Terri (tymfos) Reading Express #2018 Thread 2: Springing Forward

Hello! My name is Terri. Welcome to Thread #2 of the Reading Express! I hope to continue my journey far and wide with my reading adventures the rest of the year. I'm noting the primary geographic setting (where there is one) of books that I read this year. "All Aboard!" for some great armchair travels!

This is where I display what I'm currently reading. My reading list at the end of last year and beginning of this year was a bit uncharacteristic. Snowed in up north, I went on a Florida reading binge, but am now moving on. I left Florida and headed to Iceland, Venice, Britain ... Wherever my reading takes me -- even places where a train can't take me!

currently reading





suspended/abandoned reading
Lucifer's Tears by James Thompson e-book Helsinki, Finland Totally abandoned this series This was just way too vulgar. A shame; I don't remember the first book in the series being that way. And it's the only series I've read set in Finland, as far as I can recall, so a shame to lose that locale from my reading.

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb AUDIO
I've been curious about this book since I saw it in the bookstore when it was first released. But I Pearl Ruled it (approximately; as it's an audio, can't get an exact page count). Even George Guidall's wonderful narration couldn't coax me through 25+ hours of this book.

Sanibel Flats by Randy Wayne White AUDIO Florida
Kind of fell flat, IMO.

The Library Book published in support of the Reading Agency e-book Great Britain
Lovely concept but didn't work for me. I dragged through it until the library loan ran out and didn't renew.

FIRST QUARTER BOOKS

Books finished in JANUARY
1. Shadow Men by Jonathon King e-book (1-1-2018) Florida Everglades
2. Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason (1-3-18) e-book Reykjavik, Iceland
3. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon (1-6-18) e-book REREAD Venice, Italy
4. The Braque Connection by Estelle Ryan (1-11-17) e-book Strasbourg, France
5. Robicheaux by James Lee Burke (1-16-18) New Iberia, Louisiana
6. The Martian by Andy Weir (1-19-18) Mars
7. Death and Shadows by Paula Gosling (1-22-18) Great Lakes
8. Stranger in the Room by Amanda Kyle Williams (1-27-18) e-book Atlanta, GA
9. Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie (1-27-18) AUDIO England

Books finished in FEBRUARY
10. Underneath Every Stone by Paula Gosling (2-8-18) Great Lakes
11. Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs AUDIO(2-10-18) Charlotte, North Carolina
12. Bad Blood: A Lucy Black thriller by Brian McGilloway e-book (2-11-18) Northern Ireland
13. The Woman in the Photo by Mary Hogan Johnstown, PA (2-17-18)
14. Involuntary Witness by Gianrico Carofiglio e-book (2-19-18) Bari, Sicily
15. Never Tease a Siamese by Edie Claire e-book Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2-24-18)
16. Cold is the Grave by Peter Robinson (2-26-18) Yorkshire, England

Books finished in MARCH
17. The Prayer of the Night Shepherd by Phil Rickman (3-9-18) Herefordshire, England
18. Don't Talk to Strangers by Amanda Kyle Williams (3-9-18) e-book Georgia, USA
19. Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs AUDIO (3-13-18) Charlotte, NC; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Vermont
20. Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs AUDIO (3-15-18) Charlotte and other areas of North Carolina, USA
21. I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia by Gillian Roberts (3-26-18) Philadelphia, PA, USA
22. A Killing Night by Jonathon King e-book (3-27-18) Southern Florida and Philadelphia, PA, USA

SECOND QUARTER BOOKS

Books finished in APRIL
23. The Thirst by Jo Nesbo e book (4-1-18) Oslo, Norway
24. With Friends Like These by Gillian Roberts e book (4-3-18) Philadelphia, PA, USA
24a. Blood Underground by Dan Waddell e-book SHORT story (4-3-18) London, England
25. Rock With Wings by Anne Hillerman AUDIO American Southwest
26. 1776 by David McCullough (4-20-18) Boston, New York, New Jersey in 1776
27. Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (4-24-18) England
28. A Walk in the Dark by Gianrico Carofiglio e-book (4-28-18) Bari, Sicily
29. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan (4-28-18) Ohio, USA
30. Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management by Peggy Johnson (4-29-18)
31. Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman AUDIO (4-29-18) Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Books finished in May
32. Uncommon Clay by Margaret Maron AUDIO (5/3/18) North Carolina, USA
33. Outrage by Arlandur Andridasson AUDIO (5/8/18) Iceland
34. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman (5-18-18) Warsaw, Poland
35. The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth (5-20-18) Surrey, England
36. Blood Reckoning by Dan Waddell e-book (5-20-18) England
37. Aftermath by Peter Robinson e-book (5-23-18) Yorkshire, England
38. Clouds Without Rain by P. L. Gaus e-book (5-28-18) Holmes County, Ohio
39. The Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth e-book (5-30-18) England (London and Surrey)

Books finished in JUNE
40. Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (6-2-18) England
41. The Reckoning by Rennie Airth AUDIO (6-6-18) England
42. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (6-15-18) Mississippi Delta, USA
43. The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly (6-18-18) Los Angeles, California, USA
44. Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio e-book (6-19-18) Bari, Italy
45. No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (6-20-18) England
46. Haunted Philadelphia by Darcy Oordt e-book (6-22-18) Philadelphia, PA, USA
47. Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman AUDIO (6-23-18) Southwestern US
48. The Library Marketing Toolkit by Ned Johnson (6-30-18)

THIRD QUARTER BOOKS

Books completed in JULY
49. White Corridor by Christopher Fowler AUDIO (7-7-18) London, England
50. Black Skies by Arnaldur Indridason Ebook (7-12-18) Iceland
51. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (7-15-18)
52. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (7-20-18) Sweden
53. The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (7-21-18) England
54. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill (7-25-18) Laos and Cambodia
55. The St. Paul Conspiracy by Roger Stelljes e-book (7-26-18) St. Paul, Minnesota
56. Snap by Belinda Bauer e-book (7-27-18) England
57. You Need More Sleep: Advice from Cats by Francesco Marciuliano eBook (7-28-18)
58. The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (7-29-18)

Books completed in AUGUST
59. Last Words by Michael Koryta AUDIO (8-8-18) southern Indiana, USA
60. The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey eBook (8-10-18) England
61. Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalvan (8-12-18)Iraq, New York, & Washington, D.C.
62. Blood Knot by S.W. Hubbard (8-13-18) Adirondacks, Upstate NY
63. Dead Drift by S.W. Hubbard eBook(8-14-18) Adirondacks
64. Murder & Mayhem in Jefferson County by Cheri L. Farnsworth eBook (8-15-18) Upstate New York
65. Watertown by Donna M Dutton eBook (8-15-18) Upstate NY
66. Black Fly Season by Giles Blunt (8-16-18) Ontario, Canada
67. Haunted Onondaga County by Neil Macmillan eBook (8-20-18)
Onondaga County, NY
68. The Viognier Vendetta by Ellen Crosby AUDIO (8-21-18) Washington, DC and Virginia
69. Temporary Perfections by Gianrico Carofiglio eBook (8-22-18) Bari, Italy
70. To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (8-24-18) London, England
71. The Death of Kings by Rennie Airth (8-25-18) various locations in England
72. Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason eBook (8-28-18) rural Iceland

Books completed in SEPTEMBER
73. Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (9-1-18) London, England
74. Acts of Nature by Jonathon King eBook (9-5-18) the Florida Everglades
75. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (9-13-18) Nazi-occupied France during WWII
76. Dead Man Running by Steve Hamilton (9-16-18) Arizona; UP of Michigan; Columbus, Ohio; St. Louis, MO; Albequerque, NM; and other points along the way
77. Acqua Alta by Donna Leon eBook (9-17-18) Venice, Italy
78. False Cast by S.W. Hubberd eBook (9-20-18) Adirondacks, NY State, USA
79. Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (9-22-18) Sicily
80. The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide by James M. Beidler (9-24-18)
81. Reykjavik Nights br Arnaldur Indridason (9-29-18)
82. Desolation Mountain by William Kent Krueger (9-30-18) Minnesota

Books (all formats) acquired in 2018

1. A Manual for Writers of Research papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Eighth edition) by Kate L. Turabian
2. Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management by Peggy Johnson (3rd edition)
3. Blood Underground by Dan Waddell (Kindle Short)
4. Soldier Girls by Helen Thorpe
5. Into the Storm by Reed Timmer
6. What's so Amazing about Grace by Philip Yancey
7. Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor
8. The Smile of a Ghost by Phil Rickman
9. It Can't Happen Here Sinclair Lewis
10. Blood Reckoning by Dan Waddell (Kindle)
11. The Library Marketing Toolkit by Ned Potter (textbook)
12. The Death of Kings by Rennie Airth
13. The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide by James M. Beidler (textbook)
14. The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger (textbook)
15. Fostering Family History Services by by Rhonda L. Clark (textbook)
16. False Cast by S.W. Hubbard (Kindle)

I really need to make more of an effort to read books from my own shelves, instead of constantly falling for shiny new library books.

Books read from my own shelves (Real and virtual, regardless of how long owned)

Paper books
1. Death and Shadows by Paula Gosling
2. Underneath Every Stone by Paula Gosling
3. Cold is the Grave by Peter Robinson
4. The Prayer of the Night Shepherd by Phil Rickman
5. I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia by Gillian Roberts
6. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
7. Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management by Peggy Johnson
8. The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth
9. The Library Marketing Toolkit by Ned Potter
10. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill
11. Blood Knot by S W Hubbard
12. Black Fly Season by Giles Blunt
13. The Death of Kings by Rennie Airth

currently reading

E-books
1. The Braque Connection by Estelle Ryan
2. Stranger in the Room by Amanda Kyle Williams
3. Never Tease a Siamese by Edie Claire
4. Blood Underground (new Kindle short) by Dan Waddell
5. Blood Reckoning by Dan Waddell (new Kindle novel)
6. The St. Paul Conspiracy by Roger Stelljes
7. Dead Drift by SW Hubbard
8. False Cast by SW Hubbard (Kindle purchase)

My other modest goal is to catch up on some of the series I am reading. This goal sometimes conflicts with my goal to read what I already own.

Latest-in-series books read 2018 (series brought up to date)

1. Robicheaux by James Lee Burke (library book) Dave Robicheaux series
2. Underneath Every Stone by Paula Gosling (owned) Blackwater Bay series
3. Bad Blood: A Lucy Black Thriller by Brian McGilloway (library download)
4. Don't Talk to Strangers by Amanda Kyle Williams (e-book download) Keye Street series
5. Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs (library audio download) Temperence Brennan series
6. The Thirst by Jo Nesbo (library download) Harry Hole series
7. Blood Underground by Dan Waddell (new Kindle download SHORT story) Blood Detective series
8. Blood Reckoning by Dan Waddell (new Kindle novel)
9. Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman (library downloa) Leaphorn/Chee series
10. The Death of Kings by Rennie Airth (purchased) John Madden series
11. Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie (library download) Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series
12. Dead Man Running by Steve Hamilton (library book) Alex McKnight series
13. False Cast by S.W. Hubbard (Kindle purchase) Frank Bennett Adirondack Mystery
14. Desolation Mountain by William Kent Krueger (library book) Cork O'Connor series

One challenge for the year, though I probably won't re-read some of the ones that I've already read:

The Two Guidos Murder Mystery Thread
January - Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon completed reread
February - Involuntary Witness by Gianrico Carofiglio completed reading
March - Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon read previously
April - A Walk In the Dark by Gianrico Carofiglio completed reading
May - Dressed for Death by Donna Leon (originally published as Anonymous Venetian in 1994) read previously
June - Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio COMPLETED
July - Death and Judgement by Donna Leon (originally published A Venetian Reckoning in 1995) read previously
August - Temporary Perfections by Gianrico Carofiglio completed reading
September - Acqua Alta by Donna Leon (also published as Death in High Water) COMPLETED
October - A Fine Line by Gianrico Carofiglio
November - Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon (also published as Death of Faith)
December - Silence of the Wave by Gianrico Carofiglio (this is not part of the Guerrieri series, but is classed as a thriller. We'll decide later if we want to read it or not as part of this challenge.)

OK, I think that's an adequate setup for my thread. I'm mostly going to resist the lure of challenges, other than the one detailed above, and to try to read 75 books this year. All aboard!

Has someone been hitting the catnip??



Sig the Cat and I welcome you! All comments (except spam) welcome!

Sherlock, Mr. B, and Barney say "Meow" to Sig!

Hi, Lori! You're first, so a treat for you:



Sig meows right back at your three kitties!

That photo of Sig catches him in an unusual (at least for him) posture, but in one of his favorite places. He frequently naps in that spot, though he usually curls up!

>10 tymfos: Looks delicious!

Happy New Thread, Terri! Hooray for the Reading Express topper! I hope life and your books are treating you well.

I have some posting to catch up, as I have not commented on any of the books I've finished this month. I'll just make brief comments here at this time:

Book #23 The Thirst by Jo Nesbo e-book Oslo, Norway

This is the latest in the Harry Hole series. It was rather grisly, but very, very suspenseful. It really held my attention. An old nemesis of Harry's seems to be back in action.

Book #24 With Friends Like These by Gillian Roberts e-book
Book #4, Amanda Pepper series

I had downloaded this before I went to Philadelphia, so I decided to go on and read it as a follow-up to the previous volume in the series which I just finished. This one was much better. A man dies at his 50th birthday party, and it appears he's been poisoned -- perhaps by a tart? Perhaps by one made by Amanda's mother? There was some clever wordplay and humor that made me smile.

Happy new thread, Terri.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend. xx

This one is a short story. I'm calling it #24a

Blood Underground: a Blood Detective Short Story Kindle single

This short story marks the return of the Blood Detective series featuring genealogist Nigel Barnes and DCI Grant Foster. Foster is investigating two deaths in "ghost stations" on the London Underground -- stations long-shuttered as routes changed. He calls on Barnes to try and trace next-of-kin for one of the victims, who has no known survivors. Barnes easily finds the nearest living relatives, but wants to investigate further. He has long been fascinated by the "ghost stations," and his study of one victim's history discloses a tenuous tie to the other victim, involving yet another "ghost station" where a terrible accident occurred years ago.

I eagerly downloaded this when I learned it was available. When I finished my previous e-book close to midnight one night, I just pulled this story up on my Kindle app to decide if I wanted to read it next. I didn't put it down until I was finished. Admittedly, my fascination with all things train-related and the extra atmosphere provided by the abandoned Underground stations were big factors. There really wasn't a lot of genealogy in this one, aside from the initial tracing of next-of-kin, but there was a lot of history. Perhaps the ending was just a little trite, but overall I really liked this story.

Waddell has a full-length Blood Detective novel, Blood Reckoning, coming out near the end of this month; I'm looking forward to reading it.

>12 msf59: Hi, Mark! I'm managing to find time to do some reading, and enjoying my books. The O'Nan that I'm reading now, Songs for the Missing, I had planned to read last February when he was the AAC author. But that was the month I got my promotion, and I was so busy I didn't read one book that month! So I'm finally getting to it

>14 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! Thanks for the weekend wishes. I hope your weekend is great!

I am happy going into the weekend. The Penguins just clinched home ice for the first round of the playoffs, so I'm especially happy. Things are going pretty well at work. School is OK.

Book #25 Rock With Wings by Anne Hillerman AUDIO

Anne Hillerman's continuation of her father's wonderful Leaphorn/Chee series continues on stronger footing in this, the second installment she has written. This is a great mix of police investigation and dealing with family ties. Chee and Bernie head off to spend a vacation visiting Chee's cousin Paul. But Bernie is called home to deal with a family emergency. They both wind up wrapped in casework -- Bernie called back in to her usual worksite, while Chee is asked to take a temporary assignment in the area where he is staying with his cousin Paul, the beautiful Monument Valley.

I liked this book. There are two more in the series now, with Song of the Lion and the release of Cave of Bones this week.

Hi Terri - Happy New Thread!

>8 tymfos: That's a lovely picture of a very handsome and contented Sig.

Great review of Rock With Wings. I had missed that the next one in the series, Song of the Lion was published a while back. I'll be happy to go on with the series. Like you, I thought the second was much stronger than the first.

Happy new thread! I heard an interview with Nesbo this morning on NPR. His new book is a retelling of Macbeth - sounds like one I need to get.

>8 tymfos: hey Sig! My Moonpie once got into an entire bag of catnip...and looked much like you...

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Terri!
I have committed myself to reading (mostly) my own childrens/YA books this year, but when that is done I want to dive into Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole books!

Happy New Thread, Terri.

>8 tymfos: Ha! That looks like a happy Sig.

>8 tymfos: Happy boy!

And happy new thread to you!

Hello, Terri! I love that photo of Sig up top - so fun. Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous!

Happy new thread, Terri. I was happy to see that the Blood Detective series is back but then I saw that it is only available electronically. Now I am sad that the series is back but no longer available to me.

Hi to all who've visited. I'll be back to reply to individual messages later.

Meanwhile, I'm about to leave to go to a training workshop near Pittsburgh, and I have to drive through SNOW! Freakin' SNOW on April 17! Looking at the radar, I guess I'll be out of the snow bands by the time I get there, but, sheesh!

Will this winter never end?

Wishing you safe travels, Terri!

Happy new thread and safe travels, Terri!

>18 streamsong: I just checked out the audio of Song of the Lion. It sounds like it will be a good one. And the latest, Cave of Bones has arrived at our library!

>19 drneutron: Hi, Jim! Nesbo's Macbeth just arrived at our library today. I'm looking forward to reading it.

>20 fuzzi: Cats are so entertaining . . .

>21 figsfromthistle: Thank you! Glad you stopped by!

>22 FAMeulstee: Anita, the Harry Hole books are very good.

>23 jnwelch: Hi, Joe, he did seem quite content that evening. Not so much today -- something was obviously bothering his tummy . . .

>24 Copperskye: Hey, Joanne! He was exceptionally mellow that evening.

>25 Crazymamie: I hope you're having a fabulous week, Mamie!

>26 Familyhistorian: Meg, you don't do e-books at all?

>28 Crazymamie:, >29 Berly: Mamie and Kim, it was just a day trip. Surprisingly, the weather was worse coming home that afternoon than going to the workshop, but it didn't seem to stick much on the roads -- no real travel problems.

I finished two books since I was here last.

Book #26 1776 by David McCullough

Well, I always enjoy David McCullough's writing. It's great narrative non-fiction, with a lot of detail and well documented, too. This account of the early days of the American Revolution was very enjoyable.

Book #27 Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie AUDIO

#12 Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series

Gemma is drawn into a case reaching back to WWII, when a friend approaches her about a broach, lost in the war, that has surfaced at an auction house.

This was a good one. The audio was well done, but the intricacy of the plot might have been easier to follow in the printed version.

I yielded to the temptation of a Better World Books sale. (Who can resist an Earth Day sale on recycled books?) These are all books which have been on my wishlist for a while:

Soldier Girls by Helen Thorpe
Into the Storm by Reed Timmer
What's so Amazing about Grace by Philip Yancey
Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor
The Smile of a Ghost by Phil Rickman
It Can't Happen Here Sinclair Lewis



All those goodies for about $20 total! Now if I could just find time to read them . . .

Nice haul!!

>33 Berly: Thanks, Kim! I can hardly wait to receive them!

Book #28 A Walk in the Dark by Gianrico Carofiglio e-book (4-28-18) Bari, Sicily

This is the second in Carofiglio's series about Sicilian attorney Guido Guerrieri. In this case, he is up against the son of a powerful judge, as he seeks justice for the former lover the man abused and stalked. This was much better than the first installment; I was still slow to "get into" the story, but toward the end, the story was riveting. It's also interesting to see how very different the legal system is; the same trial addressed both the criminal charges, prosecuted by a magistrate, and the civil charges, brought by the victim and represented by Guerrieri.

Book #29 Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan (4-28-18) Ohio, USA

You could say that this is a book about an 18-year-old girl who goes missing; but, more than that, it is a study of the impact of that disappearance on her family and friends. I suppose it loosely fits into my "crime" reading, but this is not really a book about the crime. It's a story about the complexity of relationships and how fragile or resilient they can be when disaster strikes. It's also an honest look at small-town Middle-America. An excellent book.

I just checked out and downloaded an e-book of what I thought was my next book by Linda Fairstein in her Alex Cooper series, Terminal City. Now, checking my records, I see that I suspended reading the last two, Night Watch and Death Angel. I distinctly remember deciding to skip Night Watch after slogging through the early chapters; but I did not remember quitting Death Angel.

I like to read series in order; I'm giving myself permission to skip an occasional volume in a series I otherwise enjoy, so I don't get "stuck" in the middle of a series with one volume I don't like, and go no further. But I can't help but think that skipping two in a row, I might lose a good chunk of character development. And I don't remember seriously disliking Death Angel, though perhaps I did. Or perhaps I got busy and the library loan ran out, or I had other things I really needed to read.

Book #30 Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management Third edition, by Peggy Johnson (4-29-18)

This is a basic textbook for a library collection development class. A few weeks after the semester began, a newer edition was published, so it's already somewhat obsolete. You could say our class got caught in the cracks, with this one barely available anywhere anymore, and the new one not yet published at the start of class. (The professor handled the transition admirably, posting assignments with options for each edition, as students were able to get hold of copies.)

Book #31 Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman AUDIO (4-29-18)

This third effort in Anne Hillerman's continuation of her father's series contains more of the detail of Navajo tradition for which her father's writing was acclaimed. It's also a pretty good mystery. It involves a mediator trying to deal with varying parties and viewpoints regarding development in the Grand Canyon. The mediator's car explodes in the parking lot outside a basketball game. Officer Bernadette (Bernie) Manuelito is present at the explosion; her husband Jim Chee is assigned to body guard duty in the explosion's aftermath.

I enjoyed this book a lot, including the audio rendition of it.

>30 tymfos: I do have a Kobo, Terri, but I put it down many months ago. Somehow I was sent an ER e-book, not what I asked for and I am stalled midway through. I asked for the book but it was not specified that it was an e-book. It was in the January 2016 batch. So, no I don't do e-books. I spend enough time reading on screens already.

>36 tymfos: Don't you just hate that when you get in on a course just before the text changes. I was thinking of taking a genealogy course online and the text that they were using was the previous one to the edition that is currently for sale. It is practically impossible to get the edition asked for even if the teacher prefers it because it is the one that they have.

>34 tymfos: I've read both books and likrd them.
Happy Tuesday, Terri.

>38 Familyhistorian: I can relate about screen time. But I love the convenience of e-books -- though I still love to hold a good, old-fashioned book, my shoulder problems sometimes make it hard to hold larger volumes, especially.

I think my professor handled the transition between editions very well, once he became aware of the issue. But now as the semester ends, I have to figure out whether to purchase my rented textbook for an additional nominal fee. I don't think I will -- it's not in the greatest condition (arrived that way) and now its gone outdated. The director's office already has two copies of the textbook from which many of our "recommended" readings came, albeit also in an edition recently superceded.

>39 Ameise1: Have a great weekend, Barbara!

Book #32 Uncommon Clay by Margaret Maron AUDIO (5-2-18) North Carolina, USA

I enjoyed this installment of Maron's Deborah Knott series. Deborah is filling in for a sick judge in North Carolina's clay country, home of its pottery industry, and her assignment involves the division of property at the end of two divorces. The primary story line involves a couple who divorced after years of working together as potters. When the husband is the victim of a grisly murder, speculation abounds as to the culprit.

A very secondary but interesting plotline involves a pair of lawyers who are divorcing -- the only point of contention is who will get their law office, in a prime location near the courthouse.

I'm in the awkward position of currently reading three books at once (paper, e-book, and audio) which are too similar. Two are English mysteries, and the one set in Iceland involves a plot that has just enough small similarities to different aspects of the other two to cause confusion. It's a good thing my semester is almost over (final on Wednesday) so that I can concentrate a bit more on my reading! I'm trying to decide which, if any, to just suspend reading until I finish at least one of them.

I usually try not to read more than one mystery at a time. Reading a mystery, a NF book, and a baseball book works best for me. However, the current Donna Leon book I'm reading outdoors, in PB, is different enough from the British cozy mysteries I've been reading lately that it works ok. The current cozy I'm reading is actually American, the new Murder in a Locked Library by Ellery Adams.

>43 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda!

I usually make sure to vary what I read at the same time. But I bought the new Kindle release in the Blood Detective series and couldn't resist starting it. At the same time, someone mentioned the John Madden series by Airth and got me looking at that. I picked out the Indridason audio on a whim during a bout of insomnia. I'm just not organized in my reading right now.

Happy Sunday, Terri. xx

A belated Happy New Thread, Terri!
>8 tymfos: What a great pic of Sig. Mitten's asks "what catnip have you been smoking, bud?"
>34 tymfos: I read Songs for the Missing a while back and also thought it very good. Have your read Last Night at the Lobster by O'Nan? Also very good!
>37 tymfos: Oooo, another Anne Hillerman! Must put that one on my wish list.

>45 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Happy Sunday to you, too!

>46 Carmenere: Thanks! Yes, I read Last Night at the Lobster a while back. I liked it, as I recall.

There is yet one more by Anne Hillerman released last month, Cave of Bones, I have yet to get to.

I generally do multiple books in different genres at the same time. If I have two mysteries going, it would be a light one and a darker one or more literary one. I saw another new Anne Hillerman is coming out later this summer as I was looking through forthcoming books. I used to love her dad's books. I really need to catch up with the series now that she's continuing it.

Me, too (multiple books), Terri. And if I have a dark one going, I'll usually combine it with a light one. Right now that's Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward and the 6th in a fantasy series, Ashes of Honor. I also always have a graphic novel and a poetry book going.

>48 thornton37814: >49 jnwelch: Hi, Lori and Joe!

Back when all my books were on paper, I'd do one fiction & one non- fiction. Audios and e-books entered the picture, and I'd have one of each of those, too, and try to keep them different in setting and tone from the others. Holds, group reads, and challenges can muddle the reading schedule, as can an eagerly anticipated new releases and "impulse" reads. I'm also tending to read less nonfiction for pleasure as I am always reading at least one textbook these days.

I just finished my audiobook mystery and have started a non-fiction audio, The Zookeeper's Wife.

>49 jnwelch: Joe, How are you liking Sing, Unburied, Sing? I've had that on my radar.

Book #33 Outrage by Arnaldur Indridason AUDIO (5-8-18) Iceland

This is part of the series that usually features Inspector Erlendur, but he is missing from this one, except for occasional mentions as to his absence. The focus is on Elinborg. She does an admirable job investigating the murder of a man who apparently uses "date rape" drugs on unsuspecting women he encounters. This was a good, solid mystery, though it was odd to have Inspector Erlendur completely absent.

I just saw someone call Sing, Unburied, Sing "Gritlit", Terri, and that sounds about right. Very gritty, addressing a tough slice of life, and beautifully written.

Must be a common problem with readers. Sometimes I bring it on myself when I choose to go ahead and read a book from the library because it has to go back soon, knowing full well that it's going to tangle me up with another one going in some other format.

The Arnaldur Indridason sounds good. I've had Jar City on my wishlist for ages, but still haven't gotten around to it.

>52 jnwelch: I do plan to read that, Joe!

>53 countrylife: That's exactly the sort of thing that gets me in trouble with too-similar books, Cindy!

Book #34 The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Atkinson (5-18-18) Warsaw, Poland

This book tells the story of the Director of the Warsaw Zoo and his wife before and during WWII, and how they managed to save many Jews by hiding them on zoo property, practically under the noses of the Nazis. Fascinating.

Book #35 The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth (5-20-18) Surrey, England

Inspector John Madden, #2

Years have passed since the events of River of Darkness (#1 in series). It's 1932. Madden has retired from the police force and married Helen, and they live a peaceful rural existence. But fate catches him up in the search for a missing girl, and he finds the girl's horribly battered body. Despite Helen's strong misgivings, Madden is drawn into the investigation of what soon appears to be an international serial killer. Complicating things, they must work with German police even as they watch, with growing alarm, the Nazi party rise to power.

We meet some new-to-us investigators from Scotland Yard, as well as a few familiar characters from River of Darkness who have moved up in the ranks.

I stayed up until about 1 a.m. finishing this book, even though I had to get up early today. I took the early pages at a more leisurely pace, but by the end, I just HAD to read on and see what happened.

Highly recommended to those who like historical mysteries.

Book #36 Blood Reckoning by Dan Waddell (5-20-18) Kindle single England (London and elsewhere)

I liked aspects of this book, but not others. I felt it jumped around a bit too much early on to follow easily. Also, one of the plotlines went somewhat into paranormal territory, which I didn't expect in this series. If you don't like that sort of thing, be forewarned.

Nigel (the genealogist) is trying to help a woman whose child is having strange episodes of terror and breathlessness in the night. Grant Foster (the detective) is dealing with the deaths of two men who murdered a man many years ago, when they were twelve. That old murder was one he investigated in his previous posting, and he'd rather not be reminded of it. But as he investigates, its clear that something has been hidden. I guessed the big secret long before it was revealed. We also learn more about Nigel's background. Enough said.

Book #37 Aftermath by Peter Robinson e-book (5-23-18) Yorkshire, England

This was another excellent installment in the Inspector Alan Banks series. I neglected things I should be doing (housework to prepare for guests, sleep, etc.) to keep reading this.

The basic premise: (This all transpires or is strongly suggested in the very opening chapters, so I don't think I'm providing a spoiler.) A neighbor's call to emergency services reporting a domestic dispute leads to discovery of a basement of horrors, the death of a policeman, and accusations that the dead policeman's partner engaged in police brutality. There is also a question of whether the obvous culpret's wife also knew what was behind the locked door in the basement.

Inspector Banks, who had been heading a task force related to missing young women, is on the case, which manages to create conflict with Annie Cabot, who has taken an assignment in the British equivalent of Internal Affairs. The neighbor who called police is meddling, and Banks is feeling the onset of burnout.

Robinson juggles all these components and more, and keeps the reader's interest along the way. I did not have time to read this book through this quickly -- but I did!

>56 tymfos: I think Waddell's first book was one I liked. I need to read the second one and then this one.

I didn't like the second book as much as the first, but that opinion doesn't seem to be unanimous, looking at reviews/ratings that have been posted.

I just abandoned Lucifer's Tears by James Thompson, from the Inspector Vaara series set in Finland. There were two main story lines, ongoing investigations. One about involvement of Finnish personnel in the Holocaust had my interest, but the storyline about a married woman murdered when she met her lover for a tryst was just way too vulgar for my taste. I'm pretty tolerant, but it was a bit over the top for me. I don't remember the first book in this series being like that.

You have been reading some interesting books lately, Terri. I really like the John Madden series and need to get back to it. Sorry the Waddel wasn't up to snuff. You also reminded me that I want to continue with the Robinson series.

>55 tymfos: I’m enjoying The Blood-Dimmed Tide!

>60 Familyhistorian: >61 Copperskye: Hi, Meg and Joanne! I enjoyed The Blood Dimmed Tide so much, I've already zipped through The Dead of Winter, too. The John Madden series is really great, though I do have a few picky critiques about details.

I'm behind in writing about my reading, though I do seem to at least get books onto my top-of-the-thread list so I don't forget what I read.

Book # 38. Clouds Without Rain by P. L. Gaus e-book (5-28-18) Holmes County, Ohio

This is the third in a series set in Ohio Amish country. This one is a little odd. Most of the focus is on a terrible accident which may not have been an accident. There is also a decoy operation trying to catch some teens who are robbing vulnerable Amish people. There is concern about a cult, though few details are shared about it. An Amish bishop, returned from a time in Pennsylvania, is trying to bring an Amish sect that drifted toward liberal ways back into the Old Order fold. And there are some shady real estate dealings.

If that sounds like a bit of a hodgepodge, it is. Yet I enjoyed the book. I especially was interested in the exploration of differences between different sects of the Amish and the tension between the tradition and the draw of modern conveniences.

39. The Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth e-book (5-30-18) England

This is Book 3 in the John Madden series. Over a decade has passed since the events of The Blood Dimmed Tide. It is now 1944, and England is plagued by wartime shortages and falling bombs. The police are shorthanded, Chief Inspector Sinclair has been forced to work beyond his normal retirement date, and enforcement of rationing and apprehension of looters overwhelm law enfocement.

On a blackout-darkened street, a young Polish woman, in London to visit an aunt, is murdered. She is a Land Army worker -- and the farm where she works is John Madden's in Surrey. Is it any surprise if the ex-copper prods Scotland Yard to look into matter? And what was first believed to be a random killing turns out to be something even more sinister.

I love this series! I could quibble with some details -- how some conclusions are reached, how some background information is known to the police -- but overall, this was a terrific mystery alive with the flavor of wartime Britain.

I read The Blood-Dimmed Tide long ago, and I liked it, but I didn't realize when I started that it was No. 2 in a series. I think I would have appreciated it better if I'd read the first one...first. I'll probably go back and start at the beginning one of these days.

I only have one more of the Deborah Knotts to read, and I hate to put it behind me. I've loved that series so much, and you may know Margaret Maron has said she's finished it with Long Upon the Land. Lucky you, with a dozen of them still ahead of you!

By all means, go back to the beginning of the Madden series and read River of Darkness. It is superb!

>63 tymfos: I like the Professor Brandon series a lot better than some people do. I think it's because of my ancestral connection to the area and to the Amish.

I bought 1776 for my dad years ago, and I don't know whether he ever read it or not. At the time, he was very interested in the revolution and why people would have revolted when that was such a high crime. He was probably more interested in reading things that were more primary or dry/scholarly. lol

Book #40 Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (6-2-18) East End of London

This was another excellent installment in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. A woman disappears, and then her husband goes missing. What follows leaves a little girl in danger of being turned over to a grandmother who is prejudiced agains her, to Gemma's dismay. Meanwhile, Gemma is struggling with wedding planning and her mother's illness.

>66 thornton37814: Lori, I've always been interested in the Amish -- ever since I read Virginia Sorensen's Plain Girl back in elementary school. Now I live in an area with many Old Order Amish. So I like the series, too.

>67 The_Hibernator: 1776 was a great book, but definitely not dry.

Book #41 The Reckoning by Rennie Airth AUDIO (6-6-18)

I move on with the John Madden series by Rennie Airth, and this installment continues with the same high quality of writing. I listened to this on audio, and it was very effective. Two seemingly unconnected men are murdered. When it's learned that one of them was trying to contact Madden shortly before his death, Madden is drawn into the cases.

Highly recommended -- but I strongly advise reading this series in order. Certainly one can follow the story well enough as a stand-alone, but it's so much richer with the character development through the series.

Horrors! I don't have the next (which is most recent) in this series readily available via any of my ususal sources for library loans. I'll have to try ILL.

>70 tymfos: I must start that series, Terri.

Have a lovely weekend.

>70 tymfos: Glad to hear that the series is holding up! I’m waiting for The Dead of Winter to be delivered.

>71 PaulCranswick: I really think you'd like that series, Paul. Have a great week!

>72 Copperskye: I rarely go at a series one after the other like this. But after waiting way too long after the first one, I've really been caught up in it.

It is absolutely pouring rain tonight. Our internet connection is really slow this evening -- I had to listen to an online lecture for class, and I actually had to ask my son to get off You Tube with his computer so I'd have enough bandwidth to listen to the lecture -- it kept halting, wasn't buffering properly. Even after my son went offline, there were still pauses. I suspect the weather might have something to do with it.

Book #42 Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (6-15-18)

This story, set in the Jim Crow South after WWII, unfolds through the voices of six characters: Laura, a white southern woman; her husband Henry; her brother-in-law, Jamie, returned from service in WWII; Hap, a black sharecropper on Laura and Henry's land; Hap's wife Florence; and Hap and Florence's son Ronsel, returning from service in WWII.

This is a story where the setting is a major part of the story -- both the physical space, a Mississippi Delta farm that Laura called "Mudbound" (and the name stuck like the Delta mud to boots) and the social space which strictly defined the roles of blacks and women, and threatened violence to any who disregarded those societal boundaries.

This is a sad tale, but one told quite well. The six different perspectives are very effective in conveying the attitudes of the times and the nature of the six characters. One major character who is not among the narrators is Pappy, and he is so vile, I'm glad to not see into his thoughts.

A disturbing book, effectively written.

Book #43 The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly (6-18-18) Los Angeles, California
Harry Bosch series book #3

This is a classic part of Connelly's Bosch series. A civil suit is brought against Harry in the killing of the Dollmaker serial killer. As the case begins, a note leads the police to another victim killed with the Dollmaker's signature M.O. Was this a later victim? Did Harry kill the wrong man?

This was a great read, even though I predicted most aspects of the ending early on. I've got to read more of the Bosch series!

Book #44 Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio e-book (6-19-18) Bari, Italy

Guido is asked to represent a man who confessed to drug smuggling, but says he is innocent -- that the material was in his car, but someone else must have put it there. The man's wife is gorgeous, and Guido finds her irresistible -- which poses a real ethical issue for him.

This series continues to improve. It's not your typical legal thriller, but I don't particularly like typical legal thrillers, so the series is growing on me.

I especially enjoy Guido's comments about books and reading, and about music. I especially liked the late-night bookstore -- the one that's open from 10 p.m. until dawn. Sounds like my kind of place.

I wish I could quote the passage I'm thinking of, but my e-book loan expired 10 minutes after I finished reading the book -- just made it! That I took so long to read it is not a negative reflection on the book, just on how busy I am and other reading commitments (Mudbound for book discussion group, stuff for class, and the exceptional addictiveness of the Connelly I was also reading.)

Book #45 No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (6-20-18) England

This installment in the Duncan Kincaid/ Gemma James series has them investigating the death of a detective who was also an elite rower. Duncan and Gemma's family has some interesting developments. And there are wonderful search and rescue dogs in this story! Another great installment in the series.

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone!

>76 tymfos: I'm glad you like the other Guido more than I did. I gave up after the first book. I'm glad to hear they are improving, but since they aren't readily available, I won't purchase them or make the library spend money for ILL.

>63 tymfos: Hi Terri, I'm delurking to say I got a book bullet. Actually part of a hit because I was "wounded" by Joanne (coppers) when I read her review of The Blood Dimmed Tide by Airth, an author I'm unfamiliar with. You both make the books sound irresistible. Thank you!

I love that you keep us informed of Sig's cuteness. I especially liked the picture on your last thread of him helping himself to your glass of milk!

>74 tymfos: Oh, I loved Mudbound I think I have one of her later books on my Kindle. I tend to forget about my e-books for some reason.

Have a great weekend!

>79 thornton37814: It will never be one of my favorite series, but I can access them easily via Hooopla with my Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh card, so I'm going to continue.

>80 Donna828: Hi, Donna! Be sure to read the first in Airth's series, River of Darkness, before moving on to The Blood Dimmed Tide. River of Darkness was really great, and you'll better understand the books that follow if you've read it.

As for Sig, I caught him trying to take a sip of my root beer the other day. I think he didn't get any -- he didn't get sick from it, if he did.

I tend to forget my e-books, too, Donna. Of course, so many of mine are junk that I downloaded for free. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I snagged some of them.

Book #46 Haunted Philadelphia by Darcy Oordt e-book (6-22-18) Philadelphia, PA, USA

As the week has been stressful, I was looking for a library e-book that would be relatively short, simple, and easy to digest with a small glass of wine on a Friday night. This pretty much fit the bill.

This book was fun, but had some shortcomings. I enjoyed some of the semi-snarky humor which cropped up from time to time, and the efforts to debunk at least a few of the legends where the historical record clearly showed that the back story related to the alleged haunting was bogus.

There were a few clear historical errors, the most glaring of which was the claim that Paul Revere visited Philadelphia's City Tavern the night of his famous ride -- in Boston. (Sorry, Paul didn't have a plane to jet between colonial cities.)

Oordt seems fascinated by cemeteries, especially those which were moved or not moved but built over. The final section dealt with those "former cemeteries" and was interesting to a point, but the long list of summaries began to get tedious.

An editor's hand was needed, at least for the e-book edition I read. There were a lot of wordsthat were runtogether, if you see what I mean.

All in all, a fun look at the city's spooky lore, if you're willing to take it with a grain of salt.

Hi Terri, I could promise to try harder to keep up but I feel like I may find I can’t. I do mean to because you read so many great books.

I have to confess I’ve never read anything by Stewart O’Nan but I did pick up one of his at a used book sale, Wish You Were Here and have now added Songs for the Missing at your recommendation to my Overdrive list. Also, Last Night at the Lobster.

I am like you I think: I love the convenience of eBooks but also love reading a real book. I look at my reading this year and I’m about evenly divided between the two.

>83 brenzi: Bonnie, no need to promise to try to keep up. These days I'm not keeping up with anybody. I occasionally do some random drive-by hellos, but with work and school, I've had to cut way back on LT. I decided I'd rather cut back on LT than cut back on reading, though I'm not doing quite as much of that as I used to, either.

I do divide my reading pretty evenly these days between paper and eBooks. I also throw a lot of audios into the mix. They are my companions while driving, and also during housework and just unwinding time, sometimes when my eyes are too tired to read. I even let audiobooks read me to sleep sometimes. I love that my audiobook apps have sleep timers so they shut off before I've slept through too much of the story and I can easily find my place in the morning.

Speaking of audiobooks . . .

Book #47 Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman AUDIO (6-23-18) Southwestern US

This one revolves around a camp for, shall we say, somewhat wayward or at-risk Navajo girls. Kind of a Teen Challenge sort of thing? A girl on her "solo" campout experience goes missing. A camp counsellor goes to find her. The girl comes back, but the counsellor disappears.

Bernie was supposed to be addressing the girls with a presentation, but instead walks into a missing person case. She winds up accused by a tribal official of being part of a consipiracy. That part of the story seemed really off-the-wall to me.

I was a little disappointed in this one. I found it too convoluted. There was too much that had to be explained near the end. I will say that the epilogue kind of gave me chills.

The Airth books are very good, aren't they Terri? I started with the first one in the series and I know I have read at least one more. Hmm, maybe I should figure out where I am in the series and pull another one off the shelf.

>86 Familyhistorian: They have me hooked. I rarely buy books for myself these days, but I have ordered the most recent one, and am eager for it to arrive.

Book #48 The Library Marketing Toolkit by Ned Potter (6-30-18)

This is the textbook used for my class in library community relations/marketing/public relations, etc. It has some useful information. Like anything that involves using social media (which is one aspect of library promotion that it covers) some ideas are already a bit outdated, but the basics are sound.

>85 tymfos: I think I'll skip it

>84 tymfos: This is a "random drive-by hello" as I try to get back in the swing of things here on LT. : )

Is Anne Hillerman related to Tony Hillerman? I am guessing yes....

>89 Berly: Hi, Kim! Good to see you! Have a nice Independence Day.

Anne is his daughter.

Good evening!

I just turned in my final project for my summer session (condensed 5-week session) class. Whew!

Now I have a break from classes undil late August. That's the longest break I've had since I started. I'm exactly halfway through my Masters program WHEEE!!!!!

>91 tymfos: Congratulations, Terri. You should be able to see the finish line from here!

Yay! Way to go, Terry. Enjoy your break to the fullest!

Thanks, Linda and Kim!

These are busy days at the library, with summer programming kicking in full-blast this week. There's still not much time for reading.

I finished this audiobook. The date completed is approximate -- I think maybe I managed to finish it before the class ended, but I was so busy I didn't note it on my thread. Then I forgot I still needed to post it.

Book #49 White Corridor by Christopher Fowler AUDIO England

This is another delightful but totally implausible outing by the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Bryant and May are snowbound on a road in a blizzard, while back at the PCU, all heck is breaking loose. Can they help solve a crime via mobile phone?

Congrats on reaching the halfway point, Terri!!

Thanks, Linda!

Happy weekend!

>97 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel! And wishing you a happy weekend this weekend!

Book #50 Black Skies by Arnaldur Indridason (7-12-18)

This was a dreary book, but in the end it had me turning pages. Inspector Erlendur is still absent. This installment focuses on detective Sigurdur Oli, my least favorite recurring character. He's drawn into a situation by his friend, who asks him to intervene on behalf of a friend who is being blackmailed. Instead, he walks into a murder scene. Meanwhile, a disturbed man has a revenge project going. This is a dark tale with a lot of unpleasant angles, but well-told. Not a favorite in the series. I want Inspector Erlendur to come back!

Book #51 Ella Enchanted (7-15-18)

I read this for our library's youth book discussion. We also watched the movie. I was surprised how very different the movie was from the book!

One thing the book and movie agree on is that Ella is "gifted" (cursed) by a fairy with the "gift" of obedience. She can't help but obey any order, and obey it literally. ("Hop to it!" She hops!) This is dangerous -- as people can order you to do things that can be harmful -- as well as just plain unpleasant. This basic premise runs through the book. Of course, "Ella" is a retelling of "Cinderella" with the "gift" added in. (This is clearer in the book than in the movie.) There is a prince, and even a glass slipper, but things happen a little differently than the standard tale.

I'm not a big reader of young people's literature, so this didn't do much for me, but it seemed well-written and clever.

I'm currently reading A Man Called Ove AND I LOVE IT!!!!!



I don't want the book to end . . . except we have to discuss it Saturday, so I have to finish it.

Happy Friday, Terri. You did some great reading.

>100 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Have a great weekend!

Book #52 A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (7-20-18) Sweden

As noted above, I truly enjoyed this book. This tale of a curmudgeonly "old man" (about my age, actually) was delightful and thoroughly well-told. The opening scene, when Ove is in a store trying to shop for an iPad, sets the tone -- though the author leaves you to wonder, almost to the very end of the book, why this man would have even considered shopping for one.

Years ago, I took the Strong-Campbell interest inventory, and the vocational counsellor explained that the different "types" were extremes, and that no one is exactly one type or the other. But when I read them, I told her that my father fit the "realistic" type almost perfectly.

Ove is a lot like my dad. Mechanically inclined, not so good with people. Practical to a fault, viewing the world in black-and-white terms, with little tolerance for gray areas.

I love the way Backman slowly unfolds the story of Ove's life, slowly letting us in on what has led up to where he is now -- and who he is now. It was touching and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. My favorite scene was when he taught Parvaneh to drive.

I gave this one five stars. My only hesitation is about the references to Ove as an old man. Fifty-nine is not that old!!!

>102 tymfos: Happy to see you enjoyed Ove, Terri!
I loved the book so much I bought my own copy and had my husband read it.

Fifty-nine can be old, or not that old ;-)

I also loved A Man Called Ove Terri. The movie is also very good. I think it had subtitles though.

Echoing what Bonnie said, Terri. I'm so glad you had a five star time with A Man Called Ove. Me, too. And we loved the movie after reading the book, which doesn't happen all that often.

Hi, Anita, Bonnie, and Joe. A Man Called Ove was a true delight. Now I want to see the movie.

I have three novels going which all have plot points that push my buttons, and it's slowing my reading. I don't know whether to drop one and replace it, add a fourth book I enjoy more, or just keep plugging along with what I'm reading.

Book #53 The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (7-21-18) England

This was another good installment in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series, though the nature of the crimes was a bit unpleasant. It kept me guessing.

Just when you think things were nicely wrapped up, there is a bit of a bombshell right at the end. Ah, well . . .

I picked up A Man Called Ove in my little free library a few months ago. Good to know you enjoyed it. I hope you are making the most of your break from school.

>108 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! I hope you enjoy A Man Called Ove. I'm enjoying my break from school. Things are busy at the library with summer programs.

Book #54 Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill (7-25-18) Laos and Cambodia

This was the grimmist installment yet about Dr. Siri, as he encounters the reality of the Killing Fields of Cambodia.

Book #55 The St. Paul Conspiracy by Roger Stelljes e-book (7-26-18) St. Paull, Minnesota, USA

I was slow to engage with this book -- the initial part pushed all the wrong buttons for me -- but I was eventually drawn into the tale. It's a matter of murder and conspiracy, with a cop-from-a-family-of-cops taking the lead in the investigations.

Book #56 Snap by Belinda Bauer e-book (7-27-18) England

Booker Long List

I've long been a fan of Belinda Bauer's crime fiction. It is in no way run-of-the-mill whodunit material, but always pushing boundaries and breaking out of the conventions of genre in quirky and thought-provoking ways. So when I learned that this book of hers actually was chosen for the Booker Long List, I had to get hold of it -- FAST -- and read it. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh had it available via Hoopla, and I pounced. I read it in a day -- couldn't put it down.

A woman disappears going to phone for help, while her children wait in a stalled car by the side of the M-5 highway. Three years later, the children's lives are in chaos. Meanwhile, a cast of improbable detectives is trying to solve a series of odd burglaries.

This is not just a "who-done-it?" tale, though there is a crime that cries out for solving. It's about grief and rage and the kind of madness which results from them. It's about children failed by their elders. It's about the weight of responsibility.

It took a bit to get fully into it, but once in I was hooked. I doubt it will make the Booker short list, but I'm glad I read it.

Wasn’t A Man Called Ove a charmer?! I loved it, too. And I totally agree about the old man references, especially since I’m that very same age!

Joanne, it was delightful!

Book #57. You Need More Sleep: Advice from Cats by Francesco Marciuliano eBook (7-28-18)

This book was a silly trifle, written as cats giving advice to humans from their feline point of view. A lot of it was pretty ridiculous, but there was enough that hit home for me, as someone owned by a cat, to made me laugh -- plus great photos of cats.

And I do need more sleep . . .

A new (and pleasant) wrinkle from Amazon. I went on and ordered my textbooks for Fall. They offered me the option of using a "no rush" shipping instead of the usual Prime quick shipping I'm signed up for, and they offered a $1 credit toward an eBook for using the "no rush" option. I got the $1 credit, but the books still came pretty quickly, to my surprise.

Speaking of Amazon . . . I haven't been on the threads here much, but in the limited places I have been, I haven't seen folks here discussing the Forbes online article by the economist who thought Amazon could/should replace libraries and save taxpayers a bundle. Of course, the backlash was so swift and strong, the article wasn't there for long. Forbes took it down, saying that it was outside the author's area of expertise. (In other words, he didn't know what he was talking about) and published an article by an astrophysicist touting the value of libraries, saying they got him started toward his science career when he was a child.

The Washington Post (owned by Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon) also quickly published an article on the value and importance of libraries. (I guess Amazon isn't in the market wanting to replace public libraries.)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/07/23/an-awful-lot-people-use-love-...

It's amazing how ignorant some supposedly educated people can be about the value of libraries! But it's great to see the swift backlash. A lot of people still think libraries are important.

>113 tymfos: I was amazed that Forbes would publish such an article, but before I could gather my thoughts to comment on it, it seems, it was gone. I'm also highly relieved to find I wasn't in the minority on this point. Try to float a stupid idea like this, and get sunk immediately---that's as it should be.

>110 tymfos: That is one of the ones I can access in the library. Of course, it may take a long time before I can possibly read it since it was nominated. Then again, people here in East Tennessee may not follow the awards as much as some places.

>114 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I see many librarians are upset that it was pulled off completely, rather than run with a disclaimer so that people could see what everyone was commenting about. It feels contrary to librarian anti-censorship sensibilities, I guess.

>115 thornton37814: Lori, not many people here in the mountains of Western PA seem to follow the awards. I'm trying to decide what to do as far as how many of the nominees should go in our collection. So far, we only have Warlight. It's been going out steadily. I think the Bauer might circulate. We have her Jonas Holly series, which had some following -- though some borrowers said they really didn't like it. (I liked it, but realize it was very dark and rather cutting-edge for crime fiction.) Beyond that, I may wait for the short list.

Book #58 The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (7-29-18)

This is something of a children's classic, at least for those who love horses. We have many of the Black Stallion books at our library, and they circulate.

This is the story of a boy and a horse. When the boat he is on catches fire and sinks, the boy latches onto the ropes trailing from the wild horse who had been cargo on the vessel. The fact that there is a whole series of Black Stallion books probably makes it a non-spoiler to suggest that maybe they survive. The book is a bit implausible and one-dimensional, but an exciting story for young readers.

currently reading



Last Words by Michael Koryta AUDIO Southern Indiana, USA (no touchstone -- why?)
Death of Kings by Rennie Airth England
The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey eBook England

I've done it again -- two British mysteries (Tey and Airth) at once. Confusion is likely, though at least the plots are not really similar.

Happy Saturday, Terri. Looks like plenty of reading, is being done over here and that pleases me. Not reading as much crime fiction these days but I did squeeze in a Longmire and Dr. Siri last month. I also just finished November Road, which you might really like but it doesn't come out until October.

Have a great weekend.

>118 tymfos: Is that the latest Airth, Terri? I haven't gotten that far in the series yet. I think you should be able to keep
the two authors' works straight in your mind because they are writing in two different eras which creeps through even though their books are set in approximately the same time period.

I think I'm inspired by all the people reading The Black Stallion to go back and re-read some of my childhood favorite horse books. I probably will start with Misty of Chincoteague (and its sequel) and then move to the Farley tomes.

>119 msf59: Hi, Mark! Wishing you a great week!

>120 Familyhistorian: That is the latest Airth, from last year.
Yes, I'm really not having trouble keeping those two British mysteries straight.

>121 thornton37814: Lori, I loved Misty of Chincoteague as well as Stormy: Misty's Foal when I was a child. Even as an adult, when we spent part of a vacation in Virginia Beach, I made sure we made a road trip to Assateague Island, recalling its role in those books.

The first of Marguerite Henry's books I read was King of the Wind, the 1949 Newberry Medal winner. I recall few specific details, just that when I read it, I loved it and went on to read more of her books. I was surprised that the award wasn't listed in Common Knowledge for the work (though it was in the tags). I double-checked the ALA Newberry list and added it to the work's Common Knowledge.

>122 tymfos: I think in my mind, Stormy: Misty's Foal was always "Stormy of Assateague" because that's where she ended up.

This discussion has made me decide to add some of my childhood favorites to my LT catalog -- something I really hadn't done with the exception of books like Little Women that I still actually own, or ones I've reread in recent years. I stumble upon such books regularly, which bring back fond memories.

I'm having to guess as to the date I read them. I'm putting in an approximate year when I think particular books would have been of interest -- the horse ones would have been around 1969 or 1970, I think.

Huh. King of the Wind is already in my catalog, as my son still owns a copy -- possibly my old copy, I'll have to see.

eta to add Yup. 1968 Scholastic Books edition. That's my old copy. I'd estimated that I read it around 1969; that was probably a pretty close guess.

Looking back on some of those favorite books I read as a child, I realize how many of them were purchased at school through Scholastic Books: King of the Wind, Plain Girl,and Follow My Leader, to name a few.

Now, I clearly remember getting a nice hard-cover copy of Misty of Chincoteague for Christmas one year, but I'd asked for it after reading my Scholastic copy of King of the Wind.

I am FURIOUS! The course I'm taking, the instructor is requiring a resource that is out of print, not available via the student bookstore nor Amazon. It's suggested we try to find a digital copy, without even a publisher listed. I've already sunk $100 into the other textbooks for the course, so I am livid. I guess this is supposed to be a test of my library acquisitions skills . . . (fume, fume, fume).

>127 tymfos: OK, I calmed down and remembered that Google is my friend. I Googled the ISBN and immediately found a copy (hard copy, not digital) available via AbeBooks. And when I ordered it, up came the screen, "People who ordered this also ordered . . ." and there were the other texts for my fall Genealogy/Family History course. (I'd already bought those via Amazon.)

>128 tymfos: Glad you calmed down and found what you needed.

>117 tymfos: I have been re-reading the Black Stallion books, it is fun!
I never heard of Misty of Chincoteague before I joined LT, sadly not available in Dutch translation. Other horse books were My Friend Flicka and the two sequels and some (I think original English) pony-club books. And for the fun there were the cartoons of John Tickner and Norman Thelwell.

>126 tymfos: I loved (and still do love) Scholastic! Most of my childhood reading (and ownership!) was because of Scholastic and my parents' generous support. The first book I remember reading was Harriet Tubman, Runaway Slave and I loved her story. I found an old copy of the book, falling apart everywhere, but I still treasure it.

Thanks for the memories!

Karen O.

Scholastic is still running their school book fairs as far as I know because my little granddaughter brought home a flyer from daycare.

I want to read Snap even though it probably won’t make the Booker short list. They seldom include a crime story so it’s probably very well written.

Glad you were able to find your text books at Abe Books Terri. I use the quite a bit.

>129 FAMeulstee: I remember My Friend Flicka!

>130 klobrien2: You're welcome! I went to a number of Scholastic book fairs with my son. And when I was volunteering at the school library, I helped set one up.

>131 brenzi: Yes, Bonnie, Scholastic is alive and well, with book fairs at schools. They also have a big annual sale (out in Pittsburgh area, I believe) where our library's children's programming coordinator goes to buy books to give out at our Summer Quest program.

I only bought the one item from Abe Books -- I'd already gotten the others from Amazon -- but if it arrives as promised, I may shop from them again.

Book #59 Last Words by Michael Koryta AUDIO. (8-8-18) Southern Indiana, USA

Mark Novak works for an organization that tries to free innocent people from death row, but he's not in good standing with the bosses since his wife was murdered and he went off the deep end. They've sent him from his Florida base to southern Indiana on a case that doesn't even meet the organization's criteria -- the "accused" hasn't even been formally accused, let alone tried, convicted and sentenced. He's just everyone's suspect. He claims to not remember what happened in that cavern ten years prior, and says he wants Mark to figure out what happened -- if he's guilty or not.

Novak meets resistance from the locals almost immediately. And what follows isn't improving the opinion of the higher-ups in his organization.

If you're claustrophobic, don't read this; a lot of the key action takes place underground, in a cavern system that has very tight spots. Koryta does a great job conveying the sense of place. He also conveys the sorrow of a man who regrets the last words he said to his wife before she drove off and never returned. The story has as many twists and turns as the caverns at its heart.

This is not Koryta at his best, but was a pretty good read. I don't know if this is going to become a full-fledged series, but there is a sequel.

Book #60. The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey e-book (8-10-18)

This was a pretty good story from the "golden age" of mysteries. Two women on a rather remote estate are accused of holding a teenage girl prisoner. A local lawyer, called on to defend the women, believes in their innocence and is jarred from his routine as he takes up their case.

Book #61 Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalvan (8-12-18) New York, Iraq, Washington, DC

Author Luis Carlos Montalvan is an Iraq war vet left with physical and mental scars. Tuesday is the golden retriever service dog that changed his life.

There were a lot of opinions expressed. Some I could easily agree with, some I'd need to reserve judgment. I was most frustrated reading how poorly the VA health system operated (not news, but different reading an individual vet's account rather than just the news stories). It was also appalling how often businesses (and even NYC transit) refused to honor the law requiring accommodation of service animals, or did so grudgingly and in ways that were demeaning -- complete, overall ignorance. And Tuesday was a registered service dog with the official vest!

I'd like to know how they are doing now. I think there is a follow-up book.

ETA: So sad. A quick web search shows that Capt. Montalvan is no longer with us -- dead at age 43 of an overdose, an apparent suicide. He had been away rehabbing from a surgery, and did not have Tuesday with him at the time of his death. As of the most recent info I saw, Tuesday is still alive and living in retirement with the head of the service dog training organization.

>127 tymfos: Wow, that is terrible. Professors need to be more conscientious about such things. :(

Glad you found your "missing" textbook! I've enjoyed all the YA books discussed here -- a wonderful trip down memory lane. I think I read the entire Black Stallion series. : ) And I used to love Scholastic Magazine. I think most of my allowance went right there! Snap sounds intriguing....

>136 The_Hibernator: Well, it all worked out.

>137 Berly: I find myself taking more and more trips down memory lane these days. (Is that a sign of getting older?)

Vacationing in northern New York State, I did some regional reading.

Book #62 Blood Knot by S.W. Hubbard (8-13-18) Adirondacks, Upstate New York

Enjoyable mystery set in a fictional Adirondack town. This was so "memorable" that, four days after finishing it, I forget the plot, but I enjoyed it while I read it!

Book #63 Dead Drift by S.W. Hubbard eBook (8-14-18) Adirondacks, Upstate NY

Three short stories set in fictional Adirondack town. Short book; I enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the premise of the story featuring a nativity scene made of chainsaw carving art, though the ending was unexpectedly sad.

Book #64 Murder & Mayhem in Jefferson County by Cheri L. Farnsworth eBook (8-15-18) Upstate NY

True crime from the 19th and early 20th century in Northern New York State. The stories were reasonably interesting and well-told. However, my gripe is this. In the author's preface, she notes that images in the old newspapers were often of too poor a quality to reprint. Thus:
"Because there were no photographs available for some of the stories, in a few cases, I improvised. From my personal collection, I carefully chose original antique photographs of unidentified locations and individuals who resembled what I perceived the victims and killers looked like, based on obscure newspaper images and descriptive newspaper accounts. In the few cases where neither of those was available (like the first story from 1828), I had no choice but to use my imagination (and a bit of artistic license). The caption for such images simply says: Courtesy of the author."

I'd rather not have a photo than to have photos of people who sort of look like the people in question! How tacky!

Book #65 Watertown by Donna Dutton eBook (8-15-18) Upstate NY

This is part of the "Images of America" series of pictoral history books of various locales.

Book #66 Black Fly Season by Giles Blunt (8-16-18) Ontario, Canada

This is the third installment of Blunt's Cardinal/Delorme series set in the fictional town of Algonquin Bay, Canada. (Blunt is from North Bay, and it's been said that Algonquin Bay a fictionalized version of that city.)

The story begins with a young woman with no memory of who she is or why she is where she is. She doesn't know it, but she's at the middle of a crime wave about to break out.

Be forewarned that this one is quite grisly. Not only are there drug deals, killings, and attempted killings, but one of the bad guys is into some seriously bad magic.

Requiring a out of print book as a source is pretty questionable IMO. If the source was that good it shouldn't be out of print which gives the impression that the book has probably been superseded by something else.

I hope you are having a great vacation, Terri.

It turns out that it’s actually not a book. It’s a specialized folder-format guide for citing historical/genealogical resources. Not sure why that particular edition was required. Apparently it’s how she wants our citations done.

Vacation was good, but I’m back to work now.

>141 tymfos: That's strange, Terri. I would have thought there were a few recognized in-print resources for citing historical and genealogical sources.

Good to hear you had a good vacation. August seems to be a popular time for some time off.

>126 tymfos: Unless a family member treated me to a trip to downtown Chicago and one of the huge bookstores, either the Kroch's & Brentano's flagship on Wabash or the large Marshall Field's Dept store bookstore on State St (where I later worked during the summer, which was a dream job), nearly all of my books as a kid came from Scholastic. Loved picking them out.

>139 tymfos: In recent books, I've been reading a ton of local history/photo books. Pretty much anything I can get my hands on

Terri, I wonder if what you were seeking was one of the "Quick Guides" Genealogical Publishing Company put out. They are handy laminated 4 page booklets (or folded double-sided 11 X 17 sheets, if you prefer to call them that). They are still available, and I could probably tell you several vendors from which you could order them, including the publisher. I'm glad you did find it. My guess is that your professor may have been trying to spare you the expense of purchasing Evidence Explained, but if you are going to be a serious genealogist, you'll eventually need your own copy of it for citations.

>142 Familyhistorian: I think Lori nailed the explanation, Meg (see >144 thornton37814: and my response to it below).

>143 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda! I loved picking out the Scholastic Books, too, when I was a kid!

My "currently-reading" local history book (of where we visited, not where I live) is a big disappointment. Review to come soon.

>144 thornton37814: That's what it was, Lori. There was a specific ISBN number attached to the one she wanted us to have, though similar ones were available on Amazon. As it's a basic introductory course, she was probably trying to keep costs down for us. As for whether I'm going to eventually need Evidence Explained, I'm probably not going to be a "serious genealogist." That's our archivist/genealogist's role. I'm a newbie library director who wants to at least have a basic understanding of that aspect of my library's work -- our library has quite a reputation in the region for excellence in that department.

>113 tymfos: I occasionally opt for the no rush shipping. You can only use it for digital books that are sold by Amazon. If the publisher sets the price and it says “sold by Random House”, for instance, it won’t apply. Still, it’s a good deal when you don’t need something in a hurry and I’ve gotten some ebooks even cheaper than I normally do!

I loved all the Walter Farley and Marguerite Henry horse books as a kid and always love to see them mentioned. I couldn’t get enough of them! My Friend Flicka, too. I managed to hold on to a few copies from my parents’ house -The Black Stallion, The Island Stallion, and The Island Stallion’s Fury, and Little Black, A Pony. Also a 1941 edition of My Friend Flicka that’s way too old to even page through, much less read. I wish it was in better shape.

>146 Copperskye: Joanne, Little Black, a Pony was a favorite of mine when very young. I recall there was a Little Black Goes to the Circus, that I owned, too.

ETA to add I used that $1 credit I got for using the no-rush shipping, grabbing the latest installment of a series I've been reading.

>145 tymfos: I'm glad you are taking an interest in the genealogy department and want to maintain its reputation!

>148 thornton37814: It would be foolish not to!

I would NOT recommend this book, at least not if you're interested in the folklore aspect of what it appears to offer:

Book #67 Haunted Onondaga County by Neil Macmillan eBook (8-20-18) Onondaga County, NY

Having recently visited Upstate New York, I decided to do a bit of a reading binge related to the general region. This was the most underwhelming of the books I read.

Most of the stories followed this pattern: Here is a bit of history of this particular place. There are rumors that it's haunted (but no real telling of the details of the alleged haunting!). So maybe it's haunted, but it probably isn't.

Chapter One and the last two chapters were basically a pre-hash and a re-hash of the stories in between, with some musings on the inscrutable nature of paranormal lore and investigations.

Yes, there is some interesting history here. If they had marketed it as "interesting historical facts about some places in Onondaga County" and left out the ghost bit, it could have been made into a semi-respectable effort.

But from a ghost story/folklore standpoint, it fell flat. A book of local folklore should consist of more than historical background and an acknowledgment that there are ghost stories attached, without much real telling of the stories themselves.

>149 tymfos: I've found that most of my local history reading isn't that great, though there's an occasional gem. For many, the photos are the best part. Still interesting, though. I've mainly read about my area along with the part of Chicago where I grew up (in Polonia). I'll probably branch further afield at some point and read about places we've visited in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the Midwest.

>146 Copperskye: I use the Amazon "no rush shipping" occasionally but only when I don't really care when it arrives. Also if the credit goes towards books. If it goes towards groceries, which I rarely order online, then I don't do it.

They've been giving me a lot of bonus offers lately. Last week, if I bought 3 Kindle books by the end of the month, they'd credit me with 25% of my purchase price towards another Kindle book Still trying to decide what to buy with my credit.

I've started the annual September Series & Sequels thread.

It's over at: https://www.librarything.com/topic/295308

>150 lindapanzo: I agree, the photos are often the best part. The book about Watertown had great photos of the city's library, among other things.

>151 lindapanzo: I'll be over to visit the thread!

Book #68 The Viognier Vendetta by Ellen Crosby AUDIO (8-21-18) Washington, DC and Virginia

Out of the blue, an old college friend contacts and meets up with Lucie -- and then vanishes.

A decent installment in a decent series. I'm not crazy about this series, but sometimes I'm in the mood for it. It's not terribly memorable; I almost forgot to post it, had to shuffle my posts a bit to keep things in order.

Book #69 Temporary Perfections by Gianrico Carofiglio eBook (8-22-18) Bari and Rome, Italy

This is the best yet of Carofiglio's series. The case of a missing young woman has gone cold, and Guido is persuaded to look at the case file to see if there are any grounds to ask the police to continue investigating. Moved by the anguish of the parents, he takes the job, and takes it to heart.

Guido is at a more stable point in his life by this book -- older, with a new office and a staff -- but still plagued by many of the same self-doubts as in the earlier books.

His view that any "perfect" time or situation is temporary resonates with me -- at least as far as situations in this world.

eta to add I'm cutting and pasting this post to a different slot because I forgot a book. LT seems to think this is a duplicate post because the text used to be in the post above. GRRRR. So I've added this line to make it different. Duh.

Book #70 To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (8-24-18) London, England

Detective Melody Talbot is present when a possible terror attack takes place in a major train station. Duncan, recently reassinged for reasons unknown, has the case.

This is another great installment in the Gemma James/Duncan Kincaid series. The audios are very good of this series.

There is one more book in this series at present, and I'm going on to read it now.

Book #71 The Death of Kings by Rennie Airth (8-25-18) London and other locations in England

Madden is unofficially called into the investigation of a possible miscarriage of justice. An anonymous letter -- accompanied by a piece of missing jewelry related to a long-ago murder -- suggests that the wrong man was hanged for the crime.

This fifth and most recent installment in the John Madden series was my least favorite of the series. It was still better than the average whodunit, but the whole thing felt a bit convoluted.

Book #72 Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason eBook (8-28-18) rural Iceland

Inspector Erlendur had been absent from the previous two books in the series, which featured other officers in his unit. Reference had been made that he'd taken time off to spend back in the area where he'd grown up. Concern for his well-being had even been expressed. This book is the tale of where he was and what he was doing.

Ever haunted by the disappearance of his younger brother in a blizzard, Erlendur has long obsessed over missing persons cases, and frequently returned to the old croft his family called home when he was a child, even though it is now in ruins. Now he has returned to the old home place again -- this time, to obsess over another long-ago disappearance, of a woman named Matthildur during World War II.

Erlendur, always a rather odd duck, behaves even more strangely in this book. This is no ordinary whodunit, and definitely not a police procedural. And alternating between Erlendur's search for truth -- about Matthildur, about his brother Bergur -- are passages from his childhood (when his brother was lost) and passages that suggest a grim future event.

Book #73
Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie AUDIO London, England, UK

This is the latest in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. Gemma is preoccupied with the death of her friend's nanny, the body having been found in a garden. Meanwhile, Duncan is coping with possible corruption among the police. Who to trust?

This is a fairly good installment in a very good series. The audio was well done.

Book #74 Acts of Nature by Jonathon King eBook

Max Freeman Series, #5

Max and his partner Sherry are taking time off in the Everglades at the end of hurricane season, and forget to keep an eye on the weather. Not a good idea. When the roof caves in, Sherry is seriously injured.

Meanwhile, a band of thieves and some oil company strong-arm men are headed out to the Everglades with their own plans for post-storm activities.

This series has a lot of atmosphere. In this installment, I missed the character of lawyer Billy Manchester present in the story -- he was only mentioned as someone Max wanted to call for help.

Currently reading, and aiming for this to be #75:


The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Also reading, but pausing to finish the above book:

>159 tymfos: Beginning Acqua Alta during my lunch break today. I didn't read anything last night because I was too busy watching The Weather Channel. I'm also reading a Pat Conroy book for the American Author Challenge and listening to Margaret Coel's The Lost Bird which will fit this month's AlphaKIT - B.

The Lost Bird is next up in that series for me. I look forward to your comments.

>161 tymfos: I'm enjoying it so far. I'll probably try to finish it over the weekend. I don't think the commute to and from work will quite get there, but I'm well into the 6th of 7 audio sections.

And the Reading Express pulls into the station . . .

Book #75

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (9-13-18) Occupied France during WWII

This is a five-star read. My book #75 is truly worthy of being the "goal" book for my challenge.

This is the story of two sisters in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. Their family history, and their personalities, place barriers between them. Each, in her own way, must face the privations of life under Nazi occupation.

It is also the story of the bravery of members of the French resistance, and the importance of women in that effort.

It is the story of what family members will do, and the secrets they will keep, to protect one another.

And it is the story of one of those two sisters facing her past as she reaches the end of her life many years after the war.

This was a marvelous book. Five stars!

Congratulations on reaching 75, Terri!

Congrats on reaching 75 with such a fabulous book. I loved that one when I read it although you rated it a little higher.

Congrats!

>163 tymfos: That was a top book for me in the year I read it. 2015, I think. Absolutely loved it.

Hello Tymfos! It's been a while. it was fun reviewing your thread. Lots of good mysteries and crime novels?

>63 tymfos: >70 tymfos: >156 tymfos: It was excellent to Rennie Airth so prevalent on this thread. Ironically, I love the idea of Madden but have never finished the first book. I have not been able to find them on audio either.

How are you liking Hamilton, Dead Man Running?

Congrats on reaching 75, and glad to see it was such a winner, too!

>164 FAMeulstee:, 165, 166, 169 Thanks, Anita, Lori, Jim, and Mary!

>167 lindapanzo: Linda, it was a great one.

>168 brodiew2: Brodie, I put the Hamilton aside while I was working on The Nightingale, because I had a deadline to finish it for a book discussion. I'm back to it now. The Hamilton is OK -- the serial killer in the book is really disgustingly twisted, but fortunately Hamilton doesn't get too horribly graphic with the details (so far, anyway). I don't like that most of it is set so far away from McKnight's home ground in Michigan, and the other characters in the series that I've enjoyed. This is the right touchstone (if it sticks -- those touchstones can be touchy!) Dead Man Running

Congrats on reaching 75!!

>171 figsfromthistle: Thanks!

I just turned in my first major assignment of the fall semester. It's not my best work, but there's too much going on for me to be a perfectionist these days.

I'm finding many of the student comments on the discussion boards for my class very frustrating this semester. Talk about demanding perfection! Folks who never ran -- some of whom never even worked in -- a library have all these ideas what should be done, how well, and how often, and no idea how impossible it would be to do all that with typical staffing and funding levels. I want to tell them to get real!!!

Book #76 Dead Man Running by Steve Hamilton.
#11 in the Alex McKnight series

I was afraid Hamilton wouldn't write any more in this series. #10 in this series, Let it Burn, was stellar, and probably would have been a reasonable stopping point. Also, he started another series (which hasn't appealed to me to try).

I deliberately put this book down for a while because I didn't want it to be #75. It was a real disappointment after Let it Burn, which I thought was Hamilton's best yet. I loved that one. This one, not so much.

First, almost all of it takes place away from his home on the UP of Michigan, which means that none of his usual supporting characters were present to any significant degree.

Then, the killer is an absolute creep, engaging in the most disgusting abuse of corpse. That was from the start. Fortunately, Hamilton spared us from too much graphic detail. But the end was just plain stupid. You're 300 miles away and wanting to stop a crime. You a) call the police where the crime is being committed so they can promptly address it OR b) drive 300 miles on snowy roads as fast as possible, eluding police, to get there and almost get yourself killed going solo trying to get to a killer. Yup, he played Lone Ranger

It is edge-of-your-seat exciting, if you can excuse the implausibility of it. Not a total waste, but far inferior to Let it Burn.

#77 Acqua Alta by Donna Leon (#5 in the Brunetti series)

This story is set against the backdrop of "Acqua Alta," the annual rainy season of high water, when the canals of Venice reach out and flood the walkways and lower floors of buildings, especially at high tide.

The threat and reality of high water were present throughout the story, and provided real sense of atmosphere for the events as they unfolded.

Brett, expert in ancient Chinese artifacts and partner of diva soprano Flavia, is assaulted in an apparent attempt to frighten her from revealing that she's recognzied certain rare artifacts have been substituted with counterfeits. Someone else related to the situation is killed. Brunetti is on the case -- first unofficially, then officially.

I enjoyed this book, but am not sure I like some aspects of how Brunetti was willing to handle the issue of the missing artifacts.

Congratulation for reaching 75 and with such a good book too! I hope your course is going well despite the frustrations.

>175 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

Book #78 False Cast by S.W. Hubbard eBook Adirondacks, NY State, USA

This is the fifth and latest in the Frank Bennett Adirondack Mysteries. These are fairly lightweight stories, but I find them engaging. I like the small-town feel.

Frank and his new wife, the town librarian, are dealing with renovations in their home, and chaos in their town. A local man comes unhinged over the loss of his property, and winds up a fugitive. Meanwhile, friends face the prospect of losing their foster daughter when the girl's mother is unexpectedly released from prison.

I had a quibble with the librarian's ethics (as a librarian, you don't go around talking to other people about what books a particular individual is checking out of the library! There are privacy rules!) and (as is often the case with mysteries of this type) I thought the ending was a bit convoluted, in order to get everything to fit together. But, altogether, it was a quick, enjoyable read.

ETA to clarify the portion about the library

Book #79 Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO Sicily

Listening to Grover Gardner read these Inspector Montalbano mysteries is the literary equivalent to comfort food for me. I love all the characters (except for Livia, who was blessedly almost absent this time), and I love how Gardner gives each of them the perfect voice. I think Catarella is my favorite ("Chief! Chief!"). Sometimes I wish I'd named my cat Catarella. . .

A bomb goes off in front of a building. Meanwhile, Montalbano's pretty neighbor is flirting with him. Maybe he's finally learning, because he seems to see that she has an ulterior motive. I really find the plots of these rather meandering and not so plausible, but the ramble is typically such a pleasure!

>176 tymfos: Fortunately campus security tells persons they need to "check out of the library" on our behalf. They've banned about 3 or 4 persons from campus who actually were library users, but not enrolled, to my knowledge. Only one of those bans was initiated by the library--but the guy was on drugs and threatening. All were banned from campus--not just the library. The library never had trouble with most of the ones who were banned.

>177 tymfos: Gardner is wonderful. After I stumbled upon his narrations, I always want to listen to them. I need to see if the library has added any additional ones in audio recently. I was at the end of the list.

>178 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! I think Grover Gardner could read the phone book and make me enjoy it.

>178 thornton37814: >176 tymfos: I guess I wasn't very clear in that post. I wasn't talking about banning people from the library. I just meant you don't go around announcing what books an individual patron has checked out, unless you've had those records subpoenaed. As you as a genealogist are aware, there are confidentiality rules for library transactions.

I know of two times at our library when patron information was requested by law enforcement. In both cases, it was the use of our internet related to a crime that led to the request, rather than reading habits. Both were legitimate requests, and we responded to the proper legal paperwork when it was received.

In the case in the book, the intention was good when the librarian talked to her husband about a patron's reading habits -- commenting that the woman was checking out books that would make her a better parent -- but still not proper under ALA policy and library codes in most states.

I'll edit the entry to better state what I mean.

>178 thornton37814: But to address the issue of patrons being banned, we've had a few over the years -- in our situation, it's the library director who has to make the call. (There is an appeal process to the Board if the patron feels they are being treated unfairly, but nobody has tried that, as far as I know.)

>179 tymfos: Your comment about Grover made me smile! And yes -- definitely confidentiality laws. In fact, our system is really good and getting rid of all but the most recent user, so we can't find a patron's history.

We've had patrons who wish we had their history. They come in and don't remember if they read a certain book or not, and want us to tell them. We can't.

Those who use computers can log onto their library account and "opt in" to being able to see their own history, starting from the date they opt in. (There's no way to retrieve earlier account activity.) But that's only for them when they log in with their card number and pin.

Terri--Belated congratulations on reaching the magic 75!!! And how fun that you could hang that number on a worthy read. : ) I am not sure if I like Brunetti as an inspector. I like him as a man and I love the family scenes, but the crimes don't ever seem to tie up neatly for me. Still, I will read the next one up.

Thanks, Kim.
I see your point about Brunetti.

Book #80 The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide by James M. Beidler (9-24-18)

A good introduction to the use of newspapers, in all of their available formats, for genealogical research.

>184 tymfos: James did a great job on that one. His Germanic genealogy books are well-regarded.

Hi Terri, I finally caught up here. Congrats on passing the magical 75. You did some great reading.

>182 tymfos: You made me go to my account on our library's website and see how it works. I've never wanted to check my history, and now I see that when I click the Check-out History tab it says "There are no items in your circulation history". I can select "Keep History of Checked Out Items" and/or "Keep History of Holds" if I wish to keep track of those things. I don't remember knowing about that option before (of course I've been using this site for many years now--I could have forgotten). Thanks for putting me in better touch with my world!

>186 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara! Thanks for the congrats. It's been a good reading year, despite being busy.

>187 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda! I'm glad my post was helpful with that. Makes me feel like I accomplished some library education, in a week where I've mostly been dealing with property and website problems at my library.

I've rolled on to another thread.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/296974