal conditions suffered by American Troops 4) Hessian involvement. If you are wanting blow by blow battle scenes, this book is not for you. There are few battles. The book focuses more on the conditions under which America's troops labored; and they were brutal, more so than I had realized. I was leery of reading this book because I had to read some of the author's position papers for a class I took, and I was not a fan! That being said, this book is top notch, IMHO. I'm going to seek out his next, Valley Forge: George Washington and the Crucible of Victory. 345 pages 5 stars

Just stopping in here since I commented on your thread in the other group.

>134 thornton37814: NP!

22. Ephesians by Dr. Bill Creasy This was an audio with a blow by blow commentary for each verse. The main point of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians is that they might be reconciled to God and each other. Dr. Creasy is very plain spoken, but a bit droll. I would probably not use him as a commentator again, although I have no specific complaints. A little under 4 hours. 3 stars

You’ve been doing some interesting and varied reading. It’s a bit alarming and sad that the sections on New Zealand and Hawai’ian birds was so large.

I enjoyed your reviews of recent books you’ve read and made a note of a couple of them. I loved Adrian Goldsworthy’s Caesar, Life of a Colossus and am interested in seeing how Freeman’s bio of Caesar compares.

23. Found Object by Anne Frasier A psychological thriller about a killed B- movie star, her daughter, and husband. I feel this book had potential but it was not realized. 269 pages 3 stars

24. Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy I had great hopes for this book, but the more I read the further those hopes took a nosedive. For starters, one would think that the book would focus on 8 plagues in some detail. However, the author divided time into 8 periods and discussed, too briefly IMHO, plagues and diseases in that time period and how they shaped/caused history. The author claims that humans no longer lay eggs because 10-12 million years ago (sigh) a virus entered our bodies and destroyed that function. By the end of the book, there was no respect remaining for the book or author. I can honestly say that I think the author needs some help/counseling if he believes his own ideas: China did a better job of controlling Covid-19 than the UK or US. Their numbers are better than the UK or US. They could take some lessons from the Chinese. Socialism is the only way that disease is going to be eradicated. Does he really believe that China reported all their cases? This author had a political agenda and it was quite obvious to this reader. Sorry I wasted my time and raised my BP;)! 304 pages 1.5 stars

25. Rhinos in Nebraska: The Amazing Discovery of the Ashfall Fossil Beds by Alison Pearce Stevens This book is about the discovery of and implications of the Ashfall Fossil Beds in Antelope County, Nebraska. The author asserts that 10-12 million years ago (sigh!) there was an explosion in what is now near Yellowstone that produced a cloud of volcanic ash that drifted eastward causing the animals to inhale it and die. Fossil remains were first found in 1971 by a 17-year old farmer when a juvenile rhino skull was poking out of the ground. The site is still being excavated. To date they have found over 19 skeletal remains of hippo like creatures related to the horse, camels, sabre-toothed tigers, and a dog-like bone crushing mammal, among others. Great quick overview of the discovery and remains. 135 pages 4 stars RTT Prehistoric

>132 Tess_W: Yes, I agree with you about Stonehenge. It was good, but it was a little hard work at times. Something didn't quite gel there, despite it being written by a fine author.

And what a lot of history reads here. Great stuff.

>140 Tess_W: I'm just intrigued by "a dog-like bone crushing mammal"!

>142 ursula: genus of canids, dog-like carnivores, has no living relatives, it was once a diverse and prominent group of bone-crushing carnivores in North America. (per Wikipedia) The book didn't give any details about this animal, except to say that some of the bigger animals appeared to have been ravaged by this animal after death.

>142 ursula: Me too. We have a dog that would fit that description. ;)

26. Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy as told to the author by Red & Sonny West and David Hebler, former body guards and roadies for Presley. Given, they had an ax to grind as they were fired by Vernon Presley as he felt they were leeches and a bad influence on Elvis. Influence or influenced? Elvis had some very bad habits before these boys became employed, however, they undoubtedly contributed to his problems and made millions from this tell-all. Pretty sad story of a very gifted performer. Some of his antics would not be tolerated today--such as a proclivity for 15-18 year old girls. Most of this information can be confirmed with other accounts of Presley's life. Again, I find myself in possession of a very expensive book that I purchased from.....I don't know where.......but I paid little for it at a charity shop or a garage sale. It's selling at Abe's for $90 and Amazon from $70. Going to post it for $65 and see if I can get rid of it quickly! 332 pages 3.5 stars

>133 Tess_W: >145 Tess_W: Wow! If you posted in the ROOTs group you'd be an inspiration to everyone. (Not me, though; I don't plan to get rid of my books, just to read my own. But that's why they're ROOTs and not BOMBs.)

>146 humouress: I rarely re-read and in fact haven't bought a tree book in 4-5 years--I'm about the ereader because I can adjust the font size and read without glasses and can also read in the dark. I also like the fact I can take 400-500 books with me wherever I go! I thought when I started getting rid of books that I had already read that I would grieve their loss, but I have not missed any, yet!

>147 Tess_W: Gosh! That's not $90 for an e-book is it?!

>148 humouress: Oh no, the paperback! I have some paperbacks that are carryovers--probably more then 10 years since I purchased one. I do buy paperbacks if I absolutely must have the book and it's not in ebook or audiobook form. Although I am finding more and more that I really don't need them as bad as I thought I did!

27. Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews A Georgian romance, book 2 in the series. Predictable, but enough tension to make a good read. I listened to this on an audiobook. 4 stars

28 Atomic Steppe by Togzhan Kassenova Learned a lot for this book! I never had even heard of the nuclear tests that took place in Kazakhstan from 1949-1989, with no regard at all for the local population. After reading, actually, the population has survived better than one would think. The cancer rates are still higher than the general population, but not as high as estimated. The name of the test site was Semipalatinsk, or "Polygon" for short. In the minds of the people who have lived there, they think they are legend if they survived. Many think that they are now immune from radiation and other diseases. This was just horrible what the Communists forced on the Kazakhs. In actuality, this was a public health disaster both for humans and animals. Many two headed animals were born as well as children with severe disfigurements. When the Soviet Union fell in 1989, Kazakhstan found itself the owner of the 4th largest nuclear arsenal in the world buried within its mountains. They chose to ask the world community for help in containing it instead of going rogue. The US, Russia, and Kazakhs helped with the clean up. And by cleanup, I mean containment. The plutonium is buried deep within the mountains. I enjoyed reading this although I came upon it when I was looking for the Polygon Wood (Battle of Ypres WWI). 384 pages 4.5 stars

Happy Saturday, Tess. Sadly, I think we are due for an Extinct Birds Part II. Just as a scary reminder. I have been meaning to get to The Woman They Could Not Silence. It is on my audio list.

29. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston I wanted to love this book, as I am a lover of true crime. But I didn't. It was likeable to a point, but about midway through it became an effort to read. This is the story of a serial killer in Florence in the 1970's-1980's. It's really more about the bungling antics and corruption of the Italian police than the actual killer. Really, it is not surprising that the killer was never found what with evidence being switched, politicians inserting themselves into the investigation, etc. It made me think of the Amanda Knox goings on in the early 2000's. Even the author was arrested (and then released) as a possible accomplice in these murders, although he didn't live there when they began! A convoluted mess that I'm sure will never be solved at this late date. It is sad that there seems to be no justice for the victims' families or the perpetrators. I took a BB for this book from Tanya. I listened to this on audio, 9 hours 47 minutes. 3 stars CAT: February Mystery Kit True Crime Unsolved

>153 Tess_W: I have had vague thoughts about reading this one, mainly because I spent 10 months in Florence in 1982-3, so the time period in question. But from what you have said I don't think I would have sufficient motivation to get to the end.

30. We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance by David Howarth was a biography of Jan Baalsrud. Jan was a Norwegian who was a British trained commando in WWII. A group of 10 left the Shetlands and landed in Norway to disrupt the Nazi's who had entrenched themselves. Jan's group was betrayed and he was the only survivor. Through amputating his own toes and suffering the interminable cold, he finally was taken by charitable Sami (Northern Scandinavians), who were fired at, across Finland into Sweden. He found the Norwegians very gracious and they helped him even though to do so put themselves and their families in peril. A great survival against all odds story. 257 pages 4.5* February RandomKIT: Escape or Rescue

>145 Tess_W: Elvis always brings my dear late mother to mind and she simply adored him. There was a huge picture of Elvis on the inside door of her toilet/bathroom at home.
I didn't point out the irony to her of the placement as, of course, Elvis famously expired whilst on the toilet.

>155 Tess_W: You got me with a book bullet on this one, Tess. My grandparents were Norwegian. Years ago I asked my grandfather what it was like during WWII and he looked at me and said something like "we could ski better...and we had machine guns." Norwegians were (and probably still are) gritty people.

>157 Donna828: I hope you enjoy it, Donna. It's a NF but reads like fiction.

31. 31. Polio by David Oshinsky was a NF book about the disease from the 1920's until 2000. A very interesting book, especially about both Salk and Sabin; what scoundrels! I won't tell more so as to not give it away. I know it's cliche, but this NF read like a work of fiction. It was tense and I was on the edge of my seat. 369 pages 5 stars RTT March: Medicine/Plagues/Epidemics, March HistoryCAT: Sci/Medicine

Today I canned 4 pints of chicken, 4 pints of Italian roast beef and 8 pints of vegetable broth. I save all the ends of my carrots & the peels, celery bits, and the tops and the skins of onions in a freezer bag till it gets full. Then I put it in the roaster or the crockpot, cover with water, add 2 bay leaves and a handful of peppercorns and cook on low for 8-12 hours and then into jars & pressure canner for 25 minutes. It is organic (all the veggies are) and salt-free!

>159 Tess_W: Yummy! Next step is to use them promptly.

>158 Tess_W: Thank the Lord this was before social media and conspiracy theories and people actually got the vaccine. Recall accounts of those in iron lungs and undergoing Sister Kenny therapy. Know some people permanently in braces/wheelchairs.

>155 Tess_W: This sounds fascinating. I haven't read much about Norway in WWII. I will look for this one.

>159 Tess_W: We've only just had breakfast, but I'm already working up an appetite again!

>159 Tess_W: Looks great!

>161 booksaplenty1949: I had a friend who had a bad leg as a result of polio. Some religious groups still refused vaccination, but after a last minor flare up of the disease they also vaccinate now.

>160 booksaplenty1949: They are pressure canned...will last for years! They are shelf stable.

>161 booksaplenty1949: Agreed!

>162 BLBera: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

32. Justinian's Flea by William Rosen. I feel that I have been fleeced by the ole bait & switch! I thought the book would be about the plague under Justinian's rule in AD 500-600's. Instead, I got a massive sweeping history of Byzantium, clear through WWI! This was a monumental task and not done well IMHO. It is rambling and there is no clear thesis. The author jumps from topic to topic and some of them I can not even connect to yersinia pestis, which had 15 pages dedicated to its evolution. I was 200 pages into the book (6 chapters) before the lil flea was introduced. And that was it--just one chapter. The remaining chapters dealt with how the flea helped to cause the downfall of Byzantium and also how it helped to rebuild Europe. I wanted pestilence and disease and misery and suffering! What I got was a scientific/historical treatise of 300 years of history and some of it so specialized that I had never even heard of it before--and I'm a history prof. (Sasanian Empire) This seems like it could be a book of separate historical essays that are only lightly connected. I read about the architecture of the Sophia Hagia as well as the yaka (?) timber used to build it; the entire chapter! I read about the Sub Atlantic Climate Change in Rome from about AD 100-750. I "think" the premise of the book was that all these things had to work together to create the perfect storm for the flea to evolve and wreak its havoc. I'm a simple woman with simple needs, I wanted more FLEA! 364 pages 3 mediocre stars RTT: March/Medicine/Plagues/Epidemics March NF/Forensics March HistoryCAT: Sci/Medicine

33. The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370 by Florence De Changy is the story of the missing Malaysia Airliner that disappeared in 2014 never to be seen or heard from again. Very suspicious activity by the Malay government and also one of the pilot's family. To date, nothing definitive, but there is information out there. 438 pages 3.5 stars

>168 Tess_W: I appreciate this review. Give The American Plague a try for a more tightly focused plague book.

>170 Oberon: I will most definitely put that on my WL. I seem to have gone down a rabbit's hole of plagues!

Sadly, my mother passed away quickly this evening from a massive brain bleed. She was 90+ years old and tonight she is in paradise. She will be missed. Love you, momma!

Oh noooo, i hope you are okay after all of that, and she definitely will be missed by a bunch of people.

>172 Tess_W: Sorry for your loss. Prayers for you and your family!

Sorry for your loss, I wish you lots of support and help.

So sorry for your loss.

Condolences on this loss to you and your surviving family and friends.

I'm so sorry, Tess. My condolences to you and your family.

So sorry for your loss, Tess!

>172 Tess_W: I am sorry for your loss.

>172 Tess_W: Sorry to hear about your mother's passing. Notional hugs to you and your family.

>172 Tess_W: So sorry for your loss, Tess, condolences to you and your family.

Thank you all so much for your condolences. We made funeral arrangements today for the funeral on Friday. Not looking forward to it. Nor the house clean out. Between crying and being depressed, I did manage to get one book read and about a ton of food eaten.

34. I Found You by Lisa Jewell This it the 3rd book I've read by this author and while they are not 5 star reads, they keep me coming back. Jewell is a psychological thriller author. This book was about amnesia and the past. I will continue to seek out the author as soon as the library gets more of her works. One did have to suspend belief a few times near the end, but all in all a good read. 352 pages 4 stars



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-2
3 stars-9
3.5 stars 6
4 stars-6
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

(123.5/34) avg read 3.6

>159 Tess_W: Oh what a great idea! I always make broth from scratch in batches but have been freezing the broth in 1 litre containers. I love the idea of canning it. Makes it easier and frees up much needed freezer space.

>183 Tess_W: I agree about Lisa Jewell's books. Although they are not off the charts rating wise, it is always a good choice for in-between reads. I think so far my favourite has been The family upstairs

>172 Tess_W: I am so sorry for your loss ((hugs))

>172 Tess_W: My condolences on your loss and thanking the powers that be that it was quick. Lots of strength in the coming weeks as you grieve and process.

I’m so sorry you lost your mother, Tess. I will be thinking of you as you adjust to life without her. (((hugs)))

>184 figsfromthistle:
>185 elorin:
>186 Donna828:

Thank you so much.

35. Forensic History: Crimes, Frauds, and Scandals Elizabeth Murray I listed to this on audio. It's from the Great Courses library. This was a general history overview of various types of crimes and an example of each. Most were very general and it was nothing new. A lot of time was spent telling about what was NOT available at the time of the crime. The most interesting was the Romanov's and mitrochondrial DNA testing that is now available, which cleared up who was found in the graves and excluded all of the Anastasia wannabees. Also a good chapter on archaeological forensics in dealing with genocides and mass graves. 13 hours 32 mins/25 lectures 3.5 stars March NONFICTION: Forensics

My condolences for the loss of your mother, Tess.

>188 BLBera: TY so much.

36. Bonnie Prince Charlie and the '45 by Sir Walter Scott This was an excerpt from Scott's Tales of a Grandfather. It told the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie from his landing in Scotland through the Battle of Culloden and his eventual escape from Scotland. I think Gabaldon's version of the Battle of Culloden is much better. I don't think I will be seeking out the unabridged version. 4 hours 45 minutes AOTM: Sir Walter Scott 3 stars

Hi Tess my dear, i am so sorry to hear of the loss of your Mom, my dear. Sending Yorkshire love and hugs at this sad time for you, from both of us.

Thank you all for your condolences. The legal paperwork is in order, the funeral will be Friday. It's starting to get "real."

37. Thirty Years' War: A History from Beginning to End by Hourly History was a very brief overview of the war; it's causes, biggest fights and personalities, and eventual outcome. This was stock textbook material, but a good read for somebody who has not studied this war. It was a freebie from Audible, 1 hour 33 mins. 3 stars Paul's War Room March



38. The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson This was the story of Shelton, a young lad of about 18, who is naive (maybe dumb!) and a tad cruel. He is caught between trying to avenge his father's murder and trying to figure out his guardian, a man who keeps changing sides in the War of the Roses. Shelton is hard to like, he stumbles around, and quite frankly, I just didn't care what happened to him! Meh Pauls' War Room March 233 pages 3- stars.

>191 Tess_W: Thirty Years War is not, of course, the same as The Wars of the Roses, which is the War Room subject for March. But it was a War of Religion, so April is covered.

>192 booksaplenty1949: Yeah, I was going to substitute......the Thirty Years War because I did not have anything for the War of the Roses. However, after I substituted, somebody gave me a copy of The Black Arrow.

>193 Tess_W: At least it was a war.

39. The Viscount's Sinful Bargain by Kate Archer This was a Regency romance in which the Viscount was required to marry to save his family's heritage. Predictable, but a good read. Loved the strong-will of his intended.252 pages 4 stars

I'm so very sorry for your loss, Tess. The loss and the period after is its own special kind of hell, and I'm so very sorry.

>196 Ravenwoodwitch: TY so much!

40. Along the Broken Bay by Flora Solomon is the story of Manila and the Philippines from 1941-1945 under Japanese occupation. Specifically it is the story of two women and how they lived trying to get supplies, protecting their children, and yes, even aiding the guerillas. Although a work of historical fiction, I found it to be very accurate, even if glossed over for the sake of brevity. Nicely done, Ms. Solomon! 398 pages 4.5 stars

>197 Tess_W: I'm pretty sure I saw that one listed somewhere and wondered how it was. With a setting in the Pacific theater, it's different from a lot of WW2 fiction.

>197 Tess_W: That looks interesting, Tess and of course qualifies for my challenge albeit for August.

Hope all is well, Tess.

>198 thornton37814: American WW II fiction frequently set in the Pacific, for obvious reasons.
Tales of the South Pacific, From Here to Eternity, The Naked and the Dead, The Thin Red Line spring to mind.

>201 booksaplenty1949: Just finishing up From Here to Eternity!

41. From Here to Eternity by James Jones First impressions: WAY too long! Jones sure does love his adverbs! This is a WWII story about soldiers stationed at Pearl Harbor that encompasses the time before and after the attack. I found it to be a microcosm of society: the brooders, the self-entitled, the loud-mouth boasters, etc. Really nothing exceptional. If you are wanting to read about WWII, this isn't the book. This is about men who served in WWII. I did see the movie about 20-30 years ago starring Burt Lancaster and Frank Sinatra. At that time I considered it a romantic movie as the focus seemed to be (if I remember correctly) the affair Lancaster has with Deborah Kerr. I did read the "newly restored" digital version of this book which included previously edited material detailing homosexuality activity and sex workers; which added nothing to the book. However, in 1951 I bet it would have been scandalous. 972 LONG pages. 3 stars

>200 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. All is well as it can be! Losing a parent is never easy, no matter what age. Thank you for asking. I hope all is well for you. I know it is a very crazy time for you right now.

>202 Tess_W: Good to have your thoughts. In the process of checking names I looked at Jones’ author page and wondered if I should consider him for August War Room but seems I should look farther. I did discover that I never entered my (unread) copy of The Thin Red Line on LT so I have that to look forward to.

>201 booksaplenty1949: I guess I usually see the "Holocaust" fiction genre so I see the European theater more often.

42. The Secret History by Procopius This was a tell-all by Procopius, who served as the official scribe and historian for Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora. (6th century) Procopius wrote what historians consider a respectable if not propagandistic war history of Justinian's reign. The publication of this book did not happen until after his death. One could only imagine the horrors this author would have been subjected to if he were alive when published. Is it true? Probably some of it; though to what degree or percentage one will never know. Most scandalous was the sexual appetite of Theodora. Evidently one of her favorite sexual escapades was sprinkling her genitals with grain and allowing geese and ducks to peck off the grains. ???? We do know that Procopius' numbers were incorrect as he uses the number 1 trillion to describe the number of people that Justinian slew. That was more than the total world population at that time, especially since part of these years were plague years. Favorite "new" word--rapine (violent seizure of someone's property). 3 stars 205 pages RTT: Biblical/Ancient



43. Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor by Martha Roth This was a compilation of various laws that have been translated. There was no commentary and it was very dry. I recognized a lot of similarity between the Biblical Book of Deuteronomy and some of the Assyrian or Hittite laws. As Israel had fought wars with both, it is to be expected that certain customs would be transferred and adopted. Probably the most famous translation contained within is the Code of Hammurabi. I felt like I was reading lists of things, no real story here, strictly the laws. The law about lending/borrowing an ox was very lengthy! 304 pages 3 stars RTT: Biblical/Ancient

It's now been 3 weeks since mom passed. Even though the funeral and burial have taken place, it's still doesn't seem "real." I'll see an ad for a gospel concert (which I drove her to for 20 years) and think I should call mom and ask if she wants to go.........

>207 Tess_W: I know that feeling, wanting to still be able to speak with them even if they are gone, its been years since a few of my family members deaths, and nothing feels "real" anymore....especially if there is something you did with them for years.

>207 Tess_W: I think this will happen for a bit, Tess. Take care.

>197 Tess_W: This sounds interesting. I haven't read historical fiction in this setting.

>207 Tess_W: It will get better with time, but it will always be different.
Thinking of you.

>210 SirThomas: My Dad passed two years ago last December and I still miss him everyday. It is a little easier, but I still think of things I want to tell him and realize he's not there. But he suffered quite a bit before he passed and he was almost totally deaf, so it helps knowing that he can hear again.

>210 SirThomas:
>211 hredwards:
Thank you both for your words of comfort.

44. Ormond by Charles Brockden Brown Written in 1799 this "gothic" tale is set in Philadelphia. It's labeled as gothic, however, I don't find a lot of the normal gothic elements contained within. It is the story of Constantia, a single women who cares for her down and out, blind father. There are scoundrels along the way and she deals with each righteously. She may be a bit naive, or is she just very humble? This was a very slow-paced book which focused on character development. Written as 3 separate works (Vol 1, Vol 11 and Vol 111). However, they must be read in order and completely before the story can be understood. They are all free on Kindle. 348 pages 3- stars

So, I haven't been around much on the threads this past month and I just saw about your Mom. I am sorry she is gone, but glad that it was quick and I know you have wonderful memories of her. I am currently dealing with my mom's dementia and aging as well, but hers is a more drawn out way to go which I am finding hard. She hasn't been around mentally for years, so I can't talk to her about much or ask for advice. Mostly she doesn't remember anyone but my Dad now. Enough about me. Either way, it is hard to lose a loved one. Sending best wishes.

>213 Berly: Thank you so much. I do not envy you, it must be very difficult. My mother was living on her own, still driving, getting mani/pedi's weekly, directing the church choir, right to the very end. I am grateful for that.

>214 Tess_W: That's how I want to go out! : )

45. The Quail, Robert by Margaret Stanger is a sweet non-fiction book about a couple who "adopt" a baby quail, or a baby quail who adopts them. It is like nothing I've ever heard, if in fact, it is true! Read this in one sitting and it was entertaining and amusing. 127 page 3.5 stars April Randomkit-Enchanting garden visitors



46. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese This has very mixed reviews. Either readers hated it or loved it. I'm very ambivalent about this novel. It is a generational saga that I feel has great potential. There are some great mini-stories contained within. However, it is meandering and overly long. There are 1-2 chapters which are of great interest and I was getting invested in the story, when the next two chapters introduced a new character in a new setting and we don't get back to the original story for 200 more pages. Disjointed, but at times brilliantly engaging. I started reading this in March and just now finished. It was sooooooo long! I think as I get older my attention span is waning! Anybody else notice that? 727 pages 3 stars

My daughter-in-law volunteers Saturday mornings at a food bank. Last Saturday they were going to throw away (required by law) the produce that was not given away. She texted me--I said "never!" She brought to me 8 softer onions and 8 very ripe tomatoes. I got out my food dehydrator and dehydrated the onions. Wow--my house smelled very bad for 3 days! The first day the onion fumes burned our eyes! However, after burning some essential oils for a day, the house smells normal again. I ended up with 1 quart of dehydrated onions. They can be used in any casserole or soup. I just froze the tomatoes whole and will process when I get enough to make a minimum of 4 quarts of something! We are down to our last jar of salsa.

47. Globalization A Very Short Introduction by Manfred Steger. This was a short and unnecessarily belabored book about globalization. The author did provide many real time/life examples of globalization. It is the author’s thesis that globalization has three facets: form, quality, and dimension. I have found several author opinions (and they are opinions!) that I would argue: “Globalism consists of powerful narratives that sell an overarching neoliberal worldview.” Then the author goes on to argue that globalism is sparking a worldwide resurgence of national populism. Populism and neoliberalism are not compatible—it can’t be both—imho. I’m not even sure this was worth the read, but I have been “introduced!” I listened to this on audio. 4 hours 4 mins 3 stars 75's NF Read April-Globalization

48. Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson. Early American literature, very popular, rivaled sales of Uncle Tom's Cabin, reminded of Richardson's Clarissa, only less violent. Mindless, easily swayed female so desperate for a man's attention she will go along with anything! Meh.......107 pages 2.5 stars Don't waste your time. Off the virtual shelf (Free on Kindle)

>216 Tess_W: I was in the "love it" camp with Verghese's book which I thought was good old fashioned storytelling of a type that is rarely found these days. Too long? Possibly so and it probably stopped it winning awards.

I wanted to answer your question about attention span but I forgot what I was going to say!

>219 Tess_W: “Rivaled sales of Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is a bit of a stretch. A publisher in 1812 estimated that it had sold 50,000 copies since it was published in 1794. Even if sales had in fact been three times that, we must remember that Uncle Tom’s Cabin sold 300,000 copies in the US the year it was published.

I just took info that I found on the net when I was researching the author/book as a post-read. Perhaps I did not word it correctly, but: "being the most popular American novel until Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin." So I wasn't really comparing the sales or publication, just the popularity. And in fact, it's difficult to compare because they were written/published in different centuries.

>222 Tess_W: Yes, certainly it was the runaway best-seller until Stowe came along and set a new standard. This very interesting article https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44539382.pdf describes how the author, in preparation for writing a scholarly paper on Charlotte Temple requested a copy of “all the editions” the American Antiquarian Society had in their library and was presented with two book carts full of dozens of copies in every possible format, concretizing, she feels “the history of *the* novel as a genre.” Number of copies on LT members’ lists (442) compared to UTC (16,974) suggests it hasn’t stood the test of time.

>223 booksaplenty1949: I can agree with not standing the test of time! A colleague gave it to me because he thought since I taught history that I would "love" this novel. Not so much!

>224 Tess_W: Always interesting to try to discern what makes some best-sellers/prize winners enduring favourites while others completely fade away.

>217 Tess_W: Onions; the food that fights back. I feel like I'm blind everytime I make french onion soup.
That said; homemade salsa sounds divine.

50. Lunatic: The Rise and Fall of an American Asylum by Edward Gleason. A great non-fiction chronicling the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum from the planning stages (Civil War) through it's closing in 1990. Its claim to fame: cutting edge of performing lobotomies. Over 750 were performed in the 1950's. I have visited the facility, now a museum, twice, and it was sobering both times. 113 pages 4 stars

51. I completed The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse This is the story of Catholic vs. Huguenot in 16th century France, specifically Carcassonne and Toulouse. Throw in a missing/stolen shroud, romance, and the Inquisition and it should make for a great read. However, with a plethora of characters it was often difficult to keep up with who's who. There was a very much used and needed list of characters in the front of the book. Difficult to flip back all the time when using an ereader. There were few (in this book) specific battles, but it did delve, albeit briefly, into the Riots of Toulouse in 1562 where 3000-5000 were killed. This was just a difficult read, not content wise--not sure why. This was book 1/3. I may seek out book 2 in the distant future. 592 pages Paul's War Room April-Wars of Religion 3.5 stars overall, 4 stars content

52. Who Killed Zebedee by Wilkie Collins This was a short story focused on a stabbing death and the memory of a dying former police officer as he relates the case to the priest giving him last rites. No heavy reading here, just an enjoyable 30-45 minutes. 37 pages 4 stars AOTM

53. I finished a treatise written by Hippocrates titled "On Airs, Waters, and Places.' It is thought that he wrote this about 4-5 BCE. It is mostly advice to traveling physicians. He advised them to firstly always check the air quality of each city they were going to visit Also to observe: winds, water quality, terrain, and personal habits of the citizenry. Did learn a few new vocab words: fenny, meaning boggy. Hippocrates thinks he can evaluate the population of a city based on the above qualities of their environment. Amongst others he evaluates the Scythians, inhabitants of Phasis (eastern shore of the Black Sea), and the Macrocephali. (long headed people, normally of the head deformation tribes in Africa, but Hippocrates is probably referring to an area in Turkey called Pontus-- I had to look this up). This was a short copy that came from a packet given to me for additional reading for a class I took 30 years ago. I don't believe it's in its entirety--I'm not sure of the date or who published. Off the shelf! 48 pages (probably more, but the font was only 6-7 and in double columns)

54. Song at Dawn by Jean Gill is billed as a medieval thriller. I would not say it is a thriller, but a historical fiction and romance read. The premise is very good, a secretive young lady is taken into the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine as a troubairitz in training. The usual court intrigue is present and Estela must maneuver through. While the premise of this book is good, I once again find a plethora of characters which make it a difficult read for me. I did have to some extra reading because I was unaware of the results of the second crusade and had no idea about the Occitanians. I've read many a book about Eleanor of Aquitaine, but had never come across "Occitania" before. Interesting read about the language and it's forced cessation in my lifetime. This is book 1/6. Not sure if I'm going to seek out book 2 or not. 3.5 stars overall, 4 points content. 352 pages

55. Sergeant York and the Great War by Tom Skeyhill. This was the diary of Sgt. Alvin York, WWI hero, accompanied by pictures. About 50 years ago I saw the movie starring a very young Gary Cooper. I didn't remember a thing! This read not as exciting as I thought it would be! Mr. York's spelling and grammar (which they kept) was so bad it made it a bit difficult to read--not difficult to decipher, but it made the reading so slow! There was a lot of wrestling with "Thou shall not kill" and the situation in which Sgt. York found himself. 225 pages 3 stars

>232 Tess_W: Sounds like a “period piece” of interest to historians, but no Memoirs of an Infantry Officer or In Parenthesis. I have had The Compensations of War unread on my shelf for decades. Also the diary of someone not a professional writer who served with the Americans in WW I, but he went to Yale, so I hope he could spell. Maybe I’ll give it a go when we get to WW I in The War Room.

56. Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer was a non-fiction book concerning Paul Revere. While a fascinating read, I found it to be more about the Battles of Lexington and Concord and General Gage more than about Revere. I think that there is not enough information about Revere for an entire book, so the battles were portrayed in depth, although Revere did not fight in either. Just a great period piece of history. Lots about Gage, Sam Adams, John Hancock, Dr. Church, Dr. Warren, etc. Would recommend if you want a history of what lead up to the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the personalities involved. 463 pages 4.5 stars April HistoryCat