Familyhistorian's 2024 Reading Adventure - Part 7

My name is Meg and this is a thread where I post about my reads and other adventures. I’ve been a member of the 75ers since 2013 and my personal library has grown exponentially ever since. The people around here are enablers and you are hereby warned.

This year I want to concentrate on reading the books that I own and sending them on their way. (I can hope, can’t I?) I’m placing my Little Free Library and the stats of books culled higher in the list to bring it to my attention more often.



Little Free Library

Books culled in 2024

January - 10

February - 0 (reading my own books would have allowed some to be recycled)

March - 3

April - 6

June - 5

July - 14

August - 32

BLOG



I write about genealogy and history on my blog. Follow my blog posts as I embark on another year of exploring and writing about my ROOTs (the family kind). You can see my latest blog posts at: A Genealogist’s Path to History

Challenges

Reading Through Time

Quarterly

January-March 2024: Prehistoric
April-June 2024:
July-September 2024:
October-December 2024:

Monthly

January: Janus
February: Aquarius & Amethyst - Perkins Perfect Purple: How a Boy Created Color with Chemistry by Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn - DONE Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936 by Edward Sorel DONE
March: Medicine & Epidemics - Medicine: A Graphic History by Jean-Noël Fabianai and Philippe Bercovici DONE
April: Characters with Disabilities - Blind Justice by Bruce Alexander DONE
May: International Labour Day - Truth in Advertising by John Kenney DONE
June: Wonders of the World
July: Vive la France
August: The Joy of Reading
September: Royal to the Bone
October: Adultery
November: Biographies & Memoirs
December: Reader’s Choice

2024 Nonfiction Challenge

January: Prize Winners – prizes off the beaten track
February: Women’s Work - Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936 by Edward Sorel DONE
March: Forensic Sciences - The Inheritor's Powder: A Tale of Arsenic, Murder, and the New Forensic Science by Sandra Hempel - DONE
April: Globalization
May: Wild Wild West
June: Middle Europe
July: Insect World
August: Being Jewish
September: Essays
October: Music, more music
November: Too Small to See
December: As You Like it or Political Biography

The War Room Challenge

MONTH - BY - MONTH IN THE WAR ROOM

JANUARY - The Ancients (Greeks, Romans etc) - Taken at the Flood: The Roman Conquest of Greece by Robin Waterfield DONE
FEBRUARY - The American War of Independence - The Other New York: The American Revolution beyond New York City, 1763 - 1787 edited by Joseph S. Tiedemann and Eugene R. Fingerhut DONE
MARCH - The War of the Roses - War of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones - DONE
APRIL - Wars of Religion
MAY - The Napoleonic Wars
JUNE - The English Civil War
JULY - Colonial Wars - Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard - DONE
AUGUST - World War Two - The Second World War in the Far East by H.P. Willmott - DONE
SEPTEMBER - The American Civil War
OCTOBER - American Follies (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Gulf Wars)
NOVEMBER - World War One
DECEMBER - The Spanish Civil War
WILDCARD - Pick your own fight!

List of books for challenges

RTT

January - March quarter: Prehistoric - Before Scotland

January: Janus - The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

March: Medicine & Epidemics - Medicine: A Graphic History -DONE

April: Characters with disabilities - Blind Justice - DONE

May: International labour day - Truth in Advertising - DONE

June: The Wonders of the World - Terracotta Warriors

July: Vive la France! - All Signs Point to Paris

August: The Joy of Reading - The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators

September: Royal to the Bone - The Windsor Knot

July - September Quarter Arthurian Britain - Arthur and the Kings of Britain

Nonfiction Challenge

January: Prize Winners – prizes off the beaten track - The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature by Matt Ridley - A New York Times Notable Book and short listed for the 1994 Rhone-Poulenc Prize for Science Books

March: Forensics - Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed or
The Inheritor's Powder: A Tale of Arsenic, Murder, and the New Forensic Science - DONE

April: Globalization - A Rabble of Dead Money: The Great Crash and the Global Depression 1929-1939

May: The Wild, Wild West - Wildcat: The Untold Story of the Canadian Woman Who Became the West's Most Notorious Bandit

September: Essays - Black Ink: Literary Legends on the Peril, Power, and Pleasure of Reading and Writing

The War Room Challenge:

March: The War of the Roses - The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors - DONE

April: Wars of Religion - The Passion of Anne Hutchinson didn't read due to post about it not being about war

May: The Napoleonic Wars - An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer

September: The American Civil War - Captives in Blue: The Civil War Prisons of the Confederacy

Shared Reads

Razor's Edge with Mark - DONE

The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham with Mark and crew in Nov

Books read in 2024

Books read in June 2024

1. Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science by Catherine McNeur
2. Sweet Taste of Liberty: The True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America by W. Caleb McDaniel
3. Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
4. Dressed for Death by Donna Leon
5. Ruined by Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Winifred Searle and Niki Smith
6. The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. Maclean
7. The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maughan
8. In a Dry Season by Peter Robinson
9. Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
10. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
11. Vice by Jane Feather
12. Two for the Road by Chantel Guertin
13. The Butler by Danielle Steel
14. The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective by Susannah Stapleton
15. Flirting with Fire by Jane Porter

Books read in July 2024

1. Death and Judgment by Donna Leon
2. Shadows in Death by J.D. Robb
3. Blood of the Celts: The New Ancestral Story by Jean Manco
4. Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
5. Seduced by Story: The Use and Abuse of Narrative by Peter Brooks
6. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
7. Cold is the Grave by Peter Robinson
8. Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig
9. The Woo Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family by Lindsay Wong
10. The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis by Maria Smilios
11. A Night Like This by Julia Quinn
12. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
13. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie
14. The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard
15. Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin
16. Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy
17. Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard
18. Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb

Books acquired in 2024

Books acquired in June 2024
1. Redcoats and Rebels: The War for America 1770-1781 by Christopher Hibbert
2. Austerity Britain 1945-51 by David Kynaston
3. A Wicked Gentleman by Jane Feather
4. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
5. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
6. Flirting with Fire by Jane Porter
7. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
8. 1950s Canada: Politics and Public Affairs by Nelson Wiseman
9. Woodlands No. 2 by Anthony Woodward
10. Knowing What We Know by Simon Winchester
11. The Art of War by Sun-tzu
12. The Paris Affair by Maureen Marshall
13. Leonard Cohen: On a Wire by Philippe Girard
14. The Bride Wore White by Amanda Quick
15. Death at the Savoy by Ron Base & Prudence Emery
16. Scandal at the Savoy by Ron Base & Prudence Emery

Books acquired in July 2024

Dead Right by Peter Robinson
The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower
A Mansion for Murder by Frances Brody
The Illustrated Story of England by Christopher Hibbert
Clan, King and Covenant by John L. Roberts

Happy new thread Meg!

Happy new one!! And happy August!

>1 Familyhistorian: Happy new thread!

Love the red flowers.

Sweet Thursday, Meg. Happy New Thread. Love the topper.

Happy new one, Meg.

Happy new thread, Meg!

>14 quondame: Thanks Susan!

>15 Berly: Hi Kim, thanks re the new thread. Hope your August is a good one!

>16 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita, the red flowers are at the garden in our neighbourhood park.

>17 msf59: Thanks Mark. I couldn't resist taking a photo of those flowers!

>18 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

>19 drneutron: Hi Jim, thanks re the thread and for all you do for the 75ers!

138. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer



Evie was down and out. She had lost her job and, with her father being sick and an only parent, it was up to her to support both him and her younger sister. Returning from a hiring fair without a new job she stumbled across the Villain, a notorious outlaw who had set himself up against King Benedict. At the time the Villain was being hunted so what could she do but go along with him to Massacre Manor where she became his assistant and the fun began in Assistant to the Villain.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, so I’ll be sure to read the next one once it comes out.

Happy new one dear Meg.

Happy New 🧵, Meg!

Happy new thread, Meg!

>23 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

>24 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Thanks for the new thread wishes!

>25 bell7: Thanks Mary!

Happy new thread, Meg!

>22 Familyhistorian: The sequel is out already. The first one was a goodie!

139. Devil's Chew Toy by Rob Osler



Hayden couldn’t believe his luck when the hot go-go boy asked him to go home with him for the night. But then again, Camilo’s foot had made contact with Hayden’s face after an ill-timed attempt by Hayden to tip him. What’s more, Camilo seemed like a really nice guy. But when Hayden woke in the morning Camilo had disappeared leaving his dog, Commander, and Hayden in the house. Something was off! In his attempt to find Camilo, Hayden teamed up with a couple of larger than life lesbians who also knew Camilo.

It was an action packed adventure as the women, Hayden and the dog blazed a trail in the search for their friend in Devil’s Chew Toy.

>27 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

>28 magicians_nephew: I really liked the first one, Jim, and found out my library has the second one on order. Might take a while to get it though as I'm number 29 in line!

140. The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson



Constance had been displaced by the war, or rather by the end of the war. Now that the men were coming back, one of them would need the job keeping the books for the estate and the little cottage that she had been able to live in after her mother died would been needed as well. For now she could take stock and ponder her next position while she looked after Mrs Fog, the mother of Lady Mercer the wife of the owner of the estate she had worked on.

She and Mrs Fog were staying at a seaside hotel for Mrs Fog’s convalescence when Constance met Poppy, who ran The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club and through their budding friendship a whole new world of possibilities opened up for Constance. The novel was a view of the changing life choices for women in the time after WWI.

I had a very productive day yesterday. Maybe that's what happens when you start early? After meeting some of my walking group to make our way up to the top of the Coquitlam Crunch, there was still plenty of day left so I had a chance to get a couple of things on my to do list done, including cleaning (not my favourite thing) and putting together a kind of trolley thing for my kitchen from very basic instructions.

141. Northwoods by Amy Pease



Eli North returned from Afghanistan with disturbing memories he drowned in alcohol. His unreliability cost him his marriage and in any other police force would have cost him his job. But his mom was the sheriff although even she was having her doubts. He almost lost it when he found a young man dead in a boat but this case needed to call on his investigative skills as it became more tangled as the story Northwoods revealed new complications the further it went. Would Eli be up to the task?

142. Bad Gays: A Homosexual History by Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller



The people written about in Bad Gays: A Homosexual History ran through history from Hadrian to more present day notables. Some I had heard of and some were new names to me. I must admit there were times when my interest flagged but other chapters were of more interest. But then, I like to read about certain times and places in history and have little interest in others so knowing the chapter about Ronnie Kray was next helped me plough through the one about Philip Johnson. The interesting chapters did outweigh those that were less so.

Cleaning, definitely not my favourite thing either, Meg. I sometime wish I was one of those OCD kind of clean people or perhaps cleaned when stressed , but such is not the case.

>35 vancouverdeb: Yeah, cleaning when stressed would be a good thing although I can remember cleaning to avoid studying for an exam. Not many exams happening lately though.

BC Day and 28 C, the river was a popular place!

>22 Familyhistorian: Well, I thought I had that one in the BlackHole already but evidently not. Fixing that now. Thanks for the recommendation, Meg!

>31 Familyhistorian: I enjoyed that one. I had no idea that women-owned businesses were forced to hire men even if they were already fully staffed.

Happy new thread, Meg!

>38 alcottacre: Assistant to the Villain is good, Stasia but ends on a cliffhanger, so it's kind of a twofer.

I wonder if there were certain businesses that would have been exempt from hiring men? It was a very draconian move to put women back in their places with men as the breadwinner.

We've had some warm days , Meg and more ahead. I've been trying to keep to the shade when I am out walking. Dave takes Poppy to Garry Point park on the Fraser in the afternoons, and he said they were putting in some sort of barriers today in anticipation of the high waters expected after the landslide up in the Chilcotins. Careful around the river over the next few days.

>40 vancouverdeb: I've been watching the news about the anticipated high waters, Deborah. I'm not near the Fraser and don't anticipate any affect on my local river, the Coquitlam. It looks like we are in for another long stretch of warm weather.

Duh, Meg! Since I live in Richmond I think everyone in Greater Vancouver lives next to the Fraser River! I'd better get out more. Dave is out with his stunt kites today today , flying them with his buddies. I was just going to say I hope he didn't get washed away, but he's just in the door. . I was wrong about the barriers, they just put out signs to close the beach. He said there was barely any debris on that portion of the Fraser today.

>42 vancouverdeb: To be fair, I do live close the the Fraser. I have to cross it by bridge to get from Coquitlam to Surrey. So if there wasn't much debris in the part of the Fraser that Dave saw today, was there more before or hasn't it arrived yet?

143. Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schulz by Luca Debus and Francesco Matteuzzi



I enjoyed Peanuts as I read the strip and watched the shows made through the years but I didn’t know much about the life of its creator. Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schulz remedied that. With gentle humour akin to that of his comic strips, the reader was introduced to the cartoonist in a series of comic strips about the highlights of his life. It was well worth a read.

The Simonson sounds really interesting, Meg. I didn't know she had another one out. I will look for it.

Dave said there was more debris the following day, but no big deal. He said it smelled different , debris from the interior. Sweeter , he said . I was out walking the near the Fraser today , West Dyke and Middle arm , and I don't think it is was the river , but it smelled a bit unpleasant to me. No debris, maybe it was low tide and it was the river ?

Hi Meg, well, after a couple of very warm days it seems to be cooling off a little. Today is quite pleasant and letting the breeze in is cooling the apartment quite nicely. I have a lazy Sunday afternoon planned of reading!

144. The Black Book by Ian Rankin



When one of his officers was knocked unconscious outside an eatery with an Elvis theme that the officer frequented, Rebus wondered why. But of course, he did more than wonder, he investigated the men who ran the themed restaurant and the black book that his Detective Sergeant kept. It was there that he found references to the Central Hotel, a place that had gone downhill before it burned down years before. Once the smoke had cleared there remained a still unidentified body that had clearly been murdered prior to the inferno.

Rebus itched to know more, but he couldn’t question his still unconscious DS, so had to look into it himself even though the case was old and not on his remit. Anyway, it would get his mind off his personal life, or lack of it as Patience had thrown him out and he was now back in his flat sharing with the students he had rented it out to along with his brother, Michael, who showed up in his life again. Lots of complications, in The Black Book, including Big Ger being somehow connected to the Central. Maybe Rebus’ side investigation would bring the criminal mastermind down at last.

>45 BLBera: Hi Beth, the Simonson is quite new, lots of holds on it at the library. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

>46 vancouverdeb: Sweeter smelling sounds different, Deborah. Hard to say would could have caused that and the stinkier river the next day. Was the scent better the next day?

>47 DeltaQueen50: We had rain early on Sunday and it was cooler to start off with, Judy. I even wore a jacket for a while but by the time I got downtown it was warm again. I hope your lazy Sunday afternoon reading panned out for you.

145. Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb



In Forgotten in Death, Dallas was investigating the murder of a street person at a construction site. It seemed like a senseless crime, as the woman was tolerated and even like by the construction workers. As Dalla set about cataloguing the scene, she was called to another nearby construction site where the remains of another female had been found, this one walled in just after the Urban Wars when construction cut corners to slap buildings up. To complicate matters, the second body was found on the future site of a building project that Roarke had planned. In this case both murders had to be solved which led to surprising connections between the murders.

I don't know if the scent was better the next day, Meg, because I didn't get out walking that day. I am glad it is cooling off though.

>53 vancouverdeb: Yes, much cooler today but that was because there was no sun. It looked like it would rain here today. I almost don't remember how to dress for cooler weather. Did Poppy let you have the day off from walking?

No, Dave did the walking, Meg. It's great now that he is retired. I can take days off walking the dog .

>55 vancouverdeb: Ooh, nice to have time off!

My weekend was a busy one. On Saturday my genealogy group, the Questers, decided to meet in a park rather than brave the heat of the BCGS library. It was fun although it took me a while to find the new-to-me park.

On Sunday, I met a friend at Bard on the Beach for Hamlet.



This was the stage so you can see the play was updated as far as set and costumes but the script was traditional. It was a matinee so we went for dinner afterwards and then, because the night was still young, for a drink close to English Bay.



Sunset over English Bay

>57 Familyhistorian: Nice!

Belated happy new one, Meg. I love the topper.

>57 Familyhistorian: It was a fun outing, Paul!

>58 PaulCranswick: Hi Barbara, thanks re the topper and for the thread wishes.

>57 Familyhistorian: That sounds like a great day, Meg.

146. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley



When I got The Ministry of Time out of the library, I only had a two week window in which to read it, not great given all the other library books currently on the go. At first it was a push to get through the beginning of the book but towards the end it was a page turner.

It was an interesting take on time travel told through the eyes of one of the present day bridges paired with people plucked from the past. As the ones from past eras were on the brink of death when taken it was determined by the ministry that they wouldn’t be missed in their own time. It seemed like a straight forward job for the female bridge who tells the story, but nothing was straight forward, not the assignment and definitely not the narrator.

>62 BLBera: It was a fun time, Beth!

Yesterday, I watched the first of a bunch of online events from the Edinburgh Book Fest. It was an interview with Mishal Husain talking about her book, Broken Threads: My Family from Empire to Independence which my library has on order. The narrative deals with the Partition of India, which I don't know that much about. Needless to say I have a hold on the book.

I have signed up to view a lot more of the events, I have a feeling that my hold list will grow!

The book on Charles Shultz looks like a good one. Have to seek it out. Fun that they're doing his life in cartoons.

Lucy and Charlie and Linus are real people to me. Snoopy too. And "A Charlie Brown Christmas" can still tear me up.

Hamlet on the beach would be a treat. Our local "Shakespeare in the Park" is on hiatus this year while their venue is being renovated. Can remember waiting on line for hours for the free tickets they passed out.

147. A Wicked Gentleman by Jane Feather



In A Wicked Gentleman three friends, two widows and a spinster were eager to visit London and get away from their overbearing male relatives. So when Lady Cornelia Dagenham was left a house in a nearly fashionable neighbourhood the trio left the country with children in tow. Turning the well-worn house into an asset was more than they bargained for and a gentleman wants to buy it, but all is not as it seems.

The gentleman was Harry Bonham, a code breaker for the crown and he knows there was something left in the house that was of vital importance. But it has been moved and the ladies aren’t willing to sell their new abode so he can get his hands on it. So he needs to get to know them better, especially one in particular.

>66 magicians_nephew: The humour is similar to that in the Peanuts comics, Jim. It's well done and it does deal with Snoopy becoming a cultural phenomenon and Schultz's reaction to that.

Bard on the beach is in a great spot under tents (not so great when it is raining and they have a two plays going at the same time. Hamlet was in the main tent and the light you can see above the bookcase is a window that shows the water. There were also sea planes overhead that could be heard above the actors.

148. Pop Goes the Weasel by M.J. Arlidge



As I read Pop Goes the Weasel there were many references to a previous case for DI Helen Grace so I had guessed wrong when I borrowed the book from the library. There were two books published in 2014 and I chose the wrong one. It was good though, with short fast chapters which left the reader wondering what would happen next as DI Grace tried to track down a street walker turned serial killer before more men ended up dead but with a new superior who was threatening to take her off the case, would she be able to solve it?

I had an early start this morning. Met up with my walking buddies (well two of them and the dog) at 9:00 am to climb the Coquitlam Crunch. It was good that we started when we did as it was another hot one! But at least I felt in the mood to put my screens back in when I got home. I had to take them off as the strata arranged for someone to clean our inaccessible windows if we took the screens off. Getting them back in is tricky, at least for the dormer windows. I did one, the other one is still waiting!

The Ministry of Time sounds like a good one. I am on the library wait list. It seems to be pretty popular.

I walked later today, Meg, at around 6:30 pm and it was a reasonably cool evening as well as a good breeze.

>65 Familyhistorian: Midnight's Children by Rushdie is a lovely book about India and the partition

Happy Sunday, Meg. Hooray for Funny Things and The Ministry of Time! I also enjoyed both.

>71 BLBera: The Ministry of Time is very popular, Beth, hence the two week loan from the library. There's a lot going on in it that you don't find in a usual time travel novel but then, it's about bringing people from the past into the present day which can have interesting consequences as well as questionable reasons for why it was done.

>72 vancouverdeb: That's because it was gearing up for a change in the weather by the evening, Deborah. I'm now waiting out the rain before I head out.

>73 magicians_nephew: Ooh, I didn't realize that, Jim. I've never read anything by Rushdie. Maybe I should remedy that fact.

>74 msf59: I hope the books are treating you well this Sunday, Mark. I think I may have taken the BB for Funny Things from your thread. I saw The Ministry of Time popping up on numerous threads, though.

149. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett



After reading Mort, I thought I should actually read the Discworld series in order so picked up The Colour of Magic. It was a fun introduction to the world and the characters were great. Loved Twoflower, such a typical tourist and the luggage was a great added touch. I just wonder if Rincewind will show up in later books.

>79 Familyhistorian: You'll see more of Rincewind in The Light Fantastic and he's a stable of the wizard sub-series. I enjoyed almost all of the 3-41 books more than 1 & 2, so you may have lots to look forward to.

Lots of good reading going on in your world, Meg. I enjoy seeing the variety of books that you read.

>44 Familyhistorian: As a big fan of Snoopy and the gang, I might have to look into this one. I'm not too fond of graphic novels but a "Comic Strip Biography" tickles my funny bone.

I will second the recommendation of Midnight's Children, one of Rushdie's most accessible books. Very informative.

Yes if you're going to start reading Rushdie, Midnight's Children is the place to start.

150. Down the Garden Path by Dorothy Cannell



Tessa was left on the doorstep of the vicarage as a baby and had no idea of her origins. She concocted a scheme to get her into the ancestral home of the Tramwell sisters where she thought she would find the answers. But it was hard to get to the bottom of things as well as figuring on what was going on with the sisters. And, there was also Harry, who she loved but wasn’t sure of. Then a murder was committed putting her original quest in the shade and her relationship with Harry in jeopardy.

Down the Garden Path was a murder mystery with farcical elements.

>80 quondame: Thanks for letting me know, Susan. Sounds good if you found them better later, something to look forward to.

>81 Donna828: If you like the Snoopy comics, you'll probably like the biography, Donna. The humour was in the same vein.

Yes, my reading has become more varied since I've been on LT. I'll have to have a look for Midnight Children.

>82 magicians_nephew: Good to know, Jim.

I've heard Midnight's Children is fantastic.

>87 The_Hibernator: Good to see your vote, Rachel. It’s on my radar now.

Too easy today

Wordle 1,158 2/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

guide, delay

>89 Familyhistorian: "Enjoy all wins in this depressingly hard world" is the best advice ever. I fail to follow it, all too often, of course.

151. Clear by Carys Davies



1843 the year ministers broke away from the established church to establish the Free Church which was also during the time of the Scottish Clearances, was the setting for Clear. In the story, a poor minister of the Free Church was given a commission to clear the last person off an island close to Orkney and Shetland. It was a commission that didn’t sit well with the minister’s outlook on life so it was obvious that he would not be able to carry out his mission as intended by those who sent him. The solution was at once subversive and true to the people involved.

>90 richardderus: The losses tend to outweigh the wins in our memories, Richard. Too bad that.

>92 Familyhistorian: Awomen. I'm glad that the ending of >91 Familyhistorian: worked for you...a very enjoyable read.

>93 richardderus: I had my doubts about how it would end but how it did worked for me. It was a very good read!

>91 Familyhistorian: I've not read Clear yet, but it's in my thoughts. I think I may know the plot though , via reading reviews. A nice cool day today for a walk, I thought.

Hi Meg my dear, a belated Happy New thread dear friend.

152. Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho



Space adventures are not my thing but I picked up a BB for Ocean’s Godori and found this future based story where other planets were in use by humans and space ships were a regular part of transportation so well done that I could buy into it. It was interesting that the main characters were Korean adding another wrinkle and that the hero to root was female gave the action another dimension too. It helped that there was a dastardly plot to be foiled and questionable alliances to be forged.

>95 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, I had a basic idea of the plot when I started Clear but it was well worth the read and it's a very slim book, nice in these days of big tomes!

It has been cooler but it feels like autumn and I'm not a fan.

>96 johnsimpson: Hi John, good to see you here. Thanks for the new thread wishes!

I loved Clear, Meg. Davies packs so much into such a short book.

>100 BLBera: I really enjoyed Clear, Beth. I loved how the people involved came to a solution outside the remit that was given.

Today started early with a session of the Edinburgh Book Festival online. This time it was Ian Rankin interviewing Richard Osman which woke me up for the trek downtown to meet up with Nina (Humouress) and family. We met up at Chapters Indigo on Robson Street. Apparently they have a coffee shop on the premises once again (who knew?) which caused me some confusion because the Starbucks that had been there was closed down. I didn't realize anything had been put in its place.

Nina and I had a natter about books and LT people in the coffee shop before checking out the books. There was a photo taken but I don't have it so no real evidence, I guess, at least not yet.

>102 Familyhistorian: Glad you had a nice meet up!

Happy week ahead

Glad the meetup went well. I had missed that the Edinburgh festival had an online option, will have to look for that.

I have added >97 Familyhistorian: to my wishlist, it sounds worth looking for.

I hope you had a good weekend, Meg. I thought Clear was excellent. I also liked West. Good author.

153. Scandalous by Karen Robards



Their half-brother lived a word away in Ceylon but when the Earl of Wickham died he was the heir even though his half-sisters lived on the estate. Gabby wrote to him immediately to secure his promise to bring out her sister, the prettiest of the three girls. What then could she do when news of the new earl’s unexpected death came but pretend all was well and carry on with their plans? The girls, themselves, had no inheritance and no right to stay on in the house that had been their home or to open up the London house. What could Gabby do but pretend the new earl was still alive? But when the young women showed up at the family house in London, there was already a man in place posing as the recently deceased new earl. So began the interesting romance of Scandalous.

>103 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita, meet ups in BC are few and far between so it was nice to have the opportunity! I hope your week is great too.

>104 charl08: The Edinburgh Book Festival just wrapped up this weekend and I still have a bunch to catch up with - somehow watching a session at 2:30 am didn't appeal. I think you would still be able to sign up to see the recordings. There are a lot of good sessions.

I saw Ocean's Godori on the shelf in the fantasy section of the book store when we scanned the shelves on Saturday.

>105 msf59: Hi Mark, I hadn't looked at Carys Davies other books so I had to google her and it looks like there are a few of them. Thanks? for bringing that to my attention.

My weekend was full of things I enjoy. I hope yours was similar.

154. Murder before Evensong by The Reverend Richard Coles



Canon Clement was the rector of a Champton St. Mary, a village still overseen by the de Flores family, even though they’d been brought down in the world by wars and taxes. Politics these days were more about the flower guild which had their own plans for the village church, ones that didn’t mesh well with the rector’s bid to have a lavatory installed in the church. Things were tense, but about to get a lot more serious as murdered bodies started showing up, the first one in the church, so of course the rector needed to be involved in ferreting out the perpetrator in Murder Before Evensong.

>102 Familyhistorian: It was lovely to meet you Meg - thanks for making the trek in. The photo is over on my thread, if you'd like to take a look. I had to wait to get back to Seattle to post it.

I hope you had fun at the library afterwards. I think you should get up to that roof garden sometime soon; I noticed there are lots of roof gardens around Vancouver. We went up to the top of the Lookout where we could see them all, and all the trees. Vancouver is a very pretty city. If it weren't for the weather I wouldn't mind living there - but I need my sun and it was, unfortunately, overcast when we were there.

Somehow I lost your threads (probably because they move so fast) but I see lots of interesting books on here.

>102 Familyhistorian: Hi Nina, I received the copy of the photo you sent. Thanks for that. I think I'll post it on this thread as well. Hope that's okay.

It sounds like you had a good time in the neighbourhood of Vancouver even if the weather wasn't the best. Don't pick up too many books on your travels!

Hi Meg, so fun to have a recent L.T. meet up. Looking forward to the photo! How do you like this weather? I have my snowsuit and rain coat on. BRRRR.

>113 mdoris: Hi Mary, good to see you making the rounds. It feels like fall now, I'm not too impressed with the rain and actually didn't go outside today because I couldn't face it. I usually spend time out of the house everyday. They are promising we'll have summer back soon.

Here's the photo from Saturday's meet up.



Meg (familyhistorian), Nina (humouress), Nic (superboy)

Sunday turned out to be a day where it seemed like we were back to summer in the afternoon. Well, at least that's how I felt when I was over the bridge in Surrey meeting up with my genealogy buddies, the Questers. By the time I drove back to Coquitlam the clouds were gathering over the mountains again probably in preparation for full on rain today.

Great picture of you, Nina and Nic, Meg! Thanks for sharing it. I'm glad you all enjoyed yourselves. I was out walking in the rain later this afternoon. Like a good west coaster, I have a gortex jacket and rain pants. Tomorrow is supposed to better weather.

>115 Familyhistorian: Lovely! It's always nice to see LT faces.

>116 Familyhistorian: I hope you're sliding closer to fall weather, Meg! We're still being a bit doused in the grossness of summer but without the horrific bludgeoning edge of deep summer.

155. Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation by Tiya Miles



Our online book club read Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation for August. The author brought together the lives of historic women to show how they challenged the boundaries put on women’s lives by finding strength from their natural surroundings. It was and interesting way to find out more about the lives of women such as Harriet Tubman, Louisa May Alcott and the basketball playing girls from Indian Schools in the US.

>117 vancouverdeb: I don't have a dog so don't need to be out in all weathers, Deborah. Come to think of it, even when I had a dog I didn't have the right rain gear which probably means I'm not a true west coaster! Thanks re the meet up picture. It was taken in the Chapters on Robson.

>118 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda, I'm a fan of LT meet up pictures too. It's even better to be one of the faces involved!

>119 richardderus: I hope you are in for autumn weather soon, Richard. I don't look forward to it at all. I enjoy the summer weather and dislike the soggy days of fall.

156. Nearlywed by Nicolas Didomizio



Ray had been married before but that ended in divorce, not a good track record considering gay marriage hasn’t been on the books that long but this time he’s determined to do it right. Also a divorcee, his fiancé Kip, finds Ray’s need to share on social media problematic no doubt a byproduct of his need to fit in a straight doctor persona. This leds to all kinds of problems when the couple book in for an earlymoon (a pre-wedding honeymoon) In Nearlywed. It was a fun read.

Oh, I think you are a " true West Coaster" Meg, just maybe not a rain gear gal. I used to jog in all weather, so I had my gortex jacket pretty early and rain pants maybe by the time I was 40 or so. Yesterday I was out without the dog, so I go rain or shine. The snow is a bit of no go for me, as I don't want to slip, but I still some walking then , since yes, we do have a dog. I think we have had a dog for 31 years running, so yes, that does get us out.

>125 vancouverdeb: I usually walk rain or shine too but yesterday I just couldn't face it probably because it seemed too much like fall and I don't want to let go of summer yet. I walk in the snow too but I don't find that too bad because it disappears so quickly. In Montreal snow started in November and lasted until sometime in April and that was where I spend most of my early years.

>123 Familyhistorian: Well, you may be in for a treat. The weather app tells me that Seattle is going to be nice and warm (so maybe Vancouver too?) - after we leave. In the meantime, I'm layered up with jumpers for autumn while Seattleites are happy in shorts :0)

Hi Meg. Aren't meetups fun?! :-)

>110 Familyhistorian: That sounds like a good one. I'll either need to find a copy in a used bookstore or ILL it.

>120 Familyhistorian: I suspect you liked it more than I did. It was not at all what I expected--and even though I'd been warned by two other members that it wasn't what they expected--I wasn't prepared for how disappointed I was. The title/subtitle didn't match the content.

>124 Familyhistorian: I'm very glad you enjoyed this light little read.

Hoping you get a fall more to your liking...could you go outside and waft the dank, rainy, cool stuff southeastward, please?

>115 Familyhistorian: It's always great to meet someone in RL. Thanks for sharing the photo.

157. Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb



In Abandoned in Death, Dallas had to put aside thoughts of her own childhood trauma to hunt down a serial killer who was snatching women and keeping them for a while before killing them. I found it harder to get on board with the hunt in the beginning of this book but was soon following the crew as they raced against time to find the perpetrator.

>127 humouress: There are some hardy people here who wear shorts even in the winter, Nina. The weather has improved here too. Hope it is better wherever you are headed next.

>128 jessibud2: Meet ups are great, Shelley. Nothing like meeting people you've already met online because of similar interests.

>133 Familyhistorian: Brrr!

I had a great meet-up with Natalie in Seattle after we came back from Vancouver/ Whistler (pictures on my thread). We're heading for DC next and planning to catch up with Jim and norabelle there. It looks like the weather is nice there right now - but of course, it looks like it'll cool down just when we get there and the sun will come back to this side. 🤗

>129 thornton37814: Hi Lori, I was able to borrow my copy of Murder Before Evensong} from the library but I googled the author and apparently there are already two more books in the series already published. The libraries I go to don't have either of those but I hope that will change.

I wasn't sure what to expect with Wild Girls. The title didn't really reveal the contents for that one!

>130 richardderus: It was a bit hard to get into a first, but Nearlywed got more interesting as I went along.

If I could I would send our usual weather your way, Richard, but I think even you would get tired of the cold and gloom of a Vancouver fall after awhile.

>131 Ameise1: Hi Barbara, it's especially nice meeting someone you already know a bit from online particularly when they share an interest like we do on LT.

>135 humouress: Too bad the clouds are following you around, Nina. At least you have the thought of meet ups to keep you warm!

Nice meet-up photo, Meg.

>137 Familyhistorian: I'd love a chance to get sick of the fall...but moving across the continent just ain't on the cards.

158. A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver



I have another new series on the go. This one was set in WWII England and involved a couple of safe crackers recruited to steal and/or substitute papers that were being passed off to the enemy. Caught in the act, Electra, was given the choice of breaking into a safe to secure some plans for Major Ramsey or being sent to jail along with her Uncle Nick, her partner in crime. There was really no choice and the thieves get pulled further into the operation to foil the enemy operatives in A Peculiar Combination.

>140 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

>141 richardderus: I've lived on both coasts and each has its own good and bad weather. The problem is the tendency to think that the other weather was better when further away from it but where would we be without being able to complain about the weather?

>142 Familyhistorian: Some grains of truth there. The British Secret Service did pull two safe-crackers out of prison to break into safes in Occupied France and other places.

The French had purchased British model safes before the war so the crooks knew their workings backwards and forwards.

One of the thieves (I am blanking on the names now) got a D.S.O. for his labors.

159. The Second World War in the Far East by H.P. Willmott



From my collection of war books, I read The Second World War in the Far East. It is a theatre of war I’m interested in as my father was stationed out there. I was hoping for a good overview of what happened during the war based in the Pacific. The book was too US centric for my purposes however but then, it was the Smithsonian History of Warfare edition. Another book on my shelves with the same title by the same author appears to have addition information and pictures that include other allied forces.

>145 magicians_nephew: That sounds very interesting, Jim. Do you remember where you found the information about the safe crackers being used by the British Secret Service?

160. Flash by Jayne Ann Krentz



When her uncle died, Olivia inherited a 49% interest in his company, Glow, Inc. Her own company, Light Fantastic, already took up a lot of her time but the Glow behest came with an understanding that she would take care of all the family members who worked there. Her plan was to buy out the other 51% owner, Jasper Sloan, who after all was a venture capitalist. Why would he want to run a company? Strangely, he did, leaving her with that to contend with while other forces were at work against the businesses and then there was the attraction between Olivia and Jasper which made for an intriguing story in Flash.

I usually don't have that much on deck for the end of the month but the end of August has been different. Maybe everyone is gearing up for September when everything goes back into work and school mode. The monthly meeting for the PoCo Genealogy Group was changed to this week on Wednesday, so I was able to attend that for a change. This session was about the changes at Ancestry. On Thursday a friend came over to help me hang pictures and I made dinner - curry, thank you Katie!

(My walls were basically bare and I had lots of framed photos and paintings. That's what you get when both parents were into painting.)

Ooh, was it the chickpea curry?!?! Hope it was a success 😊

161. All Signs Point to Paris: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Destiny by Natasha Sizlo



I pull a lot of books for challenges, start them and then put them aside for one reason or another. One of those books was All Signs Point to Paris: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Destiny. The author was looking for love and an astrologer told her that the birthdate of the man she was currently with indicated that he would be her soulmate. Only they broke up. But there had to be other men with that birthday, right? The location was also important and her ex-boyfriend was born in Paris. So, after connecting with men on an online dating site, she and her friends and sister were off to Paris so she could meet up with these guys.

The book was well crafted, the chapters starting with various astrological information. The actual concept of hooking up with guys in Paris was not as well thought out but I enjoyed the journey. There was a bit about the shoot of Emily in Paris which lent the quest authenticity.

I set my alarm to get up to do the Crunch this morning but an owl hooted outside my window at 6:00 am twice. There was no sleeping after that! We met up earlier than usual because it was a hot day even when we started out at 9:00 am.

>150 katiekrug: It was the chickpea curry and it was a hit. Thanks Katie!

162. A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao



Sargeant Akai Singh messed up in Hong Kong and was given a chance to redeem himself in Fiji so he wasn’t supposed to make things difficult. But when he accompanies Dr. Holmes to a remote plantation so that he can investigate the disappearance of an indentured Indian woman he stepped over the line by finding out too much about her and the white overseer she was supposed to have absconded with. Along the way he also took note of how badly the indentured workers were treated. Of course, he wasn’t supposed to mention that either. But how could Sargeant Singh live with that on his conscience?

A Disappearance in Fiji started off slowly explaining the background but got really interesting once Singh and Dr. Holmes were at the plantation.

163. Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel



The list of books and prices in the back of Dykes to Watch Out For as well as the cost of shipping gave an idea of how far back in time this book of cartoons was made. It was interesting to see something from the author/artist at the beginning of her career.

>155 Familyhistorian: I did so love that comic Back When. Glad you found it interesting.

>156 richardderus: It looked like it was from the '80s. Probably groundbreaking for the time if I'm remembering correctly, Richard.

>157 Familyhistorian: Goodness yes! It was a clarion call for lots of lesbians to come out, and lots of allies to find out they didn't have to worry about conversion.

>158 richardderus: It probably was an eyeopener for many and shows the power of books in changing mainstream views.

HI Meg, I was so interested in the past about the Bechdel test for movies. The criterion for including females for names, character development, interactions was minimal but still very hard to hit a minimal criteria.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test

>160 mdoris: I had heard something about the test in passing, Mary, but never put it together with Bechdel's book although I did agree with the cartoon about women in film when I read it.