Deborah ( vancouverdeb) thread 6

Muffin

My latest puzzle, A Cozy Day

I'm Deborah, married for 42 years and counting. I have two adult sons and one is married and they have two young children. This will be my 15 year in the 75's. Both Dave and I are retired and we recently adopted a dog , Muffin , who will be two at the end of December.

January

1)The Undoing of Violet Claybourne by Emily Critchley mine, UK, F, 5 stars
2) Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa , library, Japan, M, 3 stars
3) The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon , mine, USA, F, 4.5 stars
4)Always Pack a Candle by Marion McKinnion Crook,library Canada, F, 4 stars
5)How To Read a Book by Monica Wood, mine, USA, F, 4 stars
6)The Booklover's Library: A Novel by Madeline Martin, library , USA, F, 3.5 stars

February

7) Night Shadows by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir, library, Iceland, F, 4 stars
8) Isola by Allegra Goodman, mine, USA,F 4.5 stars
9)The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan, library, Ireland M,3.5 stars,
10) Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell, mine, F, Ireland, 4 stars

March

11) Small Bombs at Dimperly by Lissa Evans , mine, UK, F, 4 stars
12)Fagin The Thief by Allison Epstein, library, USA, F, 5 stars
13) Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis mine, UK, F , 3.5 stars
14) Three Days In June by Anne Tyler, library, USA, F, 3.5 stars

April

15)Boys Who Hurt by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir, mine, Iceland, F, 4 stars
16)Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout, library, USA, F, 4 stars
17) The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue, library, Canada, F, 4 stars
18)Murder At Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd, mine, UK, F, 4. 5 stars
19)A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike, mine, UK, F 5 stars
20)Can't Run, Can't Hide by Yrsa Sigurdardorttir , Iceland, mine, F, 4. 25 stars
21) Finding Flora by Elinor Florence, Canada, library, F, 4 stars

May

22) The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji, USA, mine, F, 3 stars
23) The Sirens by Emilia Hart, Australia ,mine, F, 4 stars
24)A Fine Balance by Rohiniton Mistry, mine, M, Canada, 4.5 stars
25)Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent, mine, UK, F, 3 stars
26)These Days by Lucy Caldwell, mine, Ireland, F 4 stars

June

27) The Adversary by Michael Crummey, library, Canada, M, 4 stars
28) Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin, mine, Canada, F, 3.5 stars
29 )The Best of Everything by Kit de Waal mine, UK, F, 4 stars
30) Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein library , Trinidad, M, 4 stars
31)Death at the White Hart: A Novel by Chris Chibnall, library, M, UK, 3.5 stars
32) A Schooling in Murder by Andrew Taylor, mine, M, UK, 4 stars

July

33)Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor, mine, M, UK, 4 stars
34)The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, library, M, UK, 4 stars
35) Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, library, F, USA, 4. 5 stars
36)Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller, library, F, USA, 3 stars,
37) The Searcher by Tana French, mine, F, American/Irish 4 stars
38)The Names by Florence Knapp,library, F, UK, 4 stars
39) So Far Gone by Jess Walter, library, M, USA , 4 stars
40)Days of Light by Megan Hunter, library, F, UK, 2.5 stars

August

41) Cold As Hell by Lilja Sigurdardottir, mine, F, Iceland, 4 stars
42) Love Forms by Claire Adam, library, F, Trinidad, 3.5 stars
43)Mrs Spy by M J Robotham, library, F, UK, 4.5 stars
44)The Women on Platform Two byLaura Anthony, library, F, USA, 4.5 stars
45)The Very Marrow of our Bones by Christine Higdon, mine, F, Canada, 3.5 stars
46)A Murder in Paris: A Novel by Matthew Blake, mine, M, UK, 3.5 stars
47)Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte, McConaghy, library, F, Australia, 4 stars

September

48) The Whistling by Rebecca Netley , mine, F, UK, 4 stars
49) 33 Brugmann Place by Alice Austen, mine, F, USA, 4 stars
50) The Book Club for Troublesome Women, by Marie Bostwick, F, USA, mine, 4 stars
51)Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James, F, USA, mine, 4 sta rs

October

52) A Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia by Kiran Desai, F , library, 4 stars
53)Five Found Dead by Silari Gentill , F, Australia, library, 2. 5 stars
54) The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, F, USA, library, 4 stars
55)The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer: A Mystery by Ragnar Jonasson, M, Iceland, mine, 4 stars
56) Pick a Colour: A Novel by Souvankham Thammavongsa, F, Canada , library, 2 stars
57) Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green , M, USA, library, 4 stars
58) The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridson, M, Iceland, mine, 3.5 stars
59)The Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner, F, Canada/ UK , mine, 3 stars

November

60) The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell , F, UK, mine, 4 stars
61) The Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, F, UK, library. 4.5 stars
62)I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney, M , USA, library, 3. 5 stars
63) The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan, M, Ireland, mine, 3 stars
64) The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb, M, USA, library , 4.5 stars
65)The Midnight Hour: A Novel by Eve Chase. F, UK, library, 4 stars

December

66) Evensong by Stewart O'Nan M,USA, library, 4 stars
67)Home Before Dark: The dark, twisty, utterly chilling new psychological thriller from the Queen of Icelandic Suspense by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir, F, Iceland, mine, 5 stars
68)What I Know About You by Eric Chacour, M, Canada, library, 3.5 stars
69) Seascraper by Benjamin Wood, M, UK, mine,
70) The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry, ,pseudonym, m/f couple, UK, mine , 4 stars
71) Murder at Mallowan Hall (Phyllida Bright Mysteries Book 1) by Colleen Cambridge, kindle, mine, UK, 4 stars
72) Cape Fever by Nadia Davids, F, Australia, library, 4 stars
73) The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry, pseudonym, m/f couple, UK, mine, 4 stars
74) An Honest Thief by Fyodor Dostoevsky, male, Russia, kindle/ mine, 3 stars
75) A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge, female, UK, library, 4 stars

Prize Winners and Nominees

Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell, Women's Prize Longlist, 2025
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis, Women's Prize Shortlist, 2025
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout , Women's Prize for Fiction , Shortlist 2025
A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike, Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2025
The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji, Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist , 2025
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry , 1001 Books to read Before You Die, Giller Prize 1995, Booker Prize shortlist 1995,
These Days by Lucy Caldwell, Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction Winner – 2023
The Adversary by Michael Crummey International Dublin Literary Award Winner, 2025
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction Winner, 2025, Booker Shortlist 2025
Love Forms by Claire Adams 2025 Booker Longlist ,
The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia by Kiran Desai, 2025 Booker Shortlist
Pick a Colour: A Novel by Souvankham Thammavongsa, Giller Prize 2025
The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan , Booker Longlist, 2013
What I Know about You by Eric Charcour,International Dublin Literary Award , nominated 2026, Giller Prize Shortlist 2024
Seascraper by Benjamin Wood, Booker Prize Longlist 2025

Welcome to my new thread. Please drop a star, delurk, lurk , say hi . All welcome!

The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridason 4 stars

Scandinavian noir. A mystery by an author I have read often previously.

An older woman is found murdered in her apartment, and the apartment ransacked. A few days earlier, she had asked retired Detective Konrad to help her find the infant she gave up for adoption some fifty years ago, but he declined. Troubled by not helping this woman, Konrad vows to do whatever he can to find her child. Meanwhile, he is trying to investigate the long ago murder of his abusive father. This story has a dark ending.

Recommended.

>1 vancouverdeb: That's a nice picture of Muffin. Is she still growing?

Happy new thread Deborah!

>16 vancouverdeb: Nice way to start a happy new thread, Deborah!

Happy new one, Deb. Love that puzzle!! (and of course, Muffin)

Happy Wednesday, Deborah. Happy New Thread. Any recent visits from the grandkids?

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Deborah. Love the photo of Muffin!!

Happy new thread Deborah!

Hi Deborah, happy new thread. I've read 11 of the books you've read this year. Quite a few were BBs. I like the puzzle. Nice! I didn't realize Muffin was so young. She is just in her adolescent years. Yeah, Blue Jays!

Happy new thread, Deborah. You've done a lot of good reading this year.

Happy new thread, Deborah!

Happy new thread, Deb. I see your Booker shortlist has two four stars. Out of Miller and Desai which one did you prefer?

Happy new thread, Deborah!

Happy new thread, Deborah. Muffin is too cute!

I read Bloomsbury Girls a while ago and remember really liking it - hope you’re enjoying it too.

I’ll look into The Quiet Mother. I haven’t read any Indridason but I think I have Jar City somewhere.

Happy new thread, Deborah! Muffin looks content.

Hello Deborah and a happy new thread to you! Lucky Muffin to have found you and Dave!

>17 humouress: I think Muffin is now finished growing, Nina. She was 18 lbs when we got her, and the SPCA felt she was underweight , so we were instructed to feed her extra each day until she reached 21 lbs. Since then she has gained 3 more lbs, to 24 lbs and I think that is it, as she is nearly two and just a small - medium sized dog.

>18 richardderus: Thanks Richard! *smooch*

>19 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. I do have a soft , very soft spot, for Muffin.

>20 msf59: No, I have not had any visits from Melissa and Miles. They stopped by briefly around Thanksgiving and I was out with Muffin, I think it was. Then I stopped by their place with some goodies for Halloween, and they were out. With school full time , and Melissa goes to figure skating 6 or 7 days a week and Miles has skating lessons twice a week, and Melissa also has piano lesson and Cantonese lessons, I don't think they have a lot of free time. I hope to see them soon. Maybe I go watch Melissa at skating lessons.

>21 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita!

>22 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! I thought it was a good picture of Muffin.

>23 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. I was just thinking today that next week we are on standard time. Lose an hour of sunlight from the end of day. Rats.

>24 Kristelh: Yes, Muffin is just a teenager in dog years. She has settled down from her younger months. She used to bite the leash and nip our heals on walks, but she seems to be over that. She must have some herding instinct, though I don't know why. I'm always happy to send a BB. I really enjoyed the puzzle. I am working on one of witches, but I just started it and I doubt I will be finished for Halloween. Oh well.

>25 BLBera: Thanks Beth. The books have been good, mostly - to me this year. A few duds.

hi deb! nice photo of muffin there. the puzzle looks fantastic and is really cozy. happy new thread! I've heard a lot about The Quiet Mother so will definitely give it a read

>26 quondame: Thanks Susan! Always good to see you.

>27 PaulCranswick: I preferred the Desai, Paul, but I did enjoy The Land in Winter . I plan to read more of both authors.

>28 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>29 Copperskye: I wanted a nice , easy going read after the dark The Quiet Mother and The Bloomsbury Girls is working well for that. I am mainly listening to it on audio , and sometimes it seems like a lot of name dropping - Mrs Doubleday , etc, but overall enjoyable. Arnaldur Indridason does write dark books, but I do enjoy them, so I hope you do too, Joanne.

>30 atozgrl: Thanks Irene. I think Muffin is quite - maybe very happy. Dave and I try hard to make her life interesting and enjoyable . Breakfast in our bed even as she is not always a keen eater. The things you do. Dave doesn't bring me breakfast in bed, but Muffin, yes.

>31 mdoris: Thanks Mary. Well, we were very blessed to become the fur parents of Muffin. She is really a sweet heart. She sure likes to dish out the love with licks and cuddles. She is sweet.

>35 BookWorm_55: Nice to " meet " you! I do love doing puzzles, and lately I listen to books while puzzling, the perfect combo. Muffin is sweet heart of a dog.

>1 vancouverdeb: Sweet Muffin! She looks so cute and floofy. Do you have to take her to a groomer or are you able to manage that yourself?

Happy new thread, Deborah!

Happy new thread, Deborah. And should I say Happy Halloween? Doesn’t sound quite right, does it?

>39 lauralkeet: Muffin has a double coat, Laura, so we are not supposed to shave her hair or anything. Dave just trims it as needed with scissors, and it needs quite a lot of brushing each day to keep the tangles away. She is floofly - like a mop.

>40 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

>41 EllaTim: I think Happy Halloween sounds just right this evening, Ella! Thanks for stopping by.

>42 vancouverdeb: thanks Deborah! I've never had a floofy dog so I wasn't familiar with the types of coat. That's interesting. Good for Dave, doing the trimming!

Happy November Deborah. Hope the reading is good!

>33 vancouverdeb: Oh my, Melissa sounds very busy. I admit I could have used more engagement in my youth, but this sounds like a lot. Hope she is enjoying it.

Hi Deborah. Just popping my head in to say "hello".

>43 lauralkeet: This is the first dog we have had with such a floofy coat too, Laura. But we quickly learned we had to brush it daily and not to take her to a groomer. Lucky for me, Dave does the grooming work.

>44 Kristelh: I'm enjoying my current read, The Silent Companions , Kristel. A bit of gothic scariness.

>45 ffortsa: Melissa is very busy, perhaps to busy, but I think is her that wants to learn how to figure skate, so off she goes , nearly every day. I've not heard her complain about her other lessons, so I assume she enjoys those too.

>46 charl08: Always good to see you, Charlotte.

Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner 3 stars

This was an okay , slow paced read. I wanted an easy , fairly cheerful read after a couple of dark books, and this fit the bill.

Evie Stone, a Cambridge graduate, Vivien, a single woman and Grace, married to an angry man , with two children, work together at Bloomsbury Books. All of them have higher ambitions, but are stifled by men. I felt that there was a little too much name dropping in the story, with visitors to the shop being Mrs Doubleday, Daphne du Maurier, Samuel Becket and George Orwell's widow. The three women determine that the way forward is to band together and take over the book shop.

Did you read The Jane Austen Society, Deborah? I have that one on my shelf.

De-lurking, as requested. Nothing to comment on, except the utter adorableness of Muffin!

Happy November, Deborah. We went over to Bree's on Saturday and then spent the night. We didn't get home until late afternoon yesterday. Lots of Jack time. We brought Juno along too. Jack will be spending the night tonight too. Bree goes into the office tomorrow, so I will take him to school. That is the Jack update. Life is good.

>34 vancouverdeb: Yeah, changing to standard time is a shock to the system, Deborah. It was just after 4:00 pm and it was dark! I wasn't surprised when I read about the accident westbound on Highway 1 this morning. Doesn't matter how the clock is changed, it always results in more accidents.

>50 BLBera: No, Beth, I did not read The Jane Austen Society so advice on that one. My mom read it and she liked it though.

>51 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for delurking, Linda.Muffin is adorable, I agree.

>52 msf59: Happy November, Mark. Sounds like you had a great time with Jack. I'm glad life is good. Miles and Melissa stopped on Halloween so we saw them for a little while.

>53 Familyhistorian: I agree, changing time is a shock to the system. I find I am hungrier earlier in the day and yes, it is dark so soon!.

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell 4 stars

A page turning gothic thriller. Elsie Bainbridge is a new widow, just pregnant. She is sent to to her late husband's crumbling estate in the country. The story is told in two timelines, that of Elsie in the 1860's and that of the ancestors of her late husband Rupert in the 1600's . The story lines are related. Elsie is dismayed by the gloomy house, the lack of company, save for her late husband's cousin Sarah and a few less than capable servants. The village people fear the estate. They believe it is cursed, due to a history of strange deaths and accidents, and the belief that it was once inhabited by a witch.

Good creepy fun.

Recommended.

>2 vancouverdeb: Oo, I like that one!

>56 vancouverdeb: Not sure if I am up to reading that one or not. I am glad to see that you enjoyed it though!

I am reading We Love You, Bunny from the Giller finalist list. I am not really liking it. It probably is meant for a younger audience than me.

I took a BB on The Silent Companions.

Happy reading!

I checked my records to see what I'd given The bloomsbury Girls and The Jane Austen Society and found 3 1/2 stars for each. I felt much as you did about them.

>57 alcottacre: It was a fun puzzle, Stasia. The Silent Companions was a bit scary, but not bad at all. Just good fun.

>58 Kristelh: I don't think I would care for We Love You Bunny, Kristel. Too much horror for me, I think.

>59 RebaRelishesReading: I wasn't that keen on The Bloomsbury Girls. It's good to know I'm not the only person, Reba.

>56 vancouverdeb: I'm a bit hit and miss with gothic thrillers, but I love the cover of this one. Tempting!

I see the Booker announcement is on Monday. I've still not read The Land in Winter. I heard Miller on the radio recently talking about the links between the book and his dad's time as a rural GP. He stressed the plot didn't match exactly!

>56 vancouverdeb: Well, you got me with this one! Good aim! And I love the cover too!

Happy new(ish) thread! Love the pic of Muffin up top. She is just adorable! Every time I see her, I want to adopt a little dog like her, but then I remember that you actually have to walk them every day.

I tried to borrow The Quiet Mother but our library doesn't have the audio, so instead I borrowed The Shadow District, the first book in the series.

>61 charl08: I hope you enjoy The Silent Companions if you decide to read it, Charlotte. I enjoyed her book , Bone China, another sort of gothic tale. I've had The Silent Companions on my shelves for years. Finally read it, in part for Spooktober, but I was a little late.

>62 Storeetllr: I hope you enjoy The Silent Companions, Mary. Muffin is adorable, but yes , she needs lots of walking each day , no matter the weather. Morning , afternoon and evening. She is out with Dave right now. I checked and I have not readThe Shadow District, which surprises me as I have read the majority in the series.

Happy Sunday, Deborah. I hope you and your family are well. We have once again reached the time of year when Switzerland is divided in two. Everything below 1,000 metres above sea level is shrouded in fog and temperatures have dropped. Everything above 1,000 metres has deep blue skies, sunshine and much warmer temperatures. Sigh.

>49 vancouverdeb: >50 BLBera: I read The Jane Austen Society a few years ago and liked it a lot. Slow maybe, but charming. I also liked Bloomsbury Girls more than you did, Deborah, so maybe take that rec with a grain of salt! :)

I hope you enjoyed the sunshine today, Deborah. Much better for dog walking! I visited two different libraries this weekend, one each day so more borrowed books to read. No wonder it's hard to get to read my own books.

>63 vancouverdeb: I am going to have to read more books that I have been on my shelves for the longest time, Deb, but something new always comes along to distract me.

>64 Ameise1: It's interesting that Switzerland's weather can be divided into two, Barbara. I think Canada's weather can be divided into many many more climate, though perhaps only southwestern BC where I live had very little, if any snow over the winter , where as the rest of the country will have snow starting even now - and earlier if more nothern than the Vancouver . But my part of the country is in the rainy season ,which is a large part of the year. Thanks yes, my family is well, and I hope your is too, Barbara.

>65 Copperskye: Well, you know , we are all different in what we enjoy, Joanne. I know my mom enjoyed The Jane Austen Society but I'm not sure if I will. Nonetheless, The Bloomsbury Girls was kind of a refreshing break from the dark reading I have been doing.

>66 Familyhistorian: I was out walking Muffin in the morning, and it was nice and sunny then, luckily, Meg. It clouded over in the afternoon though, and started to rain around 7 pm or so . I hope you were also able to enjoy the sun we had today. Two libraries over the weekend. Nice work. I visited two branches of the Richmond Library on Friday and Thursday! I had holds coming in at both libraries. The Steveston Branch of the library will be demolished starting Dec 1 of this year , to make way for the new Community Centre and library and I am uncertain what the parking will be like will the demolition takes place, so I am a bit uncertain which library to send my holds to. I know what you mean about getting your own books.

>67 PaulCranswick: Reading books on our shelves is not easy, and even harder for you, I imagine Paul, as you own so many books. Even I have only read 3 books so far that I have had on my shelves for years, The Bloomsbury Girls, A Fine Balance and The Silent Companions.

Tomorrow is the big Booker Winner announcement!

>70 vancouverdeb:. Ooooh. Exciting. Thanks for the reminder Deborah. I wonder if I will be lucky enough to have read it already.

>70 vancouverdeb: I am looking forward to seeing what makes the cut. I really need to get busy on reading some of them - if only my local library has them!

Glad to hear you loved Broken Country, although I am not at all surprised. I am really enjoying Dirt Island. I am glad I finally got on the Ryan bandwagon. We have snow on the ground. A bit early for that nonsense, right?

That said, I am not sure if I can read it . I DNF’d it after 20 pages or so .

I read it.

I haven't had much success with Booker winners so I tend to not read them unless someone whose taste I share reads it and recommends it.

>76 Kristelh: I know you did, Kristel. You are a better person than I am. I think you gave it 4 stars too.

>77 RebaRelishesReading: Not a bad idea, Reba. I did enjoy The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny and The Land in Winter. But, Flesh, I DNF'd after about 20 - 25 pages.

>78 vancouverdeb:. I thought it would be a winner too because masculinity is a current issue. So I was not surprised by its win and not surprised by those that did not love it. I am looking forward to reading some that didn’t make it, The loneliness… and The Land in Winter.

I'm not sure about Flesh. I have a "thing" about reading each year's winner, although I don't always do so right away and there's at least one recent-ish winner that I just haven't been able to muster the energy for. I've read some good reviews of this one, but I also tend to like books that Deborah likes. So I'm in no rush.

I doubt I'll read Flesh any time soon, but I did enjoy Szalay's earlier book, Turbulence.

>75 vancouverdeb: I made it a little further in but must say I would not go back to finish it...tedious, uninvolving, pretty stale-feeling, at least it was for me.

>74 vancouverdeb: I am not impressed!

>79 Kristelh: I enjoyed both The Land in Winter and The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia, so I hope you do too, Kristel. They were the bookies front runners to win, I read . Oh well.

>80 lauralkeet: Laura, you might laugh, but when the author mentions the main character's penis in the first 20 pages or so, that is certainly off putting for me. If you do read Flesh , let me know what you think.

>81 katiekrug: I'll consider looking into Turbulence Katie. Let me know what you think of Flesh if you ever get to , Katie.

>82 richardderus: Richard, I'm glad for my sake that you didn't care for Flesh either. Another indicator that it is not my sort of book.

>83 charl08: I actually watched the Live Stream of the Booker Announcement, Charlotte, and I was surprised and disappointed when Flesh was announced as the winner.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall 4.5 stars

An excellent read. Beth Johnson is living on the family farm in Dorset, with her kind husband , Frank. Shortly after Gabriel Wolfe arrives in Dorset, his dog attacks the sheep on the Johnson farm. Beth's brother in law , Jimmy, shoots the dog. From there. the Johnson's become involved in Gabriels' life and and vice versa.

Gabriel was Beth's former boyfriend and lover. Gabriel is now divorced and has custody of his young son, Leo. Beth and Frank lost their young son , Bobby , in a tragic accident a few years prior. Because Leo reminds Beth of Bobby, she offers to tutor him. The past comes back to Beth, and soon she is involved in a love triangle. Jimmy has troubles with alcohol and his emotions.

I am not much for romance, or love triangles, but this offered so much more . Interesting characters, the slow unfurling of secrets kept, and a bit of a thriller. I had trouble putting this book down.

Recommended.

>84 vancouverdeb: I did laugh Deborah! But also, I take your point.

>86 vancouverdeb: It makes me happy when someone else loves a book as much as I did.

>86 vancouverdeb: Already in the BlackHole or I would add it again (for like the third time as I have seen several recommendations in the group for it!)

I have not even touched the Booker longlist for this year. My local library has exactly 1 of the books on it, the one my Kiran Desai. I will get around to that one at some point, I am sure.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Deborah!

>74 vancouverdeb: I am going to have to seek this one out. I hope it's a good read! I will reserve it from the library.

Too bad about the Booker, Deborah. Good for you for reading the short list, though. I rarely read prize winners except I did read a few of the Giller prize winners and they were good. Maybe that's because of where they are from?

>87 lauralkeet: It's a large part of why I did not read Flesh, at least not so far, Laura. Thanks for recommending Broken Country, I did really enjoy it a lot.

>88 alcottacre: Like you , Stasia, I saw a number of people who liked Broken Country here on LT, Mark and Laura being the ones I remember. That library of your does not carry a lot of good titles it seems Stasia. But The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia is a good read, or I thought so.

>89 figsfromthistle: Let me know what you think when you read Flesh , Anita. I DNF'd it pretty quickly.

>90 Familyhistorian: It is too bad about the Booker Prize this year, Meg, though I did enjoy The Land of Winter and The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia, so that made it worthwhile, I guess. There are some bad Giller Prize winners, but yes, some are good.

Good review of Broken Country. I also enjoyed it, although I got very frustrated with Beth from time to time. I hope to find time to read both The Land of Winter and The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia.

ETA- I had forgot that you had read Nesting earlier in the year, so I will give you credit for putting it on my radar. I really enjoyed it. Well done.

>93 msf59: Thanks Mark re Broken Country . Yes, indeed, Nesting was very good too.

I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney 3. 5 stars

This was a different sort of a book than I usually read. Bud Stanley feels like a failure as his wife has left him for another man. He falls into a funk, and one drunken night he writes his own obituary and sends it into the newspaper where he works . As the company decides whether they will fire him , he attends funerals and wakes of strangers. At times profound, at times darkly humourous, this was an overall okay read

The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan 3 stars

This was a very uneven read for me. It is told from 21 points of view, each a short chapter in length. Some of the characters struck me as selfish, maudlin and over the top dramatic. At times I wondered why I was reading this book. But as I got about halfway through the story, I began to understand and sympathize with some of the characters.

Guardedly recommended. I will read the sequel, Heart Be at Peace.

>95 vancouverdeb: This looks like it could be more fun than apparently it was for you. I may check it out anyway.

Happy weekend!

>97 Storeetllr: I think that is a good idea, Mary. It was quite a good read, just not quite 4 stars. I had a nice weekend, thanks.

>91 vancouverdeb: My local library seems to tend to carry bestsellers more than anything, Deborah. Having access to Hoopla helps, but not enough, lol.

>95 vancouverdeb: >96 vancouverdeb: Looks like a couple of disappointing reads in a row. I do hope your next read is better for you!

Have a marvelous Monday!

>99 alcottacre: I think your area has a smaller population, Stasia, so no wonder they focus on best sellers. My city has 4 libraries and 2 books machines at more remote locations. The Spinning Heart was a disappointment to me, less so I See You've Called in Dead. My current read, The River is Waiting is proving to be quite interesting and engaging.

The Giller Prize for 2025 was announced this evening It is Pick a Colour a book I reviewed not long ago and did not find it worthwhile at all. Buy others have enjoyed it.

To bad I See You Called in Dead wasn't that great a read for you, Deborah. It wasn't what I expected but I found it a pretty good read once I got into it.

>100 vancouverdeb: I am glad that you have found something worthwhile to read, Deborah!

>101 vancouverdeb: If you did not care for Pick a Colour, it is highly unlikely that I will either. I will give that one a pass, I think, not that I can get my hands on it anyway, lol.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>101 vancouverdeb:, at least you can say you read the Giller Prize winner for 2025 even if it was not worthwhile. I probably won't bother to read it.

>102 Familyhistorian: I See You Called in Dead wasn't great, but it was good, Meg. I'm still happy that I read it.

>103 alcottacre: I am very much finding The River is Waiting hard to put down, Stasia. I should finish it later today.

>104 Kristelh: True, Kristel. It's short, but I can't say I recommend Pick A Colour at all. At least I read the Giller Prize winner for this year.

I've heard good things about Donal Ryan, Deborah and may give him a try one of these days. Maybe I'll try another one.

>75 vancouverdeb: I finished it Deb and do think that it rewards a bit the struggle to get well into it. I preferred it to Audition but liked more both The Land in Winter and, surprisingly given the slamming of it by Booktubers - The Rest of Our Lives.

I am not exactly surprised it won but I wouldn't have chosen it personally. The best eligible novel I have read this year was The Artist by Lucy Steeds

>106 BLBera: I would try a different book by Donal Ryan, Beth. I have read Strange Flowers and Queen of Dirt Island and I preferred them to The Spinning Heart. But you never know, you may like The Spinning Heart.

>107 PaulCranswick: Maybe I will try again with Flesh, but I think it is not my sort of book. It's the sex, if nothing else, Paul. Just like I skipped All Fours which I think was on the Women's Prize list, and from what I read, I just thought, no. I would have been happy with The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia or The Land in Winter, both of which I read. I was going to say also that despite the fact that I did not like Pick A Colour, the Giller Prize Winner for 2025, my library has 9 copies, and 9 on order, and all nine are checked out of the library, and holds on all of the rest on order. Maybe it's just a boost from winner the Giller Prize, that so many are checked out and on order.

I am loving The River is Waiting, so I really recommend that . I have only about 30 or 40 pages left, so I will have a review in maybe tomorrow, but I do recommend it very much ( depending on your taste , of course).

I thought I had posted, Deborah, sorry! I had missed if you liked any of the other Giller nominated books?

Happy Wednesday, Deborah. Glad to hear you are enjoying The River is Waiting. I think you may be the first LTer to mention reading this. Sorry, The Spinning Heart fell short. I read I See You Called in Dead awhile back and thought it turned out better than I thought. I nearly DNFed early on.

I just put The River is Waiting on my hold list, thanks to you, Deborah. Pick a Colour is not available so I can't read it to give you my thoughts but maybe down the road, who knows. Have a great day.

>96 vancouverdeb: I found it unpleasant to read, as I didn't like anyone so didn't want to follow them around...and hopping about just left me cold when I never lit on anyone I cared about.

Funny how that liking factor only comes into play when I don't care about the story....

Happy midweek's reading, Deborah!

Hi Deb my dear, a belated Happy New Thread, dear friend.

>108 vancouverdeb: There is a fairly sordid and squalid quality to a lot of Szalay's book which would put off many readers and I am surprised that a majority female judging panel were enthused enough to select it.

I hope you got out to enjoy the last few rainless days, Deborah. Looks like that's about to end, unfortunately.

I am going to have to see if my local library has a copy of The River is Waiting, Deborah. I am pretty sure that if you liked it I will too.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Yup, me too Deborah, i have put it on hold, now we will see how long it takes to get into my mitts! Have a great weekend!

>109 vancouverdeb: Just looked that one up -- sounds like a tough read!! But from your comment I assume it's worth it.

I, too, put The River is Waiting on hold. I have liked Wally Lamb's writing in the past.

>110 charl08: The only other book I read from the Giller Longlist / Shortlist - it was on both, was The Paris Express. I did enjoy it and I think you would too, Charlotte.

>111 msf59: I have finally gotten back to my thread and I did love The River is Waiting, Mark. I liked I See You Called in Dead but I didn't love it. And yes, for me A Spinning Heart did fall short. Too much complaining and too many different voices , I think. I prefer his novels like Strange Flowers and Queen of Dirt Island.

>112 Kristelh: Well Kristel, Pick a Colour is blessedly short , though a bad book can seem quite long, so if you find it , it as at least short. I hope you enjoy The River is Waiting .

>113 richardderus: There were some characters I was sympathetic to, but not a lot, Richard. I agree, the number of different narrators was also off putting.

>114 johnsimpson: Thanks John, I have had some good reads so far.

>115 PaulCranswick: I felt that yes, there was a sordid quality to Flesh and that is what turned me off reading it, Paul. I guess the judges liked it though, male or female. We've got to get on the panel next year, but it would require more reading than I could do!

>116 Familyhistorian: I did get out to enjoy the rain less days indeed, Meg. We have to make the most of them. Today was another!
I hope you were able to enjoy some sun too.

>117 alcottacre: I did really like The River is Waiting, Stasia. I think you will too.

>118 mdoris: I hope you enjoy A River is Waiting , Mary, when it the hold comes in. I had a hold on it too, but my wait was not long.

>119 RebaRelishesReading: Yes, Reba, I guess the subject matter was a tough read, but it was thoughtful and not without hope. I really loved reading it. It was hard to put down.

>120 Kristelh: I have also enjoyed Wally Lamb's writing in the past, so I was looking forward to The River is Waiting and I was not disappointed, Kristel.

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb 4.5 stars

This was an excellent , thoughtful and touching read. Corby Ledbetter is a husband and father. When he is laid off from his job, he becomes the primary caretaker of their young twins, Niko and Maisie. His wife Emily works full time. When an unimaginable tragedy strikes, Corby ends up in prison. There he struggles with guilt, loss, and the difficult life on the inside.

Author Wally Lamb has volunteered at a Women's Correctional Institute for many years, so I think his representation of life in prison is accurate. Much of the story takes place in prison. Corby befriends a gay man, a young man with serious mental health problems , and frequents the prison library. But the guards are brutal and sadistic.

Highly recommended.

This sounds good, Deborah. I will add it to my HUGE WL.

>121 vancouverdeb: "Too many voices" is a great way to describe my issue with those two Donal Ryan novels. I liked the way he used that structure to reveal details known by one voice and not another, but that was at the expense of character development. I felt like I didn't get to "know" any of them well enough.

>125 vancouverdeb: This does look awfully good. I enjoyed one of his earlier books, She's Come Undone, long before LT. The library hold list is long so I'm adding my name now!

Very good review of The River is Waiting. It is now officially on the TBR pile. I did love Lamb's earlier novels. Have you read them?

>126 BLBera: It is very good, Beth. I hope you enjoy it too.

>127 lauralkeet: Too many voices is right, Laura. I agree, a lack of character development. I hope you like The River is Waiting when you get to it.

>128 msf59: Thanks Mark. It's even better than I can describe. I have read two of his previous books, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True and I liked them both very much.

Hopelessly behind, but Hi Deb!!

Hey Deb! How's Muffin doing? Is she still a puppy? I forget how long ago you got her. A year?

>125 vancouverdeb: Nothing cheery about that story's outlines...Lamb has a way of making his tales unputdownable, doesn't he?

A book by Wally Lamb, not mentioned much, maybe because it's a novella, is called Wishin' and Hopin' - A Christmas Story. I have to say, I listened to him read it on audiobook and I nearly went off the road, from laughing so much. A real departure from his other works (I've read 2), this one is really funny. And it's worth it to hear him read it because he really does a Russian accent so well. If you've never heard of this one, now would be a good time of year to find it.

You can thank me later ;-)

>130 Berly: Hi Kim! Great to ' see you! "

>131 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel. Muffin is doing great, except we are still working on her separation anxiety. She is making some progress though. We leave her each day for as long as we can , today about 40 minutes. We have been doing gradual departures for about 10 months or more and she is on two medications for anxiety. It initially was just one medication, but that seemed to have little to no effect, so we added on a second on at the vets' recommendation. It seems to have helped. We will have had her for a year on December 1, and she will be 2 years old at the end of December - I can't remember the exact date - late December. She is really a lovely , good natured dog.

>132 richardderus: You are quite right, Richard. I think it is the great characters he creates, most with both good and bad features, but there is tension in the story , that it is hard to put down. He really is a great writer.

>133 jessibud2: Thanks for the info about Wishin and Hopin A Christmas Story , Shelley. It sounds like fun! I will have a look for it, especially on audio, though I always need a physical book as well to keep track of things.

Melissa, our 7 year old granddaughter was in her first figure skating competition. She did really well! We didn't know about it, but next year I am going for certain. I hope to get a practice too, once William lets me know when. I got a video of her full performance, and she did some small jumps, spins and I think single and double salchows. I am not that familar with figure skating terms, but I sent it to my brother and he said he was very impressed with the length of her program and how many different things she did. I think he is more familiar with figure skating than I am.

>136 vancouverdeb: Wow! She looks very confident. Good for her.

>137 humouress: I thought the same thing, Nina. She is very confident, and I think brave, as I would not care to out in front of a crowd, skating or otherwise!She practices 6 or 7 days a week, an hour to two hours, so I guess she is confident.

Hello Deborah, Melissa has very good form. What a wonderful picture!

>136 vancouverdeb: Amazing photo, Deborah. Melissa looks like she was born to figure skate!

>136 vancouverdeb: How exciting to have your granddaughter skating and doing so well!! She looks wonderful there and competing at age 7?!?! Wow!! I'm not "into" many sports but figure skating is one I really like watching so I'll keep an eye out for her in the future :)

>136 vancouverdeb: I am so impressed! At age 7? Go Melissa!

>124 vancouverdeb: Hahaha that is a great idea, Deb, and at least we would like the winners. I reckon if it was a job I could manage it just about of the 160 or so books I would guess that you are going to make an evaluation fairly early and then cruise the rest of the way first time around.

>125 vancouverdeb: I will look out for that one, Deb, as I have liked his books before.

>136 vancouverdeb: Melissa seems to have a very natural grace and poise and looks in her absolute element there. I am sure that you are as proud as could possibly be and rightly so.

Hooray for Melissa. Not only is she beautiful- she is talented. Awesome. ❤️

>136 vancouverdeb: what a great picture! Lots of hard work 😓 congrats on the first place finish

>136 vancouverdeb: Impressive commitment to a difficult skill. I hope the future is full of happy memories for you All at many drinks to come.

>136 vancouverdeb: Great picture of Melissa. She looks like a real pro!

Lovely photo Deborah. Congratulations to her!

>136 vancouverdeb: Wow! And at 7! She looks so confident and fearless in the photo and the video, I’m sure, is amazing. Congrats to her and the family for their hard work!

>136 vancouverdeb: Your granddaughter looks fabulous - and like she loves what's she's doing!

>136 vancouverdeb: Impressive! Congratulations to Melissa for doing so well in a competition. She looks really good there. I am a big figure skating fan, and I hope to get to see her one day.

>139 mdoris: Thanks Mary!

>140 Familyhistorian: Well, Meg , she started skating lesson when she was 3, so I guess she has some experience, more than me!


>141 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! I'll have to ask her if she plans to be a professional figure skater . Of course at the age of 7 , it is hard to say for certain.

>142 Berly: Her skating is very impressive for the age of 7, I agree,Kim.

>143 PaulCranswick: Yes, Paul, we need to get on the booker judging panel. I think you will enjoy The River is Waiting. Indeed, I am very proud of Melissa. I am getting her a little gift for her performance. I think they ought to have thrown flowers the ice after her performance, as I think they do for the Olympics :-)

>144 msf59: Thanks Mark! She is beautiful , talented and smart as well.

>145 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita! It has been a lot of work for her and her parents, taking her too lesson and also tying up those skates.

>146 richardderus: Thanks Richard. She is very dedicated to her sport, as are her parents. When I see her, she often twirling and making figure skating moves just for fun.

>147 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel! I think she looks like a pro too.

>148 charl08: Thanks Charlotte! I'll have to see if I can get a real life copy of the picture to display.

>149 Copperskye: I think I have watched the video about 20 x , Joanne, so yes I am proud of her. And yes , congrats are due to her parents as well.

>150 quondame: Thanks Susan. She does love what she is doing, quite right.

>151 atozgrl: Thanks Irene! I'll be sure to let you all know if she is famous one day ! :-) I have a niece who is 18 and at university now. She is extremely talented and dedicated to gymnastics and she did have some hope of being in the Olympics. However, she did get into the Canada games, and now is on an academic and gymnastic scholarship. I think it's rather early to know if Melissa will do quite that.

>136 vancouverdeb: That is a great photo, Deborah.

>136 vancouverdeb: Wow! I'm impressed! Great form, and what a lovely image!

Late to the game here, Deb. Go Melissa! Wonderful!

Another sunny day, Deborah. I hope you are able to get out for long walks!

Yes, 7 is too young to know if she will pursue skating seriously, but it certainly looks like she's off to a good start if she decides to go that way.

>153 vancouverdeb: Usually I see fans throwing stuffed animals/toys onto the ice to celebrate skaters. I'd be afraid that flower petals would stick to the ice and cause problems, so I'm not sure they'd allow that. But yes, it would be nice to see Melissa get that kind of recognition.

Happy December, Deborah. It is a cold start here. 3 degrees F. Time to head south I think.

Delightful December wishes, Deborah!

>156 BLBera: Thanks Beth! Today I went and watched Miles and Melissa practice skating. It was fun! Miles skated for 45 minutes, and Melissa for a hour, on separate ice rinks. They are both in figure skating and I had not realized that Miles was also learning figure skating. It was a fun time.

>157 Storeetllr: Thanks Mary! Melissa really enjoys skating.

>158 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley! They are both good skaters.

>159 Familyhistorian: I walk rain or shine, but yes, I sure enjoy the sunny days or even just the absence of rain. We have to take what we can get this time of year. Meg.

>160 atozgrl: You are quite right that seven is too young to know how long she will be interesting in figure skating Irene.
It would be a lot of work for the people who run the competition to take flowers or stuffed animals of the ice after each skater, but I can dream :-)

>161 Kristelh: 3 degree F is cold, I agree , Kristel. I hope you can get south soon. It was about 7 or 8 C here , so not bad at all.

>162 richardderus: Thanks Richard! December is special month for many of us.

The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase 4 stars

An engaging mystery of a mother's disappearance . One night,seventeen year old Maggie's mother walks out the front door and doesn't return. Maggie is left with her younger brother, Kit, to care for. Twenty one years later , Maggie gets a phone call that upends her life.

Evensong by Stewart O'Nan 4 stars

I have read many books by Stewart O'Nan and enjoyed them all.

A group of older women band together to form a club to look after each other. When the leader, Joan, takes a bad fall, the remaining women are left to pick up the slack. From picking up prescriptions, hospital visits, death, coping with hoarders, and challenging marriages and divorce, these ladies deal with it all. It should be a must read for older people like myself. Told with sympathy , this is a moving book about the elderly.

I am also a O'Nan fan, so I am looking forward to Evensong. I just started Strange Flowers. Glad you got to hang out with M & M yesterday.

>167 vancouverdeb: - I have not read anything by this author but this sounds like a good one. Being an *older* person, myself...ahem!

>167 vancouverdeb: I agree, I've liked every O'Nan I've read. I bought that one this week...but not sure when I'm going to get to it. Maybe I'll take another break from Austen in a couple of weeks and do it then.

>167 vancouverdeb: I have Evensong home from the library but haven't cracked the covers yet. It's my first book by the author but, from the blurb it sounds like it would be best appreciated by those that have read his works before. Would you say that is the case, Deborah?

>168 msf59: I had a lot of fun hanging out with M and M, thanks, Mark. Enjoy Strange Flower. I liked it. k

>169 jessibud2: Evensong is good read Shelley and all the more for we " older " folks.

>170 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad you , like me, have enjoyed all of the Stewart O'Nan's you have read. Ah, still on the Jane Austen read. I am waiting for Jane Austen at Home from the library. I am number 3 on 1 copy,so it will be a while.

>171 Familyhistorian: Meg, I definitely think that Evensong is easily read as a stand alone book. There is one character ( maybe 2 ? ) that appeared in a previous book , that being Emily of Emily, Alone, but you definitely need not read that first at all. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

Great comments on Evensong; that will be one of my next reads.

>173 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah, I will be getting to Evensong soon a I have it out from the library. The review I read made it sound like there were a lot of characters in his previous works who make an appearance so that reading the author's previous works would be best. Thanks for the reassurance.

>174 BLBera: Thanks Beth, I look forward to your comments on EvenSong, it was very good.

>175 Familyhistorian: Glad to be of help, Meg. I hope you also enjoy Evensong.

Home Before Dark: The dark, twisty, utterly chilling new psychological thriller from the Queen of Icelandic Suspense by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir 5 stars

An excellent mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

In November , 1967, Iceland, fourteen year old Marsi has a secret pen-pal, a boy she has never met. She has few friends, and has used her older sister's name, Stina,in her correspondence. The two agree to meet, but when the day arrives, Marsi cannot meet the fellow. Meanwhile, the night that they were meant to meet, Stina goes missing. All that is found is Stina's bloodstained jacket.

In November,1977, Stina's disappearance remains unsolved. Then a letter from Marsi's long ago pen pal arrives to her home. Marsi is very troubled by this.

Haunted by guilt and concerned that the man may be after her next, she returns to the small town where she grew up. She stays with her parents, and tries to figure out what happened to Stina.

A well written mystery that was hard to put down.

Highly recommended.

Holiday Village, 1000 pieces by Eeboo. My latest puzzle.

Good morning Deborah, I am sure you’re still sleeping. I will have to keep my eye out for that book and thanks for posting the nice Christmas puzzle. I like Eeboo puzzles. I decided not to start another puzzle because I will leave for Florida Friday.

Sweet puzzle. I am still stuck on my Van Gogh puzzle. To be fair, I haven't worked on it for weeks now so it's still in the same stage I left it back then. I am aiming to finish it before the end of the year, as I have recently purchased a few others...!

I'm still working on my tiger puzzle which I initially started a few years ago, then put away and pulled it out again months ago. It's 1,500 pieces and each is just a shade of brown. *sigh* Well, I only have the bottom corner to go.

>178 vancouverdeb: What a cute puzzle image!

Sunday orisons, Deborah, and really good reads ahead.

>178 vancouverdeb: Nice, holiday-themed puzzle!

Love that puzzle, Deborah! I just started on a holiday one and have a couple of others in The Horde :)

>178 vancouverdeb: That looks like a real challenge!!

Lovely puzzle Deborah, and it has ice-skating too! I loved that picture of Melissa skating. Starting at three years old! When you say she sometimes spontaneously does some of those movements, I really think she must love the skating.
I liked your description of Evensong, sounds like just the thing.

>178 vancouverdeb: That puzzle looks complicated and impressive that you finished it. Well done! It is a very nice wintry scene.

>179 Kristelh: Yes, Kristel, at 4:33 am I am still sleeping. I am no early bird. I think you would like Home Before Dark. I really loved it!Ebboo puzzles are nice, but yes, since you are leaving for Florida soon , you might as well wait.

>180 jessibud2: Thanks Shellley. The last puzzle I did I got to about 900 pieces put together, but that last 100 or 80 pieces - I dd not count, - I just had so much trouble with a bunch of green leaves, I put it back in the box. Sometimes you have to know when to fold 'em , so to speak. I wish you luck with Van Gogh puzzle. I can't wait to see your new puzzles! My sister is giving me a new puzzle for Christmas and vice versa, and we both picked out what we want. That works well.

>181 humouress: All shades of brown, Nina! That sounds tough! Best of luck finishing it. Well,just the bottom corner - best of luck with it.

>182 richardderus: Thanks Richard! I enjoy my puzzles. Today was a good day and for the most part, December is a good month. It does rain a lot here, but I am more or less used to it. Today we had no rain in the afternoon , and none tonight, but it's coming tomorrow and was here this morning when I walked the dog.

>183 BLBera: Thanks Beth! I have already started a new Christmas themed puzzle.

>184 katiekrug: I have quite a horde of puzzles myself, Katie. I keep thinking I should sell some on facebook marketplace, where I buy some of them, but I have yet to do that . I look forward to seeing your puzzles.

>185 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba, It wasn't too difficult. I occasionally encounter puzzles I cannot do, or at least I get so frustrated, that it's not fun and them I put them back in the box.

>186 EllaTim: You know, Ella, I don't think I thought much about the skating in the puzzle. Go thing to point out, since I so enjoy Melissa's skating - and Miles too, it turn out. I thin that yes you are right, Melissa does love skating. It reminds of my niece, Allie, who started gymnastics at age 3 and seemed to incorporate it into almost everything she does. She's now on an academic / gymnastics scholarship at University. But Melissa is still very young to know if anything will come of it. As long as she enjoys it, that's the thing.

>187 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. As I mentioned, it wasn't too hard, as sometimes I have to put a difficult puzzle back in the box. Not often, but it happens. I put it back in the box when Dave is out, hoping he won't notice I the puzzle was to hard for me, as he gives me a hard time about that. Men!

>178 vancouverdeb: Nice puzzle, Deborah. I need to get back to puzzling but have to find a new place to do it. I used to use my dining room table but now that my son has moved back home there is no room to do my puzzling there.

You got me with Home Before Dark but I'll have to wait as the library has it on order and there are a few holds ahead of mine.

Hi - have you seen Mr.Darcy on JoeB's thread?

>178 vancouverdeb: Nice puzzle, but so many little pieces! Have fun putting it together!

>190 vancouverdeb: "MEN". Don't get me started!

Deborah, have you read any other Eva Bjorg books and if so what would you recommend? My library system doesn't have Home Before Dark but has others by her.

>178 vancouverdeb: I like it! Perfect for this time of the year.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Deborah!

>191 Familyhistorian: My library did not get Home Before Dark either, Meg, and I'm not sure why , since it has gotten most of the preceding books by the author. But this is a stand alone. Maybe that is why? I really enjoyed it though. I could have put in a purchase request I guess, but I was too eager to get to it.

>192 m.belljackson: I have had a look Marianne. Thanks for letting me know.

>193 Storeetllr: I enjoy doing my puzzles very much Mary. Every now and then I start one that is too hard and then I just box it back up.

>194 mdoris: I know , Mary ! Men! And I have two sons! But I find my two brothers are very good guys, but then I am not married to them. Perhaps their wives have complaints.

>195 mdoris: I have enjoyed The Creak on the Stairs, Night Shadows to be very good. I gave both of them 4 stars. I also read Boys Who Hurt and a also gave it 4 stars. Good luck at your library.

>196 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia! I like my puzzles. I did have a nice Tuesday. At least the sun shone today.

What I Know About You by Éric Chacour 3.5 stars

Tarek is born in 1960's Cairo. From a young age, he knows he expected to follow in his father's footsteps, and become a doctor, husband and a father. He does just that. A chance meeting with a younger man from a very different background causes him to embark on a relationship that threatens to tear his family apart. Many years later, Tarek is living alone in Montreal, working as a doctor. Then a letter arrives from a man who is purportedly a journalist , and wants to know more about his life. Will Tarek's past life be unveiled ?

I found this to be well written and compelling.

It was good to get in a walk today in the sunshine, Deborah. I hope you were able to take advantage of the nice weather.

Meg where did you find sunshine? We are in deep fog and rain here!

>200 Familyhistorian: Saturday was nice, Meg. I can't remember if it was sunny or just not raining. but yes, I did get a nice walk in with Muffin in the afternoon. I guess we get so much rain this time of year, I can't quite remember if it is sunny , or just not raining. Muffin and I had a brief walk without rain this morning, but it quickly started to rain lightly. You've got to take what you can get. I think tomorrow afternoon we have a chance of no showers. A chance.

>201 mdoris: Our weather has a been a little better, at least on Saturday, Mary.

Seascraper by Benjamin Wood 3.5

A very atmospheric and interesting novel.

Thomas Flett is a young man working as a shanker, scraping for shrimp like his grandfather. He lives with his mother, and provides them with a meager living. Longferry is fictional small coastal town, with the story taking place in the 1960's. When an American film maker comes to town, Thomas's hopes for a better life are raised. But the film maker is not quite who he seems to be. A book about family, ambition, obsession and hope.

>203 vancouverdeb: I have this out from the library, but still haven't got to it - maybe over Xmas?

>199 vancouverdeb: Is new to me, but sounds fascinating. I'll have a look in the library. Although I'm going to have to make some adjustments to how I usually order books - they are closing for a refurb in the NY. Hopefully not for too long...

>204 charl08: Seascraper is quite short, Charlotte, about 163 pages or so, it wont' take long to read.

What I Know About You was at my library, but it also came to my attention because it is on the Dublin Prize for Fiction Longlist. So you order books from NY state ?

double post

>204 charl08: Sorry Deborah: by NY I meant New Year! I will have lots of other library options in my county though.

>199 vancouverdeb: I found this to be well written and compelling. Which makes me wonder why you only gave it 3.5 stars? Is there something that rubbed you wrong about the book?

Hope you are having a marvelous Monday!

Happy Monday, Deborah. Trying to catch up with some of my pals. Any recent M & M sightings? I will be hanging on with Jack tomorrow morning before I take him to school.

>207 charl08: No problem, Charlotte. You can tell I live in North America I guess by my assumption.

>208 alcottacre: I think I just did not enjoy it as much as my two previous books, Evensong and Home Before Dark , Stasia. I did enjoy it, but it wasn't a really great read, entertainment wise.

>209 msf59: Thanks Mark! Catching up is hard at times . No recent M and M sightings. William told me if I want to see them , come to the skating rink. I guess they spend so much time there, and I have yet to get there again. Enjoy your time with Jack.

>203 vancouverdeb: Heard great things about that one, Deb, but didn't get very far with it on the first try. Will try to read it again next year sometime.

Evensong is a good read starting out, Deborah. Thanks for reassuring me that it is okay as a standalone. It’s soggy and cold out there. A good day to stay home with a book if you have that option.

I guess we have been chatting on my thread since I have completely missed this one.

>1 vancouverdeb: Tell Muffin I said hi!

>136 vancouverdeb: I LOVE the picture of your granddaughter!

>211 PaulCranswick: Seascraper is a good read, and it's quite short at about 166 pages or so, Paul.

>212 Familyhistorian: I'm glad you are enjoying Evensong, Meg. I am lucky that I can stay inside today, as Muffin is off to doggy daycare.It's soggy day indeed

>213 witchyrichy: It is a busy time of year,Karen. I will say hi to Muffin and thanks re my grand daughter.

>210 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the clarification!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>215 alcottacre: You are welcome, Stasia. I hope that helps. It has been a nice Wednesday , no rain for the dog walk.

Hello Deborah. Your posting that wonderful photo of figure skating Melissa got my memory going full blast as I used to be a figure skater a very long time ago. I loved it and sure hope Melissa does too!

>217 mdoris: Thanks Mary! Wow, you used to be figure skater years ago . Like you, Melissa loves figure skating. I hope you still get a chance to get on the ice to skate.

The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry 4 stars

In Edinburgh 1847, medical student Will Raven starts an apprenticeship with renowned obstetrician Dr James Simpson. Young women are being found dead by gruesome methods. Will and housemaid Sarah Fisher take it upon themselves to investigate the deaths, at some peril to themselves. Meanwhile, Raven is involved with obstetric cases, and the use and invention of the anesthetics ether and chloroform. Wonderfully atmospheric, dark, and full of interesting characters, this was hard to put down.

Murder at Mallowan Hall (Phyllida Bright Mysteries Book 1) by Colleen Cambridge 4 stars

A fun, cozy historical murder mystery. Phyllidia Bright is the housekeeper of Agatha Christie and her husband Max. When a group of guests gather at their home, Mallowan Hall, two people are soon found murdered on the premises. Who did and it and why ? Phyllidia is soon on the case, along with the village constable. Phyllidia proves a better investigator than the constable. A most enjoyable read, I am eager to read more in this series.

Ravensburger, Christmas Market, 1000 pieces.

>219 vancouverdeb: I really enjoyed these books, so was really sorry to read this series had finished.

>221 vancouverdeb: That is a great puzzle, Deborah.

>221 vancouverdeb:, Nice. Deborah. I should go find a puzzle to do over Christmas. I am in Florida and the season doesn't get really going until January. Playing some pickleball but its hard to even find 4 people. Doing some walking which is such a treat compared to the cold, ice, and snow in Minnesota.

>221 vancouverdeb: Love the puzzle! I've gotta think all of those snow-on-roof pieces must have been crazy-making!

>219 vancouverdeb: That one is already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

>220 vancouverdeb: It looks like my local library has a copy of that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Deborah! I hope I enjoy it as much as you did.

>221 vancouverdeb: Lovely! My mother loves Ravensburger puzzles, specifically the Large Format piece ones.

Have a wonderful weekend!

>219 vancouverdeb: I read a book by Parry a long time ago and quite enjoyed it. I will see if the library has a copy of this one.

Happy weekend!

>221 vancouverdeb: Impressive puzzle to complete, Deborah. I like that image, too. Happy week-ahead's...reads, doings, family visits, whatever's on your schedule.

>222 charl08: I didn't realize that the series had finished, Charlotte Has he/she - it's a couple who writes under one name, have another series or stand alone novels?

>223 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I'm not not sure that the image here does the puzzle justice, but in real life I think it looks great.

>224 Kristelh: So a lot of people are home for Christmas, Kristel, if the season does not get going until January ? I'll have to check the temps in Minnesota, but I imagine they are comparable to those in Manitoba, and yes, that is cold! Brrr!I saw someone in shorts today here and I think it is rather chilly for shorts , at around 45 F, though really 45 F is not that bad. I hope you get some good pickleball in.

>225 RebaRelishesReading: Actually the snow was not bad at all, Reba. Sometimes some puzzles are crazy making and usually I finish them , but sometimes I pack it in. It is supposed to be enjoyable.

>226 alcottacre: I think you will like/ love The Way of All Flesh, Stasia and the other series that I started was very good too. I wish my mom enjoyed puzzles. I have asked her if she would like to do puzzles, even with me, but she is not interested.

>227 figsfromthistle: I hope your library does have a copy of The Way of All Flesh, Anita. I've already purchased the next in the series as my library does not have the first two in the series. They cull books more often that I would like to make room for more books.

>228 richardderus: Thanks Richard. I am sure you would have no problem with that puzzle if it was your thing. Tomorrow I am going out for afternoon coffee or suchlike with my mom, we having my son and his family over for Christmas eve, and on Christmas day we will go my sister's place for dinner. I hope to get some puzzling and reading in as well!

>229 vancouverdeb:. Minnesota temps would be similar to Ontario, the west part of Ontario, not the Toronto side. Manitoba, Winnipeg might be similar I suspect. We get our weather from Canada called Alberta Clippers. At least they use to call them that. Seems that weather has adopted a whole new vocabulary. 45 degrees would be considered hot in Minnesota this time of year and yes, people wear shorts year round now. Florida is having warmer than normal temps for this time of year and I am enjoying it.

>232 Kristelh: That sounds about right, Kristel, as far as temps go. I agree, there is a new vocabulary for weather. I had to look up the Alberta Clipper. The new weather buzzword here is " atmospheric river" for very heavy rain, at least I think that is what it means.
Glad you are enjoying the higher temps.

Nice to see that you enjoyed the Ambrose Parry book, Deborah. Love the puzzle.

>229 vancouverdeb: I didn't either: someone on Litsy pointed it out. It certainly didn't strike me as a "final" book. (I hope that isn't a spoiler....) I don't think I've read anything by Christopher Brookmyre writing on his own, although looking at the blurbs on this site I'm not sure why...
https://newbooksinorder.com/chris-brookmyre-books-in-order/

Hope you have a lovely Xmas celebration.
Does Muffin have a Xmas outfit? Last year I put my sister's dog in a Xmas tree coat. It seemed to make other dog walkers smile!

Hello Deborah, Speaking of dog coats. I reached into the cupboard the other day to retrieve a red doggie raincoat from the shelf. Loki was watching and quickly turned tail and went the other way with a "No thank you! I am not wearing that whatever you say"! It was during one of those "atmospheric rivers" rainfalls. Do we have any other kind? So she had her way and got soaking wet! As if I have any say-so!

Merry Christmas to you and Dave and Muffin and family! 🎄

>234 Familyhistorian: Thanks for the BB, Meg. I loved doing the puzzle too.

>235 charl08: Luckily I have quite a few in the Ambrose Parry series left, Charlotte . I'm glad you pointed out that Christopher Brookmyre has his own books. I checked my library and they have a couple of his books. No, Muffin does not have a Christmas outfit, but she does have a Christmas Stocking full of presents. I bet the Christmas outfit made others smile - it would do the same for me.

>236 mdoris: We are lucky with Muffin , she is very easy going about putting on a raincoat or coat, Mary . Loki has personality plus! Merry Christmas to you and P and Loki too!

Deborah, I'll remind you as you and all yours start to celebrate:

Happy Christmas Eve!

Happy Christmas Eve to you, Deborah!

Merry Christmas, Deborah, to you and yours.

A very merry Christmas to you, and your family Deborah!

The Ambrose Parry book sounds good, will investigate.

Merry Christmas, Deborah!

The books written by Christopher Brookmyre are quite a bit different than the Ambrose Parry books. Good though.

Merry Christmas, Deborah!

Merry Christmas, Deborah. We had a great time at Bree's place last night and Jack stole the show, as usual. I got him a new pair of binoculars, which are a nice upgrade from his kiddie ones. How are you spending the holiday?

Merry Christmas, Deborah.

Have a lovely festive season, dear Deb. xx

Love also to your beautiful family.

Happy Boxing Day, Deborah! I hope your Christmas was merry and bright, and that the New Year blesses you with all good things.

By the way, there's a new place to hang out! Come join me... https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/25017/75-Books-Challenge-for-2026

>238 richardderus: Calories don't count over Christmas, got it Richard. Merry Yuletide!

>239 witchyrichy: Thanks Karen!

>240 karenmarie: Thanks Karen!

>241 ctpress: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours, Carsten!

>242 EllaTim: Thanks Ella! I did enjoy the Ambrose Parry book and am now reading my second in the series.

>243 quondame: Merry Christmas, Susan!

>244 Familyhistorian: Good to know, Meg. I may get to the library tomorrow. They are closed today, as I had planned to go there today.

>245 msf59: I'm glad you had a nice Christmas , Mark and glad that Jack loved his new binoculars.
We spent Christmas Eve with Serenade and William and the M and M grandchildren. Christmas Day we headed to my sister's place , where we had dinner and the evening with the rest of the family. It was very nice. Muffin boarded at her doggie day care so we could spend Christmas away from our house. I missed her though.

>246 Kristelh: Merry Christmas, Kristel!

>247 PaulCranswick: Thanks , Paul. I hope you and Kyran had a lovely Christmas together.

>248 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary. I hope your New Year is also bright and Happy!

>249 drneutron: Thanks Jim! Merry Christmas. I'll get over to the new site soon. I have joined, but not started a thread as yet.

Cape Fever by Nadia Davids 4 stars

In 1920's South Africa, an older , widowed white woman,Mrs Hattingh is looking for a new servant girl. She employs Soraya, a teen from the Muslim quarter. Mrs Hattingh presumes that Soraya cannot read or write and Sorarya does not let on that she can do so. A lonely woman, Mrs Hattingh looks very forward to seeing her son Timothy again. Timothy lives in London and writes often. Soraya misses her family very much , and also her fiance, Nour. Mrs Hattingh is preparing for the return of son Timothy, and Soraya finds herself very busy with the preparations. Mrs Hattingh offers to help Soraya keep in touch with her fiance by offering to write letters to him each week, as dictated by Soraya.

All is not quite what is seems, and tensions develop between Soraya and Mrs Hattingh. This is a slow building novel of suspense, exploring class, race, family ,secrets, love ,grief and betrayal.

Recommended.

Hello Deborah, It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas. Best wishes for '26. i think that includes lots of Muffin walks, lots of amazing puzzles completed and wonderful books read!

Is Muffin a Havanese like JoeB's Mr. Darcy?

>230 vancouverdeb: That is my mother and I in reverse, although I will do puzzles with her if she allows me to listen to audiobooks while doing so.

>254 vancouverdeb: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation!

If I do not "see" you beforehand, I wish you the happiest of New Years!

>225 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Mary! I did enjoy Christmas, and yes, there will be lots of walks with Muffin, puzzles done and books read. In fact today I walked Muffin , and I am in the midst of a puzzle and when to the library to pick up yet more books.

>256 m.belljackson: No,Marianne, Muffin is not a Havenese dog. She is a big mix , about 30 % Shitzu , 13% poodle, and about 10% Alaskan Malamute and 10% Siberian Husky and few other breeds mixed in. We had her DNA done, that is how I know. She is from the SPCA.

>257 alcottacre: I have the pleasure of doing puzzles and listening to audio books nearly every day, Stasia. The perfect mix! I hope you enjoy Cape Fever. It is lucky find at the library. Happy New Year to you too, , Stasia.

The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry 4 stars

Another excellent entry into the Will Raven and Sarah Fisher series. Edinburgh,1949. Will Raven has returned from studying elsewhere in Europe. He and former housemaid, Sarah, find that people are dying mysteriously across the city. Is it due to the chloroform that Dr. Simpson champions, or is there something else afoot?

Highly recommended.

An Honest Thief by Fyodor Dostoevsky, 3 stars

A short story. The narrator takes in a lodger, an old soldier, Astafy Ivanovich. A thief steals the narrator's coat, and Astafy pursues him without success. Astafy tells the narrator of an honest thief he once knew, who had serious drinking problem. A touching story.

Best of luck with your goal, Deborah. Have a Happy New Year!

>261 Familyhistorian: I’m madly reading my last book in the hopes of reading my 75th book by the end of tomorrow. Fingers crossed, I should be able to do it , Meg . About 75 pages to go .

@vancouverdeb, >261 Familyhistorian: Go Deborah!!!

Happy New Year's Eve, Deborah. We will be doing a sleepover tonight with Jack & Co. We will bring Juno too. A nice way to bring in 2026, right? See you on the other side.

>262 vancouverdeb: Good luck on finishing the book. Happy new year to you and yours.

>263 Kristelh:
>261 Familyhistorian:
>265 witchyrichy: I did it! Read my 75th book and just finished it. Read 200 pages yesterday! Review to come later today. Happy New to all of you, Karen, Kristel and Meg.

>264 msf59: Sounds great , Mark. Happy New Year!

Finished this morning - my 75 book. Review to come this evening.

A Trace of Poison: A Riveting Historical Mystery Set in the Home of Agatha Christie (A Phyllida Bright Mystery)
by Colleen Cambridge

This is the first time I have read 75 books in a year, in many years.

>268 vancouverdeb: >269 vancouverdeb:

>220 vancouverdeb: Thanks , Stasia! It was push ! 200 pages read yesterday . Not usual for me at all . :-)

Congrats on 75, Deborah!

Congrats, Deb! Here's to the next 75!

Hi Deb, Wishing you, Dave and Muffin a very Happy New Year.

Congratulations Deborah!

New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.

Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026

Wowzers Deborah, squeaking in #75 in the nick of time. Well done! And wishing you and Dave and family and Muffin all the best of 2026! 🎉🥳🎈

>272 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

>274 jessibud2: I doubt I will make it to 75 books next year, but you never know, Shelley. Thanks!

>275 johnsimpson: Happy New Year, John, Karen and Felix and family!

>276 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel! I expect it is after midnight where you are , but I am still waiting for the New Year.

>277 PaulCranswick: New Years Greeting from Vancouver, Paul. Your project looks great!

>278 mdoris: It sure was in the nick of time, Mary. Once I saw I had 73 books, I had to push forward to 75, this year at least. Happy New Year to you and your family too!

Congratulations on 75!

>282 vancouverdeb: Thanks Karen!

Congrats on reading 75, Deborah!

Congratulations on getting to 75, Deborah! Maybe I'll meet the goal one of these years. And Happy New Year!