CMBohn's 11/11, part 1

Here are my new categories. An asterisk by the book means one that I own.

1. Tea Party - Group Reads and Book Club picks
2. Kid's Menu - YA Fantasy and Fairy Tales
3. Continental Cuisine - Endless Europe Challenge books
4. Backyard BBQ - 50 States Challenge
5. Soul Food - Southern writers and books
6. Navajo Tacos - Western writers and books
7. Church Social - LDS Books and Scripture
8. Red Herrings - Mysteries
9. Leftovers - Continuing Series
10. Food Network - Cookbooks and How To
11. Pot Luck - Random Surprises

I'm a lot more excited about next year's challenge now that I have some fun themes.

TEA PARTY - Group Reads/Book Club



1. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand* by Helen Simonson, LT group read, 5 stars
2. The Book Thief, Big Book Club, 3.5 stars
3. The Problem of Pain* by C. S. Lewis, Little Book Club, 2 stars
4. Sense and Sensibility* by Jane Austen, Little Book Club, 4 stars
5. The Hound of the Baskervilles, GD Book Club

Suggestions: Suite Francaise, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, A Little Princess, Three Cups of Tea

KID'S MENU - YA Fantasy



1. Fortune's Folly by Deva Fagan, 3.5
2. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo, 3 stars
3. Downsiders by Neal Shusterman, 3.5 stars
4. Snow: A Retelling by Tracy Lynn, 3.5 stars
5. Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar, 3

Suggestions:
Magic Below Stairs, Magic by the Lake, Princess Ben, The Book of Nonsense 1, The Princess and the Bear, The Burning Bridge*, Silver Phoenix,

CONTINENTAL CUISINE - Endless Europe Challenge



1. Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone

Suggestions:

Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, The Shadow of the Wind, Eve Green, Rob Roy

BACKYARD BBQ - 50 States Challenge



1. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin, 3.5 stars
2. The Colony: Exiles of Molokai by John Tayman, 3.5 stars

Suggestions:

The Undaunted - Lund - Utah, Wash, Fold, and Die - Colorado, O Pioneers - Nebraska, The Gardner Heist, Taking on the Trust

SOUL FOOD - Southern writers and books



1. The Conjure Woman and other Tales by Charles W. Chesnutt, 4.5 stars
2. Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, 4 stars
3. American Lion by Jon Meacham, 3.5 stars

Suggestions:
Life on the Mississippi, Angel's Advocate, Other Voices, Other Rooms - Alabama, Prodigal Summer - Virginia, Scottsboro: A Novel - Alabama, On Hallowed Ground

NAVAJO TACOS - Western writers and books



1. The Trouble with Princesses by Christie Harris, 2.5 stars
2. A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester, 3.5 stars
3. Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson, 3 stars

Suggestions:
Sarah's Quilt, something else by Tony Hillerman, The Santa Fe Trail, The Secret Knowledge of Water, Desert Exile, Roughing It, Peace Like a River

CHURCH SOCIAL- LDS books and Scripture



1. The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt* - currently reading
2. If Thou Endure it Well by Neal A. Maxwell - currently reading

Suggestions: The Tree House - Thayer

RED HERRINGS - Mysteries



1. The Seven Dials Mystery* by Agatha Christie, 4.5 stars
2. The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison, 4.5 stars
3. Lady Audley's Secret* by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, 4 stars

Suggestions:
A Bad Day for Sorry, Mark of the Lion, Silent in the Grave, Beautiful Blue Death, Haunted Ground, Last Rituals, Cruellest Month

LEFTOVERS - Next in a Series



1. Matters at Mansfield by Carrie Bebris, 4 stars
2. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher, 4 stars
3. 41521::The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook, 2 stars

Suggestions: Feet of Clay, Lionboy: The Truth*, The Empress's Tomb, 1251765:::The Nobodies, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Mothstorm, Greenmantle

FOOD NETWORK - Cookbooks and How To



1. Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture* by Amy Riolo, 4.5 stars
2. 2294365::Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats by Steve Ettlinger, 3.5 stars
3. Old Havana Cookbook: Cuban Recipes in Spanish and English* 2 stars
4. High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America* by Jessica B. Harris, 4 stars

Suggestions: Fix It and Forget It Cookbook,

POT LUCK - Random Surprises



1. The Stupid Crook Book by Leland Gregory, 2.5 stars
2. The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough, 4.5 stars
3. To The Rescue: Stories from Healthcare Workers at the Scenes of Disasters by Nancy Harless, 2.5 stars
4. Piccadilly Jim by P G Wodehouse, 3 stars

I don't really want to put too many books on here because I don't know yet what I'll read this year. And it seems like a large percentage of the books on my TBR list on Goodreads are out of print, and that's why I haven't been able to read them. I have pages and pages of books I can't get from either local library, and I don't have the budget to buy them, so I'm just sort of keeping track in case I ever do find them. Which means that I have already read a lot of the books I always wanted to read or that sounded really good and were easy to get.

Yah! Glad to see you here. Take your time, mull things over.... we have a few months still before the start!

Does your local library do ILL? That's how I get a pretty high percentage of my books.

I don't know. I need to find out. I've never tried it.

Definitely check it out. My library has most of what I want, so I don't use it often, but I've been using it more and more as I get tons of great recommendations on LT. Sadly, it seems that some libraries are cutting back on services like this in the tight economy.

I'm lookin forward to another great year next year. You always read the most interesting books - I love seeing your comments.

It's a good idea to dedicate specific categories to your other challenges. At least that way you know you won't be neglecting those along the way.

Oh, I'm bored with this challenge already! I need some help! And sorry about the pictures. They are all too big, but I'm about to leave, so I'll have to resize them later. I need some inspiration for both categories and books!

Cindy, I know that you love cooking so why not go with a cooking theme for your categories something like

Short order Cooks = Short stories
Pot Luck = anything goes
Desserts a speciality = brain candy - all fluff
Hamburger Stand = 50 State challenge
Continental Cuisine = European Challenge
Off the Kid's Menu = Youth/Fantasy
Kitchen Timer says = Reading through Time
What's Cooking? = mysteries
Church Dinner = religious
Recipe Club = recommendations
Let's get together and eat out = group reads

just an idea. I had one category this year that was my theme category and I really enjoyed looking for books that fit it by title so, this year I decided that my categories would be a theme.

Cheli, you are a genius! I love it! So nobody swipe it! I have to get off the computer, but I'm going to change it tomorrow.

Cheli, that IS a great idea! Cindy, I'm anxious to see what you decide on.

Good, I'm glad it helped. I'll be watching the What's cooking?, Recipe Club, and Continental Cuisine especially.

FYI- I've been thinking, I would change Hamburger Stand to Backyard BBQ.

Right, so I've got my categories renamed and changed around a bit, and got some fun pictures to go with the names, and I think I am all set. I'm still not quite ready to be adding books, but at least I have a start. I'm so much more excited about the challenge now. Thanks for the ideas, Cheli!

The new theme is super cute! :)

Thanks! It's going to be fun!

I like your new theme, and it's making me hungry too :)

Love the theme and the pictures!

Definitely you, Cindy!

Yummy themes, you are making me hungry just looking at your pictures (I want a Navajo Taco right now!!) Can't wait to see how you fill all these great categories in next year.

I love the themes and pictures!

Just filling in a few possible title and switching the order on a couple of categories. Getting more excited!

Vert clever categories. Looking forward to seeing how you fill these.

Thanks! It was mostly Cheli's idea.

Okay, I've already found some books on your list that I'm interested in.
I have the Shape of Water as one of my blinddates and I'm curious about the Princess and the Bear mainly because my hubbie says that I'm a Princess and my daily companion (when hubby's not around) is my teddy bear that hubby gave me. I definitely have to find that one.

Update - the library has it!

Now that I've got my Kindle, it will be interesting to see if that changes my plans for next year. I got Sense and Sensibility and O Pioneers on it, but I've been sticking to free or 99 cent downloads for now since money is tight. I may get Major Pettigrew's Last Stand too, though, so I can have it for the group read in January.

maybe you'll get some donations for your Kindle during the holidays.

I'm hoping that my hubbie just types me up a free pass to Barnes & Noble for my Nook. My other source is my sister Tina (tututhefirst) she already knows that she's getting a Nook for Christmas and we're going to share books! It will be awesome not to have to wait until the Spring and Fall book exchanges that we normally do.

I have a bank that I've been saving my change in so that when I roll it up and take it to the bank, I'll be able to spend it on books!

Smart! I have a stack to take to the USB, and that's always fun.

And we're off! I downloaded Major Pettigrew's Last Stand yesterday, so I'm all ready for the group read. Happy New Year, everyone!

Cindy, Kindle books are now lendable. Pretty limited, so far. They can be loaned out only once and only for two weeks. The publisher can choose to participate (or not).

More info (including Kindle books we own that are available for borrowing) at: http://www.librarything.com/topic/105933

Thanks so much for the heads up! I am still such a Kindle newbie. I'll definitely check this out.

Just finished The Secret Adversary, but I started that one Dec. 31. Now I'm reading The Naval War of 1812 by Theodore Roosevelt.

Fortune's Folly by Deva Fagan, Kid's Menu

Themes: Magic, Fortune telling, love
Setting: fictional fairy tale land

Despite her auspicious name, Fortunata is very much down on her luck. Her mother has died and her father is too wrapped up in grief to pay any attention to his cobbler's shop. He's waiting for the elves to come back with their magic and make things right. But Fortunata knows better - her mother was the magic, and nothing can bring her back. After they run into trouble with a local bully of a Captain of a Guard, the two set off on their own.

But it's not long before the rest of their luck deserts them. Her father becomes ill and they are indebted to another bully and traveling merchant. Nata is apprenticed to the fortune teller and only her wits can protect her and her father.

Then Nata gets a chance to prophesy for a local prince, which sounds good, but it's her father's life on the line for the prophecy to come true. It's a pretty standard prophecy - set off on adventure, defeat a witch, rescue a princess, marry her, and live happily ever after - but Nata is the one who finds herself falling in love with the prince. Now how is she going to get out of this one?

I liked this story. It was fun. Fortunata was a strong character, but I didn't like that her father was portrayed as so weak. I liked the prince better, but I felt we could have gotten to know him better. Altogether, I would recommend this to girls who like fairy tale type books, but it's not a MUST READ THIS BOOK kind of recommendation. 3.5 stars.

Uh-oh Cindy you're getting me in trouble already. I saw you were reading 4 Queens, looked it up and am now adding it to my wish list. Fortune's Folly is also being added, as I love a good fairy tale!

What can I say, that's the danger/wonder of LT!

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, Tea Party (LT group read)

Themes: Love, race, tolerance, family, religion, duty
Setting: modern Edgecombe St. Mary, England

What perfectly lovely book! By now, everyone has probably heard enough about this book to know whether it is the sort of book you would enjoy or not. It is predictable enough - it's not like the ending was a huge surprise. But the journey was delightful. I loved Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali. I was cheering them on the whole way. This is not so much a review as my reaction, and I loved this book. The secondary characters were well done, the scenes at the golf club dance, the restaurant, the park, were all so good, the story was satisfying. Highly recommended love story.

I just finished it too, and I have to agree with you! Great book!

Matters at Mansfield, or The Crawford Affair by Carrie Bebris, Leftovers (Continuing Series)

Themes: love, murder, marriage, family duty, social rules
Setting: Mansfield, England and Scotland (that's a hint)

Elizabeth and Darcy are staying with a friend for a big house party. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is also there, obnoxious as ever, and her invalid daughter Anne is there too. Elizabeth takes pity on the girl and conspires to let her have a little fun. But the next morning, Anne is gone, and has left a note saying that she has eloped with her suitor, Mr. Henry Crawford. Yep, the guy from Mansfield Park fame. He's in this book too, and he's run off with another woman.

Most of the cast from Mansfield Park is in this book, as well as the ones from Pride and Prejudice. This is the 4th in the series, and my favorite so far, I think. The first one is called Pride and Prescience, and the first three all have a strong theme of the supernatural about them. That is entirely missing in this book, and it's much better because of it. I never felt that it really fit, but I still managed to enjoy the books. With this one, there was no mystical element to distract from the fun of seeing the characters interact in some rather surprising ways. And yet it was very satisfying.

If you like Jane Austen and enjoy cozy mysteries, I would recommend this series. Normally I would say start at the beginning, but if you want to skip the supernatural part, you could probably start here and be able to catch up without any trouble. I'm rounding up to 4 stars.

Thanks for the review of Matters at Mansfield. I read the first couple of books in the series and didn't enjoy the supernatural twist to the stories. It didn't seem right for Jane Austen's characters. I'm glad the series seems to be going a different direction. You've encouraged me to give it another try!

I also really enjoyed Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd last year. It's a stand alone, a different twist on the Jane Austen book, with Fanny Price as the conceited heiress and Mary Crawford as the heroine.

Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone, Continental Cuisine (Endless Europe Challenge)

Themes: royalty, family, ambition, religion, commerce, politics, love
Setting: 13th century Europe

Great story about four wealthy and powerful sisters who changed the fate of Europe. They were the beautiful and charming daughters of the Count of Provence, Raymond Berengar V, and each one of them became a queen: Marguerite, the eldest, became Queen of France and married Louis IX, Eleanor married Henry III, Sanchia, the saddest story of them all, married brother to King Henry, Richard, who became King, but not Emperor, of the Holy Roman Empire, and Beatrice, who married Charles of Anjou, brother to King Louis, who became the King of Sicily by conquest.

Despite all the royal names and politics involved, this one was an easy read that was more like a modern family drama than a dry historical treatise. There was plenty of feuding, an occasional war, going on Crusades, a rebellion here and there - it was certainly not a boring time to live. This is a great one for the RTT theme this month.

I could have used more maps, but even without them, I really enjoyed the book. Maybe somewhat slow to start, but once the first couple of sisters were married, I couldn't put it down. I'm not really familiar with this time period, although I recognized a lot of the names, so I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. 4 stars

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher, Leftovers (Continuing Series)

Themes: magic, murder, crime, friendship, werewolves
Setting: alternate Chicago

Harry Dresden has been eating a lot of ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches since his last job for the Chicago police. Turns out there's a rumor around that he's friends with the mob. And Karrin Murphy, his contact in the police, hasn't decided whether she can really trust him or not. But she call him in anyway on this new case when the evidence points to werewolves.

Yup, werewolves. Several murders, all occurring during a full moon, and giant paw prints left at the scene of the crime. Now everyone wants in on this one, the FBI, the mob (one of the victims is one of their own), and even Harry realizes he'd better figure this one out quick. And it seems that werewolves are more complicated than he thought - there are several different kinds, all operating in Chicago, and all of them are after him.

I liked this one much more than the first one. People told me that the series got better, and I have to agree. I thought this book was more fun. Go, Harry!

The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin, Backyard BBQ (50 states challenge)

Themes: weather, adversity, family, faith, science
Setting: January 1888, Dakota territory, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska

January on the prairie is never exactly balmy. The weather had been very cold all month. Then it warmed up for a while - not a lot, but enough that people seized the chance to get outside and tend to a few neglected chores, repairing the roof, feeding the livestock, bringing in more fuel for the fire, and sending the kids to school. All of which put them into danger.

Weathermen today love to talk about the "warm before the storm," and this was a classic example. The storm hit with incredible power, bringing punishing winds and very fine, stinging snow that covered everything outside in minutes. Those folks caught away from home were in big trouble. And many of them were the school children.

Laskin seems to have done his research on this one. The stories of the children were amazing and often heartbreaking. That part was very good. But what I didn't enjoy as much was the story of the Signal Corps and the effort place blame for the number of deaths caused by the storm. It was a blizzard. The blizzard was to blame.

Seriously, it's hard to see how things could have ended any differently. It was 1888. There were no satellite weather imaging thingies. There wasn't even reliable radio. The weather stations themselves weren't even equipped with telegraph lines liking them up to each other. And if there were, how were they supposed to broadcast their weather forecasts? Forecasting then was even more a matter of absolute luck and guesswork. But there was no way to make them public anyway. They had some sort of flags and alerts they issued, I wasn't quite clear on that, but no one in the little prairie towns could have known about them. It wasn't like they put them in the newspaper or on the radio.

I felt that this technical part took too much focus away from the part that I really found good, which was about the storm itself and how people managed to survive or didn't. This other bit about the science of it all was just a distraction. I wound up skipping most of that. Still, it was a good book and I would recommend it. It's just that compared to The Worst Hard Time, I knew that it could have been much better. 3.5 stars

#53 I hope you don't talk me out of wanting to read this!

Me too. I just added it to the wish list.

I still think it's worth reading; I just wish it had been better.

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Themes: family, magic, love
Setting: fictional town of Baltese

Peter is an orphan boy who gets a chance to ask a very important question: Is his sister still alive? How could he find her? The fortuneteller tells him that he can find her by following the magician's elephant. Peter is baffled, but the next day, the whole city is talking about how the magician did in fact summon an elephant to the opera. How does that lead Peter to his sister? It's a complicated story, but it does all work out happily ever after.

I didn't like this one as much as The Tale of Despereaux or The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Her stories are much more like fables than fairy tales, but this one seemed awfully thin to me. 3 stars.

The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie

Themes: adventure, secret criminal organizations, exotic foreign adventuresses, stolen government plans, and plenty more
Setting: Chimneys in England

If you've only read Agatha Christie for her mysteries featuring the famous Belgian sleuth or the mild old lady with the mind like a steel trap, then you have missed some thrilling adventure stories. This one is the second one set at the Stately Home of Chimneys in England. The first one, The Secret of Chimneys, takes place four years earlier and involves the missing heir to the throne of a fictional European country, a stolen government contract, the Comrades of the Black Hand or something like that, and a very satisfying love story. This one differs only in the details; the feel is just the same.

Lady Eileen Brent, known to all as Bundle, discovers that a young man of her acquaintance has died in her home. They had let it to a wealthy industrialist, and during a house party, the man had died in his sleep. Now Bundle nearly runs over the dead man's best friend, who dies of a gunshot wound in her arms, whispering the words, "Tell - Seven Dials - Jimmy Thessinger." Bundle rushes off to find Jimmy and enlist him in her fight against this evil criminal gang.

Really, really fun. I listened to this one, and I do have a few complaints about the audio version. The reader, whose name I can't locate, did fine with the voices of most of the major characters, but she had a tendency to make the rest of the young girls screechy and shrill. I didn't like Superintendent Battle's accent either. She did a good job at making them all sound different, but she was much too screechy now and then, and the American woman at the very end was just dreadful. No one sounds like that. Ever.

If you want an exciting, clean adventure with some romance and not a lot to slow it down, try the stand alone titles by Agatha Christie. I also love The Man in the Brown Suit, Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, and They Came to Baghdad. 5 stars for book, 4 for audio.

Also done with The Stupid Crook Book for Potluck and The Book Thief - Zusak for Group Reads. The Stupid Crook Book was fun, but I didn't like the way the writer had to come up with the perfect corny quip for every single story. And The Book Thief was a reread and for some reason, I didn't enjoy it as much. I kept putting it off. Finally I took it to an appointment today and had to finish it, but it was better the first time around.

>58 cmbohn: I love both Poirot and Miss Marple, but several of Christie's non-series books are among my favorites of hers. I really love The Man in the Brown Suit, and the two Chimneys books with Bundle are lots of fun. I've always been sorry she didn't write more of the Tommy and Tuppence books, too.

#53 It's just that compared to The Worst Hard Time, I knew that it could have been much better.

It's hard not to want all books to be as good as WHT, isn't it? A great review. And you didn't talk me out of it!

>#53&57 those are both on my TBR pile I may read the Children's Blizzard for my North Dakota books

Downsiders by Neal Shusterman, Kid's Menu (fantasy)

Themes: Hidden worlds, family, social order, loyalty
Setting: Topside and Downside New York City

Talon is a Downsider; Lindsay is a Topsider. The two are sworn enemies. Then Talon's best friend kills her cousin and the two can never be together. There's singing and dancing and dueling and wait - maybe I'm a little mixed up. So I guess it's kind of like Romeo and Juliet, but not as much as I expected from the beginning. One reviewer compared it to The Outsiders, which is thankfully all wrong, because I would NOT have finished it in that case. Let's see if I can explain it better.

The Downsiders live in New York. Except that they live UNDER New York. They have lived there for a long, long time. So long that they have built up some strange ideas about life Topside. They have adapted quite well to life below. It's hard to say for sure how many of them there are, but maybe about 5,000 or so. They are content with their separate existence, but there are a few signs that their society is struggling. Then a young man named Talon takes a little too much interest in the world Topside and the two worlds start to collide.

There have been places where the worlds sort of meet, like the subway. The Downsiders aren't completely ignorant of the world above. But the Topsiders have completely forgotten about the world below, so when Lindsay catches a glimpse of a pair of eyes watching her from between the walls, she can't understand where he came from. Then she catches him in her bedroom on New Year's Eve, so naturally she sprays him with mace. Then she takes pity on him when she hears about his sister who is terribly sick. He just wanted some medicine for her.

Right here I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was wrong. It was both better and not as good as I expected. It was more creative and imaginative than I expected. There were cool little details, like what REALLY lives in the sewers, how they the whole society works, their system of commerce. But some of it was hard to picture. At book club once we were discussing a book and someone pointed out that I was not a visual reader. I admitted that I'm not, but in this book, even I had trouble picturing how things would look. How exactly did that whole thing with Talon watching Lindsay between the walls work? I never could figure that out. There's a part at the end that totally didn't make sense to me, and it kind of messed up the ending for me. 3.5 stars

To the Rescue: Stories from Healthcare Workers at the Scenes of Disasters by Nancy Harless, Potluck category

Themes: disasters, emergency preparedness, kindness, miracles
Setting: various, including Vietnam, Hurricane Katrina, NYC 9/11, California earthquake, Tsunami, etc.

I got this collection for free for the Kindle and went through it pretty quick. Basically it's just motivational stories about people who help others during disasters and why they serve. Some stories were not very well written, but some were very good and I really enjoyed them. I really liked the story about the nurse who was also a clown and the one about the doctor who was not prepared at all for the hurricane. Brief, but good. 3 stars.

The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal by David McCullough, Potluck category

Themes: Exploration, engineering, trade, disease, politics
Setting: Columbia and the part which became Panama, France, Washington DC

I listened to this one on audio at it was very absorbing. McCullough does his usual thorough job at exploring all the aspects of the canal. It wasn't quite up to the job he did on John Adams, but it was much better than The Great Bridge.

Sorry for a rather perfunctory review, but I'm a little under the weather and I keep putting it off. To sum up, I learned so much with this book. Lots in here about the history of the canal, about the French and their involvement, none of which I knew before. Then we get on to the Americans and their entry into the area. I had heard some of this before, especially about the yellow fever, but it's covered in better contest here. Great stuff. Highly recommended at 4.5 stars. Now I would love to see the canal in person, especially to get a peek behind the scenes.

Oh, and about the narration - great job. He got all the various accents - French, West Indies, Irish - just right, and kept the story interesting. The only thing I didn't like was a little unpleasant surprise - "This book was abridged by..." Dang! Now I want to read the unabridged book, but I will probably wait a bit. I'm counting it anyway, as it was 18 hours or something like that.

Hi Cindy! I'm sorry Downsiders was kind of hit-and-miss for you. I think Shusterman is so creative and I'm glad to know I'm not the only one in the group who's reading him. I thought I might try Bruiser this year, but the third in his Everlost trilogy is due out, so I might do that one instead.

I'm not sorry I read it, but after Unwind, which was so stinking totally AMAZING, it would be hard to measure up to that.

Ah. I read Downsiders before Unwind, a week apart, actually! Have you read the Everlost books?

No, I haven't. What is the first one of those?

The first one is Everlost, second is Everwild and the third is Everfound (forthcoming later this year). I thought Everwild was better than Everlost - which is odd for me - I usually dislike the middle books in a trilogy.

Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

Themes: sisters, family, culture, illness, racism, work
Setting: small town Georgia, 1950s

A deceptively quick read that packs a lot to think about in just a few pages. Lynn is the big sister, my spot in the family, while Kathy is in the middle and Sammy is the baby who comes along after the family moves into their new home in Georgia. Lynn always looks after her sister. Their parents work practically every hour they can, saving what they can to buy a home of their own.

Then Lynn gets sick, and now Kathy has to take care of her and Sammy. And her parents work even harder. What is really going on?

While this was a quick read, I couldn't put it down. Sure, I guessed where it was headed, but the writing was so original and this family made me care about them so much I wanted to stay with them until the end. I liked that Kadohata didn't tie everything into a neat little bow at the end. They still had some things to figure out. But I felt that they would find a way to get there together. 4 stars.

>71 cmbohn: This sounds like one I would like. My library has it, and I've added it to my library TBR list.

Falling too far behind on reviews to catch up, so here's my best efforts:

The Skull Mantra by Elliot Pattison, Red Herring (Mystery)

Themes: Buddhism, oppression, Communism, fear and faith
Setting: Tibet 1999

Amazing mystery set in a labor camp in Tibet. The main character is a former police inspector who made a few too many enemies among Party officials in China and is now stuck working on a road through Tibet's most remote countryside. A murdered man has turned up and he has to solve it in hurry and yet it better be a politically convenient solution too. He's released into a sort of probationary status, with his Buddhist monk companions as hostage for his cooperation. I loved this one and was really happy to find the sequel at the thrift store just today. 4.5 stars. Definitely not a cozy, but beautiful in parts.

The Conjure Woman by Charles W. Chesnutt, Soul Food (Southern writers and stories)

Themes: slavery, race, magic, sneaky ways for the black man to get his way over the white man
Setting: North Carolina pre-Civil War and about 1880s

Loved these little short stories. All told by Uncle Julius, who manages to use the stories to get what he wants out of the rich white Northerners, one of whom suspects what he's up to, but gives in all the same. These are told in heavy dialect, the kind that makes Huck Finn and Uncle Remus look simple, so if that's going to bother you, don't pick it up. I usually don't mind that, but I admit that I found it slow going. It helped me to imagine that I heard it told out loud, like a Brer Rabbit story, but it wasn't a quick read. Still, that made it even more fun, because the stories were long enough to finish a couple at a time and then come back for more. My favorites were the first one, the story of the missing will, and the slave owner who got goophered into a slave.

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

Themes: Exploration and conquest, hunting, long lost heirs, missing brothers, starcrossed lovers, witchcraft, race
Setting: South Africa about 1890 maybe?

Yes, this has some graphic descriptions of an elephant hunt. In fact, the main character, Allan Quartermain is a hunter. That's how he makes his living, killing animals, especially elephants, for their hides and their ivory. Yes, there is a lot of racism in the book. Some racial epithets, but even more a feeling of white man's superiority that permeates the whole book. By the end of the book, I think that the white folks are more tolerant of the black, but there is still a gap. So if that is going to keep you from enjoying the book, I'm warning you now not to pick it up.

But I loved it. I'm not sure what it says about me that I could overlook that, if that means there are some deep hidden character flaws or if it means that I am more shallow than the rest or what, but I stinking loved this book. It was a kick butt adventure yarn. Elephant stampedes, Sheba's Breasts (that made me giggle), treasure maps, missing brothers, diamond mines, evil witch doctor ladies, it totally has it all. And I got it for free for my Kindle. You absolutely can't beat that. Now I'm going to find more by this author and save them for when I'm having a really rotten day and need something absorbing and fun to make me feel better. 5 stars.

Cindy, I've already got Skull Mantra and King Solomon's Mines on the wishlist. I sure wish I could read books as quickly as I add them to the list.

The Problem of Pain by C S Lewis, Tea Party (Group Read)

Wow, if there's one thing I'm an expert on it is pain. Physical and mental pain, I KNOW pain. We are WELL acquainted.

I'm not particularly an expert on C S Lewis, but I have read several of his books, and I was hoping for some great insight out of this book. Didn't happen.

He starts by admitting that he didn't especially feel that he had great insight into suffering, that there were probably others more qualified to talk about it than him, but I didn't really pay attention to that. Maybe this time he was right though. While this book was rather brief, the part I found helpful was only long enough to make a pamphlet. Some of it I found just plain weird.

And then I was extremely irritated by the edition I bought. I bought this on the Kindle. It's no reflection on the author, of course, but I paid for this. It's not like it was a free download. I paid actual money for it. And then it was very poorly edited. Every single time Lewis wrote "its" - which was frequently - the text substituted "it's". Which was wrong - EVERY SINGLE TIME! Even in the word "itself." It was so irritating! So if you do want to read this, don't buy the Kindle edition. Buy it in physical book format. Only 2 stars.

76 - Sandy, I know Exactly what you mean!

Great reviews Cindy! I too, alread by both The Skull Mantra and King Solomon's Mines on the wish list. I am expecting my Kindle to arrive any day, I will be looking to download that free copy.

Skull Mantra, The Conjure Woman, and King Solomon's Mines are all either on my wish list or my library TBR list. Your review of The Conjure Woman has convinced me to add it to my list for February. Since you mention the work involved to interpret the dialect, I'll plan read one story a day until I finish it.

Snow: A Retelling by Tracy Lynn

Themes: finding a family, beauty, love, jealousy, steampunk
Setting: Victorian Wales and London

These "Once Upon a Time" books are retellings of the familiar and even less familiar fairy tales. This one, you can probably guess, is the story of Snow White retold in Victorian times, with a rather steampunk feel, starting in Wales and ending in London among a distinct group of outcasts known as the Lonely Ones.

Jessica is the daughter of a duke whose much loved wife dies in childbirth. He can hardly stand to look at his child.

Eventually he remarries a beautiful new bride, who at first takes Jessica under her wing and teaches her to be a young lady. But as time passes and no child is born to the new duchess, she begins to notice how Jessica is becoming a beautiful young lady. And her jealousy forces her further and further into her experiments with magic. Finally Jessica is lucky to escape with her life and she runs away to London.

I find this series rather uneven. Even the writers vary. Cameron Dokey is sometimes just amazing and sometimes just plain bad. Same with Tracy Lynn. But this one was a winner for me. I see that it has ratings all over the place, but I liked it quite a bit. The Lonely Ones Jessica meets in London (I won't give their secret away) were a really cool twist and I loved the love angle. I didn't love the ending, but it was sweet enough, just not amazing and perfect, so I'm still recommending it at 3.5 stars.

The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai by John Tayman, Backyard BBQ (50 States Challenge)

Themes: illness, superstition, compassion, love, science
Setting: Molokai, Hawaii 1866-1970s

Leprosy. It's a horrible disease. It makes your extremities fall off. It's horribly contagious. It causes nasty oozing sores that spread germs to everyone you pass by. It's always fatal. And there's still no cure.

Except that none of this is true. Except that is a pretty horrible disease, if not treated. But there is a very effective treatment available. It's not very contagious at all. Only a small portion of the population is susceptible to it in the first place. Even then, only some of them get the worst form. It's more a matter of nerve damage and swelling. And diagnosis is a matter of minutes, so getting started with the right treatment now takes just days.

What a change from the past. This book is all about the bad old days of leprosy, and in the United States, it didn't get worse than in Hawaii. Hawaiians were some of those that for some reason were particularly prone to catching leprosy. And back then, there was no treatment available. They could diagnose it, all right. Then they would pack you up and ship you off, without another word, off to Molokai, the leper colony. Good luck to you.

Incredible story, and it's all true. At least, the author says it's all true. Apparently there's some controversy. But it made for great reading. It was shocking stuff. I couldn't believe how they treated lepers like criminals. It's not a crime to be sick. (Although in this country, I often wonder.) But they were treated like they had done something wrong by getting a disease. I couldn't put it down. 4 stars.

A while back I read Moloka'i by Alan Brennert, a fictional account of a woman who contracted leprosy as a child (age 7, I think) and was sent to Moloka'i. It is quite detailed about leprosy, the colony and some more general Hawaiian history -- as well as being a good story. The Colony sounds interesting, but I think maybe my curiosity about leprosy has been satisfied. I'm adding it to my list, anyway, just in case I decide I want to know more.

Cindy, I've been enjoying your reviews, thanks for posting!

Thanks for the comments, everyone! It's great to see everyone's thoughts!

More catching. (I'm still behind.)

American Lion: Andrew Jackson by Jon Meacham, Soul Food (Southern books and writers)

Themes: politics, religion, loyalty, discrimination, family, rising over hardship, class
Setting: Tennessee and Washington DC

Andrew Jackson changed the face of politics forever. He won as a reform candidate, which was a bit of a slap in the face for incumbent John Quincey Adams, who didn't exactly feel that tremendous reform was needed. And since when was the president elected by the common man? He was elected by the Electoral College, and by a select group of men. The common man wasn't educated or qualified enough to deserve a vote. But thanks to reform, now he got a vote, and he voted for Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans.

Jon Meacham makes the case that while Jackson was far from a perfect man, he was in fact a lot more like us today than we like to admit. He was opinionated, tough, full of contradictions. Pretty much like us. Yes, he has a horrible record when it comes to Indian Affairs. But when it comes to our modern dealings with say, Muslims, Americans today are not much more enlightened.

In any case, I found this biography to be pretty good stuff. Occasionally I got bogged down and had to skip over stuff, but I'm not sure if that was me or if it was the material. The parts about the bank were a little tough to follow. But I was amazed at how easily he seemed to forgive Adams and the other party leadership for their part in Rachel's death. I'd always heard what a hothead Jackson was, but here was a perfect case to hold a grudge and yet he didn't.

I also had never heard about the nullification crisis. Good stuff there too. Lots of pictures, which was nice. Recommended read. 3 stars.

The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar, Kids Menu (YA Fantasy)

Themes: family, home, adventure, war, environment, betrayal
Setting: The lost island of Tamarind, duh!

I found this book by chance at a college bookstore a couple of years ago and remembered the title. Mostly I picked it up because of the cover, with some kids in the jungle and one boy wearing jungle face paint and looking fierce. It was intriguing. I know, "don't judge a book by its cover," but I wanted to learn more. So I put it on my TBR list and finally got around to reading it.

Maya, age 13, her brother Simon, age 9, and baby Penny live with their marine biologist parents aboard the ship Pamela Jane. They've lived there their whole lives. But after a terrible storm, their parents disappear, and Maya and Simon try to steer the ship to land to get help. All their instruments are broken and they have no idea where they are. Their only clues are a story their dad used to tell about a magical land with mermaids and giants and fierce jungle animals, a land called Tamarind.

Maya and Simon pack a bag with the logbook and all the supplies they can carry, load up baby Penny, and set off to look for their parents. Soon they meet the boy on the cover, a kid named Helix, who helps them as far as he can and draws them a map of the island. But Tamarind does strange things to Outlanders. If they want to find their parents, they'd better hurry. Time is running out.

I wanted to love this book. It had a lot of potential. But there were too many things that really didn't make sense. Like how they managed to take care of a baby all that time in a jungle without her getting sick. If you don't think about it too hard, it's a fun story. But I won't be reading more of the series. 2.5 stars.

The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar, Kids Menu (YA Fantasy)

Themes: family, home, adventure, war, environment, betrayal
Setting: The lost island of Tamarind, duh!

I found this book by chance at a college bookstore a couple of years ago and remembered the title. Mostly I picked it up because of the cover, with some kids in the jungle and one boy wearing jungle face paint and looking fierce. It was intriguing. I know, "don't judge a book by its cover," but I wanted to learn more. So I put it on my TBR list and finally got around to reading it.

Maya, age 13, her brother Simon, age 9, and baby Penny live with their marine biologist parents aboard the ship Pamela Jane. They've lived there their whole lives. But after a terrible storm, their parents disappear, and Maya and Simon try to steer the ship to land to get help. All their instruments are broken and they have no idea where they are. Their only clues are a story their dad used to tell about a magical land with mermaids and giants and fierce jungle animals, a land called Tamarind.

Maya and Simon pack a bag with the logbook and all the supplies they can carry, load up baby Penny, and set off to look for their parents. Soon they meet the boy on the cover, a kid named Helix, who helps them as far as he can and draws them a map of the island. But Tamarind does strange things to Outlanders. If they want to find their parents, they'd better hurry. Time is running out.

I wanted to love this book. It had a lot of potential. But there were too many things that really didn't make sense. Like how they managed to take care of a baby all that time in a jungle without her getting sick. If you don't think about it too hard, it's a fun story. But I won't be reading more of the series. 2.5 stars.

The Trouble with Princesses by Christie Harris, Navajo Tacos (Western writers and books)

Themes: Love, adversity, jealousy, magic, family
Setting: Pacific Northwest

Kind of funny to me that the category is named Navajo tacos, but these are all about totally different tribes of Native Americans. This got put on my TBR list so long ago, I don't remember how it got here or why, but by the time I got the book, I was surprised by the content. I was expecting more of a humorous take on the traditional princesses story, but this is folk tales based on the tribes of the Pacific Northwest, with ravens and eagles and canoes and bear tallow and totems and so on. Very different from what I expected.

Written for younger readers, but some stories of star-crossed lovers and a clever girl who performs four tasks (four is the magic number there) to win her powerful lover, a girl who brings back magic to her totem, (that one was confusing), and - my favorite - Two Eagles, a story about a young "prince" who is driven out by a jealous uncle, finds an enchanted bride with eagle powers and wins her love, goes back to his village, and almost loses his bride by his own foolishness. Fortunately, he wises up just in time. That one was sweet and funny.

Kind of a strange book, really, but I'm glad to find it because I can count it for this category and it was empty before. 2.5 stars. Some kind of cool illustrations.

Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Red Herring (mystery)

Themes: marriage, secrets, mental illness, friendship, loyalty, jealousy
Setting: Victorian England

Jumping back in to say that this one was much more fun than I expected. If you like good, juicy mysteries, give this one a go. Loses a little steam towards the end, but then again, it still has a few twists left and a very nice ending at the very end, so I liked it a lot. Not as dark as Wilkie Collins, but highly recommended.

The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook, Leftovers (next in a series)

Themes: family, nature vs. nuture, trust, espionage, adventure, war
Setting: Costenopolie

This one was a disappointment. It got off to a good start, but then it took this complicated political twist that left me scratching my head. It was the first of a planned trilogy and not going in the direction I expected. Sometimes that's a good thing, but in this case, it meant more of what I was not enjoying. Not for me and not recommended.

Need to catch up, but it's low priority right now. I'm running on empty, or at least a quarter tank. My daughter is in the psych ward at the hospital right now. She's doing better today, but it's been a tough couple of days and I'm wiped out. Maybe tomorrow I'll have more to say. Not bad time for reading, but having anything coherent to say about it is a whole nother thing.

Oh, Cindy. Take your time and take care of yourself and the family. We'll be here when you need us. Praying for all of you.

Our family's been where you are. Hang in there. You and your family are in my prayers.
Take it one day at a time and try your best to do those unavoidable things like eating and sleeping. You are not alone.

It's good your daughter has you to rely on. Just remember to take care of yourself as well. Will keep your family in my prayers.

Thanks. We have done this before, but it's more serious this time, so it's not necessarily easier, but she is responding well, and we had a good visit last night. Praying hard. I really do appreciate the good words.

Cindy, it's good to hear that she is improving. I'll continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Cindy, so sorry to hear about the troubles you and your family are having. Take care of yourself.

E. is back home. I am looking forward to church today. I need the uplift. It's been a long, emotional week. Let's not do this again, okay? Except that this is the 5th time around. This was by far the most serious visit yet and we were extremely lucky. Really, really tired of this.

Glad to hear she's home. You remain in our thoughts and prayers.

Cindy, I'm so sorry about the problems with your daughter -- but glad that things are looking better. Be sure to take care of yourself, too.

I'm praying for better days ahead for you and and for your daughter.

Cindy, keeping you and the family in my prayers. I hope church provided the boost you hoped for this morning.

I hope your spiritual batteries were charged today. Praying for you and your daughter.

Glad to hear things are better.

Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture by Amy Riolo, Food Network or Cookbook/Food Category

Haven't tried any of these recipes yet, but I've bookmarked several for the future. It's funny to be reading these while following the news from Egypt. It makes me think we should throw a big dinner party and work things out over some tasty food. I know it's more complicated than that, but it just seems such a shame when I read this book which is more like a love story to Egypt and the culture there and then read about how angry the situation is right now. I hope they can get things resolved soon and go back to celebrating good times and good food. I know there are lots of things in here I want to try. Some exotic ingredients that will be hard to find, like hibiscus flowers, but some great sounding desserts and casseroles and breads that I'd love to try.

Also added reviews for a couple of books earlier. Things continue tense at home. Trying to get things settled here, but it is very rough. At least we had a nice birthday (mostly) for my 14 year old son yesterday. Movies, a video game, Legos, pizza, birthday cake, and a happy teenage boy. Can't beat that.

a happy teenage boy. Can't beat that - there's a lot of truth in that!

Hope things improve at home - still praying for all of you.

I need to get busy reading and reviewing. I have a stack of ER books to review here and a bag full of library books, but I'm still having some trouble concentrating. I've been using my Kindle like a security blanket. I'm still pretty much a mess, honestly.

Security blankets are good - whatever form they take. Taking care of yourself is more important than the books - they'll keep. Just read what you want to read for now. You've been in my thoughts everyday.

Thanks so much. I'm finally getting back to normal, and now I have a cold, but at least that is just plain normal sick, not anything devastatingly out of the normal. I'm taking things a little easy, but I'm more myself again. What a mess it's been.

Twinkie, Deconstructed by Steve Ettlinger (great title) Food Network (Food and cooking)

Themes: food and modern convenience food, food additives and preservatives
Setting: Your grocery shelf and where the ingredients for those little snack cakes come from

Finally finished this one! Kind of sad that it took me so long to read it. It's not really that it was such a difficult book to read or that it was boring. But for some reason, I did have trouble linking things together after I finished a chapter. It didn't seem to tie things together in any way until the very end, so I was getting lots of information, but not really doing anything with it, just compiling more lists of chemicals and processes and stuff. Some tables or charts for comparison might have helped me sort things out a little. There was a LOT to remember in here and I know I've already forgotten almost everything I've read! Still, it was fun.

>110 cmbohn: I picked that one up at the Million Dollar Book Sale hosted by the Boys and Girls Book Club in Knoxville back in 2009, I think, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I'll get to it one of these days.

Taking the morning to get caught up on everyone's threads and wanted to say I am happy things at home are better. Sorry to hear about the cold you have. Take things easy and pamper yourself.

.... and before I forget, Snow: A Retelling sounds like a good escapism book that I will keep in mind. Ironically, when I was searching my local library for Snow: A Retelling, I came across a completely different book with the same title (Snow by Ellen Matson) that has now caught my eye. Suffice to say, a hold was placed. Thanks for indirectly adding a second book to my TBR pile!

Thanks for checking in! I am feeling better. Just busy lately.

Old Havana Cookbook: Cuban Recipes in Spanish and English

Free for the Kindle, so that was a bonus, but otherwise, a disappointment. The format was messed up so the the English and Spanish on the recipes was occasionally mixed up. Fortunately, my Spanish is good enough that I can figure out where the recipes overlap and then I can sort it out, but it's annoying, to say the least. Not enough dessert recipes, all the drink recipes are alcoholic, and there just weren't enough recipes in general. Still, I bookmarked some of the chicken recipes and the black beans! I haven't tried any yet, but they do sound good. I wish there were suggestions on substitutions for some of the ingredients. We'll see how they turn out.

High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris

I didn't get what I expected from this book. I think what I expected was something along the lines of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, by Jennifer 8 Lee, only about African American food, with the author picking one or two ingredients to highlight and telling how they came from there to here, picking a few popular recipes, maybe her family's favorites or some regional recipes, spotlighting some key historical figures, debunking a few myths, then tackling some more serious subjects, and making me hungry along the way.

But Harris chose quite a different route. Yes, she mentions some historical figures and regional recipes, and her family, especially her mother, is part of the story, but this is a more serious look at African American history and how food has played a part in the that experience. It's not a particularly light and easy read, but it was interesting. The recipes at the end are not all mouthwatering (seriously, possum and sweet potatoes? Um, no thanks. Fried chicken is a definite yes, but even the sweet bean pie sounds intriguing but I don't think I'll make it.) but they made for some interesting reading.

I won this book through Good Reads' First Reads and I really appreciate the chance to read it. If you are interested in African American history or food, I can recommend it. 4 stars.

High on the Hog sounds really good. I requested it when it was offered through Early Reviewers but ended up snagging a different book that month. I'll definitely make sure it's on my wish list/reading list. I think it's one the public library is likely to add to their collection, so I'll keep an eye out for it there.

I think my review was less enthusiastic than I meant it to be. I really did enjoy the book. When I first looked through it, I was a little discouraged, but once I got going, I found it much more readable than I expected. And I learned so much. I may make my copy available through Member Giveaways, but only if I'm sure I get it mailed out in a reasonable amount of time. I've been such a flake lately! So we'll see.

Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson, Navajo Tacos, Western writers

review coming

Where the Wild Things Where: Life by William Stolzenburg

review coming

Just Enough Jeeves by P G Wodehouse

Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by idiots. Driving around town, in the grocery store, at work, at play, in the restaurants, in banks, on television, at the movie theater, at school, sadly, sometimes, in your very own home. Is there nowhere one can be safe from this infestation of low intelligence?

Luckily for us all, there is one man who stand against this tide of cretinism. That man is Jeeves. And Jeeves is a man among men. If you are among those afflicted, rush out and purchase this book, Just Enough Jeeves. Yes, it is large. Yes, it is yellow. Yes, it is told backwards. Perhaps there is a reason for this. In any case, you certainly need this book. Take it home. Breathe it in. Admire the cover. Reassuring images of Jeeves will remind you that yes, there is sanity in the world. There he is - Jeeves, holding an umbrella, answering the telephone, reading the newspaper, protecting you from the dark forces of stupidity that threaten our very existence.

And that's only the cover. Just think what awaits you when you begin reading. No matter how idiotic your acquaintances are, no matter how asinine your friends or coworkers, they can't begin to approach the antics that are contained in the book itself. Not so much from Jeeves esteemed employer, I hasten to say. Bertram Wooster, while no daring intellectual, is positively brimming with gray matter compared to his bosom pals of the Drones club. But of others - well, when I say Jeeves is their only hope, I state only the plain and honest fact.

This book will give you hope for the future of humanity. You owe it to yourself to own a copy. Give one to similarly afflicted friends and share the joy.

A little under the weather right now. It's making me kind of lightheaded and not so great at concentrating for writing. But it's a good time to read! Currently rereading A Hat Full of Sky, one of my favorites. I love Tiffany Aching.

>119 cmbohn: I love Jeeves! (>120 cmbohn: and of course who doesn't love Terry P??)

My hubby is currently hooked on H Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard and Allan Quatermain thanks to Kindle.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

Jeeves is always good!

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett, Kids' Menu/YA Fantasy

review coming

To Wish or Not to Wish by Mindy Klasky, not sure what category

review coming,

Wedlock by Wendy Moore, not sure what category but hot stuff!

review coming

I posted this over in the Green Dragon, but it's an observation in two parts.

1. I didn't realize how much the Kindle would change how and what I read. I kind of thought of it as a way to read what I already read and as a new toy. But thanks to the free and cheap stuff, I read more classics, which is cool, but not a complete and total change, and I try the freebies that they offer. Some of these, especially the non-fiction books, are interesting. I found sci-fi series I totally love Spinward Fringe and a few others I've liked, but wow, what a bunch of stinkers! What is it with Christian fiction that stinks so bad! I don't always hate this genre, but when it comes to freebies, they are almost universally horrible! Would it kill you to run a spell check? Or offer $20 to an English major to proofread the thing? That doesn't help with content (and it always needs help!) but at least it's a start!

So, if I ever get back to my challenge, I am switching one of my categories to Free Samples and including these books in here, probably switching for Continental Cuisine, which only has one book.

2. And that was a hint. I'm officially taking a break from the challenge. Real life is taking too much time right now. My dad is in the hospital - long story - and I'm spending a lot of time driving to see him, taking care of kids, and I don't have time for the challenge. I'm still reading, and still reading your reviews, but I have no interest in posting my own. So I will lurk for now, and maybe post my own titles, but probably not actual reviews, in one big batch later, if things calm down. I've struggled with this, but real life has to come first, and it's time I admitted that I just can't do everything. So there it is. Still love you guys!

Cindy

I've been taking a mini-break from the challenge myself because RL has been so crazy lately, so I completely understand. Take care of yourself and your family and we'll be here when you're ready to return.

Real life is kicking me too so I'm not sure that I'll complete my challenge, but I'm still going to enjoy the effort.

Cindy, do what you need to for your own peace of mind. Hope Dad gets better soon. I have him in my prayers.

You've had a lot to deal with in a short span of time. I'm praying that life gets better for you and your loved ones soon. So glad you have the Kindle. It can come in handy when your schedule changes without warning. When my mother had cancer and we made lots of unplanned trips to doctors and hospitals, I started carrying what I call my "bag of things to do" filled with a couple of books, magazines, puzzle books, and cross stitch projects. The bag was one of the things that kept me sane.

Sorry to hear that life is still knocking you around, Cindy.

And sorry too that you've been slogging through horrible free Kindle downloads. However, I feel a little bit validated in my own distain for Christian fiction by your criticism of it. Why is it so univerally inferior? It just doesn't make sense to me.

I recently got a Nook and regularly browse the free titles that are available. I have to admit that I've only downloaded a couple because most just don't seem very appealing. I guess you get what you pay for.

Continuing to keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Best wishes and hope things improve soon.

"Real life" is getting in my way too, so I've also pulled back on some things. Just do what you have to do.

Oh Cindy, sorry to hear things aren't running smoothly for you right now. You will be missed but take the time you need and know we will be here waiting for your return.

Cindy, I'm so sorry about all your difficulties! Be sure to take care of yourself along with everyone else. I'm hoping and praying that everything will be better for you soon.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Cindy. You go and do what you need to do. Thanks for letting us know!

Sending good & happy thoughts your way. Hoping the future is brighter!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

Life is short, love the people who treat you right, love the ones who don't just because you can, break the rules, forgive quickly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably. . . Never regret anything that made you smile.

hoping you are doing okay, you're in my prayers.

Thanks for all the prayers! Dad is home from the hospital. Mom has hospice set up to come in and help with him. I went to see him this week with S. and we might go again tomorrow. He's still in really good spirits and no real pain, just tired but completely bedridden. I'm not enjoying driving so much, but what else can I do? The doctor is guessing Dad has 6 months left, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Still reading - finished The Lord of the Flies for book group and I'm reading The Color of Magic for me, plus some Kindle Civil War thing I'm almost done with. It's OK, but not up to a lot of other stuff. A recent winner on the Kindle was Letters of a Woman Homesteader, which was free. She settles in Wyoming. Really good stuff from a Westerner!

Letters of a Woman Homesteader sounds wonderful, and available free for the Nook, too. Just finished the download - thanks for the recommendation!

So sorry to hear about your Dad. Six months just doesn't seem like very long, does it? I'm glad to hear his spirits are high and that he isn't in pain, and I hope you'll have time to say everything you want to say before he passes. I feel so sad for you. How long a drive is it for you to go see him? I'll continue to keep you and your family in my prayers.

You and your family remain in my prayers as you go through this difficult time.

Cindy, I hope everything goes well with your father's hospice care. When my grandfather was in his final months, the family used the home hospice care option, and were so grateful for those wonderful, caring helpers.

I feel a cold grip on my heart whenever I think about my father aging. He has had so many skin cancers removed, and recently found another one that needs dealt with. Now that he's the age his father died at, his thoughts turn to mortality, and consequently so do mine. I find myself being drawn to books that show characters dealing with their own aging. I'm middle-aged myself, and when we found ourselves unemployed some while back, we chose to move to the vicinity of my parents. After decades of being over 8 hours away from them, I am now relishing this chance to spend more time together. The house we were able to afford is about an hour and a half from my folks, so that's a bit of driving. But you are so right, "what else can {you} do?" I intend to redeem the time I have left with mine, too.

With prayers from one Cindy to another...

Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement. Dad passed away this Wednesday morning. I had spent Tuesday night at their house and was just home getting some prescriptions filled when the call came. I feel like I've done nothing since cry since then, but of course, we've been busy planning the funeral and everything that comes with it too, and my husband and kids are sick too, plus the one daughter who is healthy got her driver's license in there too. Life never stops, does it? That was Wednesday morning also. It's been a blessing already, having her driving. She and her brother are taking it hard, but my oldest has been a help. The service is Monday and I can't wait to have it over. We're doing a graveside service at a military cemetery, with a short private viewing before, and then we're done. My church and neighbors have been around with dinner and hugs and the phone's been ringing. But I want my dad back so bad it hurts.

I know he's okay where he is and I'm so glad for his sake it was fast. But how did 6 months turn into 2 weeks? I was counting on more time to say goodbye! This was too fast for me. We had a great visit on Sunday, and on Monday morning he was fine, and then that was the beginning of the end. He started getting delirious and he never rallied much. When Mom called on Tuesday, I came and he recognized me and was happy to see me. But he talked a lot of gibberish most of the time I was there. Sometimes it was funny. But I knew he was fading fast and I didn't think he would last till the end of the week.

Oh, I hate this. I want my dad back.

I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. It's great that you were able to spend time with him last weekend when he was having a good day, but that makes his sudden decline and passing that much more of a shock. You and your family will be in my prayers as you do what needs to be done in the next few days and as you begin to adjust to this unwelcome change in your lives.

Sorry to hear about the loss of your dad. It's been over a year, and there's not a day that goes by that I don't really miss my mom. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad's passing. Hang in there. You and your family remain in my prayers.

Oh, Cindy, we've never even met in real life, yet my tears flow for you and your family. How heartbreaking to have the time cut so short. Thank goodness you had some good days with him before.

Sad news, indeed. My thoughts are with you.

Sorry to hear of your Dad's passing, Cindy.

My thoughts are with you during this time of sorrow.

My condolences to you and your family.

I understand your feelings because after 4 years, I still want my Dad back too. I know that our fathers are at peace now, but that doesn't make it easier for us that are left behind. Just try to remember the moments that are special in your memory that you shared with him and he will be with you in spirit.
You are in my prayers.

Sorry to hear about your loss. Our thoughts are with you.

Nothing can really prepare you for it. I am not sure if the loss gets any less, maybe just less immediate. My father died over 10 years ago and he lived in another state since I was 5, but it is still hard.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

Thinking about you today, Cindy. My prayers and sympathy to you and your family.

Thanks everyone. The funeral is over with and I'm so glad. It was hard and awful in many ways, but it could have been worse. My poor sister was such a mess, but Mom held up pretty well. My kids took it hard. And in the middle of everything, my husband and oldest daughter both have nasty cases of bronchitis and are on their second rounds of antibiotics. But I'm sure the prayers all helped, because I haven't gotten sick, and I'm still hanging on, more or less.

Thank you for the update. Hope your husband and daughter are feeling better soon and that you stay well. You remain in my thoughts and prayers. Keep hanging in there.

I am back and ready to get back into the challenge, but I think it's time for a new thread, so here's the link: http://www.librarything.com/topic/115908.