Lori's (thornton37814) Year-Long Vacation from Meaningful Categories - Thread 2

Time for a new thread. I'm generally just rotating through my vacation spots. I reserve the right to place a book read in one of these locations or set/partially set in one in the corresponding category.

1. Charleston - This historic South Carolina city holds the honor of "top vacation destination" in my book! When I moved to the Great Smoky Mountains area, it became my "go-to" place to get away for a few days. I love its history, beautiful plantations and gardens, and the food!

2. Quebec City - A destination in French-speaking Canada. Louise Penny's installment set here reminded me of my life-long desire to visit the Chateau Frontenac. During my childhood years, my family owned a book featuring photos from all over the world. The Chateau Frontenac enchanted me even then and made me want to visit!

3. Boston - Another city filled with history! I enjoy walking through many parts of the city and catching the T to visit others.

4. Yellowstone National Park - Who doesn't want to visit the thermal features and wildlife in Yellowstone?

5. Cornwall - I wanted to pick a United Kingdom destination away from London. I chose Cornwall because its geographic coastline features enthrall me when I read!

6. Santa Rosa Beach, Florida - My trip to Grayton Beach State Park in this Gulf of Mexico town provided memorable relaxation! Great dunes there too.

7. San Diego - Perfect temperature all year long with a great zoo to visit. I always enjoy visiting the "cats," but you won't find me near the reptiles.

8. Amish Country - The exact location is intentionally vague. I enjoy visiting both the Pennsylvania and Ohio Amish Country areas. I love visiting the stores and restaurants as well as just driving through the countryside. Perhaps I feel a connection because my Amish ancestors lived in these places. Both my mom and myself always felt a connection to Charm, Ohio. When I acquired my ancestors' deeds, I discovered the very view we admired belonged to them!

9. Bahamas - Although tourism dominates many areas, the country still offers escape at affordable pricing.

10. Cork - I wanted to pick a destination in the country with no snakes. Thank you, St. Patrick, for driving them out! I didn't want to select Dublin, so I picked a city near the coast with some interesting things to do, such as kissing the Blarney Stone.

Abandoned reads go in Harlan, Kentucky. I drove through there once and never wanted to visit again!

Category 1: Charleston

1. Pusserina the Wondercat by Kenneth B. Melvin; illustrated by Linda Albrecht - completed 1 Jan 2018
2. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale - completed 15 Jan 2018
3. Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody - completed 25 Jan 2018
4. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter - completed 4 Feb 2018
5. The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore - completed 11 Feb 2018
6. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell; illustrated by David Catrow - completed 21 Feb 2018
7. Grand Canyon by Jason Chin - completed 22 Feb 2018
8. The Birds of the Innocent Wood by Deirdre Madden - completed 15 Mar 2018
9. A Vicarage Reunion by Kate Hewitt - completed 31 Mar 2018
10. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser - completed 7 Apr 2018
11. The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates - completed 14 Apr 2018
12. Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes; illustrated by Gordon C. James - completed 8 May 2018
13. The Story of Georgia's Boundaries: A Meeting of History and Geography by William J. Morton - completed 23 May 2018
14. Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com: How to Find Your Family History on the #1 Genealogy Website by Nancy Hendrickson - completed 6 Jun 2018

Category 2: Quebec City

1. Raised Bed Gardening: How to Use Simple Raised Beds to Grow a Beautiful Vegetable Garden by Dane Alexander - completed 1 Jan 2018
2. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - completed 17 Jan 2018
3. Hiding the Past by Nathan Dylan Goodwin - completed 27 Jan 2018
4. Oh No, Gotta Go! by Susan Middleton Elya; illustrated by C. Brian Karas - completed 4 Feb 2018
5. Folly by Stella Cameron - completed 12 Feb 2018
6. A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard; illustrated by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen - completed 21 Feb 2018
7. Portrait of a Murderer by Anne Meredith - completed 25 Feb 2018
8. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley - completed 15 Mar 2018
9. The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Table by Rick Bragg - completed 31 Mar 2018
10. Umbrella by Taro Yashima - completed 10 Apr 2018
11. Society in Early North Carolina: A Documentary History edited by Alan D. Watson - completed 14 Apr 2018
12. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams - completed 17 May 2018
13. Dressed for Death by Donna Leon - completed 27 May 2018
14. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann - completed 7 Jun 2018

Category 3: Boston

1. The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg - completed 2 Jan 2018
2. Mary and Her Litttle Lamb by Will Moses - completed 17 Jan 2018
3. The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri - completed 29 Jan 2018
4. The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck by Laura Murray; illustrated by Mike Lowery - completed 4 Feb 2018
5. Keri Tarr, Cat Detective by Wendy Lement; illustrated by Jeffrey Scott Burrows - completed 4 Feb 2018
6. Better Off Read by Nora Page - completed 15 Feb 2018
7. The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie dePaola - completted 21 Feb 2018
8. In the Shadow of the Glacier by Vicki Delany - completed 27 Feb 2018
9. In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War by Tobias Wolff - completed 20 Mar 2018
10. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney - completed 1 Apr 2018
11. The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits by Elizabeth Peters - completed 10 Apr 2018
12. The Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson - completed 19 Apr 2018
13. Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly - completed 8 May 2018
14. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro - completed 18 May 2018
15. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware - completed 29 May 2018
16. The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe - completed 16 Jun 2018

Category 4: Yellowstone National Park

1. Strawberry Yellow by Naomi Hirahara - completed 4 Jan 2018
2. My Teacher by James Ransome - completed 17 Jan 2018
3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel - completed 1 Feb 2018
4. Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett - completed 4 Feb 2018
5. The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor - completed 16 Feb 2018
6. Plenty of Love to Go Around by Emma Chichester Clark - completed 21 Feb 2018
7. Slight Mourning by Catherine Aird - completed 27 Feb 2018
8. The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P. D. James - completed 21 Mar 2018
9. Bats in the Belfry by E. C. R. Lorac - completed 1 Apr 2018
10. Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful: Poems by Alice Walker - completed 11 Apr 2018
11. Mad Hatters and March Hares: All-New Stories from the World of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland - edited by Ellen Datlow - completed 19 Apr 2018
12. The Museum of Literary Souls by John Connolly - completed 19 May 2018
13. Once in a Blue Moon Lodge by Lorna Landvik - completed 29 May 2018
14. Station to Station: Searching for Stories on the Great Western Line by James Attlee - completed 18 Jun 2018

Category 5: Cornwall

1. Funeral Music by Morag Joss - completed 5 Jan 2018
2. Buried in the Country by Carola Dunn - completed 8 Jan 2018
3. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper; illustrated by George & Doris Hauman - completed 17 Jan 2018
4. 'Over the Hills and Far Away': The Life of Beatrix Potter by Matthew Dennison - completed 1 Feb 2018
5. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats - completed 4 Feb 2018
6. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead - completed 18 Feb 2018
7. Just One More by Jennifer Hansen Rolli - completed 21 Feb 2018
8. Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago by Reino Gevers - completed 1 Mar 2018
9. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White - completed 24 Mar 2018
10. Ice Cream Kitty by Nerina DiBenedetto; illustrated by Martha Houghton - completed 2 Apr 2018
11. Revolutionary Petunias & Other Poems by Alice Walker - completed 11 Apr 2018
12. The Sayers Swindle by Victoria Abbott - completed 21 Apr 2018
13. Every Seven Years by Denise Mina - completed 20 May 2018
14. Humming Words: A Collection of Poetry by Nancy Warwick - completed 29 May 2018
15. Probable Claws by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown - completed 21 Jun 2018

Category 6: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

1. Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates - completed 7 Jan 2018
2. My Baby Blue Jays by John Berendt - completed 17 Jan 2018
3. Planting Corn Belt Culture: The Impress of the Upland Southerner and Yankee in the Old Northwest by Richard Lyle Power - completed 1 Feb 2018
4. The Puppy Who Went to School by Gail Herman; illustrated by Betina Ogden - completed 4 Feb 2018
5. A Necessary End by Peter Robinson - completed 19 Feb 2018
6. Taking Care of Mama by Mitra Modarressi - completed 21 Feb 2018
7. Foreign Bodies edited by Martin Edwards - completed 1 Mar 2018
8. Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough - completed 26 Mar 2018
9. Collected Poems in English and French by Samuel Beckett - completed 2 Apr 2018
10. Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert - completed 12 Apr 2018
11. Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell - completed 24 Apr 2018
12. How to Read Poetry Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster - completed 21 May 2018
13. Murder on the Leviathan by Boris Akunin - completed 31 May 2018
14. Gardenlust: A Botanical Tour of the World's Best New Gardens by Christopher Woods - completed 22 June 2018

Category 7: San Diego

1. Where I Was From by Joan Didion - completed 1 Jan 2018
2. The Toad Who Loved Tea by Faiz Kermani - completed 8 Jan 2018
3. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books by Lucille Colandro; illustrated by Jared Lee - completed 17 Jan 2018
4. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters - completed 3 Feb 2018
5. Rhymes Round the World by Kay Chorao - completed 4 Feb 2018
6. Old Bear and His Cub by Olivier Dunrea - completed 21 Feb 2018
7. Good Morning, Digger by Anne Rockwell; illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg - completed 21 Feb 2018
8. Death by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge - completed 3 Mar 2018
9. Macbeth by Jo Nesbo - completed 27 Mar 2018
10. The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide: How to Find Your Ancestors in Archived Newspapers by James M. Beidlerr - completed 3 Apr 2018
11. Timothy Turtle by Alice Vaught Davis; illustrated by Guy Brown Wiser - completed 12 Apr 2018
12. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace - completed 25 Apr 2018
13. Snow in August by Pete Hamill - completed 23 May 2018
14. Blood on the Tracks edited by Martin Edwards - completed 2 Jun 2018
15. Nocturne by Deborah Crombie - completed 22 June 2018

Category 8: Amish Country

1. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - completed 12 Jan 2018
2. The Balfour Declaration: Sixty-Seven Words, 100 Years of Conflict by Elliot Jager - completed 19 Jan 2018
3. Creole Holiday by Phyllis A. Whitney - completed 3 Feb 2018
4. Involuntary Witness by Gianrico Carofiglio - completed 6 Feb 2018
5. Destination: Antarctica by Robert Swan - completed 21 Feb 2018
6. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans - completed 21 Feb 2018
7. Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey - completed 7 Mar 2018
8. The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis; illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon - completed 28 Mar 2018
9. Endgame: a Play in One Act; Followed by: Act Without Words: A Mime for One Player by Samuel Beckett - completed 4 Apr 2018
10. Timothy Turtle by Al Graham; illustrated by Tony Palazzo - completed 12 Apr 2018
11. Blackout by Ragnar Jonasson - completed 1 May 2018
12. Appalachian Ghosts by Nancy Roberts ; photographs by Bruce Roberts - completed 23 May 2018
13. Bad to the Bones by Rett MacPherson - completed 4 Jun 2018
14. The Curio Dealer's Wife by I. J. Parker - completed 22 June 2018

Category 9: Bahamas

1. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens - completed 13 Jan 2018
2. Laughter and Early Sorrow: and Other Stories by Brett Busang - completed 20 Jan 2018
3. Little Poems for Tiny Ears by Lin Oliver; illustrated by Tomie DePaolo - completed 4 Feb 2018
4. From Jerusalem to Timbuktu: A World Tour of the Spread of Christianity by Brian C. Stiller
5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle - completed 21 Feb 2018
6. Luke Goes to Bat by Rachel Isadora - completed 21 Feb 2018
7. The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves - completed 7 Mar 2018
8. Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper - completed 28 Mar 2018
9. First Love and Other Shorts by Samuel Beckett - completed 6 Apr 2018
10. Walking Out: Poems by Betty Adcock - completed 12 Apr 2018
11. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon - completed 6 May 2018
12. The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo ; illustrated by Ruth Heller - completed 23 May 2018
13. The Man in My Basement by Walter Mosley - completed 5 Jun 2018
14. The King's Justice by E. M. Powell - completed 23 Jun 2018

Category 10: Cork, Ireland

1. Friends in High Places by Donna Leon - completed 15 Jan 2018
2. The Litttle Red Chairs by Edna O'Brien - completed 20 Jan 2018
3. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall - completed 21 Jan 2018
4. Three Little Kittens by Jerry Pinkney - completed 4 Feb 2018
5. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay - completed 10 Feb 2018
6. Ladybug Girl and Bingo by David Soman and Jacky Davis - completed 21 Feb 2018
7. Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart - completed 22 Feb 2018
8. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon - completed 14 Mar 2018
9. Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor - completed 18 Mar 2018
10. Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie - completed 31 Mar 2018
11. Fire in the Thatch by E. C. R. Lorac - completed 6 Apr 2018
12. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car by Ian Fleming - completed 12 Apr 2018
13. Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell - completed 8 May 2018
14. Two Queens of Heaven: Aphrodite, Demeter by Doris Gates ; illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman - completed 23 May 2018
15. An Early Wake by Sheila Connolly - completed 26 May 2018
16. Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin - completed 5 Jun 2018
17. Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor - completed 27 Jun 2018

Abandoned Reads: Harlan, Kentucky

1. Hidden Pasts by Clio Gray - abandoned 28 Jan 2018
2. Flat Broke with Two Goats: A Memoir of Appalachia by Jennifer McGaha - abandoned 12 Apr 2018
3. The Gathering by Anne Enright - abandoned 10 Jun 2018

69. Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago by Reino Gevers

Date Completed: 1 Mar 2018

Category: Cornwall

Challenges: Nonfiction Challenge - Far, Far Away: Traveling/Travel Narrative

Rating: 3 stars

Review: The author made a pilgrimage along Spain's well-known Camino. He tells about his guide and travel companions, other pilgrims they encountered, and experiences in towns along the way. While the author includes some religious reflection which is the pilgrimage's purpose, he doesn't really share enough about this aspect. Perhaps he considered it too private, but in a book devoted to religious pilgrimage, it seems he needed to share in enough detail what the experience did for him that others would want to follow his steps. The book needed editing. An overabundance of "be" verbs and passive constructions made readability suffer. I received the book through a GoodReads giveaway with the hope of a review.

The first time I lived in Germany, we had a friend who wanted to walk to Santiago from Munich, accompanied only by a donkey. We lost touch with him when we returned to the US and I wonder if he ever did it.

>14 RidgewayGirl: It would be interesting to find out. This guy kept in touch with one of his main companions but lost touch with the other.

My current audiobook is the first in Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope series. I'm about halfway through the second section. No crime yet (except a suicide which isn't questioned). No Vera yet. I'm becoming impatient. I wondered if other readers complained about this. I found a review stating Vera doesn't appear until the 6th disc. I hope I can endure that long. I love Cleeves' Shetland series with Jimmy Perez, but I'm not in love with this book. Still the reviews make me want to try to stick with it.

Happy new thread! You're doing a great job at keeping your categories balanced :)

I have to get back to Shetland and/or start the Vera series.

>17 rabbitprincess: That's because I'm mostly rotating through them. I hope I enjoy the Vera series. I should finish it while I'm traveling during spring break.

70. Foreign Bodies edited by Martin Edwards

Date Completed: 1 Mar 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Global Mysteries; AlphaKIT - F

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Martin Edwards offers short stories in translation in this volume. Normally I'll discover one or two real duds among a few gems and mostly mediocre to slightly above average offerings. Nothing really hit me as being a "dud" or even below average in this collection. "The Kennel" by Maurice Level became the first "standout story." I enjoyed the twist at the end. The introduction compared his work to Guy de Maupassant and Edgar Allan Poe. Perhaps that is why it resonated so well with me. I usually enjoy short stories by both of those authors. Told in the form of letters, "The Stage Box Murder" by Paul Rosenhayn provides the story of a murderer who lacks the cleverness he thinks he possesses. Although I guessed it, I still loved it. "The Mystery of the Green Room" by Pierre Very makes a statement about reading's importance, drawing heavily from The Mystery of the Yellow Room throughout. The author also mentions Poe's "The Purloined Letter." I received an advance copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Happy new thread, Lori!

I say this almost everytime someone starts a new thread, but ill say it again. I always like looking over the books in the beginning messages to review what's been read. You surely have gotten a lot read already. Happy new thread!

>20 MissWatson: Thanks!

>21 dudes22: It is fun to review them. As I told someone, about half of them are children's books, but regardless, I'm still ahead of where I'd normally be this time of year without them.

Happy new thread - and new travels, Lori!

>23 VivienneR: I always use our spring break as a chance to get away a few days. It just so happened this time I needed to make it a working getaway. I'm hoping I will have a chance for a few days without anything but fun and relaxation on the schedule this summer.

71. Death by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge

Date Completed: 3 Mar 2018

Category: San Diego

Challenges: None

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Liz Holt returns to Indialantic, Florida where her father runs the Indialantic by the Sea Hotel. We meet an odd assortment of characters who appear to find little to do other than drop names of old movies. (How many old titles can be fit into the book? Hundreds, it seemed.) Robbery appears to be the motive when a wealthy guest turns up dead about 40% of the way into the book. This installment failed to make me care about the amateur sleuth, detective, or any other character. I felt the author simply tried to show off her knowledge of old movies. I looked forward to a mystery set in this locale but came away disappointed. Other readers may find it more appealing. I will skip future installments. I received an advance reader's copy through NetGalley with the expectation an honest review would be written.

My cats are becoming better travelers. They did well on the drive to Richmond. They explored the room, making frequent trips to my lap, when we arrived at the hotel. The room is quite dark though. The desk lacks a lamp. Two bedside lamps, a floor lamp, and the entry way light seems to be it. None are very bright. Not enough light to cross-stitch. Fortunately the iPad provides light so I'll just read in a bit. I'm relaxing and giving my eyes a bit of a break first.

>13 thornton37814:
One of my coworkers did the Camino de Santiago last year as a bike-ride (not for a religious reason, just as a biking-trip). He came back with lots of great photos and stories of the people he rode (and sometimes walked) with. Sounded amazing.

>27 -Eva-: Seems to be quite popular.

Today was a good eating day. I started the day with a "Got Your Goat" biscuit from The Fancy Biscuit. The biscuit included fried chicken, goat cheese, and pepper jelly with balsamic drizzled all over the plate. I skipped lunch because I was stuffed. I read about the "Fresh Fruit Cake" from Shindigz (next to The Fancy Biscuit). I got a carry-out piece which I ate tonight in the room. Yummy! (I only ate half the piece so I get to enjoy it later too.) I also picked up donuts for tomorrow from The Sugar Shack. I remembered it from my last trip to Richmond where we made a run before they closed because a friend wanted to try their maple bacon one. I didn't get maple bacon, but I got a Butterfinger one that looks promising! I went to Buz & Ned's, a barbecue joint, for supper. I know I ate there with some others before, but I forgot it wasn't as good as North Carolina or Tennessee barbecue despite its high ratings. We leave for Raleigh in the morning but we can take our time. I think the trip will take about 3 hours, but we will sightsee along the way to kill time.

72. Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey

Date Completed: 7 Mar 2018

Category: Amish Country

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Global Mysteries

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Street children in Accra suffer death at the hands of a man leaving them in trashy places. The killer leaves behind other clues which Inspector Darko Dawson and others of the Accra police must decipher before the killer's apprehension. In the meantime, Darko's son Hosiah needs an expensive operation. Quartey's series locale provides an atmosphere unlike most other detective series. While vocabulary differs somewhat from American terminology, a glossary helps readers with some of the nuances of the dialect.

>30 thornton37814: That sounds really interesting.

>30 thornton37814:
I've only read the first one in that series (it was an Early Reviewer book back in 2009) and I now see that he's up to five installments! I liked the main character a lot, so I shall have to catch up.

>31 RidgewayGirl: It's the second in the series. I think you'd enjoy this one because of the setting and because Darko is a "flawed" detective in many ways.

>32 -Eva-: I read the first last year. It's an interesting series.

73. The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

Date Completed: 7 Mar 2018

Category: Bahamas

Challenges:MysteryCAT - Global Mysteries

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Three women engaged in environmental concerns live together in Baikie's cottage in Northumberland. Rachel's close friend Bella commits suicide. Rachel wants to find out why Bella was driven to this deed. Much of the plot for half the book sounds much like a soap opera. When one of the three women is murdered, we finally meet Inspector Vera Stanhope. While the soap-opera-like drama continues, Stanhope investigates. The plot's multiple layers provide something for most readers. Aging detective Stanhope is likable, but provides a slightly different look and feel to a detective than what is usually found in the genre. Once Vera made an appearance, I began enjoying the novel more, but the lack of crime and long introduction put me off a bit initially. I plan to continue with the next installment, but I do hope we don't need to wait so long for a crime and detective. I listened to the audio version narrative by Anne Dover. I enjoyed the narration.

Murder at the Lake by Bruce Beckham is free today at the Kindle store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RU7SNP0. I recently entered a Giveaway for the 7th in the series and received a notification from the guy's marketer this one was free today in the Kindle store. It's the 4th in the series. It looks like ratings here on LT average 3.67. I thought I'd give it a try at some point when I get caught up with other reads so I snagged it. Thought other mystery fans might be interested as well.

As soon as I round up the boys, we're going to head toward home. Of course, loading the car will take a few minutes after the round-up! They have more luggage than I do -- two cat carriers, litter box, food bowls, food container with dry food, food and water bowls, treats, canned food (which is mostly gone now except for the extra can I packed just in case), cat litter box, gallon jug of water, large scratching post, covers for the sofas and chairs, etc. I had my small suitcase, my shoulder laptop case, and a tote bag with research, a few things that wouldn't fit in the suitcase, my Bible and devotional book, one more book, and a cross-stitch project I ended up not touching because of poor lighting in Richmond which is where I thought I'd get more work done on it. It's been nice to have them with me.

>29 thornton37814: Finding new places to eat and visiting old favorites is a big part of the fun traveling isn't it?

I hope you had a good break and made some progress on your research.

>14 RidgewayGirl: Sorry, going back a bit, but I wonder if your friend was inspired by Tim Moore's Spanish Steps where he walks the Camino with a donkey. It's a very amusing book, although it sounded like more stress than I could be doing with, the walk by itself would be enough for me!

Happy continued travels, Lori!

>37 clue: I was making progress on a presentation, and I really think I have everything I need now to put it completely together. That was the goal.

>38 Jackie_K: Thanks. The boys and I made it home around 3:30 this afternoon. We were all happy to arrive.

The boys sprang forward last night before I did. They seemed to know it was Daylight Savings Time. It challenged me to find a place to put my feet when I joined them.

Cozy kitties! :)

>30 thornton37814: Lori, I am on the final pages of Gold of Our Fathers which is the 4th Darko Dawson book. I have really enjoyed this one and I see my library has the fifth one as well so I will be reading that at some point as well.

>41 rabbitprincess: They were quite cozy.

>42 DeltaQueen50: Good to know it continues to be a good series. I put the series off for awhile because I don't always enjoy things set in Africa. I enjoy some things, but others really fall flat for me. For example, I never warmed to the Alexander McCall Smith series everyone else liked.

For the most part I have really liked the Darko Dawson series, but I did think the third book was the weakest, or at least, the one that least appealed to me. I was happy to find this fourth one is a good one. I never got into the Alexander McCall Smith series thinking they would be a little too "cozy" for me, but I agree they seem to be beloved by his fans.

>44 DeltaQueen50: I'll remember when I get to #3 that it isn't the strongest.

>40 thornton37814:, what a perfect picture! I took one that's nearly the opposite last night lol. I got back from a trip and one of our kitties immediately plopped down next to me. When one of the others jumped up and sat down just a few inches away, you should have seen the dirty looks that got exchanged! I'll have to try to upload it later today :)

>46 whitewavedarling: I'll look forward to seeing your photo!

I've been weeding and reclassifying some psychology and counseling books today. Here are a few:

           

>48 thornton37814:
That first one's cover, though! :D

>49 -Eva-: We loved it. The whole book was illustrated. It should sell easily in the book sale.

74. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon

Date Completed: 14 Mar 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Global Mysteries; Two Guidos

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Brunetti identifies a man found floating in a canal as an American military health inspector. Patta pressures Brunetti to accept a concocted explanation which will appease high profile persons in Venice. Vicardi, one such influential person, reports stolen paintings. A recently released criminal becomes the immediate suspect in the painting thefts. Brunetti continues to investigate the murder as he can but one person he plans to interview dies before he gets to do so. This installment's plot stretches the boundaries of belief, even for a country with as much corruption as the Italy portrayed by Leon. The ending does not completely satisfy.

75. The Birds of the Innocent Wood by Deirdre Madden

Date Completed: 15 Mar 2018

Category: Charleston

Challenges: Irish Author Challenge, AlphaKIT - I

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Madden weaves a dark story about Jane, whose parents perished in a fire when she was only two, and her two daughters. Raised by an aunt and sent to boarding school, Jane felt unwanted and unloved. She felt lonely and somehow isolated herself from society, even isolating herself from her husband. The daughters grew up loving their mother but frightened of her. The odd family dynamics contributed to strangeness in their own behaviors. The remote location plays into the novel's depictions of despair. The novel looks at loneliness, isolation, and secrets. Madden does a good job crafting the Somerset Maugham award-winning narrative. Although readers may not feel a personal connection to the characters, they may reflect on individual psychology and make comparisons to their own family dynamics.

76. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley

Date Completed: 15 Mar 2018

Category: Quebec City

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Global Mysteries

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Flavia, now part of an elite group known as the Nide, crosses the Atlantic in the company of a pair of doctors to attend Mrs. Bodycote's Female Academy in Toronto. On her first night, another girl scrambles up the chimney in Flavia's room to avoid being caught breaking curfew. She gets the fright of her life as she and a skeleton come crashing down the chimney. Flavia can't resist looking into the mystery although she lacks information access she might expect back home in Bishop's Lacey. She discovers several "missing" girls from recent years. Flavia, whose passion for poisons impresses, gets to study chemistry with a woman charged with murdering her husband but found innocent. This thrills her. Flavia does not know which fellow students are members of the Nide and which are not, so she must trust no one.

Flavia charms the reader as much as in previous installments. Jayne Entwistle's narration equally delights the listener, making him feel as though he sat and heard a great storyteller. I look forward to the next installment.

77. Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor

Date Completed: 18 Mar 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland - It's actually set there.

Challenges: AlphaKIT - I

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Siobhán O'Sullivan brings bread to a Kilbane Castle wedding party just moments before a body is discovered. Since the murder occurred before she arrived on the scene, she is not a suspect, but her boyfriend who belongs to the Garda is, especially since his cap is discovered with the body. After he is excluded initially from the investigation, he jokingly makes a remark she's the next best thing to an investigator, she uses that as an excuse to insert herself into the investigation as she would have done anyway. I really don't think I'm the _target demographic for this series. The novel is too chatty, too convoluted, and seems to be one which would appeal most to those under age 35. The pacing and interest do pick up somewhat in the last eighty pages or so. I plan to read (or at least attempt to read) the next one only because I read a review of it that indicates the author possibly matured a bit as a writer. If it does not draw me in sooner, I will likely give up the series.

78. In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War by Tobias Wolff

Date Completed: 20 Mar 2018

Category: Boston

Challenges: American Author Challenge, AlphaKIT - I

Rating: 4 stars

Review: As a child, I sometimes watched the news, at least when passing the old television with the big antenna atop the house which picked up two stations--the NBC and CBS affiliates. Almost every night, at least from the age I remembered anything I saw, we heard news stories from some strange place with jungles where a lot of Americans engaged in war. The place, of course, was Vietnam. Tobias Wolff provides a first-hand look at his experience as an officer both before and during his being stationed there. The majority deals with time spent in the My Tho region. I enjoyed his sincere narrative which showed his development as an individual and as a soldier. He offers keen observations on both the Vietnamese and American forces. i want to read more of Wolff's work in the future.

> 78 I read this years ago and would like to read it again. I also liked A Boy's Life a lot. If you haven't read Karl Marlante's novel Matterhorn, it's a fine book too and you might want to take a look at it.

>56 clue: I'll have to look at that one by Marlante. Others raved about A Boy's Life so it will likely be my next Wolff. Without the AAC, I likely would never have picked up a book by Wolff. These challenges are broadening my reading.

79. The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P. D. James

Date Completed: 21 Mar 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Global Mysteries

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Compiled posthumously this short story collection features the work of P. D. James, including the title story, a couple featuring her best-known sleuth Adam Dagleish, and one other. All stories resonate with the mystery reader. It offers no "duds," a rare statement for any short story anthology. I listened to the audio version narrated by Jenny Agutter and Dan Weyman.

>55 thornton37814:, bb taken...

>59 whitewavedarling: Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I'm thankful to be home with my cats. It's earlier than I expected to be home when I left on the trip, but if we'd waited, we might still be stuck. As we were in the first evening of meetings, the husband of the librarian hosting our meeting called to let us know of an 8-12 inch snow prediction set to begin the following evening. We rushed through the agenda for the evening and began working on the next day's agenda that first night. We were able to cancel the next night's hotel room. One librarian who had flown could not get the airline to change his flight, but we could at least get him to the airport where he could stay at a hotel nearer the airport offering shuttle service. We began yesterday's meeting a little earlier than originally planned and were able to finish the agenda by lunch time. We ate lunch together and then all began heading home. The expected amount of snowfall had been downsized butt we all wanted to get home. Even the librarian who had flown was able to get the last flight out that evening.

Carrie (cbl_tn) and I ran into traffic problems after crossing into Tennessee. The GPS offered us a "better route" so after taking about 30 minutes to travel the next mile to the next exit, we got off to follow its suggested course. The road on which it detoured us reminded me of a gravel or dirt road which was barely wide enough for two vehicles. It was "paved" but there was so much dust on it and so many potholes you sometimes questioned it. The bridges were all one lane bridges. We were fortunate we only met oncoming traffic a couple of times--at total of four or five cars. It was almost 3 miles to where one caught the road from the interstate, and then the road was 15 miles long. Fortunately it was just past the conclusion of the construction zone causing the traffic problems. Our estimated arrival had been around 10 p.m., but it ended up being 11:30 p.m.

I spent the night at Carrie's and came home to my cats first thing this morning. They were happy to see me, and I'm quite happy to hug and pet them as much as they want. I received my belated birthday gift from Carrie which included a copy of Brunetti's Venice which I'm looking forward to reading between Guido novels.

Good to hear you are safely home, Lori. That sounds like quite the drive - good thing you had Carrie's company.

>61 thornton37814:
Quite an adventure! :)

>62 DeltaQueen50: Yes. We also had someone from Lexington on that part of the trip. We did manage to stop for ice cream at Graeter's in the Cincinnati area on the way home. We'd planned to eat some last night at an Indianapolis location, but we managed to stop along our route so at least the ones of us in our vehicle got our ice cream!

>63 -Eva-: It will be a memorable trip. I just checked and the snow depth in Indianapolis is now 7.8 inches and will not end until 10:30 p.m. so I'm glad we got out when we did.

>64 thornton37814:
Oh, not recommended driving weather. :)

>65 -Eva-: Definitely not.

80. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White

Date Completed: 24 Mar 2018

Category: Cornwall

Challenges: British Author Challenge - Classic Thrillers

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Iris Carr boards a train in Europe where she meets Miss Froy, an English governess. Soon Miss Froy cannot be found. The other passengers do not seem bothered by the disappearance and begin thinking Iris suffers delusions. An imposter appears, but Iris recognizes the facial discrepancies, and realizes a conspiracy is afoot and Miss Froy's life endangered. I watched Hitchcock's take on this several years ago, so the film came to mind as I read it. The book is as excellent as the film.

>61 thornton37814: I'm glad the organizers were able and willing to speed up the meeting!

>67 thornton37814: I'm taking a BB on that one.

>68 clue: The organizer wanted to "get out of Dodge" like the rest of us. We accomplished our business. That's the important thing. I think you'll enjoy The Lady Vanishes. I also recommend the Hitchcock film. I think there are other remakes, but I think they deviate more from the plot.

The Indy snowfall total is now showing 8.4 inches at Weather Underground, and they are now saying it won't end until 11:30 p.m. I guess that original alert of 8-12 inches was correct.

>70 thornton37814: It's still snowing south of here (here being the south side of Indianapolis) but it stopped about 7 pm here at my house with 5-ish inches total; at least it looks like five inches, because I'm not going out with a ruler to check :). They got 10.5 inches out at the airport though. The roads are a mess. Fortunately I didn't have to go anywhere today.

>71 casvelyn: The reporting station that was the default on Weather Underground got 8.6. I'm glad you survived the storm, but I'm glad Carrie and I got out. We were staying on the north side of town. I know our one friend is glad he got the local folks to change his flight to before the storm. Delta wouldn't change it on the phone. He got put on standby and caught the last flight out Friday night.

>72 thornton37814: If you hadn't left early, you probably wouldn't have got out. The roads were a mess, especially the interstates.

>73 casvelyn: We were afraid of that. We purposefully held the meeting in late March to avoid snow. Our plan didn't work so well.

81. Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough

Date Completed: 26 Mar 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Challenges: Non-Fiction Challenge - Travel Narratives

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Actress Cornelia Otis Skinner and her friend Emily of Muncie, Indiana embark on a European adventure in the early twentieth century. Before they get out of the St. Lawrence River, the boat suffers a wee shipwreck. The girls' humorous adventures make readers laugh. They cover up a case of measles with the assistance of a doctor so as to avoid quarantine. They encounter bed bugs in some accommodations. The tale shows the life of the upper class at that time and place. While travel changed in intervening years, and this type of humorous memoir lacks the popularity it enjoyed at the time it was written, it still amuses. I listened to the audio book read by Celeste Lawson.

82. Macbeth by Jo Nesbo

Date Completed: 27 Mar 2018

Category: San Diego

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Global Mysteries

Rating: 3 stars

Review: This retelling places Duncan has chief police commissioner in a once-important industrial city infested with drugs, organized crime, and corruption. All the major players have roles in the police leadership. When Duncan dies, Macbeth, the head of the SWAT team, succeeds him as commissioner. The Norse Riders fill the role of a gang. The setting did not work for me. I'm not a fan of gritty noir novels, and this take on the classic Shakespeare fit the category. I received an advance electronic copy through the publisher via NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

I am a fan of gritty noir novels and I will keep my eye out for this one.

But now I'm wondering how Shakespeare could be rewritten into cozy mysteries. The comedies, sure, but the tragedies? Duncan manages a yarn shop and MacBeth is the assistant manager whose wife wants him to take over so they can open an adjoining tea room? And the three witches are three retired ladies who run a crochet club on Wednesday nights? I'm not sure it would work, but it'd be fun trying to make it work.

>77 RidgewayGirl: The folks who like gritty noir rate it much higher than I did. I think Macbeth would be hard to rewrite with modern comparisons anyway. A couple of ratings are 4.5 and 5. Some think it is as good as the Atwood installment.

83. The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis; illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon

Date Completed: 28 Mar 2018

Category: Amish Country

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Now 100 years old, Michael's great great aunt Dew comes to live with them. Aunt Dew cared for Michael's father John after his parents died. She often calls Michael "John" because he resembles his father. Michael's mother wants to burn Aunt Dew's hundred penny box in the furnace as she burned many other things Aunt Dew brought with her. The box was a gift to Aunt Dew. Each penny represents a year in her life and helps her recall what happened that year. Michael realizes the importance of that box and wants to save it from destruction. The book does not work as well for today's readers as it did for those in the 1970s. The book does, however, help young readers understand aging. It also helps them understand the value of tradition. The illustrations are all brown tones and underwhelming.

84. Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper

Date Completed: 28 Mar 2018

Category: Bahamas

Challenges: None

Rating: 5 stars

Review: I'm a sucker for cat stories, and this one pleased me very much. A big cat lived alone until a kitten entered the household. The big cat mentored the smaller cat. They were playmates for life until the older cat left and did not return. Then the cycle continues with the once younger cat mentoring a new addition. The black and white illustrations reminded me of a cat story I owned as a child entitled Rich Cat, Poor Cat. While my book may have had a little more color and grayscale to it, the illustrations were sparse, just like this one. The simplicity of the illustrations is effective. It's deserving of its Caldecott honor.

Today is my 11th Thingaversary, so I got to order 12 books. Half arrived because two were ordered as Kindle books and four from Amazon. I'm still awaiting the six arriving from Book Depository. They've shipped so I'm hopeful they will arrive soon.

* indicates it has not arrived
+ indicates Kindle

1. + A Case of Blackmail in Belgravia by Clara Benson
2. + They Rang Up the Police by Joanna Cannan
3. * Say It with Poison by Ann Granger
4. * Swiss Vendetta by Tracee de Hahn
5. * Shepherd of Another Flock by David Wilbourne
6. * Murder, Mr. Mosley by John Greenwood
7. * With Our Blessing by Jo Spain
8. * Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym
9. The Hebrides by Paul Murton
10. Devotions: the Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver
11. The Family Tree Italian Genealogy Guide by Melanie Holtz
12. Discovering Tudor London by Natalie Grueninger

Happy Thingaversary, Lori! Nice haul!

>82 Crazymamie: I'm looking forward to dipping into the book you sent me and these as soon as I get caught up with ARCs. I plan to spend most of the remainder of the day reading. I'll need to dip into some client work either today or tomorrow, but it will probably not take very long. I just need to follow up on a clue in a database with military records. The record may or may not contain the answer I'm seeking, but it's worth a try.

Happy Thingaversary, Lori! I'm glad you found this place.

>84 RidgewayGirl: Me too!

Happy Thingaversary!!! That is a lovely selection of books. I keep chugging away with Devotions and try to read a poem or two each night. It's a lovely way to end the day.

Happy Thingaversary, Lori. Sounds like you going to be spending it in a perfect way. Enjoy your books.

Woo hoo, happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary! You must have been one of the first to join.

>86 LittleTaiko: I really enjoy Mary Oliver's poetry. I had that one on my 2017 Christmas wish list, but no one purchased it for that or for my birthday, so I decided it was time to treat myself to it.

>87 DeltaQueen50: I think I will. Most of the books were book bullets from LT readers.

>88 rabbitprincess: Thanks!

>89 dudes22: I don't know where I rank in order of joining. I know some people celebrate a slightly higher Thingaversary.

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary! Your cats are beautiful! I wish mine got along so well.

>91 virginiahomeschooler: Thanks!

>92 cmbohn: I think their being littermates helped. They've been together since conception.

85. Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie

Date Completed: 31 Mar 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges RandomCAT - Ripped from the Headlines; MysteryCAT - Global Mysteries

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: When Naz Malik fails to show up for an appointment and the babysitter reports he's been out longer than expected, Tim Cavendish worries about him. Naz's wife Sandra disappeared a few months before, leaving her beloved daughter and husband. Tim calls Gemma. When Naz's body is found in a nearby park, the local officer turns the case over to Scotland Yard. Duncan is in charge of the investigation. With suspects ranging from Sandra's family to members of a private, but shady club headed by one of Sandra's friends, Duncan and his partner have their hands full. Gemma and her partner help unofficially. Gemma's main interest is in keeping Naz and Sandra's daughter Charlotte out of the hands of Sandra's family. Another story line involves the pressure of Gemma's family for Duncan and Gemma to officially "tie the knot." This is an excellent installment in a long-running series. It held my interest from start to finish. I listened to the audio narrated by Jenny Sterlin.

Half of the Thingaversary books coming from the UK arrived today--all in separate packages. I think the other 3 books shipped together. Hopefully they'll arrive Monday or Tuesday.

86. A Vicarage Reunion by Kate Hewitt

Date Completed: 31 Mar 2018

Category: Charleston

Challenges: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The second installment of the series featuring the Thornthwaite vicar's daughters features Esther. Esther married Will, but a difficult circumstance drives a bit of a wedge between them. Esther moves home to the vicarage. At the same time, she accepts a package from her employer which allows her to make a completely new start. Esther's parents plan a move to China in the upcoming months, and the curate will move into the vicarage at that time. When Esther's father suggests turning a neglected garden into a community garden, Esther receives the curate's blessing to pursue the project. Much more happens, but to reveal more would give away too much plot. Perhaps the overriding story theme is the phrase Esther's mother utters which was the title of a best-selling counseling book by Frank Minirth and Paul Meier, "Happiness Is a Choice." This series is certain to please readers of the Miss Read books and other English village life books. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

87. The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Table by Rick Bragg

Date Completed: 31 Mar 2018

Category: Quebec City

Challenges: None

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Rick Bragg relates family stories as he shares some of his mother's recipes. His mother, like most Southern cooks of that generation, did not follow recipes. She cooked by eyeballing things and getting the ratio correct based on practice. The family stories needed editing. They failed to draw me in, partly because of excess verbiage and lack of action verbs. Most recipes can be found in other Southern regional cookbooks. In the electronic advance copy, the recipe's conclusion often bumps into text following it, making it difficult for readers. The distinction between the recipe and stories about the recipe needs more separation as well. Perhaps his identification of his mother as the best cook in the world elicits the most contentious point of the book. Why? Because my mom in the neighboring state of Mississippi earned that honor. I received an advance electronic copy of the book through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

88. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney

Date Completed: 1 Apr 2018

Category: Boston

Challenges: British Author Challenge - Folklore, Fables, and Legends

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Irish author Seamus Heaney provides a readable poetic translation of the epic Beowulf. In the poem readers see a mingling of Christian and pagan traditions. Well-versed Biblical students may even notice parallels between Beowulf and warriors in the Bible. Although the Old English appears on facing pages, my lack of knowledge of Old English makes it impossible for me to determine Heaney's faithfulness to the originals. His introduction and acknowledgement provides some background. He admits to differing opinions with other scholars but the final product seems true to the version I remember from college days while being far more readable. Perhaps more readers will find this classic tale accessible because of Heaney's work.

Cooking Easter lunch without too many leftovers challenges those cooking for one. I think I stumbled upon the secret after years of eating leftovers. I purchased a few ham slices and a small amount of potato salad from the deli. I purchased asparagus and may tire of it before the bundle is gone, but I saved enough off the regular price with the sale price to not feel to guilty if some goes to waste. The big challenge for me was the banana pudding. Most places here put cool whip in banana pudding. I dislike that. My mom made a pure custard one which was wonderful. I went with Mom's custard-based one, but I found a container that ensured the bananas would not turn before I finished it. I layered it with the bananas and vanilla wafers and poured custard over the top to seep down in it. The extra custard went into individual pudding cups in the refrigerator to enjoy individually after the banana pudding is gone. I finally achieved a "no fuss" Easter meal. I can do leftovers of everything once, but I will not eat the same thing for a week!

>97 thornton37814: - I usually Like his columns at the end of "Southern Living" magazine every month and I've been thinking about reading his book My Southern Journey but I haven't gotten to it yet. But I think I'll skip this one.

>98 thornton37814: - I do a pretty laid back Easter too. My family does our Easter egg hunt on Palm Sunday and we scatter on Easter. So my sister comes and we just do burgers on the grill with macaroni salad and tossed salad. And key lime pie for my husband. Everyone we tell thinks it's a great idea. Sometimes if the weather is co-operative (i.e. warm) we take our books to the porch and spend some time reading and visiting. This year it's too cold.

>100 dudes22: I someone else's review of the book. That person liked it much more than I did. It was in the 60s here this morning. I did not check to see if it cooled later in the day as I came home and spent the day with the cats, napping and reading. The napping is partly because of a sinus infection that's zapping my energy.

89. Bats in the Belfry by E. C. R. Lorac

Date Completed: 1 Apr 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Classic and Golden Age Mysteries

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Bruce Attleton and Mr. Debrette disappear about the same time. Friends and family believe Attleton went abroad, but his luggage and passport turn up in a London studio called the Belfry. Inspector MacDonald investigates. Searchers find a mutilated body in a cleverly disguised location. Although slight doubts about its identity surface, it turns out to be Attleton. Blackmail, affairs, imposters, and more add to the plot. While the book itself suffers from being dated in writing style, the mystery's plot could probably still do well as a movie. It commands the attention of the reader. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not only was it too cold to sit on the porch yesterday, It's actually snowing here (RI near the coast) this a.m. They say 3-4 inches by noon! I am SO over this!

>102 thornton37814: I think I'll ask the library to order that one! It sounds like it would be worth borrowing for the plot.

>103 dudes22: I noticed our forecast includes 1-3 inches this weekend. Since the dogwoods are in bloom, I assume it will be our "Dogwood Winter." "Blackberry Winter" is yet to come.

>104 rabbitprincess: A lot of people gave it 4 stars. When I read their reviews, the writing style did not seem to bother them as much as it did me. Maybe it simply wasn't the perfect book at the time for me. It is, at least, a solid installment in the series.

90. Ice Cream Kitty by Nerina DiBenedetto; illustrated by Martha Houghton

Date Completed: 2 Apr 2018

Category Cornwall

Challenges: None

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Tommy the cat gets lost when he visits the ice cream truck.The ice cream man takes care of the cat until a girl who knows the cat shows up, telling the ice cream man where he belongs. The illustrations are good but not great. The text falls a bit flat. I know my cats react to the ice cream truck's music, but fortunately our neighborhood lacks lots of children clamoring to get ice cream so they really only know the sound and not the contents. Young readers may come away from reading the book feeling cats may eat ice cream when dairy products can upset their stomachs. This disturbs me. The book contains activities for children, including coloring, connect the dots, a maze, and fill-in-the-blank at the end. I won an electronic copy of the book through Goodreads giveaways with the expectation of an honest review.

91. Collected Poems in English and French by Samuel Beckett

Date Completed: 2 Apr 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Challenges: Irish Author Challenge, RandomCAT - April Loves Books

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: The book is divided into three sections--Beckett's English poems, Beckett's French poems (a few translated by the author himself; the remainder in French alone), and poems by French authors translated by Beckett. Beckett's poetry doesn't really "cut it" for me. It lacks the rhythms of favorite poets and uses a less polite vocabulary. While I enjoyed some of his shorter poems (in both English and French), the ones beyond about a dozen lines did not engage me. I enjoyed some of the other French poems but not others. Beckett's talent must lie in other forms of writing.

Belated Happy Thingaversary! Love that it's "allowed," nay, required to get to order a bunch of new books on your day. Makes me kind of wish I hadn't joined LT so close to my birthday (when I get to buy books anyway...).

>108 -Eva-: Mine is only about 6 weeks difference too. I'm just glad I joined LT.

>109 thornton37814:
Me too! Looks like I joined 3 days after mine - perhaps it was a deluge of new books from that birthday that made me join. :)

>110 -Eva-: Maybe so.

All but one of my Thingaversary books arrived. The last one was dispatched from the UK on the same day the two arriving today were. It amazes me they shipped all six books individually. At least the US shipper sent them individually. (They were mailed from Jamaica, NY.) Hopefully the last one will show up tomorrow.

92. The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide: How to Find Your Ancestors in Archived Newspapers by James M. Beidler

Date Completed: 3 Apr 2018

Category: San Diego

Challenges: AlphaKIT - Y

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Well-known genealogist James M. Beidler discusses newspapers as a genealogical source. He covers most types of newspapers. Religious newspapers were omitted from separate treatment although a few titles showed up in a geographic sample in the book. He does an excellent job relating available databases, even acknowledging ethical questions about business practices of some. Beidler, best known for his German genealogical research, includes international newspapers, not limiting the discussion to the United States. The book's greatest flaw lies in the format of the otherwise excellent bibliography. It does not employ a recognized style manual such as Evidence Explained or Chicago Manual of Style. Since one chapter included information on citing newspapers following the recognized genealogical citation manual Evidence Explained, this surprised me. Beidler's work will become the most-cited "how to" guide on newspaper research in the genealogical community in the near future. All genealogy libraries with methodology collections should purchase a copy. I received an electronic advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

93. Endgame: a Play in One Act; Followed by: Act Without Words: A Mime for One Player by Samuel Beckett

Date Completed: 4 Apr 2018

Category: Amish Country

Challenges: Irish Author Challenge, RandomCAT - April Loves Books

Rating: 2 stars

Review: In this play, the characters are bored with life, simply playing a game, until death. It's not my type of play. A short mime follows at the end. Mime is not something I really enjoy either. All-in-all, this was not a good read for me.

That Kate Hewitt book looks like a winner for me. I hope the library has it!

>114 cmbohn: I like Hewitt's books. She's focusing one story on each sister. It's a nice setting though.

94. First Love and Other Shorts by Samuel Beckett

Date Completed: 6 Apr 2018

Category: Bahamas

Challenges: Irish Author Challenge, RandomCAT - April Loves Books

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Beckett's short stories display his affection for the run-on paragraph. Some paragraphs went on for pages. Overall I enjoyed his short stories more than other work sampled by the author. In the title story, Beckett opens with a cemetery scene--something to which I as a genealogist could relate. Of course, I chided him for not recording all the tombstone information on his first visit, but his purposes in visiting graveyards are different than mine. The story then relates the story of his encounter with the first woman he thought to marry. "Enough" was a little more sexually vulgar than my reading comfort level. "From an Abandoned Work" started off nicely and then got weird. I would classify "Imagination Dead Imagine" and "Ping" as experimental works. They go beyond the bounds of traditional literature. "Ping" reads like what you are seeing on a screen followed by the "ping" sound and the notation in seconds. Definitely a bit strange to read. "Not I" is a monologue featuring "Mouth", with performance rights managed by the Dramatists Play Service. The speech is broken, as if one is only hearing bits and snatches. I'm not exactly certain what to call "Breath." It's only a one page work and is rather strange. I certainly see why Beckett's experimentation earned him a Pulitzer, but overall, his work doesn't appeal to me.

95. Fire in the Thatch by E. C. R. Lorac

Date Completed: 6 Apr 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Classic and Golden Age Mysteries

Rating: 4 stars

Review: This clever mystery featuring Detective Inspector MacDonald sends him to a rural Devon community where Nicholas Vaughan, a very private man, burned in the home he leased. At first glance, it appears to be an accidental fire, but things don't add up in the death of the meticulous and well-liked man. A man who tried to lease or purchase the same property, known as "Little Thatch," questions the man's identity. MacDonald finds the missing pieces, leading to the murderer's motive and identity. This installment is one of the better reads in the British Library Crime Classics series. I received an electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

96. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

Date Completed: 9 Apr 2018

Category: Charleston

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: A few days before Christmas, the Vanderbeekers' landlord, better known as "the Beiderman," notified them their lease would not be renewed. The five children grew up in the Brownstone and wish to continue living there. As their parents seek other affordable alternatives for a family as large as theirs, the children organize an effort to get Mr. Beiderman to change his mind. While some of it does not seem all that realistic, young readers may not notice as much as adults. The author's debut novel shows promise as either a stand-alone or as the beginning of a series featuring the Vanderbeekers.

97. Umbrella by Taro Yashima

Date Completed: 10 Apr 2018

Category: Quebec City

Challenges: AlphaKIT - U & Y

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Story about a Japanese American girl living in New York who waits for a rainy day so she can use her umbrella. Not only is it the first day she gets to use the umbrella, it is also the first day she walks in the city without holding one of her parents' hand. Illustrations in this Caldecott honor recipient, while still nice and colorful, do not hold up well to today's standards. The author includes a few Japanese words and their translations for young readers.

Happy belated Thingaversery!

>120 mysterymax: Thanks, Max.

My ER copy of How to Read Poetry Like a Professor arrived yesterday. I had three more book packages awaiting me today. One was the final book in my Thingaversary haul, which has already been reported. Another is the 9th edition of Turabian, which I pre-ordered. The final book is Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. It's been on my wishlist for a long time, but several genealogists are interested in doing an online group study of it, probably this summer, so I went ahead and ordered it. I'm not sure where we will do the study/discussion. It's being organized via Facebook. I suspect we may take it into something more like Google groups -- or we may just do group emails. Logistics and dates are still being determined.

98. The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits by Elizabeth Peters

Date Completed: 10 Apr 2018

Category: Boston

Challenges: None

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Carol, on a break between semesters from an unnamed midwestern university, uses some of an inheritance she and her mother received to visit Mexico. Her drug-addicted boyfriend Danny accompanies her. She intends to visit her estranged father George after receiving anonymous notes about him. Her father lives with a Mexican family. Ivan invites Carol to join one of his tours of Teotihuacan, and she falls in love with the site. Following an incident, she moves out of the hotel and into the house with her father. Danny experiments with more dangerous drugs. Carol soon realizes something related to drug-trafficking is afoot, but she isn't sure whom she can trust. This book first appeared in 1971. The story fits that time and place and probably received an enthusiastic reception by readers. Today's reader will recognize the "preachiness" against using narcotics and respond less favorably. The audio version by Grace Conlin is not recommended. She reads more as a narrator than as someone trying act the parts with enthusiasm, fear, and the other range of emotions characters should be feeling. The voice did not fit Carol. This book differs significantly from other works I read by the author.

99. Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful: Poems by Alice Walker

Date Completed: 11 Apr 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

Challenges: American Author Challenge

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The poems in this collection are generally short with fairly short lines. Many poems provide insights into the African-American experience or reflect on events of the 1960s and 1970s. I found the poetry enjoyable.

100. Revolutionary Petunias & Other Poems by Alice Walker

Date Completed: 11 Apr 2018

Category: Cornwall

Challenges: American Author Challenge

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: While this collection of poems is not as developed as her later poems, many of the themes of family and church, particularly in the first section, resonated with me. Walker's form uses short lines and short poems.

I read Albions Seed a few years ago and I really enjoyed it. I liked the way it was organized and the writing was clear and intelligent. I think my review is On here, but I don't know how to link to it.

>126 cmbohn: I've only read portions of it. I only just now purchased it. I've used it in libraries, but because it was in non-circulating collections, I've only read a bit at a time. I usually don't have time for reading at the end of a research session because I usually have about the right amount planned. This will help me get it off my "bucket list" of "to be reads."

Abandoned Book Alert



Abandoned Read #2: Flat Broke with Two Goats: A Memoir of Appalachia by Jennifer McGaha

Date Abandoned: 12 Apr 2018

Category: Harlan, Kentucky (Abandoned Reads)

Comments: I gave this book a chance, but it failed to keep me interested enough to keep listening to it. I debated switching to the e-book, but I don't think it would matter. I honestly don't care how an adjunct professor and her CPA husband found themselves owing over $100,000 to the IRS and ended up in a cabin in the woods, living off the grid. I ended up abandoning it. It's a great title, but it's not a book for me.

101. Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert

Date Completed: 12 Apr 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Challenges: AlphaKIT - Y

Rating: 3 stars

Review: While the book is a colorful counting book, some black text appears on navy pages, making it difficult to read.

102. Timothy Turtle by Alice Vaught Davis; illustrated by Guy Brown Wiser

Date Completed: 12 Apr 2018

Category: San Diego

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Timothy Turtle, while sliding down the river bank, falls on his back and cannot turn back over. Other forest animals fail to find a way to turn him over, but the frog knows the solution. The illustrations are dated because of color, but the story probably still contains appeal for young readers.

103. Timothy Turtle by Al Graham; illustrated by Tony Palazzo

Date Completed: 12 Apr 2018

Category: Amish Country

Challenges: None

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Containing very dated illustrations, this book features Timothy Turtle climbing a mountain, ending up on his back, but rocking himself to an upright position and climbing back down where he is greeted and celebrated for his heroic efforts by friends. The book is basically a long poem with lots of repetition, similar words, and word variants. The story does not hold up well for today's readers.

104. Walking Out: Poems by Betty Adcock

Date Completed: 12 Apr 2018

Category: Bahamas

Challenges: None

Rating: 2 stars

Review: This collection of poems, written by Texas-born but long-time North Carolina resident Betty Adcock, contains various styles of poetry. It includes one longer poem, a handful of medium-length poems, but mostly shorter ones. Some of the poems resonated more than others. Overall, though, the collection seemed to lack something.

105. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car by Ian Fleming

Date Completed: 12 Apr 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: The Pott family takes a trip to France after Commander Pott restores an old car with seemingly magical powers. The adventures appeal to young readers. The books makes a great read-aloud. However, I think I will always prefer the film starring Dick Van Dyke. I pictured it as I read the book, even when the plot differs.

106. The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates

Date Read: 14 Apr 2018

Category: Charleston

Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Once again Lucy, the staff, and patrons of the Lighthouse Library, located on North Carolina's Outer Banks, find themselves in the midst of a murder. The victim,a former area resident who planned to donate his collection of valuable historical documents to the library, dies at a library event, and Lucy finds him. Until the evening of the murder, his finalists list for the collection also included Blackmore College's history department. His granddaughter and curator accompanied him to the Outer Banks, immediately becoming suspects. Lucy's boyfriend Connor seeks re-election as mayor, spending much of his time, campaigning. Butch, the detective, warns Lucy against detecting, but somehow the mystery seeks her out. Louise Jane enthralls guests with her haunting stories of local ghosts while Lucy spots her first one and some inexplicable happenings with a model ship on loan from Louise Jane. Although light and cozy, the book keeps the reader engaged. Some portions, particularly in the first few chapters, seemed a bit repetitious, providing details such as Lucy's living arrangements in more than one location. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher via NetGalley with expectations of an honest review.

107. Society in Early North Carolina: A Documentary History edited by Alan D. Watson

Date Completed: 14 Apr 2018

Category: Quebec City

Challenges: Nonfiction Challenge

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Historian Alan D. Watson uses transcribed primary source materials to illustrate what life was like in North Carolina's earliest days. Sources utilized include legislation, court records, wills, estate inventories, road orders, diaries, journals, letters, newspapers, church records, and manuscript collections. Topics addressed include character, family, immigration, taverns, criminality and law enforcement, homes and possessions, health and mortality, towns, travel and transportation, religion, education, and recreation and entertainment. The unusual approach means it is less readable for a general audience, but historians and genealogists should enjoy it. While the author could not select every item fitting each category and those wanting fuller treatment of any subject still need to plow through the same source groups to ensure comprehensiveness, the book serves as a good introduction.

>128 thornton37814: I have heard so much about this book lately, and almost all of it negative. I wonder what the decision-making process involves when they're selecting a book for the big read thing and why they chose that one.

>136 virginiahomeschooler: I saw nothing on the main Big Library Reads page. It appears to be mainly a publisher promotion event, if you look at it. I'm not sure any of the titles which became Big Library Reads were that stellar.

>117 thornton37814: Of all the good books you have been reading Fire in the Thatch hit me with a bullet. It sounds like fun.

>128 thornton37814: Glad to see your review of this one. I keep seeing it on the library's website and thought it must be the "must-read" of the year. Not for me.

>138 VivienneR: I liked Fire in the Thatch better than the earlier Lorac book I read. It was easy to see how much Lorac developed as a writer. You can safely skip the Library Big Read. Despite its great title, no one seems to like the book that much.

>137 thornton37814: It's being promoted as a big read by my library system and the one in Canada I have access to. It's my impression that the books chosen are supposed to be entertaining reads suitable for a wide variety of ages and backgrounds.

>140 RidgewayGirl: It fails to entertain. ;-) They missed the mark big time.

108. The Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson

Date Completed: 19 Apr 2018

Category: Boston

Challenges: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: A man's body is found in Swainsdale. Who is he? How did he get there? When it turns out to be Bernard Allen, who grew up in the village but resided in Canada, Banks must investigate matters in both England and Canada before resolving it. The murder appears to be tied to an unsolved case from five years earlier. There's a bit of an unexpected twist at the end. Inspector Banks is quickly becoming one of my favorite fictional detectives, particularly as narrated by James Langton. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

>142 thornton37814:
I enjoyed that one too. The Canada-bit seemed a bit tacked on, but it was OK. I'm listening to the audio versions as well - good stuff!

>143 -Eva-: James Langton does a super job as narrator. One morning when I'd been listening on the drive to work, I decided I probably had time to finish a section before the colleague in the next office arrived. She arrived a bit earlier than usual so she got there for the last 3 minutes or so. She wanted to know who the narrator was because she really liked his style.

109. Mad Hatters and March Hares: All-New Stories from the World of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland - edited by Ellen Datlow

Date Completed: 19 Apr 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: We chose this book for our spring semester faculty book club, reading only a story or two per week. We had a fun time discussing the book. One professor was an "expert" on the Alice trilogy. Another was a great discussion leader who brought out probing questions to think about. Most of us agreed we enjoyed some stories more than others. Some stories follow the Alice books or draw more from them than others. We tended to like those stories more. We all felt the strongest stories were those at the beginning and end of the book and the mediocre ones were mostly in the middle. Poems served as "book ends." I especially enjoyed the poem shaped like a teapot. One of the more memorable stories depicts an elderly Alice and older Peter Pan in a discussion. It was a fun book for our book club.

110. The Sayers Swindle by Victoria Abbott

Date Completed: 21 Apr 2018

Challenges: None

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Jordan Bingham, a member of a family with a criminal reputation, lives in the Van Alst home with its owner, a woman who collects classic mysteries. Eleven stolen Sayers books were sold by a dealer who had no idea the books were stolen and who is suffering from the effects of head trauma. When they track down the purchaser, they realize something is amiss in the situation. The book goes downhill from there into an absurd plot with nothing to commend it. Audiobook narrator Carla Mercer-Meyer does a good job with the narration of this underwhelming installment.

>143 -Eva-:
Just a heads-up that starting at In a Dry Season and on, they switch narrators. It came as a bit of a shock to me - that is not how Banks speaks!

>147 -Eva-: Say it isn't so! Why ruin a good thing? Langton is the perfect Banks!

>148 thornton37814:
Yes, I agree and I resented the new reader A LOT, especially since, and I think I'm right to warn you now, the new reader isn't aware that Banks is actually a Yorkshire transplant from London, and so gives him a severe Yorkshire accent in In a Dry Season. It was really irritating, which is a shame since that's a really good installment in the series. (He gets better in the next installments, so he must have caught on...). Well, I've warned you now, so hopefully the change will be less harsh for you. :)

>149 -Eva-: Maybe I can read that one instead of listen when I reach it.

>150 thornton37814:
Good idea. I kinda wish I had... :)

>150 thornton37814: Where there's a will . . .

111. Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell - completed 24 Apr 2018

Date Completed: 24 Apr 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Julia, a British attorney with Inland Revenue troubles, travels to Italy and becomes the leading suspect in a murder case involving another British citizen. Some of her British colleagues begin to puzzle over the case in Britain, eventually traveling to Venice. While the writing style is more sophisticated than most, the attorney and tax themes held little appeal to me. Letter-writing played a role in the plot. Literature lovers will enjoy the allusions to several great literary works.

I downloaded both free audiobooks today in AudioSync's teen program. Looking forward to listening to both titles later. I began a Michael Chabon novel in audio format on my commute this morning, and I'm reading Blackout by Ragnar Jonasson, a NetGalley selection.

112. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

Date Completed: 25 Apr 2018

Category: San Diego

Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: I'm certain I would have loved this book as a younger reader. I really don't remember reading it although some of the plot elements seemed vaguely familiar to me. I'm certain not all of those would have been mentioned in reviews I read here, so I must have read it way back in the day. It's a delightful story about two girls who become best friends, share dreams, and help one another through difficult situations for young girls. I listened to the audio book which was wonderfully done with the exception of the annoying music at the beginning and end.

We experienced at earthquake last night in the middle of evening service at church. It's been awhile since I felt (and heard) one like that! Even though it earned only a 3.1 magnitude, it was 14 miles deep and centered about 4 miles away from where I was sitting. Our pastor said, "Whoa! That felt like an earthquake." Then he added, "Thank you, God, for reminding us You are in control." Then he said, "Since we are all still here, we might as well continue." He went right on preaching. Of course, those of us in the office, began pulling up the USGS earthquake info and refreshing until it showed up. Initially they rated it 2.8 and said it was centered at a slightly different spot but they updated the location pretty quickly and then increased the magnitude. When it said was rated 2.8, I kept thinking, "it was stronger than that."

I'm glad the earthquake wasn't stronger, Lori!

>156 thornton37814: We are having some earthquake swarm action in the bay area. While it can be disconcerting, experiencing five 3.0 quakes is way better than one 6.0 quake! Glad you only had one!

>158 mamzel:
Agreed! I'd much rather have daily shakes than a big one! :)

>157 RidgewayGirl: Me too. It was pretty unsettling as it was.

>158 mamzel: Yes. I've been in one that was rated a little over 5 before, but nothing stronger.

>159 -Eva-: None of us want a big one!

>160 thornton37814:
I perhaps shouldn't have said anything, because we just had one as I was leaving work for lunch and it was a "rolling" one = I got seasick. :)

>161 -Eva-: I've been in the rolling ones before. The one last night was more of a big jolt.

113. Blackout by Ragnar Jonasson

Date Completed: 1 May 2018

Category: Amish Country

Challenges: None

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: A man found beaten in his apartment provides a policeman and a reporter with an opportunity to investigate. The book, however, focuses more on personal issues than on the investigation. I never really got a feel for the book. I finished it aboard a plane about a week ago, and the details no longer stand out. I never really warmed to either the policeman or the journalist. The book is unremarkable and not memorable. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

114. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon

Date Completed: 6 May 2018

Category: Bahamas

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Young, mute Linus Steinman escaped the German holocaust with his treasured parrot. The parrot stumps local persons because he recites numbers. Are they a code, a Swiss bank account or something else entirely? A man is murdered; the parrot goes missing. A retired detective nearing his 90th birthday assists with the investigation even though he'd rather be tending his bees. There's an interesting bond formed between the young boy and the old man. I listened to this novella and found it to be short but somewhat satisfying. A full length novel would allow for more police involvement in the investigation and for more character development, although the reader got a sense of all the characters.

115. Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

Date Completed: 8 May 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges: None

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Beautifully illustrated and winner of the 2018 Caldecott medal, this nearly wordless book depicts a young girl and young wolf pup lost in the snow. The girl helps the pup find its home. The wolves help the young girl find hers. The only words are animal sounds.

116. Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes; illustrated by Gordon C. James

Date Completed: 8 May 2018

Category: Charleston

Challenges: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: This book reminds me I'm getting old. The language is definitely 21st century and is certain to please young African American boys heading off for a haircut. The illustrations are boldly drawn.

117. A Different Pond by Bao Phi ; illustrated by Thi Bui

Date Completed: 8 May 2018

Category: Quebec City

Challenges: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: A Vietnamese immigrant father and his son go fishing before sun-up. Unlike most Americans who fish for sport, this family fishes because it provides food for the table. The father works multiple jobs, and even the mother works to meet the high cost of living in the United States. It could provide interesting discussion moments for children as they savor the beautiful illustrations.

118. Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly

Date Completed: 8 May 2018

Category: Boston

Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: This promising start to a new "Victorian Village" series by Sheila Connolly features Kate who returns to Asheboro after the hotel for which she works sells to new ownership who release Kate and her boss from their positions with nice severance packages. Kate's mission to see how the town can make a turnaround may be impossible, but the key lies in an old mansion now owned by the town. Its previous owner Henry Barton left a generous trust fund to maintain the property. Kate's nemesis, a councilwoman, was murdered. Kate finds herself assisting in the investigation as she examines some important letters she becomes certain the woman found. I loved the mystery but guessed the murderer's identity fairly early. A lot of questions remain unanswered for the readers, indicating the author intends to reveal more solutions to those questions in future installments. While genealogical research was done, the author included few details. Hopefully more will unfold as the series progresses. The series shows promise and should provide mystery-loving genealogists with a few hours pleasure as each book is published. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

119. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams

Date Completed: 17 May 2018

Category: Quebec City

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Although categorized in the mystery genre, this book holds appeal for readers who treasure books about women and their relationships. The four members of the "Secret, Book, and Scone Society" all bear scars from past circumstances, and many continue to hold onto secrets. One runs a bookstore, specializing in bibliotherapy. Another owns her own bakery. Another operates as a beautician. The other works in a spa. When the sheriff arrests one of them, the others set out to prove a false arrest. The Western North Carolina community houses a new real estate development that does not appear to be on the up-and-up. I enjoyed the setting, the bookstore, and the bakery much more than the overall mystery. I will probably read the next installment just to learn some of the outcomes not settled in this installment.

>169 thornton37814: - I've read some of her other books from the Books by the Bay series, but this one sounds interesting too.

>170 dudes22: I think I prefer some of the other series, but at least it kept me interested. I think I just didn't like the real estate scandal element. The next one will probably be different enough I might find it more interesting.

120. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Date Completed: 18 May 2018

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Jamie Watson, descendant of Dr. John Watson, attends a boarding school in Connecticut where Charlotte Holmes, descendant of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, attends. They soon find themselves suspects in a murder of a fellow student. Trust no one. A Moriarty's involvement in their problem is almost certain. I suspect the book moves a little slower than the average teenager's attention, but readers familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories will recognize similarities and differences between the characters in this novel and the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books as well as parallels to the stories themselves, most of which are pointed out. It was okay, but not outstanding. I prefer Doyle's stories. I listened to the audio provided by AudioFile Sync for this summer's teen listeners.

121. The Museum of Literary Souls by John Connolly

Date Completed: 19 May 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

Challenges: Irish Author Challenge

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Mr. Berger witnesses an incident reminiscent of Anna Karenina in which a woman threw herself in front of a train, and the train rolled past. When he went to examine it, he found no indication the woman was killed by the train, but she could not be found. He called local authorities who made a search with similar results. Now the local authorities and townspeople view him as more than a little strange. Several months later he witnesses the event again, but this time he intercepts the woman before she can endanger herself. She disappears into nearby trees, but he follows her, discovering the Caxton Private Lending Library and Book Depository. He meets the librarian/caretaker who watches over an amazing collection of books and the characters, discovering books can be altered if their inks touch. Berger creates some serious errors when given the keys while the librarian deals with family issues, but ultimately he becomes the new librarian/caretaker. When I selected and downloaded this Kindle single, I did not realize it was the short story I previously read in an Otto Penzler anthology of bibliomysteries under a different title ("The Caxton Private Lending Library and Book Depository.") I enjoyed it then, and I enjoyed the re-read.

122. Every Seven Years by Denise Mina

Date Completed: 19 May 2018

Category: Cornwall

Challenges: British Author Challenge

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Upon her mother's death, minor actress Else returns to her childhood home on a Scottish isle where she comes face to face with her past. The book involved reminds Else of the torture she endured at the hands of bullies. The writing style did not work for me and made it difficult for me to care what happened to Else or anybody else.

I'm sorry you didn't like the Denise Mina, but thank you for letting me know that this exists!

>175 RidgewayGirl: It's very short! It's kind of an interesting series -- and they are cheap!

123. How to Read Poetry Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

Date Completed: 21 May 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Challenges: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Thomas Foster teaches readers how to approach poetry to make it meaningful to them. He discusses the poem's sentence structure, encouraging readers to pause of punctuation as one would do in reading other literature. He discusses arrangement into stanzas, rhyme schemes, meter, repetition, and more. He eventually moves into symbolism and other topics which often scare students. He created a readable introduction to poetry, with limited technical jargon. While armchair poetry enthusiasts may be the most appreciative audience, non-majors taking literature classes with a fair amount of poetry will benefit. I received an uncorrected proof through LibraryThing Early Reviewers with the expectation of an unbiased review.

124. Snow in August by Pete Hamill

Date Completed: 23 May 2018

Category: San Diego

Challenges: American Author Challenge

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Set in late 1940s Brooklyn, Michael Devlin, a Catholic altar boy, pursues an unlikely friendship with Rabbi Hirsch, performing duties such as turning on lights on the Sabbath and teaching the Jewish leader English and baseball. In return Michael learns Yiddish. The neighborhood is full of bullies who terrorize Jews. Michael realizes these were the same Jews his dad died trying to free from Hitler's regime. It's an interesting story depicting consequences of prejudice. This poignant read will stay with me awhile. The cursing seemed to fit the characters, even if I do not enjoy it.

125. Appalachian Ghosts by Nancy Roberts ; photographs by Bruce Roberts

Date Completed: 23 May 2018

Category: Amish Country

Challenges: ScaredyKIT

Rating: 3 stars

Review:This collection features ghost stories, mostly drawn from actual accounts, set in Appalachia. Several of the stories occur in West Virginia, but others take place in Kentucky and Tennessee. Photographs accompany most tales, adding to the haunted feeling.

126. The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo ; illustrated by Ruth Heller

Date Completed: 23 May 2018

Category: Bahamas

Challenges: AlphaKIT - K

Rating: 3 stars

Review: In this Cinderella retelling, Pear Blossom's mother dies. Her father remarries a woman who prefers her own daughter to Pear Blossom and uses Pear Blossom as a servant, expecting her to complete unreasonable tasks. Pear Blossom is helped by nature, but still the stepmother treats her horribly. One day she loses her sandal in a stream, but not before the magistrate spots her. A marriage is arranged. The story deviates from the traditional story in several places and probably works best in the Korean cultural setting.

127. Two Queens of Heaven: Aphrodite, Demeter by Doris Gates ; illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Date Completed: 23 May 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges: AlphaKIT - Q

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Renowned children's author Doris Gates presents Greek myths about Aphrodite and Demeter along with a few other tales in this collection suitable for children. The illustrations are sketched, demonstrating what can be done with pencil (or pen). Gates' stories should captivate early readers.

128. The Story of Georgia's Boundaries: A Meeting of History and Geography by William J. Morton

Date Completed: 23 May 2018

Category: Charleston

Challenges: Nonfiction Challenge--Maps, Geography, Geopolitics

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Boundary disputes exist between many states, and some of them are long-standing. Georgia's boundaries with North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee are all included in this volume. The boundaries with the Mississippi Territory before Alabama was formed and with parts of the current United States owned by countries such as France and Spain in the colonial period are treated as well. Since the book was written, Georgia tried to reassert a claim to a strip about one mile wide which would give them access to the Tennessee River. So far the land remains part of Tennessee. While it was an interesting read, it lacks the depth of treatment some volumes of this nature provide.The volume appeals more to the layman than the historian or geographer.

129. An Early Wake by Sheila Connolly

Date Completed: 26 May 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges: None

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Maura discovers the pub used to hold musician jam sessions. When she connects with Niall, one of the musicians who used to play there, other musicians show up so she decides to give it a try. One is discovered dead in the back room when Maura shows up the following morning. Since she is certain she locked up, she isn't really sure how he got in until she discovers the former owner gave all the regular musicians keys back in the old days. This installment is short on mystery and goes on too long once the guilty party is captured. I'll probably skip the remainder of the series unless I see others with better reviews. Life is too short to read disappointing books, even if the setting is desirable.

130. Dressed for Death by Donna Leon

Date Completed: 27 May 2018

Category: Quebec City

Challenges: Two Guidos

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Commissario Brunetti investigates the murder of an apparent transvestite found in a nearby jurisdiction. Prostitutes congregated in the area where the victim's body turned up. As he investigates, he uncovers a rental scheme involving influential persons. As with many of Leon's novels involving corruption, much of the police work involves building a case that will hold up. Although lacking the finesse of some of her later novels, the novel still appeals to persons seeking solid police procedurals in a country other than the United States or United Kingdom.

131. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Date Completed: 29 May 2018

Category: Boston

Challenges: MysteryCAT - Involving Transportation

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Because of her boss' hospitalization, Laura "Lo" Blacklock, a travel magazine writer, receives the opportunity to travel on a small privately-owned cruise ship's maiden voyage. Robbed in her own apartment a couple of days before departure, she still suffers from the traumatic experience. She borrowed mascara from the woman next door in cabin 10 when she cannot find her own. When she sees a woman pushed overboard from that cabin later that evening, the crew and security guards tell her the person booked for that cabin cancelled and no one stayed there. Lo knows she consumed alcohol and suffered the trauma of victimization, but she also knows she is not delusional as others imply. Tensions mount. Lo becomes a victim once again. Will she make it off the ship alive? This book received much acclaim, but it failed to live up to its hype. Unnecessary verbiage, particularly the repeated use of the "f" word by the central character, failed to propel the narrative, weakening the story where the author needed to do more to give characters dimension. The abrupt conclusion left readers with more questions than answers.

>185 thornton37814: - I went back to see how I had rated this as I didn’t much like it either. I gave it a 3.

>186 dudes22: It received so much hype. I guess I just don't "get it."

>185 thornton37814: I didn't realize the premise was so similar to that of The Lady Vanishes! But based on your review, The Woman in Cabin 10 sounds like an inferior effort.

I started reading The Woman in Cabin 10 back when it was first published, but after the first few pages, I thought the writing was not very good and so set it aside.

>188 christina_reads: It was similar and different. Also similar to Murder on the Orient Express. There is, however, enough difference to make it its own book, but the author failed in her own writing efforts by failing to develop characters and inflating other portions which did not build to the denouement. In fact I'm not certain she achieved a denouement when questions remain.

132. Once in a Blue Moon Lodge by Lorna Landvik

Date Completed: 29 May 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

Challenges: None

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Unaware this book was a sequel to Patty Jane's House of Curl which I had not read, I dove into this book, expecting it to be more about a place than a multi-generational story. Nora, Patty Jane's daughter is the central character, but we hear the voices of her grandmother, mother, and her own triplets. The book was a little "all over the place," lacking a true focus and vision to tie it all together. The expected the lodge to fulfill the role, but the author never gave the lodge character to enable this. The Scandi influence and humor, while appreciated by some, is probably lost on the majority of readers. Serializing the contents over several books and developing the stories more fully would have been a better option. The last section just seemed to zoom through the entire course of the triplets' lives without delving too deep into any character. Disappointing!

133. Humming Words: A Collection of Poetry by Nancy Warwick

Date Completed: 29 May 2018

Category: Cornwall

Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: When Nancy posted about the availability of her poetry book, I jumped at the chance to purchase a copy. Nancy, a librarian who loves the Lord, provides us with a varied collection of poetry, reflecting on topics such as her daily walk with the Lord, her passion for those hurting, and her love of country (Canada). Some of the poems are arranged in what I would call "word puzzles." Some fit the concrete poetry genre. Others are more traditional. My favorites include "Africa's Broken Heart," "My Garden," "Peace Prayer," and "Starlight Awe."

>185 thornton37814: Lori, there was a lot of hype surrounding The Woman in Cabin 10 and I added this book to my wishlist, but most of the reviews that I have read have not been good. I think I will remove this one from my list. BTW I love the cover of Humming Words!

>193 DeltaQueen50: I was disappointed in Ware's book. I would not encourage anyone to read it unless they really think they will enjoy it. I liked the cover to Humming Words also.

134. Murder on the Leviathan by Boris Akunin

Date Completed: 31 May 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Challenges: MysteryCAT

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Before the Leviathan leaves France on its maiden voyage, a wealthy man and his ten servants die at the hands of a murderer who leaves behind his ticket for passage on the steamship. Police commissioner Gauche boards the vessel, identifying ten suspects whom he manages to get assigned to the same salon. Will he or the stuttering Russian detective Erast Fandorin be the one to solve the mystery? Additional murders occur aboard.

I listened to the audiobook and the stutter nearly drove me crazy at points. I wish I had chosen the ebook or print book instead. The mystery pays homage to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express with the venue being an 1878 steamship rather than a passenger train. I won't spoil the plot by revealing too much, but Akunin carefully crafts the mystery, keeping readers second guessing themselves almost to the end with lots of twists and turns.

>195 thornton37814: I liked this one too; fortunately, I read it in print.

>196 rabbitprincess: When you read it in print, you can deal with the stuttering a bit more than in audio. I saw somewhere that at least one of the books was turned into a film. I suppose it might work better that way than just audio.

>197 thornton37814: I'd actually forgotten that he stuttered! So yes, print would certainly have helped make that easier to handle.

It appears a couple of films have been made in Russian, and there have been plans to make an English-language series. I'd watch it.

>185 thornton37814: - Great review! Nice to know that the story has received more hype than probably warranted.

>195 thornton37814: - BB taken for the Akunin book.

>198 rabbitprincess: Perhaps the English ones will come to fruition.

>199 lkernagh: Thanks for the comments on the Ware book. I hope you enjoy Akunin when you get around to it.

135. Blood on the Tracks edited by Martin Edwards

Date Completed: 2 Jun 2018

Category: San Diego

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: An uneven, but mostly enjoyable collection of short stories compiled by Martin Edwards.

"The Man with the Watches" by Arthur Conan Doyle - A mysterious death on a train is solved when a letter from abroad arrives.

"The Mystery of Felwyn Tunnel" by L. T. Meade & Robert Eustace - The death of a signalman casts suspicion upon a railway worker. Before investigators arrive on the scene, they find another corpse in almost the same location. Science solves the mystery.

"How He Cut His Stick" by Matthias McDonnell Bodkin - A thief gets off a train traveling at full speed. Dora Myrl figures out how.

"The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway" by Baroness Orczy - A look back at an unsolved murder about a woman poisoned on a train.

"The Affair of the Corridor Express" by Victor L. Whitechurch - The son of a wealthy Londoner is kidnapped on a train while in the care of a school official, disappearing before the destination is reached.

"The Case of Oscar Brodski" by R. Austin Freeman - Forensic evidence helps solve the crime.

"The Eighth Lamp" by Roy Vickers - More suspense than mystery. A signalman sees a circle line train running after hours. Still enjoyable, even if the mystery element is not strong.

"The Knight's Cross Signal Problem" by Ernest Bramah - A signalman performed his duties but an oncoming train sees a "go ahead" resulting in a crash. A blind detective figures out what happened.

"The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face" by Dorothy L. Sayers - A corpse with a mutilated face appears on a beach with no clues to the victim's identity left. While riding a train, the detective overhears Lord Peter Wimsey's theory, leading to the victim's identification.

"The Railway Carriage" by F. Tennyson Jesse - Solange Fontaine boards a train headed for London in Merchester. The occupants of her third class car speak of the execution of a young man that morning. The train crashes. With the next car aflame, a young man appears urging them to get out, but then he disappears.

"Mystery of the Slip-Coach" by Sapper - A bookmaker's corpse lies in a railway coach with egg splattered upon the door. A bullet killed him. One passenger's luggage contains a firearm, but the bullet doesn't match.

"The Level Crossing" by Freeman Wills Crofts - After a stock deal, a man is found dead at a railway crossing.

"The Adventure of the First-Class Carriage" by Ronald Knox - A Sherlock Holmes mystery written by someone other than Doyle.

"Murder on the 7.16" by Michael Innes - "Not a real murder" on "not a real train." Different!

"The Coulman Handicap" by Michael Gilbert - A woman under surveillance gives her tail the slip in a case involving precious jewels.

This review is based on an advanced electronic copy received from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an unbiased review.

>184 thornton37814:
I really need to get around to Brunetti - it seems I'm the only mystery-reader in the world who hasn't. :)

>202 -Eva-: A lot of us are reading his books every other month in the Two Guidos thread. July will be book 4 in the series. (Oh, the thread title was misspelled Giudo.)

136. Bad to the Bones by Rett MacPherson

Date Completed: 4 Jun 2018

Category: Amish Country

Challenges: AlphaKIT - R

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: After a long absence from the world of mysteries, Torie O'Shea returns. Rather than picking up where she left off, Torie and the remaining characters aged. Her father-in-law Colin, formerly sheriff, is now a private investigator. Torie's grown-up daughters moved out. One is gallivanting all over Europe with young men of questionable desirability. Son Matt, a high school junior, along with another friend occupy their time by podcasting. Torie, working on a project involving a Catholic cemetery in a nearby community, discovers exposed bones in the cemetery when her attention and that of the boys focuses on a coyote seen in the same area two days in a row. She calls Mort, the new sheriff. Both a recent set of bones and an older mass grave of bones, apparently belonging to Union soldiers, bring in crime scene investigation team as well as an archaeological team. Torie, of course, becomes involved in the investigation, using her historical and genealogical sleuthing skills to find clues police overlooked. Colin, tired of investigating straying husbands and the like, assists Torie. The new sheriff while warning Torie off, really lacks the "force" Colin used to stop her meddling; however, Torie's ownership of two museums and role as county historian provided her sufficient reason to be conducting the investigations she undertook. I enjoyed this installment and hope MacPherson will continue writing Torie O'Shea mysteries. Some plot elements such as the True Crime Club and information about her children provide clues to the direction the series may develop in future installments.

137. The Man in My Basement by Walter Mosley

Date Completed: 5 Jun 2018

Category: Bahamas

Challenges: American Author Challenge

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Charles Blakey, now unemployed because he stole money from a bank while working there, receives an unusual request from Anniston Bennet. Bennet wishes to rent his basement for a couple of months, paying Blakey an extraordinary amount of money for the privilege. Since Blakey owes money to friends, cannot find another job because of being blackballed by the bank's manager, and may lose the ancestral home because he cannot pay the mortgage, he reluctantly accepts the offer along with some strange conditions. Bennet sent boxes ahead with instructions for constructing his domicile for his stay. The assembled product looks very much like a prison cell. Bennet expects Blakey to be his jailer for the duration of his stay. Blakey probes into Bennet's life and Bennet reveals his intimate knowledge of Blakey's own life. Strange book. While this is definitely "not my genre" and appears to be more male-oriented, particularly when it comes to the types of vulgarity included from time to time, it was not as bad as expected. I did not identify with any of the characters. I doubt I will read anything else by the author, but at least I read one book from cover to cover.

138. Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin

Date Completed: 5 Jun 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges: June Group Read - Ursula K. Le Guin

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Well-known author Ursula K. Le Guin conducted a writer's workshop she turned into this book. Each chapter bears a theme with literary examples, mostly from works in the public domain, and exercises for aspiring writers to complete. She occasionally recommends other sources, such as Strunk and White, to fill a gap in the reader's writing process knowledge. Although individuals may wish to complete the exercises on their own, a writing group probably provides the greatest benefit by providing feedback from others. Le Guin includes helpful appendices on using the book in a peer group and on verb tenses. She also supplies a brief glossary. Some exercises could benefit from more detailed instructions as some did not seem clear to me as I read them. This review pertains to the 1998 edition of the book rather than the 2015 revision and update.

139. Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com: How to Find Your Family History on the #1 Genealogy Website by Nancy Hendrickson

Date Completed: 6 Jun 2018

Category: Charleston

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Author Nancy Hendrickson describes using the Ancestry.com site. The book, aimed at new researchers more than experienced ones, contains good comment, but often comes up a bit short. For example, although she cautions new users about accepting information from trees if it appears wrong, she really fails to tell them they should never add the tree as a source but instead should verify the information and add it manually after it is verified. While she is correct that uploading information from a GEDcom file is quicker, she fails to mention reasons for not doing so--and many exist. In the chapters on using AncestryDNA, she fails to mention some of the tips leading genetic genealogists suggest. For example, she tells readers to email those who do not have a tree without telling them how they may be able to find an unattached tree by checking the match's profile or how the connection may be determined by looking at "shared matches." In fact, she never mentions "shared matches." She also failed to mention and caution users about some of the weaker databases such as some of the public records collections lacking dates and some of the collections drawn from older user-submitted sources which contain errors. Of course, the author could not anticipate the problems tree sync users currently experience due to some data migration issues. She could not anticipate the problems with the Rootsweb portions of the site which resulted in long outages for some resources and continuing outages for others. Most supplemental resources suggested appear to be mostly sources from the book's publisher rather than using the "best sources" for acquiring additional subject information. Recommended only for true beginners, but with the caution to supplement with additional resources and webinars to gain a better picture of the power of Ancestry and to understand the genealogical proof standard which did not appear to be a consideration of the author. I received an electronic copy for review purposes from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

140. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

Date Completed: 7 Jun 2018

Category: Quebec City

Challenges: MysteryCAT - True Crime, AlphaKIT - G

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: What a story! A conspiracy to kill members of the Osage Nation, particularly members of the family of Mollie Burkhart, took place in Osage County, Oklahoma, mostly during the 1920s. The tribe's mineral rights provided a motive for white men to want the Osage out of their way. The lack of action led many to believe local law enforcement were involved in the cover-up. We read of the efforts of former Texas Ranger Tom White who worked for the young J. Edgar Hoover and the newly established Bureau of Investigation. Even the early days of their investigation seemed to show they also had someone who was working as a double agent. Grann does a great job maintaining the reader's interest. The narrative bogs down only in a couple of places--and not for long. It's a piece of history worth studying. Grann includes many photographs which help readers picture the people and the action. Highly recommended.

Quick update: My life will be busy for the next week to ten days. I've got several errands to run tomorrow and then I need to pack which will cut into reading time. Saturday I'm speaking at a genealogy event about an hour away. I'll be gone pretty much all day. Sunday afternoon I head to a conference about 3 to 3.5 hours away. I doubt I'll have much time for reading while there. I do plan to listen to an audio book on the road. Hopefully I'll at least have one more book down. I also plan to stay current with my devotion book and Bible reading. I took snapshots of the pages I need to read from the devotion book and will use my Bible app to complete that reading. I have several books on my iPad so I'll have books to read. I just don't think I'll have time to do so.

Best wishes for a great presentation and a conference you enjoy!

>210 clue: Thanks!

I've got the Grann book on my wishlist. Maybe I should move it up!

>212 hailelib: It's really good, and it fits this month's MysteryCAT.

Enjoy your conference! And I'm glad for your endorsement of Killers of the Flower Moon as I have that set aside for vacation in late July.

Have a good trip, Lori. I, too, plan on reading Killers of the Flower Moon at some point in the future.

>214 RidgewayGirl: Thanks. Conference was busy. I didn't finish a book--not even an audio book. I disliked the one I started so much that I didn't bother to start another.

>215 DeltaQueen50: I hope you enjoy the book. The conference was good, but busy. I managed to twist my knee early in the week and had to be careful the rest of the time. I probably should have gone somewhere to purchase a knee brace, but I couldn't help but think how hot it would be when walking between buildings. Fortunately they had golf carts available to take us long distances, and although I sometimes had to look for the ramps and elevators, they had those so I could avoid stairs.

>216 thornton37814: That's too bad about your knee, Lori, but hopefully it didn't slow you down too much. Now that you are home you can rest it up.

>217 DeltaQueen50: I'm sure the cats will be happy to help me give it a rest!

Abandoned Read #3



The Gathering by Anne Enright

Date Abandoned: 10 June 2018

Category: Harlan, Kentucky

Comments: I listened to two hours of this dreadful story. I hated the character who was the story's narrator who seemed to hate just about everyone in her family except for Liam who just died. I did not connect with the story. I think I got bogged down because the entire story was told through her eyes with no conversation. The audiobook's narrator just droned on and on in the same voice. It simply did not work for me. I don't know if the book itself would have worked better, but I honestly have no desire to try it.

If I make it to Knoxville next week, I'll try to make it to a branch that offers one or two of the Enright books that sound more promising, but if not I guess I'll miss out on a completion for the Irish Author Challenge this month. At least I made an attempt.

>219 thornton37814: I've read two of Enright's novels, although not The Gathering, and in both of those she wrote from the point of view of characters who were unsympathetic. Don't try The Forgotten Waltz as I'm pretty sure you'd hate it more than The Gathering, but you might like The Green Road, which has several siblings returning to the family home when their mother dies. The POV isn't just from a single, angry character, so while the familial relations are strained, it's less claustrophobic. And Enright writes with such a vivid voice. I do love how she writes. I also like reading from inside the head of unpleasant people, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

>220 RidgewayGirl: I read The Green Road a couple of years ago. I got through it, but I didn't really enjoy it. I really wasn't considering The Forgotten Waltz. The two under consideration are The Pleasure of Eliza Lynch and a short story collection entitled Yesterday's Weather. Any observations on those? She also wrote a "memoir" Making Babies: Stumbling Into Motherhood but I'm not sure I'd like it based on the Amazon description.

141. The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe

Date Completed: 16 June 2018

Category: Boston

Challenges: ScaredyKIT - Adapted to Film, AlphaKIT - R

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: This work by Poe is often described as the first mystery. With such a distinction, it is an important work to revisit from time to time, even if its plot is not as fully developed as later efforts, because of its influence on masters of the mystery genre such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I remember reading this one back in high school and also in university. At the time, I was disappointed in it. As I read it this time, knowing the outcome, I think I appreciated it more because I found myself seeking the earlier hints which would lead to the crime's resolution. While I believe many questions remain unanswered regarding the sailor's role, I know I'm bringing my 21st century mindset to that question by envisioning lawsuits and other charges relating to harboring an orangutan in one's apartment. The use of deductive reasoning is the important contribution of this classic work which is probably appreciated most when it is re-read and studied for that reason.

>222 thornton37814: Good review, Lori. I just read The Murders in the Rue Morgue for the first time, and I can well see revisiting it at some point in the future. Mostly I was struck by it's historical value, but I can see a reread would help me relate to the story a little more. This time around I found my 21st century mindset also brought up too many questions.

>223 DeltaQueen50: Yes - I think we have lots of questions. I think Poe's story would require a full-length novel to convince readers today because other options would need to be explored more fully.

>219 thornton37814: - Although I can't find it logged in here at LT, that sounds so familiar. And I didn't like/finish it either.

>219 thornton37814: Lori, I enjoyed The Gathering but I can understand why you hated it. It's not a book for everyone.

>219 thornton37814: I had the exact experience with this book which I also tried on audio. The narrator was just terrible. I abandoned it after about 20 minutes of listening. I did pick up the book at a library sale, mainly because it's on the "1001 books to read before you die list". But I'm very unmotivated to actually read it.

>225 dudes22: I'm glad I'm not alone.

>226 VivienneR: Glad you enjoyed it more than I did. Perhaps I could have tolerated it in print, but I'm not going to try it.

>227 japaul22: That narrator really turns one off the book!

142. Station to Station: Searching for Stories on the Great Western Line by James Attlee

Date Completed: 18 June 2018

Category: Yellowstone National Park

Challenges: British Author Theme - Travel Writing, AlphaKIT - G

Rating: 3 stars

Review: I expected to enjoy this book more than I did. It was short-listed for the Dolman Prize when it came out. It involved train travel in England along the Great Western Line. It promised to include not only travel notes but also historical notes and information on people. It did all of those things. I suspect my greatest problem was not being familiar enough with England and that particular rail line to really feel a connection to the book. Some of the paragraphs were over a page in length. While they may have focused on one thought, readers really need a few more breaks. It's an interesting premise, and I suspect those who ride the line regularly will enjoy it more than I did.

143. Probable Claws by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

Date Completed: 21 Jun 2018

Category: Cornwall

Challenges: RandomCAT - Unusual Narrator, AlphaKIT - R

Rating: 3 stars

Review: "Harry" and Deputy Cynthia Cooper watch a motorcyclist gun down architect Gary Gardner. With little to go on besides the fact the motorcyclist wore a black jacket, the police are grateful for any clues--even those provided by Harry's pets. Gary kept building codes for each year, but the 1984 file seems to be missing, and when a skull halts construction at a building site, it dates back to that period. Eventually another murder occurs. The cats, of course, assist in capturing the guilty party.

A late eighteenth century story line is also present. It depicts slavery, including ill-treatment by some, escape for some, and freedom for others. Much of this story line shows the attitudes of the plantation owners and their families toward the Constitutional Convention and what it might do to class distinctions.

Two non-related story lines in different time periods does not work for me. I think I would have enjoyed either story on its own, but I simply saw no need for the eighteenth century story, which took up less space (about one-third of the book). The main story would "just get going good" when the older story interrupted its flow.

I received this through LibraryThing Early Reviewers program with the expectation of an honest review. I have not kept current with this series, and I suspect the alternating story lines are why I made them low priority. While I will probably go back and try to read earlier missed installments, mainly because I love the cats, I will not rush to do so.

144. Gardenlust: A Botanical Tour of the World's Best New Gardens by Christopher Woods

Date Completed: 22 June 2018

Category: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Challenges: Nonfiction Challenge - The Great Outdoors, AlphaKIT - G

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Readers of this volume encounter a wonderful armchair tour of some of the world's more recent but wonderful gardens. Each entry includes a little about the garden and its creator in narrative form as well as photos. Some gardens received more extensive treatment than others. On the list:

North America: Sunnylands Center and Gardens, Rancho Mirage, California; The Garden of Flowing Fragrance, Huntington Botanical Garden, San Marino, California; The Park, Las Vegas, Nevada; Chihuly Gardens and Glass, Seattle, Washington; Mordecai Children's Garden, Denver Botanical Garden, Denver, Colorado; Federal Twist, Stockton, New Jersey; Junto Farm, Hudson Valley, New York; Naples Botanical Garden, Naples, Florida; Vallarta Botanical Garden, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Central America and the Caribbean: Los Elementos, Dominical, Costa Rica; Golden Rock Inn, Nevis, West Indies.

South America: Jardin de Salvias, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Juan Grimm Gardens, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina; Parque Explorador Quilapilun, Colina, Chile.

Europe: Iuri Chagas Gardens, The Algarve, Portugal; Quinta da Granja, Miranda do Corvo, Portugal; Jardins de la Rambla de Sants, Barcelona, Spain; Parc Clichy-Batignolles/Martin Luther King, Paris, France; Camel Quarry House, Cornwall, United Kingdom; Crossrail Station Roof Garden, London, United Kingdom; Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, United Kingdom; Orpheus, at Boughton House, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom; The Alnwick Garden, Northumberland, United Kingdom; Carrie Preston's Gardens, The Netherlands; The Tree Museum, Rapperswil, Switzerland; Landschaftspark, Duisburg-Nord, Germany; Peter Korn's Garden, Eskilsby, Sweden.

Africa and the Arabian Peninsula: A Garden of Shape and Light, Marrakech, Morocco; The Aloe Farm, Hartbeespoort, South Africa; The Miracle Garden, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Al Barari, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Oman Botanic Garden, Al Khoud, Oman.

India and Southeast Asia: The Garden of Five Senses, Said-ul-Azaib, Delhi, India; 137 Pillars House, Chiang Mai, Thailand; Gardens by the Bay and Parkroyal Hotel, Singapore; Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, Luang Prabang, Laos; Made Wijaya's Gardens, Bali, Indonesia.

Asia: Xi'an Expo Park, Xi'an, China; Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China; Ichigaya Forest, Tokyo, Japan; Tokachi Millennium Forest, Hokkaido, Japan.

Australia and New Zealand: Geelong Botanic Gardens, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; The Australian Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, Victoria, Australia; One Central Park, Sydney, Australia; Barangaroo Headland Park, Sydney, Australia; Rose Bay, Sydney, Australia; Gibbs Farm, Makarau, North Island, New Zealand; Paripuma, Blenheim, South Island, New Zealand; Fishermans Bay Garden, Long Bay, South Island, New Zealand.

I visited Chihuly Gardens when I visited Seattle a couple of summers ago. I realistically might make it to no more than a handful of the remaining ones in my lifetime. I really loved both gardens on South Island in New Zealand as they sported gorgeous ocean views. One of the South American gardens did also. While I thought a few of the gardens were not that pretty, the majority were captivating. Woods' choices omitted far too many countries. For example, why was no garden from Canada included? Italy? Russia? I'm not up on the latest and greatest in world gardens, but I'm sure each of these countries had something to offer.

I enjoyed my armchair tour and look forward to possible future visits to a few of these. I received an advance review electronic copy of the book from NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

145. Nocturne by Deborah Crombie

Date Completed: 22 June 2018

Category: San Diego

Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Crombie provides a short story between books for her readers. Family friend Erika ended up with a piano from a nearby bombed home after World War II. The home's occupants were not home, but were never found after the war. The piano bears an unmistakable signature which Kit, Duncan's son, recognizes belonging to an artist he researched for a school report. When they get out a volume about area artists, they find a portrait of him with a woman Erika remembers from the market back in the day. The woman was an accomplished pianist. Since neither individual was seen after the war, Kit theorizes they ran off together. He searches the Internet for evidence, resolving the mystery. While I enjoyed this short story, I will admit the evidence is rather shallow. I would prefer a little more "proof" so further evidence doesn't overturn the conclusion.

146. The Curio Dealer's Wife by I. J. Parker

Date Completed: 22 June 2018

Category: Amish Country

Challenges: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: In 11th century Japan, Sugawara Akitada sees a homeless woman he recognizes as the wife of the curio shop owner. He inquires about her change in circumstances and discovers she claims the man who returned from the business trip to China is not her husband. When she challenged him, he took her to court and divorced her, leaving her without home or her children. Akitada, who works for the ministry of justice, earned a reputation as a sleuth, but the woman does not know this. He inquires about the lutes which used to be in the shop. He asks her to be near the store the next day and convinces a musical instrument expert and the chief of police to accompany him to the shop. I won't give away the rest, but this is an enjoyable short story!

When I was in college in the early 1980s, my favorite singer was Sandi Patti (as she then spelled her name). I first heard her in concert at Central Church (I think--since that was where most of the Memphis concerts were) about 1982 or maybe 1983 after the release of her "Lift Up the Lord" album. I heard at least one more time in Memphis, maybe two. By the time I was in grad school, I'd moved on to other artists as favorites although I still listened to her. I saw her in concert several times when I lived in Cincinnati. She's no longer what I would consider a personal favorite although she's one I don't mind hearing. Today I get to be in Sandi Patty's choir at the concert here in East Tennessee. While I'm not as excited as I would have been 35 years ago, I caught a glimpse of that excitement in the last day or two and am looking forward to it. I'll be offline most of the day because warm-ups and rehearsals begin shortly. I'll probably be back online in the evening. I have about 40 pages left in a book, and I hope to finish that today. I'm taking the iPad to read in downtime!

147. The King's Justice by E. M. Powell

Date Completed: 23 June 2018

Category: Bahamas

Challenges: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: When the manorial Lord comes to seek permission of the king's justices to execute a man charged with murdering the town's blacksmith, the justice's clerk Aelred Barling along with Hugo Stanton, a messenger in the king's service, to make inquiries and serve justice. Stanton does not believe the accused committed the crime, but he's not the one there to give the verdict. Another man is murdered the night the accused escapes from the "gaol." The body count and attempted murder count climbs as the story progresses and the search for the missing man continues.

This was a nicely plotted mystery that held my interest. The guilty party was not immediately obvious although one might suspect the person among several others. The writing is not as strong or tight as it could be. I will probably seek future installments of this medieval mystery series. This review is based on an advance e-galley received from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review in exchange.

How was the concert, Lori?

>234 thornton37814: Sounds exciting to me. I don't hear much about her anymore but she was at a church in our area with her family a few months ago and they had a big crowd. My sister went and thoroughly enjoyed it.

>236 RidgewayGirl: Both good and disappointing. Sandi, her vocalists, and the rest of her team were super nice and probably the easiest artists our church ever worked with. They were also very complimentary to us and surprised by how good our choir and orchestra were. Sandi's voice is aging so she took it easier. Her background vocalists were a son, daughter, and daughter-in-law. They really were more of a Praise Team since they were not blended back from the mix. She actually had them take some of her solos to give her a break. Her son took some of the really high ones so she didn't have to do them. She finally went for a high pop-up note around the end of the 2nd of 3 sets, and the crowd cheered. When we got to the 3rd set, it became apparent she was straining to hit the high notes. She completely skipped one song on which we were supposed to sing. I don't think she could do it because if I'm not mistaken that one stays up there and has a high C at the end. Then she started in the middle of "We Shall Behold Him." It completely caught everyone, including our choir director by surprise. He didn't have time to cue us or get us to stand in time for our entrance; however, many of us came in where we were supposed to come in on time. Since it was an "ooo," I doubt many people noticed it wasn't all of us singing. There was a 3 measure rest after the initial set of "ooo," so we stood then. Then she cut out a lot of the last song (in our opinion, the best part--and it was all her solo part). They changed the arrangement a bit, but we were able to follow. I don't think she could have done this concert without help from her kids and without the choir set in between her first and second ones. Her voice is still lovely, but she really needs to stay in a mid-range. That's not really what she's known for, so I think people who attended many of her concerts in the past (like me) were probably a bit disappointed while others really enjoyed it because they didn't know what the experience used to be like.

>237 clue: I was actually disappointed in the crowd at our church. Ours was the only East Tennessee appearance on this tour which is probably her final tour. A lot of people are on vacation at this time of year, but I'd still expect a bigger crowd. I suspect the promoter has not found the "best way" to promote a concert in the age where people are getting their radio from satellite, their news online, etc. or what. I did see Facebook pushes from the promoter, so they may have done Facebook marketing or it may have just been because our church was tagged that I saw it. They basically closed two of the five floor seating areas and the balcony. Everyone sat in 3 sections plus the 3 back rows that are elevated a bit (with steps) and behind the main seating. I think we had at least 600 (possibly up to 700), but I think it is on the lower end) there, including choir and orchestra. We probably made up 20% of the crowd.

I returned a huge stack of books to the library when I returned to work this morning, renewing only two of them. The student workers at the desk were shocked I'd read that many books. I told them that didn't count the advance review copy books, Kindle books, and Overdrive books read during the month I'd been gone. They really were shocked then. I didn't tell them I went almost an entire week without reading books because of attendance at a conference where I had little free time.

>239 thornton37814: Ha!

>240 rabbitprincess: Of course, most college students have little time for reading recreationally (or think they don't); however, we always have a few that make time.

When I was in library school I recommended 84 Charing Cross Road to some classmates. Naturally I was met with gasps of shock! Oh, the outrage! One did eventually read it on her bus commute and enjoyed it - as well as enjoying the short break from study material. I was really surprised at how few read recreationally, which also goes for many library staff.

>241 thornton37814: So true. People ask me how I have so much time to read. I tell them I don't watch television or spend too much time on the Internet. (I mean, I do spend a lot of time on the Internet, but I feel like I've cut down a fair bit on it.)

>242 VivienneR: It's really sad when library staffers don't read recreationally. We had to read a lot in some of the LIS courses back when I was in school. Fortunately with some courses it was "fun" reading. With others, not so much.

>243 rabbitprincess: I don't watch much television either.

148. Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor

Date Completed: 27 June 2018

Category: Cork, Ireland

Challenges: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: James Marwood, a Whitehall clerk, watches the deadly fire of 1666 ravish St. Paul's. Catherine Lovett ("Cat") bites his hand, stealing his cloak. Not all the bodies found in the aftermath died due to the fire. A couple bear the marks of a murder. It's a time of political turmoil. Cat soon flees the city after attempting to gouge out the eye of a cousin. The main characters, while fairly well-developed, failed to make me care whether they came out alive or not -- in fact, I probably wished ill on some of the ones who did. The reader probably knew a bit too much about what was going on whereas a little suspense would have improved the book. While I'm not sorry I read it, I was surprised by the direction the book took. The mystery element was not as strong as the theme of politics during the time of Cromwell. I would prefer more mystery and less politics.

For the last couple of days, local friends of mine have been posting their photos of a tomato pie recipe that is apparently making its way around the area.

The one on the left is the one baked by my friend Cathy and the one on the right was baked by our worship pastor.

     

It's the same recipe, but you can tell subtle differences. I'd use more pepper on the top as Cathy did. It looks like John used less mozzarella and more cheddar. I can't wait to try it, but I will go to the farmer's market for some good homegrown tomatoes. I also need to get a Pillsbury pie crust because I don't feel like making one from scratch.

>246 thornton37814: - YUM!

>246 thornton37814: The one on the right is neater, the one on the left looks more appetising. How does that work!
Can you post the recipe? I always end up with a glut of tomatoes at some point in the season and all I ever do with them is make tomato soups. Something a bit different to use some up is always interesting.

Hopefully it shows up big enough to read.

I made an excursion today to The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap. The real place is called Tales of the Lonesome Pine. It's a little under two hours drive.

Here is the bookstore:



This one finally took a break from his bathing routine to pose:



He's the cat that was on the main floor. Most of the cats were upstairs. There was a part Maine Coon cat, some kittens in the Classics room, and another kitten on a throw in the closet of the Classics room. Another bookstore visitor was petting the kittens at the same time I was petting and taking their photos.

           

One of the kittens hopped down and began rubbing up against me, weaving in and out of my legs. I picked him up. He just purred and purred and purred. I think he wanted to adopt me. I think three is my limit, but I was tempted to take my boys a baby brother.



I did make a small haul. The Garfield thing is a cross-stitch pattern. I've been to Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile, Alabama (in Theodore) a couple of times. The cookbook had photos of the house and gardens as well as the recipes. I couldn't resist the classic Carr novel for $3. The cat note cards benefit homeless cats.

Thanks for the recipe, that sounds easy enough, even for me! I'll go with pre-made pasty as well, pastry is my culinary blind spot. For someone who always has cold hands, I just can't make it well.
Loving the bookshop cats. I think I'd have smuggled one home in my book bag. >:-)

>249 thornton37814: I'm going to make that. I have some frozen Trader Joe's pie crust in the freezer that I now have a use for. I liked the piece of tomato pie they served that time we went to the Tupelo Honey Cafe in Asheville years ago.

>251 Helenliz: The recipe was sent to someone in our choir with those directions. I too, used the Pillsbury crust. I can make pie crust, but it's work. You could adopt the kittens. They are rescues, and that little one definitely wanted to go home with me. I just don't think I can afford a 4th cat. It costs me about $50/day when I need to board them for lack of a sitter.

>252 RidgewayGirl: I made it today. It was wonderful. I got a little heavy with the pepper on one side. I ate from the peppery piece, but it was not too strong. I'm sure the Trader Joe's pie crust would do well.