Tricia's 14 x 7 Challenge

Keskustelu2014 Category Challenge

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Tricia's 14 x 7 Challenge

Tämä viestiketju on "uinuva" —viimeisin viesti on vanhempi kuin 90 päivää. Ryhmä "virkoaa", kun lähetät vastauksen.

1hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 1, 2014, 3:50 pm

After changing my mind about how to organize my challenge a dozen times I've settled on something very like last year -- broad categories that cover lots of genres and lots of room for nonfiction. There will be 14 categories and a goal of 7 in each with an overall goal of 98 spaces filled in. This is more than doable as previous years read totals have varied from 118 to 167 "books".

I also have as a more problematical goal to read a lot from my own shelves and from the list* of books I've seen mentioned in past challenges and other LT threads and the additions to these because of the way books often lead one to other books. So I would like for at least two from each category to be from my own shelves and two more from the ones on my list that are from the local public library(as of January 1, 2014). Then there is the long section of my list that I'll be searching for in the local used book store, library sales etc. for a least one more per category. That still leaves some room for new and shiny and all those book bullets.

*As you can imagine this is a really long, long, loooong list and doesn't yet have my LT and Amazon wishlists added to it.

2hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 1, 2014, 3:04 pm

This year's categories are

I. My Second Childhood -- for children's and young adult books

II. Look for the Clues -- mysteries and the occasional suspense or thriller

III. Follow Me -- the next unread book in a series or even the start of a new series

IV. The Light Fantastic -- fantasy and science fiction and maybe a graphic novel or two.

V. Any and Everything -- fiction that needs a home; a catch-all and overflow category

VI. Virtually Speaking -- There are more books on my iPad than there were last year and I really should read some of them.

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads

VIII. Once more -- rereads

IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics and Award winners from every genre including nonfiction

X. West of the Mississippi -- Western fiction; Western fact

XI. Short Forms -- stories,plays, whatever

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- science and technology related

XIII. What Happened Then? -- history and biography

XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fads -- other nonfiction and maybe a self-help or two

3hailelib
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 20, 2014, 10:56 am

I. My Second Childhood -- for children's and young adult books

1. The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman -- Finished January 9, 2014 --PCPL
2. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer -- Finished February 15, 2914 -- PCPL
3. The Giver by Lois Lowry -- Finished February 21, 2014
4. Passport to Danger by Carolyn Keene -- Finished March 4, 2014
5. The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore --Finished March 13, 2014 -- CMS
6. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd -- Finished ~March 20, 2014 -- PCPL
7. The Enchantress by Michael Scott -- Finished June 8, 2014 -- PCPL
8. Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone {unabridged audio} by J. K. Rowling -- finished ~ July 10, 2014 -- PCPL
9. The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron -- Audiobook -- Finished October 6, 2014 -- PCPL
10. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman -- Finished November 17, 2014 -- PCPL

4hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 31, 2014, 3:40 pm

II. Look for the Clues -- mysteries and the occasional suspense or thriller

1. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J. K. Rowling -- finished January 7, 2014 -- PCPL
2. The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees -- finihed Feb 4, 2014 -- PCPL
3. Concealed in Death by J. D. Robb -- Finished March 6, 2014 -- PCPL
4. Moving Target by J. A. Jance -- Finished March 10, 2013 -- PCPL
5. The Bridge of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer -- Finished April 5, 2014 -- PCPL
6. The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin -- Finished April 14, 2014 -- PCPL
7. "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton -- Finished June 7, 2014 -- audio download, public library
8. Until Proven Guilty by J. A. Jance -- Finished about June 27, 2014 -- audio library download
9. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith aka Rowling -- Finished September 2, 2014 -- PCPL
10. Festive in Death by J. D. Robb -- Finished September 27, 2014 -- PCPL
11. Murder at Mt. Fuji by Shizuko Natsuki and translated by Robert B. Rohmer -- Finished October 24, 2014
12. Thereby Hangs a Tale by Spencer Quinn -- Finished December 7, 2014 -- PCPL
13. The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah -- Finished December 30, 2014 -- PCPL

5hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 22, 2014, 2:11 pm

III. Follow Me -- the next unread book in a series or even the start of a new series

1. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson -- Finished January 17, 2014 -- PCPL
2. An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear -- Finished February 26, 2014 -- PCPL
3. Dissolution by C. J. Sansom -- Finished March 7, 2014
4. Dog On It by Spencer Quinn -- Finished March 13, 2014 -- PCPL
5. Guardian of Honor by Robin D. Owens -- Finished ~March 21, 2014
6. Night Broken by Patricia Briggs -- Finished March 31, 2014 -- PCPL
7. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay -- Finished about June 24, 2014 -- library download
8. "V" is for Vengence by Sue Grafton -- Finished ~July 14, 2014 -- library download
9. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness -- Finished August 22, 2014 -- PCPL
10. The Lies that Bind by Kate Carlisle -- Finished September 29, 2014 -- PCPL
11. Haunted : A Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Novel by Kay Hooper -- finished November 9, 2014 -- PCPL
12. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith -- Finished December 10, 2014 -- PCPL
13. The Hot Zone by Jayne Castle -- December 17, 2014

6hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 19, 2014, 9:29 am

IV. The Light Fantastic -- fantasy and science fiction and maybe a graphic novel or two.

1. Gateway by Frederik Pohl -- finished January 4, 2014
2. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold -- finished January 11, 2014
3. Star King by Jack Vance -- Finished January 31, 2014
4. Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished February 10, 2014
5. Hounded by Kevin Hearne -- Finished February 15, 2014
6. The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs -- Finished ~March 20, 2014 -- PCPL
7. Old Man's War by John Scalzi -- Finished ~ March 21, 2014
8. The Ocean at the End of the Lane -- Finished about June 22, 2014 -- library download
9. Foundation by Mercedes Lackey -- Finished August 29, 2014 -- PCPL
10. When Demons Walk by Patricia Briggs -- Finished September 6, 2014
11. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished October 18, 2014
12. Catalyst by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Scarborough -- Finished November 5, 2014 -- PCPL
13. A Civil Campaign and Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished Dec 14, 2014 -- PCPL

7hailelib
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 25, 2014, 4:22 pm

V. Any and Everything -- fiction that needs a home; a catch-all and overflow category

1. Omens by Kelly Armstrong -- Finished January 5, 2014 -- PCPL
2. River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz -- Finished January 7, 2014 -- PCPL
3. Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann -- Finished February 7, 2014 --PCPL
4. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer -- Finished March 17, 2014 -- PCPL
5. Hostage by Kay Hooper -- Finished ~ March 22, 2014 -- PCPL
6. Masques by Patricia Briggs -- Finished April 17, 2014 -- PCPL
7. Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs -- Finished April 22, 2017 -- PCPL
8. Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick -- Finished April 24, 2014 -- PCPL
9. W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton -- Finished September 16, 2014 -- audiobook -- PCPL
10. Remains of Innocence by J. A. Jance -- Finished October 10, 2014 -- audiobook -- PCPL
11. Desparate and Deceptive by Jayne Castle --Finished November16, 2014 -- PCPL
12. Sinister and Fatal by Jayne Castle -- Finished November 23, 2014 -- PCPL

8hailelib
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 29, 2014, 12:14 pm

VI. Virtually Speaking -- There are more books on my iPad than there were last year and I really should read some of them.

1. The Scribe: Irin Chronicles Book 1 by Elizabeth Hunter -- Finished February 8, 2012
2. Touch by Jus Accado -- Finished March 14, 2014
3. Cold Magic by Kate Elliot -- Finished ~ March 26, 2014
4. Shadow of the Golden Blade by J. Feder and Ley Preston -- Finished April 12, 2014
5. Witches on Parole by Debora Geary -- Finished April 20, 2014
6. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch -- Audiobook -- Finished about May 23, 2014 -- PCPL
7. "B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton -- Audiobook -- Finished June 9, 2014 -- PCPL
8. The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card -- Audiobook -- Finished ~July 15, 2014 -- PCPL
9. The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card -- Audiobook -- Finished ~ August 3, 2014 -- PCPL
10. Farside by Ben Bova -- Audiobook -- Finished ~ September 24, 2014 -- PCPL

9hailelib
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 16, 2014, 3:04 pm

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads

1. Saints at the River by Ron Rash -- Finished January 23, 2014 -- PCPL
2. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished February 24, 2014
3. Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs -- Finished March 15, 2014
4. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMasters Bujold -- Finished ~ March 23, 2014
5. A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves -- Finished ~ March 24, 2014
6. Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason -- April 18, 2014
7. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood -- Finished about May 15, 2014 -- PCPL
8. Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished ~ September 25, 2014
9. Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished October 4, 2014
10. Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished October 6, 2014
11. Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold -- October 8, 2014

10hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 31, 2014, 3:31 pm

VIII. Once more -- rereads

1. Island of Dreams by Patricia Potter -- Finished January 28, 2014
2. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished February 11, 2014
3. Dragon Blood by Patricia Briggs -- Finished March 6, 2014
4. No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey -- Finished ~ March 24, 2014
5. Remember When - Part Two aka Big Jack by J. D. Robb -- Finished ~ March 26, 2014
6. The Murder at the Vicarage & The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie -- Audiobook -- Finished May 31, 2014 --PCPL
7. Upon a Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon -- Audiobook -- Finished June 10, 2014 -- PCPL
8. Detection Unlimited by Georgette Heyer -- Finished October 5, 2014 -- PCPL (large print)
9. Several stories in the Robin D. Owens Celta series -- mid-December
10. Midnight crystal by Jayne Castle -- Finished December 31, 2014

11hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 6, 2014, 10:26 am

IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics and Award winners from every genre including nonfiction

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- Finished February 4, 2014
2. The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse -- Finished February 6, 2014
3. The Arabian Nights : Their Best-Known Tales edited by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora A. Smith -- Finished April 2, 2014
4. Tales from the Arabian Nights : Selected from the Book of The Thousand Nights and a Night -- Translated by Richard F. Burton and selected by David Shumaker
5. Measure for Measure from Oregon Shakespeare Festival by William Shakespeare -- Audiobook -- Finished ~ June 10, 2014 -- PCPL
6. Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse --Audiobook -- Finished August 8, 2014 -- PCPL
7. Beautiful Swimmers by William W. Warner -- finished December 6, 2014

12hailelib
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 14, 2014, 6:38 pm

X. West of the Mississippi -- Western fiction; Western fact

1. The Daybreakers by Louis L'Amour -- finished February 14, 2014
2. Talking God by Tony Hillerman -- Audiobook -- Finished May 26, 2014
3. Riders of the Pony Express by Ralph Moody -- Audiobook -- Finished June 12, 2014
4. The Way West by A. B. Guthrie Jr. -- Audiobook -- PCPL -- Finiahed July 7, 2014
5. The Big Sky by A. B. Guthrie Jr. --Audiobook -- PCPL -- Finished September 7, 2014
6. The Best of the West edited by Tony Hillerman -- finished November 7, 2014 -- PCPL
7. Appetite for America by Stephen Fried -- Finished November 15, 2014 -- PCPL

13hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 6, 2014, 1:55 pm

XI. Short Forms -- stories, plays, whatever

1. Elemental Magic edited by Mercedes Lackey -- Finished January 8, 2014 -- PCPL
2. The Jekyll Island Club by Tyler E. Bagwell -- Finished January 28, 2014 -- PCPL
3. Poetry U.S.A. edited by Paul Molloy -- Finished April 18, 2014
4. 100 Plus American Poems edited by Paul Molloy -- Finished April 28, 2014
5. William Shakespeare's Star Wars : Verily a New Hope by Ian Doescher -- Finished May 2, 2014 -- PCPL
6. The Golden Age - Part One: Masterpieces of Mystery edited by Ellery Queen -- Finished about May 14, 2014
7. Dangerous Women edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois -- Finished about June 28, 2014
8. ''All You Zombies - -'' | Five Classic Stories by Robert A. Heinlein -- Finished about June 29, 2014 -- library download --audio
9. The Old Blue Line by J. A. Jance -- Finished October 14, 2014 -- library download -- audio
10. William Shakespeare's Star Wars : The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher -- Finished October 31, 2014 -- PCPL
11. Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs -- Finished November 3, 2014 -- PCPL
12. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher -- Finished November 12, 2014 -- PCPL
13. Fire Watch by Connie Willis -- Finished December 5, 2014

14hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 28, 2014, 3:52 pm

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- science and technology related

1. The 13th Element by John Emsley -- Finished January 20, 2013
2. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Gina Kolata -- Finished January 29, 2014 -- PCPL
3. The great influenza : the epic story of the deadliest plague in history by John M. Barry -- Finished February 22, 2014 -- PCPL
4. Lone Survivors : How we came to be the only Humans on Earth by Chris Stringer -- Finished March 2, 2014 -- PCPL
5. The Numbers behind NUMB3RS by Keith Devlin and Gary Lorden -- Finished March 27, 2014
6. Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens by Douglas W. Tallamy -- Finished March 28, 2014 -- PCPL
7. A life Decoded by J. Craig Venter -- finished May 15, 2014 -- PCPL
8. The Philadelphia Chromosome by Jessica Wapner -- Finished July 23, 2014 --audio --PCPL
9. Project Seahorse by Pamela S. Turner -- Finished December 19, 2014 --PCPL
10. Stuff matters by Mark Miodownik -- Finished December28, 2014 -- PCPL

15hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 27, 2014, 2:57 pm

XIII. What Happened Then? -- history and biography

1. A Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy -- Finished January 6, 2014 -- PCPL
2. Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez -- Finished January 22, 2014 -- PCPL
3. The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes -- Finished February 17, 2014 -- PCPL
4. The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan -- Finished April 8, 2014 __ PCPL
5. The Remains of Company D by James Carl Nelson -- Finished April 24, 2014 -- PCPL
6. The Time Traveler's guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer -- Finished April 28, 2014 -- PCPL
7. Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King -- Finished about June 26, 2014 -- library download
8. American gun a history of the U.S. in ten firearms by Chris Kyle -- Finished July 1, 2014 -- library download
9. The Man Who Loved China by Simon Wincester -- Finished December 27, 2014 -- PCPL

16hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 1, 2014, 11:57 am

XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fancies -- other nonfiction and maybe a self-help or two

1. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright -- Finished March 4, 2014 -- PCPL
2. Begat : The King James Bible & the English Language by David Crystal -- Finished April 3, 2014 -- PCPL
3. Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson -- read through page 260 -- PCPL
4. The men who united the states : America's explorers, inventors, eccentrics and mavericks, and the creation of one nation, indivisible by Simon Wincester-- Finished August 11, 2014 -- unabridged audio -- PCPL
5. The Art Detective by Philip Mould -- Finished November 19, 2014 -- PCPL
6. The mighty Mars rovers : the incredible adventures by Elizabeth Rusch -- Finished November 24, 2014 -- CMS
7. A Commonwealth of Thieves by Thomas Keneally -- Finished November 30, 2014 -- PCPL

17hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 31, 2014, 10:33 am

CATs and other challenges

January CATs:

GeoCat: Canada and the US - try to explore something new...
General - River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz -- location is California and Krentz is a US author
- Saints at the River by Ron Rash -- location South Carolina by a local author
- Island of Dreams by Patricia Potter -- location Jekyll Island, Georgia
Focus - immigration - A Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy
- Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzales

RandomCAT: Janus Rules - Gateway by Frederik Pohl

MysteryCAT: Detective Novels - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka Rowling
- Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Unofficial AlphaCAT: D and V - Island of Dreams by Patricia Potter

February CATs

GeoCAT: Middle East and North Africa
General -
Focus - The Holy Land - The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees

RandomCAT: Children's Literature - The Giver by Lois Lowry

MysteryCAT: Series - The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees
An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

Unofficial AlphaCAT: H and R - The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees for R
The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes for H
The Scribe: Irin Chronicles Book 1 by Elizabeth Hunter for H

March CATs

GeoCAT: Central America, Mexico and Caribbean - Passport to Danger by Carolyn Keene

RandomCAT: The First Birds of Spring - A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves -- Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs

MysteryCAT: YA and Children's Mysteries - Passport to Danger by Carolyn Keene -- The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

Unofficial AlphaCAT: L and M
Lone Survivors : How we came to be the only Humans on Earth by Chris Stringer -- Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright -- The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore -- The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd -- No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey -- The Numbers behind NUMB3RS by Keith Devlin and Gary Lorden

18hailelib
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 5, 2014, 1:09 pm

Group Reads that I may participate in --

1st Quarter -- The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes -- COMPLETED
February -- P.G. Wodehouse -- COMPLETED
2nd Quarter -- Canterbury Tales
April -- Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela -- pass
May -- Umberto Eco
June -- Georgette Heyer
August & September -- The Stand by Stephen King
4th Quarter -- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
December -- Connie Willis

Year-Long Group Reads:
The Arabian Nights
The Vorkosigan Series -- Cordelia's Honor - Young Miles - Cetaganda - Ethan of Athos - Borders of Infinity

All are subject to change, of course...

19hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 19, 2014, 7:53 am

One LibraryThingOne Book

February: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - COMPLETED

20hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 5, 2014, 8:34 am

The 2014 Science, Religion, and History group read - may not join the discussion but will read some of the books.

Quarter 1
Great Influenza & Flu (& Die Spanische Grippe)
Going Clear

Finished: Flu by Kolata
The Great Influenza by Barry
Going Clear by Wright

Quarter 2:
Before the Dawn - Nicolas Wade - not at library
Greek Thought, Arab Culture - Dimitri Gutas - not at library

Quarter 3:
Ornament of the World
The Selfish Gene

Quarter 4:
Book Nobody Read
The Man Who Loved China

21mamzel
tammikuu 1, 2014, 4:37 pm

Here's to another year of great reading!

22lkernagh
tammikuu 1, 2014, 7:28 pm

Welcome back for another fun-filled year of reading!

23DeltaQueen50
tammikuu 3, 2014, 1:03 pm

As always your categories and genres are very similar to mine. it's great to see that quite a few of us have a western category. Looking forward to all the book bullets!

24hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 6, 2014, 7:23 pm

> 21 and 22

Thanks for stopping by!

> A couple of the books I read last year reminded me that Western stories, histories, etc. can be fun and interesting. Also I have a shelf of never read Louis L'Amour that I should give a try. The one that I have read was good enough that I've been meaning to try another.

I have finished three books that I need to write up tonight or tomorrow...

25rabbitprincess
tammikuu 6, 2014, 6:56 pm

Great categories! Will be interested in your Westerns category especially. Perhaps see you over at the Wodehouse group read as well! :)

26hailelib
tammikuu 11, 2014, 2:30 pm

Lots of catching up to do! I've been reading a lot and lurking on LT some (although many threads to catch up on).

first book finished --

IV. The Light Fantastic # 1.

!. Gateway by Frederik Pohl -- finished January 4, 2014

From my own shelves - An SF Book Club book I've had for decades without ever reading it!
278 pages
SF, space exploration, alien technology, psychoanalysis by computer program
CATs -- Random for the title

Pohl's story takes place sometime in the future where not only Earth, but also it's colonies within the solar system, are quite regimented with most people just barely existing and only a few being able to improve their lot. The main way out of a dreary, going nowhere life is to somehow come up with enough money to pay for passage to Gateway and then accept the dangerous missions in the alien ships left there by the Heechee, a long vanished race. By winning a lottery, our narrator Bob/Rob/Robbie managed to get to Gateway and eventually went on three missions and struck it rich. The novel opens with him back on Earth and in therapy with the psychiatric program he calls Sigfrid. In his conversations with Sigfrid and the flashbacks they call up we explore Earth society, Gateway and our not so heroic narrator.

Anyone who enjoys the science fiction of the 70's who hasn't read this book should give it a try. Some consider it one of Pohl's best.

27.Monkey.
tammikuu 11, 2014, 3:18 pm

I have that one on my shelves, I'll get there eventually! :)

28hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2014, 8:41 am

>27 .Monkey.: Sometimes eventually is a long time!

Still playing catchup with lots of threads to get to and lots of read books to add...

XIII. What Happened Then? #1.

2. A Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy -- Finished January 6, 2014

From the Public Library.
109 pages with the extras. More a long essay than book.
nonfiction, US history, immigration, policy
CATs -- GeoCAT - North America and focus on immigration
325.73

This little book was an interesting bit of history. In the introduction Robert F. Kennedy explained that the first edition was published by JFK in 1958 and was meant to explain to the 'man in the street' the enormous contribution to life in the US that the various waves of immigrants had made. The President was working on a revision in 1963 to support the immigration reform that he was urging Congress to pass and after his death in November it was decided to go ahead and publish the new edition. A major reform bill was finally passed in 1965. (see Wikipedia on immigration policy.)

Kennedy gives us a short history of immigration to North America up to 1963 and reminds his readers that everyone (even the 'Native Americans') in the Americas is in fact descended from immigrants. It's just that some got here earlier than others. However it is also true that with each wave of new people coming here the groups already established in North America tended to resent the new arrivals, forgetting that their families were once from somewhere else. This eventually lead to some pretty restrictive laws as to who and how many would be accepted into the US. Included is a picture essay illustrating the history of immigration.

A Nation of Immigrants is an easy and quick read that is a good introduction to the subject. However, 50 years have passed and the laws were revised and the face of immigration has changed although the arguments for and against are still much the same. Further reading is indicated...

29hailelib
tammikuu 12, 2014, 2:33 pm

Actually finished this one the day before the Kennedy one --

V. Any and Everything #1.

3. Omens by Kelly Armstrong -- Finished January 5, 2014

From the Public Library.
486 pages
fiction, adopted heiress, serial murders, a touch of paranormal, small town vs. big city, first in possible new series

Olivia Taylor-Jones, daughter of a rich and prominent family, engaged to an up and coming exec who wants to follow his father's political trail to the Senate, finds out that she is adopted. As if that isn't enough of a blow she is the biological daughter of a pair of convicted serial killers. The ensuing media storm drives her out of Chicago and her engagement to the small town of Cainsville. While Cainsville seems like any small town on the surface there are hints of another reality underneath. It also turns out that Olivia has ties to Cainsville through her original parents and that she occasionally sees "omens" that no one else can see. While the major plot-line is resolved there is plenty of room for sequels and the author does call this the beginning of a new series. I will definitely be reading the next book about the people of Cainsville as I did enjoy this one and all the other books I've read by Armstrong.

30hailelib
tammikuu 12, 2014, 4:48 pm

II. Look for the Clues #1.

4. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J. K. Rowling -- finished January 7, 2013

From the Public Library.
455 pages.
fiction, mystery, private detective, London, models
CATs -- MysteryCAT - detective novels

The Cuckoo's Calling kept me reading partly because I wanted to know who and how and why and because I really liked the characters Robin and Strike. I suspect there will be lots of reviews of this book so I'll try to be brief. Strike is a down on his luck PI in London and Robin is the temp sent to him by an agency. He's looking to survive and she's looking for a permanent position. On her first day a well connected client comes in who wants Strike to investigate the death of his supermodel sister - the death has been ruled a suicide and any clues will be hard to find as the trail is very cold.

I enjoyed reading this book as the author is a great story teller and I hope we see more of Strike and Robin in the future. For those who like a somewhat hard-boiled detective at least occasionally.

31DeltaQueen50
tammikuu 13, 2014, 3:28 pm

This is the second favorable review of The Cuckoo's Calling in the last couple of days. It is now firmly nailed onto my wishlist!

32hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 30, 2014, 11:05 am

V. Any and Everything #2.

5. River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz -- Finished January 7, 2014

From the Public Library.
336 pages.
fiction, romantic suspense, emphasis on romance?, California wine country, murder
CATs -- could be a GeoCAT -- takes place in California with a little discussion of how the town changed from a farm community to a touristy wine growing area.

River Road is much like the books Krentz used to write before she began her Arcane Society and Curtain series. This is romantic suspense without any paranormal trimmings; just a mystery about what really happened to Aunt Sara and what's really going on in the Colfax family.
I've always liked her books and this one was no exception. Nothing brilliant, but a pleasant afternoon's entertainment. Recommended for fans of the books she was writing before "Arcane".

33-Eva-
tammikuu 13, 2014, 11:40 pm

I'm a few chapters into Cuckoo's and am enjoying it immensely - hope it stays good.

34hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 30, 2014, 11:05 am

Eva, even though it's been several days the story and characters in The Cuckoo's Calling remain fairly vivid compared to some of the reading I've done since then.

XI. Short Forms #1.

6. Elemental Magic edited by Mercedes Lackey -- Finished January 8, 2014

From the Public Library.
311 pages.
anthology, fantasy, folklore and legend

The short stories in Elemental Magic are set in Lackey's alternative universe where there are Elemental Masters who command the elements of Air, Earth, Water, and Fire. While I very much enjoy Lackey's novels set in this world, these stories seem rather slight and forgettable. Even a few days later I would have to reread a story in order to describe it. So while I enjoyed it somewhat while actually reading I would only recommend it to those who can't get enough of this series.

35hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 30, 2014, 11:06 am

I. My Second Childhood #1.

7. The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman -- Finished January 9, 2014

From the Public Library
325 pages.
YA, fantasy, libraries, folklore

This young adult novel was a S.C. Junior Book Award Nominee for 2012-2013 and follows the adventures of Elizabeth Rew. Elizabeth is a teen who is having trouble making friends in her new school. However, when her history teacher recommends her for an afternoon job at the New York Circulating Material Repository she does meet some interesting teens who are also pages there and discovers that magic can be real. Magical items are disappearing from the Grimm Collection and it's up to Elizabeth and her new friends to solve the mystery and return those powerful artifacts to the Collection. There is some exploration of how friendships form and of first love, so a bit of teen angst.

I enjoyed this book and would read another set in this world so I was pleased to discover that Shulman has published The Wells Bequest and also that my local library has it as well.

36hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 30, 2014, 11:06 am

IV. The Light Fantastic #2.

8. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold -- finished January 11, 2014

From my own shelves.
480 pages + chronology of Miles' universe
SF, war, politics

Group read containing Cordelia's Honor and Barrayar. Barrayar won the Hugo award.

While I read a couple of the Vorkosigan books some time ago, I never got around to this one. I'm glad the group read pushed me to pick this up. Cordelia's Honor sucked me right in and I just kept on reading when the first book reached an end since all I had to do to start Barrayar was turn the page. I also liked the author's afterword about how the books came into existence.

Recommended.

37christina_reads
tammikuu 18, 2014, 11:17 pm

@ 35 -- I'm excited that you liked The Grimm Legacy! I haven't read it yet, but it's on my list for this year. If you like Jane Austen, you should try Shulman's Enthusiasm, which is also a really good read!

38hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 30, 2014, 11:07 am

I'm still way behind on reading threads and mostly lurking with only an occasional short comment. However, I have been reading with one book finished and some others started.

III. Follow Me #1.

9. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson -- Finished January 17, 2014

From the Public Library.
310 pages
fiction, mystery, disappearances, murder, coping with tragedy
MysteryCAT -- Jackson is a detective or investigator

Jackson is a former policeman, trying to earn a living as a private investigator, help out some people who want to know what happened to their loved ones years before, and at the same time cope with his own personal demons. While a mystery, this is also a novel about relationships and with how various people are affected by the disappearance of a beloved sister, the apparently senseless death of a daughter, and the violent death of a husband and father. Even Jackson is haunted by his past as his cases intertwine with one another and the high point of his day is often his time with his daughter, Marlee.

Not my usual kind of detective story, but one which quickly became a page-turner for me. Even the constant switching of viewpoints worked and while some things weren't explicitly spelled out there were enough hints for me to fill in the blanks. A story (or stories) about life as much as death. I may eventually read the next book featuring Jackson Brodie.

While looking in the library's catalog to see if this book was available I noticed that they had a DVD set of a short series based on the Jackson Brodie books. After starting this book and finding it interesting I wanted to see how it translated to TV, so I ordered the DVD. We watched the first episode last night which took us roughly halfway through Case Histories. There were some changes, of course, but so far a fairly good adaptation. Jim particularly liked the way Marlee was portrayed.

39hailelib
tammikuu 20, 2014, 9:44 am

Currently reading:

The 13th Element by John Emsley - published in the UK as The Shocking History of Phosphorus. -- Not only a lot of science but some interesting history as well.

Saints at the River by Ron Rash - for the GeoCAT -- a "local" book set in the next county over. -- I read Part One practically in one sitting and I expect Part Two will also be an absorbing read.

Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzales - a book on immigration and Latinos in the U.S. written by a man who has lived in the U.S. since the age of 1 but was born in Puerto Rico - also a GeoCAT. Zipped thru the first hundred pages...

The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes - another interesting one.

40rabbitprincess
tammikuu 20, 2014, 5:26 pm

The adaptation of Case Histories sounded interesting, because of Jason Isaacs. Glad to hear it's a fairly good adaptation.

41cammykitty
tammikuu 20, 2014, 6:00 pm

Switching viewpoints? That's hard to pull off in a mystery. I'm really looking forward to reading Atkinson, someday. My reading kind of meanders lately and there are way too many books that I want to read than I can.

42hailelib
tammikuu 20, 2014, 7:45 pm

> 40

We liked it and most of the story got in there but the location is different and the changes won't please everyone. Now I need to decide whether to watch the next episodes before reading the books. We probably will since I don't mind spoilers.

43hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2014, 8:40 am

XII> The Alchemysts Shelf #1.

10. The 13th Element by John Emsley -- Finished January 20, 2013

From my own shelves.
305 pages + Bibliography; c.2000
chemistry, elements, phosphorus, organophosphates good and bad, popular science
546.712

Phosphorus was the 13th Element to be discovered although it is the 15th element in the Periodic Table and is one of the building blocks of life as well as a deadly poison. Elemental phosphorus was most probably first seen by an alchemist named Hennig Brandt in Hamburg around 1669 deriving it from urine. And so began the history of one of the most dangerous elements from which men learned to make Lucifers (matches), incendiary bombs (used extensively in WWII), nerve gases, and pesticides.

I found this book to be interesting and an easy read although some will find that the chemical formulas and long names for various compounds may be a minor stumbling block. Not only is there a lot of science but a lot of history in these three hundred pages covering over 300 years. I particularly liked learning about matchmaking and the health problems it caused in the workers until a safer method of making them was adapted.

Recommended for those who enjoy reading about the history of science and technology.

44electrice
tammikuu 24, 2014, 4:14 am

>43 hailelib: Great, I love to read about history of science, so this one is definitely a BB for me !

45whitewavedarling
tammikuu 24, 2014, 11:54 am

Ditto electrice! Thanks for the great review :)

46hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 24, 2014, 1:58 pm

Emsley's UK title was The Shocking History of Phosphorus, Just FYI.

Last night was another very cold night -- less than 10 F and it might just reach freezing by mid-afternoon. I'm sitting in front of the fire Jim started after lunch ( which was mostly soup and hot tea!) with my laptop and a couple of books that need writing up. Since I've already been out in the cold once today (We had to get Jim's car from the shop.) I decided that going in to work on the school library could wait 'til the weekend. Setting my own hours can be a distinct advantage sometimes!

47hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2014, 8:39 am

XIII. What Happened Then? #2.

11. Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez -- Finished January 22, 2014

From the public library.
273 pages + introduction, notes, bibliography, and index
history of Western Hemisphere since first European explorers, immigrants to current US lands, US government policies, colonialism
GeoCAT: US - the various waves of Spanish speaking people moving to lands that became the US - satisfies the immigration focus
973.0468

Harvest of Empire was very interesting and readable for me. The author, Juan Gonzales was born in Puerto Rico in 1947 and so already had U.S. citizenship when his family moved to New York the next year and he has lived in the U.S. ever since. He has been both an activist and a journalist and in his introduction says that his perspective on this subject is that of a Latino who is tired of having this story told by those who have not lived it. He is attempting to understand our hemisphere as one New World, north and south.

The text is divided into three parts: Roots, Branches, and Harvest. Roots covers the early years from 1500-1800, then the US acquisition of the Spanish Borderlands from 1810 to 1898, and the Era of the Banana Republics through 1950. The Branches covers the various groups of Hispanics who have come to the US such as the Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Cubans, etc. Harvest is about the way Latinos are influencing US politics, the debates on immigration since the eighties, bilingualism, and the effects free trade has had on the hemisphere as a whole and thus on immigration. He ends the book with his ideas about where the Americas should be going; ideas that will seem radical to some.

For me, at least, this was an eye-opening book and I would very much like to see the chapter Mr. Gonzales would write to cover the last 14 years since Harvest of Empire. was published. Recommended for those interested in this subject from a Latino immigrant's viewpoint.

48electrice
tammikuu 25, 2014, 3:03 am

>47 hailelib: One of these subjects which are interesting because they are actual and often allude to. I mean, it's a huge part of contemporary America and I know nearly nothing about the subject so it's definitely on the BB list.

49hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 30, 2014, 11:08 am

I would never have stumbled across Harvest of Empire if it hadn't been for the GeoCAT focus challenge. The CATs are good for helping one explore new subjects and authors. Some of the best books I read last year were from the CAT challenges.

------------------------------

VII. The CATs Have IT #1.

12. Saints at the River by Ron Rash -- Finished January 23, 2014

From the Public Library
237 pages
fiction, somewhat based on a true event, Upstate South Carolina, Appalachian Foothills, local author
GeoCAT - US - location Oconee County, South Carolina

Saints at the River was much better than I had expected. I picked it because it had been mentioned by a member of the group and because the setting was one that I was familiar with having lived in the Clemson area for over thirty years. Indeed I can see the Appalachian mountains on a clear day and when we first came here we lived on the Oconee side of Hartwell lake for a while.

The novel begins with the drowning of a yough girl whose family is visiting the area. She waded out into the river because she wanted to stand with one foot in South Carolina and one in Georgia. Unfortunately this is a white water river and much more dangerous that it looked. Her parents are obcessed with recovering her body while the locals know that it is nearly impossible and the environmentalists don't want the river and its watershed disturbed. This leads to multiple confrontations between the groups with national politicians becoming involved.

50whitewavedarling
tammikuu 26, 2014, 12:38 pm

I adore Rash's novels, and need to get to his latest--thank you for reminding me! (And, also, yay for Clemson, which I miss terribly!)

51hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 26, 2014, 1:04 pm

I meant to write a bit more about Saints but Jim was insistent that it was time for lunch!

whitewavedarling, Clemson looks much the same downtown although I haven't been on the University campus in forever but what one sees from 93 and College Ave. is pretty unchanging. Even with the recession the growing into each other of Clemson, Pendleton, and Central kept on so that they are more and more one big town rather than three small ones. We don't actually live in town but out towards Six Mile and while there are some new houses springing up here and there it still seems like being in the country. The lakes are about as high as they have ever been because of the huge amounts of rain in the past year which followed one of the worst droughts the upstate has had. Our spring didn't run dry but it was close; then the rains came and a piece of our road washed away so that I've been driving around a 'road closed' barrier every time I wanted to go anywhere. On the other hand, we had a lovely fall here!

52whitewavedarling
tammikuu 26, 2014, 3:03 pm

It's good to hear that it hasn't changed! I haven't been down in around six years, but I'm hoping to visit next summer and visit some of my old haunts. I used to eat at Super Taco all the time, and visiting Milwaukee of all places, had a taco that tasted just like the ones I loved to have there so much! And, I practically lived at the Blue Heron bar since I'd often go there in the evenings to grade papers and have a beer while going to my poetry workshop! My husband worked at WYFF in Greenville while I was in Clemson, so we still have lots of friends in the area, and just need to make it down there...maybe one day we can even do a mini librarything meet-up lol :)

53hailelib
tammikuu 26, 2014, 3:48 pm

That would be great! Of course little changes do eventually add up and there are more red lights but so many things are the same.

Last week I went to McClures Bookstore to spend my last Christmas money. All five books that I bought were LT inspired in one way or another.

The Sandman: Book of Dreams- after last year's group read how could I resist?
Silence of the Grave
Dissolution
Murder at Mt. Fuji - GeoCAT maybe?
The Witches of Wenshar - I had a choice of Barbara Hambly's books but went for fantasy.

54mamzel
tammikuu 26, 2014, 6:04 pm

Dissolution may give you a new series to follow. It is addictive.

55hailelib
tammikuu 30, 2014, 11:02 am

mamzel, I have Dark Fire on my shelves but I did want to read Dissolution first so it was a good find.

56hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2014, 8:38 am

XI. Short Forms #2.

13. The Jekyll Island Club by Tyler E. Bagwell -- Finished January 28, 2014

From the public library.
128 pages
history, photographs, little text
975.8/742

I saw a mention of Jekyll Island on LT and remembered all our visits there and decided to see what the local library had; this was their lone book. It's really a slim book of photographs with a short introduction and is part of the Images of America series. The Club was also known as the Millionaires' Club and its members and guests were the movers and shakers of the late 1800's and early 1900's. The Depression made it hard for the Club to keep its membership up and World War II dealt the final blow with the island being sold to the state of Georgia in 1947.

There are three main sections with the first covering the members, the Clubhouse (now renovated into a hotel), and the Cottages. Members were men like J. P. Morgan, Marshall Field, and Joseph Pulitzer; visitor's included President McKinley. The second section covered Club Activities. Favorite activities changed over the years with hunting being a major occupation in the early years. Hiking, biking, swimming, tennis, and golf were also popular. Dining was formal and afternoon teas were offered. The third section covered the activities and living quarters of the employees.

From the photos and captions one can obtain a fair amount of information about the clothing, furniture, and recreations of the time. If one has an interest in the island's history or life during the fifty or so years covered then this book might be of interest.

57hailelib
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 30, 2014, 12:31 pm

VIII. Once More #1.

14. Island of Dreams by Patricia Potter -- Finished January 28, 2014

From my own shelves.
499 pages plus author's note
Jekyll Island, romance, suspense, spies, WWII, second chances, revenge
Unofficial AlphCAT for D

I read this concurrently with The Jekyll Island Club by Tyler Bagwell because most of the book takes place on Jekyll Island, one part in 1942 during the Club's last, abbreviated, season and the rest during 1963. Technically, this is a reread but it's been twenty+ years so mainly I only remembered liking it because I really liked the location, having visited the island a number of times in the eighties when it was definitely recognizable as the place Ms. Potter is describing.

The novel opens with Meara and her daughter attending the funeral of Sanders Evans, their husband and father. Her thoughts go back to the season on Jekyll of 1942 and her first meetings with Sanders and Michael. Meara had come to the island for several years with the Connors to look after their two children. Mr. Connors was a member of the Club and owned one of the Cottages and the two men were guests at the Clubhouse. Meara fell headlong into love with Michael with the intensity of first love only to be betrayed. Fast forward to 1963 and the consequences of that first love are still playing out. But being romantic suspense one can guess how it will end. The journey is the thing...

While I loved the descriptions of the island this time as much as before, I did tend to skim over some of Meara's obsessing over Michael in 1942 and her later "please don't let Lisa make the same mistake" thoughts in 1963. That said, it's an OK romantic suspense novel for one written around 1990 and the author managed to make her story reasonably plausible.

58hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 17, 2014, 4:36 pm

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf #2.

15. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Gina Kolata -- Finished January 29, 2014

From the public library.
306 pages + plates + notes
medicine, influenza, 1918, history, viruses
614.51809041

This history of the 1918 flu pandemic and the search for the virus that caused it is very readable and fairly wide-ranging. Gina Kolata is a science journalist who studied microbiology and history in college but, like many of us, she never grasped the fact of its seriousness until she read a paper in Science in 1997 about an attempt to establish the virus's genetic code in order to write an article about this attempt for the New York Times. Two years of research and interviews later this really interesting book was published.

From descriptions of the rapidity of the fatal attacks, the overcrowded hospitals and mass graves to the latest efforts to explain the way the epidemic spread and where it originated, Kolata has written a book that was a page turner for me. As for the seriousness of this particular influenza some estimates of the worldwide casualties go as high as 100 million deaths with many who "recovered" never being in good heath afterwards. It also tended to target the young and healthy and more than one general blamed the illness for their failures to reach their objectives in WWI.

Recommended for those interested in medical histories and research.

59lkernagh
tammikuu 30, 2014, 9:28 pm

The Kolata book looks interesting. Thanks for bringing that one to my attention!

60hailelib
tammikuu 31, 2014, 1:57 pm

IV. The Light Fantastic #3.

16. Star King by Jack Vance -- Finished January 31, 2014

From my own shelves.
202 pages
science fiction, space opera, revenge
unofficial AlphaCAT for "V" as in Vance

I pulled this off the shelf last year shortly after the death of the author with the idea of reading it soon but it naturally got buried under other books I wanted to read. Looking through those books for my next fiction before tackling either my next nonfiction book or The Picture of Dorian Gray this one jumped out at me because it was short and would give me a CAT of sorts.

In Star King Vance begins each chapter with quotes from various documents, speeches, etc. from the history of the Oikumene and the Rigel Concourse, some more obviously connected to the chapter than others. The actual story begins with Kirth Gersen's arrival at Smade's Planet and his meeting with Lugo Teehalt. From this meeting Gersen picks up a clue to the real identity of a notorious criminal named Attel Malagate that Gersen has sworn to destroy. And the action begins.

Although I'm sure that I read some of Vance's books years ago, I have no memory of ever reading this one. I must have acquired it at a time when my reading switched to (mostly) other genres for a while. It was pretty good for a sixties space opera type SF story. I think one of the things I liked, aside from the adventure, was the way Gersen carefully followed the clues and plotted his next move thereby (mostly) staying ahead of the "bad guys".

61hailelib
helmikuu 1, 2014, 3:00 pm

January Round-up

I. My Second Childhood -- 1 from public library
II. Look for the Clues -- 1 from public library
III. Follow Me -- 1 from public library
IV. The Light Fantastic -- 3 from my own shelves
V. Any and Everything -- 2 from public library
VI. Virtually Speaking --
VII. The CATs have it. -- 1 from public library
VIII. Once more -- 1 from my own shelves
IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics and Award winners
X. West of the Mississippi --
XI. Short Forms -- 2 from public library
XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- 2 from public library
XIII. What Happened Then? -- 2 from public library
XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fads --

Total from my shelves -- 4
Total from my lists -- 10
Total "new to me" -- 2

CATS:

GeoCAT -- Canada and the US - try to explore something new...
General - River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz -- location is California and Krentz is a US author
- Saints at the River by Ron Rash -- location South Carolina by a local author
- Island of Dreams by Patricia Potter -- location Jekyll Island, Georgia
Focus - immigration - A Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy
- Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzales

RandomCAT: Janus Rules - Gateway by Frederik Pohl

MysteryCAT: Detective Novels - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka Rowling
- Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Unofficial AlphaCAT -- Island of Dreams for "D" and Star King by Jack Vance for "V"

Favorites this month: The Cuckoo''s Calling, Cordelia's Honor, Saints at the River, The 13th Element, Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918, and Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America.

Currently reading: The Collaborator of Bethlehem, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton

I'll probably also try to get to Amelia Peabody's Egypt, a novel by Wodehouse, and Young Miles.

62rabbitprincess
helmikuu 1, 2014, 4:05 pm

The flu book sounds quite interesting. Looks like you had a good reading month!

63hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 5, 2014, 9:11 am

Well, I did read a lot and had some books I really liked. Of course the time for that reading partially came about because there were entirely too many days when I spent a lot of time in bed with a book. first the aftermath of whatever virus I had just after Christmas then a couple of weeks ago the doctor started me on a new medicine. The side effect that I'm experiencing is "flu syndrome" in which I feel a lot like I have a light case of flu. I feel just bad enough that reading is about all I want to do. However most of the symptoms are gone now except for that tired feeling one has for days afterwards. I hope that everyone else who has been under the weather is now recovering.

Meanwhile I've finished two more books (The Collaborator of Bethlehem for the GeoCAT and The Picture of Dorian Gray) and I've just started The Code of the Woosters by Wodehouse. I also managed to catch up on reading a lot of threads though haven't made many posts.

64hailelib
helmikuu 6, 2014, 4:57 pm

II. Look for the Clues #2.

17. The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees -- finihed Feb 4, 2014

From the public library.
264 pages
mystery, Palestinians, investigations

This book by Rees was excellent and more than just a mystery. Yes, there is a murder and a man is wrongly accused, but the real story is about the Palestinians of the West Bank, their ties to their lost homes, the young militants, the thugs who are looking for power any way they can get it, and the relationships, tribal and otherwise, between the various factions.

Omar Yussef is a middle-aged school teacher at a UN school for refugee children. When a close friend and former pupil is accused of collaborating with the Israelis and arrested he sets out to discover what really happened. This brings him into conflict with a particularly violent group of militants who have been terrorizing the residents of Bethlehem. Though friends and family tell him to desist for his own safety, Yussef can't do that and live with himself so his investigation continues leading him to an unexpected result.

Recommended, especially since the author uses his knowledge of the West Bank from his years as a journalist there to make one see the place and the people of his story. Luckily there are more books from Rees about Omar Yussef which I will try to read before too long.

65christina_reads
helmikuu 7, 2014, 12:12 pm

Tricia, excellent review of The Collaborator of Bethlehem! I just started the second book, A Grave in Gaza...hopefully it will be as good as the first!

66hailelib
helmikuu 12, 2014, 8:41 am

>65 christina_reads:
Thanks!

Way behind here and with the snow falling and nowhere else I have to be it's a good time to do a little catching up. The entire state has been ordered to stay home if at all possible and that's just what I'm doing.The temperature is about 28F and that's probably the high for the day so we may light the fire later. We've had snow and ice around Valentine's Day before but it's been some years since the last time.

67hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 12, 2014, 2:39 pm

Lots of reading the last few days...

IX. Classics of every kind past and future #1 and #2

18. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- Finished February 4, 2014

From my own shelves.
248 pages
fiction, literature, London society, late 19th century
OneLibrarythingOneBook

Oscar Wilde's only novel, published in 1891 I believe, begins with the painting of Dorian Gray's portrait by Basil Hallward. One day, as Basil is putting the finishing touches on what he believes to be his best work up to that time, Dorian comes for a final sitting and meets Lord Henry Wotton for the first time. Admiring the finished portrait, Dorian expresses the wish that he could always look like that and wouldn't it be wonderful it the portrait could do the aging rather than himself. To Basil's dismay, Lord Henry introduces Dorian into his rather decadent circle and Dorian begins to experiment and indulge himself. Then he discovers that the portrait is showing the signs of his dissipations while he is not.

I had read this book once before many years ago but I had forgotten everything save Dorian's name and that it is the portrait that ages rather than the man. But there is more to the book than that. There is the relationship between the three men, the seduction of the young and beautiful Dorian by the 'world', and Dorian's fear of and fascination with the portrait. And there is finally the twist at the end. I didn't precisely enjoy this book but I do think it was worth reading and thinking about. However, for those who have never tried Portrait, there really aren't any likable characters and some of the attitudes expressed may offend some readers.

There are some interesting points being raised about Wilde's book over in the OLOB threads if anyone is interested in following along. There are also a number of good reviews on the work page.

19. The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse -- Finished February 6, 2014

From my own shelves.
233 pages
fiction, British humour, Jeeves

Still British, still "society" but very different from the previous book! For those who have seen the Laurie/Fry series this book is the story of the cow creamer. Following the usual pattern, several of Bertie's friends and relations ask him for help in their affairs. Being the easy going chap that he is, Bertie is willing to help up to a point but the situation becomes more and more complicated until only Jeeves can find a solution. This was great fun and a nice change of pace. The Code of the Woosters was also the first Wodehouse that I have read although my husband has read a lot of his novels and stories. I will certainly try another of them at some point.

V. Any and Everything #3.

20. Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann -- Finished February 7, 2014

From the public library.
558 pages
fiction, romantic suspense, gay secondary characters, Florida, ex-military

This is a recently published novel from Brockmann featuring an ex-SEAL as her hero and is the first in a new series she is calling Reluctant Heroes. A number of the elements her novels contain are here; the ex-military hero, the independent heroine, a couple in danger (also ex-military and gay) and some very nasty villains who have kidnapped some children.

The book was OK but not really her best. It got really complicated and almost seemed to be two different stories that were stirred together. However, most of her fans will probably love it.

VI. Virtually Speaking #1.

21. The Scribe: Irin Chronicles Book 1 by Elizabeth Hunter -- Finished February 8, 2012

From my iPad.
292 pages
fantasy, Istanbul, fallen angels, decendents of the Fallen and of the Forgiven, romance, danger
unofficial AlphaCAT

I was in the mood for something different so I picked a fantasy from the unread books on my iPad. Not bad and I will probably look for the second book in this series.

Ava is a photojournalist who is always on the move and who generally avoids cities becauses of the voices. All her life she has heard voices and the more people around her the more voices she hears. Part of her problem is that they never go away and that they are using a language that she cannot identify or understand. The other part of the problem is that everyone thinks that she is mentally unstable because they don't hear these voices. As the story begins, Ava has been sent to Istanbul to see a doctor who may be able to help her. There she meets Malacai, one of the Irin who are descendents of the Forgiven. These Forgiven were Fallen Angels who returned to Heaven when called leaving their wives and children behind. As a reward, the Irin were given magic and long life and the job of protecting the humans from the Grigori who are the descendents of the Fallen who refused to return. It is the language of the Irin that Ava has been hearing and now the Grigori are hunting her.

Many of the plot turns I could see coming but I still had fun reading The Scribe. It does end on a cliff-hanger so having the next book in hand would be recommended for anyone who picks this book up. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available as yet.

68hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 13, 2014, 12:26 pm

More...

IV. The Light Fantastic #4.

22. Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished February 10, 2014

From my own shelves.
576 pages + afterword and chronology
science fiction, space opera, politics, omnibus

Young Miles contains three stories: The Warrior's Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning, The Vor Game, and an Author's Afterword. The first one begins with Miles at 17 and heading off-planet where he quickly becomes involved in adventures, leading to the formation of The Free Dendarii Mercenaries. Finally being allowed to attend the Academy he graduates but on leave before his first assignment Miles has to act for his father in an investigation of a murder, where he learns something about the duties of a conscientious Vor. When that first assignment turns disastrous Miles once again travels off planet and soon becomes mixed up with the mercenaries once more.. So there's adventure, coming of age, and lots of politics in these really good stories.

VIII. Once More #2.

23. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished February 11, 2014

From my own shelves.
302 pages
science fiction, diplomatic mission, genetic engineering, politics

A little older and somewhat wiser Miles is on a diplomatic mission to attend a state funeral, which should be simple but this is Miles we're talking about. It turns out that Cetagandan society and politics are much more complicated than the Barrayarans had any notion of. I liked seeing Miles with his cousin Ivan in this story. Watching Miles trying to keep Ivan from making the wrong move is interesting, especially since following the rules is what would be the wrong move. As usual, Miles is having to make it up as he goes.

I will certainly be continuing the series.

69lkernagh
helmikuu 12, 2014, 11:46 am

Great catch up on the reading and wow on the continuing winter conditions. Sounds like staying home and reading is a good plan.

70hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 12, 2014, 1:06 pm

The corner of South Carolina where we are often gets off lightly when the snow and ice are coming from the west. Somehow the worst seems to skip over us as it comes over the mountains and fall onto Greenville instead. But when it's from further south, especially if the moisture is coming from the Gulf of Mexico, then we get snowed in for sure. No road clearance outside of the towns but by the time we can get up the driveway the roads are passable.

Snow is continuing to fall and the forecast is for several more inches before it stops. However the ice has been taken out of the forecast and I would bet that most of it will be melted by Sunday. We're going to have that fire later and chile for supper and maybe a movie so not too bad a day!

Now to go back up and add some comments to those books I listed earlier...

71rabbitprincess
helmikuu 12, 2014, 6:24 pm

Hoping the ice continues to stay out of the forecast!

72hailelib
helmikuu 13, 2014, 12:00 pm

Well, we did wake up to a layer of ice over the snow this morning but the total accumulation wasn't too bad, maybe three inches. Enough that with lots of local closings we feel no need to go anywhere. (People around here can't drive in any amount of snow so going out = bad idea.) Soon after sunrise the temperature got above freezing and with the sun trying to come out at Noon the melting is proceeding! Once the clouds part the snow and ice can certainly be dazzling. Hope those still getting precipitation north of here are staying safe. And warm!

73hailelib
helmikuu 13, 2014, 1:17 pm

I'll still reading parts of Kathryn Hughes' Mrs. Beeton from time to time as well as Going Clear by Lawrence Wright. While both are mildly interesting neither one has turned into the kind of book that I don't want to put down. While I will continue reading them I'll probably finish the fiction novel I've started before either of them. It's The Daybreakers by Louis L'Amour and about a quarter of the way in it's a pretty good story so far. Once I do finish one of those non-fiction books I have The Great Influenza by Barry lined up.

74hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 16, 2014, 11:10 am

I've read some more of Mrs. Beeton and a little of Going Clear but read a lot of light fiction the last couple of days.

X. West of the Mississippi #1.

24. The Daybreakers by Louis L'Amour -- finished February 14, 2014

From my own shelves. (My mother really liked L'Amour.)
204 pages
fiction, settlement of the Southwest, cattlemen, lawmen

Although not the first in the (chronological) Sackett series The Daybreakers is a stand alone novel narrated by Tyrel Sackett and tells the story of how he and his brother Orrin came to leave the Tennessee hills and travel west where they settled near Santa Fe. Though I don't remember a specific date ever being mentioned in The Daybreakers, from internal evidence it seemed to begin shortly after The War Between the States and was confirmed by a quick look in The Sackett Companion. Here we have a story with adventure, cattle drives, conflict with Indians, and conflict between individuals and between newcomer Anglos and the longtime Spanish-Mexican residents. For me, Tyrel's voice sounded right for a country boy from the Tennessee hills and the trail he followed in the West was that of many who went there hoping to build a new life. Much better than the Zane Grey I read last fall.

75hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 19, 2014, 7:55 am

I. My Second Childhood - YA - #2.

25. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer -- Finished February 15, 2914

From the public library.
452 pages
YA, science fiction, fairytale retelling, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood

The second book in the Lunar Chronicles begins shortly after the end of Book 1 with an introduction to Scarlet and Wolf. Scarlet is searching for her grandmother who disappeared a short time before and who Scarlet believes to have been kidnapped even though the police disagree. Then we drop in on Thorne and witness his first meeting with Cinder and their subsequent escape from prison. The novel moves back and forth between the two stories until the characters meet and they join forces. More adventures, more revelations, and Cinder's growing desire to foil the Lunar Queen, Levana. I'm definitely going to track down Book 3 soon.

IV. The Light Fantastic #5.

26. Hounded by Kevin Hearne -- Finished February 15, 2014

From my own shelves.
pronunciation guide + 289 pages + excerpt from Hexed
fantasy, druids, Fae, gods, witches
unofficial AlphaCAT for H

There's been a lot of conversation about the Iron Druid series here on LT so it doesn't really need another review. I'll just say it was really fun and if you like fantasy, especially urban fantasy, and need a "cheer-me-up" book you could do a lot worse. I'll definitely continue the series.

76hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 19, 2014, 7:56 am

XIII. What Happened then? #3.

27. The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes -- Finished February 17, 2014

From the public library.
400 pages + notes, etc.
history, biography, British publishing (1800's), housekeeping
640.92
unofficial AlphaCAT for H

For me, "Mrs. Beeton" alternated between very interesting and somewhat boring and, at times, was easy to put down for a few days. Some sections were more interesting than others and I particularly liked a couple of sections in the last half. As one reviewer said, this book is as much a biography of a book as anything else. For information on the English Victorian middle class and the London publishing scene it is very good. A "Life and Times" book that is more about the times than the life and probably not for everyone.

77hailelib
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 19, 2014, 1:43 pm

Today it's really nice outside, 72 F with sun and a light wind. Our daffodils are coming up and yesterday when I was in town I noticed that some of the trees are looking a little blurry in the topmost branches which means they are about to "bloom". There were also a few songbirds about; all signs that spring isn't too far away.

No more books finished but I'm a good way into Going Clear. Hubbard is definitely not a likeable man but somehow he managed to draw an awful lot of otherwise intelligent people to him.

Just started The Great Influenza by Barry which is looking really good. Though longer I may finish it first.

I've also started reading some of the stories from the Arabian Nights and will try to find some of the ones I haven't seen before. The first story, told by the Vizier to his daughter, is a longer version of one I read a few years ago and the second is a long one with other stories told by some of the characters. A story within a story within a story form. The book I'm reading from is a selection from Burton with Burton's notes.

And I may sandwich The Giver in there as well. Should keep me busy for a while.

78mamzel
helmikuu 19, 2014, 2:46 pm

I just read a YA book that took place in 1918 San Diego. Everyone was eating and wearing onions to ward off the flu!

79hailelib
helmikuu 23, 2014, 11:08 am

mamzel, that did happen in some places and garlic for that was even more common!

80hailelib
helmikuu 23, 2014, 11:40 am

I. My Second Childhood #3.

28. The Giver by Lois Lowry -- Finished February 21, 2014

From my own shelves.
180 pages.
1994 Newbery Medal, dystopia, growing up, memories, Sameness
Random CAT -- Children's literature, Award

This is easy to read and goes quickly with the writing aimed at middle-school level. The Giver is something of a forerunner for all the YA dystopias currently available for 12 to 18 year old audiences and may be one of the best. At the beginning of the story, everything seems to be fine with happy children looking forward to their next milestone when they are a year older and with adults doing the jobs they are best suited for in the Community. Our narrator is Jonas who will soon be assigned his adult role during the Ceremony of Twelve. There Jonas and his friends will find out which training the Elders have assigned them to.

Jonas is surprised to be given the very important job of Receiver. The Community only has one Receiver at a time and he will be trained by the current one who is now called the Giver. As we follow Jonas in his training we discover along with him that under the surface the Community is not as wonderful as it seems. Then he decides that he must change things ... The ending is ambiguous and leaves room for the reader to "write" their own ending. This is a story which could lead to very good discussions in the classroom about society, the choices that led to Jonas' world, and whether the Community could or should change.

81hailelib
helmikuu 23, 2014, 12:19 pm

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- science and technology related #3.

29. The great influenza : the epic story of the deadliest plague in history by John M. Barry -- Finished February 22, 2014

From the public library.
461 pages + notes
science,medicine,influenza, pandemics,WWI, 1918 flu, research
614.518

A very detailed account of the 1918-1919 flu epidemic following the outbreaks, particularly those in the U.S., the doctors and researchers as they tried to stop it, the way the war both affected the course of the epidemic and the way the epidemic affected the course of the war and perhaps the peace. Barry began with a description of the state of medicine in the second half of the 1800's and how a few men spearheaded its transformation so that by the time the U.S. entered the war it had some of the best doctors and medical researchers in the world. Then we learn about viruses and, in particular, the influenza virus. This virus is possibly the most contagious virus of all and it is at its most contagious in the one or two days before the symptoms appear. Also when it kills, it usually kills by making its victim very susceptible to pneumonia. Next we have detail upon detail of each of the major outbreaks in the States and how the disease traveled from place to place by ship, rail, and river. Then there were all the efforts by researchers to come up with anything that would stop or at least slow down the spread of the flu. These efforts were heroic but not of much help. It wasn't until after the epidemic that they were even able to decide whether flu was bacterial or viral in nature.

I found The Great Influenza to be really interesting and very different from Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Kolata. This one focused on the period before and during the epidemic for the most part while Kolata focused her story on the search for the virus that caused it which has only recently succeeded. Also Barry, in his afterword, asks how we would handle another such pandemic and his answer isn't very encouraging. At any rate, I found both books to be worthwhile reads.

82hailelib
helmikuu 24, 2014, 8:20 am

It's going to be another nice, spring-like, and sunny day here but I'll probably read less than on the past few days. I'm still reading Going Clear but my interest is steadily decreasing so I keep picking up others. The Arabian Nights is still entertaining although the Burton version is probably not for everyone. I've also read over half of An Incomplete Revenge and am well into Annihilation both of which are good in entirely different ways.

83rabbitprincess
helmikuu 24, 2014, 6:14 pm

And we're back in the deep freeze a bit! Enjoy the springlike weather for me :)

Both of those flu books are on my TBR. They sound very interesting.

84hailelib
maaliskuu 2, 2014, 11:14 am

We're having a nice spring day with sunshine and warm temperatures for early March. However, the rain will reach us by morning and has colder air behind it. Early spring flowers are beginning to bloom so we may be past the worst winter weather. Later we may drive over to Easley for the monthly Friends of the Library sale.

Meanwhile I've got some catching up to do on my thread!

85hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 2, 2014, 12:05 pm

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads #2

30. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished February 24, 2014

From my own shelves.
237 pages
science fiction, all male planet, reproduction, adventure
Vorkosigan group read

Ethan Urquhart is a doctor on Athos and is Chief of Reproductive Biology at Sevarin District Reproductive Center. Athos is a male only planet which has kept itself fairly isolated from the rest of humanity since its founding. But now there is a problem - the ovarian cultures they have been using to produce their sons are dying and more must be procured. When the shipment from Jackson's Whole arrives it is not what they ordered and someone has to travel off-world and personally secure the right genetic material. Ethan is the chosen representative and from the moment of his arrival at Kline Station he is dragged into local politics, mercenaries, spies, and the dreaded contact with WOMEN. In fact, it is only an alliance Ethan forges with a woman mercenary that allows him to survive to carry out his mission.

I really enjoyed this story even though it is not really part of Miles Vorkosigan's storyline except in a very indirect way. The all male society is somehow believable and Ethan's culture shock is well done. This one may get read again...

86hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 3, 2014, 8:11 am

III. Follow Me #2.

31. An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear -- Finished February 26, 2014

From the public library.
303 pages
Maisie Dobbs, hop picking, gypsies
MysteryCAT - series

An Incomplete Revenge is the fifth book in Winspear's series following the life of Maisie Dobbs. This was a very enjoyable book which I was able to read quickly. Here she is investigating a problem for James Compton who is negotiating the purchase of some land in Kent as much for the brickworks situated on it as for the land itself. There has been alot lot of petty crime in the area as well as a number of unexplained fires that may be the work of an arsonist. This is hop picking season and as Billy will be there for his "vacation" Maisie doesn't forsee any problem with completing a timely report on the situation. But things are more complicated than expected and we also get a bit more back story for Maisie.

I really liked An Incomplete Revenge and will be continuing the series at some point.

87hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 3, 2014, 8:45 am

More catching up:

February Round-up

I. My Second Childhood -- 3 total -- 2 from public library/1 from my shelves
II. Look for the Clues -- 2 total -- 2 from public library
III. Follow Me -- 2 total -- 2 from public library
IV. The Light Fantastic -- 5 total -- 5 from my own shelves
V. Any and Everything -- 3 total-- 3 from public library
VI. Virtually Speaking -- 1 total -- iPad
VII. The CATs have it. -- 2 total -- 1 from public library/1 from my shelves
VIII. Once more -- 2 total -- 2 from my own shelves
IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics and Award winners -- 2 total -- 2 from my own shelves
X. West of the Mississippi -- 1 total -- 1 from my own shelves
XI. Short Forms -- 2 total -- 2 from public library
XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- 3 total --2 from public library/1 from my own shelves
XIII. What Happened Then? -- 3 total -- 3 from public library
XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fads -- 0

Total from my shelves -- 14
Total from my lists -- 11
Total "new to me" -- 6
Total finished in February -- 15
Total for year --31

CATS:

GeoCAT: Middle East and North Africa -- Focus - The Holy Land - The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees

RandomCAT: Children's Literature - The Giver by Lois Lowry

MysteryCAT: Series - The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees
An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

Unofficial AlphaCAT: H and R - The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees for R
The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes for H
The Scribe: Irin Chronicles Book 1 by Elizabeth Hunter for H

Favorites this month: The Collaborator of Bethlehem , Young Miles, The Code of the Woosters, The Giver, The Great Influenza, An Incomplete Revenge

Currently reading: Going Clear, Annihilation, and Dissolution. Also continuing with Tales from the Arabian Nights.

Waiting in line: Passport to Danger for a Children's mystery and GeoCat; and, Caribbean for the GeoCAT, RandomCAT and unofficial AlphaCAT.

88MissWatson
maaliskuu 3, 2014, 9:31 am

Enviable statistics!

89hailelib
maaliskuu 3, 2014, 4:47 pm

Thanks, MissWatson!

And my first book for March --

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf #4.

32. Lone Survivors : How we came to be the only Humans on Earth by Chris Stringer -- Finished March 2, 2014

From the public library.
228 pages = bibliography; illustrations and maps throughout
science, evolution, origin of humans, what happened to the other hominids
Unofficial AlphaCAT for "L"

Lone Survivors got my interest immediately and I read it straight through which usually only happens with some kinds of fiction. Stringer begins with a chapter he calls "The Big Questions" where he gives us some of the background for evolution, describes the first hominid fossil finds and a gives a quick overview of progress in figuring out how all the different fossils, theories, and genetic discoveries fit together. He then moves on to the ways in which scientists date the fossils and the tools, etc. associated with them and how they can cross-check their dates and then how they have been able to retrieve additional information like DNA. Then we get his views on the various theories about the progress of human evolution.

While evolution in general is touched on, Springer spins most of his time tracking man through the last two million years with the last 200,000 being the main focus. Much of the material is about the Neanderthals and what he refers to as 'modern man'. This is a recent book (2012) and he is able to discuss the evidence from DNA sequencing that implies some hybridization between the different groups of early man. We may have a few Neanderthal genes lurking in our own genomes.Towards the end the author tells us why he believes humans are still evolving and why he thinks this.

Recommended for those interested in the subject with the warning that Springer has a habit of saying, in effect, we'll talk more about that later. Some might find that a bit annoying.

90hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 4, 2014, 8:54 am

It's overcast and chilly here with the temperature right at freezing but the daffodils have decided its spring and make for a cheery note when I look out. I don't mind that the really cold air went north of us!

Sunday we did get to the library sale and found a few things ... 9 books for $9 ... 5 hardcover and four trade paperbacks which were all in good to excellent condition.

There were three that I had previously had from the library - one from the ...In Death series and two from the No. 1 Ladies' series - at a dollar apiece for books that will be read again. The McCall-Smith will be read by both of us so an even better deal.

The others are

Grave Goods by Franklin - I've been meaning to try this series but I need to start with the first one.
The Great Taos Bank Robbery by Hillerman - my husband is a Hillerman fan and this is a collection of essays, etc. by him.
The Princes in the Tower by Weir - looked interesting and has a great book jacket cover.
A Fair and Happy Land by Owens - never heard of this - subtitle is 'A Chronicle of Frontier America' - it's a library discard and doesn't look to have been popular but the subject may be interesting enough...
Moll Flanders by Defoe - I do have a cheap mass market version but this is one of the nice hardcovers of classics issued by Readers Digest a few years ago and looks as if it was never even opened. I have some others from the set so I picked this one up as an upgrade.
Firebirds Rising an anthology of SF edited by Sharyn November. Missing book jacket but otherwise a nice copy and a mix of stories from authors I like and ones I've never tried.

91hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 8, 2014, 2:53 pm

It's another sunny day with a high of about 70 F expected with a few more days like this expected. That's a good thing because the inside part of our heat pump has quit working (after 34 years) so first thing Monday Jim will be lining up the guys to replace the whole thing. Our plan was to do another major home repair now and the heat pump replacement more toward the fall but I guess they get reversed.

However, I've managed to do a lot more reading this past week that I thought I would, both finishing a couple of already started books and some others as well.

I. My Second Childhood -- for children's and young adult books - #4.

33. Passport to Danger by Carolyn Keene -- Finished March 4, 2014

From my own shelves.
216 pages.
mystery, Mexico, YA at about 11 - 14 years old (at least that when my son read them), art thieves, smuggling
GeoCAT - Mexico
MysteryCAT - Children's mystery series

This book is part of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Super Mystery series. These are written at a higher level than the original two series were and this particular one features Nancy and her friend Bess who are in Mexico visiting friends of Nancy's Aunt Eloise and Frank and Joe who are also in Mexico on vacation. Nancy has promised her hosts to look into the problem of fake green cards that someone seems to be using their art school to make and distribute. Soon after they bump into the sightseeing Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe start looking into a break-in at a Mexico City art gallery where a priceless pre-Columbian artifact is stolen. While the two cases are not directly connected the teens band together to solve them.

This series was written under the Carolyn Keene name although some have been cataloguedon LT as written by Dixon. They were new in the early nineties with this one having a 1994 copyright and are set in that time. The details about Mexico were fairly generic and the 17 to 19 year-old characters were having adventures traveling and doing adult investigating which makes the stories somewhat unrealistic for adults. However, for young teens these are apparently good transition books between mysteries meant for elementary age children and mystery/adventure level books for older teens and adults. At least my son loved them.

92hailelib
maaliskuu 8, 2014, 3:19 pm

XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fancies -- other nonfiction #1.

34. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright -- Finished March 4, 2014

From the public library.
365 pages + notes
Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, religion, celebrities
Unofficial AlphaCAT for L in Lawrence

This book, while it contained a lot of interesting information, was a bit of a slog to read. The story begins with Paul Haggis and his first encounter with Dianetics and it pretty much ends with his taking a hard look at the way Scientology is run today and deciding to walk away after nearly 35 years. Along the way a lot of other Hollywood types move in and out of Scientology which depends on its celebrity members for much of its income and for credibility. Wright also gives us a fairly detailed biography of L. Ron Hubbard and how he built a religion, his feuds with various governments, and his last days. There was a long section that at times felt like tabloid Hollywood gossip but then Wright would get interesting again. He does discuss why a number of people outside of Scientology have decided that for the everyday members it is a religion and compares it to the early days of other groups that have become more mainstream.

If this sounds at all interesting I would borrow a copy rather than buying one to see if the book really is for you.

93hailelib
maaliskuu 8, 2014, 3:37 pm

II. Look for the Clues -- mysteries #3.

35. Concealed in Death by J. D. Robb -- Finished March 6, 2014

From the public library.
402 pages
mystery, Eve Dallas, New York, 2060

The new "In Death" book begins with Roarke and a construction crew in a recent purchase that he has made with the idea of gutting the building and rehabbing it into a useful space. They are there to ceremoniously begin the project and Roarke takes the first swing at an interior wall with a sledgehammer. As the wallboard comes down they find two bodies of young teens and the next thing Roarke does is call Eve. From there it's a pretty standard entry in the series and I really enjoyed visiting our cast of characters although many of them only had walk-on roles. For everyone who is a fan of the series.

94hailelib
maaliskuu 12, 2014, 11:25 am

A little catching up...

VIII. Once more -- rereads #3.

36. Dragon Blood by Patricia Briggs -- Finished March 6, 2014

From my own shelves.
275 pages.
fantasy, dragons, magic, revolution

I keep seeing this book at the used bookstore but I never seem to find the first volume of the duology. Anyway, the last time I almost bought it I decided to pull out my own copy and found it to be enjoyable. That was partly because I like the author's fantasies and partly because it was time for a change of pace and because I had largely forgotten most of Ward's story.

In 2009 I wrote "The second book about Ward of Hurog, it stood up pretty well without my having read the first one. A nice but not exceptional fantasy, I did find the dragon to be unusual and interesting. There was also a bit of romance for those who want it." Nothing to add to that.

95hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 13, 2014, 10:25 am

III. Follow Me #3.

37. Dissolution by C. J. Sansom -- Finished March 7, 2014

From my own shelves.
387 pages with historical note.
mystery, monks, Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell

A good book, not so much for the mystery as for the portrayal of England during a difficult period. Henry VIII is on the throne, Queen Jane has just died, and Cromwell is engaged in dismantling the monasteries throughout England. Matthew Shardlake is sent to solve a murder that has taken place at one of these monasteries and at the same time to persuade the Abbot there to sign the necessary papers for permanently disbanding his community. I found the novel very readable with lots of interesting characters and a competently handled mystery. I will definitely be reading more of the series.

96hailelib
maaliskuu 13, 2014, 10:53 am

II. Look for the Clues -- mysteries #4.

38. Moving Target by J. A. Jance -- Finished March 10, 2013

From the public library.
340 pages
suspense, hackers, computer security, familiies, England, Texas

The latest book featuring Ali Reynolds, her friend/employee Leland, and her fiance B. Simpson. The novel is fast moving with several things going on. Lance Tucker, who should be in his last year of high school, is incarcerated in a juvenile detention center because he hacked into his school district's computer system to protest a new policy. There he is set on fire while decorating the Center's Christmas tree and is seriously injured. B. was part of the investigation that fingered Lance and he feels that he needs to know what really happened since he doesn't believe the official theory. Meanwhile Ali and Leland are in England so that the elderly Leland can reconnect to his estranged family. There they start investigating the circumstances of the death of Leland's father decades before.

As usual there is a lot going on below the surface with car crashes, blackmail, kidnappings, computer hacking, and organized crime even gets a look-in. The book was OK but I'm not sure I want to read any more books about Ali. There just seemed to be something lacking here. I'd rather see a new Sheriff Brady story than another one in this series.

97hailelib
maaliskuu 14, 2014, 12:18 pm

The new heat pump is ordered but meanwhile it's relatively cold outside and getting colder inside. I may have to spend a lot of time by the space heater wrapped in a blanket with a book!

I. My Second Childhood -- for children's and young adult books #5.

39. The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore --Finished March 13, 2014

From the CMS library - received in our latest Scholastic order using bonus points
344 pages
for ages 8 to 10 according to the Lexile site
family, school, making friends, fitting in, exploring, magic?

Ephraim Appledore-Smith is the middle child, an ordinary boy sandwiched between two more than ordinary siblings. His mother is a medical doctor and his father is an artist. Ephraim is close to his father who is the one member of his family who "gets" him but then everything changes. Their father has a stroke and the family moves from the city to their mother's ancestral home in a small town in Maine. The house is known as the Water Castle, built of stone and steel with secret rooms, hidden doors, tunnels, gardens and outbuildings.

In the town itself, there's Mallory Green whose family has always been the caretakers of the The Water Castle and Will Wylie whose family has always resented the success of the Appledores. They are Ephraim's new schoolmates and become his friends as they work together on a major school project. Not only do they join him in the research on the Arctic expeditions of Peary but they join him in trying to discover the secrets of the Water Castle.

Woven into the story are flashbacks to 1908 as told in Nora Darling's diary. Nora's family works for the Appledores and Nora and Henry Jr. become friends through their shared interest in Admiral Peary's attempt to reach the North Pole. Nora is working as an assistant to the eccentric scientist Orlando Appledore helping him in his laboratory. Both stories are about exploring the earth, exploring science, and exploring the possible magic of Crystal Springs where everyone is a little smarter, healthier, and longer lived.

I liked the ending which left things a little ambiguous, letting the reader decide if the special water was really "magic" and what the relationship between Nora and Henry became and how Mallory fit into the Darling's history. There are potentially good discussion questions for elementary students reading this book and good subjects for them to explore on their own or with a group. I would definitely recommend it for the 9 to 10 age level. And, I had fun reading it.

98hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 16, 2014, 10:08 am

And another one that's been mentioned some this week:

III. Follow Me - series - #4.

40. Dog On It by Spencer Quinn -- Finished March 13, 2014

From the public library.
305 pages
detectives, dogs, disappearances, desert country, city sprawl

The Little Detective Agency consists of Bernie Little and his dog Chet who narrates this wonderful book. I found Chet to be an appealing character and look forward to more of his adventures with Bernie.

99hailelib
maaliskuu 16, 2014, 11:15 am

VI. Virtually Speaking #2.

41. Touch by Jus Accardo -- Finished March 14, 2014

ebook from my iPad
400? pages
YA, teen slang, paranormal powers, big bad corporation vs. teens with powers

Seventeen year-old Dez lives with her Dad in a smallish city where he heads up the supposed law firm of Denazen. She's a seemingly typical bad girl rebel and one night after leaving a party finds a bay, Kale, on the run from people who have been holding him captive. She helps him get away and subsequently discovers that her father and Denazen are the ones he is running from. Kale has been help captive as long as he can remember and Denazen uses him to "punish" people with his death touch. It turns out that many of the local children and teens have various powers and they have organized and want to discover a way to stop Denazen and free the ones being held captive. There are twists, betrayals, and adventures aplenty. There is also a lot of sex for a YA novel so only for older teens.

Being YA, this was a quick read and the first in a series, but a series that I am in no hurry to continue. Other authors have done the 'evil adults using teens with powers' story better. At least it was a cheap Daily Deal on Amazon about a year ago. If it had been a physical book it would now be on the discard stack.

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads #3.

42. Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs -- Finished March 15, 2014

From my on shelves.
381 pages
fantasy, magic, medieval style society, evil being trying to control the world
RandomCAT for Raven

The sequel to Raven's Shadow finds Tier, Seraph, and their sons on their way home to Redern shortly after the end of the first book. Although much had been accomplished towards setting things right, there still remains one wizard, more dangerous than the rest, that they call the Shadowed and Tier and Seraph and their ally Hennea know that he will not rest until he has his revenge on them. Tier is Bard, Seraph and Hennea are Ravens, and Tier's children carry the Orders Eagle (Guardian), Hunter (Falcon), and Wind or Storm (Cormorant). They only lack a Healer (Lark). This being a sequel and very much a continuation of the story told in Briggs' first book, any more would get into major spoiler territory. Like any good fantasy there are adventures, lots of magic, and plenty of badies both men and 'other'. I liked both books and would recommend them for those with an interest in this type of fantasy.

100hailelib
maaliskuu 18, 2014, 9:08 am

V. Any and Everything -- fiction that needs a home #4.

43. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer -- Finished March 17, 2014

From the Public Library.
195 pages
speculative, SF, exploring expeditions, transformation

I think it was Pete's review that had me searching out this book. Annihilation purports to be the story of the 12th expedition to venture into Area X as told by the biologist in her journal. We see everything through her eyes, the land, the other three members of the group, and the events that unfold. Very early on things begin to go wrong and the area they were sent to explore feels stranger and stranger. Is our narrator seeing what's really there? Can we believe everything she has written? Vandermeer leaves us with questions which may or may not be answered in the forthcoming volume Authority. This story definitely falls under the category of weird, even bizarre, but one keeps reading to see what happens next.

101hailelib
maaliskuu 23, 2014, 3:34 pm

IV. The Light Fantastic -- fantasy and science fiction #6.

44. The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs -- Finished ~March 20, 2014

From the public library.
281 pages
fantasy, magic, change, surviving

Aren has the occasional visions which she has learned to hide since practicing magic means death. Then raiders attack the village killing all her family and in order to save her people she has to use magic as well as making a bargain for help with the Hob from Hob"s Mountain. This is a stand alone book by Patricia Briggs that probably predates her Mercy Thompson series. While I liked the Raven duology better this was still a fun read.

I. My Second Childhood -- for children's and young adult books #6.

45. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd -- Finished ~March 20, 2014

From the public library.
322 pages
older elementary to middle grades, London, a disappearance, Asperger's, being different.

The main characters are Ted, his sister Kat, and their cousin Salim and the story is told by Ted, who is fully aware that his brain doesn't work quite like everyone else's. While reading this I was reminded a bit of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time although Ted is younger.

This was a very good mystery for children around 10 years old and up and would be especially good for discussions of differences among people and how different isn't a bad thing. Recommended.

102DeltaQueen50
maaliskuu 24, 2014, 1:20 pm

Glad to see you enjoyed The London Eye Mystery, the whole time I was reading it, I was thinking how much I would have loved this book when I was young. Even at my age I found it entertaining.

103hailelib
maaliskuu 25, 2014, 1:53 pm

>102 DeltaQueen50: It would be a good selection for any elementary or middle school library.

And more books ---

III. Follow Me - series #5.

46. Guardian of Honor by Robin D. Owens -- Finished ~March 21, 2014

From my own shelves.
404 pages.
fantasy, swords, magic, summoning from a parallel world, a little romance

Guardian of Honor was an enjoyable way of spending an evening and I will probably go ahead and look for the next Summoning book although I do prefer the Celta stories. For those times when a fun adventure story is just right.

Alexa Fitzwalter is mourning the death of her best friend and partner in their fledgling law firm. One cold night she goes hiking near the mountains outside Denver where she is drawn by chanting to an archway. Passing through it, she finds herself in a chamber in Lladrana where she is Tested. In this new place Alexa must learn magic and swordsmanship and figure out how to fit in. But first she must learn the language and find out why she was summoned. Not a super original plot but I did enjoy the book.

104rabbitprincess
maaliskuu 27, 2014, 10:42 pm

Glad to hear about Dissolution and its historical details. If I'm in a history mystery mood I'll have to remember to look out for it.

105hailelib
maaliskuu 28, 2014, 11:14 am

>104 rabbitprincess: I have the next one in the series, Dark Fire, and may read it sometime this year.

---

IV. The Light Fantastic -- fantasy and science fiction

47. Old Man's War by John Scalzi -- Finished ~ March 21, 2014

From my own shelves.
351 pages
SF, aging, war, space opera, love and friendship

With over 200 reviews on LT I don't feel the need to say much about Old Man's War. I liked it as a fun read that I might reread one day and I will eventually track down a copy of the next book The Ghost Brigades.

106hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 28, 2014, 1:31 pm

V. Any and Everything #5.

48. Hostage by Kay Hooper -- Finished ~ March 22, 2014

From the Public Library.
300 pages + additional info
fiction, suspense, psychics, crime, Bishop's SCU

The latest in a long-running series by Kay Hooper, Hostage features agents from the FBI Special Crimes Unit run by Noah Bishop and the Haven investigative agency. There are two story lines which long time readers of this series will know are going to eventually connect. The criminal they are after is an escaped bank robber who is more dangerous than the locals know. Very much along the lines of previous books in the series but somehow this one didn't really do it for me. Not bad, but not as good as I had hoped. Sort of average. Recommended only for fans.

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads #4.

49. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMasters Bujold -- Finished ~ March 23, 2014

From my own shelves.
311 pages but I skipped The Mountains of Mourning as I read it in an earlier anthology.
SF, Vorkosigan group read, Miles, framing story

This book contains three of the shorter tales about Miles Vorkosigan. I read Labyrinth and The Borders of Infinity but all three are within a short framing story where Simon Illyan is questioning Miles about some of his adventures. These are quite good with Labyrinth taking place on Jackson's Whole where the Dendarii are to pick up a scientist who wants to leave the House he is contracted to and where everything that can go wrong does; then, The Borders of Infinity concerns a prisoner of war camp and what happens when Miles finds himself confined there.

Recommended, especially for those who have read others from the series.

107hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 28, 2014, 3:33 pm

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads #5.

50.A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves -- Finished ~ March 24, 2014

From my own shelves.
218 pages
mystery, birdwatchers, British Isles, esp. Norfolk but also the Scilly Isles, 1st in a series
RandomCat -- birds everywhere

Although almost thirty years old (c.1986) this was a pretty good mystery. It starts with the discovery of the body of a well known birdwatcher on the shore near the White Lodge where he worked. Another birdwatcher, the retired George Palmer-Jones, is asked by one of his neighbors to look into the circumstances of the death. We follow George and his fellow "twitchers" around from one sighting to another as he slowly works out who killed Tom French and why.

I'm pretty sure that at some time in the past I read another mystery featuring George and his wife but this is the first one in the series . There are a couple more on my shelves and I think I should have a go at them. A nice somewhat old-fashioned British mystery.

VIII. Once more #4.

51. No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey -- Finished ~ March 24, 2014

From my own shelves.
121 pages.
fairy-tale type story, a Prince, true love, the evil Queen

A nice story that McCaffrey apparently wrote with her grandchild in mind. When his Regent dies just as Prince Jamas reaches adulthood he leaves behind a remarkable cat who proceeds to guard the prince from harm. With a greedy King in the next kingdom over who is married to an even greedier Queen, Jamas needs all the help he can get. I had forgotten how delightful this short book is. For fans of fairytales.

108hailelib
maaliskuu 29, 2014, 12:04 pm

A rainy spring Saturday here. Some early April showers?

Some more catching up...

VIII. Once More #5.

52. Remember When - Part Two aka Big Jack by J. D. Robb -- Finished ~ March 26, 2014

From my own shelves.
218 pages
mystery, murder, diamonds, New York, 2059, Eve Dallas

I was looking for something familiar but not too long and decided on the Eve Dallas half of Remember When. The first 222 pages or Part one is a short novel much like the romantic suspense Roberts wrote for Silhouette Intimate Moments. That section of the book starts in a small town in Maryland and concerns murder and a big diamond heist and is also a romance. Part Two has been reprinted as Big Jack and is part of the In Death series. The granddaughter of the hero and heroine of part one has written a book about the diamond robbery and how her grandparents recovered most of them. However one quarter of the gems, worth millions, never turned up and someone decides that Samantha Gannon knows more than she put in the book. He will stop at nothing to find them and murder ensues with Eve Dallas catching the first case. From there we have a typical J. D. Robb story with many of the recurring characters featured in these books. An interesting entry in the In Death series and stands up pretty well when reread.

109hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 29, 2014, 1:52 pm

VI. Virtually Speaking #3.

53. Cold Magic by Kate Elliot -- Finished ~ March 26, 2014

From my iPad Kindle app.
614 "Kindle" pages, whatever that means
fantasy, ice age, an alternative Europa, magic and magical beings

By far the best of the three fantasies I've read on my iPad so far this year and the one I'm most likely to follow up on. (There are at least two more books ...) Catherine Hassi Barahal and her cousin Beatrice are looking forward to turning twenty with Cat loving books and Bee always drawing what she sees in her dreams. They both have magic which will be important to them and to the story.

We are introduced to Cat's family and see her and Bee at the Academy and at home. Then a Cold Mage arrives and forces the Barahals to honor a contract with his house which requires that Cat marry him and come with him immediately. Never having heard of this contract, Cat is understandably upset and confused and flounders around quite a bit a first as more strange things happen to her.

The stars of Cold Magic however are the many very interesting characters we meet along the way and the unusual world in which the story takes place. I am looking forward to a chance to read the second book in the trilogy just to explore more of this world.

110hailelib
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 31, 2014, 10:26 am

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf #5.

54. The Numbers behind NUMB3RS by Keith Devlin and Gary Lorden -- Finished March 27, 2014

From my own shelves.
233 pages including episode summaries for Seasons 1 -3
mathematics, TV, crime
Unofficial AlphaCAT for L

Since I love the TV show I expected to like this book and I was not disappointed. Written by two mathematicians with Lorden being the show's consultant, a lot of the math used by Charlie to help solve the various crimes on the first three seasons is described here. Most of the explanations are easy to follow but a little math background would be helpful in a few places.

One might think that math wouldn't be used for crime solving but, in fact, agencies like the FBI do have a number of mathematicians on their payrolls and many police departments use programs developed by math experts. The only thing really inaccurate about the show is that the data collection and analysis that Charlie does in a few hours would really take days or even weeks in a real-life investigation.

This is a good companion book to the show and is recommended for fans who have some math in their background.

111hailelib
maaliskuu 30, 2014, 4:01 pm

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf #6.

55. Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens by Douglas W. Tallamy -- Finished 28, 2014

From the public library.
280 pages including appendices, references, and index
biodiversity, sustainability, animal-plant relations, science, landscaping

An interesting book teeming with photos, many of them of insects native to the eastern part of the U.S. Tallamy's main theme is that we have largely destroyed the native ecology of North America and, if nothing is done, our continent will in just a few decades be facing the extinction of many of its native species, both plant and animal. His solution is to restore habitat one parcel at a time - by removing "alien" plants from our landscapes and replacing them with "natives" then the herbivores (mostly insects) will have food and in their turn supply food for animals like song birds who raise their young on a diet of insects and spiders. He also points out that a balanced habitat has no need of fertilizer or pesticides. Because Tallamy lives in the Mid-Atlantic area most of his specific suggestions are for that area but he does list plants that would do well in the Southeast and also ones for the western areas of the U.S. The author is an entomologist and has researched wildlife ecology and his arguments here make sense.Recommended.

112hailelib
huhtikuu 2, 2014, 8:33 am

III. Follow Me - series #6.

56. Night Broken by Patricia Briggs -- Finished March 31, 2014

From the public library.
341 pages
urban fantasy, mostly werewolves, who is family?

In Night Broken Mercy, as usual, has multiple problems to deal with. They begin with Adam's ex-wife coming to stay as she needs protection from a really scary stalker. It soon becomes clear that this stalker isn't human and is capable of causing serious harm to the Pack and the human community they live among. As if that wasn't enough, a powerful fae wants the walking stick that Mercy gave to Coyote and tells her to get it back or else. So she has to deal with a monster while searching for an elusive Spirit who only appears when he wants to. Another good adventure in Mercy's world.

113hailelib
huhtikuu 3, 2014, 2:04 pm

March Round-up - reading for 1st quarter

I. My Second Childhood -- 6 total -- 3 from public library/ 1 from CMS library/ 2 from my shelves
II. Look for the Clues -- 4 total -- 4 from public library
III. Follow Me -- 2 total -- 6 total -- 4 from public library/ 2 from my shelves
IV. The Light Fantastic -- 7 total -- 1 from public library/ 6 from my own shelves
V. Any and Everything -- 5 total-- 5 from public library
VI. Virtually Speaking -- 3 total -- 3 downloads from Amazon on iPad
VII. The CATs have it. -- 5 total -- 1 from public library/ 4 from my shelves
VIII. Once more -- 5 total -- 5 from my own shelves
IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics and Award winners -- 2 total -- 2 from my own shelves
X. West of the Mississippi -- 1 total -- 1 from my own shelves
XI. Short Forms -- 2 total -- 2 from public library
XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- 6 total --4 from public library/ 2 from my own shelves
XIII. What Happened Then? -- 3 total -- 3 from public library
XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fads -- 1 total -- 1 from public library

Total from my shelves -- 27
Total from my lists -- 19
Total "new to me" -- 10
Total finished in March -- 25
Total for year --56

CATS:

GeoCAT: Central America, Mexico and Caribbean - Passport to Danger by Carolyn Keene

RandomCAT: The First Birds of Spring - A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves -- Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs

MysteryCAT: YA and Children's Mysteries - Passport to Danger by Carolyn Keene -- The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

Unofficial AlphaCAT: L and M
Lone Survivors : How we came to be the only Humans on Earth by Chris Stringer -- Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright -- The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore -- The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd -- No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey --Lone Survivors : How we came to be the only Humans on Earth -- The Numbers behind NUMB3RS by Keith Devlin and Gary Lorden

Favorites this month: Lone Survivors : How we came to be the only Humans on Earth -- The Numbers behind NUMB3RS by Keith Devlin and Gary Lorden -- The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd -- No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey -- Old Man's War by Scalzi

Currently reading: The Bridge of Sighs. Also continuing with Tales from the Arabian Nights (Burton) and Home Comforts. May continue Caribbean which I didn't get very far into in March.

Waiting in line: I hope to begin The Canterbury Tales and I have some mysteries for the GeoCat and MysteryCat picked out. I will almost certainly read fewer books in April as I suspect real life will get in the way of that. Basically I read a lot of 'brain candy' in March. Easy to read, enjoyable, easy to forget.

114hailelib
huhtikuu 3, 2014, 4:38 pm

IX. Classics: Past and Future #3.

57. The Arabian Nights : Their Best-Known Tales edited by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora A. Smith -- Finished April 2, 2014

From the public library.
Introduction + Preface + 339 pages
folklore, Middle East, Aladdin, Sinbad, others, YA

This is a very nice edition of stories retold from the Arabian Nights canon written for middle grades and older and illustrated with Maxfield Parrish color plates from the 1909 edition. There were several stories that I did not read as a child/pre-teen and a couple that I have not yet encountered in the Burton version that I have also been reading off and on. I enjoyed Wiggin's selection and think it would be a good introduction for anyone. Recommended.

115hailelib
huhtikuu 4, 2014, 8:46 am

3We've had some unseasonably warm weather this week which has encouraged all the trees that hadn't already bloomed to flower including the dogwoods, oaks, ashes, etc. That's about to end today with showers and possible thunderstorms followed by cooler weather. Of course a rainy afternoon could be a good excuse for reading...

----------------

XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fancies #2.

58. Begat : The King James Bible & the English Language by David Crystal -- Finished April 3, 2014

From the public library.
262 + 2 appendices
language, history of English, King James Bible, other translations

Begat is an interesting look at how the KJV and other Bible translations before it have influenced English vocabulary and idiom. However, as others have mentioned, this book is best read a few pages at a time. Good for those interested in the history of English and those texts that have influenced it.

-------------

My main reads at the moment are
1.) The Bridge of Sighs which is a police procedural that takes place in an unnamed East European country shortly after the end of World War II. About 40 pages in, it's interesting enough to continue but probably won't be a favorite. Set in a war-torn city that has yet to begin rebuilding, the author paints a rather bleak picture of the life of its citizens. Also, how does a rookie detective investigate a murder that may turn into a political hot potato?
2.) Poetry U.S.A. edited by Paul Molloy, a Scholastic publication aimed at early high school students and featuring poets of the 19th and 20th century through about 1960. In the first six poems, there are two poets I haven't seen before and none of the six poems were familiar to me. Of those I liked Lighthearted William by William Carlos Williams best. I'll read a few more tonight.

116hailelib
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 6, 2014, 10:15 am

II. Look for the Clues -- mysteries #5.

59. The Bridge of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer -- Finished April 5, 2014

From the public library.
278 pages
mystery, police inspector, post-war, Eastern Europe - could be any small Soviet state as it is a fictional place, during the Berlin air-lift
GeoCAT - Eastern Europe - Focus - Occupation

The Bridge of Sighs ended up being better than I had expected after the first few chapters. The book is set mostly in a city known only as The Capital in a generic East European country which seems to be located in the Northern Balkans and takes place during the months when the Berlin air lift was occurring. Indeed, when our detective travels to Berlin during his investigation the air lift affects his activities there.

Emil Brod returned home after the war and attended the Academy which prepared him for a place in the People's Militia. On finishing there the 22 year-old Brod is assigned as an Inspector for the First Division, Homicide unit. This is the story of his first case, his self-doubts, but also the story of his battered country and its people in the post-war years after their "liberation" by the Russians.

This is the first in a series featuring characters we meet in The Bridge of Sighs with the next taking place in 1956. I may continue with the series at some point since the background history of these stories is quite interesting and seems to be well researched.

117hailelib
huhtikuu 9, 2014, 8:46 am

Spring is definitely here with the dogwoods in full bloom and most all the trees leafing out. Proper April temperatures forcast for the next few days as well.

I finished a nonfiction book for my history category:

XIII. What Happened Then? -- history and biography #4.

60. The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan -- Finished April 8, 2014

From the public library.
Introductory pages + 315 pages + notes and index
women, WWII, Manhattan Project, science, Oak Ridge, first atomic bomb

The Girls of Atomic City started off slow for me but I was soon hooked and abandoned the other books I was reading to finish this one. The way Kiernan told the story of these women might not suit every reader but it did fit her subject and much of it was based on her interviews with many of the "girls", several of whom she featured in the book. There was also a small section of photos which helped illustrate the text.

The story begins with several scientists realizing that it might be possible to unleash the energy stored in the atom and that a very destructive weapon could result. Thus it was decided that the U.S. government should sponsor an effort to construct such a weapon and an early version of the Manhattan Project began even before the U.S. entered the war. There was a search for suitable locations to carry out this very secret research and development, with the land that became Oak Ridge being chosen as one of the sites. Kiernan then describes how the parcels of land were obtained, construction begun, and the many thousands of workers recruited. Since so many of these people were young women just out of high school and young men only a little older the social aspects of life in the Reservation played a very important role in their lives and is fully explored here. This book is about the people and the building of a small city from the ground up even more than it is about the war and the science although the secrecy required of everyone because of the Project did affect their lives tremendously.

A very good book that I would recommend.

118hailelib
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 13, 2014, 11:19 am

VI. Virtually Speaking #4.

61. Shadow of the Golden Blade by J. Feder and Ley Preston -- Finished April 12, 2014

Download from Amazon on my iPad
388 pages according to Amazon but lots of white space, some blank pages
fantasy?, 16th century Japan, Samurais, contemporary San Francisco, action, dreams

The concept behind this novel was interesting but the execution was clumsy in my opinion. The beginning chapters were choppy with the action going from Ray in Athens, Greece to characters in 16th century Japan and then back to Ray as he manages to get back to San Francisco, where he is taken from the plane in an apparently catatonic state. I almost abandoned the book a couple of times in the first third because everything seemed so unrelated to everything else but eventually the storyline began to make sense. However, this book also needed an editor and better formatting and the ending became obvious too soon. At least I "purchased" this while it was a free copy rather than the $2.99 it is currently listed at.

My advice: Don't. If I rated books I would give it a 3 for the idea and a 1 at most for the execution.

(The only other copies on LT are the ones listed by the two authors.)

119lkernagh
huhtikuu 13, 2014, 10:49 pm

My advice: Don't. If I rated books I would give it a 3 for the idea and a 1 at most for the execution.

... and that statement makes for a perfect review on its own!

120hailelib
huhtikuu 14, 2014, 3:37 pm

Lori, it kind of does tell you what you need to know, doesn't it? I'm being more selective now about downloading books I don't know anything about but this one had been sitting on the iPad for nearly a year.

121hailelib
huhtikuu 16, 2014, 2:01 pm

Been a little under the weather so a bit late posting this book -

II. Look for the Clues #6.

62. The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin -- Finished April 14, 2014

From the public library.
244 pages
Russia, 1870's, mystery, Moscow, St. Petersburg, London, State Police, conspiracies
GeoCat - Eastern Europe

The first book in the series featuring Erast Fandorin, The Winter Queen is something of a police procedural and begins with the odd suicide of a young, well-to-do student. Fandorin is even younger and has recently joined the Moscow Police, His superior officer allows him to investigate the recent crop of odd suicides which eventually leads to an international conspiracy and a promotion for Fandorin. While I enjoyed The Winter Queen, I liked the other book I've read by Akunin even better and I will be on the lookout for more of Fandorin's adventures.

122hailelib
huhtikuu 17, 2014, 1:38 pm

Today it's sunny but cool with the dogwoods and azaleas blooming and the trees all greening up.

Yesterday, while doing some out of the house errands, Jim stopped by the library and picked up my holds that were ready, 4 books and 2 movies. Naturally I set aside the books already started in favor of one of the new ones...

V. Any and Everything -- fiction that needs a home #6.

63. Masques by Patricia Briggs -- Finished April 17, 2014

From the public library.
Introduction + 294 pages
fantasy, sword & sorcery, shapeshifters, mages

This is a mildly revised version of Briggs' first book and was republished when she wrote a sequel many years later, after her urban fantasy books became very popular. After reading her introduction where she explained how this edition came to be, I decided to read uncritically and go with the flow. Thus I was able to enjoy the adventure and the characters of Aralorn and Wolf and I have already put a hold on Wolfsbane.

While I'm sure that the novel has its faults, it was pretty good for a first effort and better than a lot of first books I've come across. Fans of Briggs work, especially her non-urban fantasy might want to look for it.

123hailelib
huhtikuu 18, 2014, 2:33 pm

Finished two books that I've been reading for the CATs --

XI. Short Forms #3.

64. Poetry U.S.A. edited by Paul Molloy -- Finished April 18, 2014

From my own shelves.
148 pages containing 105 poems + a few notes + info on the 55 poets
literature, US, 19th Century, 20th Century thru about 1960
RandomCAT

The poetry in this volume was selected by Molloy for use as an introduction to American poetry for high school students about 15 - 16 years of age and contains mostly short poems by 55 authors. I haven't read a lot of poetry and most of what I have read was from poets of the British Isles (except for Shel Silverstein collections and other children's books for K-6). However I was a bit surprised by how many of these poets were completely unknown to me. Since I was extremely rusty at reading poetry I took this collection very slowly, reading each one again the next day. Most were pretty good and I think that I will track down some more by William Carlos Williams. There were a handful that I've always liked and I was glad to see Fog by Carl Sandberg and Stopping By Woods... by Robert Frost. Over all a good introduction to American poetry for the period covered, especially for those with little experience of poetry.

Molloy has another similar anthology which I own and which has an entirely different selection. I think I'll try that one next...

124hailelib
huhtikuu 19, 2014, 12:25 pm

And the second one -

VII. The CATs have it. #6.

65. Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason --finished April 18, 2014

From my own shelves.
map + 280 pages
mystery, police procedural, family relationships, abuse, 60 year-old grave, Iceland
MysteryCAT

This is an excellent book that takes us back and forth from the investigation going on in the present day to the life of a family during World War II and also between the investigation and Erlendur visiting his daughter in the hospital. It's very well written so that the transitions work and everything comes together believably in the end. Recommended.

125hailelib
huhtikuu 20, 2014, 1:33 pm

VI. Virtually Speaking #5.

66. Witches on Parole by Debora Geary -- Finished April 20, 2014

From my iPad.
413 pages
witches, contemporary, becoming who you were meant to be
Unofficial AlphaCAT for "P"

Another ebook picked up cheap on Amazon for 99 cents. I wanted a light and easy read and that's what I got. Two witches are sent to Jennie so that she can help them "find" themselves. Geary's book might be characterized as a sweet story with lots of likable characters and a hopeful ending. For me, it went a little too far in that direction and occasionally came very close to being preachy which I don't really enjoy in a novel. I don't think I'll be putting money down for another book in this series.

126hailelib
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 21, 2014, 11:10 am

IX. Classics: Past and Future #4.

67. Tales from the Arabian Nights : Selected from the Book of The Thousand Nights and a Night -- Translated by Richard F. Burton and selected by David Shumaker -- decided to stop for a while on April 20

From the public library.
read 288 pages out of 871
folklore, Middle East, classics

I've been reading this for the year-long read but having run out of renewals it's going back to the library for a while. Since I want to try the Canterbury Tales group read I would rather concentrate on that for a couple of months anyway. I do intend to check this out again later in the year and read more.

This edition of The Arabian Nights features over 50 of the stories from Burton's translation and also has illustrations from the 1857 edition of the E. W. Lane translation. Burton apparently tried to give something of the flavor of the Arabic manuscript and included all the poetry and the salutations to Allah which along with the rather formal, even antique, English makes for a slow read. Also included are Burton's annotations which are sometimes interesting.

I may have more to say when I get back to this version.

127hailelib
huhtikuu 21, 2014, 11:22 am

I'm trying to decide whether or not to go ahead with The Canterbury Tales or to read The Life and Times of Chaucer by John Gardner first. Meanwhile, The TimeTraveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer is proving interesting and a fairly easy read.

Another non-fiction book I'm working on is The Remains of Company D by Nelson. Any fiction this week will probably be very light! I've also started another volume of poetry for in between reading.

128lkernagh
huhtikuu 22, 2014, 1:11 am

Given how far I have gotten into The Canterbury Tales with no knowledge of Chaucer's background, I will admit that some of what occurs goes right over my head. The 'tales' seem to hit on a number of different themes, like religion, social commentary, politics and ancient mythology. The Project Gutenberg e-book I am using to backup/supplement my audiobook has an encapsulated section near the start regarding the life of the author, and has explanatory footnotes. That book can be read on line through the following link: http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2383/pg2383.html I just wish they had used hyperlinks to jump to the various tales.

129hailelib
huhtikuu 22, 2014, 2:08 pm

I've pretty much decided to finish some of the books I'm working on before starting The Canterbury Tales. Although I'll be using a print version it seems that reading aloud is helpful from the bit of experimenting I did with a couple of very different editions yesterday.

130hailelib
huhtikuu 22, 2014, 2:21 pm

V. Any and Everything -- fiction that needs a home #7.

68. Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs -- Finished April 22, 2017

From the public library.
introduction + 291 pages
fantasy, magic, shapeshifters
Unofficial AlphaCAT for "P"

Wolfsbane is the sequel to Masques and begins with Aralorn going home to Lambshold for the first time in ten years to attend her father's funeral. When she arrives with Wolf they discover that her father isn't actually dead but rather under some kind of spell. The story revolves around who cast the spell and why, with some insight into Aralorn's background and why she left her home to become a mercenary. I found this to be a pretty solid story, perhaps better than Masques.

131hailelib
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 26, 2014, 8:00 am

I now have three versions of Canterbury Tales to choose from, two from my own shelves and the (newer) version from Penguin Classics from the library. Two different poetry renderings and one in prose, all with introductions. The poetic version with the larger print may win although I rather like the way the other sounds...

Meanwhile I've been reading some of the TimeTraveler's Guide and finding that Chaucer is mentioned from time to time. It's an interesting look at England during the 1300's.

And two books finished --

V. Any and Everything #8.

69. Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick -- Finished April 24, 2014

From the public library and from the new shelves so went to the top of the stack as short term, not renewable.
342 pages.
romantic suspense, late Victorian?, London, serial killer, Russian spy

The usual fare from Amanda Quick except without the paranormal elements that have been in many of her recent books. A light, fast read that was a good fit between spells of more serious reading. I enjoyed it for what it was and would recommend it to the authors fans.

XIII. What Happened Then? -- history and biography #5.

70. The Remains of Company D by James Carl Nelson -- Finished April 24, 2014

From the public library.
324 pages + maps, photos, notes, bibliography
history, WWI, American Expeditionary Force, personal accounts of infantry soldiers
940.412

I don't think I can improve on DeltaQueen's review! Go read that one on the work page.

This book was a fairly unique approach to explaining the events of WWI using the American experience of the war. While I've read about the various battles the AEF participated in elsewhere during the last year, this book gives us the point of view of the individuals actually doing the fighting. Starting with a search for more information about his grandfather's experiences during his time in the army and adding in everything he could find on the men who served in the same Company D, Nelson gives us a picture of just who these men were. They were from every walk of life, some born here and others new immigrants to the US, mostly young men barely out of their teens, brave and scared and determined to do their duty.

And this book reminded me that I have no idea what my own grandfather did during the war or what the great-uncles on the other side of my family did other than one mention in passing of the brother who didn't come home. It was never talked about and I didn't even know that E. J. Robinson served until I was going through things stored in my father's house after we moved him into assisted living. I found that Mama had saved his discharge papers and that she had put the flag given her after his death in a closet and never mentioned it to me. It's really true that in many ways WWI has been the forgotten war in the States. Maybe this Centenary will change that.

132DeltaQueen50
huhtikuu 25, 2014, 11:05 pm

>131 hailelib: Thanks for the shout-out, Tricia. I found The Remains of Company D, with it's stories of real people, really personalized WWI for me.

133hailelib
huhtikuu 28, 2014, 1:59 pm

It was a great book, wasn't it?

As a preliminary read before starting The Canterbury Tales

XIII. What Happened Then? -- history #6.

71. The Time Traveler's guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer -- Finished April 28, 2014

From the public library.
292 pages plus notes & bibliography + color plates
England, 14th century, everyday life

This is a wonderful book that covers nearly all aspects of life in 14th Century England and how things changed during this period. Mortimer doesn't focus on just one segment of society but gives us a picture of every level from kings to villeins. It's a century of great changes in language (English becomes the common language at all levels of society), in population (the Black Death and other plagues), in fashion, in law and more. While each subject is covered in just a few pages the overall effect is a good overview of the century with enough details to allow one to imagine really being there. Definitely recommended.

134hailelib
huhtikuu 30, 2014, 1:22 pm

While looking over The Name of the Rose I realized that it is also set in the 14th century. I'll be spending a lot of time there this month! I've started a number of books but none of them seem to be ones that I'm inclined to read for more than half an hour at a stretch so far. But none are ones that I'm going to abandon either. Guess I'll read them in turn until one does 'catch' me. Mainly, they are The Name of the Rose, The Canterbury Tales, The Best of the West edited by Hillerman, and A Life Decoded by Venter. The Hillerman book is a huge collection of short pieces from letters, memoirs, etc. (mostly nonfiction) that are best read two or three at a time. The last two I read were early descriptions of the Grand Canyon by explorers. Venter is rather full of himself so this autobiography is definitely not without faults. I'm hoping the descriptions of how the research on genomes was done will make it worth while but I'm still in his service in Vietnam and his talk of how this or that part of his genome helped (or hindered) his life to this point is a bit weird. At least those paragraphs are in boxes and somewhat separate from the narrative.

Otherwise life keeps on keeping on. So far, the horrible storms that have been sweeping across the south have missed us here and with each hour the chance of one decreases. I hope the LT'ers in the regions affected are all OK.

135hailelib
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 3, 2014, 11:31 am

XI. Short Forms #4.

72. 100 Plus American Poems edited by Paul Molloy -- Finished April 28, 2014

From my own shelves.
184 pages plus notes.
poetry, USA, people, places, nature
RandomCAT and Unofficial AlphaCAT

This second anthology from Molloy is also for high school age teens and covers US poetry from the early 1800's through the 1960's. This is a completely different collection with many familiar poems that most students in a U.S. high school in the sixties would have encountered. However, there were poems by people like Langston Hughes and Peter La Farge that very likely would not have been included in the standard texts of that time. There were several longer poems as well such as The Raven, some war poems, poems on the deaths of Lincoln and Kennedy and some about other people like Daniel Boone and Ray Charles. There was even one by Eugene McCarthy, a Senator and potential Presidential candidate. So, a lot of familiar voices and many new ones for me. Overall, I did enjoy this collection.

136rabbitprincess
huhtikuu 30, 2014, 7:02 pm

It's funny how you can suddenly find yourself in the middle of a reading groove like that, picking up books on a theme. Earlier I was despairing of being able to fill my science category, then I was in the library and came home with three interesting science books that were on my to-read list. I've added the Mortimer book to my to-read list as well!

Hope you continue to avoid the storms!

137hailelib
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 3, 2014, 12:07 pm

April Round-up - reading for year to date

I. My Second Childhood -- 6 total -- 3 from public library/ 1 from CMS library/ 2 from my shelves
II. Look for the Clues -- 6 total -- 6 from public library
III. Follow Me -- 2 total -- 6 total -- 4 from public library/ 2 from my shelves
IV. The Light Fantastic -- 7 total -- 1 from public library/ 6 from my own shelves
V. Any and Everything -- 8 total-- 8 from public library
VI. Virtually Speaking -- 5 total -- 5 downloads from Amazon on iPad
VII. The CATs have it. -- 6 total -- 1 from public library/ 5 from my shelves
VIII. Once more -- 5 total -- 5 from my own shelves
IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics and Award winners -- 4 total -- 2 from my own shelves / 2 from public library
X. West of the Mississippi -- 1 total -- 1 from my own shelves
XI. Short Forms -- 5 total -- 3 from public library
XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- 6 total --4 from public library/ 2 from my own shelves
XIII. What Happened Then? -- 6 total -- 3 from public library
XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fads -- 2 total -- 2 from public library

Total from my shelves -- 30
Total finished in April -- 16
Total for year --72

GeoCAT: Eastern Europe - Focus - Occupation - The Bridge of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer
Eastern Europe - The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin

RandomCAT: Poetry U.S.A. and 100 Plus American Poems edited by Paul Molloy

MysteryCAT: Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason

Unofficial AlphaCAT: Witches on Parole by Debora Geary + Masques by Patricia Briggs + Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs for "P" + Poetry U.S.A. and 100 Plus American Poems edited by Paul Molloy - Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason

Favorites this month: The Bridge of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer - The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan - The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin - Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason - The Time Traveler's guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer - 100 Plus American Poems edited by Paul Molloy

Currently reading: Home Comforts, The Canterbury Tales, The Name of the Rose, The Best of the West, A Life Decoded, and While Still We Live

I also have out of the library All Quiet on the Western Front, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Beyond Religion, and The Science of Good Cooking and I would like to get to Kim and Mothers and Daughters from my own shelves. All that may be a little too ambitious, especially since I always end up reading a few books that weren't in the plan!

138hailelib
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 3, 2014, 1:05 pm

XI. Short Forms -- stories, plays, whatever #5.

73. William Shakespeare's Star Wars : Verily a New Hope by Ian Doescher -- Finished May 2, 2014

From the public library.
174 pages.
play, iambic pentameter, Luke, Leia, and Han

Mostly for Star Wars fans with a familiarity with Shakespeare's plays. I really, really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to whoever first mentioned this little book.

Of course it wasn't on the list of things I meant to read this month but since it was quick and fun...

139hailelib
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 6, 2014, 1:02 pm

I missed the First Sunday library sale that I had hoped to attend so yesterday I stopped at the thrift store since I had to drive right by it and came away with 7 books for $4.01.

Trade paperbacks -
Galileo by Stillman Drake
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
And a somewhat shabby copy of The Kite Runner by Hosseni

Hardcover, all with dust Jackets -
The Lincoln Lawyer in fair condition with the other three in excellent condition
The Montmartre Investigation - couldn't resist the attractive cover
The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century - SF anthology
The Hero with an African Face - African myth

Meanwhile, in my reading I've surprised myself by gravitating to the A Life Decoded book and Best of the West edited by Hillerman. Still picking up the others some but those two will probably be first to finish.

140rabbitprincess
toukokuu 8, 2014, 3:53 am

Nice! Glad you managed to buy a few books, even if not at the book sale.

141hailelib
toukokuu 14, 2014, 12:10 pm

>140 rabbitprincess: Since several were in nearly new condition I think I got a pretty good deal. I find that I'm getting picky about the condition when looking at used books, especially if I haven't tried the author before and if they can be had from the public library. Something about limited funds plus limited shelf space!

Finished another book although my reading time has been pretty limited this past week with real life catching up with me...

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- science and technology #7.

74. A Life Decoded by J. Craig Venter -- finished May 15, 2014

From the public library.
357 pages + notes and index
autobiography, genetics, human genome, politics of science, feuds

First I must say that Venter is rather full of himself which definitely comes through in this book. He thinks of himself as a champion of pure science but he also doesn't like losing. However, the story he has to tell about sequencing the human genome is fascinating, full of details about the science, the feuds between the various groups involved, and something about why the science was so important. If one can get through the first parts covering his early years and his service in Vietnam without totally losing patience, Venter's account of his life in research becomes a lot more interesting. It is quite detailed however and the reader new to genetics and laboratory research in biochemistry and genomics will find some sections hard to follow. Also the infighting and political aspects of the struggle to break new ground in these fields may surprise some readers. Note that several of the LT recommendations that come up for A Life Decoded were written by Venter's competitors in the "race" to sequence the human genome. It might be interesting to compare them.

142hailelib
toukokuu 25, 2014, 11:14 am

Haven't posted in a while because woke up on the 16th with Bell's Palsy and it's making anything visual difficult because of eyestrain. So short entries only so these can go back to the library since they were finished before...

XI. Short Forms -- stories, plays, whatever #6.

75. The Golden Age - Part One: Masterpieces of Mystery edited by Ellery Queen -- Finished about May 14, 2014

Public library
351 pages
read for MysteryCAT

Mostly short stories with a couple of novellas. Mostly good.

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads # 7.

76. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood -- Finished about May 15, 2014

Public Library
196 pages
read for One LibraryThingOne Book

I quite liked it. Interesting way of telling the story.

143DeltaQueen50
toukokuu 25, 2014, 1:16 pm

So sorry to hear of the Bell's Palsy. A number of years ago the same thing happened to my husband. Luckily, it totally cleared up in about a month with no lasting affects. Rest up and protect your eyes, I will be thinking about you and sending healing thoughts.

144rabbitprincess
toukokuu 25, 2014, 1:23 pm

Oh no! I hope it clears up soon.

145lkernagh
toukokuu 25, 2014, 1:26 pm

Joining in with hopes and wishes that the palsy clears up soon for you.

146mamzel
toukokuu 25, 2014, 3:54 pm

This might be a good time to enjoy audio books and hope it clears up fast! Good luck.

147-Eva-
toukokuu 31, 2014, 10:08 pm

I'd never heard of Bell's Palsy until the beginning of this year when a coworker had it - she recovered completely after a couple of months, but it was a bit scary at first. Hope you get better soon!

148hailelib
Muokkaaja: heinäkuu 2, 2014, 2:06 pm

>143 DeltaQueen50: >144 rabbitprincess: >145 lkernagh: >146 mamzel: >147 -Eva-:

Thanks for the good wishes! It's been 4 weeks now and my face is definitely less lopsided but there's a way to go yet. Still, it's gradually getting easier to cope with! I've started to read some of the threads here but I'm not really posting much as yet, just a very few comments in bug threads...

Meanwhile I have listened to several audio books which have been a mixed bag as I'm getting them from the public library via Overdrive and their collection was only started two or three years ago and isn't very extensive. Been listening on my iPad.

So, a quick listing of my reading --

I. My second Childhood #7.

77. The Enchantress by Michael Scott -- June 8, 2014 -- public library

Actually a print book that I had started before... when I couldn't renew, I read the remaining quarter in small pieces, mainly after taping the affected eye shut for the night... OK, and pretty well tied up the YA series that it is a part of.

II. Look for the clues #7.

78. "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton -- Finished June 7, 2014 -- audio download, public library

I liked the story and the narrator. While some of these are on my shelves I had only read one in the middle of the series. now I think I'll be reading more of them eventually.

VI. Virtually Speaking #6. & #7

79. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch -- Audiobook -- Finished about May 23, 2014 -- library download

This was the first one I tried and the story and narrator were both great!

80. "B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton -- Audiobook -- Finished June 9, 2014 -- library download

May be better than the first oneby Grafton and same narrator.

VIII. Once More #6. & #7

81.The Murder at the Vicarage & The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie -- Audiobook -- Finished May 31, 2014 --download from library

Narrated by Joan Hickson and Hugh Fraser -- both were pretty good. Of course I have the books in print and have seen the TV productions.

82. Upon a Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon -- Audiobook -- Finished June 10, 2014 -- library download

Didn't realize that I had read this in 2008 'til I entered the audiobook. Same review as last time -- didn't really work for me. Now I remember why I don't check her books out any more!

X. West of the Mississippi #2. and #3

83. Talking God by Tony Hillerman -- Audiobook -- Finished May 26, 2014 -- library

Story OK. Narrator not.

84. Riders of the Pony Express by Ralph Moody -- Audiobook -- Finished June 12, 2014

Apparently published as YA but very interesting. Now, I want to know more...

IX.Classics # 5.

85. Measure for Measure a performance from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival by William Shakespeare -- Finished ~ June 10, 2014

I didn't like this production at all though some might find it interesting. This is one of the plays I wasn't already familiar with...

And finally, XIV. 3.

86. Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson -- read through page 260 -- print from library

last read some of this early in May but sent it back to the library because I had no idea when I would get to it again. But I'm counting those 260 pages !!!

Now going to put some drops in my eye...

149DeltaQueen50
kesäkuu 14, 2014, 1:24 am

Great to hear from you, Tricia. Sounds like patience is the key to this. Happy to hear you are seeing an improvement and hope this continues.

150hailelib
kesäkuu 14, 2014, 8:04 am

Thanks, Judy!

151lkernagh
kesäkuu 17, 2014, 9:36 am

Glad to see you are noticing an improvement and yay for audiobooks! Audiobooks are going to save me with my challenges this year.

152hailelib
kesäkuu 17, 2014, 12:42 pm

>151 lkernagh:

The audiobooks have been a bit uneven and will never take the place of print for me but they have rescued me from boredom.

I have been reading a few threads each day but not really commenting yet. Some book bullets though!

153hailelib
heinäkuu 2, 2014, 2:28 pm

The Bell's Palsey is improving but still having trouble with doing visual tasks for very long at a time so more very short entries on books I've listened to since my last post.

II. Look for the Clues #8.

87. Until Proven Guilty by J. A. Jance -- Finished about June 27, 2014 -- library download

OK, but I like Joanna Brady better than Beaumont.

III. Follow Me #7.

88. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay -- Finished about June 24, 2014 -- library download

Interesting story read very well by the author.

IV. The Light Fantastic #8.

89. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman -- Finished about June 22, 2014 -- library download

Terrific story very well read by Neil Gaiman.

XI. Short Forms # 7. & #8.

90. Dangerous Women edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois -- Finished about June 28, 2014 -- library download

Anthology of short stories and novellas, cross-genre, read by various narrators who were mostly good. The stories varied considerably from historical thru fantasy to horror, but most were enjoyable although some would have worked better for me in print form.

91. ''All You Zombies - -'' | Five Classic Stories by Robert A. Heinlein -- Finished about June 29, 2014 -- library download

I only remembered one of these thought I may have read the others a really long time ago. I liked Spider Robinson's narration.

XIII. What Happened Then? #7. & #8.

92. Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King -- Finished about June 26, 2014 -- library download

Important history but I didn't really like the reader and would have preferred this long book in print.

93. American gun a history of the U.S. in ten firearms by Chris Kyle -- Finished July 1, 2014 -- library download

Interesting for the first half but the proliferation of names and gun models became a bit harder to follow then and I zoned out a few times and had to back up. A perhaps too enthusiastic reader as well. Recommended mostly for those with a deep interest in firearms although some of the history was interesting. See LT reviews.

I'm skipping an end of month round-up. Maybe next month...

154-Eva-
heinäkuu 5, 2014, 9:53 pm

Great to hear the Bell's is improving - hopefully you're back to 100% normal soon!

155DeltaQueen50
heinäkuu 6, 2014, 10:38 pm

Hi Tricia, I remember when my husband had Bell's that it really did take quite some time before he was back to normal, but it did happen and I am sure will for you, too. Hang in there. :)

156hailelib
heinäkuu 25, 2014, 1:33 pm

Past time to post what I've been "reading" via audiobooks. Most of my print reading has been following threads, though not posting much although I have been voting on stuff like spam works. Still a week behind on the group threads! I did get an idea from the breakfast foods discussion on Lori's thread and I'm going to try Oatmeal-Greek Yogurt Pancakes on Sunday.

Although the Bell's Palsy has continued improving there is still a ways to go. I do have an appointment with a neurologist in mid-August to evaluate things. Even though the recovery started early it has been slow. Apparently the older you are the longer it takes! However, every few days another tiny group of muscles seems to be working better so that's encouraging. But I would like to be able to blink...

On to the books:

X. West of the Mississippi #4.

94. The Way West by A. B. Guthrie Jr. -- Audiobook -- Finiahed July 7, 2014

I really liked this book about a group of settlers taking the Oregon Trail. I think the library also has the previous book by Guthrie on audio and I may give it a try.

I. My Second Childhood # 8.

95. Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone - {unabridged audio} by J. K. Rowling -- finished ~ July 10, 2014 -- PCPL

A familiar and light story which was just what I needed at the time. Liked the narrator (Jim Dale).

III. Follow Me #8 .

96. "V" is for Vengence by Sue Grafton -- Finished ~July 14, 2014 -- library download

Different narrator but got the character as well as the one I heard earlier this summer. The book is constructed a little differently from "A" and "B' but it worked for me.

VI. Virtually Speaking #8

97.. The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card -- Audiobook -- Finished ~July 15, 2014

This is probably YA but I liked it well enough to follow up with the sequel soon. Magic, ancient gods among us, coming of age...
Liked both narrators -- two interwoven stories.

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf #8.

98. The Philadelphia Chromosome by Jessica Wapner -- Finished July 23, 2014 --audio

A good book on cancer research focusing on a particular type of cancer and how a drug was developed and brought to market to target specifically this rare disease. While the narration was fine, the multitude of names and the back and forth movement between the concurrent research efforts would have been easier to follow in print.

Currently I'm listening to Summer Lightning by Wodehouse and The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester.

157-Eva-
heinäkuu 26, 2014, 8:38 pm

"But I would like to be able to blink..."

Doesn't seem like it should be too much to ask...

158casvelyn
Muokkaaja: heinäkuu 26, 2014, 11:03 pm

"But I would like to be able to blink..."

You probably won't find this nearly as humorous as I do, given the circumstances, but here it is anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6wPTyUlKAE. I just couldn't resist.

159rabbitprincess
heinäkuu 27, 2014, 10:48 am

>158 casvelyn: Such a good episode!

160lkernagh
heinäkuu 27, 2014, 1:12 pm

Glad to see you are improving, even if it is at a frustratingly slow pace.

161casvelyn
heinäkuu 27, 2014, 3:46 pm

162hailelib
Muokkaaja: elokuu 8, 2014, 1:48 pm

Just lost my text in mid-message...

i won't try to recreate it -- just go with the audiobooks I've finished recently.

VI. Virtually Speaking # 9.

99. The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card -- Audiobook -- Finished ~ August 3, 2014

This book picks up where The Lost Gate left off and is very much a 'middle of the trilogy' book. Danny's story has plenty of teen angst but Wad's story is interesting enough to offset that. We are also given some interesting twists towards the end. Same narrator's as for the first book. I do want to read the third book when it comes out but that will be some time away.

IX. Classics -- broadly defined #6.

100. Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse --Audiobook -- Finished August 8, 2014

My introduction to Blandings Castle and its inhabitants. This book started off a bit slow but did I ended up enjoying it enough to visit Blandings again. The narrator, John Wells, was quite good.

I'm still listening to The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester. Print books are still a little problematical as all the ones I want to read right now have very small print. If I can get to the library, I might look at the large print books. Also thinking about enlarging the font on my Kindle app. My eye still doesn't close all the way or blink but there has been improvement and I've been using it more without much difficulty.

163hailelib
elokuu 16, 2014, 11:32 am

XIV. A Miscellany #4.

101. The men who united the states : America's explorers, inventors, eccentrics and mavericks, and the creation of one nation, indivisible by Simon Wincester-- Finished August 11, 2014 -- unabridged audio

An interesting look at how the United States became The United States narrated by the author. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

Now listening to The Big Sky by A. B. Guthrie Jr.

The Bell's is still with me and still improving but now I'm saddled with doing an annual report on my father's finances for the court as I am now out of extensions. So the next week will be busy and any posting short!

164hailelib
elokuu 25, 2014, 3:57 pm

Still listening to The Big Sky but a print book that I had Suspended came out of suspension when I wasn't keeping track and suddenly it was available from the library. Rather than go to the bottom of the list I decided to give it a try. I found that when I'm really interested in the story I just keep going and really tire my eye too much! So I'm back to mostly audio books for a bit longer.

So the book is --

III. Follow Me #9.

102. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness -- Finished August 22, 2014 -- from the public library

Fantasy with witches and vampires and the third in a trilogy. I enjoyed the story and have a higher opinion of Harkness' book than do several of the reviewers who have posted on the work page. For me it was a good conclusion to a good trilogy and one I might read again in the future.

165hailelib
syyskuu 3, 2014, 1:33 pm

Another print book came out of Suspension at the library so I read too much print the past couple of weeks...There was also the large print book I tried ... more comfortable than regular print but still need to limit how long I read at a time... still listening to The Big Sky in small doses. Video is somehow easier on my eye than reading and one of the ones we got from the library was The Way West released about 1967. It was OK in a 60's western sort of way but the book was much better.

I can almost close my eye now! The neurologist says it may be two or three more months before everything is working more or less normally.

So my two finished books are

IV. The Light Fantastic #9.

104. Foundation by Mercedes Lackey -- Finished August 29, 2014

Valdemar - poor, mistreated, young mine worker becomes a Herald trainee - I enjoyed this visit to Lackey's world.

II. Look for the Clues #9.

105. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith aka Rowling -- Finished September 2, 2014

Strike and Robin have another difficult case to solve and we get a look at some dark corners of English publishing. I found this to be a reasonable second in a series novel and I will read more if Rowling continues her detective series.

166-Eva-
syyskuu 3, 2014, 1:42 pm

"I can almost close my eye now!"

Excellent news! Back to normal is a good goal. :)

167lkernagh
syyskuu 3, 2014, 9:00 pm

^ Second what Eva said!

168rabbitprincess
syyskuu 3, 2014, 10:52 pm

Glad to hear that the eye continues to mend! Hope it recovers quicker than scheduled.

169DeltaQueen50
syyskuu 4, 2014, 1:34 pm

It's been a long haul for you but it is wonderful that that things are continuing to improve.

170hailelib
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 17, 2014, 9:47 am

>166 -Eva-:,>167 lkernagh:,>168 rabbitprincess:,>169 DeltaQueen50:

Thanks everyone. Improvement continues, but slowly.

I'm way behind on reading threads again but I have been following the planning for 2015 (and even made a few short remarks). All this enthusiasm has me contemplating my strategy for next year and I may start a thread there sooner than in the past. I'm currently thinking 15 categories with a minimum of 5 each and with some of them concentrating on my own shelves. Thinking about the extras like the CATs has reminded me of all the books here that I never read and all the books I read so long ago that the only thing I'm sure of is that I did read them.

Meanwhile I did finish a print book and a couple of audio books. (Still mostly sticking to audio...)

IV. The Light Fantastic #10.

106. When Demons Walk by Patricia Briggs -- Finished September 6, 2014

An early fantasy written before Briggs started writing urban fantasy. Like her other early books, enjoyable but not as good as her novels featuring Mercy.

X. West of the Mississippi #5.

107. The Big Sky by A. B. Guthrie Jr. -- Audiobook -- Finished September 7, 2014

About the mountain men who traveled the West hunting and exploring before the settlers began pushing their way west towards Oregon Territory. This was a good novel but I liked The Way West better. Maybe that was because I preferred Lije to Boone... We are introduced to Dick Summers here and the sections he was in are the best.

V. Any and Everything #9.

108. W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton -- Finished September 16, 2014 -- audiobook

The last audiobook in this series that the library has. "W" had two somewhat parallel stories going on through most of the book and their connection was interesting though I figured it out before Grafton actually came out with it. This audiobook was OK, with a good narration, but as a mystery it was probably the weakest of the four I "read" this summer from the Alphabet series.

171hailelib
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 30, 2014, 4:22 pm

And a few more books

VI. Virtually Speaking #10

109. Farside by Ben Bova -- Audiobook -- Finished ~ September 24, 2014

Science Fiction. Takes place on the far side of the moon where an observatory is being built. Bova is apparently of the hard science persuasion and it is the science that is the star of the story. A good narrator and about average for the audio books I've been listening to since May.

VII. The CATs have it #8. For the group read.

110. Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished ~ September 25, 2014

Another good story featuring Miles. Since my eye had improved considerably I thought I would try a print book from my own shelves -- the only problem was that I became engrossed in the story and read for too long at a time leading to a little eyestrain. (Still not really blinking.)

II. Look for the Clues #10.

112. Festive in Death by J. D. Robb -- Finished September 27, 2014 -- from the public library.

Maybe a little better than average for the In Death series. At any rate I enjoyed it and again spent too long at a time reading...larger print would have been nice.

III. Follow Me #10.

113. The Lies that Bind by Kate Carlisle -- Finished September 29, 2014

The second in the Bibliophile series -- I had read others in the series but I had missed this one for some reason. Found it when browsing the Large Print section at the library and found it much more comfortable to read. I guess the large print is easier for my eye to focus on for extended periods so I'll be looking for more in that section.. The mystery was OK and I enjoyed the details about book binding. It may be a CAT as well.

--------

Currently reading Beautiful Swimmers which has really tiny print but I can put it down after only a handful of pages and come back the next day for a few more. I'm enjoying the descriptions of life in and around the Chesapeake. I also picked up another book with tiny print that I had put aside for the summer called Best of the West edited by Tony Hillerman. It's an anthology with many of the selections being as short as two or three pages. So another book that I can put down after a few pages. There's also a YA audio book called The Dark Unwinding which is only so-so.

172hailelib
lokakuu 6, 2014, 2:41 pm

A quick version of a reading round-up through the end of September -- I've nearly met my minimum of 7 books in each category even though my reading since May has been limited to audio downloads from the library until recently.


I. My Second Childhood -- 8/7
II. Look for the Clues -- 10/7
III. Follow Me -- 10/7
IV. The Light Fantastic -- 10/7
V. Any and Everything -- 9/7
VI. Virtually Speaking -- 10/7
VII. The CATs have it. -- 8/7
VIII. Once more -- 7/7
IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics and Award winners -- 6/7
X. West of the Mississippi -- 5/7
XI. Short Forms -- 8/7
XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- 8/7
XIII. What Happened Then? --8/7
XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fads -- 4/7

173MissWatson
lokakuu 7, 2014, 3:07 am

That is amazing reading!

174DeltaQueen50
lokakuu 9, 2014, 4:03 pm

I've been thinking of you lately and wondering how everything is going. This hasn't been the best of years for you, so fingers crossed that 2015 will be a stellar year!

175hailelib
lokakuu 11, 2014, 1:05 pm

>173 MissWatson: Thanks! I haven't exactly followed my original plans but I have managed to fit my "reading" into my categories.

>174 DeltaQueen50: Everything is improving although there is a ways to go ... There's a lot of variability in how different people recover. At least I can do some reading of print books now although large print is best for longer sessions.

Almost caught up with reading everyone's threads - mostly lurking.

176hailelib
lokakuu 11, 2014, 1:50 pm

I've finished some more books --

I. My Second Childhood #9.

114. The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron -- Audiobook -- Finished October 6, 2014

Takes place in the mid 1800's in England with just a touch of steampunk. Katherine is sent by her aunt to her uncle's estate as part of a plan to have him committed to an asylum. She is to report on the way he is mismanaging his finances and on his supposed mental deficiencies. Uncle Tully is apparently autistic and also a brilliant inventor and Katherine is torn between trying to defend him and her aunt's plan. I did see who the villain was fairly early and also saw the final twist coming ... While the story got off to a ho-hum start for me it did improve in the second half and I might read the sequel if I stumble across it.

V. Any and Everything #10.

115. Remains of Innocence by J. A. Jance -- Finished October 10, 2014 -- audiobook

Another audiobook by Jance and her latest featuring Joanna Brady. I don't know if I found this only average because of the story or if my dislike of the narration gave me that impression. Brady and her deputies along with the Bisbee police have two difficult homicides to solve at the same time, each with its own baffling features.

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads #9.

116. Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished October 4, 2014

I really should have put this one off because of the smallish print but I really wanted to see what happened to Miles next! And, there was the bonus of some Cordelia...

VIII. Once more -- rereads #8.

117. Detection Unlimited by Georgette Heyer -- Finished October 5, 2014 -- (large print)

Found this while browsing the Large Print shelves at my library and figured I couldn't go wrong with this. Not my favorite Heyer mystery but still a pleasant diversion for a few hours. The murder of Sampson Warrenby may involve people known socially to the Cheif Constable so Scotland Yard is called in, in the person of Chief Inspector Hemingway. All the locals have their own theories which they are quick to give him at considerable length.

-------

I'm still reading Beautiful Swimmers and Best of the West and I've started another book - Appetite for America about Fred Harvey. This is a library book with slightly larger print than the other two. I've made enough progress on it to be very interested in finishing reading about Harvey and his various ventures, chief of which was his running of railroad hotels and eating establishments in the West. I haven't got to the Harvey Girls yet...

177lkernagh
lokakuu 13, 2014, 12:13 pm

You caught my attention with The Dark Unwinding!

178hailelib
lokakuu 21, 2014, 1:21 pm

>177 lkernagh: If you end up reading it, I hope you like it.

179hailelib
lokakuu 21, 2014, 1:48 pm

I've finished some fiction books and am making reasonable progress on the non-fiction ones I have going. While not completely over the Bell's, it's only really tiny print that gives me trouble if I read more than a few minutes so I've been reading from my shelves and requesting a few from the library.

VII. The CATs have it. -- for CATs and group reads #10 and #11

118. Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished October 6, 2014

Miles coming to terms with changes in his life and one of the best in the series.

119. Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold -- October 8, 2014

Miles the investigator. Another good one but unfortunately the last one on my own shelves. The Library does have Miles in Love so I should request that one soon.

XI. Short Forms #9.

120. The Old Blue Line by J. A. Jance -- Finished October 14, 2014 -- library download -- audio

A short prequel of sorts to the Joanna Brady mysteries. Butch before he meets and falls for Joanna. Interesting enough and a good one for fans of the series. I liked the narration as well.

IV. The Light Fantastic -- fantasy and science fiction #11.

121. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished October 18, 2014

Different from the Vorkosigan novels but I really liked it. I'll have to find the other two novels set on the same world. The society is vaguely medieval with an interesting religion that pervades all aspects of the main characters lives. The god-touched or saints have important roles in the attempt to lift a decades old curse on Chalion's royal family.

---------

Meanwhile my husband and I are recuperating from a nasty respiratory virus. Usually we get something like this later on, in the winter. Later this week I need to find a flu shot so that I don't get that too!

At least the weather is nice, neither hot or cold and with a fair amount of fall color showing.

180rabbitprincess
lokakuu 21, 2014, 5:11 pm

So glad to hear that you're able to read more print, but boo to the respiratory virus! Hope it goes away soon.

181hailelib
lokakuu 23, 2014, 3:04 pm

We're both better but it's slow. Meanwhile there have been some annoyances with "stuff". The phone (landline, cells don't work well at our house) pretty much quit working -- but it wasn't the phone, it was a little filter device that separated out the phone signal from the internet signal! So now there is a long phone wire snaking around the rooms between the AT&T router and the phone base. About the time we figured that out our other internet connection went offline -- turned out that the Charter router needed a software update. For two days we had excruciatingly slow connection speed and even worse no Netflix! (Charter has a way of being down from time to time as does AT&T so we have back-up internet for my husband's freelance editing. Don't want to miss any deadlines.) Then today our thermostat for the new heating-cooling system we got in the spring put up an error alert. Nothing serious - the technician who came out just had to tell the system where the auxilliary heater was and how big it was by moving a pin from one place to another. These things apparently come in threes.

As far as reading goes, I'm finding Appetite for America to be full of interesting little tidbits about the Southwest (U.S.), the railroads and the running of the company Fred Harvey started. I've also gotten about halfway through a mystery, Murder at Mt. Fuji.

182lkernagh
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 23, 2014, 9:56 pm

>181 hailelib: That sounds awful! Technology can be such an annoyance when it quits working properly.... or in our more common case, when our internet provider decides to do unscheduled maintenance on the weekend and we find ourselves without any internet during the time of the week when we usually want on. ;-)

Here is hoping all the technology hiccups are now finished for your household!

183DeltaQueen50
lokakuu 23, 2014, 11:44 pm

I'll add to Lori's hope that the technology hiccups are done with. Sometimes it scares me, how much we rely on technology and how little we know about it. When things go wrong my husband and I are totally at sea!

184-Eva-
lokakuu 25, 2014, 6:44 pm

>181 hailelib:
Not fun! Hopefully that's it for a while for you. We had a 12-hour power outage, which apparently everyone else knew about since they had gotten the notice from Edison Co, but I didn't... It's amazing how many things run on electrical power, isn't it. At least I could charge my cellphone while running errands in the car. :)

185hailelib
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 26, 2014, 4:35 pm

We don't have outages as often as we used to but they are still annoying and always at an inconvenient time.

I've finished another fiction book -

II. Look for the Clues -- mysteries #11.

An October MysteryCAT

122. Murder at Mt. Fuji by Shizuko Natsuki and translated by Robert B. Rohmer -- Finished October 24, 2014

The story is set in Japan in the 1980's and much of it is from the point of view of the only non-Japanese character, Jane Prescott, a 25 year old graduate student at Japan Women's University in Tokyo. She is invited by a member of the Wada family to attend their New Year's get together at their villa near Mt. Fuji. On the night of her arrival Yohei Wada is murdered and the family springs into action to protect their youngest member who has confessed. Jane is drawn into their conspiracy and this is the part that gave me some trouble. She was very fond of Chiyo but her going along without protest seemed a little off. Once the police are involved things become even more complicated and the scheme unravels. But a careful reader will realize that something is wrong...

There are some things here reminiscent of the classic country house murder with a limited cast -- the isolated villa, family secrets, and the observant outsider who finally sees what is really going on. The police are on the whole competent investigators with one exception and the differences in procedure from your Scotland Yard police procedural were interesting.

While it seemed slow at first, once the police investigation really got going I became more interested in the story and finished the last half fairly quickly and now think it to be a bit above average.

186hailelib
marraskuu 4, 2014, 3:07 pm

The last book for October --

XI. Short Forms -- stories, plays, whatever #10.

123. William Shakespeare's Star Wars : The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher -- Finished October 31, 2014

A retelling of the movie in a five-act play in the style of Shakespeare. This is the second of these books, and, while I did not find it as amusing as the first one, I will definitely read the third book. I think part of the problem with this one was that Doescher was referencing plays that I am less familiar with and so I didn't pick up as many of the allusions. Still recommended for those who like this sort of thing.

187hailelib
marraskuu 4, 2014, 3:25 pm

Still doing a quick version of a reading round-up through the end of October -- I've nearly met my minimum of 7 books in each category and added some more titles to several categories.

I. My Second Childhood -- 9/7
II. Look for the Clues -- 11/7
III. Follow Me -- 10/7
IV. The Light Fantastic -- 11/7
V. Any and Everything -- 10/7
VI. Virtually Speaking -- 10/7
VII. The CATs have it. -- 11/7
VIII. Once more -- 8/7
IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics of any kind and Award winners -- 6/7
X. West of the Mississippi -- 5/7
XI. Short Forms -- 11/7
XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- 8/7
XIII. What Happened Then? --8/7
XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fads -- 4/7

If I counted right that is 10 books finished with 2 of my nonfiction books in the home stretch and another about 40% done. I did take some time off from them over the week-end to read some urban fantasy as a change of pace. However there was a miscounting earlier so that the total is really 122 for the year and the next book is #123. I'll fix it in the next post...

188hailelib
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 4, 2014, 3:42 pm

XI. Short Forms -- stories, plays, whatever #11.

Shifting Shadows : Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs -- Finished November 3, 2014

This is one I found on the new book shelves at the public library and didn't even try to resist.

This collection has all the short stories to date from the world of Mercy Thompson and there are even four that were not previously published. I enjoyed all the stories and particularly liked some that gave us a back story for some of the characters that inhabit Mercy's world.
There were ten stories, eight of which were new to me plus an outtake from Silver Borne and another from Night Broken. Ms. Briggs wrote a short introduction for each story letting the reader know when in the timeline each story was set and sometimes how that particular story came to be written. Definitely recommended for all of Mercy's fans. However, for those who are not caught up on the series some of the last stories may contain spoilers. The last story takes place after Night Broken and is a "Mercy" story.

189hailelib
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 6, 2014, 10:49 am

And another light read between sessions with my nonfiction books --

IV. The Light Fantastic -- fantasy and science fiction #12.

124. Catalyst by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Scarborough -- Finished November 5, 2014

A light and fast moving space opera with a YA feel -- we are introduced to the Barque Cats who act as valuable crew members on many space ships. Other, more ordinary, cats are sometimes kept as ship cats but the Barque cats are considered special. Then, there is the threat of a galaxywide epidemic spreading from planet to planet by animals and the Barque Cats are in danger, not just of being quarantined but of being killed. Our young heroes are looking for a plan to save their beloved cats with help coming from some unexpected places.

I enjoyed this book but it would best be read with an uncritical eye. However, young teens would probably read it as a great adventure story, especially with the interesting cat personalities who play a very large part in the story.

190hailelib
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 7, 2014, 11:59 am

This morning I finished a book that has taken me a really long time to read. Over 500 pages of tiny print, I had to put it aside last May but picked it back up a couple of months ago ...

X. West of the Mississippi -- Western fiction; Western fact #6.

125. The Best of the West : An Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West edited by Tony Hillerman -- finished November 7, 2014

This large anthology is divided into 15 parts with each one containing a number of short selections. Mostly nonfiction, there is a section for tall tales and another for fiction, and covers everything from the earliest explorers to traveling Route 66 in the 20th century. The authors of these short selections range from Meriwether Lewis John Wesley Powell to Eleanor McGovern and John Steinbeck. Sometimes a little dry but still fascinating and full of interesting nuggets of information about the Southwestern United States. A book to be read in small bits and an introduction to a lot of intriguing characters and authors. This is a book I wish I didn't have to return to the library!

I couldn't help but notice as I was reading Appetite for America that a number of the same people and places turned up in that narrative as well. Nice when two books "fit" like that.

191lkernagh
marraskuu 7, 2014, 2:37 pm

I have an awful time reading books that have the text in a small font and single spaced. It is like reading a page crammed full of words and the idea just mentally exhausts me. Kind of why I tend to steer clear of mass paperbacks and only read trade paperbacks, hardcovers or e-books were I can change to font size if I want to. ;-)

Good job on completing the book!

192hailelib
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 9, 2014, 3:21 pm

Even with the small print it was a bit of a brick which is why they opted for that size, I suppose.

And another book - another light entertainment - finished.

III. Follow Me -- the next unread book in a series #11.

Haunted : A Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Novel by Kay Hooper -- finished November 9, 2014

This is the 15th book in a series that I started a long time ago before Librarything and I still enjoy it. Of course paranormal suspense with a bit of romance isn't everyone's cup of tea but I still like it every now and then. And, after 15 books I'm still interested in the characters and their investigations. In Haunted, Hollis is still trying to figure out her talents and still holding DeMarco at arm's length. Will this new investigation into a very odd murder be good for her or bad? And is a particularly menacing spirit back again? Is Braden an unusual a dog as he seems?

This one would be recommended for those who have read and enjoyed other novels in this series that started with Stealing Shadows.

193hailelib
marraskuu 13, 2014, 1:42 pm

More urban fantasy -

XI. Short Forms -- stories, plays, whatever #12.

127. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher -- Finished November 12, 2014 -- PCPL

A nice collection of stories featuring Harry Dresden's world. Butcher introduces each one and tells us where in the Dresden timeline the story falls. Most of them take place after the last of the novels that I've managed to read but since spoilers don't bother me I went ahead and read all of them and enjoyed them. I liked the one narrated by Thomas which told us some things even Harry didn't know. The last one with Murphy telling the story was also pretty good (takes place just after Changes). Definitely for Harry's fans.

194hailelib
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 18, 2014, 12:29 pm

Finished some books over the weekend ...

X. West of the Mississippi -- Western fiction; Western fact #7.

128. Appetite for America by Stephen Fried -- Finished November 15, 2014

Fred Harvey came to America, immigrating from London, in 1853 when he was seventeen. He quickly found work and began his journey towards owning a nationally known and influential business that as the subtitle for the book says was a "Railroad Hospitality Empire That Civilized the Wild West". I really enjoyed this story about Harvey, his business, and all the railroad and western history that Fried gave the reader. Even the appendices were interesting, especially the one of recipes from the Fred Harvey houses.

195hailelib
marraskuu 20, 2014, 11:20 am

V. Any and Everything #11.

129. Desperate and Deceptive by Jayne Castle --Finished November 16, 2014

This reprint of the first two Guinevere Jones novels is mildly entertaining and is typical of the category romances that Castle/Krentz was writing in the 1980's. Since the library also has the second volume with the other stories about Guin and Zac I'm reading them as well. They are very much of their time but Krentz tells a pretty good story.

I. My Second Childhood -- for children's and young adult books #10.

130. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman -- Finished November 17, 2014

At the upper end of the YA range and quite an enjoyable fantasy. I liked Seraphina and her world and found the dragons to be unusual. Dragons, music, adventure, and a touch of romance all tied up in a very good package.

XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fancies #5.

131. The Art Detective by Philip Mould -- Finished November 19, 2014

Adventures in the world of art. Mr. Mould tells some great stories about his experiences as an art dealer in finding and verifying interesting paintings that has been lost or misattributed. Along the way we meet eccentrics, experts, restorers and the paintings that connect them all told in an entertaining way. Definitely recommended.

196hailelib
marraskuu 26, 2014, 3:06 pm

V. Any and Everything -- fiction that needs a home #12.

132. Sinister and Fatal by Jayne Castle -- Finished November 23, 2014

And the other Guinevre Jones duology. Guin keeps bringing 'cases' to Zac that he really doesn't want to get involved in but ends up having to in order to keep her safe. Similar to the other one.

XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fancies #6.

133. The mighty Mars rovers : the incredible adventures by Elizabeth Rusch -- Finished November 24, 2014

This is part of the SCIENCE-IN-THE-FIELD series for middle school children but it is a good all-ages introduction to the exploration of Mars by rovers. Lots of interesting facts and great photographs. Not only did I like it but my husband spent some time with it and commented on how well done it was.

Both Spirit and Opportunity left Earth on different days in 2003 and both arrived safely in good working order. To the surprise of the people involved the rovers both lasted for years rather than the 3 months initially planned and Opportunity was still sending home data in 2011. This may have been the most successful Mars mission to date as far as surface exploration goes.

197hailelib
joulukuu 1, 2014, 12:22 pm

I got in a bit of reading over the weekend and finished one of my nonfiction books. Still reading Beautiful Swimmers a few pages at a time. Since it won the Pulitzer Prize, it will bring my Classics/Awards category up to the seven book minimum and an official finish of my challenge!
I've also started The Man Who Loved China and Thereby Hangs a Tail.

Meanwhile --

XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fancies #7

134. A Commonwealth of Thieves by Thomas Keneally -- Finished November 30, 2014

The subtitle of 'The Improbable Birth of Australia' tells the reader that Keneally's book will deal with the first settlement established by the convict fleets from the UK. The author gives us not only a history of the first few years of settlement but also the story of Captain Arthur Phillip and his trials as the first governor of the convict colony. While one often hears of Botany Bay, less often does one hear that the first settlement was actually further north at Sydney Cove inside a large bay whose month was called Port Jackson, Phillip having decided almost at first sight that Botany Bay was unsuitable. While there was a lot of death, hunger, strife among Phillip's officers, and uneasy relations with the native clans, the settlement did have it's successes and became, in time, a major city.

I found the book to be interesting but very detailed and didn't enjoy it quite as much as I had hoped.

This book did fit one of the CATs for November which was my main reason for choosing it.

198mamzel
joulukuu 1, 2014, 2:38 pm

I enjoyed both the Winchester and the Chet and Bernie stories. I hope you do also as a finale to the year. Congratulations on completing your challenge! Well done!

199hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 6, 2014, 2:07 pm

I didn't have a lot of reading time the last few days as I had to spend some time wrestling with Social Security and Medicare since open enrollment is coming to an end. The real problem was getting my father's accounts straightened out but I was able to do my own changes online. The Medicare website must have been improved because navigation on it was much easier than I remembered. Also, I spent a lot of Tuesday putting in a Scholastic book order for Clemson Montessori School. The December selections weren't all that great but I did get a few items for the school library and several students put in orders for actual books as well as the other offerings.

I did finish the last few pages of Beautiful Swimmers this morning which officially means my 2014 challenge is done. I will be putting my December reads here though. Also finished the story collection Fire Watch by Connie Willis after digging it out from behind a front row of my SF books.

IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics and Award winners #7.

135. Beautiful Swimmers by William W. Warner -- finished December 6, 2014 -- from my own shelves

I would have finished this book much sooner but I was reading it very slowly at first because of the really small print; then when it became easier to read for more than a few minutes I kept putting it aside to finish books that needed to go back to the library. I have no memory of when we acquired this book but it has been on our shelves forever. I started it because it would fit here as an award winner (Pulitzer).

The Beautiful Swimmers of the title are the Atlantic blue crabs aka Callinectes sapidus Rathbun and over the course of the book Warner gives the reader a detailed story of the crabs life cycle and habitat. We are also treated to a wonderful depiction of the Chesapeake as one of the most important estuaries in the world and the lives of the watermen who ply its bays, creeks, and marshes and make their living from its bounty. I really enjoyed Warner's narrative as he went out in all seasons with the watermen, helping (where he could) with their harvest and listening to their stories. Definitely recommended.

XI. Short Forms #13.

136. Fire Watch by Connie Willis -- Finished December 5, 2014 -- from my own shelves

A collection of short stories, most of which were from the early eighties, by Connie Willis. These were quick reads and I did enjoy them for the most part. They covered ideas from time-travel to ghosts and some had religious overtones. There was only one that I really disliked (All My Darling Daughters) but if I hadn't already read and liked To Say Nothing of the Dog I might have put her other books at the bottom of my list of authors to read more of soon. Probably not the place to start with Willis.

200DeltaQueen50
joulukuu 7, 2014, 2:39 pm

Congrats on finishing your challenge!

201hailelib
joulukuu 7, 2014, 4:38 pm

>200 DeltaQueen50:

Thanks! I haven't read my categories as evenly as I had meant to, but when real life throws a curve ball you just have to go with it. I'm glad that I set my goal for this challenge at a more relaxed level than in the last few years and plan to do the same next year as well. Since I haven't changed my mind about the categories for a while I'll probably start a thread sometime this week.

Meanwhile, finished another book.

II. Look for the Clues -- mysteries #12.

137. Thereby Hangs a Tale by Spencer Quinn -- Finished December 7, 2014

The second Chet and Bernie adventure was pretty enjoyable but I tend to agree with the reviewers who said that the humor is better with a little time between the books. I will read the next one but not right away.

We just returned from the December Friends of the Library sale and we came home with 11 books for $14.50 US. However, I doubt I'll read the one one clock repair! One of our old shelf clocks needs some TLC and Jim is hoping the book will help him get it working more reliably.

Besides the popular fiction I found a book called In Search of Ice Age Americans, one on Southern folklore, Blink, and a nice collection of Walt Whitman's poetry. All were either hardcover or trade paper except for one and all were in good condition so I'm pretty happy with our selection.

Next, for light reading, one of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books and continuing The Man Who Loved China.

202-Eva-
joulukuu 7, 2014, 8:32 pm

Congratulations on finishing the challenge!! Happy free-read the rest of the year!

203AHS-Wolfy
joulukuu 8, 2014, 12:19 pm

Congrats on completing your challenge!

204MissWatson
joulukuu 9, 2014, 5:34 am

Congratulations!

205hailelib
joulukuu 10, 2014, 12:07 pm

>202 -Eva-:
>203 AHS-Wolfy:
>204 MissWatson:

Thanks, everyone!

And another light read...

III. Follow Me -- the next unread book in a series #12.

138. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith -- Finished December 10, 2014

Another lovely installment in this series with Mma Ramotswe and her family and friends. While the mysteries are somewhat minor the daily lives of the main characters are always interesting and I like this series best of all the authors books mainly for the setting and Mma Ramotswe herself.

Still reading The Man Who Loved China and I've gotten the volume of selections from Burton's Arabian Nights back from the library to read a few more of the stories. I also have Miles in Love from them so that I can read A Civil Campaign.

206hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 22, 2014, 2:41 pm

A few more books --

IV. The Light Fantastic #13.

140. A Civil Campaign and Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold -- Finished Dec 14, 2014

More Miles! I liked both of these and will definitely try to find the next story in the series at some point next year. Or the next two ..

VIII. Once more #9.

141. Several stories in the Robin D. Owens Celta series -- mid-December

Heart Mates and Fam animals - romance and adventure - I like these stories of an Earth colony begun by settlers with psi ability. Four hundred years later they have built cities, traditions, and have increased abilities they call Flair. Nice for a light read with a mostly happy ending.

III. Follow Me #13.

142. The Hot Zone by Jayne Castle -- December 17, 2014

The latest story of the colony on Harmony - again psi powers and romance. I should not have read this right after Owen's books because I discovered that the Celta stories are more fun even though it is hard to beat the dust bunnies on Harmony.

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf #9.

143. Project Seahorse by Pamela S. Turner -- Finished December 19, 2014

Another Scientists in the Field book for middle school children with seahorses, coral reefs, and great photos. This was an informative book although I liked the one about Mars exploration better.

--------------

Still reading about Joseph Needham and also started Stuff Matters which is really interesting so far. I also hope to read a few more stories from the Arabian Nights before the end of the year.

207hailelib
joulukuu 23, 2014, 3:20 pm

It's a rather dreary day here, kinda cold (mid-forties or about 7 Celsius) with showers and the possibility of a thunderstorm later. Pretty much like the weather over a large part of the Eastern U.S. ...

Sunday my father had what was thought to be a minor fall that turned out not to be so minor. Yesterday the people at the assisted living facility sent him to the hospital where it was discovered that he has two cracked ribs. The doctor is thinking rehab for a while before sending him back to Brighton Gardens. When I talked to the hospital staff this morning they were somewhat encouraging but I'll have to speak to them again later. Living hours away is not helpful especially when my brother's reports are really sketchy at best - I had to ask which hospital and what the code was that I needed in order to talk to the nurse.

-------------------

I've been thinking about which books were my best reads this year and had a lot of trouble narrowing them down to a somewhat reasonable list, but here goes.

Fiction in no particular order

The Cuckoo's Calling/The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Annihilation by Jeff Vandemeer
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
Saints at the River by Ron Rash
Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse
The Big Sky/The Way West by A. B. Guthrie Jr.

I'll be back with some for non-fiction later.

208lkernagh
joulukuu 24, 2014, 7:00 pm

So sorry to read about your father's fall. Cracked ribs are not good. Here is hoping that all goes well with your father's recovery.

Stopping by to wish you a Merry Christmas and best wishes for you and your family in 2015!

209DeltaQueen50
joulukuu 24, 2014, 8:01 pm

Wishing you all the best for the holidays, Tricia.

210rabbitprincess
joulukuu 24, 2014, 9:10 pm

Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery for your father, and all the best for the holiday season.

PS yay, Midnight Riot! That's such a fun series.

211cammykitty
joulukuu 24, 2014, 9:37 pm

Great year end list!

Hope your father's cracked ribs are all that happened, and yes, hope he recovers quickly. It absolutely stinks getting old.

Merry Xmas! and may your family worries keep to a minimum.

212hailelib
joulukuu 27, 2014, 3:16 pm

Dad is now at the rehab facility but in a lot of pain since just breathing is a problem and he doesn't really understand about being careful when trying to move. (He has dementia and is naturally stubborn anyway.) But when one is ninety, a bit unsteady on one's feet, and refusing to use one's canes this sort of thing is likely to happen.

Thanks for the good wishes every and I hope you are all having a good holiday season.

To add to my list of good reads here are the more memorable non-fiction books for 2014, again in no particular order -

Beautiful Swimmers by William W. Warner
Appetite for America by Stephen Fried
The 13th Element by John Emsley
Lone Survivors by Chris Stringer
Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzales
The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester

213hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 27, 2014, 3:33 pm

XIII. What Happened Then? #9.

144. The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester -- Finished December 27, 2014

The British scientist Joseph Needham became fascinated by China and its history, especially in regards to science and technology. Here Winchester tells the story of how he came to love China and how that love dominated the rest of his life. I really enjoyed this book and would like to read more about his discoveries and about China in general. However I liked the other Winchester book from earlier this year a bit better.

265 pages plus appendices and long Further Reading section.

Also, I've nearly finished Stuff Matters which is very interesting but I'm not sure how memorable it will be.

214hailelib
joulukuu 28, 2014, 4:05 pm

XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- science and technology 10.

145. Stuff matters by Mark Miodownik -- Finished December28, 2014

A book for the layman covering the field of materials science. He covers ten materials which are important in everyday life from steel to chocolate to glass and does it in an entertaining manner. I enjoyed the book while reading it and found out a lot of bits about these materials that I didn't know. Recommended if you don't mind the occasional simple scientific explanation of why materials work the way they do.

introduction plus 226 pages plus a page of reading suggestions.

Started The Monogram Murders as Arabian Nights didn't appeal today.

215-Eva-
joulukuu 29, 2014, 8:56 pm

>212 hailelib:
Well, you'll get nowhere with stubborn people - it's a common trait in my family, so I know! Hope he's doing better!!

216paruline
joulukuu 31, 2014, 11:38 am

Hope your father recovers quickly. Sending good thoughts your way. Happy New Year!

217hailelib
joulukuu 31, 2014, 3:25 pm

I talked to Dad for a few minutes yesterday - my brother put his phone on speaker - and he complained about everything hurting but they had gotten him out od bed and into the shower and then into a chair, leaving the bed stripped so he wouldn't ask to get back in it. A sneaky way to keep him setting up as long as the therapist deemed necessary. My brother felt he was definitely better and other family members are going to try to visit some today and tomorrow.I'll probably call the nurse's station in a bit for a more objective assessment in a bit.

I did get a few books for the holidays -

Moon Over Soho
Paladin of Souls
the Hero with a Thousand Faces
The Amazons

It's really nice when people buy from one's wishlist.

And a last book - a reread grabbed in a hurry yesterday. Apparently Midnight Crystal gets grabbed a lot since this is the fourth time in five years I've read it. An OK, quick, don't need to think book...

218hailelib
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 31, 2014, 3:58 pm

Time to wrap up 2014. The year didn't exactly go according to plan but I did pretty well, all things considered, even though I quit keeping track of CATS in May. For the end of the year I ended up with

I. My Second Childhood -- 10/7
II. Look for the Clues -- 13/7
III. Follow Me -- 13/7
IV. The Light Fantastic -- 13/7
V. Any and Everything -- 12/7
VI. Virtually Speaking -- 10/7
VII. The CATs have it. -- 11/7
VIII. Once more -- 10/7
IX. Classics: Past and Future -- Classics of any kind and Award winners -- 7/7
X. West of the Mississippi -- 7/7
XI. Short Forms -- 13/7
XII. The Alchemysts Shelf -- 10/7
XIII. What Happened Then? --9/7
XIV. A Miscellany of facts and fads -- 7/7

Total = 145

Oh, and a book I should have mentioned earlier - The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah which is an authorized revival of Hercule Poirot. I liked it well enough to try another if she continues with these but it wasn't quite Christie.

Somewhere I miscounted but I'm not going to try to figure out where. Anyway, my total books for the year is right at my average since I've been doing the challenges and that's good enough.

See you all in 2015 (if I ever get my thread up and running).