CBL reads with Wally in 2026

Welcome to my first 2026 thread! I'm Carrie, an academic librarian in East Tennessee. I've lost count of how many years I've been a part of this wonderful group. When I'm not working or reading, I am walking my 1-year-old Cavapoo, Wally, watching a British crime drama on BritBox or Acorn, knitting, playing the piano, or cooking.

Wally is ready to get this party started!

Best of 2025
The Light on the Island: Tales of a Lighthouse Keeper's Family in the San Juan Islands by Helene Glidden (4.5) - Review
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (5) - Review
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (4.5) - Review
Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson (5) - Review
How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand (4.5) - Review
Old Herbaceous by Reginald Arkell (4.5) - Review
The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (5) - Review
Prisoner's Base by Rex Stout (5) - Review
One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis (4.5) - Review
One Shot at Forever by Chris Ballard (4.5) - Review
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (4.5) - Review
Bellwether by Connie Willis (5) - Review
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (4.5) - Review

Best of 2026

Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley (4.5) - Review
Beloved by Toni Morrison (4.5) - Review
Recitatif: A Story by Toni Morrison (5) - Review
Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman (4.5) - Review
The Mystery of Meerkat Hill by Alexander McCall Smith (4.5) - Review
If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) by Betty White (4.5) - Review
Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre by Julius Green (5) - Review
My Name Is Leon by Kit de Waal (4.5) - Review
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (4.5) - Review

Books Read in January

1. Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley (4.5) - completed 1/6/26
2. Parker: Selected Stories by Dorothy Parker (3.5) - completed 1/8/26
3. Target: Tinos by Jeffrey Siger (3) - completed 1/9/26
4. My Invented Country by Isabel Allende (4) - completed 1/11/26
5. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (4) - completed 1/15/26
6. Beloved by Toni Morrison (4.5) - completed 1/22/26
7. Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett (4) - completed 1/27/26
8. Essential Welty by Eudora Welty (3.5) - completed 1/28/26
9. Recitatif: A Story by Toni Morrison (5) - completed 1/30/26
10. The Tiger in the Attic by Edith Milton (3.5) - completed 1/30/26
11. The Rule of Three by Agatha Christie (4) - completed 1/31/26

Books Read in February
12. Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis (4) - completed 2/6/26
13. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (3.5) - completed 2/8/26
14. The Tenor Wore Tapshoes by Mark Schweizer (3.5) - completed 2/11/26
15. A Body in the Bathhouse by Lindsey Davis (3.5) - completed 2/13/26
16. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (3) - completed 2/13/26
17. Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman (4.5) - completed 2/19/26
18. Who Was Louis Armstrong? by Yona Zeldis McDonough (3.5) - completed 2/20/26
19. The Far Country by Nevil Shute (4) - completed 2/22/26
20. Before Midnight by Rex Stout (3) - completed 2/25/26
21. An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters (3.5) - completed 2/28/26

Books Read in March
22. Roseanna by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (3.5) - completed 3/2/26
23. The Mystery of Meerkat Hill by Alexander McCall Smith (4.5) - completed 3/3/26
24. The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson (3.5) - completed 3/7/26
25. Daughter of Daring by Mallory O'Meara (2.5) - completed 3/8/26
26. There Is a World Elsewhere by F. Gonzalez-Crussi (3.5) - completed 3/14/26
27. Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck (4) - completed 3/16/26
28. Village Affairs by Miss Read (4) - completed 3/16/26
29. My Venice and Other Essays by Donna Leon (3) - completed 3/17/26
30. The Quiet Rebels by Margaret Hope Bacon (3.5) - completed 3/21/26
31. Mind's Eye by Hakan Nesser (3) - completed 3/23/26
32. Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly (4) - completed 3/26/26
33. If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) by Betty White (4.5) - completed 3/28/26
34. We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (3.5) - completed 3/29/26

Books Read in April
35. The Clocks by Agatha Christie (4) - completed 4/4/26
36. Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre by Julius Green (5) - completed 4/7/26
37. The Feather Detective by Chris Sweeney (4) - completed 4/11/26
38. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (3) - completed 4/11/26
39. Mykonos After Midnight by Jeffrey Siger (4) - completed 4/15/26
40. My Name Is Leon by Kit de Waal (4.5) - completed 4/18/26
41. Replaceable You by Mary Roach (3.5) - completed 4/19/26
42. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (4.5) - completed 4/24/26
43. The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks (4) - completed 4/25/26
44. Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie (3.5) - completed 4/25/26
45. Familia by Lauren E. Rico (4) - completed 4/29/26
46. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (4) - completed 4/30/26

Books Read in May
47. Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry by Harry Kemelman (4) - completed 5/8/26
48. Paper Bullets by Jeffrey H. Jackson (4) - completed 5/9/26
49. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (3.5) - completed 5/14/26
50. Three Witnesses by Rex Stout (3.5) - completed 5/16/26
51. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (4) - completed 5/19/26

Books Added in February

1. Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre by Julius Green (purchased ebook)

Books Added in April
2. Havana Red by Leonardo Padura (purchased ebook)
3. Major Bricket and the Circus Corpse by Simon Brett (purchased ebook)
4. Dead Heat by Dick Francis with Felix Francis (little free library)

Books Added in May
5. Big Bosses: A Working Girl's Memoir of Jazz Age America by Althea McDowell Altemus (free ebook)
6. The Two John Marbachs: How an Amateur Genealogist Solved One of the Most Puzzling DNA Mysteries by Ann Abrams (purchased ebook)
7. The Lawn Road Flats: Spies, Writers and Artists by David Burke (purchased ebook)

British Authors Challenge

FEBRUARY
Nevil Shute - The Far Country (4) - completed 2/22/26

MARCH - Obscure works (under 300 copies on LibraryThing)
Village Affairs by Miss Read (4) - completed 3/16/26

APRIL
Kit de Waal - My Name Is Leon (4.5) - completed 4/18/26

Nonfiction Challenge

JANUARY - Award winners
The Tiger in the Attic by Edith Milton (New Hampshire Literary Award) - completed 1/30/26

FEBRUARY - All that jazz
Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis (4) - completed 2/6/26
Who Was Louis Armstrong? by Yona Zeldis McDonough (3.5) - completed 2/20/26

MARCH - Off the beaten path religious sects
The Quiet Rebels by Margaret Hope Bacon (3.5) - completed 3/21/26

APRIL - Internal matters - the human body
Replaceable You by Mary Roach (3.5) - completed 4/19/26

MysteryKit

JANUARY - FEMALE DETECTIVES
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (4) - completed 1/15/26

FEBRUARY - CLERICAL MYSTERIES
The Tenor Wore Tapshoes by Mark Schweizer (3.5) - completed 2/11/26
Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman (4.5) - completed 2/19/26
An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters (3.5) - completed 2/28/26

MARCH - NORDIC MYSTERIES
Roseanna by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (3.5) - completed 3/2/26
The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson (3.5) - completed 3/7/26
Mind's Eye by Hakan Nesser (3) - completed 3/23/26

APRIL - PRIVATE EYES
The Clocks by Agatha Christie (4) - completed 4/4/26
Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie (3.5) - completed 4/25/26

MAY - HARDBOILED/NOIR
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (3.5) - completed 5/14/26

American Authors Revisited

JANUARY - 2014 author
Beloved by Toni Morrison (4.5) - completed 1/22/26
Essential Welty by Eudora Welty (3.5) - completed 1/28/26
Recitatif by Toni Morrison (5) - completed 1/30/26

FEBURARY - 2015 author
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (3.5) - completed 2/8/26

MARCH - 2016 author
Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck (4) - completed 3/16/26

APRIL - 2017 author
The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks (4) - completed 4/25/26

American Roads Less Well Explored Challenge

JANUARY - CHILEAN AUTHORS
My Invented Country by Isabel Allende (4) - completed 1/11/26

MARCH - MEXICAN AUTHORS
There Is a World Elsewhere by F. Gonzalez-Crussi (3.5) - completed 3/14/26

APRIL - HISPANIC NORTH AMERICANS
Familia by Lauren E. Rico (4) - completed 4/29/26

Plot Twist

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett (4) - completed 1/27/26
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (3) - completed 2/13/26
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (3.5) - completed 3/29/26
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (3) - completed 4/11/26
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (4) - completed 5/19/26

Group Reads

Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley (4.5) - completed 1/6/26
Target: Tinos by Jeffrey Siger (3) - completed 1/9/26
Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis (4) - completed 2/6/26
A Body in the Bathhouse by Lindsey Davis (3.5) - completed 2/13/26
Daughter of Daring by Mallory O'Meara (2.5) - completed 3/8/26
My Venice and Other Essays by Donna Leon (3) - completed 3/17/26
The Feather Detective by Chris Sweeney (4) - completed 4/11/26
Mykonos After Midnight by Jeffrey Siger (4) - completed 4/15/26
Paper Bullets by Jeffrey H. Jackson (4) - completed 5/9/26

Reading Projects: 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die

Beloved by Toni Morrison (4.5) - completed 1/22/26
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (3.5) - completed 2/8/26
There Is a World Elsewhere by F. Gonzalez-Crussi (3.5) - completed 3/14/26
Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck (4) - completed 3/16/26
The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks (4) - completed 4/25/26
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (4) - completed 5/19/26

Reading Projects
Rex Stout
Before Midnight - completed 2/25/26
Three Witnesses - completed 5/16/26

Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley (4.5) - completed 1/6/26
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (4) - completed 1/15/26
The Rule of Three by Agatha Christie (4) - completed 1/31/26
The Clocks by Agatha Christie (4) - completed 4/4/26
Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre by Julius Green (5) - completed 4/7/26
Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie (3.5) - completed 4/25/26

Jane Austen

Holocaust
The Tiger in the Attic by Edith Milton (3.5) - completed 1/30/26

I will review any books I finish before January 1 in my 2025 thread. I hope to finish at least 2-3 more before the end of the year!

Lovely to see you with us for another year, Carrie. xx

>16 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

Happy reading in 2026. I hope to join you in American author's revisited.

>18 Kristelh: Thank you! I'm happy to have company for the American authors!

Welcome back, Carrie!

Happy reading in 2026!

>20 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>21 mstrust: Wishing you the same!

Wally is a cutie! I'll be following along in 2026.

>23 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg! He's a keeper!

Welcome back for 2026, Carrie!!

>25 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda! It's good to see you back. You've been in my thoughts quite a lot over the last few weeks. I hope reading will bring you comfort.

May 2026 be full of spectacular reads!

Happy New Year Carrie and Wally.

>27 figsfromthistle: Thank you! The same to you!

>28 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!

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, Carrie

>30 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul! Happy 2026!

Hanging my star to follow along with you and Wally. The cats send their greetings!

Happy New Year. Wally looks adorable and your 2025 best of list has several books I loved reading too.

>32 thornton37814: Thanks Lori! Tell the boys that Wally says hi!

>33 avatiakh: Thanks Kerry! 2025 was a really good reading year. Wally had his first hotel experience this week and he's handled it very well. I've been pleased with his behavior.

Here's my year in review meme for 2025, using titles of books that I read:

Describe yourself: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife

Describe how you feel: The Joy Luck Club

Describe where you currently live: Behind Closed Doors

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The Piano Shop on the Left Bank

Your favorite form of transportation is: Orphan Train Rider

Your favorite food is: The Great Cake Mystery

Your favorite time of day is: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Your best friend is: Secret Sister

You and your friends are: Book Lovers

What’s the weather like: First Frost

You fear: Assassins of Athens

What is the best advice you have to give: Take It Back

Thought for the day: Who Was Johnny Cash?

What is life for you: My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business

How you would like to die: Murder by the Book

Your soul’s present condition: Book Lust

What was 2025 like for you: Tooth and Claw

What do you want from 2026? The Pursuit of Love

And here's my dinner party guest meme using titles of books I read in 2025:

What would you call the event? The Old Ways

How did the guests find their way? Map Basics

How did they know they'd arrived? Watchmen

Any special activities? Songs for the Missing

Did your guests stay over? Sleep No More

Were there servants to help? The Queens of Crime

Was there turn down service? Dead Cert

How were the guests greeted? The 101 Dalmatians

Was dinner held for latecomers? Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

And dinner was? The Lobster Chronicles

Afterward? A Murder, a Mystery, and a Marriage

A joyous new year to you and yours, Carrie! Wally is a beauty!

>2 cbl_tn: Love the 'Best of' list, Carrie. Thanks for sharing! Your mention of the Glidden book reminds me of one I read and loved several years ago, Lighthouse by Tony Parker. Have you read that one?

>35 cbl_tn: I need to steal that meme. Great answers!

>36 cbl_tn: I need to steal that one too!

Happy New Year to you and Wally!

Happy New Year, Carrie. I too love your meme answers, especially the ones for guests.

>37 Dejah_Thoris: Thank you! I think Wally is a keeper!

>38 alcottacre: I haven't read that one but it sounds like I should. Thanks for the recommendation! And steal away! I love seeing how other people fill in the memes.

>39 ffortsa: Thank you! It is a stretch some years to find books that fit every prompt, but I thought it worked out well this year.

Happy new year, Carrie! Wally is adorable!

And great meme answers, too

Happy New Year and new thread, Carrie! I look forward to following along with your reading this year.

>41 Copperskye: Thank you! Wally is definitely a keeper! I think he looks like a teddy bear.

>42 atozgrl: Thank you! Happy New Year to you!

#1

Like the MEME answers, Carrie. I did the first one but I will look at doing the dinner party one too.

>45 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! I'm curious to see how you filled out your meme!

#2

Hi Carrie! I tried to get my hands on Parker: Selected Stories but haven't had much luck with free sources, and I'm trying to restrain myself in terms of purchases. Thanks for the review.

>48 Dejah_Thoris: I'm not sure that this selection of stories exists in print. It may be available only in audio format.

#3

#4

#5

>51 cbl_tn: This Allende sounds good. I will look for it. I have been underwhelmed by her most recent novels so have kind of given up on her. I think her earlier work was so much better. But this sounds good.

Christie novels were among my earliest "adult" mystery reads. I have fond memories.

>53 BLBera: Hi Beth! I've only read the two Allendes - this one and The House of the Spirits. In some ways they feel like the same book!

Wally had his first appointment with his new groomer today. I think she did a great job!

Wally, you look MAHvelous!!

>55 cbl_tn: Oh, Wally is so cute!!

>56 laytonwoman3rd: >57 lindapanzo: Wally says thank you, and he wants you to know that he smells good, too!

>58 cbl_tn: The only dog we ever owned was a beagle. No grooming for her. She didn't like baths and so, on mild days. we'd send her out into the rain. When she came back in we'd dry her off with a towel.

>59 lindapanzo: I have friends that have two beagles who are just a few weeks older than Wally. One has a birthday next week and the other has a birthday next month. Wally's birthday is the end of March.

>60 cbl_tn: my beagle was born on St Patrick’s Day.

>61 lindapanzo: Did you name him Patrick?!

No. She was a cute little girl.

>61 lindapanzo: One of my absolute favourite dog breeds.

>55 cbl_tn: Oh my goodness, Wally looks adorable!

And thank you for adding My Invented Country to the TIOLI Challenge. I don't know when I would have gotten around to reading if you hadn't, and I enjoyed it.

>63 lindapanzo: I missed the girl part. I've always had male dogs so I tend to think of all dogs as males!

>64 PaulCranswick: Beagles are beautiful dogs, and good family dogs!

>65 Dejah_Thoris: I think Wally is a handsome boy! I enjoyed My Invented Country too. I wouldn't have sought it out if not for Paul's challenge!

#6

#7

Happy new year, Carrie! (I'm a little late, but still bewildered how it's the end of January already)

Wally looks quite handsome. And it looks like you've kicked off the reading year strong. Beloved is a difficult book, but such a great one. I had to read it in college a couple of times, but it wasn't until I read it again a few years ago with my book club that I could appreciate it even more fully.

>69 bell7: Hi Mary! The year still feels new!

Wally is having a hard time today. I think he likes the snow (we have about 7 inches so far), but he's not sure what to do with it!

#8

#9

#10

11.

January Recap

Books owned: 1
Books borrowed: 2
eBooks owned: 1
eBooks borrowed: 2
Audiobooks borrowed: 5

Best of the month: Recitatif by Toni Morrison (5)
Worst of the month: Target: Tinos by Jeffrey Siger (3)

>71 cbl_tn: I have that recording...I love listening to Welty talk, but I totally agree with you about the pace of her reading---too fast.

>76 laytonwoman3rd: I loved listening to her voice! I just wished she would slow down!

>55 cbl_tn: aww how adorable :)

>78 figsfromthistle: The groomer did a great job, didn't she?!

>11 cbl_tn: I haven't read this one - I need to get to it!

I actually saw And the There Were None (link to novel, not the play) at a local community theatre Thursday evening. If two of my closest friends hadn't been in it, I wouldn't have gone, given that I've seen soooo many times, lol. Sadly, there's little interest in producing Christie's plays that don't have very recognizable names, so they pulled this one out again, even though they did it only a few years ago.

>80 Dejah_Thoris: I had to ILL it. There aren't many libraries with a copy, but I only needed one library willing to lend it!

>81 cbl_tn: Some of them are hard to find, but that seems to be true of plays in general. I often end up breaking down and buying them, hopefully used or seriously on sale.

I've had Curtain Up: Agatha Christie: A Life in the Theatre for several years, but it's long and looks fairly dense, so I haven't brought myself to start it yet. One of these days....

>82 Dejah_Thoris: That sounds like a book I need to add to my Christie collection. Thanks for the heads up!

Not sure how I ended up with a duplicate post!

>83 cbl_tn: Perhaps we can read it together one month - I could use the motivation!

>85 Dejah_Thoris: I might have just ordered a Kindle copy. Can you fit it in next month in honor of World Theatre Day?

>86 cbl_tn: Absolutely! That's a wonderful idea.

>87 Dejah_Thoris: Then March it is!

#12

#13

>89 cbl_tn: I'm hoping to join you for Agent Josephine, so I'm glad to learn you enjoyed it. Access may be an issue, but I'm optimistic.

And, of course, I'm definitely joining you for A Wizard of Earthsea - I can't believe I've never read it before!

>91 Dejah_Thoris: And here I thought I was the last person to read A Wizard of Earthsea!

>92 cbl_tn: Nope, I'm right there with you, lol.

>92 cbl_tn: I've never read it, and I have no interest in reading it. It's not a genre I enjoy.

>94 thornton37814: It's not my favorite genre either, but I'm glad I gave it a try.

#14

#15

#16

>97 cbl_tn: I hve got to get back to this series. I started it years ago, then, for whatever reason, I stopped. I've begun a series read/reread, but need to pick back up with The Iron Hand of Mars. I am very far behind your group read!

>98 cbl_tn: I didn't particularly like The Love Hypothesis either.

>99 Dejah_Thoris: The Iron Hand of Mars is one of my favorites in the series. :-)

#17

>101 cbl_tn: I know I read a couple of those when I was in high school, but the series was newish then--only 2 or 3 were published before I went to college and my recreational reading dropped off. Somehow I never went back to Rabbi Small's world. I think I'll have to get reacquainted.

>102 laytonwoman3rd: I liked so many things about this book. I think the rabbi is about the same age as my father, and it made me think of him.

>101 cbl_tn: Well, you got me with this one, Carrie. :)

>104 Dejah_Thoris: Oops! ;-)

#18

>88 cbl_tn: Are we still good for Curtain Up!: Agatha Christie: A Life in the Theatre in March? Goodness - that title is so clunky!

And if yes, where would you like to put it? I was thinking of #13 - Max connection, but anywhere works for me.

LOL - I just looked at the wiki again, and there it is in #12 - that's perfect!

>107 Dejah_Thoris: >108 Dejah_Thoris: The title of the American edition starts with Agatha so I added it to challenge #13 under the A!

>109 cbl_tn: As long as we have it in somewhere, I'm happy. It does look a bit daunting, though. I may going ahead and start it - I won't be reading this one in one sitting, lol.

>110 Dejah_Thoris: I will start it fairly soon, but my first priority is reading the book for my March book club meeting on the 8th!

#19

#20

>106 cbl_tn: I read a different book about him. I just looked to see what we had at work.

>114 thornton37814: This was an audiobook I think in Tennessee Reads.

>115 cbl_tn: I saw it there and put it on my list to try to listen to.

#21

February Recap

Books owned: 3
Books borrowed: 2
eBooks borrowed: 1
Audiobooks borrowed: 4

Best of the month: Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman (4.5)
Worst of the month: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (3)

#22

#23

>118 cbl_tn: I don't know if you saw it on the wiki, but I joined you for Friday, the Rabbi Slept Late. I really enjoyed it! Let me know when you're ready to continue with the series, and I'll join you again.

Hi Carrie, I'm new since last week. My real name is Kim. I live in Madison, Wisconsin.

I will soon be re-reading The Wizard of Earthsea and the rest of the trilogy. It has been about 50 years since I first read it so it'll be fun to read again.

>121 Dejah_Thoris: Hi Dejah! I had missed that! I talked to Lori last night and she is listening to Friday, the Rabbi Slept Late now. If she likes it as much as we did, maybe we can all read it together.

>122 rowendelle: Hi Kim! Thanks for dropping by! The Wizard of Earthsea is not my usual reading, but I did enjoy it. Mystery will always be my favorite genre, but I've been trying to sample books outside my usual.

Wally went to the groomer this afternoon. It hit 80 degrees before noon today so I decided it was time for a summer cut.

#24

>124 cbl_tn: Elegant, Wally!

>126 laytonwoman3rd: That's a regal pose, isn't it? I had a very hard time catching him still long enough to get a good shot!

#25

Wally looks wonderful - and cool!

>129 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks, Dejah! Naturally, we had a cold front move through overnight so it's been cooler today. It hasn't seemed to bother Wally though.

#26

#27

Good morning! How is Agatha Christie: A Life in the Theatre going for you? I have to admit, it's been a bit slow for me. Are you still planning to finish this month, or should we stretch it out into April? I'm good either way. :)

>133 Dejah_Thoris: I've read most of the first chapeter I think. I've had a couple of interlibrary loans and a couple of library books I needed to finish before giving it my full attention. I'm on schedule to focus on it next week.

#28

#29

#30

#31

#32

#33

#34

>140 cbl_tn: I miss Betty White.

>142 laytonwoman3rd: I know. At least we have reruns!

March Recap

Books owned: 2
Books borrowed: 4
Audiobooks borrowed: 7

Best of the month: If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) by Betty White (4.5)
Worst of the month: Daughter of Daring by Mallory O’Meara (2.5)

#35

#36

>36 cbl_tn: Excellent review, Carrie!

>147 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks, Dejah! I am ordering a copy for the library where I work. We have a theater minor to support and I think this could be useful to the students.

>148 cbl_tn: I think that's a great idea. Green packed in a huge amount of research, but still kept it interesting - and readable, as I think you said over on my thread. It seems like a good fit for an academic library.

#37

#38

>150 cbl_tn: I looked this one up when I saw that you had it listed on the TIOLI Wiki - it sounds good! I'm not going to be able to get my hands on it this month, which is just as well because I have seriously overcommitted, lol.

>151 cbl_tn: Yeah, I read/listened to this one, and didn't particularly like it. Your review is on point - I didn't really care what happened, and I agree that the short story was better. So many people are huge fans of the book - I don't quite get it.

>152 Dejah_Thoris: I'm in good company with the Baldree book, then!

I think you will like The Feather Detective whenever you gt to it. I found myself in need of a feather detective this morning. I found this in my yard when I took Wally out first thing in the morning.

#39

>153 cbl_tn: Oh, dear - I've found similar crime scenes!

>155 Dejah_Thoris: I'm not sure whether the bird was the victim or the perpetrator!

#40

#41

>157 cbl_tn: That sounds like a good one. I’ll have to see if I can find it.

>158 cbl_tn: It does sound interesting, but I can imagine people being less willing to talk to her for the reason you mention.

>159 EllaTim: I hope you can find a copy of My Name Is Leon! It's very good.

Anyone else having trouble with duplicate posts?!

No duplicate post troubles for me - at least today.

>157 cbl_tn: What a lovely review of My Name is Leon! It was the Kit de Waal book that appealed to me most, and I have it checked out from the library. I hadn't planned on picking up the audio version, but you have me rethinking that.

>158 cbl_tn: I'm currently reading/listening to Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen and while the humor isn't mean, it is, to me at least, jarring. I only realized after I'd started it that the author is a social media historian - she dumbs everything down and has a 'jokey' style that I 'm sure is intended to make history more relatable and palatable to her (I'm told) 3 million followers. I've learned things, but I don't plan on reading any more of her books!

>162 Dejah_Thoris: I loved My Name Is Leon. Grief is one of the main themes, and most of the characters are trying to figure out how to move on after a significant loss, so be prepared. I know you've had a fairly recent loss.

I am not one of the 3 million followers. I've never heard of her!

>163 cbl_tn: Thanks for the warning, Carrie. I think I'll be ok; if not, I'll bail.

>163 cbl_tn: I wanted to read that one this month too but couldn't find a copy. I read a collection of short stories by her instead and enjoyed those too.

>164 Dejah_Thoris: I will be curious to hear your thoughts about it!

>165 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I'm sorry that you weren't able to get hold of My Name Is Leon this month. I think this is one of those books that will find you when the time is right!

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April Recap

Books borrowed: 1
Ebooks owned: 1
Ebooks borrowed: 5
Audiobooks borrowed: 5

Best of the month: Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre by Julius Green (5)
Worst of the month: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (3)

>171 cbl_tn: Oh how I loved this book! It has a sequel, The Princess and Curdy which is pretty good as well. I used to be haunted by the image of the princess following the thread into the rock!

>173 ffortsa: I'm glad to know that there's a sequel!

Ugh. Duplicate message.

And another duplicate message!

>174 cbl_tn: I had a meeting this week with a subcontractor whose name was Echo!

She didn't pick up for several minutes that I was pulling her leg by repeating myself twice at the end of each sentence I said to her!

Your triple post stammer brought it to mind!

Have a great weekend, Carrie weekend, Carrie weekend Carrie.

>178 cbl_tn: Yes, there is definitely an echo in here! I hope your weekend has been great so far!

Hi Carrie - I'm just popping in to say hello!

>179 Dejah_Thoris: Hi Dejah! Thanks for keeping my thread warm! I'm at the end of one of my busy seasons. We had graduation on Saturday and meetings through this afternoon. Things should slow down now.

I finished the audio of Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry a few days ago. Have you started yet? I enjoyed this one as much as the first one, although I had more distractions that made me a less attentive listener.

>180 cbl_tn: I haven't started yet - I'm sure the mood will strike me soon. :)

Congratulations on getting through graduation season!