lindapanzo's 1010 list for 2010--PART 3

Here are my categories for 2010, along with a 20-book "bonus category." Halfway through the year, these are pretty much settled and I don't anticipate changing the categories again (though I might).

The first thread in my 1010 challenge for 2010 was at: http://www.librarything.com/topic/70676

The second thread in my 1010 challenge for 2010 was at: http://www.librarything.com/topic/85764







Cozy Mysteries--10 out of 10--finished on 9/8/10

Books and Reading--6 out of 10

Baseball Books--8 out of 10

Books About Chicago--6 out of 10

American Presidents--4 out of 10

Books About Disasters--7 out of 10

General Nonfiction--10 out of 10--finished on 6/19/10

Food Mysteries--10 out of 10--finished on 7/12/10

Days and Nights--10 out of 10--finished on 7/27/10

God and Religion--7 out of 10

Bonus Category: Next in the Series--12 out of 20

Category 1:
Cozy Mysteries--READ 10 OUT OF 10--category finished on 9/8/10

1. Huckleberry Finished by Livia J. Washburn--finished in Jan 2010
2. Death of a Valentine by M.C. Beaton--finished in Jan 2010
3. Ding Dong Dead by Deb Baker--finished in Feb 2010
4. Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger--finished in April 2010
5. A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie--finished in May 2010
6. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch--finished in July 2010
7. Emily Dickinson Is Dead by Jane Langton--finished in Aug 2010
8. Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle--finished in Aug 2010
9. The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames--finished in Aug 2010
10. The War Against Miss Winter by Kathryn Miller Haines

--Laughed Til He Died by Carolyn Hart
--Death Without Tenure by Joanne Dobson
--Loco-Motive by Mary Daheim
--Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier
--Death at the Alma Mater by G.M. Malliett
--Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney
--Chapter & Hearse by Lorna Barrett
--Tragic Magic by Laura Childs
--Manna from Hades by Carola Dunn
--Grace Under Pressure by Julie Hyzy
--The Crafty Teddy by John J. Lamb
--Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood
--The Prophet Murders by Mehmet Murat Somer

Category 2:
Books and Reading--READ 6 OUT OF 10

1. Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction by Tom Raabe-READ IN FEB
2. This Book Is Overdue! by Marilyn Johnson--READ IN APRIL
3. Talking About Detective Fiction by P.D. James--READ IN APRIL
4. How Lincoln Learned to Read: Twelve Great Americans and the Educations that Made Them by Daniel Wolff--READ IN JULY
5. The Whole Five Feet: What the Great Books Taught Me About Life, Death, and Pretty Much Everything Else by Christopher Beha--READ IN AUG
6. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff--READ IN SEPT '10
7.
8.
9.
10.

POSSIBLES INCLUDE:

--Bloody Murder: From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel by Julian Symons
--The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel
--A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books by Nicholas Basbanes
--An Alphabetical Life: Living It Up in the World of Books by Wendy Werris
--My Reading Life by Pat Conroy--due out in November
--The Case for Books: Past Present and Future by Robert Darnton

--How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster
--Great Books by David Denby
--A Reader on Reading by Alberto Manguel
--The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover
--Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
--Hitler's Private Library: The Books That Shaped His Life by Timothy W. Ryback
--The Lineup: The World's Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives by Otto Penzler

Category 3:
Baseball Books--READ 8 OUT OF 10

1. As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires by Bruce Weber--finished on 1/13/10
2. Chasing Moonlight by Brett Friedlander and Robert Reising--finished on 1/24/10
3. Wrigleyville by Peter Golenbock--finished on 3/20/10
4. El Birdos: The 1967 and 1968 St Louis Cardinals by Doug Feldmann--finished on 5/24/10
5. Black and Blue: The Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series That Stunned America by Tom Adelman--finished on 6/2/10
6. Baseball in Blue and Gray by George B. Kirsch--finished on 8/6/10
7. The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View by Doug Glanville--finished on 8/23/10
8. Hard Luck Harvey Haddix and the Greatest Game Ever Lost by Lew Freedman--finished on 9/5/10
9.
10.

--Echoing Green by Joshua Prager
--Bottom of the Ninth by Michael Shapiro
--The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America's Pastime by Jason Turbow and Michael Duca
--Roger Maris
--Mint Condition
--The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn
--Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
--The Greatest Ballpark Ever by Bob McGee
--Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee by Allan Barra
--Scoring from Second
--Center Field Shot:A History of Baseball on Television by James R. Walker
--My Turn at Bat by Ted Williams
--Pull Up a Chair by Vin Scully
--The Yankee Years by Joe Torre
--Your Brain on Cubs by Dan Gordon
--The Psychology of Baseball by Mike Stadler
--The 33-Year Old Rookie by Chris Coste
--Crazy '08
--Northsiders

Category 4:
Books about Chicago--READ 6 OUT OF 10

1. Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America’s Soul by Karen Abbott--finished in Jan 2010
2. Chicago Television by Daniel Berger and Steve Jajkowski (eds)--finished in April 2010
3. Chicago: A Biography by Dominic A. Pacyga--read in May
4. Chicago Sports: A Fifty Year Love Affair by Chris Papas--read in May
5. Shattered Sense of Innocence by Richard C. Lindberg and Gloria Jean Sykes--READ IN JUNE 2010
6. The Third Rail by Michael Harvey--READ IN AUG

7.
8.
9.
10.

--Devil in the White City
--Division Street America by Studs Terkel
--The Sinking of the Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy
--Challenging Chicago by Perry Duis

--One Thousand and One Afternoons by Ben Hecht
--Chicago Sports Reader
--Chi Town by Norbert Blei
--American Pharaoh by Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor
--Forever open, clear, and free : the struggle for Chicago's lakefront by Lois Wille
--City of the Century by Donald L. Miller
--Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West By William Cronin
--The Gambler King of Clark Street: Michael C. McDonald and the Rise of Chicago's Democratic Machine by Richard Lindberg
--For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder That Shocked Jazz Age Chicago
--The New Chicago: A Social and Cultural Analysis by Koval et al

Category 5:
American Presidents--read 4 out of 10

I'm doing the American Presidents' biography challenge. In 2010, I'd like to read about Monroe through Buchanan, 11 presidents in all so that, in 2011, I can have an Abe Lincoln/Civil War category.

1. James Monroe by Gary Hart--READ IN JAN '10
2. John Quincy Adams by Robert V. Remini--READ IN JAN '10
3. The Birth of Modern Politics: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the Election of 1828 by Lynn Parsons--READ IN APRIL '10
4. Mr. Adams's Last Crusade: John Quincy Adams's Extraordinary Post-Presidential Life in Congress by Joseph Wheelan--READ IN MAY '10
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

--The President's Team by Michael Connelly
--Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H.W. Brands
--Martin Van Buren by Ted Widmer
--Old Tippecanoe : William Henry Harrison and His Time by Freeman Cleaves
--John Tyler by Gary May
--James K. Polk by John Seigenthaler
--Zachary Taylor by John S. D. Eisenhower
--Millard Fillmore
--Franklin Pierce
--James Buchanan by Jean H. Baker

Category 6:
Books About Disasters--READ 6 OUT OF 10

1. A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit--READ IN FEB 2010
2. Down Around Midnight: A Memoir of Crash and Survival by Robert Sabbag--READ IN APRIL 2010
3. Curse of the Narrows by Laura M. MacDonald--READ IN MAY 2010
4. When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder and the New Madrid Earthquakes by Jay Feldman--READ IN JUNE 2010
5. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin--READ IN AUG 2010
6. City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle by Bill Minutaglio--READ IN AUG 2010
7. Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds by Gary M. Pomerantz--READ IN SEPT 2010

--Rising Tide by John M. Barry
--The Sinking of the Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy
--Dark Tide (1919 Boston Molasses)

--Hot Time in the Old Town by Edward P. Kohn
--Sultana by Allan Huffman
--Smoldering City: Chicagoans and the Great Fire, 1871-1874
--Paris Under Water by Jeffrey H. Jackson
--Trapped by Karen Tintori
--Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster 1903 by Anthony Hatch
--The Third Man Factor: surviving the Impossible by John Geiger
--The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America by Timothy Egan
--The Great Chicago Fire by Ross Miller
--The Big One: The Earthquake that Rocked Early America and Helped Create a Science by Jake Page
--A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester
--The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Douglas Brinkley
--Titanic's Last Secrets
--Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America
--Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago
--Lessons from Longford: The Esso Gas Plant Explosion
--The Texas City Disaster, 1947 by Hugh W. Stephens
--Firestorm at Peshtigo: A Town, Its People, and the Deadliest Fire in American History

Category 7:
General Nonfiction--READ 10 OUT OF 10--category finished on 6/19/10

1. Give a Little: How Your Small Donations Can Transform Our World by Wendy Smith--READ IN JAN '10
2. The Measure of Our Days: A Spiritual Exploration of Illness by Jerome Groopman--READ IN JAN '10
3. Over Here!: New York City During World War II by Lorraine B. Diehl--READ IN MAY 2010
4. Skies to Conquer: A Year in the Life of the Air Force Academy by Diana Jean Schermo--READ IN MAY 2010
5. My River Home: My Journey from the Gulf War to the Gulf of Mexico by Marcus Eriksen--READ IN JUNE 2010
6. Tough as Nails: One Woman's Journey Through West Point by Gail O'Sullivan Dwyer--READ IN JUNE 2010
7. Chasing Goldman Sachs by Suzanne McGee--READ IN JUNE 2010
8. The Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler
9. The Lost Art of Walking by Geoff Nicholson
10. Nine Weeks: A Teacher's Education in Army Basic Training by Rich Stowell

--When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins
--Working at Play: A History of Vacations in the United States by Cindy Sondik Aron
--The Light Within: The Extraordinary Friendship of a Doctor and Patient Brought Together by Cancer by Lois M. Ramondetta
--Faith and Politics by John Danforth
--The Art of a Beautiful Game
--Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives by Nicholas A. Christakis
--Plain Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution by Richard Beeman
--Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich
--Heart of Power by Blumenthal
--In a Time of War: The Proud and Perilous Journey of West Point's Class of 2002 by Bill Murphy
--The Great Good Place
--The Narcissism Epidemic
--Seven Pleasures
--Nine Lives
--Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose
-- Forgotten Patriots: The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War by Edwin Burrows
--Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes
--The Courage of Their Convictions by Peter Irons
--Outliers by Malcoln Gladwell
--Chaos Scenario by Bob Garfield
--Mouse Trap by Kevin Yee
--Mouse Under Glass by David Koenig
--More Mouse Tales by David Koenig
--Realityland by David Koenig

Category 8:
Food Mysteries--READ 9 OUT OF 10--finished on 7/12/10

1. Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs--READ IN FEB 2010
2. Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke-READ IN MARCH 2010
3. The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs--READ IN APRIL 2010
4. Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck--READ IN MAY 2010
5. State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy--READ IN MAY 2010
6. Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs--READ IN JUNE 2010
7. Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy--READ IN JULY 2010
8. Killer Crab Cakes by Livia J. Washburn--READ IN JULY 2010
9. Toast Mortem by Claudia Bishop--READ IN JULY 2010
10. Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy--READ IN JULY 2010

--Sucker Punch by Sammi Carter
--The Chocolate Pilot Plot by JoAnna Carl
--A Slice of Murder by Chris Cavender
--Cereal Killer by G.A. McKevett
--Latte Trouble by Cleo Coyle
--Carbs and Cadavers by J.B. Stanley
--Murder Melts in Your Mouth by Nancy Martin
--Farm Fresh Murder
--Town in a Blueberry Jam by B.B. Haywood
--I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson
--Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn MacKinlay
--Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells
--The 27-Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders by Nancy Pickard
--The Case of the Roasted Onion by Claudia Bishop
--Fatally Frosted by Jessica Beck
--Sinister Sparkles by Jessica Beck
--the next by Lou Jane Temple

Category 9:
Days and Nights--READ 10 out of 10--category finished on 7/27/10

1. A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow--READ IN JAN '10
2. Saturday Morning Fever by Timothy & Kevin Burke--READ IN FEB '10
3. A Catered Birthday Party by Isis Crawford--READ IN MARCH '10
4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon--READ IN APRIL '10
5. Night's Child by Maureen Jennings--READ IN MAY '10
6. Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger--READ IN JULY '10
7. Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber--READ IN JULY '10
8. One Hundred Days of Solitude: Losing Myself and Finding Grace on a Zen Retreat by Jane Dobisz--READ IN JULY '10
9. A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton--READ IN JULY '10
10. Terror on Tuesday by Ann Purser--READ IN JULY '10

--Saturday Night Dead by Richard Rosen
--An Hour Before Daylight by Jimmy Carter
--The Labor Day Murder by Lee Harris
--The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror by Beverly Gage
--The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
--One Day by David Nicholls
--Night Train to Lisbon
--Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
--Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce by Stanley Weintraub
--Day After Night by Anita Diamant
--Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved by Chris O'Dell
--Night and Day by Robert Parker
--The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
--Weeping on Wednesday by Ann Purser
--The Saturday Morning Murder by Batya Gur
--Night and Day by Virginia Woolf

Category 10:
God and Religion--READ 7 OUT OF 10

1. Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns by Cheryl L. Reed--READ IN APRIL 2010
2. Becoming Friends: Worship, Justice, and the Practice of Christian Friendship by Paul Wadell--READ IN APRIL 2010
3. 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey--read in May 2010
4. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller--READ IN MAY 2010
5. America's Prophet by Bruce Feiler--READ IN AUGUST 2010
6. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom--READ IN AUGUST 2010
7. The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris--READ IN AUGUST 2010

--Sundays in America: A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith by Suzanne Strempek Shea
--Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris

--The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
--Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Life
--Unchristian
--The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin
--Heaven by Lisa Miller
--Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
--Dakota: A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris
--Spiritual Friendship by Allred
--Jesus: A 21st Century Biography by Paul Johnson
--Jesus Wars by Philip Jenkins
--The Faith Instinct by Nicholas Wade
--Secrets of a Prayer Warrior by Derek Prince
--Almost Catholic by Jon M. Sweeney

Bonus Category: Next in the Series--READ 11 out of 20

1. Fade Away by Harlan Coben--READ IN JAN '10
2. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon--READ IN JAN '10
3. An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor--READ IN MARCH '10
4. Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb--READ IN MARCH '10
5. Dead Renegade by Victoria Houston--READ IN MAY '10
6. Getting Old Is the Best Revenge by Rita Lakin--READ IN JUNE '10
7. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich--READ IN JUNE '10
8. Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham--READ IN JUNE '10
9. The 9th Judgment by James Patterson--READ IN JUNE '10
10. The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser--READ IN JULY '10
11. The September Society by Charles Finch--READ IN AUG '10
12. Death Without Tenure by Joanne Dobson--READ IN SEPT '10

Welcome to my new 1010 "home" for the summer!!

Me first, me first!

I finished up the old thread and couldn't believe my eyes - no cozies in June? or just none in that category? I thought I remembered you reading a few cozies. Are you lying to us?

#14 No lying. I did read a few cozies in June but counted them in other categories.

I had Laura Childs' Eggs Benedict Arnold (which went into the food mysteries category) and also one of those senior sleuth books--Rita Lakin's Getting Old Is the Best Revenge, which I tucked into the series bonus category.

The new Evanovich book and the old Margery Allingham book aren't really cozies so I put them into the series bonus category, too.

I have a huge bunch of cozies planned for July though. If I finish Julie Hyzy's Hail to the Chef, I may join you in her Eggsecutive Orders, too.

I am just starting Charles Finch's A Beautiful Blue Death today. I think my "riding to Wrigley" book this weekend will be the latest Claudia Bishop B&B cozy, Toast Mortem.

A third thread! I toast it and wish it well. (Does a toast drunk to with iced tea count?)

Thanks Ridgeway Girl.

I think that toasts with any beverage would count. Personally, I like Arnold Palmers in the summer.

I'm looking forward to reading what you think of Charles Finch's book. I've had a couple of books of his in my wish list for some time.

You are really doing well with keeping your categories balanced. Got your thread starred now!

Wow, a third thread! Glad I found and starred it.

It's so funny that you are reading A Beautiful Blue Death I am waiting for The September Society to arrive any day now from a Bookcloseouts order.

I am also waiting patiently for my turn at the library for Sizzling Sixteen.

I finally caught up - thanks for waiting for me. You're making great progress in the challenge. Like Cheli, I was shocked when you said that you didn't have any Cozy's in June until I noticed them in other categories.

Since my February and March were such bad reading months (though the other four months were typical), I'm really only about halfway through 1010 but I figure that I should be able to finish.

The only fly in the ointment is that I've got quite a few long books planned for the second half of the year. I'll probably read those a little at a time, over a month or so.

I think the Louis Brandeis bio is nearly 1,000 pages. Bleak House, of course, is long. My first long book probably will be the Andrew Jackson bio by H.W. Brands.

#20 Lisa, I didn't realize but Charles Finch has a 4th Lenox mystery due out this year (if it isn't already out).

I'm about a third of the way through A Beautiful Blue Death and loving it. I do not plan to count it as a food mystery, even though he always seems to be eating toast. At times, I get annoyed when the pace slows down but I wonder how I ever missed Finch.

Wondering if you have heard of a new book - I think the title is Curveball - about Toni Stone a woman who played in the Negro leagues?

#24 I just saw that book in this morning's paper and immediately wondered the same thing - "Does Linda know about this?"

I'll have to take a look at that one. Most of my baseball reading centers on MLB but I make an exception, occasionally.

Ahem. You two have got me to thinking about Civil War books now (thanks to RTT). I was hoping to hold off til next year for my Civil War reading but just came across a series of short books on various facets of the Civil War. I think it's called "Reflections on the Civil War Era."

I know this because I came upon the book The Civil War at Sea at the library, which is a part of that series.

Update: Never mind re. tempting me with Civil War (non-1010) books. I have a Civil War book that fits in with my 1010 challenge perfectly.

Halfway through the year, here are my favorite books of the year, so far. I've had a couple of real stand-outs and many very good books so this was hard to choose.

These are the books from the first half of 2010 that will stick with me (4 of the 5 books are 1010 Challenge books) (in order):

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. Give a Little: How Your Small Donations Can Transform Our World by Wendy Smith
3. Curse of the Narrows: The Halifax Explosion 1917 by Laura M. MacDonald
4. A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster by Rebecca Solnit
5. Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns by Cheryl L. Reed

Note: These are my favorite, not necessarily the best, books I read. Also, this is looking back at the first half of the year from a distance. These books may not have garnered 5 stars at the time but these are the ones that have really stuck with me.

#27 Only one is a novel. Does that surprise you?

#28 I'm surprised that there were any novels.

If forced to choose, either or, I'd pick nonfiction every time. Mysteries are a relaxer for me and I hardly ever read "literary fiction."

Okay, Civil War at Sea is on my list but there are a bunch by that title. Which author are you looking at?

I'm looking at the new book by Craig L Symonds (came out last year) and there's also Lincoln and his admirals : Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Navy, and the Civil War which is on my list by Symonds as well. I think I'm going to go with one of those for my naval operations portion of the Civil War.

I'm trying to really look at all aspects of the ACW - I've done the economics, ad I still have the impact on the South and Lincoln and his cabinet and how they handled things, a few on the battles and some plain bios of Lincoln, Lee, and Davis.

I liked the one about the Monitor vs. the Merrimack I read. It's by Arthur Molin, I think his name is.

Cheli, I'm looking at the new one by Symonds. It's a slender volume but really expensive so I plan to get it from the library.

Truth be told, my Civil War books for this year will focus on baseball and the Civil War and the other one on the Sultana disaster.

A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this series debut by Charles Finch, featuring gentleman sleuth Charles Lenox who helps Scotland Yard solve cases in 1860s London. Not since Barbara Hamilton's The Ninth Daughter (which I read about Thanksgiving last year) have I so enjoyed a mystery series debut.

It's a book that reminds me of Sherlock Holmes a bit, Anne Perry's books a bit, Jeanne Dams books (the series involving a maid) a bit, and even a Bunter-like butler, as one reviewer mentioned.

I absolutely adored many of the characters and hope (and expect) that they'll be recurring.

This seems to be a book that people either love or hate and I, for one, loved it. I can't give it 5 stars though--at times, the author drones on, for instance.

In fact, immediately upon completing it, I went to Amazon and bought the second in the series, The September Society. Highly recommended, though I can't guarantee that everyone will love it as much as I do.

A Beautiful Blue Death has been on my TBR shelf for a while now. I think I'll probably be in the group that loves it. I really need to work it into my reading schedule soon. It keeps coming up on these challenge threads.

>33 lindapanzo: and 34 - I loved both A Beautiful Blue Death and The September Society - both fun, Victorian murder mysteries with a touch of high society ambiance to them. I have the third in the series, The Fleet Street Murders on hold at the library and hope to have that one soon! Enjoy!

Glad to hear that Finch's series is a winner!

D---n, you are really screwing up my reading list.
Guess that's the next one to go on my Nook.

Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy

I love this White House chef cozy mystery series. Besides featuring interesting mysteries, solved by White House Executive Chef Ollie Paras, the book also includes great behind-the-scenes background information about the inner workings of the White House. If ever a cozy could be a page-turner, this would be it.

Very enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Not only do I find out about new mystery series when reading your thread, occassionally we read the same books around the same time.

I received The September Society on Friday, and think I will start reading it!

#39 Let me know how it is, please. I probably won't get to it til next month.

#37 Cheli, have you ever read the "fresh-baked" cozy series by Livia J. Washburn? If not, you might be interested in this senior sleuth series in which two of the retired history teachers try to outdo each other in baking competitions. I'm reading the fourth one, Killer Crab Cakes right now. I understand that the 5th one The Pumpkin Muffin Murder is due out this fall.

Killer Crab Cakes by Livia J. Washburn

Here's the most recent installment in another favorite cozy mystery series, the fourth book in Washburn's "fresh-baked" series. Phyllis, a retired history teacher, is the sleuth once again, aided by two her retired teacher tenants and her "friend" Sam. This time, the four of them are running a Gulf Coast bed and breakfast, temporarily, for Phyllis's cousin when the guests start dropping like flies, so to speak.

A fun, enjoyable, traditional cozy with likeable chracters and an interesting plot. Typically, the baking rivalry between Phyllis and Carolyn, another of the retired teachers, plays a more prominent role but, in this one, less so. Nonetheless, I'm calling this a culinary mystery as food figures prominently.

I'll check them out.

I can't keep up with you, Linda. I have 2 Carolyn Hart and 2 Laura Childs sitting here; I ordered A Beautiful Blue Death -- it hasn't even arrived yet -- and now I've added another series to my list!

I've started the latest in another favorite series, too, Ivy--by Claudia Bishop.

My niece andnephew coming over to spend the night so I won't get a lot of reading done til the weekend.

Have fun with your niece and nephew! I love spending time with children... such a fresh, lovely perspective.

It's wonderful having my daughter home (though she's not a child anymore by any stretch). She's also a night owl, so I haven't read much, but have a few books to post and a lot of catching up on threads. She leaves again this weekend.

Just added Give a Little to my reading list, thanks! Have you read Half the Sky? That was one of my top 3 reads from last year (another one being The Help).

#45 They really do provide unique insights of their own. Very curious kids. They are fun to be around but, to an auntie not used to being around kids, they (ages 7 and 9) are tiring.

#46 I've had that on my tbr list awhile. I was thinking I'd get to it this month, in light of the TIOLI challenge on "books that make a difference" but not sure I'll get to it so quickly.

Update: We spent 15 minutes reading a dinosaur book. The dinosaur poop pictures were fascinating.

Toast Mortem by Claudia Bishop

I was quite excited when I heard that a new Hemlock Falls mystery would be released, the 16th in the series, after a three-year hiatus. I missed the characters in one of my favorite mystery series and feared that the series was over.

While not the best in the series (I thought she spent too much time on the pre-murder phase), I still enjoyed the latest installment featuring artist/innkeeper, Quill, who runs an inn in upstate New York, and her sister, Meg, a noted chef. This one is a culinary mystery as a top-notch, though hated, chef opens a culinary academy nearby and does a lot of mischief to discredit Quill and Meg.

I hope the author gets back into a pattern of releasing at least an annual book. I'm glad the Hemlock Falls mysteries are back.

I've looked at that Hemlock Falls series. I'm glad to hear that you like it. I'll have to try it. Just what I need -- another 16 books TBR.

Finished my second category--food mysteries

Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy

I thought this third book in the Ollie Paras White House Executive Chef series was eggscelent, eggsactly the kind of book I was looking for on a hot summer's day. This is quickly becoming a favorite cozy mystery series. Unfortunately, now that I'm completely caught up, I have to wait til January, 2011, when Buffalo West Wing is due out.

In this installment, we meet Ollie's mother and nana who're in DC for a visit. Not as much contact with the first family in this one and she's forced to solve the mystery from a distance. Enjoyable nonetheless.

LOL, I love your last post! I am eggstremely interested in this series!

#51 There's a section in the book where all the characters say these punny things and that's no yolk.

Oh, I love corny humor like that!

Not a 1010 book since I've already filled out that category but it would've been a 1010 book had I read it earlier. Also, it's my 75th book of the year.

How Lincoln Learned to Read: Twelve Great Americans and the Educations that Made Them by Daniel Wolff

This book has an interesting premise: throughout our history, Americans have learned "what they need to know" via formal education and in other, more informal and more personal ways. The author takes a look at 12 Americans--from Benjamin Franklin and Abigail Adams to JFK and Elvis Presley--and examines how they learned what they needed to know. Most of these were famous Americans but some, not so famous.

Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, in execution, it's not as great as I'd expected, leaving me feeling somewhat disappointed with this slow-moving book. The "educational biographies" are uneven and, at times, tended to ramble. The chapters on Belle, a black woman slave who was later known as Sojourner Truth, and on Thocmetony, an Indian woman who was the daughter of Winnemucca, were my favorites, I'd say.

It's not a bad book if you've got the patience to read through some slow parts or maybe skip them altogether. Overall, I feel somewhat neutral about this book. Interesting premise and some fascinating parts but I'm not sure it's worth the effort.

re 54 That's too bad. It does sound like it should be really interesting. Perhaps another example of a book that needs a really good editor.

Congratulations on reaching Book 75!

Thanks, Ivy. While the How Lincoln Learned to Read book had its good moments, I think he would've been better served having fewer bios and going more in depth with them.

It did get me to thinking about my informal methods of learning but, in more recent times, it seems to me that education is more formalized. Clearly, people can learn from experience or by being well-read but it seems that now, there's a school for almost anything.

#56 That's an interesting observation. I agree that people can learn just about anything in any number of ways, but I think that society has come to require formal training as a way of being assured that the education gained is somewhat complete. Otherwise, each person would have to go through some kind of trial to demonstrate their knowledge and that just wouldn't be very practical or cost-effective in a lot of cases.

Though the book wasn't all that well done, it was thought provoking. Most of his examples were from the days before formal education.

The JFK bio focused on how, due to his family's wealth, he had his chances at a great education but messed that up and the Elvis bio focused on how, even though they were poor, he stayed on through high school. I think he even was a library volunteer. But the Elvis focus was more on how he learned what he needed to know, musically.

Now, for most things, you need some sort of certification or evidence of study for so many more things. Even so, my B.A. degree (in political science) in 1982 did not directly prepare me for much. It did help me in how to learn and what areas of interest I might develop.

I guess I'm thinking a lot today about how things have changed even during my nearly half century. I just came from a get-together celebrating a co-worker's retirement from here after 50 years. Amazing to think that a co-worker could've started here before I was even born and then stayed in one company for so long.

He worked in the production side of publishing and went from working with linotype machines and hot metal to working with multi-media and electronic publishing company.

How could anyone have ever prepared for these kinds of changes?

I can't even imagine working at one place for 50 years. I'm at my record here at one year!

I can understand someone working for a company for 50 years (I worked at my last job for 22 before I retired) provided that the job changed over the years and it certainly sounds as if it did for this person. The technological changes that have taken place in the last 25 years/50 years with computers added challenges that problably made it interesting to go to work every day.

For example, I was thinking yesterday that my new MP3 has 16 GB storage. When I was starting in a new phase of a job in 1985, 64K was mammoth. In the 1950's computers took up entire buildings, now I can fit a notebook in my purse.

In April, I will have worked here for 25 years. This is not unusual, at least for this place. In my dept of 25 people, our "new" person has been here for 10 years and just about everyone for at least 20.

When I started here, I used a manual typewriter and did most of my legal research by hand, opening books in our law library.

In a similar vein, here's a short profile from just two days ago on a woman who spent the last 50 years doing catalog work in a library. From typing up the cards to the internet.

http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Typing-to-Tagging-50-Years-of/25531/

Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger

I like football but I wouldn't spend a couple of nights camping out to get tickets. This book is a window to a whole different world, to a place (Texas) where high school football reigns supreme, where fanaticism over the hometown high school team knows almost no bounds.

If it were just a football book, I think it'd be somewhat dull. In fact, the actual football descriptions were the weakest part of the book. Instead, the focus is on how and why high school football is so big in West Texas, by following the fortunes of one team: the 1988 Permian H.S. Panthers, from Odessa, TX. The author follows several team members, through the ups and downs of one season, but also focuses on social, race, political, economic, and other issues surrounding both the team and Odessa itself.

You don't have to like football to appreciate this book. I recommend it.

Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber

Four women--each in a different stage of her life--meet at a journaling class, become friends, and gather for breakfast every Thursday at 8 am. After that, life happens to each of them.

A nice light, fluffy summertime read.

One Hundred Days of Solitude: Losing Myself and Finding Grace on a Zen Retreat by Jane Dobiesz

I know virtually nothing about Zen but I do know that someone spending three months in a tiny, unheated cabin during a New England winter has to have a healthy dose of intestinal fortitude. I was curious to hear how this all worked out.

Well, by reading this skimpy book, I learned a bit about Zen (though much of it went over my head) and a lot about surviving winter and making the little things in life matter. The silence is the best part of a winter retreat, she says. Pure joy is the "profound contentment of appreciating life and every small experience it brings."

Not a great book, kind of general (probably due to the fact that she did the winter retreat years earlier) and though somewhat disappointing, at times but intriguing. Certainly some memorable scenes like her trying to thaw a bucket of her, ahem, solid waste, so she could dump it out.

Somewhere around here, I've got A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich and I think that's more of what I was hoping for.

A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton

Here's another series to add to my regular mystery reading. This first book in the Alex McKnight series, set in the U.P. of Michigan was excellent. Not my usual--a lot darker and private eye-ish than is typical for me but quite enjoyable nonetheless.

Counting the bonus category, 50 books left to go!!!

The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser

I enjoyed this little novel, set in the charming town of Lumby (in th Northwest), filled with quirky residents. Though it started slowly, not picking up until the brothers arrived on the scene, I thought, I grew to love the characters and will definitely read further in this series.

Thanks to Cheli for first bringing this one to my attention.

My favorite character is Hank - the strong silent type.

>68 lindapanzo: You're doing really well on this challenge, Linda!

>69 lindapanzo: The location of Lumby puzzles me. 10 hours from Seattle, east of the Rockies. It has to be in the Flathead Valley of Montana -- which is actually in the midst of the Rockies, though some maps show the Rockies running west of it through Idaho and don't show the part of the Rockies running between Missoula and Great Falls. In any event, the landscape and the wildlife are consistent with the Flathead Valley, and the monastery brought to mind the St Ignatius Mission (which, incidentally, is breathtakingly beautiful). On the other side (near Great Falls) is the plains, so the landscape she describes with the Rockies far to the east wouldn't seem to be accurate and anyway would be more than 10 hours from Seattle. In addition, the character of the town of Lumby strikes me as more New England than anything I have encountered in Montana. Literary license, I guess -- and I enjoyed the book anyway.

#71 Thanks, Ivy. I had no idea about the setting. When I hear "northwest" I think only of Washington and Oregon and assumed it was set in one of those two states. I recall that east of the Rockies comment and was puzzled by that.

I've lived my whole life in the Midwest (Chicagoland plus college years in Green Bay, WI) and, on the West Coast, have never been north of San Francisco so my knowledge of Pacific Northwest geography is quite limited.

>72 lindapanzo: People from Montana consider it "Northwest" which I've always found strange since to me Oregon and Washington are Northwest. But I guess technically they are Pacific Northwest. In any case, both states are about 300 miles across, with an interstate in both states, so 10 hours from Seattle would take you well past them. And there are no moose in Oregon or SE Washington (I'm not sure about NE Washington). There are, however, lots of moose in Montana. And the Flathead Valley is quite beautiful -- lakes and rolling hills, just as she describes --and it''s known for its fruit production. My husband grew up in Montana and over the years I've spent quite a bit of time there.

All I know about Montana came from the Rick Bass book Winter: Notes from Montana.

When I read the second Lumby book, I will have to have Montana in my mind then.

Linda, take a look at these pictures... doesn't it look like her setting?

http://visitmt.com/categories/moreinfo.asp?IDRRecordID=460&siteid=1
http://www.montanapictures.net/st-ignatius-montana.htm

I don't see a picture of the interior... but it takes your breath away... not at all what you expect from a pretty but plain brick church.

Ah, here's one. But it doesn't do it justice.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Ignatius_Mission_Interior_(St_Ignatius...

Edit: for some reason this link doesn't work. Try googling st ignatius mission montana interior...

#75 Those pictures are spectacular, Ivy. Yes, exactly what I was imagining. Definitely breathtaking.

That first scenic one on the montanapictures website...wow!!

The interior is amazing as well.

Thanks for finding/sharing these, Ivy. I've got to let the other Lumby readers know about these.

#70 Cheli, I like Hank. Do we ever find out who is dressing him?

I like the lady architect and also the brothers.

This discussion reminds me of when we would watch Northern Exposure and try to figure out where in Alaska it could actually be set. It couldn't.

MY SEMI-ANNUAL LIST OF NEW COZIES

(Also posted on my main thread in 75 books.)

Roughly twice a year, when the mood strikes, I sit down and compile a list of forthcoming books by my favorite cozy mystery authors and a few others. This is a subjective list of authors--to include the ones I read. Definitely not every author and sometimes not every series.

I include only those series where I'm relatively current (or hope to be soon).

No touchstones. I don't even try since many are due out well off in the future.

I compile this list by searching on Amazon, fantasticfiction, the Bloodstained Bookshelf, and cozy-mystery.com.

August 2010
Chapter & Hearse—Lorna Barrett
Fatally Frosted—Jessica Beck
Murder Past Due—Miranda James (first in a new series from Dean James)
Wicked Witch Murder—Leslie Meier
Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder—Chris Cavender
Roast Mortem—Cleo Coyle

September 2010
Bury your Dead--Louise Penny
Wicked Appetite—Janet Evanovich (first in the Diesel series)
Loco-Motive—Mary Daheim

October 2010
The Chocolate Pirate Plot—JoAnna Carl
A Marked Man—Barbara Hamilton
The Charming Quirks of Others—Alexander McCall Smith (Sunday Philosophy series)
Gingerbread Cookie Murder—Joanne Fluke and Leslie Meier
Fiber & Brimstone—Laura Childs (scrapbooking)

November 2010
Indulgence in Death—J.D. Robb
A Stranger in Mayfair—Charles Finch
Sinister Sprinkles—Jessica Beck
Berried to the Hilt—Karen MacInerney
The Pumpkin Muffin Murder—Livia J. Washburn

December 2010
Buttons & Bones—Monica Ferris
The Cruel Ever After—Ellen Hart
Bedeviled Eggs—Laura Childs (Cackleberry Club)
Killer on a Hot Tin Roof—Livia J. Washburn

January 2011
Buffalo West Wing—Julie Hyzy

February 2011
Treachery in Death—J.D. Robb
Death of a Chimney Sweep—M.C. Beaton
Dead Deceiver—Victoria Houston

March 2011
Scones & Bones—Laura Childs (teashop series)

April 2011
Dead by Midnight—Carolyn Hart

A few things I noticed in compililng my mystery "to be reads" above.

Mary Daheim's Loco-Motive has been forthcoming for awhile. They finally have a date for it. Alas, the new Grace & Favor book from Jill Churchill still doesn't have a firm date.

Hazel Holt's publisher is re-releasing her books under new titles. Boo. Not nice.

No new Daisy Dalrymple book from Carola Dunn this year, which breaks the string on those. Same is also true for Aaron Elkins and Jo Dereske. No new Claire Malloy from Joan Hess either.

No new Valerie Wolzien, as has been true for the past 5 or so years. She must've retired from writing.

Janet Evanovich introduced the Diesel character in one of her "between the numbers" books--I think it was Plum Spooky. He will have his own series, starting in September.

I hate it when they change the title and rerelease it. It seems like several series packaged the first three books in the series and released them under a new title, making you think it's a new book. Emily Brightwell, Monica Ferris, and I'm sure several others all did this.

I noticed that Jo Dereske's summer 2010 newsletter says that she is working on a new Miss Zukas book and will announce progress or publishing plans in the autumn newsletter.

I wish Rett MacPherson would resume her cozy genealogy series. I've missed those lately.

Terror on Tuesday by Ann Purser

I enjoyed this second book in the cozy English village mystery series featuring housecleaner Lois Meade. Meade is as down-to-earth as ever and now owns her own cleaning business, which she uses to find out information and assist the police in their investigations. Not surprisingly, evil lurks within a seemingly innocent village.

Now I've got to read the Wednesday through Sunday installments and then move on to the start of the numbered books.

I just posted to Cheli's thread yesterday that since I've been reading these threads with cozy mysteries, my wishlist has grown by groups instead of just one book at a time. And now there are potentially 29 more! to add to the list - YIKES! I'll never get my TBR pile down to a manageable level.

#82 I've been stung by the omnibus collection thing, too. I bought a Claudia Bishop thinking that it was a new book and it turned out to be a collection of books I'd already read. Those collections are nice if you're new to an author. Otherwise, not so much.

#83 I love those Miss Zukas library mysteries. Glad to hear she's doing another. I'll have to keep an eye out for her.

I've never read the MacPherson books though I think I remember seeing them.

#85 I could read nothing but cozies. As my favorite authors pass away, retire, or lose their contracts, I'm finding new ones. Laura Hyzy (the White House chef series), Jessica Beck (donut store series), and Charles Finch (historical--19th Century England series) are "new to me" mystery authors that I've "discovered" in the past few months.

Not a 1010 book but one of my favorites of the year...

This Is Graceanne's Book by P.L. Whitney

I NEVER re-read books, at least not intentionally. This Is Graceanne's Book is a book I did just re-read, in one sitting, yesterday. Granted it was for the Missouri Readers group but I recommended it to the group.

I'm not exactly unbiased because the author is an old friend of mine. I remain in awe that someone I know could write such a masterpiece. I consider it one of my favorite books of the year.

I'll talk more about it over in the Missouri Readers group but, basically, it's a poignant "coming of age" novel set in small town Missouri in 1960-1961. The narrator is 9-year old Charlie Farrand and the Graceanne is his 12-year old sister. (They also have a 16-year old sister named Kentucky (Tucka) and their mother (the meanie) is also an important part of the book.)

Note to self: re-read this every 10 years.

JULY RECAP

July was a terrific reading month. I read 15 books and, of these, 11 counted towards my 1010 challenge. Of the other four, three were ER books so I was glad to read them and be done with them. The other one was my favorite book of the month, This Is Graceanne's Book by P.L. Whitney.

I finished off two categories: Food Mysteries (thanks, in part, to Cheli choosing Culinary Fiction as a TIOLI challenge for July) and Days and Nights. Again, it helped that I chose Days and Nights as a TIOLI challenge for July.

Here's where I stand for 1010, including books read this month:

Cozy Mysteries--6 out of 10
--A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

Lawyers and the Law--4 out of 10

Baseball Books--5 out of 10

Books About Chicago--5 out of 10

American Presidents--4 out of 10

Books About Disasters--4 out of 10

General Nonfiction--10 out of 10--finished on 6/19/10

Food Mysteries--10 out of 10--finished on 7/12/10
--Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy
--Killer Crab Cakes by Livia J. Washburn
--Toast Mortem by Claudia Bishop
--Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy

Days and Nights--10 out of 10--finished on 7/27/10
--Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
--Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber
--One Hundred Days of Solitude: Losing Myself and Finding Grace on a Zen Retreat by Jane Dobisz
--A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton
--Terror on Tuesday by Ann Purser

God and Religion--4 out of 10

Bonus Category: Next in the Series--10 out of 20
--The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser

I love that you read so many mysteries/cozies during July! I think I want to do that for August and leave the heavier stuff for the "school year."

For August, I think I will be reading a lot of religion books and some disaster books as well. I have to get cracking on all the nonfiction I still have yet to read.

Work in an occasional cozy from time to time.

America's Prophet by Bruce Feiler

Feiler tells the story of how Moses and the Exodus story has impacted America and American history, calling Moses our true Founding Father. Some of the connections--such as to the presidents, the Underground Railroad, the Statue of Liberty, and Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement--were interesting. Other parts, not as interesting and somewhat dry.

Feiler would talk about a historical event, talk about how Moses and the Exodus story was involved, and then visit an American location to talk to someone about it. Some of the most interesting parts were the visits, which is what Feiler does best, I think.

I give it a neutral rating. Interesting at times but not always.

I've just spent a few minutes (well, okay, a LOT of minutes) scanning down your threads for this year.

*Picks self up off floor*

You've kept track of 3,000 books? Good gravy, Girl! I so wish that I'd kept records starting a long time ago, but at least I'm working on good, accurate, informative records now. Your interests are, um, eclectic and intriguing. Since I'm on vacation now, I'll wait till I get home to start adding to the wishlist from your threads. some of your reads look great.

I know exactly what you mean about the Rue Morgue Press catalogue arriving...decisions, decisions.

I'm curious: why do you not re-read books? I don't do it nearly as much as I used to, but I often enjoy a book two or even three times over the years.

Just wanted to say, really, how much I enjoy your posts and your ideas.

Thanks, Gail. I don't re-read because there's too much new that I want to read. I have inadvertently re-read, less so since I started keeping tabs on LT and not just in notebooks. One book that I do re-read from time to time is Jack Finney's Time and Again. I am due to re-read that soon.

The searchable catalog here makes it easier.

I read a lot of mysteries but do have a lot of other subjects I enjoy, that's for sure.

I haven't stopped reading but, due to the unexpected death of my friend at work, my heart just isn't in it.

Quite a nice ceremony today. I'm Catholic and this was my first-ever Jewish funeral. The part about putting the 3 shovelfuls of dirt on the grave at the end got to me.

I'm so busy getting ready for a big conference that I've really slowed down. All my responsibilities with it are hitting at once! The book I'm currently reading is over 500 pages and is just taking me awhile to get through. I should finish it at least by Saturday. Normally, I'd probably finish it today if I only had the number of pages to go that I do, but I've just got too much to do.

I'm so sorry about your friend, Linda.

Linda, you're making great progress on the challenge and have reminded me that I haven't done a recap for July 31 yet. Maybe I'll skip July and do one at August 31.

I've been curious to learn your reaction to Cold Day in Paradise - I loved that book and proceeded to read the entire series, all pre-LT. Last week while vacationing in Michigan, we spent 2 nights in Sault Ste. Marie, where the Alex McKnight character visits often in several different books. We also drove through Paradise, MI and I found myself looking for the bar and the turnoff to Alex's cabins! Now I want to re-read those books.

I've been resisting all the talk about Lumby Lines, but those Montana photos have done me in. I am a sucker for novels set in mountainous and/or northern locations. It's finally going onto the wishlist.

I was sorry to learn of the death of your friend, Linda. I find the Jewish service for teh dead and the Catholic same to be my favorites, if such a term can be use in that context.

#96/98 Thanks.

#97 I really liked A Cold Day in Paradise. I want to read the second one but the title got me to thinking about an 11/11 challenge topic for next year so I may hold off a bit on that.

I didn't realize that Paradise is a real town.

Did you try a pasty when you were in the UP, Sandy?

As for my August reading, I think my totals will be down. I just revised my TIOLI list downward, from 21 books to 16. I'm sure it will go down yet again.

Of my 15 remaining (tentative) TIOLI books, 10 would fit within 1010, including four in the disaster category.

Baseball in Blue and Gray by George B. Kirsch

I picked this up for this month's Reading Through Time (RTT) challenge--the Civil War. I love to find books that tie baseball to just about any topic under the sun so I was eager to read this. It was very disappointing.

To be sure, it had its moments, but just not enough of them. It was interesting to read that some more well-to-do northern men paid others to take their places in the war and then stayed home and played baseball. I would'v enjoyed more than a sentence or two about this.

In fact, the subtitle is "the national pstime during the Civil War," that is, this is a history of baseball at the time the Civil War just happened to be taking place. Only two chapters out of six (and the far shorter two chapters) are actually devoted to the Civil War. One chapter is called "Battleground" and it talks about how prisoners of war played the game, at least during the first year or two of the war. Another chapter focuses on the legacy of the Civil War on baseball, which was interesting, especially as to how baseball helped to reunite the country after the war.

Besides not being what I expected, the writer's style is dry, to say the least. In other words, I thought this book was pretty dull (and it didn't need to be that way).

Trying to decide on which book to make my "road to Wrigley" book this weekend. It has to be an actual book, not a Kindle book (I don't want my Kindle to be stepped on or doused with beer). Probably shouldn't be a library book either (the doused with beer again).

It probably should be a TIOLI book and also one that counts towards the 1010 challenge.

Hmmmmm. I think I've narrowed it down to The Children's Blizzard, Whiter Than Snow, or maybe, hmmmm.

I think I need to sleep on this. Maybe add Farm Fresh Murder or some other "obscure" mystery to my TIOLI list.

I'm anxious to hear what you think of Farm Fresh Murder. It's on my wish list, but I haven't purchased a copy yet.

The Lost Art of Walking Geoff Nicholson

(I'm putting this one here, too, even though I've already finished my 1010 general nonfiction category.)

I really enjoyed this look at everything relating to walking, subtitled "the history, science, and literature of pedestrianism." Besides talking about his own walks, and how he broke his arm while walking near his L.A. home, the author looks at walking in fiction, walking in the movies, walking in music. You get the picture.

Walking in L.A., walking in New York City, and walking in London are also covered. Beyond that, almost any walking topic you can imagine, such as walking on the moon or labyrinth walking, are also touched on.

This may all sound rather dull but it isn't. Nicholson has a lively writing style, though he does get bogged down in a few places. This book is quite fun.

I chose this one for my TIOLI "walking books" challenge. I'll be interested to see how it compares to Rebecca Solnit's book, Wanderlust, which came earlier and which the author said he feared would cover "everything walking" but did not.

Emily Dickinson Is Dead by Jane Langton

This academic mystery (featuring Dickinson and her poetry) was just the thing to take my mind off yet another death of a long-time friend, my dearest friend from high school. I buried myself in it and it worked for awhile.

Seems there has been a lot of death this week. One of my classmates, the younger brother of a couple of high school friends, and the husband of a colleague all died Sunday or Monday. I enjoy Langton's academic mysteries.

Your doused with beer comment made me remember a family vacation in LA when I was 8 or 9. We went to see a baseball game and the guy sitting behind me poured an entire beer on my head. I'm sure it was an accident--ballpark beer ain't cheap--but he didn't apologize and I have not liked baseball since. I did, eventually, forgive beer however.

Looking forward to your thoughts about The Children's Blizzard as it's sitting on my shelf.

One category where I foresee a potential problem, in terms of finishing it, is my American Presidents category. Then I remembered that I did not intend this one to include only full-scale presidential biographies.

For me, books that touch on some aspect of a presidency or presidential life are sufficient.

Thus, The President's Team, which talks about the 1963 Army-Navy game, as well as JFK's love of Navy football might be just the thing to get me restarted in this category.

I like reading presidential biographies but am just feeling bogged down with a really long bio of Andrew Jackson.

Of all my categories, American Presidents is probably "least likely to be completed" otherwise.

#106 Thanks. One of my toughest weeks in a long time, that's for sure, but I appreciate the support of family and many friends.

#107 I once had an order of nachos and cheese dumped on me at Wrigley Field during a Cubs game. This hasn't stopped me from going back there.

>108 lindapanzo: Maybe the new Abigail Adams mystery will fit the criteria?

I'm so sorry about the dreadful week you have had!

Thanks, Ivy. Thanks for your note, too. You and so many others have been great to me.

Suddenly got swamped at work so the afternoon has flown by.

Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

This is the first in the bibliophile cozy mystery series featuring San Francisco bookbinder sleuth Brooklyn Wainwright. I had mixed feelings about this one but, in the end, thought it's a better than average debut mystery.

First the negatives. There was a fair bit of extraneous material and I think it could've used an extra editing session or two. We don't really need to know what Brooklyn ordered during her fast food run and how that food was prepared. I didn't care for it, at first, but during the second half, I thought it really picked up.

On the other hand, I love when, besides reading an entertaining mystery, I learn something, in this case, about bookbinding and how books are repaired.

This is a series I would recommend. I intend to continue with this one.

>112 lindapanzo: Glad to hear it's worth reading. I've got it on my wish list (and it should fit one of my 2011 categories)!

One of my favorite book series is John Dunning's CLiff Janeway series of a bookseller who is in the first edition market and ..oh BTW... solves book mysteries. He hasn't written one since 2006, but there are 5 in the series and I've liked them all. And, as you said, I learned something about books while reading them. I'll have to go put this on my wishlist.

#22 I read the first of the John Dunning books in the Cliff Janeway series and I liked it. That series is quite a bit grittier than this Kate Carlisle series, which is quite cozy.

Just came back from the funeral. Last night, at the wake, friend's mom was calmly accepting condolences. She saw me and burst into tears.

The funeral mass today was quite uplifting. Not sad at all but more of a celebration.

Met up with a few old high school friends, one of whom I hadn't seen since our college graduation in 1982 (lots of hs friends and I went to the same college together).

I do NOT want to have to go to another funeral anytime soon.

I'm so sorry. What a month! I hope you are done for a while.

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

This remarkable book was exactly what I needed to read right now. In it, the author, a journalist, is asked by his rabbi to write his eulogy, when the time comes. He realizes that, while he's seen the rabbi at synagogue and in religious classes forever, he didn't know him personally. He remedies that and, for 8 years, they talk with each other about God and life.

In a parallel story, the author talks of a former drug dealer who repented an established a church in inner-city Detroit. Though less personal than the rabbi portion of the story I thought, it was just as engaging, particularly the stories of the pastor's flock.

I hope the rest of this year brings no more bad news, Linda.

I've stayed away from Albom but may/will look into this selection; you make it sound good.

The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin

I was bogged down for awhile by the first 20 percent or so of this book, during which the author discusses the travails of Norwegians and others who came from Europe to settle in the Dakota Territory.

Once it got to the main focus--the blizzard of January 12, 1888 and its aftermath--the book really started to shine. Plenty of heartbreaks as people became disoriented as the storm hit the Dakota Territory, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa. The toll was the worst when the storm hit as children were being let out of school. In places where it hit much earlier or later, the death toll was much lighter.

The storm is often called the children's blizzard because 20 percent of those who died were children.

Also of interest were the portions dealing with the Army Signal Corps, which had responsibility for issuing "indications" as forecasts were then called, as well as the political in-fighting that contributed to the lack of warning.

Perhaps the most powerful part of the book is the author's discussion of how cold weather impacts the human body, what happens and when, when the body's temperature drops as well as what happens when people are rescued, only to drop dead later.

Fascinating stuff. Highly recommended, at least once the reader gets past the slow beginning.

>120 lindapanzo: I actually enjoyed the first 20% too when I read it, but then I have a strong interest in immigration experiences. Glad that you did enjoy it overall though.

#120 I already had this book on my wishlist - glad to see that you enjoyed it.

Condolences, again, on the death of your friend. I hope this will be your last funeral for a while.

Is there any rule against changing categories this late in the year? I suddenly realized that I've been dreading/avoiding my law/legal category so I want to change it.

I think this is allowed.

If so, I think I'll change it to "books and reading. According to my calculations, I've read four books in that area this year so it'd be a wash.

Once I doublecheck it (and note which books about "books and reading I've read this year), I will change it.

No rules - feel free to change as you see fit!

If I were on the panel of judges, I'd vote in favor of allowing you to change categories. Especially since you're assuring us that it will be a wash - no effect to the bottom line (which is what I'm really more attuned to anyway, being the accountant instead of the lawyer).

Looking forward to seeing your "new" books listed.

#125, I need to doublecheck but I think I've read 4 books on books/reading this year and I've got about another 10 I'm considering. Only one of the weighty tome variety, unlike my lawyers and the law which featured a string of weighty tomes.

You accountants and your bottom lines...

The lawyer in me would say that there's no specific rule prohibiting this.

#126 It sounds like we're all in agreement then!

Or combine them? Books and Books about Jobs that Require Some Reference Books to be Used Periodically I'm a great fan of the broadly accommodating category.

The September Society by Charles Finch

This second book in the cozy Charles Lenox series is probably my favorite mystery of the year so far. In this second book, Finch has eliminated much of that at times annoying extraneous writing present in the first book A Beautiful Blue Death and offered up a satisfying academic mystery. The "action" is split between Oxford and London.

My only gripe: not enough Lady Jane.

Looking forward to the third one in the series (released earlier this year)--Fleet Street Murders.

I agree. Finch's Lenox series is good! Fleet Street Murders is IMO also good, I just cannot remember if Lady Jane shows up more frequently in book three.....

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

In this book about her experiences at a Catholic (Benedictine) monastery in Minnesota (and other religious connections), Norris writes beautifully but it's a difficult book to get into. I'm glad I didn't put it aside as it was definitely worthwhile reading though, surprisingly to me, in not as personal a way as the topic might otherwise have suggested. Tough to explain but she is somewhat detached, even when writing about such a personal topic.

As a Catholic woman, I found that Norris's experiences/views, as a Protestant woman, on Catholic topics to make for interesting reading.

Definitely makes me want to take up some of her other books.

UPDATED to reflect the fact that the author is a Protestant, which makes her writing about Catholic topics interesting.

The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View by Doug Glanville

After looking at my tags, I realize that this is my 243rd baseball book over the past 35 years or so and this Glanville book is among the better ones. It might make my top 10 list for the year (though not top 5).

Glanville had a decent career with several major league clubs, most notably the Phillies and the Cubs. He experienced the game in many different ways--phenom, star, and has-been--and is among the few major leaguers with an Ivy League degree so this makes interesting reading.

It's different from the typical baseball book. Of course he talks about himself but he also talks more about others and the game itself and offers a lot of fascinating behind-the-scenes type of information, from getting ready to play to dealing with the fans and the travel to life after baseball.

If you're interested in baseball and want to know what goes on behind the scenes, this might be a good choice for you.

Before meeting you here on LT, I would never have imagined that there WERE 243 baseball books!

I'm inexplicably drawn to The Cloister Walk. For quite a few years now I've been uninterested in reading much faith-based writing. You reflect on the book as a Catholic, but I noticed in the library catalog's description that the author is a Protestant woman. I'm Presbyterian, not Catholic. And I don't even like memoirs very much. Still, I think I'm going to take a closer look at this one. Thanks for brining it to my attention.

#133 I had a tough time writing that, Sandy. I liked The Cloister Walk and, in some ways, it exceeded my expectations but I also wish her writing were less beautiful or at least less flowery at times. My original comments did mention that she is Protestant, in fact, maybe even Presbyterian, but I somehow omitted that fact.

I would stress that it's tough to get into it. Even after her year is done, the topics she writes about are interesting, such as why a woman who lived much of her life in Hawaii now lives in South Dakota.

Another interesting part was her thoughts on the celibate life.

#133 As for baseball books, I'd guess that there are at least 1,500 and probably many more. One LTer I follow has 1,335 baseball books tagged. Another has 1,800 books total but his tags are very precise and almost all shown are baseball-related, somehow.

Argh. Not having a good day. The Glanville book was my 242nd baseball book (i.e., it was 242 baseball books including the Glanville book, not 242 plus the Glanville book as I had thought).

Interesting quiz I saw on several threads, including those from Sandy, Cheli, and Stasia. Grrrr, I filled this out once and then had an LT technical glitch and lost my answers. Hopefully, I can replicate.

In school I was: Trial and Error
People might be surprised I’m: Tough as Nails
I will never be: King of the Hill
My fantasy job: Supreme Courtship
At the end of a long day I need: Chasing Moonlight
I hate it when: This Book Is Overdue!
Wish I had: Have a Little Faith
My family reunions are: A Catered Birthday Party
At a party you’d find me with: Becoming Friends
I’ve never been to: An Irish Country Village (not really, I have been there)
A happy day includes: Talking About Detective Fiction
Motto I live by: Getting Old Is the Best Revenge
On my bucket list: Skies to Conquer
In my next life, I want to be: America's Prophet

I think any writing about something that had a meaningful impact on one's faith would be difficult. I've always been a little skeptical of those who can even speak of such things with any openness. The Presbyterian tradition that I grew up in taught us to be rather tight-lipped. We can talk about Bible stories all day long and what they mean. Just don't ask anyone to talk about their own personal beliefs or feelings. (The "frozen chosen" as I've sometimes heard us described.) If she was, in fact, raised in the Presbyterian church then I'll be especially interested to learn what prompted her to go so public with her story.

Moving from Hawaii to South Dakota strikes me as more interesting than unthinkable, as it would be for many people.

You've really aroused my curiosity - I've gone ahead and ordered the book from the library instead of letting it sit around on the wish list for a while first.

#137 Aha, Sandy, Norris, too, is a Presbyterian.

In particular, one of her other books, Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life sounds interesting to me. How can someone who writes so much about religion be suffering from acedia, that is, spiritual apathy, is what I'd like to know.

Her book, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, and her book, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, are now on the TBR pile as well.

#138 My guess is that she's either using the word incorrectly, because it's close to what she means and it sounds good, or that she's trying desperately to rekindle a faith that's gone cold.

I don't think there's anyone ahead of me waiting for the book, so I should have it in a couple of days. There's a copy available in the branch one town over from here. I'm visiting a client over there tomorrow - maybe I'll stop in and get it myself rather than waiting for them to send it out to me.

The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames

This is a delightful debut cozy set in an Ohio cheese shop called Fromagerie Bessette and featuring Charlotte, the sleuth and the woman who now runs the place. She's also the granddaughter of the French couple who owned the cheese shop.

Besides drooling over all the talk about delicious food and drink, I also enjoyed this mystery. Yes, quite a bit could've been cut but I liked the characters and want to read more by this author. I'm adding Avery Aames to my "look for this author" mystery author list.

-->140 lindapanzo:: The Long Quiche Goodbye looks good, and I've added to the winding wishlist.

Also, Kathleen Norris in general and especially Dakota: A Spiritual Geography sound intriguing. I'm off to look her up in our local library.

#141 I think I'm going to go with her Amazing Grace next month. It fits the TIOLI challenge.

As for my 1010, still a bit too early to do my month-end wrap up, but I feel like I'm in good shape with completing 1010 by year's end.

With four months to go, I've got 29 books left to read in the main challenge and 9 more in the series bonus portion. I expect to finish two more, most likely, by month end.

For my September TIOLI, I've got 9 books lined up for the 1010 challenge. That's always subject to change but, hopefully, Sept will finally be the month I finally read The Devil in the White City, among others.

City on Fire: The Explosion that Devastated a Texas Town and Ignited a Historic Legal Battle by Bill Minutaglio

After reading The Curse of the Narrows about the 1917 explosion in the Halifax harbor, I just knew I'd have to read about the 1947 Texas City explosion. The Texas City explosion occurred on a French ship that was being loaded with ammonia nitrate, which is used in fertilizer and in bombs. However, Texas City was compounded by the fact that this was a major petrochemical city during World War 2 and the waterfront water was filled with industrial chemicals when the Grandcamp exploded and also took out the Monsanto building, among others. Chemical plants were right on the waterfront and also right near homes, schools, etc. We never learn.

I would've been happier with this book with more minute-by-minute information and also more about the victims. There was quite a bit but I just wanted more. About 500 to 700 people died and 5,000 were injured. Many simply vanished, either due to the explosion or intentionally (to run away from their families, the author supposes).

The author does a good job at portraying the post-war world, along with how the companies that ran the town operated. Also of interest to me were the racial components. In that segregated era, many injured whites looked black (having been covered in oil and molasses) and many injured blacks looked white (having been covered in asbestos powder). After people were taken to the wrong hospital,they were later shipped to the "correct" hospital.

Despite everyone's best efforts, a number of the dead were never identified. I think he number was 63. When the city tried to buy land to bury the unidentified dead, sadly, many towns refused to sell because blacks and whites were to be buried together.

Another interesting angle: shortly before the explosion, the U.S. Congress changed the law so that the federal government no longer had immunity from being sued so this was the first major civil action brought against the federal government. Eventually, the case wound its way to the Supreme Court and became a landmark legal decision as to whether the federal government must pay damages when it has been negligent.

An excellent book, one I'd highly recommend.

>143 lindapanzo: Linda, I always enjoy reading your reviews of the disaster books, even though I probably won't read them -- but you make them sound so interesting that I'm often tempted. It really amazes me that there have been so many major disasters that I've never even heard of!

The segregation details you mentioned are appalling. My father was at Virginia Tech when the first African American attended. He wasn't allowed to live or eat on campus.

#144 I'm glad Ivy. They are interesting. Disasters arise in the oddest places but yet, we often don't learn from our mistakes and the same kinds of disasters happen again and again.

I'm hoping to finish off my disaster category within the next few weeks. I've got books about the Boston molasses flood of 1919, the sinking of the Eastland in the Chicago River with many sightseers aboard, the fire in Peshtigo, WI, and one about a plane crash.

#145 Absolutely appalling. In a way, the Texas City disaster led to much better race relations in the city.

The Whole Five Feet: What the Great Books Taught Me About Life, Death, and Pretty Much Everything Else by Christopher Beha

A young man, five years or so out of college, decides to read the entire five-foot shelf of Harvard Classics over a one year period. I expected this book to be focused mainly on the books but it didn't. Not a bad thing, just different and unexpected to find him tie his reading to his life so much, from the death of his beloved aunt, to his own illness, to his joy at the birth of a baby into the extended family.

The Harvard Classics don't include novels but this book did find me jotting down otherwise unlikely book ideas. I'd been looking for a contemporary, soldier-written account of a Civil War battle for my 11 in 11 challenge next year and, thanks to this book, I found it. The Battle of Gettysburg by Frank Haskell.

This book also made me realize how much what I'm reading and how I'm feeling are intertwined.

we often don't learn from our mistakes and the same kinds of disasters happen again and again.

Isn't that the truth, Linda! That's one reason I think disaster books are so significant -- there are such lessons to be learned there, if only people would pay attention. I also love to read of the heroism which is often exhibited at the time of disasters, and how (sometimes) diverse people work together for the common good.

BTW, I read a book about the molasses flood in Boston -- likely the same one you're planning to read, as I don't think there are many. That has to be one of the oddest disasters ever . . . but very deadly.

#148 I haven't gotten too far into the molasses disaster book yet but I'm guessing it's significant that that one guy pushed so hard to meet the deadline and tested it with only a limited amount of liquid and not a full complement.

I've never heard of the molasses flood before. I'll be interested to find out what you learn from the book.

I once saw an art exhibit at the Tate Liverpool that consisted of molasses dripping from the ceiling into a reservoir made from sugar cubes, shaped like the bottom half of an igloo. For some reason, any mention of molasses always reminds me of it.

#149 I think that's a good guess, Linda!

I used to live in Boston years ago, but never heard about the molasses flood until I saw a segment on Book TV with the author talking about his book about the molasses flood. It sounded so unusual, I ordered the book through ILL.

#150 Funny how memory works sometimes, isn't it?

The Third Rail by Michael Harvey
(I'm putting this one in the Chicago category, even though it could also go into next in series.)

I love mysteries but I don't typically like gritty mysteries. This series, set in present-day Chicago, is one gritty mystery series I do like.

Harvey knows Chicago--he gets it right, from talking about guys guzzling Old Style beer to Tom Skilling and his 5-day forecast.

One thing I love about Harvey is how he ties Chicago history to the present day. In The Fifth Floor, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 plays a role. In this one, the Feb. 1977 CTA L train crash downtown has an important role in the book. CTA train cars collided on downtown elevated tracks and several plummeted to the ground. I remember it well.

This book is fast-paced and clever, though I thought the mystery was a bit implausible.

Just when you think you've got it all figured out...

#152 Linda, thanks for another interesting-looking series. I'll start at the beginning, but the thought of an elevated train falling off the tracks sounds like a fascinating story. How much of his story is based on fact - do you know?

Sandy, the first one (of the three) is The Chicago Way which is the only one I haven't read. I need to read that one soon. I picked up #2 and 3 because they focused on something I've read about historically (or remember, in the case of the 1977 crash).

As far as I can tell, his facts on the Chicago Fire and the L crash are accurate, though how they're personalized to the stories is obviously fictional.

It's not a spoiler since it happens right away but The Third Rail focuses on a sniper who shoots people while they're at a CTA el station or as they're sitting on a CTA el train.

WAS there a sniper taking shots at people? Or is that part of the fiction?

I'm not explaining this well. The 1977 el crash has a role in this book in several ways (ahem) but it's not the crime here. He refers back to the 1977 crash several times for various reasons.

No snipers back in 1977. I'd always heard that operator error caused that.

During the real 1977 mishap, 11 people died and about 200 were injured during this rush hour crash.

http://www3.gendisasters.com/illinois/1927/chicago,-il-elevated-train-wreck,-feb...

#156 I think I remember that. I'm sure it made the national news.

Thanks for the link, Linda. (That's a pretty amazing website!)

#157 It is.

Yikes!! Just realized that it's the last day of the month. Besides needing to change all my calendars etc, just realized I need to do a book recap for the month.

Personal: August was one of the worst months ever

Books: August was terrific as I think I tried to "drown my sorrows" in books this month.

More detailed recap later.

I hope that September will be a better month for your personal life! Looking forward to the recap.

AUGUST RECAP

I am going to try a different recap style this month. While the 1010 challenge is still my primary reading guide for the year, the TIOLI challenge is playing a greater role, too.

In August, I read 14 books, putting me at 97 books read for the year so far. I'd hoped to be at 100 by the end of August so I'm not too far off that pace.

1010 challenge. I read 13 books in August that counted towards my 1010 challenge. I read at least one book in each of my 7 unfinished categories (except for American presidents) plus the bonus "next in the series" category. I didn't close out any additional categories in August.

So far, for 1010, I've read 74 of 100 in the main challenge and 11 of 20 in my next in the series bonus challenge, leaving me 35 left to go, in all.

TIOLI challenge. In August, I read 10 TIOLI books in 7 different challenges.

In August, I read:

--The Third Rail by Michael Harvey
(counts towards 1010 Chicago category)

--The Whole Five Feet by Christopher Beha
(counts towards 1010 books and reading category)

--City on Fire by Bill Minutaglio
(counts towards 1010 disasters category)

--The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames
(counts towards 1010 cozy mystery category)
(counts towards TIOLI overlooked books challenge)

--The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View by Doug Glanville
(counts towards 1010 baseball category)

--The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris
(counts towards 1010 God and religion category)
(counts towards TIOLI "walk" challenge)

--The September Society by Charles Finch
(counts towards 1010 next in the series bonus category)
(counts towards TIOLI historical mystery challenge)

--The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
(counts towards 1010 disasters category)
(counts towards TIOLI weather term challenge)

--Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
(counts towards 1010 God and religion category)
(counts towards TIOLI begins with H challenge)

--Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle
(counts towards 1010 cozy mystery category)
(counts towards TIOLI begins with H challenge)

--Emily Dickinson Is Dead by Jane Langton
(counts towards 1010 cozy mystery category)
(counts towards TIOLI author in title challenge)

--The Lost Art of Walking by Geoff Nicholson
(counts towards TIOLI "walk" challenge)

--Baseball in Blue & Gray by George B. Kirsch
(counts towards 1010 baseball category)
(counts towards TIOLI overlooked book challenge)

--America's Prophet by Bruce Feiler
(counts towards 1010 God and religion category)
(counts towards TIOLI National Book Festival author challenge)

I like the new style. A great reading month! It looks like you're right on pace to finish your challenge before year end. I'm going to have to check out the TIOLI challenge. When it first started, I didn't pay much attention, but it looks like it's turned into something pretty good.

#161 Most of my books end up being TIOLI reads but part of the fun is trying to fit my 1010 books into TIOLI categories.

I'm also hoping to read some of the Halloween books in that one 75 books sub-group. Devil in the White City is one of them--I think there are about 10 or 12.

Great reading month, Linda! I have no doubt that you'll finish the challenge, but I sincerely hope it doesn't need to be as an escape...

I've looked at the TIOLI a number of times, and it looks like fun. I haven't joined any challenges since I already have trouble keeping up with my other challenges.

I've been toying with the idea of joining the 75 Book Challenge mainly as a place to list all the books I read, but I know me, I wouldn't be able to stay away from the TIOLI challenge and I am already doing so many - but, perhaps if I was able to make the TIOLI books fit into my other challenges, hmmm ...

I start by looking at what I want to read for 1010 and then try to fit it into TIOLI. Then, I look at what people want to read for TIOLI and try to fit those into 1010.

This is why I'm scheduled for 30 TIOLI books in September. I'll never read that many but, in an ideal world, those would be the ones I want to read this month.

Most likely, as usual, I will end up with 12 to 15 unless I'm really energetic (more) or RL interferes (less).

I do mine a bit differently for TIOLI. I have the books that I plan to read on a list (that doesn't mean that something can't shove a book out of the way) and unless something extraordinary happens I'll read those books. If my books fit into the TIOLI - GREAT I'll read it. I may change the order of when they will be read, but otherwise I take the LI (leave it) option into consideration. Same thing for the RTT challenge of the month. I think that I'll be opting out for September and October in RTT because I don't have anything that fits on my list and nothing else has jumped out at me.

So far this year of the 84 books, I've finished - 48 were on my original list and 44 were books I owned so the TBRs are being whittled away. That was one of my goals this year. (Of course, it doesn't help that I've acquired 55 books from either purchases, ER/ARCs, and Nook downloads.)

It's interesting to see that you both go about choosing TIOLI books differently. Last night I spent some time reading the TIOLI thread and wiki's and then perused the challenges and compared them to my current tbr's. I only found one match, so I listed that one. Besides the physical books I have on hand (mostly from the library), I also have a list of books I've already picked out to order when I'm ready for more. Those two groups were the books I compared to the challenge list. I forgot about Mrs Bridge, which I picked up at the library today but haven't entered into my LT catalog yet, so I'll put that on the TIOLI list.

Cheli, I'm struggling with the RTT challenge, too. So far, I haven't had anything lined up that fits the chosen topics. I picked a book for August and let it jump line ahead of all the other books I've been planning on. I really want to participate, but I just don't have anything even farther down the list that looks like it will work. Plus, I've been a little disappointed at the lack of discussion about the topic that our books relate to. I don't mind deviating from my own personal planned reading in order to participate in a group read, but I like having a group there to support me. So, I might also be opting out for Sept and Oct.

No Sept RTT book for me but I plan to read Morris Dickstein's Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression for the Oct RTT.

Oooh, I've been eying Dancing in the Dark ever since I read The Worst Hard Time and Scottsboro last year. I will be eager to read your impressions.

#168, 169 I'll also be interested in your impressions. I started that book earlier this summer and ditched it after only one chapter. I wanted to like it, and I hope that you will.

Hard Luck Harvey Haddix and the Greatest Game Ever Lost by Lew Freedman

This book could've been quite interesting. In late May of 1959, Pirates pitcher Harvey Haddix pitched the longest perfect game in baseball history, only to lose his perfect game, his no-hitter, and then the win itself in the 13th inning to the Milwaukee Braves.

Parts are quite good, such as when the author recreates the times. For instance, a teammate lit a cigarette for Haddix to smoke each inning. However, much of the book is plodding and almost feels like filler.

An interesting sidenote: it was unclear at the time what the final score was. How could this be? The man who reached base on an error in the 13th was on base, as was Hank Aaron, when a Braves teammate homered. The score should've ended at 3 to 0 but Aaron never advanced and ran off the field so was called out and the batter was called out when he passed Aaron.

Another interesting sidenote: at the time, this was considered a 12-inning perfect game, but, much later, in 1991, MLB took it away.

Death Without Tenure by Joanne Dobson

This academic mystery featuring English Professor Karen Pelletier is the 6th in the series and the first one in quite awhile. Dobson knows what she's talking about as she herself is an English professor at Fordham University.

The mystery itself is not bad but I love the inside information about the English department goings-on and its political maneuverings.

If you can find these books, I'd recommend them.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

I read this charming little book of letters during a bus ride to the ballpark, actually finishing it a little while later at Wrigley Field. In it, an American woman writer living in New York exchanges letters with employees at a London used bookstore from 1949 to 1969. They start out formally but become friends, as they do favors for each other and discuss books.

I wanted to love this but I didn't love it though I did like it somewhat. Though I enjoyed reading the letters, it seemed skimpy to me, like too much was left out.

If you want a quick, enjoyable read, this might be the book for you.

>173 lindapanzo: I saw the movie on tv several years ago, and thought it was delightful. I didn't realize it was based on a book until I started seeing it reviewed on LT. I have it on my list for next year -- when I'm sure there will be a time I'll want "a quick, enjoyable read."

>172 lindapanzo: And I added Joanne Dobson to my ever-growing list of possibilities...

Gee, five minutes here and the wishlist grows...

I hope that the coming month(s) will be much better for you on a personal level, even if you only read two more books!

And I think you'll enjoy The Devil in the White City. I found it intriguing and informative.

The War Against Miss Winter by Kathryn Miller Haines

I enjoyed this debut mystery in the cozy series featuring Rosie Winter, an actress in World War 2 New York City.

I loved the concept, the setting, the characters, and the writing, though I wasn't too crazy about the mystery plot until almost the end.

This book seems different to me, somehow. There are mob elements and private eye elements but, in the end, the sleuths (Rosie and Jayne, her roommate in an actress' boardinghouse) are definitely amateurs so I'd call this a cozy.

To me, it's worth continuing in this series for the characters and setting alone but I hope the author can tighten things up a bit, which seems to be a frequent complaint of mine with debut mysteries.

That one sounds like fun. I will have to look for it.

Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds by Gary M. Pomerantz

I've read many disaster books and this book about the ASA propeller plane crash in Georgia is among the more emotionally intense disaster books I've read. Perhaps it's due to the number of interviews he did with the many crash survivors (almost all of the 29 passengers and crew survived the impact and two-thirds survived the resulting fire) and even with the propeller company's technician who had repaired the propeller earlier.

During the first half, the minute-by-minute report of the pre-crash actions and thoughts, but especially of the 9 minutes and 20 seconds between propeller damage and actual impact, was absolutely gripping.

During the second half, the immediate aftermath of the crash as well as the survivors stories, I cried. Often.

I learned a lot, too. For instance, after a crash, surviving passengers need to act fast because they have roughly one minute until the fire will get going. Of those who died on the ASA plane, almost all died from injuries due to fire.

For burn victim purposes, our bodies start to age at age 35 so a younger person, even with massive burn percentages has a better survival chance. If a person's age and percentage of body burned adds up to more than 100, the person is unlikely to survive.

Amazing book, one that I'd highly recommend.

I'm not a big fan of disaster books, but this one does sound good. I learned a lot about surviving a plane crash when I read The Survivors Club - Save Life this summer. Some really good tips in there.

#180 Though focused only on this particular crash, I thought that some of the tips were equally valid. I read and enjoyed The Survivors Club last year.

I've reached a 1010 challenge milestone, of sorts.

If I count my bonus 20 book "next in the series" category, I'm now three-fourths of the way through, having read 78/100 in the main 1010 challenge and 12/20 in my bonus category, for a total of 90/120.

That's great! As long as the holidays cooperate, you should finish without any trouble.

Wow, you're right on track!

I'm aiming to finish around Thanksgiving. If I feel ambitious, I'd like to lay out my remaining 30 books, subject to change of course. That always makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Probably no time to read today. I didn't even bring my Kindle.

I'm wearing a purple shirt and will have on a powder blue hoodie. First row, just past the first base dugout tonight.

You're on track to finish with time to spare, Linda! Have fun at the game!

Thanks, Ivy. Even if it is the White Sox tonight, not the Cubs.

Part 4 of my 1010 thread is at:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/98372

See you there!!