sjmccreary's 2010 challenge

I'm in, too, of course. I've been planning on a 10-10-10 challenge for a while now, but that stair-step challenge is really intriguing, so I'm going to take a little time deciding what I want to do and how.

Glad to see you here!

After spending my entire lunch hour deliberating this, I've decided to the the 1-2-3 challenge. Only, I keep thinking of it the other way. It reminds me of the popular holiday countdown song, 12 Days of Christmas. So, with apologies, here is my list (feel free to sing along):

On the first day of Jan'ry, my true love lets me read:
10 Thrilling mysteries
9 New-ish authors
8 Different state sites
7 Days-gone-by tales
6 Fearless leaders
5 Books of truth
4 Forty-niners
3 Sequels
2 Ancient tomes
and a Big fat Russian novel!

Now that we've all got that little melody stuck in our brains for the rest of the day, I'll elaborate.

10 Thrilling mysteries - includes mysteries, spy novels, legal thrillers, police procedurals, etc. This was my favorite category in the 999.
9 New-ish authors - new-to-me authors, the easiest category in my 999.
8 Different state sites - for the 50 state challenge, books set in 8 different states.
7 Days-gone-by tales - historical fiction or nonfiction, set more than 100 years ago.
6 Fearless leaders - presidential biographies for the US Presidents challenge, or other American history nonfiction (I'm going to try to do at least 3 biographies, though).
5 Books of truth - nonfiction for the Dewey Decimal Challenge - each in a different category.
4 Forty-niners - fiction or nonfiction about any of the gold rush phenomenons.
3 Sequels - next in the series, another of my favorites from the 999.
2 Ancient tomes - books that were first published before I was born.
and a Big fat Russian novel - or other non-American book translated into English (this takes the place of my planned global reading category in the 10-10-10 challenge I'd devised).

Reading 55 books in a year won't be very challenging, but I'll decide later what I'm going to do for the rest of the year. I'll choose books as I go along. As always, suggestions are welcome and encouraged.

#2 Where else would I be? It's good to be here and fun to be planning for another new year.

Ancient tomes from before you were born? heh-heh.

If I were to do 10, 9, 8 etc, I would have as my one category "weighty tome" that's for sure.

The only problem with your categories is that #3 needs to be See-ee-quels. Other than that, thanks for the happy grin.

#5 Yeah, well, last year I called that category "Older than dirt", so it's getting better. Plus, it fits the music better!

I don't think I've come across a Gold Rush category. That sounds like fun and I'll be watching to see what you read.

Sandy,

I'm actually still debating whether to add The California Gold Rush and the coming of the Civil War, The age of gold : the California Gold Rush and the birth of modern America, or The world rushed in : the California gold rush experience into one of my categories. Maybe you might think of these.

Looks like so much fun! And can I just UNrecommend Don Quixote for your big fat novel? I read it this year (OK, I skimmed here and there) and I am SOOOOOOO glad to be done. Just my opinion.

What a nice take on the challenge. Sequels is a handy category to have especially if you have a starter book in another category and want to immediately read the next one along.

@ no 5

I actually just did that. Only I called it Nosebreaker instead, as I can just picture myself dropping it on my face when I fall asleep...

#8 Actually I was waffling between about 3 special-topic category ideas, not able to decide, when the gold rush and 49er's just popped into my head this morning and I knew that was better than any of the other ideas. I hope it holds up when I start looking for books and actually reading about it.

#9 Cheli, all 3 of those books looks good. Oh, I'm having challenge remorse already. If I were doing a 10X10 challenge, I could fit in all 3 of those books. But since I only have room for 4 books in this category, I probably can't do more than one, because I also want to include one on the Alaskan gold rush, and one on all the gold mines that flourished in the Colorado rockies. It's a good thing I don't feel any pressure to decide right now - maybe I'll wait to see which one you pick and do the same one.

#10 I saw your comments about DQ over on your thread the other day - don't worry, I'm still not tempted by that one. I really don't have any idea what will go here. I've always thought that I SHOULD read one (or more) of the big Russian novels, but I don't actually have any desire for them. Last year, I got half way though Doctor Zhivago, and thought I might try it again after watching the movie, so that's an option. This is a category where I'll really be hoping for suggestions.

#11 There are so many great series out there, I love the sequel category as a chance to count those books towards some kind of goal, since I'm going to be reading them no matter what!

#12 LOL.

Doctor Zhivago is on my list for next year. I've actually never seen the movie. I just know that it's loved by a lot of people.

#14 I haven't seen it yet, either. I don't know if I remember my parents watching it, or just osmosis from the general atmosphere, but the predominate image I have of it is lots of snow and trains. But that image seems to fit several of the Russian stories, now that I think of it. Even Fiddler on the Roof had a train (can't remember about the snow).

Sandy,
Your Sequels is the same as my 999X2 Followers. I knew that I would have books for my seriesthat I wanted to keep reading so I had to add that into 999X2. You will need more than 3 , I think.

Oh, I'm having challenge remorse already. If I were doing a 10X10 challenge, I could fit in all 3 of those books.

You can always expand your step challenge to a full 10x10 partway through the year ;)

#16 You can be sure I'll read more than 3, but in this little challenge, only 3 will count.

ETA I just checked my 999 reading list, and so far this year, I've already read 12 "next in the series" books, and I know I've got at least 5 more that I want to get in. Next year won't be much different, I think.

#17 Yes, I could. But then I'd be on the hook for 10 Big fat Russian novels!

How about doing a 2nd tiered challenge so you could, if heroic, get in two BFRNs? That could work your challenge remorse. Which I completely understand as I have at least three additional categories in mind to use in future years. Assuming future years.

why do they have to be BFRN? Couldn't you use "One translated English book"
then you could do 10 with no trouble.

#20, 21 You're both right, of course. I'm not sure what I'll do. For now, I'll stick with the 55 book plan - nothing is going to stop me from reading more of any one category if I want to. (As we discussed in #16-ish above, I'll be reading way more than 3 sequels.) I guess right now, I'm leaning towards doing a second 1-2-3 structure after the first one is completed, with a different mix of categories - some repeats, some new, some in a different order.

ETA - or maybe I'll do them concurrently, like Cheli and Linda and some others have done with the 999.

I like your festive style. Look forward to seeing how you fill your categories.

The song is in my head now.

#23 Thanks - I'm anxious to see how they fill up, too.

#24 My work here is done. ;-)

Had fun singing down your categories--I even sang it twice! I might put mine in that order too.

#26 Are you also putting yours to music? We could do a sing-along!

What a fun challenge you have! This was a very entertaining thread to read, and I'm sure I'll end up fattening my tbr list based upon your reviews of some of these books.

For the Big Fat Russian Novel, I read Anna Karenina last year, and although it was indeed Fat (and dragged in some places), I found it was much more readable than I expected. Once you get used to all the names and the nickname variations, it was quite enjoyable.

I may read a big fat novel sometime soon, this year or next, but it's more likely to be John Steinbeck's East of Eden or maybe Bleak House by Charles Dickens.

#28, 29 Despite the category name (which was chosen to fit the music), the big fat Russian novel only has to be non-American and translated into English. I'm seriously considering a Dumas - who I've wanted to read for years but never have. I think we're organizing a group read of Three Musketeers in late winter (February-March) if anyone's interested.

If you want a big, fat Dumas then you should consider the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo. Nearly broke my toe when I dropped that sucker!

#31 lol! (didn't mean to laugh at you - hope your toe was OK) If I choose that book, I'll be careful!

That's one nice thing about the Kindle. It doesn't weigh anymore if you load it up with books.

I recall being at a bookstore one time after surgery (when you're not supposed to lift anything heavy). I picked up a heavy medical dictionary which weighed a ton. Suddenly realized I couldn't lift it any further but yet also couldn't stretch to put it back down. This was the one and only time I ever yelled for help in a bookstore.

#33 I hope they didn't laugh at you like I just did! Another nice thing I can think of about Kindle is that you can load it up with books but it doesn't get any bigger - I think if I travelled a lot (especially flying) I'd for sure want one.

It's the same reason I just loaded 17 audio books on my MP3 to take on my cruise...the baggage allowance these days does not allow for taking many books, unless one wants to go w/o shoes, makeup and the other necessities of life. I can definitely see where a Kindle would have been great for this trip. But the Blackberry won....LOL

Love how you set up your categories! This looks like a fun place to be next year, looking forward to checking out your choices.

Im also looking forward to your Gold Rush selections! Cheers!

Wow, this thread has been idle for 2-1/2 months. Back in September, I had no real idea how to approach this challenge, so I simply stopped worrying about it. But recently I've been giving it some thought and am beginning to get excited to begin in January.

Since reading 55 books in a year will not present a challenge for me, and since doing a second challenge does not really appeal, I've decided to impose a minimum time limit on myself. My goal will be to have the challenge completed no sooner than the beginning of December - but to continue working on it steadily throughout the year. I'll have to pace myself - only 5 books per month for this challenge. No overlaps. I'm reserving the right to move books around among categories after they've been listed, but if I don't list a book when it's read, I can't add it later.

Last year I planned ahead for a "kick-off" book to begin on January 1, chosen especially for the 999 challenge. This year, I think I will just count the first book finished in January that fits into one of the categories. I have several checked out of the library now that I won't get to for a couple of weeks that will work.

I'm keeping a list on the side of "suggestions" of possible titles for different categories, but won't list any of them here until I've finished them. For the 999, I had twice as many suggestions in some categories as I had slots for. And still ended up only reading half my books from the list. Something that looks good is always popping up just at the time when I'm ready to choose a book. Part of the fun for me is finding a book "right now" that fits into a certain category - much of the excitement is lost when all the titles are chosen in advance. So please feel free to make suggestions and recommendations based on what you see me reading. Be sure that I will be scoping out what everyone else is reading and will pick up lots of ideas from you that way, too.

I'll see everyone back here in about 3 weeks!

Good luck. I'll be watching to see how you do. I can't wait! My new books are taunting me! I spent a lot of time yesterday checking my planned books against the library catalog. Part of the fun for me is planning ahead, but I have no problem making big adjustments as I go.

Huzza huzza....I have exactly the same 'problem' as you say in para 4....so I'm not getting locked in yet, I want to see how things work out. I'll make an 'announcement around New year's and try to define how I'm going to proceed, but I may follow your lead and just leave things open for the time being...

Looking forward to seeing what you read in 2010.

Looking forward to reading about what you read

#39 Sounds like we do much the same thing - I check the library, and LT tagmashes, and come up with lists of books - which go onto the suggestions list. No worries about how many books I add - when the time comes I very likely will choose something else entirely!

#40 Tina, I'm anxious to find out what you decide to do for next year. Will you be doing this challenge next year, or have you decided to stay someplace else?

#41 Thanks, hope you'll stop by often and leave comments.

Getting anxious to begin the challenge day after tomorrow! Yesterday, I sat down and made a list of books I will plan to read in January, and got them ordered from the library. My overall goal is 120 for the year in 2010, 10 per month. But for this challenge, I will attempt to limit myself to only 5 books per month. So, subject to change, the five I'm planning for January are:

Dressed for Death by Donna Leon - #10 Mysteries (I've already started this one, but don't expect to finish before Friday)
Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay - #9 New-to-me Authors
U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton - #8 50 States Challenge (California)
Arthur and George by Julian Barnes - #7 Historical setting (late 19th C)
This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin - #5 Dewey Decimal Challenge (700's)

Late Nights on Air has been on my wishlist for a while. I'll be interested to know what you think of it!

U is for Undertowby Sue Grafton. Category #8 - Fifty States Challenge (California)

In this installment, 38-year old PI Kinsey Milhone is asked to look into an unsolved 21-year old kidnapping case when a young man suddenly remembers something he witnessed as a boy. Looking into the details of the case forces her to confront people and places and memories from her own high school days - before she became the confident and accomplished woman she is now.

This has been an amazing series. Twenty-one books now, and the quality of the writing has been pretty constant. I love that it is set in the 1980's - a time that I clearly remember, yet is so different from today. No one had cell phones or personal computers. There were still pay phones on every corner. Kinsey made notes on index cards and used a real typewriter to write reports. The fax machine was the biggest gee-whiz gadget around. I also enjoy reading descriptions of the the details of the California countryside surrounding the fictional Santa Teresa - a thinly disguised Santa Barbara. Kinsey spends more time writing reports and doing research in the library or courthouse than she does chasing bad guys. Her personal life is spent cleaning house and having dinner in the neighborhood diner. She complains about her relatives. She lives such an ordinary life. I adore her. And I loved this book. 4 stars.

I too love this series...and Miss Kinsey...a determined lady who is independent but still allows herself to be vulnerable. Great character. I'm about 3 behind--I think I'm at R. Will definitely be on the lookout for this one to add to the TBR pile.

She IS a great character. One of the books you have coming up - S, I think - was only so-so. But this one is fantastic. You'll enjoy catching up.

Kinsey spends more time writing reports and doing research in the library or courthouse than she does chasing bad guys. Her personal life is spent cleaning house and having dinner in the neighborhood diner. She complains about her relatives. She lives such an ordinary life.

That's the thing I like best about the series, too. I just started reading them again after several years, and I'm going to try to make it through to U by the end of the year. The focus on the '80s throws me a bit sometimes, but the absence of computers can be very relaxing. I'm glad to hear that the latest is something I can actually look forward to!

I read Grafton's A is for Alibi but no further yet, and, at some point, I expect I'll get back to this series. So many books...

I somehow got stopped around L so I have a long way to go to catch up - maybe I need to put Miss Kinsey on the radar for 2011.

I think I got to J or K back when that's all there were. I enjoyed them, and am not sure why I didn't keep reading them as the new ones came out. It's nice to know that the series has held up.

Yesterday I read an old interview with Sue Grafton (can't find the link at the moment) from 1999 in which she stated that she basically refused to do more than one book a year. She felt that with doing book tours, interviews, etc, her writing would lose something if she had to crank out 2 or 3 a year. I got the impression that she would be just as happy putting out one every 15-18 months. She is committed to having each one a fresh story, avoiding formula plots, and keeping Kinsey ageless.

I think that's why her series is still so popular, and has not wained the way some of the others we've all tired of. I for one, am really looking forward to catching up and then collecting the whole series.

Dressed for Death by Donna Leon. Category #10 - Mysteries

The 3rd book in the excellent Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in Venice, Italy, this book opens with the discovery of the body of a prominent local banker dressed in a red dress and red high-heeled women's shoes and dumped in a field in an area frequented by prostitutes. Brunetti's investigation forces him to look closely into the normally hidden world of homosexual prostitution, transvestites, and men who like boys. A world that seems to populated by several prominent, and married, men. Add to this a possible scandal involving a well-known but little understood charity, and stifling summer heat that has Brunetti's family taking refuge in the cool mountains while he is forced to cancel his vacation and stay behind in the city. The result is a fast-paced and intense investigation where the bodies seem to be piling up faster than the clues.

Recommended - 4 stars.

Oh stop! Please! I love Donna Leon, and could spend the rest of the year saying " To $*%& with challenges, I'm just kicking back to read her entire series, and a few others (like Julia Spencer-Fleming, and Katherine Hall Page. Ok, I'm in a cozy mystery mood. Glad you enjoyed #53...one of my favorites.

Someday I am planning on reading Donna Leon's series, just don't know quite when that's going to be yet!

#55 It will be worth the wait!

I have Dressed for Death ready and am hoping to get to it before the end of the month. If not definitely, February.

I started reading the first Donna Leon book as a "bus to Wrigley Field" book and never got into it. I should give it a try again, when I'm not reading in small gulps.

The Cubs accepted my seat change request today so I am a happy camper. Now I'll be sitting with a few people I met at the ballpark last year.

Linda....can't remember....do you have season's tickets? Where are your seats now? When is opening day? Against whom? And here's the big question....what's the favorite snack at the park?

I have a partial Cubs season ticket and just switched from Fridays plus weekday day games to "nights and weekends." Last year, I sat next to a pair of "fun" Cubs fans who had the "nights and weekends" package and had more fun at games than ever before.

I will probably go to the weekend games and sell the night games.

The Home Opener is exactly 3 months from today--April 12th vs the Brewers. Most likely, it'll be as warm as it is today--around 32--but I won't care.

btw, they have a new vendor this year. My all-time favorite Wrigley Field concession is the "Frosty Malt" though I'd never have one til mid-May, at the earliest.

They rarely grant changes and, in reality, don't need to as they have a 100,000 person waiting list. The woman who called even said "when people ask for a change, we can rarely give them good news."

Not only will I be sitting next to some great (and fun) fans but now, I won't have to take off so many days to go to Wrigley.

While I'm not a great Cubs fan (not against cubs, just live in AL territory), I envy you. Up until she broke her hip, my Mom and Dad went to every Sunday game for the Orioles and I know how much fun they had with the same people every week. They actually had four tickets, so each sunday a different child, grandchild, great grand, etc & friend/spouse got to go. It was tons of fun. In baltimore one must always get an Italian sausage and peppers or a Boog Powell barbeque....

Well....back to books during the 'dark ages'. At least this year the winter olympics (which I enjoy much more than summer) should provide some entertainment. I'm trying NOT to go out and buy a big new HDTV to watch them, but sigh................

apologies Sandy....I just realized this is YOUR Thread. I wish there were some way to have the thread title stay at the top of the page instead of scrolling away.

Back to sandy............

No apologies needed. I've been enjoying the conversation. I can see the thread title on the very top blue bar of the IE box - can't you?

Not too much reading for me tonight. I watched the first American Idol of the season (I am a HUGE Idol fan) and then put MSNBC on and have been mesmerized by the Haitian earthquake coverage ever since. What a catastrophe...those poor people.

As for baseball I've been to Camden Yards a few times and remember the Boog Powell BBQ. Sandy, someday, I'd like to get to KC for a weekend's worth of ballgames. I imagine that the best weekends are the games against the Cardinals. I note that one of my favorite players, Scott Podsednik, just signed with KC so I'll be following them more this year.

As far as best weekends for games being against the Cardinals, well, that depends. St Louis being so close, the crowd is often more red than blue. Not good for Royals fans. However, it is usually a big crowd, and that's always good. We get lots of out-of-towners for White Sox and Twins games, too. Also Yankees - although I think those fans actually live around here (including some of my in-laws).

I saw online headlines for the Haitian earthquake, but haven't read any of the stories yet. I can only imagine how bad it must be.

No reading done here this evening, either, I'm afraid! Maybe tomorrow!

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay. Category #9 - New-to-me authors.

Not at all the kind of book I normally enjoy. This is the story of a group of co-workers at a small radio station in Yellowknife, Northwest Territory, Canada in the mid-1970's. The big issue in the town at the time is whether a gas pipline will be permitted to be built from across the northern tundra bringing fuel to the cities in the south, with native people and environmentalists opposing the big oil companies. The Canadian government is committed to listening to all veiwpoints before making a fair and informed decision about whether to allow the project and so conducts a long series of formal and informal hearings in communities all over the country. The book focuses on the interrelationships within the group as couples form and break-up, and as those new to the business learn about radio from the old-timers. Everyone has come from a different "place" in the past and has different dreams and goals for their future.

The first half of the book is spent following all these people around - and slowly getting acquainted with each of them and with the town. Then, several of the station employees take a long canoe trip into "The Barrens" - a remote wilderness in the far north - in the summer. I enjoyed that part, since interesting things were happening. The end of the book acts as an epilogue - looking ahead at some of the characters several years in the future. Actually, the best part of the entire book was the many descriptions of the city of Yellowknife, of northern Canada and its native people, the landscape and wildlife, the pace and rhythm of life, and the contrast of short summers with long days and long dark winters.

It's probably a pretty good book, but these long character studies are just beyond me. I loved the descriptions of the place, and I enjoyed the adventure of the canoe trip, but the rest of the book spent listening to people think about their lives and their relationships got real old, real fast, for me. Since that was such a huge part of the book, I'm giving it 2-1/2 stars.

This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin. Category #5 Non-fiction (Dewey decimal challenge: 700's = The Arts)

Written by a music recording engineer turned neuroscientist, this book discusses the different ways we are impacted by the music we hear. He explains some basic music theory and shows us the scientific evidence that even nonmusicians are aware of changes in key, rhythm, melodic phrasing and harmonics. When we listen to music, our entire brains become active, from the oldest, "reptilian brain" cerebellum to the highest, most recently developed frontal cortex, and many areas in between. He argues that, contrary to some opinions, music is not useless consequence of human evolution. He takes the stand that music was a basic step in human development, perhaps even earlier than spoken language.

I found the book to be well-written. The scientific concepts are explained clearly and are easy to understand. The musical concepts were also presently clearly and with dozens of examples. I enjoyed it very much. 4 stars.

Bummer about Elizabeth Hay... That is in my TBR pile; picked it up on my last visit to family in Toronto. Oh well...

#68 You should still give it a try - just because it wasn't my cup of tea, doesn't mean that you won't love it.

January recap:

10 Thrilling Mysteries - includes mysteries, spy novels, legal thrillers, police procedurals, etc.
1 Dressed for Death by Donna Leon 1/11/2010

9 New-ish authors - new-to-me authors
1 Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay 1/15/2010

8 Different state sites - for the 50 state challenge, books set in 8 different states
1 U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (California) 1/5/2010

7 Days-gone-by tales - historical fiction or nonfiction, set more than 100 years ago

6 Fearless leaders - presidential biographies for the US Presidents challenge, or other American history nonfiction

5 Books of truth - nonfiction for the Dewey Decimal Challenge - each in a different category
1 This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin (700 - the arts) 1/29/2010

4 Forty-niners - fiction or nonfiction about any of the gold rush phenomenons

3 Sequels - next in the series

2 Ancient tomes - books that were first published before I was born

1 Big Fat Russian novel - or other non-American book translated into English

I didn't complete all 5 of the books I had planned for this month (msg #43), but other than that, I'm pretty happy with the way the challenge has begun. I've already gotten my planned February books checked out from the library and are ready to go. Subject to change, they are:

10 Mysteries, etc: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre
9 New-to-me Authors: Mixed Blood by Roger Smith
8 Fifty States challenge: Sixteen in Nome by Max Brand (Alaska)
6 US Presidents challenge: Martin Van Buren by Ted Widmer
4 Gold rush: Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

Plus, I'll try to make up the 5th book I missed in January - if I can figure out what it should be!

I have perfect book for your gold rush category - I'm almost finished it and it is great background for the presidents and the time period.

It's titled The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War and it talks about all the politics that the Gold Rush affected and how it agravated the South's position and led to the war. Really well written and the stories are fascinating. I'm hoping to finish it this afternoon. It's only 275 pages and even the footnotes are interesting.

#71 That does look good, Cheli. My library has it and I've put it on the list to check out later in the year. Thanks!

I posted my review on my thread.

Sandy, it's not a book, but I never knew that there's a Puccini opera about the California Gold Rush. It's called The Girl of the Golden West and it's coming to Chicago's Lyric Opera next season.

In fact, I have a half package, Friday matinees, which includes it, along with my favorite, Carmen. Yay!!

I bought This is Your Brain on Music in hardbound because I read a little bit in the store and found it fascinating even though I knew almost nothing about the subject (never having played an instrument and never planning to). But before I finished it, I gave it to my son--good mom that I am--who was, by chance, taking a class on the same subject. Long story short, I've never gotten the book back and will probably have to borrow it from the library if I want to finish it. :-(

The Alexander Cipher by Will Adams. Category #10, mysteries & thrillers

Daniel Knox is an American Egyptologist who has been blackballed for some reason that I don't recall, and begins the book as a dive instructor in the Red Sea - hoping for a chance to get involved in another excavation, maybe an underwater search for the possible sunken treasure of Alexander the Great's funeral procession. (He is some kind of expert on Alexander the Great.) When he discovers a rich and powerful man raping a young woman on the boat and savagely attacks him, Knox must then escape quickly to avoid the repercussions that are sure to follow. Without taking time to retrieve any belongings from his apartment, he begins driving deep into Egypt. He eventually ends up in Alexandria, on the doorstep of a friend who has just gotten a call to investigate a new find - a possible Macedonian tomb.

Meanwhile, off in northern Greece, another rich and powerful man is carefully orchestrating an uprising of the Macedonian people to demand and fight for their restored nationhood by claiming that Alexander the Great was the subject of one of Daniel's old testament prophecies which is due to be fulfilled just about now. The discovery of Alexander's tomb and body - and its return home to Macedonia - would be just the thing to really excite the people to the cause.

Of course Knox gets involved in the search for Alexander's tomb, managing to elude disocvery by the first man who is searching for him. There are lots of intertwined relationships in the people he meets - his own parents were killed in the same accident as another archeaologist's husband. He himself was the protege of the translator's father, and so on. All very coincidental. But it was OK - not so many people or relationships that it was hard to keep track of while reading. The descriptions of the different Egyptian sites were wonderful and there were several nice little twists and turns in the story. This was just a fast-paced, fun read. 4 stars.

I can't believe I missed one! I actually read this book about a week ago:

Mixed Blood by Roger Smith. Category #9, new-to-me authors

This thriller is not so much a roller coaster ride as a free fall - there are no "ups". Beginning with Jack Burn, an American who was involved in a bank robbery in Milwaukee that resulted in the death of a police officer. Never mind that he was a reluctant participant, he is now on the run. And he has run, together with is 4-year old son and heavily pregnant wife, to Cape Town, South Africa. Of course, with the millions from the bank robbery (he was reluctant to participate in the robbery, but all too willing to accept the booty), they live comfortably and peacefully in the most exclusive part of town. The rest of the city is a cess pool. Crime and corruption are rampant. So bad, in fact, that the new house being built next door to the Burn's has an overnight security guard to watch the property when there are no workers on site. This guard, an ex-con gang member trying to go straight, sees quite a lot - including the 2 men from a rival gang entering the back of the Burn's house just as they are sitting down to dinner. But they don't come back out. He hears a shot, then later an ambulance drives up and takes Mrs Burn away. Mr Burn and the boy follow in their car and all is quiet. For a while.

Meanwhile, Inspector Rudi Barnard, the most disgusting and corrupt character I've come across in a long time, is looking for these same 2 intruders - wanting to collect his share of the money from their drug sales. When he doesn't find them where they should be, he begins to become suspicious. Later, their car is discovered on the street next to the Burn house and Barnard begins to investigate Jack.

There are no nice people in this book. Everyone has something to hide, but Smith does a good job making several of them sympathetic, in spite of their backgrounds. I found myself rooting for both Jack and the night watchman. As I said, Barnard was a filthy, disguisting person - and Smith never let us forget it - commenting in every scene about his obesity, or halitosis, or corruption, or racist beliefs, or something. A very satisfying villian. The setting is grim, but Smith is South African and makes it believable - however awful. The book reads quickly, and is hard to put down. Kind of like a traffic accident - there's nothing you really want to see, but you can't keep from looking all the same. Very good for what it is - a fast paced thriller, with lots of violence, strong language, and drug use. 4 stars.

Both The Alexander Cipher and Mixed Blood sound good. I will have to hunt them down.

** I just checked, I already have Mixed Blood on my wish list!!

Judy, it seems like everytime I find a book that looks interesting, you've already got it in your library!

PS - Mixed Blood was an Early Reviewers book - I'm not sure if it's been released yet.

The Alexander Cipher soubnds fascinating... expecially after reading The Venetian Betrayal which had a bunch about Alexander the Great. I'm going to have to look this over.

Venetian Betrayal is the only Cotton Malone book I haven't read yet - I didn't know it was about Alexander the Great. I hope I can get that one soon.

Have you read the Paris Vendetta? I think that's the newest one. I still have Charlemagne Pursuit and Paris Vendetta to read but I really enjoy the series.

I was reminded by the same style of story when I read that book by Chris Kuzneski at the beginning of the year. So I need to find the first book, The Plantation which starts the series.

No, I didn't realize there was a 5th book. Do we know what this one is about?

I thought I added the Kuzneski book when you read it, but I guess I didn't. I'm going to put the first one on the list now, so I don't forget about it again.

It's supposed to be about a search for the lost treasure of Napoleon Bonaparte.
I have ripped it from Audio CDs from the library so as soon as I read Charlemagne Pursuit and can listen to Paris Vendetta.

The Outlander by Gil Adamson. Category #7 - historical settings

This is the story of a 19-year old woman in Alberta, Canada in 1903. Mary Boulton has just killed her husband and is now on the run from her two brothers-in-law. Ill-suited for the wilderness she is traveling through, it isn't clear at first whether the killing was prompted by some trauma or whether she is simply "mad". She meets several people along the way who show her kindness and provide help. Beautiful descriptions of the Canadian rockies, and of the towns she passes through and the people she meets. I found it to be un-put-down-able, and finished it in a single day. Not fast paced, but plods along steadily one step at a time. I lost track of time just as Mary did (both in the story and in real life). Recommended. 4 stars.

Oh, I am so glad to see you liked The Outlander. It's sitting on my shelf, my brother passed it along with me, but he didn't care for it so I wasn't sure it I would or not, but it certainly sounds like something I would enjoy.

Judy, I wasn't sure whether I'd like it, either. The reviews here are mixed, and it's the kind of story that is hit or miss with me, too. But it proved to be the right book on the right day, because I loved it. Since you already have it, though, you have nothing to lose - right?

Absolutely! :-)

Sixteen in Nome by Max Brand. Category #8 - Fifty States Challenge (Alaska).

Set in the gold rush period of Alaska at the turn of the last century, the book opens in Nome with narrator Joe May bemoaning that "sixteen is a bad age for a boy" - no longer a child, but not quite a man, either. Joe is in Alaska to earn a stake so he can buy a ranch and a herd back home in Arizona, but is, instead, starving. He is taken in by Hugh Massey, famous throughout Alaska for the ongoing feud he has with his old partner, Arnie Calmont, over a dog. In fact, there was even a court judgement ordering the two men not to fight with one another when Massey was awarded custody of the dog. When Massey also ends up harboring Calmont's woman - won fair and square in a public auction - he decides to take her across Alaska to Forty Mile, near the Canadian border, hoping to draw Calmont into a pursuit. Either Calmont will attack him first, forcing Massey to fighting in self-defense, or they can cross over into Canada and fight legally. Joe comes along to act as chaperone, and Alec the dog heads up the team pulling the sled. Most of the rest of the story chronicles the dangers and adventures that occured on the trip. Of course, they eventually meet up with Calmont, but that doesn't quite go as planned. Late in the book, Joe is contemplating that the three most important things in Massey's life are the woman Marjorie, the ongoing fight with Calmont, and Alec the dog. Massey's highest priority of all these, though, is the dog.

A fun, tradional Western adventure story. Fairly short and easy to read. I didn't realize that Max Brand was anyone special, though. Turns out, Max Brand is a pen name for Frederick Faust, one of the most prolific writers in the 20th century - selling many of his works to be adapted for the screen. He was the creator of the characters Destry and Dr Kildare. Anyway, I enjoyed this book. 3-1/2 stars.

Sixteen in Nome sounds very interesting. Thanks for the review!

I'm getting in on this a little late, but I'm sorry you didn't like Tinker, Tailor as much as I did. I'm not sure I would have stuck it out if I'd been listening on audiobook, though, either. I needed lots of flipping back and forth to figure out who everyone was, and to remind myself of the relationships, in order to get through it. When I got confused, I just hoped that if I hung in there long enough Le Carre would explain things eventually.

Also (and yes, I know what kind of person this makes me), about halfway through I totally flipped to the end to find out the mole's identity. This made everything much clearer.

*slinks off, thoroughly ashamed of herself*

I'm really thinking it would be better in print - just for all the reasons you said. Not sure if I would have flipped to the end for the spoiler or not, but I'm glad to hear it made the book easier. The audio was hard, too, because the reader had such a droll British accent, and many of the characters sounded alike. Plus, it was an old recording - on cassette tapes - so the sound quality wasn't as good as I've gotten used to in recent years. I really want to love these books, so I'll probably give it another try.

February recap. Another slow month - I'm hoping things pick up soon. I've got books on the shelf right now waiting to be read for each of the still-empty categories and that will be my goal for March - at least one book in each of the 10 categories. However, as of 2/28, I've only got entries in 5 categories:

10 Thrilling Mysteries - includes mysteries, spy novels, legal thrillers, police procedurals, etc.
1 Dressed for Death by Donna Leon 1/11/2010
2 The Alexander Cipher by Will Adams 2/10/2010

9 New-ish authors - new-to-me authors
1 Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay 1/15/2010
2 Mixed Blood by Roger Smith 2/3/2010

8 Different state sites - for the 50 state challenge, books set in 8 different states
1 U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (California) 1/5/2010
2 Sixteen in Nome by Max Brand (Alaska) 2/23/2010

7 Days-gone-by tales - historical fiction or nonfiction, set more than 100 years ago
1 The Outlander by Gil Adamson (1903) 2/17/2010

6 Fearless leaders - presidential biographies for the US Presidents challenge, or other American history nonfiction

5 Books of truth - nonfiction for the Dewey Decimal Challenge - each in a different category
1 This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin (700 - the arts) 1/29/2010

4 Forty-niners - fiction or nonfiction about any of the gold rush phenomenons

3 Sequels - next in the series

2 Ancient tomes - books that were first published before I was born

1 Big Fat Russian novel - or other non-American book translated into English

Off to a good start in March:

The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Category #7 - historical settings (1692)

Last year I read The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent and loved it. As you probably already know, it is the based-on-truth story of the young daughter of a woman accused of witchcraft in late 17th century Massachusettes. As I was reading the reviews of that book, I saw repeated references to The Crucible and decided to read it someday, by way of comparison. When the library added a copy of a new edition to the collection recently, causing the title to show up on the "new materials" list, I checked it out. What I got was an audio recording of a dramatic production of the play - speeches only, no stage directions or other descriptive language. However, it only took a few minutes to become immersed in the dialogue. A horribly familiar story - it is VERY similar to The Heretic's Daughter - so much that one would assume they were written from the same source material. A 2-hour play can't have as much detail as a full-length novel, so it suffered in comparison to THD - but for that reason only. Like the holocaust, this is one of those events in our collective past that we need to be periodically reminded of - whether by way of theater, fiction, or documentaries on TV. We must never allow our society to engage in this kind of "witch-hunt" again.

>94 sjmccreary:

one would assume they were written from the same source material

They probably were. Eons ago, I did a college term paper on Miller's use of primary sources in The Crucible. There are a significant number of first-hand accounts of the Salem witches and the trials, and I thought they were fascinating (not that I remember very much at this point).

I haven't read The Heretic's Daughter. I guess that's another one I should add to my wishlist.

I guess I'll need to read The heretic's daughter. My issue with Miller's play has always been that it's sexist ( he's not just showing a patriarchal structure as it was, but so clearly as an author labelling the servant girl a whore and the protagonist as merely "mislead". Haven't read it in years, so I can't really elaborate or go into detail, sorry!). I think I would like to read about the Salem trials from a woman's perspective. Would you say there's a difference there?

#95 You should defenitely add it to your list.

#96 I didn't notice the sexism that you point out - at least not while I was listening to the dialogue. The play was written in the 1950's, so some of the social attitudes of that decade were surely present, in addition to the historical patriarchal society being portrayed. I'm trying to remember how Kathleen Kent handled that situation - it was in the novel, too. My recollection is that, in the novel, it was simply a fact of life that unmarried girls working as servants outside their families were subject to the "attentions" of the men around them. Maybe not their fault, but surely they would bear the brunt of punishment if it got out. The fact that women have any rights in this situation is a relatively recent development, so it sounded authentic enough to me. I don't think the difference between how Miller handled it and how Kent handled it were dramatically different. In fact, in both works I thought it just illustrated how the leaders of the community (all men) could pick and choose evidence to prove whatever reality they wanted to support. If they were caught cheating on their wives, it was because the whore servant girl misled them. If they wanted to boost their own standing in the community and the church, they were going to accept testimony (maybe even from the same "whore") that upstanding local people were, in fact, in league with the devil. Of course, the obvious response is that, if that girl misled them once, how do those men know she isn't doing it again. But, to me, that is the shocking thing about the whole situation - people simply were not thinking rationally. They were acting purely out of emotion - especially fear - and superstition. This is what we need to guard against. (Especially troubling, I'm seeing it in our current environment with people (and the government) lashing out blindly in response to the recent economic troubles. But, I promise to stay off my soap box about that, even if this is my thread!)

Short answer: yes, you should read The Heretic's Daughter. :-)

Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri. Category #3, sequels

This is the 5th book in the Inspector Montalbano series set in Sicily. It follows the same formula that the earlier books have established - 2 seemingly unrelated mysteries arise at the same time and Montalbano is the only one who can find the key element that ties them together, thus solving both cases. This time, the two mysteries are the disappearance of an elderly, retired couple, and the murder of a young man who lived in the same building. The couple are quiet and keep to themselves, with few friends. The young man is a playboy who makes erotic home videos, and a writer. They did not know each other.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others in the series. As I mentioned above - the formula is too apparent. The elements in the other books that added so much were simply not present here. Salvo's love of food, his pleasure and enjoyment of his meals, which seemed almost erotic in earlier books, is barely mentioned in this one. His relationship with Livia consisted of only 3 or 4 phone calls in this book. And, all of a sudden, he is getting along with Mimi and is worried about the other man's plans to get married to a woman in another city because it might cause him to request a transfer out of Vigata. Without these diversions, what we are left with in this book is a detective who pulls conclusions out of the air, since the clues are not shared with the reader. I hate that - I want to be shown enough evidence to be able to solve the mystery on my own (not that I ever can, but it's nice to be able to look back and see all the clues that were right there in front of me). This has always been the case in this series, but was not so glaringly obvious before. This is a long series, and it's bound to happen that some books are not up to the standard of the othes, so I am not giving up on Salvo Montalbano yet. I still love the series, but this book was a disappointment. 3-1/2 stars.

@97 Thanks for elaborating!

Pocket Guide to the Afterlife by Jason Boyett. Category #5, non-fiction (Dewey Decimal challenge: 200's = religion)

Short and easy to read. This book explains about the different traditions of heaven and hell as taught by religions all around the world. Humorous, but not irreverent, it does point out some of the inconsistencies and the more outrageous features in some stories. Christianity looms large, with separate chapters on Christian heaven and Christian hell. But he explains that Christianity is the religion with the largest number of followers in the world - it is simply the most influential. He certainly does not claim that one version is more correct than any other. The book explains the source of the images of the pearly gates, streets paved with gold, angels playing harps, as well as the eternal flames of hell. Actually very informative. 4 stars.

Martin Van Buren by Ted Widmer. Category #6, US Presidents/American history

Short and easy to read, if a little dull, biography of our little-known 8th president. This was the man credited with the formation of a national Democratic party at a time when regional parties were more common. He was also the first sitting president to actively seek re-election. Previously, it was considered unseemly to engage in campaigning. Van Buren was the youngest man elected to the office of president to date, after being active in state and local politics in his native New York - the first New Yorker to become president, and distant cousin to fellow NY presidents Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt. Van Buren's term in office saw the economic panic of 1837 and the continuation of disagreements over slavery which eventually led to the civil war.

The book is part of the American Presidents series of books - short and generally well-written biographies of most of our former leaders. This volume was written by Bill Clinton's head speech writer and contained several uncalled-for jabs at Reagan and both Bushes, as well as unnecessary adulations of Clinton, Kennedy and LBJ. Why any of these men are relevent to a biography of Van Buren, I couldn't understand, and the blatant partisianship caused me to have serious doubts about the author's dependability. There are relatively few biographies of Van Buren available and this one is easily obtainable which makes it a good choice for the person with only a casual interest in learing about Martin Van Buren. I give it a neutral 3 stars.

Way back to Max Brand. OK, I'm really behind in reading threads this year. Here's my Max Brand story. When I was twelve I lived with my grandmother for a year. I got a library card in the little town where she lived. They had quite a few cheap paperbacks from Max Brand and the like. I started checking them out and devouring them. One day she told me, you're reading too much of that stuff. I asked, what do you want me to read? She went and retrieved some Sunday School literature from the church she attended (and made me attend). I told her, this is sooooo boring. It's the most boring reading in the world. She said, that's because you've poisoned your mind. I still laugh when I remember that. She was a very kind person but she didn't think much of Max Brand.

#102 What a great story! It makes me think of my grandma, who was always big into "child evangelism". I went to Sunday School regularly, but she would tell me Bible stories when I went to her house, too, and quiz me on them. This is exactly the kind of thing I would have expected her to do. However, after my grandad died, I discovered that, behind closed doors, she read Agatha Christie voraciously and Wuthering Heights every year. I wished I'd known it sooner.

Your questioning of Widmer's objectivity sounds totally valid to me, even if I might very well agree with his comments.

eta: the word "if" above.

As for the Widmer book, I can see some value in comparing 19th century presidents to those of the modern era. I think it helps us understand them better.

The problem: this quickly makes the book look dated.

There's also the real issue of partisanship, as you mention. Half the people might be bothered by the jabs and half cheer them.

Even so, comparisons are fine, jabs are not, I think.

Linda, I think your comment is spot-on. The book quickly becomes dated when examples/comparisons are used which haven't yet stood the test of time. With the possible exceptions of Kennedy and LBJ, none of the other modern presidents spoken of in the book are far enough in the past to have objective conclusions drawn from them. Even Reagan, more than 20 years out of office, should still be considered current, I think. We are still feeling the results and repercussions of his policies and actions. His legacy is not yet set.

But it was the partisanship that really annoyed me. By the end of the book, I'd stopped paying attention to his relevant points and was just keeping my eye on the "score": every negative comment was directed at a republican, every positive went to a democrat. Without exception.

Too bad, because Van Buren's story is interesting enough to be told straight.

Sandy,
I agree, MVB definitely could manage being told without direct comparisons. I think that if the reader can draw the comparisons without any mention by the author then they are valid but if the author has to insert his own opinions, then he is not really writing a biography, per se, but a commentary.

When I was reading Fillmore, I noticed a great number of similarities between then and now, but the writer never mentioned one, he left it for the reader.

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. Category #10, mysteries

After a slow start, this ended up being a delightful book told from the POV of a precocious 11-year old girl who sets out to solve the mystery of the dead man she discovered in the cucumber patch of the vegetable garden. Flavia de Luce lives on her family's ancestral estate, Buckshaw, in rural England in 1950. Her mother died when she was a baby, and her father is now a recluse who collects stamps. The family is land rich but cash poor, but Flavia is too young to understand that. She is too engrossed in chemistry (poisons being her particular area of interest) and spends all of her free time in the laboratory that was left by some great-uncle or other. She uses this special knowledge, and her scientific mind in general, to work out the details of who the dead man was, and why he was killed in Buckshaw's garden. Absolutely delightful. 4-1/2 stars

Yet more love heaped at The sweetness at the bottom of the pie! I need to make some room for it in this challenge, i think. But oh, what to boot, what to boot...

I am in the same boat, I have heard nothing but good things about The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and will definitely try to get to it sooner rather than later. BTW what a great title.

#109 You'll get to it eventually. If you wait long enough, you can put it in your "hype? what hype?" category (or whatever the exact name is).

#110 I thought the title was weird and the cover ugly and so allowed myself to be put off from reading it for several months. I'm still not sure I understand the title, even though it was referenced several times in the book, as part of a rhyme repeated by the housekeeper.

>111 sjmccreary:: Lol! I loved that cover! That's one of the reasons I read the book. And I think I'm already on record as very much enjoying it--but only as a children's/YA book.

@111 Are we talking about the "bird upside down with a stamp in it's beak" cover? If so, I'm with bonnie - I think it's a very nice looking book indeed! Interesting topic that, what you look for in a cover. Would make a great thread in itself!

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. Category #4, The forty-niner's & other gold rushes

A wonderful book! A long, lucious story told at a relaxed unhurried pace. There is plenty of time to reveal the background of each character, the history of every event, and describe all the places and people encountered. This is the story of Eliza Sommers. The newborn Eliza was left in a box on the step of an English colonist's home in Valparaiso, Chile, in 1832. The family, consisting of a spinster woman living with her bachelor brother, take the baby in and raise her as part of the family, although "Uncle" Jeremy never quite gets over his opinion that the Chiliean girl is not really worthy of a proper English home. Uncle Jeremy owns and operates an import business, supported by a younger brother, "Captain" Jack, who spends his life at sea, sailing around the world and bringing wonderful treasures from every corner of the globe to his brother to sell in Chile. Captain Jack conspires with his sister Rose to provide Eliza with everything she will need to become a proper lady, including a suitable dowery, without any input from Jeremy, or even his knowledge. When Eliza is 16, she falls in love with Joaquin Andieta, a clerk in her uncle's firm. She contrives to sneek away from the house to meet with him, beginning a secret affair that lasts several months. When gold is discovered in faraway California, Joaquin leaves to seek his fortune. Eliza, upon discovering that she is pregnant, decides to follow him so that they can be married and live happy ever after. Aided by Tao Chi'en, a Chinese doctor who had been shanghai'd by Captain Jack to serve as cook on his ship and then became friends, she sails to San Francisco to begin her search for her lover. However, the perilous voyage was only the beginning of Eliza's difficulties in her quest.

I loved this book. The detailed descriptions of the California gold rush as told from the perspectives of the prospectors, the merchants who supplied them, the "soiled doves" - the prostitutes who were the only women in the region in the beginning - were gritty and totally believable. The plight of the Chinese, the Mexicans and Chilieans, and the native American Indians were all too believable -as the white Americans and Europeans sought to take advantage of every dark-skinned or obviously foreign person they could - cheating them out of their claims, their freedom, and sometimes their lives. A wonderful look at an important event in American history, and the birth of one of our greatest cities - it is also a lovely story of a young woman who goes searching for love and discovers freedom. 4-1/2 stars.

#112, 113 Yes, the cover showing the dead bird with its beak stuck through a stamp. I hated it! However, I am evidently in the minority on this issue, so I'll accept that it is an effective cover design. And you're right - the discussions about cover art is always interesting. (Especially over in the Romance readers group!)

>114 sjmccreary: I also loved Daughter of Fortune. I read it about 5 (or maybe more) years ago, and I still think about it -- and Eliza and the doctor -- from time to time. It hasn't been a book that I've forgotten -- as opposed so many that I read, enjoy at the time, and can barely remember what they're about 3 months later. I also keep wondering why I haven't read her other books -- afraid I'll be disappointed maybe?

I got The Heretic's Daughter in my last book order, and am looking forward to reading it -- I have a couple of other books ahead of it on the stack, though.

#116 Oh, I'm so glad to hear that Daughter of Fortune is one of those rare books that you still think about long after you've finished reading. I've heard that Isabel Allende's other books are good. I heard of her as an author before becoming aware of this book. Knowing that she is Chilean and that the books are translated into English put me off, for some reason. (Who knows why? I read other translated books quite happily.) I actually read D of F in spite of the author! Am I ever glad I did. I'll be much more open to reading another of her books. But not too soon - I'm still savoring this one.

I'm looking forward to your reaction to The Heretic's Daughter - it's another book that lingers in the mind.

Bound by Sally Gunning. Category #7 - historical settings (1760's)

Eight-year old Alice Cole sailed from London to America with her family in 1756. It was a rough crossing and her mother and both her brothers died en route and were buried at sea. Upon landing in Boston, her father did not have enough money left to pay for the passage for the family and sold Alice into indentured servitude for 10 years - until she became 18. She left the ship with her new master, never to see her father again. Her new home was good, and Alice was well treated. She was happy until, at age 15, her master sent her to live with his daughter after her marriage. Her new master made a habit of raping Alice, and threatening and torturing her to remain silent. As an indentured servant, she had no rights and no recourse. She ran away, and spent the next year not knowing if she could really trust the people who helped her, especially when the authorities became aware of her and she was compelled to defend herself in court.

I've done a poor job describing the story, but don't want to give away anything which might spoil anyone's enjoyment of the book. Alice's story is told in a compassionate but convincing manner. It is set against a backdrop of pre-revolutionary Boston, when the colonists started becoming unsettled by the actions being taken by the Parliment in London. Alice, typical of a 15-year old girl, is so wrapped up in her own troubles that she is barely aware of what is happening around her. She desperately wants to trust the people around her, but continually talks herself into believing that no one is trustworthy - even those who have been nothing but kind to her.

I liked that the historical elements were presented in a matter-of-fact fashion - no flashing arrows pointing out the important events that we all learned about in school. Instead, we are shown a very practical side of the non-importation movement mounted by the colonists, as the housewives were forced to make due without the necessary items that typically were imported. I also was struck by the close-up look at the practice of indentured servitude. A note from the author at the end of the book explains it even more fully, pointing out that it is still a common practice, even in the United States. Overall, I was very impressed by the book. I think it may be one that is not easily or quickly forgotten. 4-1/2 stars.

Bound sounds like a good read, I'm adding to my ever-growing list!

I, too, am adding Bound. It sounds excellent!

Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor. Category #9 - new to me authors

In November 1934, Lydia Langstone left her husband after he hit her - vowing never to return. She packs a few things, takes some of her jewelry and the money she keeps in the house, and goes to stay with her father in his "modest" flat in Bleeding Heart Square in a older neighborhood of London. Rory Wentwood, recently returned from India, is having trouble with his fiance, Fenella Kensley - she seems to have cooled on the idea of marriage. But he must find a job and a place to stay before he can worry about Fenella, so he also takes a flat in Bleeding Heart Square while he looks for a job. Herbert Narton is watching Bleeding Heart Square, trying to get a glimpse of Joseph Serridge, so he sees both these new residents moving in. He enlists Rory to assist in the old police investigation into the disappearance of Philippa Penhow, Fenella's aunt, 4 years earlier. Serrridge is suspected of killing Miss Penhow and hiding her body, but nothing has ever been proven. Serridge is also the owner of the building at Bleeding Heart Square - a building previously owned by Miss Penhow. Serridge also owns a farm house that was purchased by Miss Penhow from Lydia's father, Captain Ingeby-Lewis.

Each chapter begins with an excerpt from Miss Penhow's diary written in 1930 - shortly before her disappearance. Each diary entry is introduced by an unknown narrator who is familiar with the situation and, presumably, knows what really happened to the woman. The story proceeds at a deliberate pace, with characters being introduced, and clues being uncovered. The relationships between the different characters are so interconnected that they threaten to become unmanagable but never does. No one person knows everything, except the unknown reader of the diary, and the reader is the first to learn the entire truth from them.

I thought the book started slowly - it took me several chapters to feel comfortable in the setting and with these characters. There are quite a few small intrigues, and by the middle of the book, I was hooked. The political environment in London before WWII was tense - as people experimented with socialism and fascism in an effort to avoid another war. The changing social conventions was also an issue - as shown in Lydia's determination to make her separation from her husband permanent, despite advice from her mother and other older ladies that "these things happen, dear." Overall, an impressive book. Skillfully written. 4 stars.

Sandy.....this one sounds like an Alexander McCall Smith with his series about Scotland Street and now Corduroy Circle...

I've added Bleeding Heart Square to my wishlist.

118> Did you know that Bound is a sequel of sorts to Gunning's novel The Widow's War? I get the impression Bound is a bit of a standalone, but the Widow Berry is actually the main character of the previous book.

We read TWW for a book group and found it very evocative of everyday life of the time. It looks at the rights -- or lack thereof -- women have at the various stages of their lives.

#122 Tina, I couldn't say. I haven't read any of Alexander McCall Smith since the sequel to No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Tell me more about them.

# 123 Well, turnabout is fair play. ;-)

#124 I knew that she'd written the earlier book, but didn't realize that Widow Berry was in it - she was one of my favorite characters in Bound. Thanks for the tip - I'll add The Widow's War to my wishlist.

I've read the first book in Andew Taylor's Lydmouth Series and I thought Bleeding Heart Square was a continuation of that series, now I find that it's a stand alone mystery, so onto my list it goes!

Sandy, that's two book ideas in as many days I have taken from this thread!

#126 I think maybe I've also gotten 2 from you in the last couple of days, so we're about even!

March recap - well, I managed to get caught back up on total number of books read, and only my 2 smallest categories are still empty so that's good. Overall, March was a much better reading month than either January or February. Here is where I stand in my categories:

10 Thrilling Mysteries - includes mysteries, spy novels, legal thrillers, police procedurals, etc.
1 Dressed for Death by Donna Leon 1/11/2010
2 The Alexander Cipher by Will Adams 2/10/2010
3 Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley 3/14/2010

9 New-ish authors - new-to-me authors
1 Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay 1/15/2010
2 Mixed Blood by Roger Smith 2/3/2010
3 Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor 3/29/2010

8 Different state sites - for the 50 state challenge, books set in 8 different states
1 U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (California) 1/5/2010
2 Sixteen in Nome by Max Brand (Alaska) 2/23/2010

7 Days-gone-by tales - historical fiction or nonfiction, set more than 100 years ago
1 The Outlander by Gil Adamson (1903) 2/17/2010
2 The Crucible by Arthur Miller (1692) 3/1/2010
3 Bound by Sally Gunning (1760's) 3/28/2010

6 Fearless leaders - presidential biographies for the US Presidents challenge, or other American history nonfiction
1 Martin Van Buren by Ted Widmer 3/9/2010

5 Books of truth - nonfiction for the Dewey Decimal Challenge - each in a different category
1 This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin (700's = the arts) 1/29/2010
2 Pocket Guide to the Afterlife by Jason Boyett (200's = religion) 3/3/2010

4 Forty-niners - fiction or nonfiction about any of the gold rush phenomenons
1 Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende 3/23/2010

3 Sequels - next in the series
1 Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri (Inspector Montalbano #5) 3/3/2010

2 Ancient tomes - books that were first published before I was born

1 Big Fat Russian novel - or other non-American book translated into English

Bad Lands by Jonathan Raban. Category #6 US Presidents/American history

A nicely written nonfiction account of the settlement of eastern Montana by homesteaders in the early 20th century. Lured by rosy promotional literature published by the railroads and encouraged by the government's offer of 320 free acres (1/2 of a 1 square mile section), people came from all over the United States and Europe to claim their chance to be prosperous landowners. The trouble was, the rainfall in this region isn't sufficient for farming to be profitable, especially on such a small (by Western standards) plot. The dry farming techniques being touted at the time as science simply didn't work without enough rain. Raban, himself an immigrant from England, followed the fortunes of several early homestead families revealing what they were escaping from as well as what they were hoping to gain. He describes the land they found, the homes they built, the communities that developed, the crops they tried to raise. He also describes all the things that went wrong, and what happened to them as they began to give up that dream and move on to something else farther west - folks rarely went back to where they'd come from. A few families did manage to succeed, and he highlights them, as well. Some are surviving now on farm/ranches that contain 30 sections of land (19,200 acres).

This book was recommended by RidgewayGirl, and she proved once again to be a trustworthy source. I grew up in Kansas - not quite the far west, but close enough that the character of the people he encountered on his travels around Montana were very familiar. The way they view their lives and their homes and city slickers and people from "back east" and government agents reminded me of home. As did their love of the wide open spaces and quiet acceptance of whatever nature threw at them. A revealing look at a way of life that has become iconic in American culture. 3-1/2 stars.

Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin. Category #9, new-to-me authors

When TrishNYC recommended this book last fall, I placed it on my wishlist right away and then promptly began putting it off. It is set in Kigali, Rwanda in what seems to be the present. I'm always irrationally reluctant to read African books - there has been so much pain and suffering there for so long, that I guess I'm afraid of either being depressed or made to feel guilty because I've had such an easy life. But, nearly every African book I've read has been excellent, and most are strangely uplifting. This one is both.

Angel Tungaraza lives in a community of foreigners in Kigali. She and her husband Pius are Tanzanian, and he is on an extended leave of absence from his regular job to fill a post at the university in Kigali. Angel runs a home-based business baking cakes to help support the family, which consists of Angel and Pius as well as their 5 grandchildren whom they are raising following the deaths of their own two children. In the course of her business, there is a constant stream of people coming into Angel's home. Each one tells her that they want to order a cake and she replies by telling them to sit down and browse her photo album of cakes while she prepares tea for them both in the Tanzanian style, with sweet boiled milk and cardamom. Over tea, Angel draws out each client's story - for only if she becomes familiar with the client will she be able to make an appropriate cake for them. Since she relies on word-of-mouth to promote her business, she feels it is in her best interest to be sure that each cake is perfect for its occasion. And so, we become acquainted with Angel's clients and neighbors - the Canadian, the Americans, the Indians, the Egyptian, the Tanzanian ambassador's wife, the aid workers, and the Rwandan locals. Each one has a story to tell and Angel is a good listener.

Almost every disturbing or controversial topic that you can think of is discussed in this book: the AIDS epidemic, the Rwandan civil war and genocide, suicide, marital infidelity and divorce, the death of children, wildlife conservation, female "circumscision", prostitution, the role of bride price or dowry in marriage arrangements, homosexuality, ebola, religion and probably several more that I've forgotten. And yet, the book is not heavy or depressing. Angel deals with each topic that comes up with compassion and understanding - offering advice when she can and sympathy when she can't. She is open to admitting when she was wrong in her thinking - thanking the other person for enlightening her. After each encounter, we come away with our hearts lightened - and inspired by the spirit of survival and optimism that is always present, but never sickenly sweet.

In some ways, this book reminds me of No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency in its style and charm, but I think this one is so much better. Highly recommended. 4-1/2 stars.

>130 sjmccreary:: In some ways, this book reminds me of No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency in its style and charm It's funny, I was thinking exactly that! Adding it to my wish list! :-)

eta: missing word

And to mine. Excellent review, btw.

#131 hope you will enjoy it

#132 Thank you

The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Category #7, Days gone by (historical settings)

The children's classic about Buck, a dog that was stolen from his home in California and taken north to the Yukon territory to be put to work as a sled dog during the gold rush. Lots of adventure, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read it 40 years ago. I grew pretty tired of all the scenes of Buck "seeing" and "remembering" his ancestery and "knowing" the instincts of wild canines from time immorial. (I don't think I would have liked them any better as a child, though). A pretty good story, though definitely not for anyone who can't tolerate accounts of animals being badly treated. 3 stars.

@130: ...and then promptly began putting it off.. Boy, do I know that feeling! A really good review there, I'm noting the title.

Very impressed with your March. You've read several that are on my list - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Bound, and Daughter of Fortune. Glad to read your thoughts on them.

The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz. Category #3 - Sequels

The fourth (and last?) of the Spellman series about a family of private investigators in San Franscisco. In this book, David (oldest child, only son, straight-laced lawyer) is unemployed, uncharacteristically not looking for another job, and involved in a romantic relationship with another attorney whom the family adores. Yet, Mom has seen another woman sneeking around his house and directs Izzy to investigate and discover who she is. Isabel (Izzy) is the middle child, 32 years old, single but dating a bartender whom her parents do not like, has been officially designated heir to the family business, and has signed a contract with her parents giving her more authority and better pay and benefits. She is upset at her Mother's insistence on playing all the old family games when she uses Izzy's embarrassing, and heretofore secret, high school prom photo as leverage to force her to spy on her brother, and also to begin dating other men - lawyers to be chosen by her mother and seen at the rate of 1 every two weeks. Rae, the youngest and still in high school, may finally have gone too far with her pranks and ends up being arrested after a particularly outrageous stunt directed at Izzy, thus ruining her chances of being accepted by an Ivy League college. But the real mystery is what Mom and Dad are really up to, when they decree that none of the children are permitted to be in the house on Wednesdays and even Rae must go to stay with David or Izzy one night each week, and bits and pieces of household hardware - especially doorknobs - begin to go missing throughout the house.

I saw a comment someplace that gave me the impression that this was the "last" - as opposed to the "latest" - book in the series. As much as I've enjoyed it, I think this is a good thing. The outrageous silliness of the first two books would not be possible to sustain without becoming tedious. In the third book, I was pleased to see that Izzy was maturing and becoming willing to settle down to a more conventional life. In this book, that desire becomes even stronger in her. And, in fact, this book does end rather finally - with many loose ends being wrapped up. I hope that if Lutz is tempted to write another Spellman book in the future, that she writes it straight - not attempting to inject humor on every page. Isabel Spellman could be a wonderfully complex central character for a much longer future series. I thought this book was the best of the series but please read them in order for the best effect. 4 stars.

I read the first Spellman book (I had bought it for my sister) and it was such a weak mystery that I didn't read anymore of them, but I bet they were all fun reads. Sometimes it's just nice to have a little silliness in your day. If I was still into lying out in the sun on a summer day, I think they'd be a good choice.

Sorry for making a stupid Swedish question here: is Spellman a "real" surname? I've only ever seen it carried by Sabrina the teen witch. Hence, going into your review I was expecting some sort of cornier version of Jim Butcher... :)

#138 Bonnie, you're absolutely right - these are weak as mysteries, but they're fun reads.

#139 Not sure exactly what you're asking, but "Spellman" seems to be a legitimate surname. According to houseofnames.com, a website that sells family heraldic crests, it is English. Norfolk to be precise. In the US, surnames come in all flavors and colors, and no one here would question the authenticity of any name they heard. As to whether the author chose it for some specific reason, I have no idea.

Now I'm curious about your "Swedish question". Are there only certain names which are permitted? It seems I've heard something to this effect, but not sure whether it was Sweden or another Scandanavian country. I think I remember reading once that a new name was being added to the list of acceptable names in honor of some famous immigrant.

Oh, okay. Didn't by any means try to be rude here. I've just made the lazy assumption that they made something up to sound like a witch family's surname for Sabrina. And I can't recall seeing it anywhere else. Hence the question. But it seems they instead went with an existing name that got a double meaning in this specific context.

We have a wide variety of surnames here too. The most common ethnic swedish surnames are usually patronymichons (Larsson, Johansson etc.) or the surnames invented by the budding middle class in the 1800-s to mimic noble names. Being much newer as a multi-cultural society than the US, we don't yet have names from all over the world established as "common swedish names". But I work with swedish people called Yildiz, Mair, Kasapi and Jelmini every day :).

I think you're thinking of Iceland. As a very small country, they have been quite protective of their ways. In Iceland, patronymichon is still alive in the original form (that is, if your father's name is Olaf, your last name will be Olafsson or Olafsdottir), and so they don't technically have last names at all. The phone book lists first names :) Immigrants are, I think, required to take an Icelandic patronymichon.

In France, at least in the early 1990's when I lived there, one was required to have an infant's name approved. I know there were rejections of the names Daisy and Princess at that time, but more recently, Megane passed muster, despite being the name of a popular car.

#141 No, you weren't being rude at all! I apologize for my rather abrupt comment - what I meant was that, since we never think about surnames as having any particular meaning, and with names from all over the world becoming more and more common, no one ever questions them, especially as to whether they're "real". (Except as a get-acquainted question - where does that name come from?) In the past, people sometimes changed their family names when they got here, either to disguise their heritage or just to something more "American" - in honor of their new lives I guess. Sometimes the immigration officials simply wrote the names down wrong and they stuck. So, really, just about anything is accepted here without a thought.

It probably was Iceland, as I knew that they still cling more tightly to the traditional ways than the other Scandanavians, at least as far as naming is concerned. Don't they also have a list of authorized given names that parents must choose from when naming babies? I thought they allowed immigrants to keep their surnames, though. But if they were going to force me to take a patronym, I'd want to be Sandy Deansdottir instead of having everyone think I'm related to some guy named Olaf!

@142 Oh, that we have too. But it isn't to guard some sort of swedishness. You're not allowed to give your child a name that isn't "name-like" or that might be offensive. I'm certain Daisy and Megane would pass without problems here, whereas, say, Satan, C3PO or Porridge probably wouldn't.

#142 That's interesting - I didn't know that anyone else did that. I sometimes wish they did it here - some of the names that small children are saddled with are atrocious!

#142, 144 Who makes this decision, and what happens to the child if its name is denied?

Well, the parents have to pick another name. The child is really too young to have an opinion on the matter.

My daughter has a boy named Samurai in her class. That's a lot to live up to.

@143 Not sure if there's a list or if you're required to change surname. But if you aren't, it does seem to make sense (in the context) to have a list. Mending the "problem" in the second generation so to speak. That way, you could be Olaf Mohammedson, your daughter would be a real Icelandic Olafsdottir anyway.

But again: I should stress I'm not entirely sure how things actually work on Iceland.

@146 A lot of cross-posting going on here now :)

Here the decision is made when you report your newborn child to the authorities in order for it to get a social security number and citizenship. You have three months after a child is born before it needs to have a name.

The last cases of denial I remember from media (denials are not very common, I don't think) was a little boy the parents wanted to name Batman and another who's loving parents wanted to have a 60 letters and numbers combination for a first name, (to be pronounced Albin, if I recall correctly). A little girl was allowed to be named Metallica a year or so ago, after the parents made an appeal after getting denied.

The Poet by Michael Connelly. Category #10, mysteries

By the author of the Harry Bosch books, this tells the story of a reporter for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver whose brother, a detective for the Denver police department, committed suicide. Emotionally, Jack is having trouble believing that Sean really killed himself, but when he begins to look closer at the details of the case, he begins to have real questions about it. When he discovers another police suicide in Chicago with similar details, the Denver PD re-opens the investigation as a homicide and Jack's editor gives him permission to travel to Chicago to investigate for a story. When he presents his evidence to the Chicago PD, they also re-open their case. Jack then travels to Washington, DC to meet with an FBI task force on police suicides and convinces them to look into these cases, plus several others around the country that appear to be linked. Once it has been determined that there is a serial killer actively pursuing police detectives, a full scale investigation is launched and Jack is included as an observer on the team.

The rest of the book, then, details the investigation and the interpersonal relationships of the FBI team members. The cast of characters is nicely developed, and the clues uncovered in the investigation are revealed bit by bit with the requisite red herrings along the way. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much. I believe that several of the characters introduced in this book will show up in future books with other Connelly characters, including Harry Bosch. 4 stars.

This one has been on my shelves for years it seems. I must get to it because I did enjoy the other Bosch I read.

Bosch is on my list for my next set this year.

#152 I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Be warned, though, that the series begins slowly - I wasn't sure I wanted to stick with it until the 3rd book.

The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War by Leonard L Richards. Category #4, Forty-niners

Thanks to Cheli for recommending this book.

This nonfiction book tells a story which begins with the discovery of gold at Sutter's mill in northern California and concludes with the presidential election of 1860. Each thing that happens leads to another. Every action taken by someone has an impact on someone else. And so, the discovery of California gold had some far reaching effects, including the push for a transcontinental railroad and the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act which repealed the Missouri Compromise.

I found it amazing that, given the number of southerners in leadership positions in California at the time it was granted statehood and during later discussions about which areas would be free soil or slave territory, that California was always firmly a free state. Even I agreed that dividing the large territory into a free north and slave south seemed a reasonable compromise for that time, but it seems not to have ever been seriously considered. Likewise, I was struck by the number of northerners who were supportive of the south (including Stephen Douglas of Illinois) in the years leading up to the civil war.

A fascinating look at what surely must have been one of the strangest times in our nation's history. My only complaint was that I wanted more focus on the gold rush, but that only got me through the first third of the book. 3-1/2 stars, just because I wasn't really in the mood for political history and had a hard time staying focused on the book. However, it really is very good, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the pre-civil war period.

I seem to have forgotten to do a recap at the end of April, but here is my progress as of May 31:

Thrilling Mysteries - includes mysteries, spy novels, legal thrillers, police procedurals, etc.
1 Dressed for Death by Donna Leon 1/11/2010
2 The Alexander Cipher by Will Adams 2/10/2010
3 Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley 3/14/2010
4 The Poet by Michael Connelly 4/28/2010
5 Hold Tight by Harlan Coben 5/27/2010

New-ish authors - new-to-me authors
1 Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay 1/15/2010
2 Mixed Blood by Roger Smith 2/3/2010
3 Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor 3/29/2010
4 Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin 4/3/2010

Different state sites - for the 50 state challenge, books set in 8 different states
1 U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (California) 1/5/2010
2 Sixteen in Nome by Max Brand (Alaska) 2/23/2010
3 Heartsick by Chelsea Cain (Oregon) 5/25/2010

Days-gone-by tales - historical fiction or nonfiction, set more than 100 years ago
1 The Outlander by Gil Adamson (1903) 2/17/2010
2 The Crucible by Arthur Miller (1692) 3/1/2010
3 Bound by Sally Gunning (1760's) 3/28/2010
4 The Call of the Wild by Jack London (ca 1900) 4/5/2010

Fearless leaders - presidential biographies for the US Presidents challenge, or other American history nonfiction
1 Martin Van Buren by Ted Widmer 3/9/2010
2 Bad Land by Jonathan Raban 4/1/2010

Books of truth - nonfiction for the Dewey Decimal Challenge - each in a different category
1 This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin (700's = the arts) 1/29/2010
2 Pocket Guide to the Afterlife by Jason Boyett (200's = religion) 3/3/2010

Forty-niners - fiction or nonfiction about any of the gold rush phenomenons
1 Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende 3/23/2010
2 California Gold Rush and the Coming Civil War by Leonard L Richards 5/12/2010

Sequels - next in the series
1 Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri (Inspector Montalbano #5) 3/3/2010
2 Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz (Spellmans #4) 4/12/2010

Ancient tomes - books that were first published before I was born

Big Fat Russian novel - or other non-American book translated into English

General musings on the challenge so far...

I like that the step format leaves me with plenty of freedom to read anything that catches my eye and still meet my challenge "quota".

OTOH, this challenge accounts for only about half my reading, so I am less focused here than I was last year. I don't like that so much. I noticed that I forgot to post comments about the last two books here, simply because I am so disengaged from this challenge.

I like my categories, but they seem harder than last year's categories did - I intentionally made them more restrictive, and now I wish I hadn't. I'm not going to change them, though. Not yet, anyway.

Part of my goal this year was to pace myself - averaging only 5 books per month so that the challenge will take most of the year to complete. That is proving surprisingly difficult. I'll allow myself to move book around between categories, if needed to wrap things up at the end, but if I don't list a book on this challenge when I read it, I won't be able to insert it into a different category later. So, right now I'm finding it hard to determine which books to list for this challenge and which to leave off. I don't like that.

Thinking ahead to next year's category challenge - I'll go back to last year's format. More books required but less restrictive categories. I think I'll also plan for more overlap possibilities. I have too many mutually exclusive categories this year.

Overall, what I miss most is the involvement with the challenge. This year, it is something I must remember to do when appropriate. Last year, the challenge parameters shaped my whole reading and this group was my primary focus. That's what I'd like to get back to. Where the books outside the challenge are the ones that are different, not the other way around.

But, for this year, I'm just short of my pre-determined pace of 5 books per month. After 5 months, I've completed 24 books for the challenge. I'm sill struggling with the "Big Fat Russian Novel", and (surprisingly) with books published before I was born (I'm not THAT old, after all). I expected the US presidents to be difficult, but didn't think that 8 different states would be so challenging. And by limiting myself to only one book per Dewey Decimal cateory, I am excluding the majority of my non-fiction reading. I'm not going to re-define my categories yet, but I might consider it later in the year.

Interesting insights, Sandy.

Hmmmm. I gripe about it a bit but I find I really like the broader categories and, as you mention, the bulk of my reading is in the 1010.

This year, I'm not allowing myself duplicates so it will take all year, I figure.

(Once I complete my two favorite categories, which will likely be soon, we'll see whether I'm as cheerful and upbeat about the whole thing.)

I too find I'm not as focused on this challenge thread, although it involves 10 (actually 11) different challenges for me. Since many of them are overlaps, (still will total at minimum 118 books) it's not been hard meeting most of the challenges, it's just getting boring double posting. I'm doing my primary posting on the 75 books challenge since that thread seems to have the most chatter, and of course I post on my blog, and now link reviews to Facebook. I write a review for every book I read.

So I'm using this thread to track my 'challenges.' I'm actually thinking next year I'm taking a year off from any challenges and just letting myself read whatever pops into my hands. Then at the end of the year, I'll arrange them into categories and see what emerges. My brain is just not handling structure too well. (could be the time of year too.) So march on sandy, I'm still watching your reading which is always interesting (as are your comments) and dangerous for the health of my TBR pile.

I'm struggling to stay engaged this year as well. I know that sounds lame, considering that I'm done, but I still like to chat about my reads, and it seems to have slowed down over here. I'm just not as motivated to work on my reviews when it doesn't seem to lead to any discussion. I feel like I'm really only doing this for myself, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not as much fun either. Maybe we're all just a little burnt out.

I can commiserate with this discussion. I find that I cannot manage more than one challenge at a time - I have one book pending to complete the alphabet challenge I started last year and I am rather stunned to think that after reading 49 books for this challenge I still haven't read a "Q" book to finish the other challenge.

Broad categories is the only thing that will work for me and I will admit that even trying to keep up with multiple posts on multiple challenges would be draining for me - and that is taking into account the beautiful technology tool of "cut" and "paste"!

Happy reading all!

156- I had to go look, but I hit the posting-on-LT-challenge wall last year on July 19. I didn't update again until Sep. 7. Batteries run down and interests wax and wane. I know me and how I do with 'structured' challenges. My 1010 is set up so loose I probably shouldn't even be here. But, I've had fun here. I've read at least part of all the threads here even tho' I haven't commented on most of them. I know people like comments but it basically boils down to a time issue. That, and too much commenting can lead to tiring of the commenter syndrome.

I find it interesting that many people are thinking about next year. I have also. I've kicked around the idea of 'going dark' on LT next year, that is, not posting anywhere on the site. I might. I might not. There's still a few months to ponder on it. I haven't checked actual numbers but it appears to me that the 'fizzle-out' rate on challenges is around 50% for most of them. Good luck with your challenge thoughts.

I think people go through cycles here and June, with the start of summer vacations and a desire to be out of doors, marks an annual dip. I think it's best to just go with what you want to do at the time--a gap of a few weeks or months will not stop people from welcoming you back.

I find I've stopped saying something unless I feel I have something to add, and I'm sure each thread is read by many more people than regularly comment on it. When I'm less interested in crafting reviews I notice that the number of comments decreases accordingly.

I, too, have been looking ahead to next year. This year, I've done this challenge, the 75 challenge, and the Books off the Shelf challenge. I'm pretty sure I'll stay on the 75 challenge. I enjoy that group, and whatever I read fits it. I'm not sure about next year's version of this challenge. Sometimes I enjoy filling in the blanks in the different categories, and it has diversified my reading; sometimes I feel a bit handcuffed, knowing that there are categories where I need to get going, and I don't want to go there right now. Books off the Shelf has gotten me to read a little more of the stuff that I already own, which is good.

The big drawback of multiple challenges is all the time it takes to post the reading to the various challenges where it fits. (I've long since resorted to mere cut-and-paste of comments from one thread to another, but I still have to update the lists and such.) I know I'll never keep up with everyone's thread, especially in the 75 challenge group, so I have my "regular" threads that I visit, and drop in on others randomly from time to time to lurk or to comment if I feel like it.

I'm hitting that summer slump about now, with visiting relatives and weather that makes me want to get out of the house.

I still think of 1010 as my main challenge. It really guides the bulk of my reading, though I'm also doing a few non-1010s every month.

For me, doing one 100 book 1010 challenge is just plain easier than doing two 999 challenges (with overlaps) last year.

The odd thing is that most people I talk to regularly are on both 75ers and on 1010 but the discussions often seem to end up on 75ers. I typically write up my review on 75er and then copy it over here. The discussions definitely are fewer here this year, for some reason.

I'm also thinking about next year's category challenge, such as which to add. I've also given some thought to which of my categories will be "finished" this year, that is, I will have read pretty much all I want to in a particular category(ies).

I'm not finding it a problem to do the 75 group and 1010. Reading titles/authors in alphabetical order, books off the shelf, and TIOLI just happen around these two main challenges, for me, when I can fit them in.

I'm just not as motivated to work on my reviews when it doesn't seem to lead to any discussion.

I've been less motivated to write about the books I'm reading for the same reason. Maybe I'm just fooling myself that I'm more articulate in person, but I find that I don't even want to start a discussion because it'll will take too long or I may be misunderstood--but I *want* it! I've got to figure out how to say what I'm thinking and feeling about a book as I'm reading, because I'm lousy after the fact.

Wow, what a lot of interesting insights - some I totally identify with, and others not so much.

I think I was suffering from a little "challenge overload" at the end of last year, and that is why I decided to do a shorter challenge this year. I don't know that I was burned out so much as weary. I think what I've realized is that it is the social aspect that I especially loved about this group - the chatter, the friendly competition of meeting goals (even if they had to be scaled-back or revised), the encouragement to keep going, etc. Over in the 75 books group, there is plenty of chat - which I love - but the challenge aspect is practically non-existent. Plus, that group has gotten so huge that it is easy to lose people.

I love reading about all your books, but don't always leave comments. Some threads become so cluttered with friendly, but inane, comments that I'm reluctant to post a message unless I have some specific comment to make. (Not that any of your threads are "cluttered", but it gets to be a habit.) So, I try to make specific comments whenever I can. However, I am always happy to log on and find that others have posted comments on my thread. VisibleGhost, I am more likely to think of frequent commenters as "friends" than "pests" - assuming that the comments are relevant and generally friendly, that is!

Linda, I do the same - post a review on the 75 books group and then copy and paste over here. I know that I see a lot of people on both groups, and don't generally notice which group I am reading or which I'm leaving comments on. Last year, it was not a problem for me to be in both groups - I thought of both as "everyday" groups and would post my books in both places as I completed them. The other challenges are "extra" and I might only post once or twice a month, and then only a few short comments generally. It seems like my 1010 challenge is sliding into that mental group, since only about half my books are showing up here. I don't like that.

I don't know what the problem is, or if there even IS one, with the group this year. I'm still planning to do a category challenge next year, and I hope we can come up with a standard format that most people will be willing to do. Maybe the wide variety in individual challenges is reason for the lack of cohesiveness? 9-10-11 is the best thing I came up with. 9 books in 10 categories in 20-11. 90 books - more than last year's 81, but less than this year's 100. I don't know. Too soon to worry about next year. Right now, I need to be worrying about that "Big Fat Russian Novel"!

Sandy, like you, I often don't notice in which group (75 or 1010) I'm replying to a post.

No interest for me in a big fat RUSSIAN novel but I am thinking about reading a big fat novel of some sort sometime soon. Lately, I've been reading a lot of 2 or 3-day-type books.

I'm thinking of something like Bleak House.

That's the problem - I don't really have much interest in a RUSSIAN novel, either. I've tried a couple and just couldn't stick with them. Bleak House sounds good, and would count for "older than me", but I need something in translation for the BFRN category - it really doesn't have to be Russian.

How big?

In college, I hated the idea of taking a language (in hs, I took Latin but didn't want to continue that or start a new one in college) so I took two semesters of "literature in translation" instead.

Hmmm, reviewing my "read in 1980" and "read in 1981" tags, though not remembering the size of each book...

I remember The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass. Pere Goriot by Balzac. Flaubert's Madame Bovary. Oooh, Heinrich Boll's The Clown and also his Billiards at Half Past Nine.

For me, I'd like to take on a novel by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk (I read and enjoyed his nonfiction book Istanbul: Memories of a City.) I'm thinking of either Snow or The Museum of Innocence.

I think you're the first person I've met who also took Latin in high school! My dad argued that it was pointless to learn a dead language. I argued that if we ran into any ancient Romans I'd be able to communicate. Actually, I'm convinced that it raised my language scores on the ACT by several points and instilled in me an understanding and appreciation of the relatedness of different languages. I rountinely amaze my family by being able to puzzle out meanings of obscure words and phrases in trivia games because of what I learned in Latin.

I've heard of some of those books, but not all. I'll check them out - are these all that you read, or just your favorites?

I liked The Tin Drum but many have said it was kind of weird. I liked the Balzac and the Flaubert. For the Boll, I read one in class and liked him enough to read another.

Is The Book Thief a translation book? How about The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I think he's from the Dominican Republican. I've not read any Latin American authors and few, if any, Asian authors. In TIOLI this month, someone set up a Japanese author challenge.

As for Pamuk, the ones I mentioned aren't getting good reviews. People seemed to like the Istanbul book better.

Latin was very helpful for law school and building my vocabulary of English words.

I took three years of Latin in high school, and then took typing my 4th year. Then nuns were NOT pleased...they insisted my brain was capable of another year. I knew I was capable, but as I explained to them, "typing would get me a job. Latin wouldn't." As far as I was concerned, the discussion was over.

I do think however, that our kids should be exposed to at least one year of latin-- I agree with sandy that the increase in vocabulary, the ability to understand (or at least feel more comfortable with) a variety of languages is a very valuable asset. Not just Law school Linda, but med school and other scientific areas also depend on Latin roots.

How else will people understand my favorite Tee-shirt?

Veni

Vidi

Visa (big Visa Card)

I like that!

@156-166 This is my first challenge on LT, so I can't really compare with anything. I think, starting out, that I was expecting it to be more social than it perhaps is. I have no idea how many people frequent my thread. All of a sudden I have a "Hot review", then it's mostly me talking to myself for a few weeks again. To me, activity on my thread seems to correlate pretty directly with how much time I spend commenting on other people's. It's just like blogs or other social media, a polite dance of returning visits - and then you stumble on something you really like. I get most of my actual reading tips from just a handful of threads here, people who's tastes I've come to trust. To me, this is the main benefit of being here. A few threads I follow because they are nice places to be, and a couple because they're often funny.

I often feel that I'm part of a different literary landscape than most regulars on LT, as the US market seems to dominate here. Everything is available from my internet bookstore of course, but my "must reads", titles eagerly awaited and the books disregarded as over hyped mush are at least partly different than most other people here. So I often have a feeling of being on the fringe of this group. For instance, how do I treat the books I read that aren't available in english? As it is, I tend to review them anyway, but I'm not sure for whom I do this.

I love to read your reviews, even if the book isn't available here or translated into English. It helps me look for new authors I might want to try, to broaden my reading, or even just to remind me that there are a lot of books out there, and not all of them are about the US! Definitely keep it up. The only time it bugs me, if that's even the right word, is when someone lists an author and an obviously foreign title, and doesn't translate it! How am I supposed to know if I want to read it if I don't know what it is! But really, it's not like a law that you HAVE to put things in English. I wish my foreign language skills were better, but I can read very basic Spanish and that's it.

#174 I also enjoy reading your reviews and other comments, for the same reasons that Cindy mentioned. As you can probably tell from some of the comments, this group was more social last year. I don't know why the "personality" - if that's the right word - has changed, but I don't think it is because you've joined us. :-) Lots of us, including me, also post on the 75-books challenge group - please feel free to visit my thread over there. Here is the link: http://www.librarything.com/topic/87163#2009000. There is more activity there than here, and I'd love to see you, and everyone else, "visit" me there too.

I appreciate your comment about being on a different literary landscape than the rest of us. I've often wondered whether I'd enjoy this site as much if it were based outside the US. I'd like to say "yes", but I've got to admit that I'm not sure I would. I'm very glad you make the effort to get past the US dominance here and find a way to communicate with us, and especially the way you share with us books that aren't available here. You represent one of the aspects that I've come to love here - the sharing of viewpoints and bits of culture from other parts of the country and around the world.

All these above posts have been very enlighting. I started on challenges last year with the Alphabet Challenge and then this year I joined the 1010 Challenge and the Books Off The Shelf Challenge. Being a newbie I have nothing to compare it to, but I am not sure whether I will do this challenge again or perhaps just join in on the 75 or 100 Books Challenge. I can see that it would be very time consuming to be running too many challenges at the same time. For me, I rather like reading a book and then posting a small summary or review, I also choose categories that I would be reading anyway, so the 1010 challenge has worked well for me. But I wonder if the 75 Book Challenge would give me greater freedom.

More freedom, true. But I think the categories are kind of fun, too, to help influence me to read things I WANT to read, but never seem to get around to. Last year, my categories were a mix of broad definitions of what I was reading anyway, along with a couple of more narrowly defined specific topics that I really had to make an effort to find books for. It was fun. This year, I have more restrictive categories, but fewer books required. Not as much fun.

Check out the 75 or 100 books groups. The 75 books group doesn't really pay much attention to numbers. If you read 75 books, fine. If not, that's OK too. Some people like it better that way. I kind of like having a specific goal to work towards. I'll stay in the 75 books group, just because the conversation there is so active. But I think I'll go back to being more focused on the category challenge next year than I have been this year. However, I'll be following your thread regardless of which group you decide to post in.

Thank you all for kind words and insight! It should be stressed that I really like it here, and that I indeed do feel welcome. And to me, 1010 is a pretty much perfect challenge for the reasons Sandy states above. Limitations and rules are good for me, as they help me expand my reading and get around to those books that it never seems the right time for. I like planning a lot too. Just going for a straight 75 would feel too much like my ordinary reader's diary, I think. I'm pretty sure I'll stick around for 1111, and that I'll consider this my main challenge next year too. I also tend to find that categories help me identify readers with which I share common taste, more so than just straight up listing.

So, for getting reading tips, 1010 is working just fine for me. Many people here (you all, for instance) write really good reviews. I'm curious about the social aspect that is less this year. Was that more personal chit-chat between reviews, other book-related conversations not directly about titles, or what? (I'll pop over to 75 to get a taste, I guess :))

#179 "Reader's Diary". That's it exactly. Not a bad thing - in fact I really like it. But not fun like a well-structured challenge can be.

As far as the missing conversation - it was a bit of everything you mentioned. You'll get a good taste at 75. Plus some conversation about the structure and progress of individual challenges.

Coming in late (I had visiting relatives this past week)

I agree that there is less discussion in the 1010 challenge this year but then I believe that there are fewer members as well. I think that many people opted out this year because they were unable to complete the challenge last year and didn't want to fail again. Personally, I don't see an incomplete challenge as a failure as long as you enjoy the books you read and gave it your best shot.

>168 sjmccreary: Sandy for your BFRN have your read The Three Musketeers? It's definitely a translation and if you've read that, what about the sequel Twenty Years After or even The Count of Monte Cristo or The Man in the Iron Mask? I've never seen a Dumas book that wasn't BF and they are translations if you are not being literal about Russian.

As for me, the category challenge has been good for me because 1)it's kept me on target for my other challenges (US Presidents, Books off the Shelf, Library, Chunksters) 2)made me read some books that I wouldn't necessarily have picked (last year I had the classics category and it was hard for me but I was proud that I stuck with it).
Next year (and yes, I have started to plan for next year) I going with the theme of HISTORIES AND MYSTERIES and a few odds and ends - so that I will have 2 categories for histories (22 books) and 6 categories for mysteries - 66 books(can you tell I like mysteries?), 1 category for ARC/ERs - 11 books, 1 category for leftovers (I have a 10 course Meal this year and I know I'll have books left over from all the categories that I didn't get to - hence leftovers) and 1 category for overflow. I'm still fine tuning and it is open for change but I found that half the fun is planning and beside the reading, part is seeing if I can stick to my plan.

I post my revews in both - cut and paste - but sometimes I add a few additional lines depending on the group - i.e. if a category is finished my ideas or feelings about, etc. for 1010. I don't think that the 1010 Challenge or the 75 book Challenge have to be different books. To me 1010 is my primary Challenge but 75 books is my primary social avenue.

Cheli said: "To me 1010 is my primary Challenge but 75 books is my primary social avenue."

Exactly the same for me. 1010 guides my reading but 75 books is where I chat more about books and other things.

Mysteries and histories are my favorites as well. There's a suburban Chicago bookstore called Centuries & Sleuths that carries books only on these two. It's not easy to get to but I love visiting there.

I bet I could come up with 6 mystery categories easily, too.

I agree with Cheli and Linda: 1010 is my primary Challenge but 75 books is my primary social avenue."

I love the social aspect of the 75 challenge, but this challenge is fun in a different way. I do agree with what Sandy said in #178 about categories -- I don't like the more restrictive categories as much, either. I found myself "broadening" out categories, tweaking and re-defining them as the year went on to give me a little more wiggle room.

I like the idea of having several categories for mysteries (I do that with history categories already, so why not with mysteries?) I feel like I'm not having enough "room" in my 1010 challenge this year for all the mysteries I want to read, especially to keep up with my favorite series, not to mention all those untried series that people are recommending to me!

#182 Linda, that Centuries & Sleuths store sounds like heaven to me! If I ever get to Chicago, I shall have to hunt that up!

A couple of the categories that I'm already considering for next year's mysteries are:
Thrillers, continuing a series, new series, crafts and cooking, falling behind, When did I stop reading That?, There's a new one out!,Oh, I missed that one, favorite authors/new series....I could go on and on.

I'll narrow them down so that in my 6 categories for mysteries, I can handle anything!

I can't believe that we're already seriously talking about next year, when it's still only June. On second thought, I can totally believe that's what we're talking about!

I love the idea of several categories of histories and mysteries. If anyone can come up with that many mysteries, Cheli and Linda can.

I agree that Cheli hit the nail on the head when she said 1010 is my primary Challenge but 75 books is my primary social avenue. My problem is that I sabotaged myself by cutting my Challenge in half and forcing myself to focus on the social avenue which has no challenge. As a result of this discussion, I've been seriously considering overhauling my 1010 challenge. Normally, I don't like to change the rules in the middle of the game. But now that I've come to realize just how dissatisified I am with my present challenge I am willing to make an exception. No clear ideas yet about how to go about it. Some thoughts include dumping what I've done so far and starting from scratch with a "half" challenge (50 books) beginning July 1. Or incorporating what I've already read into a revised set of categories. Or something different. Still thinking.

I never have any qualms about changing the rules mid-stream, though my idea of changing is dropping one category and substituting another.

It is only June but, if you look at msg #1, we started planning this year's 1010 in mid-August.

#186 loll! That's true - I remember it now. At this rate, we'll soon be planning a year or more in advance!

I'm kind of leaning towards starting from scratch on the books, but keeping - with some revisions - my current categories. Making them less restrictive.

I have to say that I thought I'd be cute and have a broad category with my "days and nights" category but that's the only one I don't really like.

They may be same-old, same-old but I do like reading mysteries, baseball books etc. I thought I'd run out of books in a few categories after this year yet I continue to find more new ones faster than I can read them.

Great discussion y'all....I'm (in the current venacular) ROFLMAO at starting on next year's list. I'm agreeing with the concept that the record keeping is being done on this challenge, and the chit-chat over on the 75, although a couple of the 75 threads are getting too chatty and I find myself longing for a bit more discussion of the books.

This year's categories for me have all been different challenges, and the first one I finished was the Thrillers and Suspense Mystery category. The gal running the online challenge (BookChickCity.com) also linked to a list of the 38 sub-genres of mystery. I'm seriously thinking that would be a great challenge to do for next year. here's the link

Then if you wanted to do Mysteries and Histories, we could come up with a list of sub-genres for history, and read through the ages. BUT I AM NOT GOING TO GET started making that LIST until at least OCT, so I may have to put blinders on if the frantic mid-summer list making starts again. LOL.

Thanks Sandy, for letting us hijack you thread with this discussion.

Thirty-eight subgenres of mysteries?!? Who knew? I definitely have to check that out, Tina.

UPDATE: That list is way, way too thriller-oriented for me. I'd rather come up with my own, such as by looking at: http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Cozy-Mysteries-by-Themes.html

Academic mysteries, historical mysteries, senior sleuths, culinary mysteries, hobby mysteries, holiday mysteries etc etc.

Oh Linda, I so like your list better...I belong to a Mystery Book Club, and that one is a good one for us to use in the fall, as we start compiling our list for next year (they make up the schedule a whole year in advance-- like some others I know?

Are you talking about me?

I can't help it if I am list oriented. I have my primary list of books for 2010 so when I see a book that I know I can't fit into this year, I just add it to the list for next year. Do you think I will eventually be caught up and not have to have a list? Something tells me that's not possible. I'd have to read like Stasia.

#191 Tina, I could see myself doing half history and half mystery. Maybe 11 categories of 5 or 6 for each, though I would view them in broad terms, such as baseball history, Chicago history.

Linda, you could go for 5 of each with the eleventh category being Historical Mysteries.

Linda, I'll join you with the Cozy-Mysteries-By-Theme categories. That would suit me well also.

I've decided to scrap my 1010 challenge and start over here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/92799&newpost=1#lastmsg

Can I add my 2 cents as an "outsider" this year? I loved reading about other people's challenges last year, but found it challenging, and a bit redundant, to keep track of two threads, so decided to stick with one (the 75-group) and then just come over here to keep track of what y'all are doing. But! The reality is that I *can't* even keep up with the 75-group, so am just hanging on to lurking on threads of people I read last year. I wish I could read more here, because the challenge aspect was fun last year. Though, I am just obstinate enough that I didn't like being told what to read--even when it was I who was doing the ordering. ;-)

One more thing, GingerbreadMan. I think your comments hold true for the 75-group as well, though it may not be as noticeable because there are so many more people to connect with.

Please continue adding as many comments as you want - I think this has been a very interesting discussion.

I agree it's redundant to post on 2 threads, but some people are on one group but not the other, and I enjoy sharing and chatting with all of them, so I'll continue to do it. And I absolutely identify with your comment about being obstinate and not wanting to be told what to read - even by yourself! I do exactly the same thing, and have to approach the challenge with an internal attitude of "Bet you can't...", which gets me riled up enough to prove that "yes, I can".

I don't mind posting on both 75 and thn on 1010. Doing two tickers and keeping track of two sets of "paperwork" as to where I stand is not too big a hassle. A lot of people are on one and not the other so it's worth it.

Sandy, I'm really glad you're continuing with 1010.

I post on a few different forums, mainly because different people post/read on each one. I'm not on the 75, but I am here, on Club Read and have several specific challenges (group reads, geographically and historically organized groups). While there is overlap, I often post different comments about the same book on each of my threads. For me, it's a way of turning the book over in my mind.