Familyhistorian Takes Life (and Reading) as it Comes - Part 5

Well, last year threw a monkey wrench into the works. I don’t know what this year will bring but there will be books and talk about books. That’s something to look forward to.

I didn’t quite meet my goal for reading and sending books from my personal library on their way in 2025. Still 77 recycled out of a goal of 100 is nothing to be sneezed at and it outpaced my acquisitions. Maybe I’ll do better in 2026.



Little Free Library

Books culled in 2026

January - 6

February - 7

March - 4

May - 4

June - 4

BLOG



I write about genealogy and history on my blog. It helps to have a deadline when there are so many unwriterly tasks to be done. Follow my blog posts as I embark on another year of writing about my genealogical explorations and the information I find out about my ancestors. You can see my latest blog posts at: A Genealogist’s Path to History

Challenges

Nonfiction Challenge

January – Prize Winners - The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story by Kate Summerscale - DONE
February – All That Jazz - Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans by Gary Krist - DONE
March – Off the Beaten Path Religious Sects - American Cult: A Graphic History of Religious Cults in America from the Colonial Era to Today by Robyn Chapman (others) - DONE
April – Internal Matters - Everything Tuberculosis by John Green DONE
May – Been there. Bought the t-shirt
June – Who Built that Beautiful Building and Why?
July – US revolution years from 1760 to 1788
August – Tweet, Tweet
September – Talk, Talk – Linguistics
October – Diaspora
November – Epistolography
December – Bibliography

Reading Through Time

January – Retellings of Classics - My Fair Brady by Brian D. Kennedy - DONE
February – Agents of change, unexpected events that change the course of lives - The Black Death: A Personal History by John Hatcher - DONE
March – Slavery in the Antebellum South - The House Girl by Tara Conklin - DONE
April – Spring - The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin - DONE
May – It Happened in May
June – Love & Marriage
July – The Lives of Wives
August – Holidays/Vacations
September – Daughters
October –
November –
December –

Quarterly

Jan – March – 19th Century – excluding the Americas - Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas - DONE

List of books for challenges

Nonfiction Challenge

January - Prize Winners - Shortlisted for the 2020 Baillie Gifford prize The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story

February - All That Jazz - Empires of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans by Gary Krist

May - Travel - The Victorian Visitors: Culture Shock in Nineteenth Century Britain by Rupert Christianson (still working my way through that one at the beginning of June)

June - Who Built That Beautiful Building and Why? -

Reading Through Time

January – Retellings of Classics - My Fair Brady by Brian D. Kennedy

February - Agents of Change - The Black Death: A Personal History by John Hatcher

June - Love and Marriage - The Marriage Plot

Shared reads

We Begin at the End April

Books read in 2026

Books read in April 2026

1. To Kingdom Come by Will Thomas
2. A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori
3. Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
4. Home Before Dark by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir
5. The Feather Detective by Chris Sweeney
6. We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
7. The Tumbling Girl by Bridget Walsh
8. Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove
9. Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick
10. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
11. The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
12. Murder at the Merton Library by Andrea Penrose
13. Scribe of the Heart by Floresta Báz
14. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
15. Aftermath by Peter Robinson
16. Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel
17. Friend of the Devil by Peter Robinson
18. Framed in Death by J. D. Robb

Books acquired in 2026

Books acquired in April 2026

A False and Fatal Claim by Iona Whishaw
Contemplation of a Crime by Susan Juby
Learn to Draw Faces with 50 Models by Niels Roman
Murder at Cinnamon Falls by R. L. Killmore
A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation by Grace Burrowes
A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances by Grace Burrowes
A Gentleman in Pursuit of Truth by Grace Burrowes
Pagans by James Alistair Henry

April stats

Books read: 18
Pages read: 5,462
Read pages counted in 2026: 24,357
Male authors: 7
Female authors: 11
Multiple authors: 0
Owned books: 5
Borrowed books: 13

Happy new one, Meg. Hoping May is a better month for you and Sam!

Your topper is very haunting!

Happy new thread, Meg. I hope May is a good month for you.

>13 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. The topper is a photo of an alley in Seattle. It's the Gum Wall near Pike Place Market.

>14 BLBera: Hi Beth, I hope that May is a good month for us all. It's got to get better, right?

Happy new thread, Meg!

>17 drneutron: Thanks Jim and thanks for keeping us organized. We need it!

Happy new thread, Meg.

Happy New Thread, 🧵, Meg!

Hi Meg my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend.

Happy new one, Meg.

Happy new thread Meg. There will be books and lots of talk about books sounds like a very good plan!

Happy new thread, Meg!

Happy new one, Meg!!

>19 weird_O: Thanks Bill!

>20 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, thanks for the new thread wishes!

>21 johnsimpson: Good to see you here, John, and thanks!

>22 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

>23 mdoris: There will definitely be stuff about books, Mary!

>24 quondame: Thanks Susan!

>25 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, thanks for the new thread wishes!

Happy new thread!

>28 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel!

76. These Days by Lucy Caldwell



Length: 275 pages

Most of the stories written about the blitzes of WWII are usually about cities in England but Belfast was also a target. In These Days the story follows two sisters during the blitz in Belfast, showing the devastation and life altering events of four days in 1941. The city had prepared but didn’t know what it was facing and how it would change the people who survived.

In a little while I'll be on my way to my local library to return one book and pick up 4 holds. How does that happen? It's not like I need to add any more books to those I currently have on the go.

My current reads in various states of completion (I hope) are:

A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang ✅
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Kara Siddharth ✅
Playing with Fire by Peter Robinson ✅
Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis by Jeffrey H. Jackson (for online book club)✅
The Feather Wars: And the Great Crusade to Save America’s Birds by James H. McCommons
Less by Andrew Sean Greer (for in-person book club)✅

There are quite a few non-fiction tomes in that reading pile. I hope that the books I'm going to pick up are fiction. The non-fiction is kind of bogging me down.

>31 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, Your story reminds me of my story! So many books come in at once. What's a girl to do?

>32 mdoris: I try to juggle them but still too many come in at the same time. Good luck reading all your holds, Mary!

>30 Familyhistorian: I already have that one in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

>31 Familyhistorian: I am heading to the library today myself. Taking back 3 and picking up 3 - all fiction.

Happy new thread! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Hi Meg, it seems I barely blink and you have already moved on to a new thread! How are you enjoying A Beast slinks Towards Beijing? I recently added it to my library list. I had been enjoying our lovely weather but today if felt like winter had returned!

>34 alcottacre: Well, at least you are taking back as many as you are picking up, Stasia. The four new ones I picked up the other day were all fiction as well but I'm still working on the nonfiction tomes that I didn't take back.

>35 DeltaQueen50: It was strange not to be warm and sunny, Judy. I actually wore a jacket! I'm still working my way through A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing. Not my favourite read, for sure. I hope you have a better time with it.

77. Playing with Fire by Peter Robinson



Length: 368 pages

In Playing with Fire Banks was part of the investigation team looking into the deaths of two squatters on separate river boats (the fire had spread from the boat where it was set to a boat nearby). It appeared that the target was an artist on one boat. The other body, that of a young female heroin addict on the adjacent boat, was found in bed where she had nodded off. Suspicion attached to her boyfriend for a while and there was a side issue about her step father that complicated things as did involving Annie’s new man, Phil Keane, in the investigation. Fires kept occurring and there were some life altering events that came for DI Banks towards the end of this story.

>30 Familyhistorian: I LOVEd These Days. It was one of my favorites from last year.

>39 BLBera: Could be I found out about These Days from your thread, Beth. It was a good one!

78. Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson



Length: 453 pages

The first book in the Raiders of the Arcana series, Empire of Shadows was a tale of adventure and ancient artifacts set in British Honduras which pitted the good guys, Eleanora Mallory and Adam Bates, against the powers of evil, in this case represented by Jacobs and his gang. Ellie was a frustrated suffragette, a lowly (because female) archivist to Jacobs who had a more prominent role at the PRO but she was the one who made off with the map to a potential antiquity. A map Jacobs was determined to procure so that he could pursue the treasure. Would the good guys be able to prevail against Jacobs and his evil minions? It would be hard given that Ellie and Bates were captured early on by Jacobs and his gang but all bets are off when good vs evil.

It was a great tale of high adventure and my library has the second book on order!

>30 Familyhistorian: I really enjoyed These Days too,Meg. I found a book at the library that I think you would enjoy Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin. I read Detective Aunty last year, and this is a sequel. Just what you need, more books on the go. I'm reading it right now and have it on audio as well, the perfect cozy mystery.

>42 vancouverdeb: I picked up 4 books from the library a couple of days ago, Deborah. Moonlight Murder was one of them. I also got Imposter, Murder Mindfully and Rogue Protocol but I haven't started them yet because I'm trying to finish the books I listed in >31 Familyhistorian:. (Well, I have finished the Peter Robinson book but it was the third in a 4 book bundle so I'm on to the last one now.)

>43 Familyhistorian: Great minds and all that, Meg, with Moonlight Murder and Imposter.

>44 vancouverdeb: I guess it's not surprising with all the BBs flying around here that we often end up reading the same things, Deborah.

>45 Familyhistorian: Indeed, Meg. And we both like mysteries and historical fiction.

>46 vancouverdeb: Yes, we do have similar reading tastes so that accounts for our reading many of the same books. I hope you got out to enjoy the sun some today.

79. Strange Affair by Peter Robinson



Length: 367 pages

The last book in the 4 book Alan Banks bundle was Strange Affair. Banks was still off work when he received a phone message from his brother Roy. Then was unreachable by phone so he went off to check on him. His brother lived in an upscale part of London but wasn’t home but his house was unlocked. Meanwhile the cops in Eastvale were investigating the murder of a young woman driver. It soon turned out there were links between that death and Roy’s disappearance, links that led to some pretty shaky business that Bank’s brother was involved in. It was another involved and involving mystery in the Banks series.

Yesterday I walked in the May Day Parade with a group from PoCo Heritage.



Before the parade started all the politicians in their vintage cars lined up before they drove down to begin the festivities



Getting a closer view of the young dancers



One of the many mobile displays promoting local businesses.

My group was towards the beginning of the parade so I only got to see the end.

Fun Meg to be in the parade. Glad the weather cooperated!

>50 mdoris: I enjoy being in the parade, Mary, although my arm does get tired from waving. The weather has been good for all of the years that I've actually been walking in the parade (knock on wood.)

>38 Familyhistorian: I have read bits and pieces of Robinson's Banks series, but not with any degree of regularity. I would like to read the books in order at some point.

>41 Familyhistorian: Adding that one to the BlackHole! Sounds like dandy fun!

>49 Familyhistorian: Love the pictures! Thanks for sharing, Meg.

>52 alcottacre: I started reading the Banks series in order but it was hard to find the earlier books. Many of them are only available as e-books. I recently borrowed a Banks 4 book bundle as an e-book from a library in my city so I actually had access to the 4 volume extravaganza so I feel I'm ahead of the game on the series but I don't think that those particular books were actually sequential. Best of luck finding all of them in sequence.

Empire of Shadows was fun and the next in the series is available so I'm waiting for my library hold to come up on that one.

Thanks re the pictures, Stasia. I don't get that many because of being part of the parade myself.

80. A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang



Length: 357 pages

It was an ambitious novel, telling recent Chinese history through the trauma experienced by several generations of one family. A lot of traumatic events occurred during the many years covered. Events that would have changed the trajectory of lives as was shown through the scenes of the novel. The scope was wide. The decades to be covered many. The shifts in time could be confusing as could the shifts in POV.

In the end I found A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing a worthwhile and interesting story but by no means an easy or quick read.

>54 Familyhistorian: Well, at least you made it through A Beast Slinks Toward Beijing, Meg. I know you have a lot of books on the go.

>55 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, it took me a while. It felt good to finish that one! Moonlight Murder is a lot faster to read.

81. Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin



Length: 325 pages

Detective Aunty Kausar moved back to Toronto after spending time there helping her daughter who had been implicated in a murder. No longer living with her daughter, Kausar was still an involved mother and grandparent. So it was that she was drawn into the mysterious death of one of her granddaughter, Maleeha’s friends, a young student of promise. It was a death with similarities to one that had involved a young man, Kausar’s son Ali.

The mystery involved family relationships and secrets as well has hidden guilt. Through it all Kausar asked questions and figured out what was really going on in a satisfying who done it that solved more than one untimely death. Moonlight Murder was an interesting mystery and ended with a hook for the next in the series which I hope will appear soon.

So far this month I've added two new books. They are:

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (for an online family history writers' group read)
A Brazen Curiosity by Lynn Messina (I didn't get very far with this book which is only available in French in my local libraries so I bought my own English language copy.)

Hi Meg!! I read Theo of Golden for RL bookclub a couple of months ago and enjoyed it. Hope you do too. A Brazen Curiosity is certainly an interesting title -- look forward to hearing about it.

>59 RebaRelishesReading: I've started Theo of Golden and it does seem like a book club kind of read. I started to read Une Insolente Curiosite in French but didn't get far so bought A Brazen Curiosity so I could read it. Pretty sure that's one I can blame on Richard.

After spending about a month in hospital, my son was finally released yesterday. (He had to make it clear he wanted to leave. They wanted to keep him longer.)

Oh my goodness that is really good news that Sam is finally home and fingers crossed that he can stay home now for a long while Meg.

>53 Familyhistorian: Thanks for the heads up about the 4 volume extravaganza. I will see if I can get it through either my local library or Hoopla.

>54 Familyhistorian: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation and review, Meg.

>57 Familyhistorian: Adding that one to the BlackHole too!

>61 Familyhistorian: I am glad to hear that he is out, but hope it is not too soon. . .

>61 Familyhistorian: - I'm sure it was wearing on him, too, Meg. Sometimes just sleeping in your own bed can be *healing*

>62 mdoris: It's unlikely that he will be out of hospital for long, Mary. He was just there to deal with the side effects of chemo. I don't know the treatment plan from here.

>63 alcottacre: Good luck finding the 4 volume Banks book, Stasia. No worries about him getting out too soon.

>64 jessibud2: It was very wearing, Shelley. He wasn't eating much because the food was cold and tasteless so I ended up taking him Subway sandwiches for almost 2 weeks so that he didn't fade away.

>61 Familyhistorian: Great news that Sam is home, Meg . I am sure he will enjoy his time at home . Best wishes to both of you!

Dave says the food is so good , he may not want to come home.

>68 vancouverdeb: >69 vancouverdeb: You made me laugh, Deborah. Sam couldn't stand the food and chicken with cold gravy wouldn't make my day either. Will Dave be out of the hospital soon?

Glad your son is home. I'm sure home cooking will do him a world of good.

>71 RebaRelishesReading: As long as he gets to cook it, Reba, although since he's been home this time there has been a lot of pizza and fish and chips last night.

82. The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera



Length: 299 pages

Siri was not living her best life driving a taxi in NYC. Trapped in a 10 year lease for the cab which her father once drove, then her brother but he died, it was up to her to carry on. But even that looked to be impossible when she was arrested for the murder of the man stabbed in her back seat.

The Midnight Taxi brought together two Sri Lankan women in New York, Siri and her public defender, Amaya. Together they had a week to figure out what happened and who did it to save Siri from a conviction that seemed to be a slam dunk. It was a real page turner.

83. The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder that Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Siddharth Kara



Length: 224 pages

I’ve come across the history the abolition movement in Britain during the course of my research. Until I read The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder that Inspired the Abolition of Slavery I was unaware of the egregious acts of the crew of a slave ship and the subsequent insurance claim for the loss of the slaves who were tossed overboard that started the action which opened a window on the slave trade the public had not thought about until that point. Because, of course, the insurer refused to pay for the lost slaves who were tossed overboard. The owners claimed that the 130 or so people were forced into the sea to save the majority because the ship was running low on water and took their claim to court. From there the proceedings became public knowledge and the reality of the slave trade was brought to light for those who were unaware of what it entailed.

It was a nice day if a bit cool and breezy here for Victorian Day. As it was a long weekend our usual group met at a park to eat and gab and just generally catch up with each other. It was good to see everyone.

>74 Familyhistorian: Sounds harrowing, important and interesting.

Hi Meg, Your Victoria Day picnic sounds like fun! Yes a bit breezy. I am still have my wooly sweaters close at hand.

>76 RebaRelishesReading: It was the owners search for compensation which brought the truth about the slave trade to light for the greater public. Hoisted by their own petard! It was a read that brought the reality of the slave trade and attitudes of the time into focus.

>77 mdoris: The Victoria Day meet-up was fun but chilly. It felt warmer two weeks ago!

>73 Familyhistorian: The Midnight Taxi was good read, I agree , Meg and the health system is frustrating as you must know by now.

>80 vancouverdeb: I really like The Midnight Taxi. I'm sorry that you're finding out how frustrating the health care system is Deborah. Hopefully you won't have to deal with it for that long.

84. Imposter by L J Ross



Length: 291 pages

Alex Gregory was called away from his regular job as a psychologist in an institution to act as a profiler in a small Irish town where a predator had taken the life of a young wife in her home. With fears of a serial killer on the loose the town needed help. There he was met by the mayor and her two sons who were both investigating the case from their jobs in the Garda. Imposter was a twisty tale with many suspects where Gregory’s insights and detachment helped to suss out the perpetrator.

Hi Meg, you are whipping through those books! I see some interesting new mysteries that I want to look into. I have developed an interest in pulp fiction of the 1950s and 60s lately and I went on a little splurge this morning and added about five to my Kindle.

>74 Familyhistorian: That looks a surefire winner, Meg. I had sort of the story somewhere in my conscience so I would be keen to fill in the blanks I have.

>83 DeltaQueen50: I've noticed some interesting mysteries on your threads, Judy. Unfortunately I can't find some of them as they seem to be on Kindle and I don't own a Kindle. I hope you enjoy your new acquisitions.

>84 PaulCranswick: I've read some of the history of the abolition movement in Britain, Paul. In fact, I recall that one of my ancestors was involved. Now I just have to remember which one. Probably on one of my nonconformist family lines. The Zorg will definitely fill in the history of the beginnings of when the abolition movement started to gain more adherents. I found the court case interesting from an insurance pov too.

>82 Familyhistorian: I am glad you enjoyed Imposter, I sure did. I am looking forward to the next in the series, which comes out early June .

>73 Familyhistorian: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again!

>74 Familyhistorian: My local library has that one on order. Hopefully I will be able to get my hands on a copy soon.

>82 Familyhistorian: Hoopla has that one so maybe? Not sure about thrillers these days.

I hope Sam continues to do well, Meg. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>87 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the heads up on the next book, Deborah. I'll have to keep an eye out for that one.

>88 alcottacre: Best of luck getting your mitts on those books, Stasia. Yes, finger crossed for Sam to continue in the right direction. Thanks for that.

85. Rogue Protocol: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells



Length: 158 pages

Murderbot was heading to Milu, to check out a supposedly derelict facility for proof of GrayCris’s nefarious activities to be able to send the data to Dr. Mensah. That way, once she had the data, she would be able to go back to where she was safe. The human side of the SecUnit keeps peeking through. It shows even more when he gets involved with the activities of the scientists, security and crew and pet bot in a fight to survive on Milu. Rogue Protocol was another engaging episode in the Murderbot series.

I remember reading Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother, and Me back in the early 2010s. It has now been made into an animated film which is presently showing at Cannes. The story itself has been moved from where it played out in Canada to the US.

Happy Wednesday, Meg. Good review of The Zorg. That was a very good read, despite the unpleasant subject matter.

Hi Mark, The Zorg was very interesting. I've read about the history of the abolition movement in Britain but never about this horrendous incident that was the catalyst for the movement. My years in the insurance industry made the trial part more understandable too. I hope your Wednesday is going well.

Happy new thread!

You are just zipping through those books and flying past the 75 mark. Congrats!

Happy new(ish) thread, Meg! That is a fascinating image up top in >1 Familyhistorian:.

Putting The Zorg on the list. Although I knew about what had been done to the captives by the murderous crew of the slave ship, I hadn't known it was the catalyst that brought about the end of the slave trade in England. Hoist by their own petard indeed.

Sending healing thoughts to Sam and hope he is enjoying being home.

>95 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita. Good to see you here!

>96 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, that's an alley in Pike Place Market, Seattle. The effect is caused by bubblegum (chewed and stuck on the wall).

It was actually the owner's trying to recoup some of their losses by taking their insurance company to court after they won't pay for the lost slaves that publicized what happened on the ship. The Zorg was an interesting account of the voyage and the ensuing court case.

Sam is enjoying being out of the hospital for sure.

86. Less by Andrew Sean Greer



Length: 263 pages

It hadn’t been that long since my last read of Less, but my in-person book club chose this for our May read. It was surprising how much I’d forgotten about the story of Arthur Less, the about to turn 50 (I wish!) author who was feeling rejected and dejected, his last book not accepted by his publisher, his last squeeze about to marry another younger man. So he decided to embark on a series of book related events around the world to make himself feel useful and, hopefully, get back into the swing of things.

>91 Familyhistorian: Dodging that BB as I have already read it. I do love Murderbot!

>99 Familyhistorian: I recently tried to read Greer's The Confessions of Max Tivoli and gave up on it about 80 pages in. I wonder if I would like Less any better? I will have to see if my local library has a copy. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Meg.

I hope you and Sam have a super Saturday!

>100 alcottacre: I'm not surprised you've read that Murderbot, Stasia. I'm just reading the series for the first time having finally caved to LT pressure.

Less was read for my book club. Interestingly, of those who actually read the book, half read the library book and the other half listened to audio. The audio listeners picked up more of the humour in the read. So bare that in mind.

>101 Familyhistorian: Was mulling Less for out Book Club too. Have to talk a look at it.

>102 magicians_nephew: It's hard to pick book club books, isn't it? I hope yours enjoys Less if that's what you chose, Jim.

87. Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis by Jeffrey H. Jackson



Length: 326 pages

Another book club book, this time for an online group, was Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis. It was about two avant guard artists who left Paris just prior to WWII to settle somewhere they felt safer, Jersey. They were artists, sisters, lovers and as artists they collaborated with each other. The story of this part of their lives, showed some of the different ways that resistance was being put into practice. They flew under the radar for a while but eventually the Nazis in occupation of their new home caught them and incarcerated them. It was an interesting history but it was also about Jersey, a place where some of the maternal side of my family lived for a time. My 2 x great grandfather and his son, my 2 x great uncle, are buried there in St. Helier. There was also a Jersey link with my paternal side as my father was vacationing on Jersey when war was declared and once he heard the news he left early to go back to London to determine what role he would play in the upcoming conflict. (He joined the RAF).

I'm behind on reviews and find keeping up on LT difficult. My plate seems extra full of late with group activities, Friday was book club, Saturday morning the Coquitlam Crunch (only two of us did it this time, seems everyone is feeling a time crunch), today was an online meet up with a genealogy group (formerly called the Quebec Questers, they let me join especially after I pointed out that I had lived in la belle province.)

88. Five Days in London May 1940 by John Lukacs



Length: 236 pages

Another recent read about WWII was Five Days in London May 1940. I’ve been aware of WWII since I was young because it was a big part in both of my parents’ lives. But it was something that seemed to have been written in stone. While in this read, it was an ongoing discussion over 5 days as to whether Britain would seek terms or fight on. It really brought the immediacy of those times to life.

At the beginning of May I had a bunch of books on the go. I've finished the majority but still have some to go, as you can see:

My current reads in various states of completion (I hope) are:

A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang ✅
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Kara Siddharth ✅
Playing with Fire by Peter Robinson ✅
Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis by Jeffrey H. Jackson (for online book club)✅
The Feather Wars: And the Great Crusade to Save America’s Birds by James H. McCommons
Less by Andrew Sean Greer (for in-person book club)✅

Oh my Meg, that is a lot of books on the go! You must have a very good memory to keep them all straight in your mind!

>108 mdoris: All the ones with ticks are the ones I've already finished, Mary. Only Feather Wars is outstanding from the books that I was reading at the beginning of May. I've been a student taking writing related courses for a good part of my life so there were always lots of different books on the go to keep straight.

For the most part, I can only read one book at a time, Meg. I can't wait until Dave can walk the dog again! I think it is 4 - 6 weeks ,but I guess he will know more when he sees the cardiologist. He not supposed to lift over 5 lbs for 4 weeks , or something like that. I think he will be able to drive again after he sees the cardiologist on Friday. Just now I am getting ready for my nightly hour walk with Muffin and likely Dave. I can't wait to have more time to read, watch TV and catch up on LT

So nice to have the procedure done and have him home again I'm sure. Having a time-line for strengthening must be nice too.

89. The Small Bachelor by P.G. Wodehouse



Length: 204 pages

I was expecting something like a Jeeves and Wooster book when I picked up The Small Bachelor from a Little Free Library. It was a surprise to find myself in the US at the time of prohibition. The humour was familiar with the characters at cross purposes, a wedding and a madcap chase after a necklace part of the plot. It was not what I was expecting but still had the odd characters I knew to expect from the author.

It was a surprise to see a footnote about P.G. Wodehouse in Five Days in London May 1940. The note was about Wodehouse's talks that were broadcast while he was a guest of the Germans after the take over of France. Those talks didn't do his reputation any favours but I had not known about them until I saw the note.

90. The Creak on the Stairs by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir



Length: 304 pages

Elma moved back from Reykjavik to her hometown of Akranes after failed relationship and shortly after that, as part of her job with the police, was pulled into an investigation the death of a young woman left on the shore. It soon became clear that the reasons for the murder reached back into the past of the town, to things that had been hidden for a long time. It was a part of the town’s history that Elma hadn’t known about that peeled back the façade of respectability that some of the townsfolk had maintained for years. It kept me turning the pages wanting to find the truth of what happened in The Creak on the Stairs.

>110 vancouverdeb: It does feeling easier when I just have one book on the go but somehow most times I just pick up something else a day or so later. Then there are the library holds that come in with holds waiting. What can I do?

It's good to have an end in sight for doing all the dog walking, driving and lifting. I hope you those weeks go quickly and you're soon back to reading, watching, puzzling and following up on LT, Deborah.

>111 RebaRelishesReading: I agree that it's good to have an end in sight, Reba.

>114 Familyhistorian: I enjoyed this one as well, Meg.

Hi, Meg!

>114 Familyhistorian: Looks interesting! I used to be a huge fan of scandi mysteries (i.e., the Sjöwall and Wahlöö Martin Beck series is an old favorite), but I've gotten away from them in the past few years.

91. Close to Home by Peter Robinson



Length: 436 pages

My read of the Banks series is now a bit out of order since reading the four stories included in one volume. The works chosen weren’t in chronological order. Now I’ve gone back to pick up one written in the midst of the other ones that I just read. It showed me how Michelle, the other female copper came into his life. In this case it was because the body of a boy who had been a friend of Banks was finally found after he had been missing since they were teens.

Exploring the past of policing as well as showing a glimpse of Bank’s own history, Close to Home was an interesting story showing two investigations into young men’s deaths, one in the past and one in the present.

>116 BLBera: It was a good one, Beth. I think I liked it better than the other one of her's that I read. It took me less time to get into it.

>117 Storeetllr: It was a good one, Mary. Maybe you should try to find more Scandi crime.

92. Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes



Length: 435 pages

It started with a mix up at the gym, two women got their shoe bags mixed up and the Louboutins went home with the woman with the Primark life, the one whose husband was suffering with debilitating depression, the one whose boss had it in for her. The one with the high life where the shoes fit in, found that her life fell apart after she lost the shoes. Her husband, soon to be ex, ghosted her, made it impossible for her to find a lawyer to represent her when they divorced.

Someone Else’s Shoes was a story about women claiming their power and finding what is real and worth defending in their lives. It was about sisterhood and second changes. It was a fun read.

>106 Familyhistorian: Five Days in London Sounds Interesting

Churchill was crackers to think the British Empire even with the Territorial armies could take on Nazi Germany.

But he "marshaled the English Language and sent it off to war" and it turned out well in the end.

>122 magicians_nephew: It was all pretty crazy but what choice did they have? Rolling over for Nazi Germany didn't look good either.

>123 Familyhistorian: Only that things that look "inevitable" in hindsight sometimes look much less so to the people on the spot.

Hitler thought until very late in the game that England and Germany would be allies in crushing the "Judeo Bolshevik" menace that was Communist Russia. A lot of of people in England thought so too.

Certainly Churchill came into office as a "war" PM. But what that meant was far from clear in the fog of war circa 1940.

Going to look for the book. Churchill's self serving memoirs rather gloss over this period

>124 magicians_nephew: While the book did use Churchill's memoirs for some of the research, the author branched out to different sources as well so I think you'll find it a more well rounded view of what happened in those few days.

93. The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave



Length: 320 pages
audio

Nora and her brother, Sam, had reservations about their father’s death. A death caused by a fall at his cottage on the California coast. A house on a Cliffside with stairs down to the beach. Stairs he wasn’t able to navigate on that last fateful night. Did he fall or was he pushed. The siblings were on the same page for once. Not trusting what they’d been told about their father’s death, they decided to investigate for themselves. It was an investigation that uncovered things about their father, his business and his life. Things that they hadn’t been aware of. Maybe if they unravel the mystery of his death, the solution will allow them to move on, to make sense of what paths to follow in their own lives in the story of The Night We Lost Him.

It was a nice day for a walk. I got together with the usual group to do the Coquitlam Crunch. Strangely, this was the second time lately when I ran into someone else I knew.

94. The James Joyce Murder by Amanda Cross



Length: 174 pages

I picked up a BB for the mysteries written by Amanda Cross somewhere in my perusal of the threads. In The James Joyce murder a meddling woman was killed by accident with a target gun which shouldn’t have been loaded, but strangely was. It was up to Kate Fansler to determine what had happened because the police probably wouldn’t get to the answer as quickly as she would.

The narrative was a reminder of mysteries of days gone by, in setting and in style (much, much dialogue). Still it was an intriguing and short puzzle that I enjoyed. And yes, James Joyce, was involved in the story.

Hopelessly behind, but Hi!! And thanks for keeping my thread warm. I actually posted for the first time in months! : )

95. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi



Length: 384 pages

My family history writers group occasionally picks a book to read and discuss. This time it was Theo of Golden, one I hadn’t heard of before. I had to buy a copy because all the ones at my libraries had multiple holds on them. At first I thought that Theo was a magical benefactor helping an artist and the subject of the artist’s portraits. But reading on, it appeared there was much more to him and what he sought to achieve. I was not sure what to make of the story of Theo of Golden and was interested in the writers’ group discussion of it.

>129 Berly: Good to see you making a round of the threads, Kim. Thanks for including me on your list. I'll have to check out your thread in return.

New books in the house for May were the two I already reported:

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
A Brazen Curiosity by Lynn Messina

Added to those were:

Three in Death by J.D. Robb
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Murder at the Hotel Orient by Alessandra Ranelli

>130 Familyhistorian: I liked Theo a lot. Would have really enjoyed a chance to discuss it!

>133 Berly: Sounds like you liked Theo more than me, Kim, but then mine was an extra read to be done by a certain time. (I finished it a few minutes before the discussion.)

>134 Familyhistorian: Time pressure never helps me like a book. : P. How was the discussion?

>135 Berly: It's a bit of a different group, with an instructor/facilitator who teaches us about writing. So she led with questions and there were different points brought up. It made me like the book a bit better to hear other people's takes on it, I think.

96. A New Lease on Death by Olivia Black



Length: 322 pages

Cordelia had been content in her apartment but now she had a new roommate who had free run of her stuff, including her plants, all her plants of which only one remained alive. Not that she could do anything about it other than to leave broad hints that the sole remnant should be water occasionally. Because Cordelia was now a ghost. Something she was slowly becoming accustomed to while also becoming familiar with Ruby, her now roomie, a cute 20 something girl who could use some pointers, especially some clues about how to find out who killed in their neighbour across the hall.

A New Lease on Death had a different take on a sleuthing duo, a 20 something finding her way in Boston and a deceased 40 year old, acting as her coach and back up. It was a fun read but somehow, I have my suspicions about how Cordelia became a ghost in the first place which I hope will become a mystery in some future episode of this mystery series.

May stats

Books read: 21
Pages read: 6,521
Read pages counted in 2026: 30,878
Male authors: 9
Female authors: 12
Multiple authors: 0
Owned books: 3
Borrowed books: 18

>128 Familyhistorian: I really enjoyed the Kate Fansler mysteries. I read them years ago. Maybe a reread?

I am unfamiliar with Theo of Golden but it sounds interesting.

>139 BLBera: The James Joyce Murder was my first Kate Fansler mystery and reminded me of early mysteries I've read, short with lots of dialogue.

Theo of Golden was a self-published book which netted a publishing deal after it became popular. There are lots of positive reviews but some negative ones as well. It wasn't a book that I would have picked to read myself but many readers seem to really like it.

The beginning of June. I'm not sure if the year feels like it is going by quickly or dragging its feet. The start of a new month is time to get my books in order though. I find that I am a slave to the hold list which is triply worse than it use to be now that I regularly borrow from 3 libraries. It also doesn't help that I'm stuck at home with no travel in sight. That's when I used to back off my hold dates and take a bunch of my owned books along which I'd read and leave along the way. I've notice that reading my owned books has really dwindled so I've backed off my hold dates and hope to concentrate on reading my own tomes. Right now I'm exploring the stacks for books that match various challenges.

21 books read in May, Meg. That is amazing! I managed to read 4 books.

>142 vancouverdeb: Well you were a tad busy with other things, Deborah.

97. Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington



Length: 305 pages

Time travel goes by certain rules, especially when it’s your job. But Rabbit Ward likes to break rules which makes his ventures into the past more interesting and definitely more challenging. In fact, breaking the rules could cause the past to splinter and history to change from that point.

In a fast moving and past moving story, Rabbit was sent back to track down a treasure but it seemed that another more criminal enterprise was after the same artifact. He and Helen had crossed paths before but in Splinter Effect they became more than enemies. That’s what happens when everyone around you is out to get you.

So today had a lot of moving parts. I drove Sam to the hospital for wound care at 10:00, parked at the local rec centre and took a walk while I waited. Then drove home, stopping at a pizza place to pick up an order on the way back. I got in the door in time for a webinar at 11:00 and then at 12:00 registration for SIWC opened. So that's all done and dusted and only a genealogy group meeting to attend this evening and, if I leave early enough, I should be able to hit one of my local libraries and even the bakery.

Hi Meg, good to see you are still enjoying the Peter Robinson books. I also enjoyed The Creak on the Stairswhen I read it last year. I met a couple of my girlfriends for lunch the other day and one couldn't stop raving about Theo of Golden - I guess I need to take a closer look.

Meg, what a very busy day you have had! Me I repotted a container of grasses much in need of repotting, the poor thing so root bound and then spent some time reading. A good day! i am thinking of you and Sam.

>146 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, the mysteries including the Peter Robinson books are going down easy. It helped that I found a library copy of an e-book that included 4 of the Banks titles.

Theo of Golden seems to be a phenomenon. One of those books that built its own following before getting a traditional publishing deal. So there is buzz but, as someone who read the book because of the requirement of a group, I can say that it was okay but I wasn't blown away. I'm not sure if that is the result of not choosing the book on my own or because it wasn't in my wheelhouse.

>147 mdoris: Your day sounds much more restful than mine, Mary. My days used to get busy but now they seem to be on overdrive!

Hi Meg.

Line in the sand. Your visit to my thread made me realize how far behind I was on your threads.

I'm glad that Sam's home and hope things continue to progress in the right direction.

Happy Friday, Meg. Trying to visit a few threads after my MI trip and before heading out on our first camping trip. Also checking in how Sam is doing. I am getting ready to start London Falling. I am sure this is on your TBR. It certainly is your cuppa.

Happy Friday, Meg. One of my library patrons recommended Theo of Golden to me, so it's on the list to read eventually, but not sure when. I hope you have a pleasant weekend.

>150 karenmarie: Thanks Karen, he's only home for a bit. He will be going in for an operation soon.

I've been remiss with the threads myself. It seems to have been the case for a lot of the 75ers this year.

>151 msf59: Hi Mark, London Falling is on my radar. It's actually one of the books I have on hold at the library. I just paused them for a while to catch up with some of my own tomes. Have fun camping!

>152 bell7: Theo of Golden seems to be one of those word of mouth books, Mary. I hope you find it more to your liking than I did. Have a wonderful weekend!

Hello Meg. Fingers greatly crossed for Sam's surgery.

All the best to both you and Same for his upcoming surgery, Meg.

>156 mdoris: >157 vancouverdeb: Thanks Mary and Deborah. We'll see how it goes.

I'm finally catching up on a few (more) threads. I see you crossed the 75 book milepost at the end of your last thread Meg. Congratulations!

It's good to hear that Sam is improving. Best wishes for his operation.

>41 Familyhistorian: I read Benson's The Smoke Hunter which seems to be the earlier and (going by the reviews) better version of her Empire of Shadows. There weren't any other books by her in my libraries at that time. I'll see what you say about the sequels and maybe look again.

>159 humouress: Hi Nina, thanks re the 75 milestone. It seems to have slipped under the radar but I did note it as I passed. I'm hoping for a good outcome from the operation and I'm sure best wishes will help in that regard.

Empire of Shadows and its sequel are the only books by Benson available at my library. I was surprised to read the description of The Smoke Hunter which sounds like the same story. I wonder what changes were made. The next book that my library has on tap is Tomb of the Sun King.

Congratulations on passing 75 books, Meg. I am so glad life is getting back to normal for me. I hope the same for you and Sam soon. All best wishes to you both. Take it easy Meg. As you have said, being the caregiver is not easy either.

>161 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah, re the 75 books and for the wishes for Sam and me. I am happy to see that life is getting back to normal for you. I bet you appreciate that normalcy even more now that it was gone for a while!

98. The Corpse with the Ruby Lips by Cathy Ace



Length: 245 pages

In the first years that I attending SIWC (Surrey International Writers Conference), Cathy Ace was one of the authors whose workshops’ I attended. After that I picked up several of her Cait Morgan mysteries. The mystery began with Cait as a visiting professor in Budapest and Bud looking after his mother in Vancouver. One of her students requested help with a family mystery that involved a death in BC. By the time the student backed off, Cait and Bud were fully involved and not about to stop finding out about what happened to The Corpse with the Ruby Lips.

So wires got crossed. The discussion last week between my son and the doctor's nurse/assistant dealt with rooms etc but never with when he was supposed to show up to the hospital, so without knowing a time he figured he had to wait to hear. They called today and said he should have been in there. So by the time he was ready to go it was after 3:00 pm (aka evening rush hour). We also had to go to emergency to get him admitted at Vancouver General not to the main admission area which would be closed by the time we got there. There were lots and lots of people and right in the emergency triage room there is an area separated from the waiting patients by shoulder high partitions were there are about 6 security guards keeping an eye on everyone. Probably a good thing we were there on a Monday fairly early in the evening.

99. The Librarians by Sherry Thomas



Length: 352 pages

Library patrons seldom think about the librarians’ private lives but in The Librarians there was a lot going on in those lives at the branch in Austin, Texas. Their backstories have secrets to be kept and pasts to gloss over which was they did so well as library employees. Like many of the patrons, the library was their safe place until it wasn’t, until two of the patrons end up dead after a games night that was supposed to be a social occasion for all. Would the staff be able to see past their own problems to help investigate the crimes that had affected their patrons and threatened their safe haven?

>164 Familyhistorian: Oh dear, Meg, what mess for you and your son today at the hospital. How frustrating, and driving at rush hour. I hope he has a bed and the right treatment. VGH is busy. My son was in Emerg there many years ago after losing consciousness out at UBC. He went by ambulance and I rushed there as soon I heard from his now wife. I went via sky train, so that was a little easier.(For some reason, vomiting caused him to pass out) . All turned out to fine with him. Hugs to you and Sam and here is to a better day for both of you.

>164 Familyhistorian: Gosh, Meg, what a palaver. I hope everything is sorted out properly now.

>166 vancouverdeb: He has scheduled surgery in a couple of days, the wires just got crossed about when he was supposed to enter the hospital. So far he is in a bed in the hallway. I'm sure he was okay with spending less time before the operation in a hospital bed.

That must have been scary for you when your son was taken to VGH by ambulance. Good that everything turned out okay, Deborah.

>167 humouress: It's mostly sorted out now, Nina. Looking around the very full emergency room, I was glad that VGH is not our local hospital. Ours is smaller and calmer.

>164 Familyhistorian: Well that ER experience sounds rather unsettling! I'm glad things have calmed down now and wish your son an excellent out-come from his surgery.

*Hallway* medicine is still something I find unacceptable yet it seems to be the norm everywhere. At least, I know it is here in Ontario as well as in Quebec. What a mess. I am wishing Sam all the best and a speedy recovery, Meg, and you, some peace that it all goes smoothly.

Hello Meg, thinking of you too! What a day you have had. Best wishes for Sam and his surgical outcomes. You are so good to keep us up to date because of course we are thinking of you both.

>165 Familyhistorian: That's a great cover, Meg.

Don't mess with a Librarian!

>168 Familyhistorian: You and Sam will be in my thoughts and prayers. I hope he gets comfortably settled in a ward very soon if not already.

I hope all goes well with the surgery, Meg.