JoeB1934 Dedicated to Finding and Reading Only 5-Star Books in 2025

Having just completed a thorough analysis of my reading through 2024 I am committed to application of lessons learned from that work.


In detail how do I discover books that result in books I will "really" like?

Any book that seems likely to please me can be tested by determining their Tags.

• Does the book have tags of Literary Fiction, and Mystery?, OR
  
• Does the book have tags of Literature, and Mystery?
  
• Is the book on my LT & GR list of TOP Literary Fiction books and the author is also on the LT & GR list of TOP Literary Mystery Authors
  
• Is the book a non-fiction book with tags for Archaeology, Paleontology, Evolution or any subject that catches my interest.
  

Candidates for reading can come from:

• Reviews by other LT members
  
• Media sources of any type.
  
• Book Browse, especially for new books
  
• The Tagmash function in LT
  
• New, or old books by any of my Favorite Authors
  

I believe that my volume of reading will be sufficient for about one book per week. This means that I must be absolutely convinced that a book I just began is a candidate for being 5-stars for me. OTW it is DNF

I have decided that I have said all I can think to say about the books I have read and why I liked them. These details are contained in my analysis of What Books Did I Read and Why Did I Like Them as part of my lifetime work looking back on my life.

So, I don't plan to make any entries this year in this thread until I have something new to say.

After several weeks of massaging my list of books to read in 2025 I have settled on these 9 that match my reading preferences of Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction and Mystery



Another group of books I will look more into has more of a pure focus on mysteries that interest me.



The books I currently have on my reading shelf from Libby are these.

I have The Fox Wife on my read-soon shelves. I thought Cryptonomicon was excellent with a very funny scene that has remained with me decades later. My book club has been talking about reading The Frozen River. If they do, I would like to read A Midwife's Tale first.

I just discovered today the LT has a list development going on in TALK searching for members most memorable books. That is so related to my book reading journey that I created a CR thread about my experience. That thread is located at:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/368472#n8763411

As I mentioned in my thread pertaining to my life history project, I am also rethinking about how to report on my book reading process. I have already decided that what I have done here is the most of what I plan to do.

That is, to list books I am considering reading, and to categorize what I do with those books:

• Did I read the book
  
• Did I finish the book
  
• Provide a Personal Star Rating
  

What I DO NOT plan to do is to provide a mini review about reasons for anyone else to read, or not to read the book.

I have learned over the last few years that reactions to any book are dependent upon my mind-set at the time and other factors important to myself.

Over the course of the year, I plan to identify books that will go onto my personal list of Memorable Books of 2025

These are the books I have on hold, or actually checked out and starting to read


At this stage of my process, I do two things. First I visit GR to see what a larger range of readers think about the book. Also to find out enough about the book to confirm if I will like it. A second step is to obtain an audio version from some library so I can listen to it. If I am not captured in the first 50-100 pages I return the book.

For many of these specific books the hold wait time is 12 to 17 weeks. If the book is on Audible and I want it NOW, I buy it on Audible. I did this with The Quiet Librarian because Eskins is one of my favorite authors. I dropped the story In the Lake of The Woods when I discovered it was about a corrupt politician and person. I see enough of them in my daily life.

I have spent years searching for books to read. Through this process I now have a method which consistently leads me to books that a very likely to be enjoyable for me. In broad terms I prefer literary fiction books which contain an element of suspense, or mystery. Not every book that meets these targets ends up equally appealing to me.

This analytical approach to searching for books doesn't guarantee success.

I frequently ponder what attributes of a book ring the loudest in my mind. Today I learned about a viewpoint that appeals to me a lot.

This is a concept by Nancy Pearl, which is called Four Doors to Reading.
Pearl suggests that different books emphasize these elements to varying degrees and understanding which "door" you enjoy most can help you find books you'll love.

These Doors Are: Story, Character, Setting, and Language.

• Story: The sequence of events that keeps readers turning pages to find out what happens next.
  
• Character: The people in the story who feel real and memorable.
  
• Setting: The world or environment where the story takes place, making readers feel like they're there.
  
• Language: The style and quality of the writing that makes readers savor every word.
  

As I think about my most favorite books this concept of Doors meshes well with why those books appealed to me.

Today, I am reading The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. I barely started the book, and I knew it would be a splendid endowment of each of these Doors.

With these thoughts in my mind, I went back to my Milestone books list. It turns out that each of them qualifies as being included in all four of these Doors. I think that my books I listed as the most memorable books of 2023 and 2024 are also four Door qualified.

I have an audio version of this book. The sub-title The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives sounds interesting.

I have spent years searching for books to read. Through this process I now have a method which consistently leads me to books that a very likely to be enjoyable for me. In broad terms I prefer literary fiction books which contain an element of suspense, or mystery. Not every book that meets these targets ends up equally appealing to me.

This analytical approach to searching for books doesn't guarantee success.

I frequently ponder what attributes of a book ring the loudest in my mind. Today I learned about a viewpoint that appeals to me a lot.

This is a concept by Nancy Pearl, which is called Four Doors to Reading.
Pearl suggests that different books emphasize these elements to varying degrees and understanding which "door" you enjoy most can help you find books you'll love.

These Doors Are: Story, Character, Setting, and Language.

• Story: The sequence of events that keeps readers turning pages to find out what happens next.
  
• Character: The people in the story who feel real and memorable.
  
• Setting: The world or environment where the story takes place, making readers feel like they're there.
  
• Language: The style and quality of the writing that makes readers savor every word.
  

As I think about my most favorite books this concept of Doors meshes well with why those books appealed to me.

Today, I am reading The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. I barely started the book, and I knew it would be a splendid endowment of each of these Doors.

With these thoughts in my mind, I went back to my Milestone books list. It turns out that each of them qualifies as being included in all four of these Doors. I think that my books I listed as the most memorable books of 2023 and 2024 are also four Door qualified.

Nancy Pearl is a gem. I like the four doors concept.

>12 labfs39: I am reviewing my current library and making an attempt at assigning each book to appropriate doors. I'm sure it will be somewhat difficult, but I will learn some interesting details about the doors concept.

Will report back when I have something interesting.

What struck me about this door concept is that I have always been considering each of the doors in my thinking without ever putting it so distinctly, The doors can model everyone's reading because nowhere is a genre, time period, or setting specified. I think those are where each individual reader can find books to read that are really good for themselves.

I agree that the concepts behind the four doors are certainly not new, but I like the visual behind this label. I find that Pearl has a way of simplifying literary ideas that are sometimes quite interesting.

I have massaged my library in order to label each book with membership in the Tags: Stories, Character, Setting, Language

I have been assigning Tags to my books for years by using Tag Mirror to define which of my personal list of 30+ tags that I am interested in.

The major ones I have used forever are Mystery and Literature (or Literary). I have always searched for well-written mysteries, of course. I have gravitated over time to historical fiction as being important to me. I have also gravitated toward books with characters that I either see similarities to myself or rouse my sympathies for them.

Over the years there has been additions to my tag list, and removals from the list. I now only include what I consider to be 'desirable' tags. That is, tags which excite me rather than send me away. I don't like books tagged as Thrillers, so I avoid them unless they have lot's of other tags which are among my 'desirables'.

At any rate, my doors project amounted to analyzing books which have one, or more of my desirable tags on it. In the end it was fairly easy to say which of the doors did a given tag equate to. For example, Mystery fits well as a Story, Literature as a Language, Historical Fiction as a Setting and Relationships as a Character member.

I used my Excel model which contains a matrix of my library books and their association with membership in my Desirable Tags list. Then I could use Excel to place each book into the Doors categories.

My current library has 1925 books and the resultant Doors assigned were as follows:

• Stories for 1809 books
  
• Character for 1489 books
  
• Setting for 1413 books
  
• Language for 1340 books
  

I have read 922 books which have all four doors assigned to them. In other words, about half of my books were very worth reading.

The real payoff for me is that my current TBR has 118 books on it. Applying this process identified 32 books with all four doors. I will now proceed to evaluate those 32 and decide which ones to obtain copies for. In actuality, I might read about 50 books this year, so that is a goldmine for my reading.

For those morbidly curious about books to read, here are the 32 books.



I assume that my next inspection will cause me to drop some of these books for consideration because the details don't contain my interests at this time.
It surely is worth my looking at them and possibly adding other new books to the trough. Like may readers I am on the lookout for new books to consider all the time. This doors process will always keep my eyes on the prize.

My whole being in many ways is to be an analyst so it shouldn't come as a surprise that my next days won't be reading these books.

Instead, I will be mining these Doors to dig out a deeper understanding of my reading. I often describe myself as a literary mystery reader, but in this analysis, I believe the most important Door to me is the Stories Door.

If a book only belongs to the Stories Door, I could well love it. There are far more of these books in that door because when I hear about a book it is the story that captures my interest.

This year I promised myself to stop ranting about my process for finding books to read. Now here I am on to this Doors idea and starting to do it again. I plan to return to my original objective and only report on books I have actually read this year and found to be exceptional for me.

My next post will be for such a book.

My apologies, I have been doing more reading which I will eventually discuss, but I rescrubbed my library and came up with 71 Four Door books to consider reading.
While each of these books are probably excellent reads for me, I can only read about 50 books this year and some books I like aren't even on this list.
I am now on the mission to pare this list down to, maybe 30 books.



See you later

Interesting collection of books, Joe. I just read The Unseen and found it to be a lovely work, very evocative of place. I thought the first half of Where'd You Go, Bernadette very funny, living as I did at the time in Seattle I could very much relate, but I found the second half, the mystery, a snooze. Breaking Point is ninth in a series, and personally I think it would be difficult to read it as a stand-alone, as the characters have major developments across books and this one is a sequel of sorts. I just read The Kill and loved it, but I'm not sure how much 19th century literature you enjoy.

>20 labfs39: I have spent a good amount of time today processing this list and have eliminate about half of them mostly because the story didn't appeal to me in my current situation. Tomorrow I will inspect my current survivors for the ones you mentioned to see if any of them are ones that did survive.

Will post the surviving list.

Interesting to see you pursuing the Perl idea. I like her emphasis on language. And i think about atmosphere, which is maybe an aspect of setting. When I think about my own reading however, i think of things she doesn’t include. 🙂 Forgive my criticism. But where is the wit in her doors - Story, Character, Setting and Language? The mental games in novels - the puzzles, playfulness. Or even the general intellectual inspiration and motivation. Where is the curiosity? Or originality or imagination? (Or are these last two part of “story”? Maybe) i think we read to think, and maybe to learn, among the many other reasons. i like that she says we all have different emphases (which change with mood and time and circumstance). But I would want to add something that encompasses these mental-machine elements. Just my 2 pence.

>22 dchaikin: Those are very valuable issues you are raising. The answer for me is that these doors don't determine what is 'best' for anyone. I think of them as a way to determine if a book has a balanced set of attributes that increase the likelihood that the book is a quality to it.

I keep going back to her definition of these doors as I provided them in >11 JoeB1934:. I attached each of my 40+ favorite tags into each of these doors just to see how the books I have read fit into these guidelines.

I currently have 1950 books in my library after placing my favorite tags into what I perceived that reasonable attachment to a door I could look at my library from these judgements.

Of my 1950 books, 1234 were Four Door books. I could scan those by scrolling through them and sur-enough I saw familiar books that I thought highly of. I don't know if you remember when I chose the books that affected me the most upon first reading them. That list consisted of 52 books across quite a spectrum of genres important to me. It turned out that 44 of the 52 books had the 4 door assignments.

As I think about your questions, I personally would place them all in the Language door. She defines that door as: Language: The style and quality of the writing that makes readers savor every word. There also is the possibility of the Character door for them.

I have never been very big on the setting and many of my favorite books could exist in the three doors of: Stories, Character and Language.

I will never forget the day when I started this tag analysis of about 30 tags, I thought captured my interests. When I sorted my library in Excel on the somewhat mindless count of the tags applied to every book, I was shocked to see that most of my favorite books ranked high on that count alone. At the time and still today I often run that sort just to see where new books are. I think of it as a simple quest for breadth like these 4 doors do.

I don't believe that your reading depends on anything like these doors. I am confident that every book you choose to read is a 4-door book by her criteria. Even if a book was 2, or 3 doors by her criteria it matters not-a-wit for you.

I really MUST get into my reading report. In looking back at my prior lists of books to read, for example in >4 JoeB1934:. I am amazed at the list of books in that post and comparing it with my more recent list in >19 JoeB1934:. It appears that the process I have worked so hard to develop isn't much more accurate than what I started with.

You could probably put my ideas in another door in some way. I’m wondering what you’re reading as you work through all this. 🙂

I have found this Doors concept quite useful to me. For my library, 1206 books (46%) are 4 doors, another 127 are 3 doors and 364 are 2 doors.
When I see where my favorite books and authors land the majority are in the 4-door category, but many I love are in the 2 and 3 door group.

When I think about my preference for literary mysteries they can be described quite well by 2 doors, stories and language with the tag of mystery. As I have progressed in my understanding of what I prefer about a book is the presence of details about the individuals, and relationships amongst them. This means that the Character door should be added to what I want.

I am usually not interested a lot in what would be called the Setting. I have found that historical fiction is a strong interest of mine. Also, I am interested in Scotland and Wyoming. As for time period a book really captures me if it is 20th Century. This means that setting is important to consider in a book.

4-door books will always be of interest, but 3-doors and even 2-doors are among my favorites.

You can't look in any book detail and see it labelled as a door, so what did I do? I maintain a tag list of around 40 tags, and I went through each tag and made a judgement call as to which door that tag should be designated for. A tag can be in more than one door, also.

I processed every one of the 2650 books to determine for the tags I follow which door(s) the book belonged to. My intention is to evaluate my TBR, which currently is 174 books.

I selected out 45 books which are 4-door selections. Then I evaluated which of the 2 and 3-door books in the TBR. I chose those that suit my interests at this time and 74 books survived all of the filtering. These are presented in the next display.



I will now go through each of these books, looking at their descriptions and star ratings. I eliminated each book from the list which has an average rating of less than 3.8 stars. It doesn't mean I wouldn't appreciate some of those books, but my overall average of all the books in my library is right at 3.8.

For those from the 174 books, if I read it I consider it a 4-star book. What is a 5-star book for me? It has to join the list of memorable books I have read. In 2023 and 2024 I read 30 books each year that I called Memorable.

This list is quite daunting, so my first take is simply to follow my ongoing practice, which is to look at any book from one of my favorite authors. This list I usually give preference to ones tagged as a mystery.

Such a process led me to study the following books.



I have to place holds on these books, or look at Audible for obtaining an audio book.

Meanwhile, as I am reading, or dropping any of these books I will choose another 10 books to look into

I have become saturated with this 'finding book to read' dialogue and am determined to start talking about books I have actually read and liked in 2025. I will focus on the books that I liked a lot, with special emphasis first on books that I will place on my Memorable Books of 2025

In my description of the books, I have read there will be a listing of which Doors the book was found to be assigned. It is very important to note that I didn't search for and read books based on the door assignments. I went by a mix of measures I use to decide if a book interests me. I have been doing this for as long as I have been reading.

The Door approach simply measures how diverse a book is. What I depend on the most are my personal list of tags that I see in a book. In simple terms, the more of my tags the book contains the more I am likely to enjoy the book. Doors are simply a way to confirm if the diversity I want exists in a book.

It is also important to note that I am not a volume reader, racking up quantities of books I have read. I never have been that type of reader, and I am not good at producing reviews explaining a book to anyone else. These are simply books that I enjoyed a lot.

Book #1 One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley

TAGS: (Three Doors) Stories, Setting, Language, Mystery, FV-Auth , Mystery, Historical-Fiction

From LibraryThing descriptions

"A clever, keep-'em-guessing murder mystery, an empathetic yet realistic portrayal of the toll dementia takes, and a meditation on how the brain can bury the most tragic memories...An outstanding must-read." �Booklist, STARRED review

I kept your secret Lucy. I've kept it for more than sixty years...

Now in 2018, Edie is eighty-four and still living in the same small town, when one afternoon she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen. Her family write it off as one of her many mix ups, there's a lot Edie gets confused about these days. But Edie knows she's the key to finding Lucy.

Time is running out and Edie must piece together the clues before Lucy is forgotten forever.

*********************
This book is a 'quiet' page-turner for me. I don't have dementia, but understanding the process as described by Booklist is essential and demonstrates that one must try very hard to consider every statement made by someone with dementia to be given due consideration.

As a 5-star review on GR says "It sounds wrong to say I enjoyed a story that focuses on such a devastating illness but the superb tender characterisation together with the intriguing mystery element just makes for a fantastic read. Beautifully written, this is one to recommend."

Book #2 Clear by Carys Davies

TAGS : (Four Doors) Stories, Character, Setting, Language, Relationships Total, Relationships, Historical-Fiction, Literature, Literary, Literary-Fiction, Scotland, Religion

From LibraryThing descriptions

Clear is the story of a minister dispatched to a remote island to "clear" its last remaining inhabitant an unforgettable tale of resilience, change, and hope.
John, an impoverished Scottish minister, has accepted a job evicting the lone remaining occupant of an island north of Scotland Ivar, who has been living alone for decades, with only the animals and the sea for company. Though his wife, Mary, has serious misgivings about the errand, he decides to go anyway, setting in motion a chain of events that neither he nor Mary could have predicted.

Shortly after John reaches the island, he falls down a cliff and is found, unconscious and badly injured, by Ivar who takes him home and tends to his wounds. "Clear chronicles the surprising bond that develops between these two men...packing a great deal of power into a compact tale" (The Wall Street Journal) about connection, home, and hope in which John begins to learn Ivar's language, and Ivar sees himself reflected through the eyes of another person for the first time in decades.

Unfolding during the final stages of the infamous Scottish Clearances a period of the 19th century which saw whole communities of the rural poor driven off the land in a relentless program of forced evictions this singular novel explores what binds us together in the face of insurmountable difference, the way history shapes our deepest convictions, and how the human spirit can endure despite all odds. Moving and unpredictable, "a love letter to the scorching power of language" (The Guardian), Clear is "a jewel of a novel" (The Washington Post) a profound and unforgettable read.

Book #3 The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Tags: (Four Doors) Stories, Character, Setting, Language, Mystery, Relationships, Family, Historical-Fiction, Historical-Mystery, Romance, Literature

From LibraryThing descriptions

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town's most respected gentlemen--one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie. -

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd

Tags: (Four Doors) Stories, Character, Setting, Language, Relationships Total, Family, FV-Auth, LM-Star, Relationships, Historical-Mystery, Literature, Literary, Literary-Fiction, Books-about-Books, Romance, Religion, Suspense, Magical-Realism, Horror, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Espionage, Aging, Racism, Psychological-Mystery

From LibraryThing descriptions

Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Historical Fiction. In this "miraculous and thrilling" (Diane Setterfield, #1 New York Times bestselling author) mystery for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Book of Speculation, Victorian London comes to life as an intrepid female sleuth wades through a murky world of collectors and criminals to recover a remarkable child.
Bridie Devine, flame-haired, pipe-smoking detective extraordinaire is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors in this age of discovery.

Winding her way through the sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won't rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing secrets about her past that she'd rather keep buried. Luckily, her search is aided by an enchanting cast of characters, including a seven-foot-tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary. But secrets abound in this foggy underworld where nothing is quite what it seems.

Blending darkness and light, Things in Jars is a stunning, "richly woven tapestry of fantasy, folklore, and history" (Booklist, starred review) that explores what it means to be human in inhumane times.

****************************
Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy aren't my normal cuppa tea, but this was so intriguing I'll never forget it. Having Diane Setterfield who is one of my very best authors didn't hurt it either. The list of Tags on this book also make it impossible to bypass.

The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B Miller

Tags: (Four Doors) Stories, Setting, Language, Mystery, FV-Auth, Mystery, Historical-Fiction, Literature, Art
From LibraryThing descriptions

From the Dagger Award winning author of Norwegian by Night comes a vivid, thrilling, and moving World War II art-heist-adventure tale where enemies become heroes, allies become villains, and a child learns what it means to become an adult for fans of All the Light We Cannot See.
August,1943. Fourteen-year-old Massimo is all alone. Newly orphaned and fleeing from Rome after surviving the American bombing raid that killed his parents, Massimo is attacked by thugs and finds himself bloodied at the base of the Montecassino. It is there in the Benedictine abbey's shadow that a charismatic and cryptic man calling himself Pietro Houdini, the self-proclaimed "Master Artist and confidante of the Vatican," rescues Massimo and brings him up the mountain to serve as his assistant in preserving the treasures that lay within the monastery walls.

But can Massimo believe what Pietro is saying, particularly when Massimo has secrets too? Who is this extraordinary man? When it becomes evident that Montecassino will soon become the front line in the war, Pietro Houdini and Massimo execute a plan to smuggle three priceless Titian paintings to safety down the mountain. They are joined by a nurse concealing a nefarious past, a café owner turned murderer, a wounded but chipper German soldier, and a pair of lovers along with their injured mule, Ferrari. Together they will lie, cheat, steal, fight, kill, and sin their way through battlefields to survive, all while smuggling the Renaissance masterpieces and the bag full of ancient Greek gold they have rescued from the "safe keeping" of the Germans.

Heartfelt, powerfully engaging, and in the tradition of City of Thieves by David Benioff, The Curse of Pietro Houdini is a work of storytelling bravado: a thrilling action-packed adventure heist, an imaginative chronicle of forgotten history, and a philosophical coming-of-age epic where a child navigates one of the most enigmatic and morally complex fronts of World War II and lives to tell the tale.

I have processed more of the top candidates for me to read and the following 25 candidates I am looking at as the next step in my process.



I would be very surprised if many of these books are eligible reads for anyone else.

Such fantastic reading, Joe. They all sound interesting, particularly One Puzzling Afternoon and anything written by the author of Norwegian by Night, which I enjoyed, as you know.

How was Clear? Did you enjoy it? Fun list of books

It is one thing to find a set of books to read that are interesting, and another to get in line for audio versions of those books. The list that I have on hold at this time on Libby is presented below:



As a book becomes available, I borrow it and read into the book to see if I am actually as interested in it as I thought. I don't hesitate to do a DNF if I don't love the book. Reading time is too precious to do otherwise.

>36 dchaikin: I thought it was a fantastic book.

It revealed a period in my Scottish ancestry that I knew nothing about. At the same time, it was an indictment of the crazy government behavior and policies. This being topped off by equally bizarre religious concepts.

The relationship of the two men coming together through need, with innovation of communication show what unfettered humans can do.

>36 dchaikin: Thank you! I’ve heard good things about it. This is very encouraging

I want my Reading to be as Enjoyable as Percy Is on his Walks

Percy tolerates me and my early morning routine without any communication other than patience. As I get to the end he comes over and starts quiet, but definite communication that I need to get on with it and get dressed for walking. If I do, he gets very vociferous with jumping, sneezing and various vocalizations until I get his walking leash out.

I am totally bored with neighborhood walking so I take him to various nature walks within 5 to 15 minutes away. Wherever we go, he is so happy to get out of the car and start his routine of sniffing and rooting through grasses, or weeds. He remembers each walking location and he leads the way on our walk where the only control I have is the expandable leash.

If I seem to be altering the route he will look at me and ask about it. If I indicate that I just want to go down another side path he gives out a big sneeze and jumps over to that new path.

It is my goal this year to have that kind of joy in my reading.

No one has a leash on me, so why can't I just go find that reading joy? This analytical process I have been boring you all with is meant to lead me to such books. By and large I am now on the track of books that come close to this goal, but none of them are labelled as 'please read me'. They just 'sniff' interesting, so I need to take a closer look in order to make a final choice.

When I look back on my reading life, I can spotlight those that stuck with me the longest. I did this last year when I identified 52 books that pretty well summarized who I am as a reader. Common ingredients were the focus on my heritage, my younger life, and uncovering of what dimensions in life are most important to me.

Some of those memories weren't as enjoyable as I want to read this year. What is different about this year?

Very few of you know that I spent 44 years of my professional life working on various organizations whose whole purpose was the defense of our Democracy.

I am absolutely horrified with this administration which has all the hallmarks of Nazi Germany. Dismantling the FBI, the Press, the Dept of Defense, and all of the public services that are so essential to our citizens.

I Do Not Believe that any of the major personnel in this administration could obtain the security clearances that I had to subject myself to. Instead, security clearances are used as a weapon against anyone that voices opposition to almost anything.

I have never been an activist on any dimension and certainly can't do it anymore. So, today I have to concentrate on books that, while not being 'joyful', they do please me in my searching for my heritage and my curiosity.

My only hope for the U.S. is the judiciary and what if the administration refuses to follow any judicial decisions. They are in full control of all enforcement arms.

The LT Comfort Reads

It is fortuitous that the latest LibraryThing monthly is promoting Comfort Reads nominations. It appears that many of us are dealing with life on a similar direction to what I am on.

The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King

Tags: Stories, Character, Setting, Language, Mystery, Relationships, Family, FV-Auth, LM-Star, Historical-Fiction, Historical-Mystery, 20th Century, Literature, Literary-Fiction, Suspense, Family Secrets

From LibraryThing descriptions

"Mary Russell is used to dark secrets--her own, and those of her famous partner and husband, Sherlock Holmes. Trust is a thing slowly given, but over the course of a decade together, the two have forged an indissoluble bond. And what of the other person to whom Mary Russell has opened her heart: the couple's longtime housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson? Russell's faith and affection are suddenly shattered when a man arrives on the doorstep claiming to be Mrs. Hudson's son. What Samuel Hudson tells Russell cannot possibly be true, yet she believes him--as surely as she believes the threat of the gun in his hand."--

Praise for The Murder of Mary Russell
Leaping narrative energy has always been a hallmark of this series, and it reaches something of a peak in this latest volume. . . . The lean momentum of the story never falters. . . . It's a stunning prolonged feat of storytelling, and it succeeds in making The Murder of Mary Russell the best installment so far in an excellent series. The Christian Science Monitor

A sharp, inventive and rewarding series. The Seattle Times

Delightful . . . a triumph of plotting . . . Fans, always hungry to know more personal details about King's iteration of Sherlock Holmes and his world, will get a few more delicious tidbits this time around. Booklist (starred review)

****************************
This is a perfect example of a FUN reading for me in my current mood.

Extremely well written and plotting that kept me involved. Very authentic historical picture of the times. All dimensions that I look for in a mystery.

Including a totally unexpected resolution.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Tags: Stories, Character, Setting, Language, Relationships, Family, Historical-Fiction, Literature, Romance, Coming-of-Age, Religion, Science-Fiction, Fantasy

From LibraryThing descriptions

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk--grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh--Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar. But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.

****************************
This is a book outside my normal reading style. I haven't finished the book, but I already know it is a winner for me.

Finding our "reading joy" is such a worthy goal, and yet one that is not easy for me. Perhaps because my idea of what type of book brings me joy changes. Sometimes I love a light cozy book and other times a more serious tome. I think a key for me may be that I need to be more willing to DNR a book that is not bringing me joy in the moment, while allowing myself the option to return to it when my mood shifts.

>43 labfs39: I agree with you about the effect of 'mood' when choosing books to read. I used to have a philosophy about DNF with a provision that I might go back later, but 'later' never happened as other books replaced them. I want so much to really enjoy my reading that now I move on permanently.

I suppose my age has a lot to do with this behavior. I am not on my deathbed, by any measure, but the question does occur to me to ask the question: "How would I feel if this was the last book I read?" That might be considered morbid, but it is relevant for me personally.

It occurs to me that I can be quick to DNF because all of this pre-analysis brings my TBR into a focus on the most likely books to be good reads for me. For example, my TBR was about 170 books large this year and I have reduced those to, at most 40 books that are likely the best ones. So, a replacement to a DNF is close at hand.

Today I decided that I really need to stop fooling around with finding books to read. This will be in the form of returning to my life history projects. This will be a focus on my family and my heritage. Starting with my parents and their Scottish and Slovenian beginnings. From them I began my life and made me who I am.

I will continue to read books and report on them, but most likely only intermittently.

With my interest in early man, I plan also to look way back before my parents. DNA type of stuff.

Found and starred your thread, Joe.

I will keep up with your reading adventures as best I can henceforward.

I imagine that most of us have come across a book that you didn't want to read but knew that you had to read because it contained truths that must be acknowledged. This book is one of those uncomfortable books for me.

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskins


Tags: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Historical, War, Adult, Adult Fiction (Which came from GR because too few are on LT)

From LibraryThing Descriptions

Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. After the murder of her best friend, a librarian's search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this sweeping novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from award-winning writer Allen Eskens.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared.

Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend, the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.

Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana's care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too.

Why is this a very special book for me?

Like stories about the Holocaust are for my Jewish friends, this story is at the heart of my heritage as a Slovenian with friends who are Serbian. How could those of my heritage participate in such savage slaughter of Bosnians. This wasn't on the scale of the Holocaust, but individual slaughters were as despicable and inhumane.
Alan Eskins is one of my most favorite authors and he describes the actions in this so-called war as detailed and precise a manner as historians have shown. By focusing on almost minute-by-minute events in Hana's life the horror becomes personal and real.

Eskins brings us into Hana's mind throughout the story and reveals the emotional impact on her of specific events she lived through. The reader is as close as possible to understanding her courage and commitment to revenge against individuals that were her own neighbors.

What do I now believe (hope?) about this event?

It is possible for a cult leader to convince a part of a society to believe in racism such that inconceivable behavior can be accomplished by a faction of the local society while the rest of society are afraid to combat the viciousness.

I simply can't believe that the majority of the Serbian population were inherently this evil. But I can believe that fear of their own survival can create a silence.

The parallels with our country are absolutely horrifying to me.

A reviewer on GR had this quote but didn't say where it came from '
“We have both light and dark within us - written on our hearts - and to do what is right, we need only pay heed.”

I asked copilot to find the source of the quote and it came up with :

The quote you mentioned closely resembles a sentiment expressed by Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He says, "We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on...that's who we really are". This reflects the theme of moral choices and the duality of human nature.

If you have followed along as I maul around my rationale for finding Memorable Books, here are the covers of thme YTD.



I have finally come to the point where I have my book finding process to a stable point. I realize that very few members are all that interested in my abstract system, so I will be starting a NEW THREAD which only presents the books I find that I categorize as memorable for me.
That thread will be titled JoeB1934 Listing of Memorable Books found in 2025

If you are interested in that thread it is located at:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/369837#n8808709

While I will report on the other thread of books I have read, I believe it is important to display the books I currently have on hold in lLibby.

Current Holds on Libby 04-10


One important note is that the book The UNDOING of Violet Claybourne is by Emily Critchley who wrote one of my most favorite books this year One Puzzling Afternoon. The wait is so long I must buy it on Audible.

The book showed up on this list BEFORE I even knew who the author was!

I'm waiting for my hold on Isola too.

While digitizing slides I have been reading an audio book which is perfect for 'listening' without 'anguish'.

The book is: The Meaning of Night: A confession by Michael Cox which will take about 20 hours to read.

Why is this my perfect book? To quote a phrase gamblers make 'I don't have any skin in the game', or in this case 'the story'.

@rocketjk has an official review in LT and well worth the read. He gives it 4-stars, but my choice is 5-stars.

The Story:
The atmosphere of Bleak House, the sensuous thrill of Perfume, and the mystery of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell all combine in a story of murder, deceit, love, and revenge in Victorian England.

"After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper." So begins the "enthralling" (Booklist, starred review) and "ingenious" (Boston Globe) story of Edward Glyver, booklover, scholar, and murderer. As a young boy, Glyver always believed he was destined for greatness. A chance discovery convinces him that he was right: greatness does await him, along with immense wealth and influence. Overwhelmed by his discovery, he will stop at nothing to win back a prize that he knows is rightfully his.

The Author:
Michael Andrew Cox was an English biographer, novelist and musician.
He also held the position of Senior Commissioning Editor of reference books for Oxford University Press.
He has written 10 books, all of them being 4-star books and very literary.

It is so well written that I can't wait to continue the story.

>40 JoeB1934: Just 'sniff' interesting...I love that term.

>52 almin: When I looked at the book The Meaning of Night in LT I found that you had read it. I am curious, did you like it as well as I do?

Hi Joe, I am just cruising through to see how your 2025 reading is going. I am intrigued by Nancy Pearl's 4 Doors to Reading. And I am adding The Quiet Librarian to my wish list.

>53 JoeB1934: I haven't read it yet, it's on my TBR list. I see your post about it, 5 stars, I think I'll start this soon, sounds like the perfect atmosphere I looking for in a book right now, sounds very Dickensian. I'll let you know when I'm finished.

Curious: What do you mean when you say you have no skin in the story? You've piqued my interest.

>55 almin: That phrase is spoken when a gambler hasn't placed 'money', or 'skin' on an event. This means he/she can just relax and enjoy the event without anxiety about how it turns out.

In this case it wasn't a favorite author or mine, or a cause that is important to me. I could just admire the story and enjoy every paragraph that was so wonderfully crafted. This was maintained until the surprising conclusion after 20+ hours of listening.

The narrator was so outstanding that I wouldn't imagine reading a print version.

By the way, I am not a gambler, that is just a phrase I have learned in my reading.

After massaging my TBR, which amounts to 500+ books, I focused on those books which are serious candidates for 5-stars in my world. The top winners are all 4 Door books, also in my world. There were just 140 books in this seriously reduced list.

I found 18 books, as displayed below for serious detailed inspection. I will add additional books if any of these don't seem to match my current interests.



I already decided to read The Undoing of Violet Claybourne and purchased it from Audible because the wait was too long. Am reading it now and it is proving to be an outstanding book.

My next step will be to place a book on hold if it looks excellent.

Meanwhile I have continued to have hold in Libby. Some of those should become available in the next 60 days. I already have The Children's Book in audible so will begin it this week.

>57 JoeB1934: I enjoyed the gentle humor of Miss Buncle's Book, but thought the sequels didn't hold up. I've read a couple of things by Rhys Bowen, the Blitz seems to feature in a lot of her works. I have Code Name Helene on my TBR. I didn't care for Light Between Oceans too much, it was too sentimental for my taste, but I know I am an outlier on that impression.

>58 JoeB1934: Some interesting books here. I have been hearing good things about There are Rivers in the Sky. I have a couple of her other books on my read soon bookcase. My book club is reading Tell Me Everything next month, and I have Isola on my library hold list, but the Maine system is shut down at the moment.

We have lots of overlap in these two batches. Doesn't always happen.

Last night I finished watching a TV adaptation of the book Towards Zero by Agatha Christie that offered a very clear example of what I am looking for in a 'mystery'.

Her stated premise in the book is that a murder isn't the beginning of the story, but rather the end. The 'Zero' in the tile is the search for the actual beginning events in the lives of the individuals in the story. Who and why did the lives eventually result in the murder that occurred.

This book exemplifies what I am always looking for in a mystery. The 'who done-it' isn't as interesting to me as the stories of each character in the story and how they are clarified when we actually arrive at 'Zero'

One of my favorite book genres are what are called a 'Family Saga'. Unfortunately, not every reader uses this descriptor in LT. For example, the Tag Mirror says 163 of my 3300 books, including a large TBR, are so described. Meanwhile for the tag 'Family' I have 1553 books tagged, which is about half of my books.

As a result, I only use the Tag Mirror to help me categorize a book that I have found. I just finished an outstanding new book by the author Emily Critchley, whose book One Puzzling Afternoon I also recently read and enjoyed very much.

This is the book The UNDOING of Violet CLAYBOURNE, which is a classical family saga book.



GR has 315 reviews of this book for 1163 readers for an Avg Rating of 3.93. GR Tags are: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Gothic, Historical Mystery, Thriller.
LT has 3 reviews for 41 readers and Avg Rating of 4.5 LT Tags are Mystery, Relationships, Family, Historical-Fiction, Coming-of-Age.

I find the LT tags more accurate, but neither calls it a Family Saga.

From LT a Description:
1938. Gillian Larkin is used to going unnoticed, until she is sent away to school and befriended by her roommate, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne. As the Christmas holidays approach, Gilly can't believe her luck when Violet invites her to spend them at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall.

At Thornleigh, Gilly is dazzled by the family's faded grandeur, and above all by Violet's beguiling older sisters who seem to accept her as one of their own. But following a terrible accident in the house's grounds, Gilly begins to realize the Claybourne sisters aren't quite what she thought they were. And if she's to survive in their world, she may have to become just like them . . .

A captivating novel of family secrets, desperate ambition and deepest betrayal, set against the winter of 1938 The UNDOING of Violet Claybourne is the irresistible new mystery from the acclaimed author of One Puzzling Afternoon.

What Am I interested in for a Family Saga?
I am mostly interested in multi-generations, with interesting portrayals of all of the characters in the story. The story must be developed by displaying behavior and motivations as if I was also a 'family' member. What were the key events that the family members encountered and what that revealed about each of them. Ultimately, I want to see how the lives of the family members developed through to their final conclusion.

What About This Story Captured Me?
I started this book because I was so rewarded by reading her previous book. Then there is the title The UNDOING of Violet CLAYBOURNE. What WAS done to Violet that it warranted a book about her?

Early in the book events started to occur that revealed the story revolved around three Claybourne sisters with the heritage of belonging to a British family with a peerage past and were living at a time, e.g. 1938 where the Lord and his Lady were striving to retain prior conditions that were evaporating. Added to this mix was Gilly who came from the 'working' class and who was enthralled with the idea of being accepted, even as a guest into such a circle.

Within a few chapters each of these young women/girls were revealed to be quite unsettling to me. Violet was the most honest one with genuine emotions and behavior the other two Claibourne sisters were led by the eldest who was a subtle, but effective manipulator of the other girls, except for Violet.

I was so disturbed at these trends that I wondered if I should just stop reading the story. However, I had faith in the author that I should just let her tell the story and reveal to me where it would end for each of the participants.

I don't want to go into the details by revealing any of the plot, but I can say that Violet was manipulated by lies from the eldest sister into living 60 years in a mental institution.

By the end of the book the author tracks through with each of the girls to show how these events shaped all of their lives to an understandable conclusion.

in 2024 one of my most favorite books was The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. The plots of both these books are astonishingly similar.

I had a personal reaction to the Esme Lennox story which you can read here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/359868#8497245
if you are interested.

At any rate both of these books are somewhat heart-breaking, but with an ending which was acceptable to me.

>56 JoeB1934: Yes, that is one of my favorite phrases, I've just never heard it used in that way, 'no skin in the story'. I now understand what you mean...a clever twist on that phrase.

I read your thoughts on The Vanishing of Esme Lennox, I loved that story also, heartbreaking. Maggie O'Farrell is a favorite of mine, I love all of her books.

...........................................The Greatest Story I Have Ever Listened To ........................................

This story starts in the book The Meaning of Night and it was continued in the sequel The Glass of Time. Both written by Michael Cox



I haven't any intention of writing a review of these two books. Such reviews exist elsewhere, and I have come to believe that they are a fool's errand anyhow. The true impact of a story must be somewhat unique to each listener to the story. Instead, I will try to describe my personal reaction to this story, which lasts 40 hours on audio.

Michael Cox stated in an interview which can be seen on BookBrowse.com, the following:

The Meaning of Night is a resolutely old-fashioned novel – not only because it tries to emulate some of the narrative qualities of mid-Victorian fiction, but also because of its simple aim of telling a good story as well as possible. I believe that the need to be told stories is embedded deep within us all, and it's this primal cultural urge that I've tried to satisfy in The Meaning of Night. If you asked me what the best opening words of a story are, my answer would be simple: 'Once upon a time there was . . .'

In The Meaning of Night the author created a shocking first sentence – 'After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper' Gradually, over the next 22 hours the story tells us everything we need to know to understand this event.

I hadn't heard about Michael Cox before stumbling on the book earlier this year so here is a very brief snapshot of his career.

Michael Cox's life had almost as many unexpected twists as the plots of the Victorian novels that he loved so much. From debilitating childhood illness, via studies at university and a digression into a rock career, he became an author of slim books on health and scholarly reference works and then an editor at Oxford University Press (OUP). For three decades he lived as much in his own re-creation of Wilkie Collins's foggy milieux as he did the prosaic Midlands around him.

Finally, galvanized by the onset of the illness that was to kill him, he turned his jottings into a hefty book, The Meaning of Night (2006), for which, after a bidding war, he received an advance of £500,000, an unprecedented amount for a first novel

What were your major influences when writing The Meaning of Night?

David Copperfield (with the original illustrations), quickly followed by Great Expectations, started my love affair with mid-Victorian fiction when I was eleven or twelve years old. I've been reading and researching Victorian fiction ever since, and constantly return to my original favourites – Dickens (all), Wilkie Collins (all, but especially The Woman in White, The Moonstone, and Armadale), J.S. Le Fanu (Uncle Silas), Mary Elizabeth Braddon (Lady Audley's Secret) – and to the shorter fiction with which the magazines from the mid 1850s, like Temple Bar and Belgravia, are replete.

Why did this story fulfil my needs?

I turned my reading personality totally over to the author. I wasn't ever tempted to ponder how I related to these characters, or why certain events happened. Every sentence and paragraph seemed to have a reason for being. The author was free to tell the story at his pace, and I was totally engrossed for the total 40 hours.

It isn't at all necessary to rush through these hours. I could even read a bit of another book that had to be returned and come back and pick up where I left off in either of these books. It took me about two months to read these books, and I never had to return to refresh my memory, which is quite porous at my age.

It would be a total waste of your time to try to figure out what part any character would eventually play in the final outcome. While the reader knows, generally speaking where the story is headed the final resolution for each character is very surprising and revealing by almost the final pages.

It is quite beyond me how to explain the intricacies within every element, or character of this story. They are all woven together as if in a fine painting, or tapestry.

Much reading I have done centers around issues of who am I, why is society in such a bad condition, or the existence of racism and other ills of society.

In this story I could easily remove myself from all daily concerns and simply enjoy a magnificent storyteller at work.

The bottom line is that I reasoned that it took Cox 30 years to develop these books and I should let him tell the story his way.

..........................................Books In My Libby Holds ..................................



..........................................Books I am looking at to replenish my Libby Holds ..................................

Percy is anxious to take me on our every morning walk.



Lots of bungy jumping, sneezing and vocalization demands before it gets to this stage where I am taking him a few miles away. When we get there, he is in charge and leads wherever he wants to go.

Percy is such a cutie!

Hi Joe, please give Percy a skritch from me. He is adorable! I just wanted to mention that I loved Only Killers and Thieves by Paul Howarth, giving it 4.5 stars. I also gave it's sequel Dust Off the Bones high marks as well. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

>67 DeltaQueen50: I have just added Only Killers and Thieves to my TBR. It sounds right down my line.

I just finished the latest book by one of my most favorite authors, Craig Johnson This is the 21st book in his series and, in spite of the 'Cowboys and Indians' flavor they are all of very high literary quality. All set in Wyoming and the Native American story that interests me so much.

If you haven't read any other books in the series, you won't really appreciate the essence of the story, so I strongly recommend that you read almost any of the ones earlier in the series. There are some magical realism aspects to several books in the series and the characters associated in the story are very important.

Note that the average rating for these books is well above 4 stars, and 4.2+ is very common.

This book, like all of the others, contains an ever-present discussion of morality, ethics, right and wrong, the meaning of life and existence.



This specific book, Return to Sender has an almost magical connection to me personally, which I will explain in my next several posts.

Return to Sender by Craig Johnson

The Basic Story Description

"When Blair McGowan, the mail person with the longest postal route in the country of over three hundred mile a day, goes missing the question becomes, where do you look for her? The Postal Inspector for the State of Wyoming elicits Sheriff Longmire to mount an investigation into her disappearance and Walt does everything but mail it in; posing as a letter-carrier himself, the good sheriff follows her trail and finds himself enveloped in the intrigue of an otherworldly cult. Packed to the brim with twists and turns, the 21st novel in the New York Times bestselling Longmire series pushes Walt to his absolute limits, forcing him to wrestle with the impossible question: What good are your morals, if you're marked for the dead letter office?"--

What pushed the story so close to home for me?

The basic description doesn't mention that the story is centered on the Red Desert, Boars Tusk and the environ of Rock Springs Wyoming where my family has lived since 1920!

The activities that Walt becomes so deeply involved with occurs in the high mountain desert about 15 to 25 miles north and northeast of Rock Springs. It happens that my father, my children and I have spent, literally thousands of hours searching for campsites and artifacts of ancient inhabitants of that desert.

The oldest of these inhabitants are part of the Cody complex that are considered Paleo Indians. They clearly inhabited this area over 10,000 years ago. These activities by my father allowed him to discover numerous sites, including the White Mountain Petroglyphs and the North Table Mountain Paleo Site.

How did Craig Johnson develop Return to Sender in this environment?

He didn't bring the ancient inhabitants into the story in any way. He had done an excellent job of researching the history of Rock Springs and semi-current occupants of the town. His discussions of the trails and terrain in the desert where his activities occurred were spot on.

The main characters revolved around a fraudulent religious cult that enticed elderly individuals to this remote desert as an entry way into an enticing afterlife. The leader cast this as a 'new' Sinai where a 'supreme being', (himself) would lead them into being 'returned' on an individual basis. This 'returned', of course was their demise.

Why the Longmire series are so important to me
Copilot Explains it this way

The Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson explores a range of moral and ethical dilemmas, often tied to law enforcement, justice, and cultural tensions. Some of the most common themes include:

- Justice vs. Vigilantism – Sheriff Longmire frequently grapples with whether to uphold the law strictly or allow morally justified actions that bend legal boundaries.

- Corruption and Abuse of Power – The books highlight instances where law enforcement officials misuse their authority, raising questions about accountability.

- Cultural Conflicts – The relationship between the Absaroka County Sheriff's Department and the nearby Cheyenne Reservation brings up issues of sovereignty, discrimination, and historical injustices.

- Personal Morality vs. Professional Duty – Longmire often faces situations where his personal beliefs conflict with his responsibilities as a sheriff.

- Redemption and Consequences – Characters struggle with past mistakes and the moral weight of their actions, emphasizing themes of forgiveness and justice.

The series is known for its nuanced portrayal of ethical gray areas, making it more than just a crime novel—it’s a deep exploration of human nature and morality.

Walt is seriously considering retirement, and it could be soon. I will miss these books greatly.

This picture won't be of much value to you if you do read this book. It does give you a birds-eye view of the environment with my history.


I can draw your notice of a Yellow Pin above the Steamboat Mtn. It is labelled Rescue Location.

On one of our many excursions into remote areas using four-wheel drive vehicles we were north of Steamboat when we saw a truck with a camper trailer down in a sandy swale. We were surprised, but knew rock hunters sometimes were around this location. We were turning around to back track when a woman came out of the trailer running toward us and waving frantically.

It developed that they had been stuck in that sand for over a week and were fearing for their survival. My father had a winch and a long cable, so we were able to extract them without getting stuck ourselves.

They were, in fact rock hunters from Boulder using a map, but didn't understand how to walk out to get help. The woman was an amateur painter and she later gave us a watercolor painting of the location. She was sure we had saved their lives.

>65 JoeB1934: I can’t tell Percy has a wonderful nature. He’s so expressive.

I recently read some short stories by the famous Australian writer, Henry Lawson. He wrote early last century so his style is a little outdated and his short stories are more like yarns. But the way he describes the dogs’ personalities is spot on and at times their exploits are quite funny. His story collection I’m reading now is called The Loaded Dog

>74 kjuliff: He is positively interested in watching everyone in the house. If we are look out a window and commenting on what we see he goes ballistic until we pick him up to see also. He has a full language with various sounds depending on what he wants. If I ask him if he wants to do something a sneeze indicates YES, if the answer is NO he sits down on his haunches to say no thank you. I could tell a lot more about him like any Grandpa would.

>75 JoeB1934: he sounds utterly delightful. How long have you had him? Was he smart when he first got him or did you get him as a puppy?

>77 kjuliff: This is just a quick reply to your questions, which are sort of like a question to a grandparent to show them pictures of their grandchildren!
I am off to Costco to get supplies for an upcoming trip with Percy, and I will give you Percy's Life story later today. I am always pleased to tell others about him, as he is such a large factor in my life.

>78 JoeB1934: I look forward to reading about Percy, Jim

Who Is Percy?

Percy is a mix of Yorkshire Terrier and Poodle, with minor ingredients of several other breeds. Including a Peruvian Inca Orchid, of all things.

He is now about 14 years old. Carey obtained him from a local animal shelter when he was 5 years old. The story about him was that "he has a bit of a rap sheet". She was told that he came from a family with several small children. How could she not take him home with that face and eagerness to be wanted.

We know now that he doesn't especially like children but has a preference for women. He is very sensitive about his feet and can bare his teeth or even snap at someone who messes with him. He also came to us knowing basic dog commands, like sit, stay, drop it, take, roll over, etc. It wasn't clear that he had been taken on walks much as his foot pads were not toughened up. Now he lives for our daily walks.

My first inkling about his thinking came one day when he was near me at my computer and he suddenly jumped up and ran to the patio door. It turned out that Carey and I have location tracking on our phones which give out a small beep when the other person is close to coming home. He had properly diagnosed the meaning of that beep.

He is very routine dependent and an internal clock which is very important to the day. He sleeps in Carey's room but wakes her up more, or less at 5 AM to come down and wait in a small bed in my room.

He is content staying there until I finish my morning preparations of breakfast, etc. While I am doing that he jumps on my bed and waits for the next ritual. When I put on my walking shoes, he launches himself on to my lap with hind feet on my knees and front feet on my chest. Wanting praise and petting until I say, "are you ready?", at which he leaps off and makes a sneeze to say, let's go.

I find it to be significant that when we return from a walk, he requires that he jump on my lap and repeat a short version of this routine. I interpret it as a thank you.

He has certain routines for me, Carey and Cynthia when she was alive. Cynthia slept longer than Carey and I and when he heard her toilet flush, he would gallop down to the far end of the house to wait at her door.

When she came out, he would get behind her and sort of push that direction. When she was started, he would dash between her legs and run into the family room to retrieve one of his toys to toss her way and wait to pounce on the toy if she would toss it somewhere. After growling and fake chewing the toy he expected her to come and get it and toss it another direction. He was never a ball retriever. He designed this routine himself.

Another of his favorite things is 'su chef' observations of anyone cooking a meal. Face on the floor between his toes and eyes following absolutely each motion that the cook is making. In a very similar manner if two, or more individuals are having a conversation he will be sitting there almost like another participant in the conversation. Eyes, or even head moving as each person says something.

One example of this is how I could say to Cynthia "she's coming home" and he would go over to the patio door want outside and sit waiting for the car to drive up. If she wasn't anywhere close to home, I would go out and tell him it will be a while and get him to come back in.

(I have more to say, but he is here saying to me "how about my afternoon walk, it's time". Off I go for a short while.)

I will be back as I need to tell you about a special trip we are taking with my family, partially in honor of my 91st birthday. Percy is coming along.

Back from the walk and a bit of a snack to re-supply both of us. Now, what about this trip. In >73 JoeB1934: I displayed a map of the environs around Rock Springs. I also pointed out locations important to me and my family. Even in the years since I retired I often went back there to roam the desert and visiting relatives who still lived there. In addition, Carey and I would go up to Freemont Lake and Jackson Hole for other pleasant memories.

Because of my broken hip and other issues, I haven't been able to return to those locations. This year I planned a trip down memory lane accompanied by family members to the areas on that map and to Freemont Lake where I spent countless hours fishing and camping early in my life.

As an adult i went with my two daughters across the Wind River Range wilderness area. Hikes of 7 days carrying all of our equipment. They were young teenagers and what adventures we had. I can't do that, but I planned a trip strictly by auto and short hikes in the Red Desert.

I can't leave Percy out of this trip even though he gets very anxious just driving around Denver. He has incredible separation anxiety even if I only leave for an evening.

Six of us are leaving on Friday June 13 for a 4-day trip. Based at an Airbnb 4-bedroom unit in central Rock Springs. Ironically, this is 30 days ahead of my 91st birthday. Highlights of the trip include a boat excursion for all of us, including Percy, the length of Freemont Lake which has no roads on any of the shores above the outlet.

Another key experience will be hiking up North Table Mtn, which has a Paleo Indian site my father discovered. This is a climb of about 300 ft and there are real doubts I can manage it. So, everyone else might go up and leave Percy and me wandering around the base.
Percy and I have taken some hills locally that add up to about 120 ft in 1 hour, but both of were dragging tail at the end.

I need to admit that both of us are starting to tell our age. He is now 14 years old and I am 91, so neither of us can do what we once could do.

I will produce a couple of photos after the trip to show what it was like.

>81 JoeB1934: He sounds such an amazing and lovable dog !

>83 kjuliff: You are correct about that. Traditionally I let him choose the trail to walk on and the pace, which he sets by his sniffing objectives. Up to recent time if I wanted to go down a different trail he would concede and jump on that trail.

I think his old age prerogative has set in as today he sat down when I chose a different path. I asked him if he was tired and he gave me his standard wide-eyed plea. So, I concede and turned his chosen direction. Happy as a clam.

I currently am reading The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown and finding it to be very thought provoking. It is a fantasy, which I am not, generally speaking a big fan of. The Lt description is as follows:

Because some doors should never be opened. New York bookseller Cassie Andrews is not sure what she's doing with her life. She lives quietly, sharing an apartment with her best friend, Izzy. Then a favorite customer gives her an old book. Full of strange writing and mysterious drawings, at the very front there is a handwritten message: This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door. Cassie is about to discover that the Book of Doors is a special book - a magic book. A book that bestows extraordinary abilities on whoever possesses it. And she is about to learn that there are other magic books out there that can also do wondrous - or dreadful and terrifying - things. Because where there is magic there is power and there are those who will stop at nothing to possess it. Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is Drummond Fox who has a secret library of magical books hidden in the shadows for safekeeping, a man fleeing his own demons. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all. Because this book is worth killing for.

In essence, the premise of the book is captured by this sentence: "If you could open a door to anywhere, where would you go?"

I have always been a big fan of Books about Books This story is truly about the power of books for Good, or Evil. History books expose us to all sorts of inspirational stories and those that that show us how deeply depraved humans can be.

One of the 'Doors' you can open in this book is the past. I appreciated very much in this book was the premise that you can visit the past, but you can't change the past.

I read books describing times in history that are about my ancestors and early man. I just wish that videos of them existed so I could understand them better.

If I truly could Open a Door to Anywhere it would be the time of early man.

Your trip is getting close! I hope you have a wonderful time. I can't wait to hear about your adventures when you return.

This is Friday June 13, 2025, and exactly one month before my 91st birthday July 13, 2025! Seven family members, 6 adults and Percy, are taking me down a Memory Lane trip to SW Wyoming to revisit sites important to my life. >30 JoeB1934: outlines some of these memories, with added days around Freemont Lake and Pinedale.

I will share a 'small' number of photos about the trip after I return to Denver in June 17.

It is with a very heavy heart that I tell you that Percy died with heart failure while he was with us on my long-planned trip to Wyoming.

He had been showing signs of age slowing him down a bit for a couple of months but he had all of his enthusiasm for life, especially walks with us.

When we arrived in Rock Springs and went to the Airbnb we rented across from Bunning Park where my parents first met in the 1930's, he bounded
Up the stairs and when we opened the door he absolutely sprinted into every room as rapidly as he could.

I'm sure that any of you that have lost a spouse/companion/pet know how this grief can be so terrible. I am trying very hard to commemorate his life
by concentrating on his joy with life and how special he was.

On a short walk this morning Carey and I saw numerous dog walkers and we stopped to talk to a man with an obvious elderly dog. When we told him about Percy
He said:

"We buy into this when we obtain a pet. The pet gets the love they want, and we get the love we want"

That is so true and when tears come, I start to think more about Percy and his life and a little less about my loss.

I'm thinking of you, Joe. Having lost a special canine in my life not so long ago, I can commiserate with you. Percy was an adorable dog. Such a big heart for a little dog.

>89 labfs39: Percy will not be forgotten Joe. In his own way he’s made an impact on those who have read about him. His personality shone through your words. I know you must be devastated, but remember all those good times you two had.

............................... The Aftermath to my Percy Story ........................

I thought that I needed to tell you about Percy and how we are dealing with it at the moment. We see him everywhere, of course. In those visualizations his joy and enthusiasm dominate, and we have those embedded in our memories.

The hardest point in the day for Carey and Me are the morning rituals he created with each of us.

Percy slept in Careys room. On her bed to get lots of pets and after a few minutes he would move over to a small bed on her bed. He might move back and forth for a bit but eventually he would jump off and go to bed on the floor.

About 4AM he would make small squeaks or shake his collar to get a jangle and 'ask' her to take him out for a 'peeps' as we call it. His real objective was to quietly slip into another bed in my bedroom/office. It should be noted that no doors were closed, and he could have quietly gone on this trip by himself.

Then his routine was with me and when I awakened, he just pretended to be asleep in his bed. Then I started my morning routine of a Lungo and muesli with berries. I read all my emails and the Denver Post for my sports news and proceeded to finish my morning routine.

At that time, if he hadn't gone to watch me during the routine, in essence he said get your clothes on and let's go for a walk. He came over and got under the desk alongside my bed and watched intensely. When I was fully dressed in all 'attachments' in my pockets and sat down he was already positioned for the 'pounce'.

The pounce worked this way: I am seated in my office chair, and he leaps up so that his hind legs are on my knees and his front paws are on my chest. Then I could rub his chest, back head, scratch behind the ears until he decided he had enough. He knew that I didn't want to be licked but one of his techniques was to pick up a paw and claw at me. I had to be on guard.

The ironic thing is that he conducted exactly this same routine when we returned from a walk, I interpreted this as a thank you.

Many people assume that I must have been the alpha for Percy, but he showed a lot of evidence that Carey and I were equally important to him.

I walked him most of the time because of Carey's obligations as an in-home music teacher of piano and organ. Percy always wanted to greet all visitors and he was fond of being by Carey whenever a cello was being played.

For example, if he detected that there was any chance for Carey to come along, he would refuse to go without her. One day I drove to Mamie Eisenhour Park and started a walk without her. He sat down and refused to walk so I drove back home to pick her up for him.

Now you know why tears are abundant in both Careys and my eyes this morning.

I plan to make a post later today, which won't be about Percy at all. Instead, it will be about my reading plans and the way they will focus on my heritage.

Joe, I am so sorry for yours and your family's loss. Percy was a wonderful part of your life and I know he will be deeply missed. Thank heaven that you have such wonderful memories of life with him to comfort you. Take care of yourself.

>92 DeltaQueen50: Thank you for your thoughts. I also need to say to you and your husband, take care of yourselves. It is the memories we all have with our spouse/companion that are the permanence of life.

I also want to thank you for recommending Only Killers and Thieves by Paul Howarth I will explain in my next post why that fits so well with my current needs.

My Revised Reading Life

Since my memory trip to Wyoming, I have started to focus on what reading I want to do now. It shouldn't surprise anyone that I went back to my original statement at >1 JoeB1934:

In searching for books to read that in some way match those objectives I have built a TBR list of 886 books. Talk about overkill, since I most likely won't read more than 20 books during the rest of 2025.

I have to pare this TBR way down. You are all aware that I am a dedicated user of the LT Mirror for tag analysis of any book. This approach has limitations for brand new books but are especially reliable for authors who I have read over the years.

I used the Tag Mirror for my library of books I have already read, which amounts to around 3000 books. I won't bore you with the details, but I concentrated on my favorite authors and books which are labelled as literary fiction, or historical fiction. I have found that I really must have a book which has an element of suspense, or mystery within the two main tags, L-F and H-F.

I'm sure that my trip and losing Percy has really focused my thinking. There are many incredible books in this monstrous TBR, but how many are what I would read when times are uncertain?

I decided that I require books that are truly identified with my heritage. Most clearly Scotland, Ireland, Britain, United States, Scandinavia, Northern Europe.

In addition, I really prefer historical fiction with a touch of mystery. Time wise I prefer to have books set prior to 2001. If I am really focusing my reading the cultural situation, I would identify Western rather than Eastern. I have read quite a few outstanding books which don't comply with these self-generated rules.

When I returned from Wyoming, I had two audio books on my shelves which demonstrate very well how I am focusing, both books are outstanding literary mysteries by my definition.

First is There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak Average Rating 4.38
"Sweeping across centuries, and stretching from Mesopotamia to London, this is an enchanting new novel by Booker Prize finalist Elif Shafak that conjures a trio of characters living in the shadow of one of the greatest epic poems (The Epic of Gilgamesh) of all time"-- In the ancient city of Nineveh, on the bank of the River Tigris, King Ashurbanipal of Mesopotamia, erudite but ruthless, built a great library that would crumble with the end of his reign. From its ruins, however, emerged a poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh, that would infuse the existence of two rivers and bind together three lives.

Second is the book Only Killers and Thieves: A Novel by Paul Howarth Average Rating 4.23
Two brothers are exposed to the brutal realities of life and the seductive cruelty of power in this riveting debut novel a story of savagery and race, injustice and honor, set in the untamed frontier of 1880s Australia reminiscent of Philipp Meyer's "The Son" and the novels of Cormac McCarthy. An epic tale of revenge and survival, "Only Killers and Thieves" is a gripping and utterly transporting debut, bringing to vivid life a colonial Australia that bears a striking resemblance to the American Wild West in its formative years. It is 1885, and a crippling drought threatens to ruin the McBride family. Their land is parched, their cattle starving.

Both of these books are my favorite family sagas, and I find the writing to be exceptional. I fully expected that I would read both books any time less than today. I was reading There are Rivers in the Sky and finding it intellectually interesting but it wasn't connecting with me emotionally.

So, I put it aside and started Only Killers and Thieves: A Novel which is set in Australia. Practically the first paragraph rang bells with me due to the similarities with our early western period and the focus on the family members in the story.

>95 JoeB1934: Interesting Joe. Just yesterday I tried to borrow Only Killers and Thieves but had to put it on hold. I’ll be interested to find out what you think of it. The first white settlement in Australia consisted mainly of convicted criminals. By criminals the British government of the time included people that may have stolen crust of bread. These criminals were sent to the American colonies until the American Revolution, and it was because of the revolution that Australia was originally invaded by whites in 1788.

The fact that many Australians were descended from convicts has been given as the reason for the anti-police sentiment anti-authoritarianism of Australian people today.

I realize that my meandering thoughts probably drives some readers of this thread to distraction, but here I go again.

All of us generally have an idea of details about books in genre-like form. Country of origin, male authors vs female authors, historical period, etc. As I mentioned earlier, at my current age I have decided to concentrate on historical mysteries written about the countries in my personal heritage.

How many books I have read are actually in that category? The display below shows that roughly 50 % of the books I have read are tagged that way. (Please note that data for 2023-2025 are only that I declared memorable for those years.)



Interesting enough, for the years 2023-2025 all of the heritage books were H-M. For all years 80% of heritage books were H-M.

With filtering of my library, I can see that my assignment of the 'heritage' tag isn't precise enough and I need to evaluate any individual H-M book to make a judgement.

I fully realize that selecting only historical fiction and mystery books seriously eliminates some excellent books. The problem is that somehow, I need to find a way to target my reading. Of course, I will continue to reevaluate all the books in my TBR, and who knows what I will choose to read if the book really appeals to me.

I should also mention that I came home from my trip with Covid. The doctor says that having a large stress event reduces your immunity.

I can't remember even having a cold during the last 10 years.

>98 JoeB1934: is this your first Covid Joe? I hope you don’t feel too bad physically as you have enough to be sad about. Thinking of you..

>99 kjuliff: Yes, it is my first Covid. I have taken all of the Covid vaccines and never had a negative reaction to any of them, Carey had it once, but that is my only family member. I have done all the shopping for the family since it started. I do believe that the shock of losing Percy did weaken my resistance.

I'm sure this is a minor case, almost like a bad cold. High temp of 101. I am on the 5-day Paxlovid treatment, and my temp is back to normal.

I'm sure this will pass as it isn't anything like your health issues.

I am thinking of you very frequently and so proud of the way you have battled your circumstances. The vast majority of people probably would just lay back and not fight as hard as you do.

>100 JoeB1934: thank you so much Joe for your encouraging thoughts about my resilience. I was taught to never give up by my parents. The family motto is “Illegitimi non carborundum”..

Looks like you’ve got everything covered with Covid. I have never has Covid either, and I’ve kept my shots up until this last time. I’m due for a shot now I was meant to have the last one in September 2024.. It’s just laziness that I haven’t.

Yes, I’m sure it’s stress that has had a negative effect on your immune system. It seems like you’ve got a mild case - I certainly hope so.

I'm glad your immune system is winning the battle with Covid. Stress is such a horrible thing for our bodies. Get lots of rest.

As I mentioned earlier, the book that I have chosen to read at an important time in my life is this one:


Only Killers and Thieves: A Novel by Paul Howarth
Two brothers are exposed to the brutal realities of life and the seductive cruelty of power in this riveting debut novel a story of savagery and race, injustice and honor, set in the untamed frontier of 1880s Australia reminiscent of Philipp Meyer's "The Son" and the novels of Cormac McCarthy. An epic tale of revenge and survival, "Only Killers and Thieves" is a gripping and utterly transporting debut, bringing to vivid life a colonial Australia that bears a striking resemblance to the American Wild West in its formative years. It is 1885, and a crippling drought threatens to ruin the McBride family. Their land is parched, their cattle starving.

Anyone who has followed the books I have read knows that I am not able to write a classical review. Instead, the best I can do is provide a glimpse into my emotional reaction to a book and how it fits into my life. Even though I am only 1/3 of the way through this book it stands as one of the most memorable reads of my life.

First, some background. I grew up in the part of Wyoming which is mostly high mountain desert. My father taught me from early childhood a pastime that he learned as a child in the 1920s. This was to scour the desert in search of 'Indian arrowheads'. These artifacts were remnants of lives lived much earlier than the common concept of current tribes. In this process my father and my family discovered hundreds of sites where ancient peoples lived. The artifacts we found have been dated to 10,000 years ago.

As a result, I am extremely interested in the existence, behavior and treatment of indigenous peoples around the world. If there is anything that makes 'my blood boil' it is stories about the massive mistreatment of the indigenous people of the U.S. which continues to this day.

This book captures all of these elements from the period in the 1880s for Australia and life for white settlers, as well as the 'Blacks', as the aborigines were called at that time.

I mentioned that I am only 1/3 of the way through the book, but several items crucial for me are very clear.

First, the characterizations and the environmental descriptions are so illuminating. I can almost feel the sand blowing in my face as I experienced it in Wyoming.

Consider these examples of the writing:
"The whole bush smelled ready to burn. Dust blew in rivulets between the clutches of scrub and slid in great sheets over open ground."
---
"His skin was stretched tightly over his cheekbones, and his eyes were soft and milky, no color in them at all, fogged like a lantern whose wick has burned out."
---
"It rained for three full days, then in the sunshine of the fourth the earth steamed like it burned. Blankets of smoke rising and drifting across the ground, the air moist and close and fresh. The buildings creaked and ticked."

"These natives . . . they've the Devil in them, Tommy, they're naught but killers and thieves."

"We're on our own, Tommy. There ain't no God out here."

When I read a book, I am mostly interested in the various characters, their motivations, and the interactions between them. While all of the characters have a role to play the author always leads me to the one that, in essence captures the purpose of the story. In this case it is one brother, Tommy, that we follow to the end of the book.

The characters in this book can be listed in the following description.

"Only Killers and Thieves takes place in the nineteenth-century Australia. where two brothers in their mid-teens, Billy and Tommy, arrive home to discover a tragedy of senseless proportions. Not knowing where to turn, they rely on the only person they know who they believe can help them — John Sullivan, a ruthless and wealthy landowner, who is determined to help them get the revenge they seek. Together with Inspector Noone and his Native Queensland Police, their aim is nothing short of the genocide of the native Kurrong tribe. And these men without a conscience will do everything in their power to use the young brothers’ personal tragedy to their own despicable ends."

I was out today for a short walk without Percy and hobbling a bit from leg soreness but enjoying seeing many other dogs out with a walker. When I got to the tragedy mentioned above, I had to get to a bench to cope with the story. This book is brutally honest about this period and the societal forces at play.

I am not looking forward to this story going forward from this event, but I know that I must. These are real situations that occurred and brutal behavior that somehow, we need to understand. This is not a horror book meant to scare the reader but is in the vein of the Holocaust stories.

I plan to continue to completion of this audio book which has about 8.5 hours left. When I finish, I will amend my personal observations as best I can

In times of stress, we all need a 'cozy' book to help get some relief. Losing Percy and coming down with Covid certainly has stressed me a lot. Reading Only Killers and Thieves challenges many of my hot buttons and I needed such a book.

My Cozy book is most often a historical mystery and one I planned to read several years ago popped up in my TBR. It is The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart



London, 1703. Sir Barnaby Mayne, the most formidable of scientific collectors, has devoted his life to filling his cabinets. While the curious-minded vie for invitations to study the rare stones, bones, books, and artifacts he has amassed, for Cecily Kay, it is a passion for plants. The only puzzle she expects to encounter is how to locate the specimens she needs. But when her host is stabbed to death, Cecily finds the confession of the supposed killer unconvincing. She pays attention to details, and in the case of Sir Barnaby's murder, there are too many inconsistencies for her to ignore. To discover the truth, Cecily must enter the world of the collectors, a realm where intellect is distorted by obsession and greed. As her pursuit of answers brings her closer to a killer, she risks being given a final resting place amid the bones that wait, silent and still, in the cabinets of Barnaby Mayne.

This story is a real stress-reducer for me, but also a comprehensive plot that intrigues me a lot under any condition.

In spite of my enthusiasm for The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart it didn't click with my current condition. It was a very interesting story about an interesting group of people, called collectors, but I drifted off and decided I needed something different.

This led me to another book by Elsa Hart, and boy was I surprised and delighted. Even though the author is Italian the story is set in 18th Century China! I am not in any position to validate her representation of the period, but the details seemed accurate to my Western eyes.



From LT Descriptions:

Following the enthralling 18th century Chinese mysteries Jade Dragon Mountain and White Mirror, comes Elsa Hart's next Li Du adventure in City of Ink.
Li Du was prepared to travel anywhere in the world except for one place: home. But to unravel the mystery that surrounds his mentor's execution, that's exactly where he must go.
Plunged into the painful memories and teeming streets of Beijing, Li Du obtains a humble clerkship that offers anonymity and access to the records he needs. He is beginning to make progress when his search for answers buried in the past is interrupted by murder in the present.

Praise for City of Ink:
"As always, Hart excels at making even walk-on characters fully realized and at combining a gripping whodunit plot with a vivid evocation of the period. This entry solidifies her status as a top-notch historical mystery author." — Publishers Weekly
"Rich in period detail, a sharply rendered exotic setting, and a web of well-crafted plots, Li Du's third novel will appeal to fans of historical mysteries by Lisa See, Laura Joh Rowland, and Abir Mukherjee." — Booklist

After quite a long read I have finished this book and I owe you the review I promised, where I discuss the book's impact on me. As I pointed out earlier the plight of indigenous people throughout the history of the world has always been one of my personal interests.

This book offered me an opportunity to understand more about how Australia dealt with their personal 'problem' of the aboriginals existing in those lands when 'civilization' showed up.

As I read the story I was horrified with cruel and violent behavior by many individuals. As the story progressed the author brought in various subsidiary characters and sub-groups of the settlers, officials, the 'blacks' and others who were located elsewhere in Australia.

I have been struggling with the problem of discussing the diverse thoughts I have that were raised by this story. This morning it came to me that I had come to the point where this book is a Morality Play. Being totally unqualified to present the story from that view point I asked Copilot to write it for me. That product is presented below:

Only Killers and Thieves – A Morality Play of Conscience, Power, and the Inheritance of Violence

Paul Howarth’s Only Killers and Thieves isn't just a historical novel set-in colonial Queensland—it’s a raw, visceral morality play dressed in dust and blood. At its core, it dramatizes the collapse of moral certainties and the painful awakening to injustice through the eyes of two teenage brothers, Tommy and Billy McBride.

The Cast of Conscience
Like any morality play, the novel’s characters serve as larger symbols:
- Tommy, the younger brother, stands as the evolving conscience, grappling with doubt and guilt amid the brutal landscape around him.
- Billy, older and more easily swayed by colonial ideology and charismatic authority, represents the tragic descent into moral compromise.
- Inspector Noone, the zealot of racial violence, is less a man than a force of corruption—a Mephistophelian figure peddling righteousness through atrocity.

The Battle of Moral Absolutes
The novel unfolds like a cautionary tale where choices fracture along lines of justice, loyalty, and power. The brothers’ allegiance to their colonial heritage is tested by the complicity of those around them and their own participation in state-sanctioned violence against Aboriginal communities. The true antagonist isn't a single person, but a system sustained by dehumanization and silence.

Universality in a Harsh Landscape
Though steeped in the specificity of 1880s Queensland, the novel echoes the timeless question: Who becomes the villain when the law itself is unjust? It’s a tragedy that transcends borders—a young person’s journey into moral clarity, muddied by institutional hatred, familial loyalty, and historical lies. Readers from any era or culture can recognize the heartbreak of choosing between belonging and truth.

Judgment, Redemption, and the Cost of Awakening
As the story crescendos, we’re left with haunting reflections on how violence poisons legacy, and how silence enables cruelty. In the moral reckoning that follows, Tommy emerges as a kind of Pilgrim in a wilderness of ethics—not fully redeemed, but awakening to the enormity of his choices. It is a hard-won clarity, born of betrayal and grief.

It is horrifying to me as I near the end of my life to see that these issues still dominate and are being rebuilt before our eyes in our country.

I didn't mean to say that I am on my deathbed, but how else can one feel when they are 91 years old.

>107 JoeB1934: A dark book to choose for this moment in time. By the way, I hope you have fully recovered from Covid. Are you still getting out to walk, even without your chief instigator?

>109 labfs39: I tested negative for Covid yesterday and haven't really suffered very much at all. Yes, I am going for a short walk every morning as the best thing I can do is to see happy dogs out walking. I speak to old familiar friends, and they are so supportive of me, and their dogs come over and greet me as well.

I see their pleasure as a reflection of what Percy experienced, and it really helps me. The early morning walks are essential for me as for years Percy and I shared the early morning hours leading up to the walk where he went ballistic with joy.

Just today Carey brought home an 8-week-old Havanese puppy! Carey misses Percy as much as I do and friends advised her to take this step. In his way he is as cute as Percy but will be a smaller adult. I will post a photo in the next couple of days.

He isn't meant to replace Percy in our hearts but give us the kind of love and joy Percy gave us.

As to my reading of a 'dark' book, it just happens that because of my childhood the earliest social justice I ever felt strongly about was the treatment of 'Indians'. as we usually thought of them as being. My reading about them and their lives has been a major part of my life.

I have asked my family to spread my ashes on North Table Mountain in Wyoming where the site my father discovered has been shown to have been lived at for at least 10,000 years. I will show a photo of that site later after I process the ones taken on my last trip there.

In that sense, Only Killers and Thieves captures a subject that dominates my life from beginning to end. As I said in my life history project, I would like really to understand Who Am I? Where Did I Come From? and Where Am I Going?

As I said earlier It is horrifying to me as I near the end of my life to see that these issues still dominate and are being rebuilt before our eyes in our country.

Congratulations on the new addition to your family, Joe! Please post pictures.

I'm glad you are feeling better and that your illness was mild. It's nice to know the vaccines are doing their jobs.

I'm not surprised you read Only Killers and Thieves, only that you read it now. I was worried it would exacerbate your sadness. Fortunately you are a glass-half-full kind of person.

Aw! Darcy is adorable! I hope he loves walks as much as Percy did. I just realized how similar the two names sound. :-)

>113 labfs39: Havanese dogs love walks, and they are necessary for their development. Since Darcy is a pup, they will we be short for now and increase as he gets older. I will be involved in his walks, but Carey must always be there.

Darcy is really a new pet for Carey to raise, and he is already very attached to her. The reality is that I must adjust my walking to being by myself. I have already started back to be listening to an audio book like I used to do for years.

I experienced a set-back in my walking strength when in Wyoming and my walk today was only .5 miles and with some resting. These are close to home, but not in the neighborhood. I enjoy walking where I see happy dogs like Percy was, but I am not able to go to our most favorite walks without him.

>114 JoeB1934: I am not able to go to our most favorite walks without him.
Understandable, Joe. It will come.

>115 labfs39: Yes, I know and look ahead for that. Since my last post I saw something that is so relevant. the link is below:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/arts/music/brahms-romance-piano.html?unlocked...

You too have lost a pet and know what that entails. I hope your memories with Ace are still with you.

>116 JoeB1934: Today I found two of Ace's balls that had fallen through a gap in the deck. And I always though he was trying to get at chipmunks...

>117 labfs39: No matter how much we think we know our pets are thinking they have a world they live in and frequently we're not sure what they want.

Percy would come up to me while I was working at my computer and paw my arm.

As I look back most of the time, he just wanted me to give him a head rub. But other times he wanted me to give him some food, or a treat. Eventually I discovered that if he wanted food, he would turn his head away from the head pat and move away. If I went ahead and gave another head pat, he would move away again until I got up and started to go get something and his tail would wave enthusiastically as I now understood.

During his last days he really wasn't excited about food unless we picked the kibble out of a dish and almost hand fed him. If I left his dish, he would ignore it for a while, and I would have him appear at my side and he would look back at the dish where a little food was gone. He seemed to be saying, see what I did for you? I praised him a lot and he was happy.

I'm sorry about telling these stories but many of such stories are going through my mind and it helps to pass them on to someone like you who has lived through this event of losing a companion.

>118 JoeB1934: I get it, Joe. I still think of Ace a lot, and he's been gone much longer than Percy.

Solace Comes Through Reading & Talking

This morning, I went to Three Ponds Park which is a couple of miles from home to take a walk without Percy. It is one of our joint favorites and just driving up to the parking lot tears were in my eyes. I was determined to take the walk-through Percy's eyes and appreciate his joy. A good theory which is valid but practicing it is another thing.

In contrast with my walking with Percy I had an audio book to listen to, so I fired it up. The specific book is probably immaterial to others, but it fits me to a T.

The Book is The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer It is my most favorite genre of a historical mystery. Just for the curious here is how Copilot describes it:

📍 Dual Timeline Mystery
- 1926, Yorkshire: A neglected young girl named Celie Sheppard is lowered down cliffs to collect rare seabird eggs. She discovers a blood-red guillemot egg—an impossible natural wonder—that changes her family's fortunes and sets off a chain of obsession and greed.
- Present Day, Wales: Neurodivergent protagonist Patrick Fort and his friend Nick are drawn into a dangerous hunt after a robbery leaves Nick’s mother tied up and a carved case containing the same scarlet egg missing.

The subject of this post isn't this book, instead it is the role of listening to the book for me and my grief. I could tear up as we started up a small hill climb, but as soon as I listened to the detailed dialog about Celie and her family my tears ended, and I could enjoy the walk.

The importance of Talking came about a bit later as I started up another small climb that Percy always demanded I go. Sitting on a bench was an 'elderly' man (who am I to call anyone elderly). He was looking reflective, so I stopped and mentioned Percy.

He immediately brightened up and said he lost his dog back in December and was waiting until his neck surgery healed to get another one. He proceeds to tell the story of the many Border Collies he had walked there over many years. Unfortunately, the latest only lived 7 years because of a genetic defect.

Thus the importance of reading and talking.

I choked about a bit yesterday when my youngest niece said, "Back when Acey-boy was alive...". That's what she always called Ace.

>121 labfs39: What a fabulous photo! I choke up just looking at it.

I have long regretted the name I gave to this thread of mine where I spoke of reading 5-star books. Obviously not everyone ranks a book as 5-stars since each of us have our own criteria. The title should have read 'Books Memorable to Me'.

For 2023 and 2024 I listed books that I found most memorable to myself. This doesn't mean that you, or anyone else agrees with me on that book. If I said here are 5-star books I read in 2024 a reader of anyone of those books might be inclined to agree/disagree with that statement.

How do I arrive at the adjective, memorable, for any individual book? Anyone that knows me very well would label me as a 'numbers' guy. Yes, I am analytical when I go about finding books to read, but I become emotional when it comes to reading a book. A statement that qualifies a book as memorable is this one: "I really need to find someone to talk about this book".

I just finished The Impossible THING by Belinda Bauer and it is truly one of my memorable books of 2025.



Just to set the story here is how Copilot describes it:

🧠 Overview
- Genre: Historical Mystery / Crime Thriller
- Published: April 8, 2025
- Series: Follows Rubbernecker, featuring Patrick Fort
- Setting: 1920s Yorkshire & present-day Wales
- Themes: Obsession, exploitation, neurodivergence, nature vs. possession

🕰️ Dual Timeline Structure

- Past (1920s–1940s):
Celie Sheppard, a neglected girl from Metland Farm, discovers a rare blood-red guillemot egg while “climming” (being lowered on ropes to collect seabird eggs). She retrieves one annually for a collector, George Ambler, over 30 years.
- Present Day:
Patrick Fort and his friend Weird Nick investigate a robbery in which only a carved box containing a red egg was stolen. Their search leads them into the shadowy world of illegal egg trafficking and obsessive collectors.

This structure allows Bauer to explore how obsession and greed echo across generations.

I commonly have spoken about the importance to me of a story being well-written, and containing a mystery, or suspense. This can be called a literary mystery but that isn't a very common term. I most often use the adjectives of 'historical fiction with a mystery'. Literary fiction with a mystery is a more common tag set.

Again, from Copilot we have:

✍️ Writing Style & Pacing

- Bauer’s prose is vivid and economical. Her descriptions of the Yorkshire cliffs and nesting birds are especially evocative:
- “Celie had expected a cliff, but all she could see was a towering wall of birds... huddled wing to chocolate wing.”
- The historical sections unfold slowly and richly, while the modern-day plot moves briskly with sleuthing and suspense.

🔍 Themes

- Obsession: From egg collectors to Patrick’s fixation on teaspoons, obsession drives the narrative.
- Exploitation: Of nature, children, and even scientific institutions.
- Nature vs. Possession: Raises ethical questions about collecting and commodifying natural wonders.

One other thing I need to mention is that I basically never second-guess an author and wish they had done something differently with the plot. I am not a literary critic, and my personal feeling is that the author spent enormous amounts of time creating the story and my job is to respond emotionally and intellectually to the story as told.

With regard to the author, Belinda Bauer, this is a very exciting new author for me, and I have already purchased an audio book of hers The Rubbernecker, whose description also intrigues me. I had to go to Audible to get these books in a timely manner.

I will be writing a post later today that provides my thoughts about this date of July 4, 2025, which will, I fear, be the denouement of our Democracy.

First, I must relate an incident that shows how quickly the brain of an 8-week-old puppy can figure things out. We've had Darcy only 1 week and of course potty training him is a real chore. Carey has him pretty well trained to doing peeing outside, but pooping is another matter.

This morning, she fed him and took him outside to pee. Then she left him with me in my office/bedroom to watch him. Almost the moment she left Darcy came into my room and rapidly scanned the area where Percy often slept, dropped a small poop and rapidly exited the room. I followed him and went into the kitchen to fetch a poop bag. Darcy saw me pick up a bag and he immediately ran back to my room where the poop was.

We didn't have to do any of this training with Percy as he was 5-years old when we got him and his vocalization was excellent.

Out of the blue this morning I got a promo for this book:



Over his decades of studying dogs and their people, Elias has arrived at a deceptively simple Dogs make people’s lives better by making people better. Dogs improve us. They save us. They give our lives greater meaning and make our lives feel more fulfilled. By bringing them into our lives, they teach us to become the best versions of ourselves. They help us better understand our identity. They teach us patience and to foster deeper relationships with others. They remind us of the concept of purpose and commitment. We constantly seek those things in our human life, but so many of the answers are already right in front of us, in our dogs.

This statement says it all about how Percy affected me and, I think made me a better me.

I imagine that you will think I have tipped over the edge when you see I am recommending a Y/A book.



Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson brings readers a powerful story that delves deeply into life's burning questions about time and memory and what we take with us into the future.
It seems like Sage's whole world is on fire the summer before she starts seventh grade. As house after house burns down, her Bushwick neighborhood gets referred to as The Matchbox in the local newspaper. And while Sage prefers to spend her time shooting hoops with the guys, she's also still trying to figure out her place inside the circle of girls she's known since childhood. A group that each day, feels further and further away from her. But it's also the summer of Freddy, a new kid who truly gets Sage. Together, they reckon with the pain of missing the things that get left behind as time moves on, savor what's good in the present, and buoy each other up in the face of destruction. And when the future comes, it is Sage's memories of the past that show her the way forward. Remember Us speaks to the power of both letting go . . . and holding on.

This description doesn't say much about racism, but it persists in all aspects of the lives of the families portrayed. The title Remember Us actually says it all.

Remember Us is the most valid phrase I can think of to describe our population on this disastrous July 4, 2025.

I was on a walk that was one of Percy's favorites while listening to this story. I couldn't, and still can't, get away from thinking about the consequences of the new Trump budget bill for the vast number of people who have been pushed aside as if they aren't of any consequence.

I am a numbers guy who remembers with clarity the way the military downplayed the count of people lost, ours and theirs, in the Vietnam war. More recently the way Trump pooh-poohed the Covid deaths. Now all of government is geared to bypass science or claim as true false science.

The Vietnam war only came to an end when the true and accurate numbers became visible to the population. I wish for some competent analyst who could publish daily a 'body' count of the consequences of Trump's war on our Democracy. Actual deaths, increases in poverty rates, children not getting care for their health. I can't even think of the many ways to measure what we are headed into.

I am truly frightened with the United States situation where a Russian asset is in charge and the vast majority of politicians are more interested in their survival than that of the country.

>126 JoeB1934: Great post Joe. Although Independence Day in America has never meant as much to me as it has to American raised here, this Fouth of July meant nothing at all to me today.

Today I walked on the last special walking location that Percy, and I loved so much. As I was close to finishing the walk I passed a 'special' location where other walkers had mentioned Percy to me. These statements were:

1) A woman helping me retrieve Percy from a tangle of bushes, grasses and branches said: "Your dog is really adventurous!"
2) A couple walking by said: "We see that your dog is taking you for a walk "
3) A cyclist coming toward us said: "That is a VERY happy dog "

That truly was Percy.

I have been doing some thinking centered around the thought: You need to move ahead

I haven't been pursuing my life history project, except for digitizing our fairly large library of slides, but I have lost some momentum.

Currently I am working on a PowerPoint presentation of my somewhat discouraging Wyoming trip. This is mostly for my oldest living relative who is 94 and living in CA with a very large family of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a big part of my childhood, especially vacations on Fremont Lake.

She is the most positive person I have ever known, in spite of relaced hips, knees and glaucoma which has her very nearly blind. She is very religious and speaks of praying for me every day. I haven't the heart to tell her I don't believe in religion anymore. I am really having difficulty deciding whether I should tell her about Percy.

Her family of descendants are very athletic, intellectually gifted and successful in business. She has 3 nurses for round-the-clock care and tomorrow they are all gathering in Lake Tahoe at their large estate. She is a diehard sports fan, and I get texts very frequently about her discussions about grandchildren who are quite successful in colleges out in CA. She follows all the major sports pro and college and knows players in great detail.

She is counting on me to help her familiarize her family with some of her life before she moved to CA., I have gathered photos of our trip and a few slides from our childhood, but we weren't taking many photos back in those days, so they are limited.

Using PP is so much better as I can add text explaining the significance of the photos. At any rate I will get something done.

Meanwhile I have also been doing thinking about reading and the use of LT in selecting books to read and saying a bit about them. I am thinking about this subject and feel I need to evolve somewhat. I will lay out those thoughts some time over the next few days.

Hi Joe, and congratulations on the new addition to your family. My sister has a Havanese and he is a joy to all of us! Your reading is as impressive as always. Belinda Bauer is a favorite author of mine and I am looking forward to getting to The Impossible Thing. Right now I am enjoying The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger.

>130 DeltaQueen50: All of William Kent Krueger's books are very special for me. Each one of them has had a significant impact on me. The River We Remember is so perceptive about human relationships and behavior. One of my most favorable books of 2024.

Talk about impressive reading, my TBR is overwhelmed with books coming from your book reading. I spoke in >129 JoeB1934: about my needing to reevaluate my process and face reality that my annual volume has to be 50 books, or less per year. I could easily just pluck those 50 out of your reading and be very rewarded, but somehow that feels like cribbing from a copy of a test.

I don't know where I found my latest read, which is City of Ink by Elsa Hart but I am sure happy I did find it. It is an exeptional historical mystery set in 18th Century China of all things. The portrait of all aspects Chinese politics and personalities are so interesting. It is set as a police procedural but details of life during that time is incredible.

After starting the book, I did some searching to find out more about the author and came across the Macavity Award Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery in 2019 It turns out that I have read 15 books that have been nominees. Two members I am familiar with @benitastrnad and @chatterbox have 25 such books. I have encountered @benitastrnad since my early days with LT and amazingly often she has acquired a book when I get to it.

Some of you might be aware that about 1.5 years ago I started to write my life history for the benefit of my descendants and for myself in order to crystallize in my mind what I have been doing with my life.

I spent about a year writing about my professional life. I chose to start there for several reasons, but the most important one was that I worked for US national security departments for 40 years and, while not all of that time were security restrictions in place, I hadn't described many of my job experiences.

Since then, I have been doing some digitizing of photos and slides to use in describing my childhood, but without much of a sense of urgency. Percy's death has shown me that life doesn't always go on our schedule and yesterday there was confirmation that I could be a great grandfather in 9 months.

Book reading now becomes a pastime for hours here and there as I produce a PowerPoint presentation of my early life.

Congratulations on soon becoming a great-grandfather!

>134 labfs39: Thank you, it will be my first one.

First, a funny story about Mr Darcy and his puppy training. Of course at 8 weeks old he isn't house broken. This morning Carey carried hm out on to the patio and back yard where he did a poop. Carey praised him greatly and brought him in to get treats.

Then she picked up a bag and went out to collect the item. Darcy went with her and watched the exercise. She tied up the bag and left it on the patio for taking to trash later.

Darcy ran over and grabbed the bag and ran back into the house, passing me on the way and I couldn't slow him down. Carey came in and had to pry it out of his mouth.

It seemed to us that he was establishing ownwership.

Knowing the human Mr Darcy, he was probably quite affronted, and was annoyed that the bag was left on the patio, seeing it as an invasion of his privacy.

>138 kjuliff: Other notable behaviors are these:

1) He recognizes his image when he looks in a mirror at ground level in Cary's room. He looks at it every time. he passes it and gives a small woof.
2) He plays games with every person that comes to Carey's teaching sessions, running around and always has everyone laughing with him, including parents who are on the floor with him.
3) He wants to chew on them, including clothes. toes, etc. Yesterday he wouldn't stop from chewing on the sock of the student at the piano. Carey had to place him in the crate in her bedroom, and he complained mightily.

I have completed a PowerPoint presentation of our Wyoming trip. It is 46 slides and has a Memoriam to Percy who died on the trip. I did it as a part of my life history project and it explains some of what we did in my childhood.

It isn't private but if anyone would like a PDF of it just send me your email in a message to me.

In addition to reading, I am making progress on a plan for what I will concentrate on in my future reads. I imagine that those plans will be of interest to some. I will be detailing it this coming weekend.

Why Do I Read Anything at All?

Everyone has their own reasons for this, but for me it is a way to experience time travel through history in different ways.

The ultimate version of this would be a video showing what life was like in Paleo Indian time in Wyoming. That will never happen, so I resort to reading about what various archeological excavations tell us. Another version of this is reading Scottish literature about the times of my ancestors.

A primary reading objective in any book are the individuals in a story and what/how they dealt with events in their lives.

I am setting out on a journey into my own reading past to see what I can learn about how reading helped me.

While out on a walk today without Percy I started off feeling pretty sorry for myself. Then I thought, but Percy was really happy on these walks, and he gave me memories that are similar to reading a book. We all have read books where you could hardly wait for events/chapters to be described. Sometimes we even do a re-read to recapture those thrills.

In my case I list the book as one of the most memorable for the year and when I see a cover of that book later, I can somehow recapture those emotions just briefly. When I see a picture of Percy, I now can think of his life with me in the form equivalent to a most memorable book. Enjoy reliving the experiences, but just know that the 'author' won't be producing other enjoyable books.

>141 JoeB1934: Insightful and well- put, Joe.

How Should I use LT in my Book Reading Process

I joined LT in 2021 with the objective of finding books to read that match with my interests. In my profile that I created in 2021 I said:

1) My Scottish and Slovenian ancestors and their lives before they came to the United States.
2) Early 20th century and the life of immigrants after they arrived here.
3) How the earliest migrations into North America, called Paleo Indians came to be and how society continues to deal with the lives of current Native Americans.
4) Anything related to Wyoming.
5) All aspects of development of mankind over millions of years and how current scientific research reveals phenomenal insight into how mankind populated the world.
6) The use of strategy and intelligence in national defense.

By and large I still have these as my objective. Over the years the process has been refined as I outlined in >1 JoeB1934:

In the intervening 4 years I have learned a lot about myself, namely:
1) I am a numbers guy when it comes to finding book, but I am emotional during the process of reading.
2) I am not a reviewer and always on the side of the author when it comes time to evaluate a book. Fundamentally, I think that if I don't understand something in a book, I think it is my problem, not the authors.
3) The process I use for finding a book isn't really of much interest to most people. At most, members want to get a list of books they might be interested in,
4) A few members would like to hear about the 'emotional' impact a book had on me. In the future I will produce that for some books I read.

Thanks for any viewers who have followed along on my path, and I hope you consider my upcoming posts to be worthy of following along.

When I started this new stage in my reading life I had a TBR that amounted to about 600 books! My thinking was to develop a method for floating books to the top of the TBR. But that is really hard.

I have chosen instead to recognize my next reading stage as if I was a newbie to the LT world and discard the whole TBR to build a new list which reflects who I am at 91. Since I don't own any physical books, I can throw away the entire list without financial, or emotional regrets.

I haven't yet created a new thread that coincides as if I was an actual 'newbie' but when I do it will be on the 2025 Category Challenge Group

My challenge will be to start afresh without any existing TBR members. I hope to read around 50 books in my 91st year and report on why I chose them and my reaction to them.

I will post a link here when I create something to link with.

My link to my new book selection process in 2025 Category Challenge Group is as follows
https://www.librarything.com/topic/372402#n8902852

I have decided to continue posting here as my objective of this thread are still existent. I will catch you up, if you are interested, with my current Memorable of 2025 books.

It is fair for you to ask why I have two different threads going on the same subject. In some ways it depends on the audience I assume might be interested in the books I read.

I have found over the years that readers of the Club Read Group tend to be interested in authors for old times and new. Interest in mysteries exists, but mostly for relaxation rather than dedicated interests. I apologize if my characterizations aren't precisely accurate as they are based mostly on my personal observations.

I have observed that the members of the Category Challenge Group are exactly as the name described. Finding books that meet a personal challenge of a category of their choosing. There seems to be more interest in mysteries, but the challenges go far beyond that simple form.

--------------------------------------My Most Memorable of 2025 YTD 07-21

My new TBR developed from Non-LT sources is as presented below:



The main category of genres is Literary Historical Mysteries, with touches of romance and women's fiction/

I have been spending time in my @JFBCore account working on finding books to read based on my personal list of favorite Genres/Themes and found a book to read that is from Belinda Bauer that matches very well with my pure literary mystery preferences.



Important tags for this book are: Mystery, Thriller, Aspergers, Autism, English Literature


This book is from the same author as The Impossible Thing, which is on my memorable 2025 list also.

Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer is a psychological thriller about Patrick Fort, a medical student with Asperger’s Syndrome, who becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind a cadaver’s suspicious death during anatomy class. As he investigates, his literal-minded perspective leads him to unravel a hidden murder, while a parallel storyline follows a coma patient who may hold vital clues. The novel explores themes of death, perception, and the struggle to communicate when no one’s listening.

What Have I Been Up To?

It has been a while since I spoke about what occupies me after my 91st birthday. I was physically and emotionally drained after my Wyoming trip, but I am back to 'normal'.

The loss of Percy was a huge loss for me, but Carey acquired a new puppy, Mr. Darcy, and he is such a joy that I can now go on a walk without tearing up.
Darcy is a Red Havanese and so bright and friendly to everyone. Lots of laughing has replaced some of the sorrow.

Mr. Darcy is only about 5 pounds and 15 weeks old so lots of potty training and Carey's students are absolutely enamored with him. He won't replace Percy but will be a new family member

Of more interest to all of you book readers, I have dropped the use of the Tag Mirror for categorizing the attributes of my favorite books. As you know about me by now is that I have spent a lot of time trying to define my book reading by more than the basic genres provided by LT. Instead, I have tried to develop tag-genres that my books match up with.

The problem is that the LT tags come from readers and not that many members actually invest the time in creating precise tags other than for their own bookkeeping tags. I decided that if I was ever going to obtain a reasonable set of defined tags it would come from sources outside of LT.

I went looking for an alternative and found an excellent one described in my next post.

I added about 2300 books from my LT library to create a FICTIONDB library. What you see here are the counts of my books in what they call Sub-Genres.

I really didn't need to refine my searching into other categories of Theme. People/Creatures, Age Level or Time Period.

The VERY important feature is that they identify each book as to which sub-genre is the primary one for the book. Looking at the book detail provides all ofd the relevant sub-genres the book also belongs to.

If you look at my sub-genre list, you can see the complete set of them for the book.

I decided to show their detail for Isola. It is displayed below.

Note, especially the phrase: Click on any of the links above to see more books like this one.
You truly can click and obtain a list of other books that match the designation.

It is also important to note that Women's Fiction ranks quite high in my books. I started to recognize this over the last few years as it became very common to have that component in favorite books.

I added 3 books from the Booker list that I identified as of most interest to me. They are Love Forms, Audition and Misinterpretation.

I am quite confident that they will be, at least, worthy of starting to read.

................................. Here are the books on my target list to read soon

My preference for showing only the covers is here:

>155 JoeB1934: Joe, I think you enjoy Misinterpretation. I’m down to the last chapter and it’s the first of the three I’ve either read or started to read.

It has enough “mystery“ make you keep wanting to read, and it doesn’t involve any tricks or strange structures that can get One confused.

As unlimited to audiobooks, I won’t be reading the whole long list to date Misinterpretation.
is the only one I’d recommend for the short list.

How Important has my New Genre Focus been for me?

This process of switching from Tag Mirror Tags to Librarian-like Genre and Sub Genre tags has provided me with the process I have been searching for since I joined LT.

For the duration of my LT life, I have been confronted with decisions about deciding to read a book that another LT member discussed. I could read the reviews and the synopsis of a book.

I always looked at the tags produced in LT for a book, mostly to see if mystery was among them. For new books the LT tags are often non-existent, so I would go to GR to see what they had to say about the book. The number of readers on GR are usually far greater than LT, so I could obtain better info there.

A major problem with this 'mystery' focus is that most readers equate the word with 'crime' and it isn't really crime that I'm after. A better word would be 'Suspense'. Another problem is that I want 'well written' books, which usually equates to 'literary' books. The literary focus isn't one that many readers provide either.

Usually, I would make a 'gut' determination that I might like the book in spite of lacking full visibility. The Avg Rating has always been important to me and a rating of 4+ could swing me there.

I could solve some of these issues by focusing on books being read by LT members that I admire. However, it appears that not many of my LT friends actually read an abundance of books that I prefer.

A perfect example of the benefit I obtain from this new process can be demonstrated by describing what I did when the new Booker list was announced.

It took me about 1 hour to run through the 13 books in Booker and to determine that there are 3 books that I believe I would like to read. They are: Love Forms, Audition and Misinterpretation. It is possible that there are others that I 'might' enjoy, but these 3 were slam-dunks.

Just for your enjoyment here are the Genre Tags for each book:

Love Forms: General Fiction, Suspense, Literary, Psychological Suspense, Family/Siblings.

Audition: Thriller, Suspense, Women's Fiction, Psychological Suspense.

Misinterpretation: Literary, General Fiction. Women's Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Divorce, Family/Siblings.

It turns out that Women's Fiction, Psychological Suspense, and Family/Siblings are important to me in my reading.

>158 JoeB1934: Joe, I could have told you that!!!😊

>159 kjuliff: I knew it also but couldn't see procedurally how to obtain the correct genres for any book with such little effort. I am curious about the Booker list. Some, like Dan simply read them all. Do you do a process anything like this in choosing which books to read?

>160 JoeB1934: No, I do not have a method at all. I usually look at books liked by other LT members, the Irish Times or The Guardian, and certain friends. I only really research books unless I’ve never heard of the writer.

I have some favorite writers, but most of the modern writers that I like are getting a bit old and not producing as many books or passing on.

I’m limited in what I can read because it needs to be available on audio, but I have more audio access the most because I member of the NLS Talking Books program, which allows for unlimited reading time and no holds at all.

There is some books that I would never read and am turned off books that are well reviewed in theLA Times.

I’m up for any genre except horror.

So it’s all a bit of a mishmash for me.

Regarding the Booker I will normally read all available, and unless they are very long, and in that case, I would wait to see if they’re shortlisted.

>161 kjuliff: In many ways I would describe my practice as very similar to yours. I have a list of about 300 authors I have accumulated over the years that I read pretty much any new ones.

If I follow the members of Club Read, I can get a lot of ideas but, generally speaking not many consistently comment on books I want. I think of such members as mostly belonging to what I call the 'literary crowd'.

I find that certain members of the 2025 Category Challenge Group generally speaking have more genres that I am interested in. It's the new authors that I run across where I seem to be an early reader that has re-charged me to do this step.

Last year I discovered BookBrowse.com which is really on top of books being new or recently published. Quite a number of my favorite books from last year, and this year came from them. They have their own set of genres, sub-genres, etc. quite similar to FICTIONDB (FDB).

I tried very hard to use them as my source for genres but found their software wasn't quite extensive enough, or as convenient as FDB.

For example, I couldn't evaluate the Booker list anywhere as completely as I did with FDB.

My new practice is to take a new book idea from anywhere, including LT Members, media, Book Browse, Goodreads etc. and simply go to FDB to enter the book title/author, and I instantly can see if the book has any promise for me.

Of equal value is that I can do a genre search in FDB for any of my favorite mix of genres and come up with so many good ideas that I don't need any other sources.

I understand that every reader has their own process for determining what book to read next.

This just happens to suit me just fine, and I am not telling ANYONE else they should use this.

I imagine your process is similar to that of the vast majority of LT members.

If you want to see an outstanding example of a different approach, take a look at DELTAQUEEN50 over on Category Challenge.

I don’t know where to find that and it’s too hard for my eyes to search Joe. I’m happy with my approach as you are with yours. Anyway I’m glad you’ve found something you’re happy with.

On another note, my reading is not genre-based.

Hi Joe! I'm finally catching up on your thread. I apologize for being late to the party. Can I start by saying Mr. Darcy is adorable! I can see how he would win a place in your heart, even though he will never take Percy's place.

Thank you for introducing FictionDB. I had never heard of it, and it seems like a incredible database. It's hard to believe one woman is the prime driver and programmer. A true book lover. I will need to spend some time playing with it, but it seems like an interesting resource, especially for genre readers.

As you know, I am much more haphazard than you in choosing my books. I enjoy the serendipitous find, but it does lead to the occasional dud, and I'm sure I miss out on other books. For me too, LT is less about finding books, and more about connecting with people who love books. I could read in a silo, but it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. :-)

I'm glad you are doing well, Joe. You remain an inspiration with your sharp intellect, curiosity, and positive outlook. Thank you for continuing to share your journey with us.

>164 labfs39: Thank you for your comments. An excellent way to use FICTIONDB is to have it open and when you are considering a book to read enter the Title and Author in the search field. You will get quickly a view of the book which should be useful if you are like me. Even if you aren't a genre reader.

The first book I read after FDB is The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott. It is a terrific historical mystery.
FDB Genres: General Fiction, Suspense, Historical, Historical Mystery, Literary

Paris, 1815. Daniel Connor, a young medical student from Edinburgh, has arrived to study anatomy at the Jardin des Plantes -- only to realize that his letters of introduction and precious coral specimens, on which his tenure with the legendary Dr. Cuvier depends, have been stolen. His thief turns out to be a beautiful woman who lives in a shadowy realm of outlaws, philosophers, and émigrés.
As Daniel falls in love with her, he discovers a radical theory of evolution that irrevocably changes his conception of the world.

I don't know how factual these historical details are, but I was astounded at the rational and scientific theory of evolution at 1815.

A 5-star book in my view.

>166 JoeB1934: I don't know how factual these historical details are

Interesting. Stott is a scholar at Cambridge on the history of science, so one would assume she knows her stuff. Her book Darwin's Ghosts, however, was harshly criticized for errors and misrepresentations, so I don't know. I'm currently reading The Beak of the Finch and have been looking for a book on Darwin, but will avoid that one.

Edited to add quote

.................. How Can I Find Really Good Books by Using the Genre Analysis?

After finishing the analysis that I described previously, I decided to take a look at the books in my LT library like a fly-over of my library to find the peaks and valleys in my genres.

Out of 30+ possible sub-genres I was able to uncover the top 15 that were most significant by virtue of the numbers of books that contained these genres.

The next post summarizes what I learned from that exercise.

My first conclusion is that my inherent preference for literary historical mysteries is actually the strongest attribute in my library. Additionally, any book which contains Psychological Suspense is likely a tip that the book should be interesting to me.

It is also obvious that I am not a big fan of Crime, Romance or Science Fiction.

I intend to use this analysis further by studying the FDB lists of the TOP 100 books in genres that I want to emphasize in the next few months.

>170 JoeB1934: Interesting data. I can see how the sub-genres would be super helpful for you in finding the books you want.

....................................... The Books I Have Chosen to Place on Hold

I have The Marriage Portrait on my shelves. I'll look forward to your impressions.

......................... My Focus on Genres tells me a lot about why I loved these books

Copilot Provides A Review

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters is set in 1922 London, where Frances Wray and her mother, struggling financially, take in lodgers—Lilian and Leonard Barber. As Frances and Lilian begin a secret affair, tensions rise, culminating in a violent crime that entangles them in a gripping legal and emotional fallout. The novel blends romance, class conflict, and psychological suspense in a postwar domestic setting.

🎭 Thematic Breakdown of The Paying Guests
🏠 Class and Social Change
- The Wrays’ financial decline reflects the post–WWI erosion of the British upper-middle class.
- The Barbers, from the "clerk class," represent the rising working class, challenging traditional hierarchies.
- Waters explores the discomfort and intimacy of shared domestic space across class lines.
💔 Desire and Repression
- Frances’s same-sex attraction unfolds in a society that demands secrecy and self-denial.
- The novel examines how emotional and sexual repression shapes identity and choices.
- Lilian’s struggle between duty and passion underscores the cost of conforming to societal norms.
⚖️ Guilt, Justice, and Moral Ambiguity
- A central crime forces characters to confront ethical dilemmas and the limits of legal justice.
- Waters blurs the line between victim and perpetrator, asking whether truth or survival matters more.
- The courtroom scenes intensify the psychological tension, revealing the fragility of truth under scrutiny.
🕰️ Postwar Disillusionment
- The aftermath of WWI haunts the characters—loss, trauma, and the collapse of old certainties.
- Frances’s domestic life is a microcosm of a nation grappling with change and grief.
- The novel captures a transitional moment in British history, where modernity clashes with tradition.

My Personal Reactions to The Book

I do not possess the capability to read a book and connect with the societal dimensions as described by Copilot. What I can do is to detail my individual reactions.

First, from the opening pages I was stunned by the clarity and quality of the writing. Sarah Waters has the capability to invite the reader into her mind. This journey becomes very personal and intimate. Not her thinking about the societal issues scale. Small details about what she was thinking during every hour of the day.

Second, this book is NOT a mystery! Instead, it is a detailed story of what goes on in a person searching for their sexual identity. The crime in this story, from my perspective is simply a dramatic event which provides the author more opportunities to describe how the individuals react to what could become a breakdown point in their relationship.

I have a family member that is dealing with their sexual identity and, of course, I don't know their thoughts and struggles, nor do I want to know them. This story simply allows me to go along on the trip that one 'fictional' character took.

Which takes me back to my reaction described in my first comment. How can an author write like this?

Just this morning I read about a new book that is so interesting that I am using an Audible credit so I can read it before the 15 week hold wait. The book is When The Crane Flies South by Lisa Ridzen translated from Swedish.



The extensive description of the book is:

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE SWEDISH BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD • A profoundly moving debut novel that follows an elderly man’s attempts to mend his relationship with his son before it’s too late: an emotional story of love, friendship, fatherhood, dogs, and atonement that is already an international sensation. One of those ‘you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to buy twenty copies and give them to everyone you love’ books.” —Fredrik Backman, bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, in The New Yorker “A powerful, sneakily emotional meditation on life and death, and the foundational relationships in our lives. This is a book that will echo in your soul.” —Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the RainBo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he’s got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound Sixten to keep him company … though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years.

The sentence: "The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years" expresses similarities with me at the age of 91.

>177 JoeB1934: Great comments on The Paying Guest, and I agree, it's more of an exploration of identity than a traditional 'mystery' but I also enjoyed it very much.

>177 JoeB1934: Thanks for sharing your personal impressions of The Paying Guest. I have not yet read any books by Sarah Waters, but your comments on her writing, make me think I should.

>178 JoeB1934: This sounds so good, but I'm not sure I'm reading to read a dog book yet.

I don't plan to post additional thoughts on this thread. Instead, my posting will be on Joeb1934 Books I Am Reading in my 90's

I am concentrating my reading using the genre focused analyses I have been working on since my 91st birthday. I have found that there are loads of books I have found that really interest me and this has caused me to choose The Best of The Best in order to whittle the list down to numbers I actually might read over the next year.

I hope to discuss my book reading with you at:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/370229#n8940550

>88 JoeB1934: I'm so sorry! I know I am several months behind with your posts, but my heart is breaking for you reading this. Our pets give us so much, and losing them is just one of the hardest things in the world. I will keep reading, and I hope that time has softened the loss, and that you are comforted by wonderful memories.

>182 WelshBookworm: You can find a memoriam I wrote about Percy at:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/370229#8940329

You will find there how I am coping with his leaving me. I have settled in a lot more than the post you just read.

>183 JoeB1934: Yes, I have caught up now, and am happy to see you doing well. I am glad that you have Mr. Darcy. He will be a great comfort.

You make me think about my process for choosing books, which is probably much more random than yours, but the books you rate highly are also books that I have rated highly, so I think we have very similar tastes in what we consider an excellent book. I do read many mediocre books - for various reasons. But I wonder how that will change in 20 years when I am 90! I do know that I need to spend some time paring down my TBR list (on Goodreads) which is somewhere around 4,000 titles! I do know that where you love analysis, I love creating lists and so I'm always adding more books. And I haven't even gotten around to adding all the books I actually own. Now that I'm retired, that might be a winter project.

>177 JoeB1934: Sarah Waters is a favorite of mine, I've read all her books with Fingersmith and Little Strangers at the top of the list. She is an incredible writer....

>185 almin: I totally agree with your assessment of Sarah Waters. I too have read her other books, but they were in the 2012-2015 time period. The problem is I wasn't perceptive enough in my reading understanding during that period. I should go back and read them at this stage of my life.