Helenliz gets crafty thrice

I'm Helen and I'm head of quality in a small firm that makes inhaler devices for delivery of drugs to the lung. It's a small team and I love my job. (Usually)

I'm expecting 2024 to be rather busy, so I've cut back on some of the categories. The bellringing organisation I am secretary of celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024, and we've got events every month to celebrate. 2024 could get a bit hectic. Add that to the fact that his mother recently died and we have a very full (like extreme hoarders level full) house to deal with in the first portion of the year.

I was feeling rather uninspired for categories, so I'm just using images of things I have sewn (with one notable exception). Maybe I will find time for sewing and crafting again - it;s a good indicator of my mood. I can't sew to relax, I have to be relaxed to sew. Let's hope I have some new finishes to share with you this year.

Seeing I had an empty evening, it's new thread time

The List
January
1. Death on Gokumon Island, Seishi Yokomizo, ***
2. Who Fears Death, Nnedi Okorafor, **.5
3. Coraline, Neil Gaiman, ****
4. Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller, Nadia Wassef, ***
5. The Night Hawks, Elly Griffiths, ***
6. A History of Treason, The National Archives, ****
7. The Seabird's Cry, Adam Nicholson, ***
8. Supporting Cast, Kit De Waal, ****

February
9. Offshore, Penelope FitzGerald, ***
10. Sylvester, Georgette Heyer, ****
11. The Fairytale Hairdresser, Abie Longstaff, ***
12. Happiness, a Mystery. Sophie Hannah, **
13. The Weird Sisters, Eleanor Brown, **
14. A Three Dog Problem, SJ Bennett, ***
15. Pearls before Swine, Margery Allingham, ***
16. Farewell Fountain Street, Selçuk Altun, ***
17. Ragnarok, AS Byatt, ***
18. We are Displaced Malala Yousafzai, ***

March
19. Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney, ***
20. Antarctica, Claire Keegan, ****
21. English Animals, Laura Kaye, ***
22. Plain Murder, CF Forester, ****
23. Get in Trouble Kelly Link, ***
24. Misjustice, Helena Kennedy, ****
25. After the Mourning, Barbara Nadel, ***

April
26. Before the Queen Falls Asleep, Huzama Habayeb, *****
27. The Man who mistook his Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks, ***
28. More work for the Undertaker, Margery Allingham, ***
29. The Lies we Sing to the Sea, Sarah Underwood, **
30. Thunder Bay, Douglas Skelton, ***

May
31. Venetia, Georgette Heyer, *****
32. Murder most Royal - SJ Bennett, ***
33. Sidesplitter, Phil Wang, ***
34. Steeple Chasing, Peter Ross, ***
35. The Pursued, CS Forester, ****
36. Pearl, Simon Armitage, ***
37. The Tidal Zone, Sarah Moss *****
38. Stick Man Julia Donaldson, ***
39. Superworm, Julia Donaldson, ***

June
40. The Witch's Heart, Genevieve Gornichec, **** and a half
41. Ithaca, Claire North, ****
42. Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons, David Stafford, ****
43. We, Yevgeny Zamyatin, ***
44. Travels with Herodotus, Ryszard Kapuściński, ****

July
45. The Unknown Ajax, Georgette Heyer, *****
46. The Cat who Caught a Killer, LT Shearer, ***
47. The Rover, Aphra Behn, **
48. Green Frog, Gina Chung, ****
49. The Bells of Little Woodford, Catherine Jones, ***
50. The Tiger in the Smoke, Margery Allingham, ****
51. Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich, ***
52. Payment Deferred, CS Forester, *****
53. Julian of Norwich: a very brief history, Janina Ramirez, ***

August
54. 8 Lives of a Century-old Trickster, Mirinae Lee, ***
55. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Jesse Q Sutanto, ***
56. The Oresteian Trilogy, Aeschylus, ***
57. Unruly, David Mitchell, ***
58. The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, J. R. R. Tolkien, ***
59. Portable Magic, Emma Smith, ****

September
60. 1984, George Orwell, ****
61. The Bookseller of Inverness, SC MacLean, ***
62. A Rage in Harlem, Chester Himes, ***
63. Shakespeare: The Man who pays the Rent, Judi Dench & Brendan O'Hea, ****
64. Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti , ***
65. Skelton's Guide to Suitcase Murders, David Stafford, ****

Category 1: Women Authors
Wisteria Fairy, an elegant lady for my books by ladies of all descriptions.



1. Who Fears Death, Nnedi Okorafor
2. Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller, Nadia Wassef
3. The Night Hawks, Elly Griffiths
4. Offshore, Penelope FitzGerald
5. Sylvester, Georgette Heyer
6. The Fairytale Hairdresser, Abie Longstaff
7. Happiness, a Mystery. Sophie Hannah,
8. The Weird Sisters, Eleanor Brown,
9. A Three Dog Problem, SJ Bennett
10. Pearls before Swine, Margery Allingham
11. Ragnarok, AS Byatt,
12. We are Displaced Malala Yousafzai
13. Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney
14. Antarctica, Claire Keegan
15. English Animals, Laura Kaye
16. Get in Trouble Kelly Link
17. Misjustice, Helena Kennedy
18. After the Mourning, Barbara Nadel,
19. Before the Queen Falls Asleep, Huzama Habayeb
20. More work for the Undertaker, Margery Allingham,
21. The Lies we Sing to the Sea, Sarah Underwood,
22. Venetia, Georgette Heyer,
23. Murder most Royal - SJ Bennett,
24. The Tidal Zone, Sarah Moss
25. Stick Man Julia Donaldson,
26. Superworm, Julia Donaldson,
27. The Witch's Heart, Genevieve Gornichec
28. Ithaca, Claire North
29. The Unknown Ajax, Georgette Heyer
30. The Rover, Aphra Behn
31. Green Frog, Gina Chung,
32. The Bells of Little Woodford, Catherine Jones
33. The Tiger in the Smoke, Margery Allingham,
34. Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich,
35. Julian of Norwich: a very brief history, Janina Ramirez
36. 8 Lives of a Century-old Trickster, Mirinae Lee
37. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Jesse Q Sutanto,
38. Portable Magic, Emma Smith
39. The Bookseller of Inverness, SC MacLean
40. Shakespeare: The Man who pays the Rent, Judi Dench & Brendan O'Hea
41. Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti

Challenge 2: New Authors
My oldest piece of stitching. Sarah Ann Skelton is an ancestor. So it makes sense (in a twisted way) to use this for my new authors.


1. Who Fears Death, Nnedi Okorafor
2. Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller, Nadia Wassef
3. A History of Treason, The National Archives
4. Supporting Cast, Kit De Waal
5. The Fairytale Hairdresser, Abie Longstaff
6. Happiness, a Mystery. Sophie Hannah
7. The Weird Sisters, Eleanor Brown
8. Farewell Fountain Street, Selçuk Altun,
9. English Animals, Laura Kaye
10. Plain Murder, CF Forester,
11. Get in Trouble Kelly Link
12. Misjustice, Helena Kennedy
13. Before the Queen Falls Asleep, Huzama Habayeb
14. The Man who mistook his Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks
15. The Lies we Sing to the Sea, Sarah Underwood,
16. Thunder Bay, Douglas Skelton
17. Sidesplitter, Phil Wang,
18. Steeple Chasing, Peter Ross,
19. The Witch's Heart, Genevieve Gornichec
20. Ithaca, Claire North
21. Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons, David Stafford
22. We, Yevgeny Zamyatin
23. Travels with Herodotus, Ryszard Kapuściński
24. The Cat who Caught a Killer, LT Shearer,
25. The Rover, Aphra Behn
26. Green Frog, Gina Chung,
27. The Bells of Little Woodford, Catherine Jones
28. Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich,
29. 8 Lives of a Century-old Trickster, Mirinae Lee
30. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Jesse Q Sutanto,
31. The Oresteian Trilogy, Aeschylus
32. Unruly, David Mitchell
33. Portable Magic, Emma Smith
34. The Bookseller of Inverness, SC MacLean
35. A Rage in Harlem, Chester Himes,
36. Shakespeare: The Man who pays the Rent, Judi Dench & Brendan O'Hea
37. Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti

Challenge 3: Translations
Pooh bear has been translated into many languages - I have a copy in Latin (that I can't read). I'll use this for my books that have been read in translation


1. Death on Gokumon Island, Seishi Yokomizo
2. Farewell Fountain Street, Selçuk Altun,
3. Before the Queen Falls Asleep, Huzama Habayeb,
4. Pearl, Simon Armitage,
5. We, Yevgeny Zamyatin
6. Travels with Herodotus, Ryszard Kapuściński
7. Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich,
8. The Oresteian Trilogy, Aeschylus
9. Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti

Challenge 4: Heyer Series Read
The 12 days of Christmas might be viewed as a string of related items, so it fits my Heyer series read.


Finished
✔️ The Black Moth (g) 1921 Finished 01Jan18, ****1/2
✔️ Powder and Patch (g) 1923 Finished 05Feb18, ***
✔️ The Great Roxhythe (h) 1923 Finished 30Apr18, ***
✔️ Simon the Coldheart (h) 1925 Finished 7May18, ***
✔️ These Old Shades (g) 1926 Finished 31May18, ***
✔️ The Masqueraders (g) 1928 Finished 17Jul18, ****
✔️ Beauvallet (h) 1929 Finished 08Sep2018, ****
✔️ The Conqueror (h) 1931 Finished 25Dec2018, ****
✔️ Devil's Cub (g) 1932 Finished 31Jan2019, ****
✔️ The Convenient Marriage (g) 1934 Finished 12Mar2019, ****1/2
✔️ Regency Buck (r) 1935 Finished 08May2019, ****1/2
✔️ The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer Finished 10Aug2019, ***
✔️ An Infamous Army, Georgette Heyer Finished 13Oct2019, ***
✔️ Royal Escape, Georgette Heyer Finished 14Feb2020, ***
✔️ The Spanish Bride, Georgette Heyer Finished 28Mar2020, ***
✔️ The Corinthian, Georgette Heyer Finished 17Jun2020, ****
✔️ Faro's Daughter, Georgette Heyer Finished 25Aug2020, ****
✔️ Friday's Child, Georgette Heyer Finished 10Oct2020, ****
✔️ The Reluctant Widow, (r) Finished 24Jan2021, ****
✔️ The Foundling (r) 1948 Finished 21Apr2021, ****
✔️ Arabella, (r) 1949 ****1/2 Finished 19Jun2021
✔️ The Grand Sophy, (r) 1950, **** Finished 25Jul2021
✔️ The Quiet Gentleman (r) 1951, ****1/2 Finished 24Sep2021
✔️ Cotillion (r) 1953, **** Finished 15Apr2023
✔️ The Toll Gate (r) 1954, **** Finished 31May2023
✔️ Bath Tangle (r) 1955, Georgette Heyer, **** Finished 10Sep2023
✔️ Sprig Muslin (r) 1956, ****, Finished 23Sep2023
✔️ April Lady (r) 1957, *** Finished 17Nov2023
✔️ Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle (r) 1957, *** Finished 02Feb2024
✔️ Venetia (r) 1958, ***** Finished 03May2024
✔️ The Unknown Ajax (r) 1959 ***** Finished 02Jul2024

To be Read
Pistols for Two (short stories) 1960
A Civil Contract (r) 1961
The Nonesuch (r) 1962
False Colours (r) 1963
Frederica (r) 1965
Black Sheep (r) 1966
Cousin Kate (r) 1968
Charity Girl (r) 1970
Lady of Quality (r) 1972
My Lord John (h) 1975

Challenge 5: Non-Fiction
A rainbow heart, nothing fictional about rainbows. Keats complained that Newton had destroyed the magic of the rainbow by explaining it. I disagree. Knowing how something works just gives you another level of appreciation. And, unlike Keats, I'm all for learning new things. So I'll put my non-Fiction here.


1. Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller, Nadia Wassef
2. A History of Treason, The National Archives
3. The Seabird's Cry, Adam Nicholson
4. We are Displaced Malala Yousafzai
5. Misjustice, Helena Kennedy
6. The Man who mistook his Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks
7. Sidesplitter, Phil Wang,
8. Steeple Chasing, Peter Ross,
9. Travels with Herodotus, Ryszard Kapuściński
10. Julian of Norwich: a very brief history, Janina Ramirez
11. Unruly, David Mitchell
12. Portable Magic, Emma Smith
13. Shakespeare: The Man who pays the Rent, Judi Dench & Brendan O'Hea
14. Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti

Challenge 6: Audio
These five ballet dancing bears clearly have music in their ears. This is where I will put my audio books.


1. Death on Gokumon Island, Seishi Yokomizo
2. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
3. A History of Treason, The National Archives
4. Supporting Cast, Kit De Waal
5. Offshore, Penelope FitzGerald
6. The Fairytale Hairdresser, Abie Longstaff
7. Happiness, a Mystery. Sophie Hannah
8. A Three Dog Problem, SJ Bennett
9. Ragnarok, AS Byatt,
10. Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney
11. Plain Murder, CF Forester,
12. Misjustice, Helena Kennedy
13. The Man who mistook his Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks
14. The Lies we Sing to the Sea, Sarah Underwood,
15. Murder most Royal - SJ Bennett,
16. The Pursued, CS Forester,
17. The Tidal Zone, Sarah Moss
18. The Witch's Heart, Genevieve Gornichec
19. We, Yevgeny Zamyatin
20. The Cat who Caught a Killer, LT Shearer,
21. Green Frog, Gina Chung,
22. Payment Deferred, CS Forester,
23. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Jesse Q Sutanto,
24. Unruly, David Mitchell
25. The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, J. R. R. Tolkien,
26. 1984, George Orwell
27. A Rage in Harlem, Chester Himes,
28. Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti

Challenge 7: CATs
If this year is anything to go on, me sticking to CATs is about as likely as finding a unicorn, so these merry monocerous will house the CATs I do manage to participate in.


January
AlphaKit - A & Y - Death on Gokumon Island, Seishi Yokomizo, The Seabird's Cry, Adam Nicholson,
RandomKit - Birds - The Night Hawks, Elly Griffiths, The Seabird's Cry, Adam Nicholson, ***
February
AlphaKit - E & F - Offshore, Penelope FitzGerald, The Wierd Sisters, Eleanor Brown
RandomKit - escape - We are Displaced Malala Yousafzai
March
AlphaKit - R & H - Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney, Misjustice, Helena Kennedy
RandonKit - Wildlife - English Animals, Laura Kaye
April
AlphaKit - O & U - The Man who mistook his Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks, The Lies we Sing to the Sea, Sarah Underwood,
RandomKit - Garden Visitors
May
Alphakit - N & P - Sidesplitter, Phil Wang,
RandomKit - Art & Architecture Steeple Chasing, Peter Ross,
June
Alphakit - J & B
Randomkit - initials
July
Alphakit - I & S The Cat who Caught a Killer, LT Shearer, Payment Deferred, CS Forester,
Randomkit - favourite The Unknown Ajax, Georgette Heyer
August
Alphakit - M & G 8 Lives of a Century-old Trickster, Mirinae Lee, Unruly, David Mitchell
Randomkit - Intrigung title Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Jesse Q Sutanto,
September
AlphaKit - C & V Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti
RandomKit - Weather

Challenge 8: BingoDogCOW
well it's an animal and its square, but that's probably all I can find to link BingoDog and my image of a cow cushion!


✔️1. Food or cooking Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Jesse Q Sutanto,
✔️2. An ugly cover Plain Murder, CF Forester,
✔️3. Only title and author on the cover Get in Trouble Kelly Link
✔️4. Features twins Sylvester, Georgette Heyer
✔️5. A topic about which you have specific knowledge Portable Magic, Emma Smith,
✔️6. Publication year ending in -24 We, Yevgeny Zamyatin
✔️7. Epistolary or diary Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti
✔️8. Big or Little in the title The Bells of Little Woodford, Catherine Jones
✔️9. Book from an LT Similar library The Night Hawks, Elly Griffiths
✔️10. About friendship Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney
✔️11. 3 word title Pearls before Swine, Margery Allingham
✔️12. Paper based item in the plot Travels with Herodotus, Ryszard Kapuściński
13. Read a CAT
✔️14. Short story collection The Fairytale Hairdresser, Abie Longstaff,
✔️15. Person's name in the title Coraline, Neil Gaiman
✔️16. set in a city Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller, Nadia Wassef
✔️17. less than 100 copies on LT A History of Treason, The National Archives
✔️18. POC author Who Fears Death, Nnedi Okorafor
✔️19. Author 65 or older Ragnarok, AS Byatt,
✔️20. featuring water The Seabird's Cry, Adam Nicholson, ***
✔️21. warriors or mercenaries The Oresteian Trilogy, Aeschylus
✔️22. Re-read a favourite book Venetia, Georgette Heyer,
✔️23. Written in another cultural tradition Before the Queen Falls Asleep, Huzama Habayeb,
✔️24. set in multiple countries Supporting Cast, Kit De Waal,
✔️25. current or recent bestseller Stick Man Julia Donaldson, Superworm, Julia Donaldson,

Happy new thread! Lovely to see your sewing projects again, and you're nearly there with your Bingo cow. :)

Happy new one, Helen! Hope you have a great weekend.

Happy new thread. It was great to revisit your stitching, especially the BingoCow.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Helen.

Happy New Thread!

Thanks all. Nice to have visitors to my new house. Pull up a chair and help yourself to a cup of tea and a biscuit.

>11 christina_reads: I have a couple of titles lined up to fill a few squares, some are proving more problematic.

>13 lowelibrary: BingoCow does seem to earn a lot of love

Happy new thread, Helen! I was looking at your BingoCow reads and noticed Ragnarok, which fits nicely with my current Viking era :-)

>20 susanj67: thanks. It would be a good fit for that.

June round up.
Read: 5 (44)
F/M: 2/3 (28/14)

Audio: 2 (19)
Paper: 3 (25)

Owned: 0 (11)
Library: 5 (29)

New authors: 5 (23)
New books: 5 (43)
Re-reads: 1 (1)

June's reads
40. The Witch's Heart, Genevieve Gornichec, **** and a half
41. Ithaca, Claire North, ****
42. Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons, David Stafford, ****
43. We, Yevgeny Zamyatin, ***
44. Travels with Herodotus, Ryszard Kapuściński, ****

5 books, with the lowest scoring 3 stars has to be a pretty good reading month, even if a bit slow.

Happy New Thread! Good to catch up with you here where I always feel welcome.

>22 LadyoftheLodge: Thanks and nice to see you >:-)

I love your BingoCow!

>24 VivienneR: Isn't he cute? I was going to stitch the pattern for LoveQuilts, but managed to pick up the wrong count fabric, so it was too large. Instead I made him into a cushion, which a friend gave a donation for and it was a present for her mother. He's been well loved.

>21 Helenliz: Adding Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons to the wish list.

Book: 45
Title: The Unknown Ajax
Author: Georgette Heyer
Published: 1959
Rating: *****
Why: Series read.
Challenge: Heyer read, woman author
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book originally published in the 20th century

I inherited Mum's collection of Heyer's books. I sometimes wonder if the state of the book could be used as a guide to how much she enjoyed them. In which case this one was probably a bit of a favourite. Pages 135 to 194 are no longer attached to the spine and the last 2 pages are making a bid for freedom!
I enjoyed this at a re-read. You know that Anthea & Hugo will end up together - and that's fine, its the scrapes they get into along the way. I love the way that prejudice gets punctured. The eldest son married a weaver and so was disowned. His son is now heir to the estate and has come to visit the family and be indoctrinated into the family ways. Fortunately for them, he has seen enough of the world to know what he wants and the looked down on weaver's daughter turns out to have been rather more a mill owner and so the expectations are overturned.
The various cousins are a varied bunch, and their different characters come to the fore when the family come together to protect Richmond from the outcome of his own adventurous nature.
This is one of those books that leaves you wondering what happened next. There's a story there, be it of turning around an estate or a gradual decline. I wonder which.

>26 pamelad: Be good to see what you make if it. It was certainly different. I've got the second in the series out of the library.

>27 Helenliz: Everyone always seems to love The Unknown Ajax, but it's not one of my favourite Heyers.

>29 SandDune: Mine either, if it makes you feel better! I thought there was too much smuggling and not enough development of the romance. I do still like the book, but it's not a top-tier Heyer for me. >27 Helenliz: I'm glad you enjoyed it, though!

>30 christina_reads:/>29 SandDune: I get that. I like it because it plays with family stereotyping and punctures prejudices. The romance is secondary in my enjoyment as well.

Election day here. I've already sent my postal vote in last week. I miss voting in person, I enjoyed messing with the pollsters! Hoping for a change. I'd like to see someone with some passion and integrity in charge. I'm not hopeful.

>32 Helenliz: Best wishes for your selected candidate(s). I do not like to talk politics, but we are suffering here in the USA regarding leadership candidates. Enough said.

>33 LadyoftheLodge: I'm not enthused by any of the local candidates, but I've placed my x in the box and done my civic duty. I will not be staying up to ~ 3 am, which is when we're expected to report the constituency result. I can cope with finding out in the morning. Since we moved here the MP has changed at almost every election we've had, which makes things potentially interesting. Still not interesting enough to stay up to the wee small hours, of course.

Book: 46
Title: The Cat who Caught a Killer
Author: L T Shearer
Published: 2022
Rating: ***
Why: It caught my eye.
Challenge: New author, audio, alphaKit
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book by an author any of whose names begin or end with either J, U, L, or Y

This is charming enough, and that's probably enough to help overlook what I think feel like rather large plot holes.
Lulu Lewis is a retired Detective. He husband, Simon, was killed in a hit & run a few months ago and her mother in law, Emily, is in a home for those with dementia. Lulu lives on a houseboat in Little Venice, having moved out of the house she'd lived in previously as it contained too many memories of Simon. Into her life walks Conrad, a talking Calico cat. Like you do. It takes her a while to get her head around this concept (as it would) and he becomes a companion, traveling around London draped around her shoulders, like a large, furry, purry scarf. Conrad, as well as talking says that cats can see auras, and judge if someone is about to die. They visit Emily and all seems well, but she dies overnight & Lulu has police officer's gut and is convinced that something is wrong. She heads off after the home's doctor, the chef, the rather luxurious box of chocolates and uncovers all sorts of ne'er-do-welling.
Due to Emily's dementia, her will wasn't updated when Simon died, and so everything is left to his rather dodgy brother Richard. And his trophy wife, Maria.
Lulu calls in various favours from a former colleague, gets herself into a bit of a fix and finally does crack the case, all with the help of Conrad.
It's comfortable enough, but I'm not sure it's entirely convincing. Suspend disbelief, or use it as an amuse bouche, between meatier works.

>32 Helenliz: The exit poll is showing that we have a 95% chance of a Labour win. I wouldn't have believed that possible previously.

>35 Helenliz: I love cat detectives so I am going to give this one a chance, taking a BB.

>36 SandDune: we have a new MP. Not a huge surprise.
>37 lowelibrary: It was charming enough. Conrad is quite the character. There's a second one out and a third one due. I can see myself listening to them.

This is quite a slow stitch, lots of colour changes. But I now have 4 ducklings, wearing sailor hats & holding balloons.
Like you do.

Adorable ducks!

>39 Helenliz: So cute!

Thanks both. That reaction is why I carry on doing these, despite it not being an easy stitch.

Book: 47
Title: The Rover
Author: Aphra Behn
Published: 1677
Rating: **
Why: it's on a list...
Challenge: New author, woman author
TIOLI Challenge #7. Read a book from HelenLiz's list or by an author listed

I think that my reaction to reading this has more to do with my lack of experience in reading plays and the social mores of the time than the quality of the play.
I think I would prefer to see it played than read it. Might work better for me.

I think we can best sum this one up as "it's not you, it's me"!

>39 Helenliz: That is cute Helen.

>44 Caroline_McElwee: thanks

Today I'm mostly doing prep for an event we're holding tomorrow. We've having a marque at a local nature reserve & visitor centre to have some fun and introduce tinging to the public.
I have a dinning room full of stuff to take, colouring sheets, colouring utensils, a couple of contests (guess the number of bell in the bottle and the length of a rope - fun and open to anyone), prizes for said contests, a crafty activity (to make a bell from a papercup a pipecleaner and a jingle bell) and so on.

Weather currently due to rain overnight, then be overcast, clearing by the afternoon - I'm hoping that stays, as that would be just fine. Don't want it to be wet, don't want to get sunburnt either!

>39 Helenliz: Got your ducks in a row(s)!

>46 Tess_W: ha! >:-)

So I think I've recovered from Saturday. Spent what felt like all day on my feet, but not like I racked up all that many steps. Weather was kind, overcast but the rain held off until we were packed up and leaving. The sun even made a fleeting appearance. Crafting and colouring seemed to go down well. Contests were both won by the same person, so I'm hoping she bought a lottery ticket on the way home! The training bell got some use, allowing youngsters a chance to try ringing a bell. The Miniring was rather shrill (small bells always are) and some people found it impossible to master (I didn't even try! I know where my skill set sits and it isn't there!) We got home Saturday, called for pizza and opened a bottle of wine before a very early night. A far more sedate Sunday sees me back on what passes for normal form.

Looks like fun event, Helen. I'm glad it was a success.

Good to hear your event went well, but I can understand the exhaustion! Glad Sunday was suitably relaxed...

Book: 48
Title: Green Frog
Author: Gina Chung
Published: 2024
Rating: ****
Why: someone caught me with a bullet
Challenge: New author, woman author, audio
TIOLI Challenge #10. Read a book in which the first word of the book's title is longer than the second word

I really enjoyed this set of short stories. They all have a sense of being an outsider or of the "other". The story narrated by the praying mantis is really inventive. Some of them dip into a Korean folk past, the one about the kumiho, the shape shifting creature that appears as a fox with 9 tails or a human, being the most clearly in this vein. The pair taking a future technology were very good and not entirely far-fetched. An AI doll of a loved one can surely only be a short distance away, but the implications for one couple are explored. Is that a help or a hindrance in the processing of grief?
There is a strong sense of parental expectation in a number of these stories and the protagonists are often trying to find a life that is their own. It's a very sicessful set of stories.

Congrats on your successful event!

Thanks all. It was something very different and hard work, but it seemed to go quite well.

Finished Green Frog on audio, next up for the ears is Tiger in the Smoke
Still reading The Bells of Little Woodford which is annoying me somewhat.

Book: 49
Title: The Bells of Little Woodford
Author: Catherine Jones
Published: 2019
Rating: ***
Why: The title caught my eye
Challenge: New author, woman author, Bingo
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book by an author any of whose names begin or end with either J, U, L, or Y

This isn't great literature, it;s mostly an excuse to write about the ladies of a small village, probably somewhere in the Cotswolds from the description. At the beginning, there's an accident in the belfry, with a ringer breaking a stay, being pulled into the air and breaking both legs on landing. From here the bells become unringable, due to frame movement. The vicar & his wife launch a campaign to have the work done. Into this you add the rest of the village, the former and current inhabitants of the big house,the pub landlady, her chef and barmaid all of their families and rather unpleasant cleaner. The incommer starts throwing her weight around, threatening to prevent the bells being rung and generally making a nuisance of herself.
There's a bit of a crisis and things suddenly turn out for the best. hmm. doesn't usually happen like that.
It all felt a bit cookie cutter with the characters not really developing into people. The resolution felt far too easy. It's lightweight stuff.

>53 Helenliz: How accurate was the bellringing content?

Hello Helen and pardon my absence! Congrats on your new thread, and I love the duckies. They are suitably adorable, though like you I have to wonder whether the designers who want to capture Every Single Nuance in a tiny object (balloon, ducks, etc.) doesn't realize the constant thread changes?? (I'm sure they do, just grousing with you on the matter.)

And congratulations on a successful bell ringing event. What a cool venue that was as well.

Busy weekend again. We were involved in taking people up the tower on Saturday, showing them the ringing room & the bells. That's lots of steps. But we did then have a pub lunch out which was a nice change. Today we've been up to his mother's house, as sale is going through, and he wanted to see it empty. The flumped on the sofa in from the Hungarian GP and finished the next square in the baby blanket. Same 4 colours, just arranged differently to provide a some variation.



>54 rabbitprincess: Not awful. It started with an accident that is not routine, but not unheard of, if that makes sense. Thereafter the bells were largely a backdrop to the incomer making noise complaints. Which is, again, not common but not unheard of. The author's note says that she knew nothing of ringing prior to doing her research, and, to do her justice, she did that quite well.

>55 threadnsong: Welcome along to the madhouse. The ducks are cute, but slightly tedious. I did miss out the 2 colours on their legs and beaks, the rest is mostly manageable. It's doing 4 of them that means it seems like even more colour changes!

And six dogs is done as well. I like the waggy tails!

>57 Helenliz: Those are fun, Helen!

>57 Helenliz: - I'm awfully excited to see this whole thing.

>59 dudes22: 3 more squares to go and I can reveal the whole thing.
>58 charl08: I'm not sure that they're clearly dogs rather than cats, but the family in question has dogs, so we'll go with dogs. >:-)

Book: 50
Title: The Tiger in the Smoke
Author: Margery Allingham
Published: 1952
Rating: ****
Why: Next up
Challenge: Woman author, Audio
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book whose title could be the name of a pub

Albert gets involved in the odd case of his relative, Meg. She was married and her husband was reported lost during the war. She's now about to get engaged to Geoffrey, but has started receiving pictures of the London street that feature someone who could be her husband. From there we get involved in a quite incredible set of events that involve a London fog, a WW2 raid to a French cliff top house and a secret treasure. The circle of characters are all drawn clearly, and cover a significant range of types. The story is told covering both the police and the criminal and so we know more of what is going on than the investigators. The Tiger of the title is dramatically constructed and the ending suitably dramatic.

>61 Helenliz: I've read that author before, and liked her, so on my WL this title goes.

>62 Tess_W: Of the Campion series there are some that are weaker, either in terms of the plot or the narrative, This is a stronger one in the series.

Had a day out today. Went over to Worcester to collect a dress, then had an afternoon in Stratford, culminating with seeing As you Like It in the RSC's Garden theatre. I got wet. Twice. Fortunately it stopped raining before the play started, and was warm enough that my dress was mostly dry by the time I got back to the car. Play was very good, positively joyful. The actor playing Orlando had had an accident and was in a boot cast, so he did all of his lines from a chair on the stage, which made for some interesting elements. The 1 person wrestling match was hilarious. It was all done with lots of humour and it was really enjoyable. I was surprised at how comfortable the plastic tip up seats were and there seemed to be more room than in a usual theatre layout. I'd go again.

Book: 51
Title: Revelations of Divine Love
Author: Julian of Norwich
Published: 1373
Rating: ***
Why: List...
Challenge: Woman author, new author, translation
TIOLI Challenge #7. Read a book from HelenLiz's list or by an author listed

Disclaimer first. I'm agnostic, I do not believe in God. I read this as a work of literature, not as a spiritual text.
From what I knew of Julian before I started this, this was not what I expected. She's very ill, received the last rights and experiences a set of vision or "shewings" (I like that the text retained this spelling). So I was expecting something by way of a fever dream or hallucination, highly visual and coloured. and it isn't that. There are maybe 4 distinct passages where she describes a visual image, the rest is far more philosophical.
And it seems rather revolutionary, even to me. There is no mention of Hell. The Devil gets a walk on part by way of tempting us poor humans, but as she clearly believes in predestination, even that is part of God's plan. Any sinner will be accepted into God's love by turning to God (this translation does not use the term repentance). Set against the doom paintings of the era, that seems quite unusual.
In one section she described God as the Father & Jesus as taking on the role of Mother, which makes for some very oddly gendered sentences. That came as quite a surprise and strikes a rather feminist note that has resonance.
In a couple of passages she's not entirely complimentary about the Church, which make me wonder how this survived. she comments on the teaching of the Church not matching the shewing.
And the most striking aspect of this is how gentle it all is. It is doused in love. There is no divine retribution, no crusader ethic, nothing like that, just that God loves us, always has, always will and we should love him. At one level it seems a simple philosophy, but it is clearly more complex than that.
In terms of the writing, it was most likely told to a scribe who wrote it down and that is reflected in the conversational nature. I'd guess that one sentence in 4 starts with And, as a thought runs on. It also uses a number of verbal tricks, lists feature a fair amount, as does a thing being in 3 elements. There's also repetition but with different words to alter the emphasis or meaning. At one point the "All shall be well" is rendered as "I may make all things well, I can make all things well, I will make all things well, I shall make all things well; and you shall see, yourself, that all manner of thing shall be well". These often appear in 3s reflecting the different natures of the trinity, or 4 with the 4th being either the combined trinity or the soul's response to it.
As the oldest piece of writing by a woman in English that has come down to us it is worth visiting, even if the faith itself does not speak to you. It's a window into a mind that is from a very different time but seems quite original.

8 teddies in bow ties. Or 8 freaky heads floating in space... I keep thinking I ought to try and find a different motif!



Just baby's name & date squares left to do and they're already charted.

Book: 52
Title: Payment Deferred
Author: CS Forester
Published: 1926
Rating: *****
Why: His non-Hornblower mystery/thrillers are a really good read.
Challenge: Audio
TIOLI Challenge #7

This is really very good. It is more a psychological study of a man losing his mind as a result of his actions.
At the beginning of the book, the Marble family are struggling financially, they are living within their means but have not actually taken any steps to address the problem and now it has become acute. The "solution" arrives in 2 parts, one legal, if slightly immoral, the other most certainly not legal. One rests on his conscious, the other not at all.
From this point on, the money worries vanish, but Mr Marble, in particular, has a new obsession, not being caught for his actions. This disrupts his family's lives in many ways, which are fascinating to follow. The way his anxiety escalates into paranoia and obsession is very well done, you can almost feel your skin crawl at times. The ending is brilliantly executed and most unexpected.

As an aside, that's the 300th book I've tagged audio. I never used to listen to books, but I'm glad that I gave it a try. Some work better than others, I know I've DNF'd a few on the narrator's accent.

>65 Helenliz: >57 Helenliz: Love the bears and especially the dogs!

>65 Helenliz: - Cute! Can't wait to see the whole thing put together :)

>67 MissBrangwen: thanks The dogs were a new motif, and I think they work. Although i still can't decide if they don't look as much like a cat!
>68 katiekrug: almost there, did the name last night, just on the date of birth and we'll be done.

And we're done. The baby's name & birth details have been obscured as it's a surprise for the parents, I was commissioned by the grandparents.

Just needs a wash & fringing and we're done.

>70 Helenliz: That looks amazing, and what a lovely gift! I'm sure the new parents will treasure it.

>70 Helenliz: It is so beautiful! What a special surprise.

Oh, that's lovely! Well done, Helen.

That's adorable. I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated.

Wow!!! That's a lot of hard work and it looks amazing.

>70 Helenliz: How beautiful! Surely a future family heirloom!

>70 Helenliz: It is beautiful. You have a lot more patience than I do.

It's so pretty! By now I think you're probably ready to move on, but what a great accomplishment.

Book: 53
Title: Julian of Norwich: a very brief History
Author: Janina Ramirez
Published: 2016
Rating: ***
Why: wanted to re-read it having read revelations.
Challenge: Non-fiction
TIOLI Challenge #7. Read a book from HelenLiz's list or by an author listed

Re-read. 2024
Having read Revelations I decided to revisit this to remind myself of the details of Julian's life and the survival of the text itself. Previous thoughts on my review seem to still stand.

Previous review
I have a copy of The Revelations of Divine Love to read, but I figured that this would be a good start, putting the lady and her writing into context. I've seen a programme by Dr Ramirez on Julian of Norwich. It is interesting, we don't know much about her apart from what she chooses to tell. Her work is compared to some other English mystics of the same period in terms of the themes and language used in the book. The survival of the text itself is a mystery, in that it treads a fine line around being heretical and managed to survive the upheaval of the Reformation before a copy in a nunnery of English Nuns in France survived the French revolution.
This is a short introduction to whet the appetite.

As an aside, I love the cover design, with an image of Julian visible through the J shaped aperture of the front cover. A picture of her face is on the inside page. As an anchoress, she would have spent her time peering out at the world through a window this feels rather apt.

Thanks all!
>77 lowelibrary: I can't just sit and watch TV, I have to do something too, so stitching helps me stay engaged.
>78 clue: where each square is different it's doesn't get repetitive. Stitching several on the trot did get a bit much, but one in isolation is OK.

>70 Helenliz: That's a lovely gift!

July round up.
Read: 9 (53)
F/M: 7/1 (one unknown) (35/15)

Audio: 3 (22)
Paper: 6 (31)

Owned: 3 (14)
Library: 6 (35)

New authors: 5 (28)
New books: 7 (50)
Re-reads: 2 (3)

July's reads
45. The Unknown Ajax, Georgette Heyer, *****
46. The Cat who Caught a Killer, LT Shearer, ***
47. The Rover, Aphra Behn, **
48. Green Frog, Gina Chung, ****
49. The Bells of Little Woodford, Catherine Jones, ***
50. The Tiger in the Smoke, Margery Allingham, ****
51. Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich, ***
52. Payment Deferred, CS Forester, *****
53. Julian of Norwich: a very brief history, Janina Ramirez, ***

With 2 books rating 5 starts and one getting 4 that seems to have been a very good reading month!

>80 Helenliz: - I can't just sit and do nothing in front of the TV either so I usually have a hand-quilting project although sometimes I do computer games or even catch up with LT. My husband doesn't understand how I can keep track of what's going on on the TV while doing other things. I just tell him I'm a great multi-tasker.

>70 Helenliz: Wow, that is truly gorgeous!

>70 Helenliz: Amazing!

>70 Helenliz: That is gorgeous - what a lucky baby!

>70 Helenliz: Adding my admiration for your beautiful work. Parents and grandparents will be extremely pleased with it.

Just catching up here, what a beautiful and thoughtful work of stitched art! I am sure each stitch was done with love and care.

Thanks all, it went in the post at the weekend, so I expect to hear from the delighted recipients soon.

Book: 54
Title: 8 LIves of a Century old Trickster
Author: Mirinae Lee
Published: 2023
Rating: ***
Why: SHelterbox
Challenge: New Author, Woman author, CATs
TIOLI Challenge #9: Read a book for the Zodiac challenge (Leo - read a book where the title begins with one of the letters of LEO THE LION)

This starts basically enough, a woman starts taking down the life stories of residents of a nursing home to write their obituaries. It works as a form of talking therapy, keeps them engaged and gives her an escape from her situation. She has a number of tricks to get people started, such as give me 3 words to describe your life. Mrs Mook, when she comes to tell her story, uses 8. And we then go on to hear of the 8 lives that she describes. They cover the range of the almost 100 years of Korea's history, and they can get pretty uncomfortable reading. AT various times, Mrs Mook takes on other identities, such that you wonder f this could be one life. But in the final chapter the sense that this is all a life comes to the fore.
In the afterward it said that some of the chapter had previously been published as short stories, and I did feel that this may have worked better with some sort of linking passage to lead from one life to the next. But that's a minor quibble. The chapter from her daughter & son in law's perspective felt the most out of place, but that, too, served to explain more about the life we've been reading. This is, at times, a hard read, but that just serves to acknowledge that lives can be hard. It is mitigated by the fact that you know, from the first chapter, that she survives to tell this story.

You know you're getting old when, number 138.
I managed to fall over on a piece of dodgy tarmac today. You know you're old when people come rushing to pick you up rather than standing & laughing at you.
Mildly grazed knee elbow & wrist. Pride more badly dented.

>91 Helenliz: That happened to me at work a few weeks back. They dropped everything and came running. I was more offended by them thinking I couldn't help myself. I am only in my late 50's so I do not agree with being old.

>91 Helenliz: I'm glad you were not seriously injured. I'm 70 and tripped over my own feet, fell, in April, and though not seriously injured could not get up without lots of help. I still have hematomas, bruising, and swelling!

>92 lowelibrary: I'm early 50s, and I am with you on the not being old either!

>93 Tess_W: I was back on my feet quickly. I have a small bruise on one knee. But it is my pride that is most badly damaged.

Sorry about the fall and bruised pride! I was famous in college for falling down for no reason. My best friend still brings it up :-P I seem to have gotten more coordinated as I've gotten older, but I expect I'll revert as I start down the other side of the hill...

Hope you've had a good weekend!

>91 Helenliz: I suppose I don't pick up my feet as I should. When I wear Skechers and other shoes with a similar bottom they sometimes catch the floor as I step forward. I go forward but that foot stays behind and I fall or almost do. I've been in Physical Therapy for lower back pain and it may have been caused by that sort of fall. The therapist said that type shoe has changed a bit and is better than a few years ago and they don't see as many injuries from shoes (!) as they once did. I have loved the therapy, I do the exercises at home every day and see the therapist once a week. I was very pleased and surprised at my original evaluation because the therapist told me I had a lot of strength and flexibility in my legs and that has encouraged me to stick with daily walking although I often have trouble fitting it into my schedule.

I'm another one prone to comedy falls, always have been. I even managed to tear knee ligaments on the first full day of my honeymoon (I slipped on wet grass), and ended up with an ankle to hip bandage and crutches, which rather dented my aura of gorgeous newlyweddedness!

>97 Jackie_K: >:-o That's taking the "for better for worse" a bit seriously a bit early! I fell off a kerb in high heels and did something similar but to a much lesser extent.

>96 clue: I've had a number of near miss trips & slips in the espadrilles, so it might just have been a matter of time before I did something in them. More a falling off the side of them than what you describe, but I do recognise that.

>95 katiekrug: That's what all best friends are for! Sunday was a BBQ and it was actually sunny - I think this week is summer.

Glad I'm not alone in the falling over business!

Book: 55
Title: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
Author: Jesse Q Sutanto
Published: 2023
Rating: ***
Why: Caught by a bullet
Challenge: New Author, Woman author, Bingo
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book that came out in the last 3 years

Vera Wong runs a tea shop in China town and things are going according to her usual routine until, one morning, she comes across a dead body in her tea shop. She goes about things in her own way and, initially, at least, this I found very irritating and stupid. She places an obituary and waits for the murderer to return to the scene of the crime. In order, 4 young people show up and she gradually gets involved in their lives while viewing them as suspects in "her" murder. There is something in this about the disconnected lives that we often lead, isolated from family and the interaction between generations. Vera comes across as a very specific type of Chinese mother (and I do feel for her son), but she fits into her new role as mother figure to the young people remarkably well. The solution of the murder doesn't come with the feeling of success that she imagines, it is actually quite sad. Vera seems to have found her niche and to have a purpose in life that comes from the meetings with the people involved.

Book: 56
Title: The Oresteian Trilogy
Author: Aeschylus
Published: 458 BCE
Rating: ***
Why: Amber's advice
Challenge: New Author, Translation, Bingo
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book written or set before 8 BCE

I read this in order to read The Libation Bearers, in a "compare & contrast" exercise to the treatment of the same story by Euripides. I read the entire sequence, for completeness sake (and could claim 3, although it is bound in one volume!)
In general there is a great deal of information imparted by the Chorus. Whereas in Euripides, the Chorus is acting almost as an intermediary between the stage and the audience, commenting on the action, here their main function seems to be to impart information necessary to the play.
In Agamemnon, Clytemnestra is at least acknowledged as having a legitimate grievance relating to the killing of her daughter and the love affair is less pronounced. Thereafter, however, she is described solely as her husband's killer. Electra is entirely absent in the first play and plays only a fleeting role in the second, making her a very different presentation from that in Euripides.
I was rather put off by the concepts in the final play, that killing a spouse was a lesser crime as you hadn't shed your blood line, while killing a mother is a lesser crime that the father.
It's an interesting comparison, but I prefer Euripides.

>100 Helenliz: Serious reading there Helen. (I would totally count those as 3 books, btw.)

>101 charl08: I like to prove I can do it every now & then. (I was seriously tempted!).

>70 Helenliz: Adding my congratulations in with your other admirers' for the baby blanket. Have you heard from the recipients yet?

>64 Helenliz: and >79 Helenliz: OK, so *that's* who Julian of Norwich was! You're correct - much of this writing would have been considered heretical for the time, and it is miraculous that her book has survived so many catastrophes. Thank you for your excellent reviews on both her writings and her biography.

Like others here, I prefer to spend my time in front of the TV machine stitching or knitting. I did some fill-in work on a needlepoint piece a few nights ago, and wove in some yarn ends on DH's sweater from earlier this year. But the cats sometimes claim my lap, so what is one to do??

>103 threadnsong:
No picture from the small person yet. Next few weeks they're due to be visiting grandma.
Happy to help!
That's the ultimate conundrum, what to do when a cat claims your attention. Put everything to one side and pet them is the answer. Cats were worshiped in Ancient Egypt, I believe that cats have remembered this and it colours their thinking!

>104 Helenliz: I am sure my cats have clan memories of worshiped ancestors and attempt to emulate them in their demands. My felines are especially demanding at night when we are trying (??) to sleep.

Book: 57
Title: Unruly
Author: David Mitchell
Published: 2023
Rating: ***
Why: Someone recommended it.
Challenge: New Author, Non-fiction
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book that came out in the last 3 years

As someone who has a reasonable handle on English History, there's not a lot in here that's new information. However, rarely has a canter through the various Kings of England been such fun. There's nothing sacred here, Mitchell slays all those sacred cows with verve. The asides that compare the condition he is discussing to the current political situation are relevant but will date rapidly. There is considerable strong language, which I found amusing although some may not. I listened to this narrated by the author and it was quite fun in an agitated way.

>105 LadyoftheLodge: We had a cat as a teenager. She didn't take well to my returning form university and taking up "her" bed! After a few days she'd drifted back down to my feet rather than the middle of the bed!

>91 Helenliz: Sorry to hear about your fall. I hope you are healed by now. Consider yourself fortunate that someone comes to help you up. I slipped when I was clearing ice so that my husband who has Parkinson's would be safe. My head hit the concrete with a terrible noise. My husband said I looked "quite dazed" as I got up.

Book: 58
Title: The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Published: 1953
Rating: ***
Why: Not read a lot of Tolkein, this wounded with a listen
Challenge: Audio
TIOLI Challenge #10. Read a book with the word 'house' or 'home' in the title

This is a period piece. JRR Tolkein first published The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth in the 1950s. Sometime afterwards he acquired a tape machine and recorded himself reading the alliterative poem - complete with furniture moving sound effects. It is bookended by 2 pieces, both read by his son, Christopher. The first puts the piece into context with the battle of Maldon (in 991) and the long surviving extract of an epic poem on the subject. It is helpful in that it describes who Beorhtnoth was, what he was doing and how he came to die. It then goes on to describe the structure of the poem that we're about to hear. This was useful.
The follow up piece is an essay that takes a 4 line set from the extract and places this into the wider sweep of the poetic epic, comparisons to Beowulf and later epic poetry.
The poem itself is interesting in that it is almost entirely dialogue between the two retainers sent out to find the Lord's body and bring it back to the monks for burial. They cross this desolate field of bodies and find the greatest mass of the followers and mourn for those cut down in their youth. They find the body and place it on a wagon (cue furniture moving sound effects) to take it back. they also discuss how the battle came about, including their Lord's foolishness in allowing the enemy to cross the river and engage. It's quite a sad task to follow these two characters on.
As an audio book, Tolkein is maybe not the greatest reader, he has a slight whistle on his s at times. But alliterative poetry always sound better read aloud, and hearing it from the author gives it a certain something special.
Maldon is important as marking an ending of a way of life and this is a suitably mournful marking of that event.

>109 Helenliz: I haven't listened to this one, but generally I think that Tolkien is quite hard to understand. His pronunciation is not very clear most of the time, at least in the audiobooks and videos that I know so far.
I read this fourteen years ago and wish to reread it one day. I hardly remember anything!

>110 MissBrangwen: He has a voice and accent that is of its time, I think. It's a period piece. I've not read a lot of Tolkein, struggled through The Hobbit in my youth, never tried any thing else by him.

Book: 59
Title: Portable Magic
Author: Emma Smith
Published: 2022
Rating: ****
Why: As a reader of books, who wouldn't want to read about them
Challenge: New author, woman author. mon-fiction
TIOLI Challenge #3. Inspired by Anita – Title has two or three words in the title

This is a thematic look at books as objects, what makes the special, how readers and other interact with them. It starts with the danger a book can unleash, with the grimoire in a Sorcerer's apprentice tale, and is that a warning not to go near or an inducement to unleash the potency of a book. The format of books, the evolution of the printed medium, the lnks between books and other medai are all explored in here. It is thought provoking while not claiming to have the answers, the sections on censorship and provocative examples, like Mein Kampf, are discussed. The late chapter on what is a book is valid based on the discussion of the many forms they can take. And does content make a book or is it the object that defines the bookish ness of a book. If, in her own definition, ‘… a book becomes a book in the hands of its readers. It is an interactive object. A book that is not handled and read is not really a book at all’ then is there only one book at a time, or does a read book retain that aid of being a book ,while an unread book is full of potential bookness.
Either way, each chapter had points to ponder and elements of surprise and discovery. As a reader and book lover, it was an excellent way to spend time.

That sounds an interesting read.

Hope you have a good weekend, Helen!

>112 Helenliz: Ouch, hit by a BB Helen.

ETA: Ha, I already have it. Just got to put my hand on it now.

>112 Helenliz: books about books are the best!

>113 katiekrug:, thanks we did. Had a long weekend with friends in Norwich. I went for a walk and caught the sun on Friday and then met my brother for lunch on Saturday. I *may* have visited a bookshop and come home with some more books...

>114 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! So I'm just hitting you where someone's already got you! Well maybe that will bump it up the pile a little.

>115 lauralkeet: I'm not going to argue there! It was a good read.

August's round up

Read: 6 (59)
F/M: 3/3 (38/18)

Audio: 3 (25)
Paper: 3 (34)

Owned: 1 (15)
Library: 5 (40)

New authors: 5 (33)
New books: 6 (56)
Re-reads: 0 (3)

August's reads
54. 8 Lives of a Century-old Trickster, Mirinae Lee, ***
55. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Jesse Q Sutanto, ***
56. The Oresteian Trilogy, Aeschylus, ***
57. Unruly, David Mitchell, ***
58. The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, J. R. R. Tolkien, ***
59. Portable Magic, Emma Smith, ****

Not too many books, but it finished on a high.

Helen, the baby's blanket is gorgeous! It will be an heirloom for sure. Your August reading looks good. I also think you should count those plays as three things :-)

>118 susanj67: Thank you. It has been delivered and the family love it. This is the recipient playing peek-a-boo, not inspecting the back for the quality of the finishing!

>119 Helenliz: Thank you for sharing! Looks like the little one is enjoying the blanket and I am sure appreciating the needle art.

>119 Helenliz: Awww, so sweet. Lovely work too, Helen.

>114 Caroline_McElwee: >116 Helenliz: I found it. I've just started my A/L, so it will soon get started. Not going away until Tuesday, but lunching with friends on a couple of days.

>119 Helenliz: Cute.

>119 Helenliz: Beautiful blanket!

Book: 60
Title: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Published: 1949
Rating: ****
Why: This was partly inspired by We which I read earlier in the year.
Challenge: Audio
TIOLI Challenge #11. Read a book for the Zodiac challenge (Virgo: a theme relating to communication)

I think I'd forgotten quite how chilling this is - and quite of close it feels. There is little I can add to the many miles of writing on the subject. It is quite depressing, a person crushed by the power of a corrupt state. The epilogue gives some hope that the spirit of mankind does remain uncrushed, speaking, as it does, of Newspeak in the past tense.

Book: 61
Title: The Bookseller of Inverness
Author: SC MacLean
Published: 2022
Rating: ***
Why: Not sure now, bullet?
Challenge: Woman author, new author
TIOLI Challenge #2. Read a book in which the word "book" appears in the title or author's name

This is set in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising in 1745. Iain, the titular bookseller, was involved and his face ruined in the experience as well as his confidence and ease of manner. He tries to carry on and keep his head down until there's a murder in his bookshop of a man intent of browsing the books of the late Lord Lovatt. His missing (believed dead) father turns up shortly after and they go after the Book of Forbidden Names, a book with a hidden code revealing traitors to the cause. The deaths multiply as someone is solving the code in the second copy.
Once past the first 2 chapters, the book is set in a single timeline. However there is far too much referring back to the risings in 15 & 45 and it is all too complicated. There are too many characters introduced for limited reason and there is too much going on. The attempt at a romance is tacked on like an afterthought. The plot veer suddenly from one chase to another and some of the actions described are nonsensical. The author has an annoying habit of the short punchy cliff hanger of a sentence at the end of a chapter. It's OK once or twice but was most definitely overused here.
There has clearly been a lot of research done and there's a lot of historical fact and flavour in here, but it is trying to do too much and could have done with being put on a diet.

>125 Helenliz: could have done with being put on a diet What a lovely turn of phrase. It applies to far too many books nowadays.

>126 MissWatson: Agreed. One would think the art of the editor was dying out. This felt like there had been a lot of research and it all had to be included. From the reading experience, I disagree.

>125 Helenliz: Also agree. I have given up on more books lately than ever because I got tired of the word usage errors (Editors? Where are you?) and too much detail.

Book: 62
Title: A Rage in Harlem
Author: Chester Himes
Published: 1957
Rating: ***
Why: ummm.
Challenge: New author, audio.
TIOLI Challenge #6. Read a book set on an island

I listened to this, as narrated by Samuel L Jackson. It was a good voice for the material. It is the material on whjch I am torn. Himes' characters are lively and believable, being of their time and place. Their language is ripe, some of which were quite uncomfortable - "mother-raping" was used liberally. The violence is also graphic and I'm not a fan of gore - I like my murders to be neat and tidy and off camera. It has some great turns of phrase and a very good descriptive eye. I'm just not sure it was quite up my street. If you have a stronger stomach than me it would be worth giving a go.

>119 Helenliz: Gorgeous work! I'm sure that will remain in the family for generations.

>129 Helenliz: I've got Himes on my list of authors to read. I'm on the side of murders being terrible and not neat and tidy, so I'm probably going to like him more than you did.

>129 Helenliz: I read Himes this month as well! My take was similar to yours on Himes's writing. I'm not so bothered by on-camera violence, and at least in Blind Man with a Pistol the violence happened and then was done--not drawn out in loving detail like some contemporary authors I've read and subsequently avoided.

>130 RidgewayGirl: Most of the time it was sort of OK, mostly made lighter by an edge of humour, almost farce. but one was the audio equivalent of watching the TV from behind the cushion.

>131 NinieB: I saw you'd also read a book by him. I don't think I'll read any more by him.

>109 Helenliz: Oh! You listened to this work! Yes, it is a great look at Tolkien and the amazing scholar that he was. I read this in my teen years, when I was a totally Tolkien fan-girl, and then about a decade ago to explore what else he had written that was not Middle-earth-related. I had no idea he had recorded it, and agree that he was difficult to understand on his recordings.

>119 Helenliz: Look at that little arm and the little head! I'm sure your finishing work was as perfect as your stitching. Thank you for sharing that photo.

My husband recently read an anthology of Chester Himes novels (maybe 3 of them? I'm not sure). He had similar feelings about the books. He didn't mention the graphic nature of it, but felt the writing was just okay. He's a fan of books by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler and was hoping for something like that, I s'pose.

>134 lauralkeet: The descriptions were good, he clearly has an eye for a turn of phrase, but the violence was a bit to strong for me. Not read either Hammett or Chandler, so can't really compare.

In other exciting news, I've start a book that will fit into 7 of my 8 categories. Diary of an apprentice astronaut is by a woman who I've not read before, it's non fiction, translated from Italian, I am listening to it, it fits AlphaCAT and fills a Bingo square! Blimey!!

>135 Helenliz: This sounds great. Adding it to the wishlist. (Although wondering why this appeals and I've never read anything by Helen Sharman. Or Tim Peake.)

>125 Helenliz: Goes to shelves and puts this one in the back row.

I have it too but I think its on Kindle. Easier to hide.

>137 Tess_W: It's OK but I can't recommend it very highly. >138 clue: no matter what the format! Maybe leave it until you are in a forgiving mood.

I'm going to indulge in some shameless advertising. The bellringing association I'm secretary of has an annual paper quiz to raise funds for our activity. 60 questions for all of £1 and I can send them out electronically. You can also send in the answers electronically for the chance to win £25, £10 or £5 for getting the most right. Can take payment via paypal to secretary@pdg.org.uk so do give me a shout if you'd like to try one. No bellringing knowledge required in any way.
Go on, you know you want to...

Book: 63
Title: Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent
Author: Judi Dench & Brendan O'Hea
Published: 2023
Rating: ****
Why: SOMeone caught me with a bullet.
Challenge: New author, woman author, non-fiction
TIOLI Challenge #5. Read a book that alternates with a person's name and description

In a series of interviews Judi Dench talks to Brendan O'Hea about playing Shakespeare, and this book is a condensed selection from those interviews. Organised by play and then by role within that play there's 60 odd years of experience in here. They are clearly friends, given the banter, and Brendan just has to prompt and steer the conversation. I find it interesting what she does and doesn't consider when performing the plays. The way that she has played multiple parts and so you see the play from more than one perspective is also instructive. There's no need to be deeply versed in Shakespeare's plays to find this an enjoyable trot through his body of work from a very female perspective

>141 Helenliz: What a coincidence, Helen. I just started reading this myself! I'm not far in -- just reading about Midsummer Nights Dream at the moment -- but enjoying the banter.

>141 Helenliz: That one does look good, Helen! I'll have to hunt it down.

>142 lauralkeet: I look forward to seeing what you make of it.
>143 susanj67: it's a good read, I suspect it would be an even better audiobook.

Book: 64
Title: Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut
Author: Samantha Cristoforetti
Published: 2020
Rating: ***
Why: Needed a diary to fill my penultimate bingo square
Challenge: Woman author, New author, Translation, Non-Fiction, Audion, CAT, Bingo (Yes, that's 7 out of 8 categories!)
TIOLI Challenge #5. Read a book that alternates with a person's name and description

A diary of the journey of an Italian fighter pilot from selection for space to seven month on the ISS. Somewhat oddly, I found the preparation for space more interesting that the period on the space station. She present an interesting mix of technical and philosophical. At times the acronyms got rather overwhelming, I imaging the paper book might have a glossary to help the reader out. There are lots of literary and cultural allusions, HHGTTG getting a number of significant references.
The fact that in the course of this book 2 supply rockets were both destroyed gives an insight into the perils of space flight.
I was left shaking my head at the absurdity of the segregation on the ISS, the duplication of systems and effort.

October sees out bellringing association's Centenary dinner. Not had a dinner in quite some time, so this is an event with a capital E.
I *think* I have the seating plan done, so counting that a win. Top table ordered, place name menu cards designed - they need printing & I need to write my speech. No pressure then!

Saturday started nice & bright after the awful weather this week. Wandered into town for shopping, returned 3 books to the library, only collected 2 reservations that had arrived (win!) and had coffee & cake because why not. Quiz later. Friends for dinner tomorrow. And this is a quiet weekend!

>146 Helenliz: Sounds like a full social calendar Helen. Enjoy.

Quiz was fun. We got 2 questions wrong all night & came home the proud winners of a bar of chocolate & tube of polos each. I lurve me a quiz. It was accompanied by a break for fish & chips, which were quite scrummy and a small portion did me fine.

>148 Helenliz: Mmmm, fish & chips! I did love those when I visited England in the late 70's and again early 80's. And congratulations on winning your quiz!

>149 threadnsong: It is a thing of joy, I agree. You can take that for refer to both the fish & chip & the win!

Had friends for dinner and we have thrashed out the seating plan for the bellringing association's dinner on 12th October. Who knew it was so complicated? Well I had guessed, which is why I'd enlisted some help!

Book: 65
Title: Skelton's Guide to Suitcase Murders
Author: David Stafford
Published: 2021
Rating: ****
Why: Enjoyed the first one.
Challenge: xxx
TIOLI Challenge #5. Read a book that alternates with a person's name and description

I enjoy this series. Set in the late 1920s / early 1930s, its got a period feel about it. In this example, there's a body found in a suitcase in the gravel pits and the Dr husband of the victim is accused of the crime. Dr Aziz proclaims his innocence and it is up to Skelton and his chambers to try and get him off. I like the way that the author has brought Rose into chambers, it adds to the layers at work. The author's note at the end describes a case that this was based loosely on, and that did, in fact, include the first use of entomology in a court, so that was an interesting snippet. There's more going on in Skelton's life than just his work and we get to see that as well, the problems of aging parents being a long way away one that relates today. Mila's a character, and I can see Rose being equally headstrong and determined. They're a fun crowd to spend time with and the story whizzes along nicely.