SuziQoregon's 2014 Reading and occasional other nonsense (part 4)

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Keskustelu75 Books Challenge for 2014

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SuziQoregon's 2014 Reading and occasional other nonsense (part 4)

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

1SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 19, 2014, 2:41 pm



Hi! Thanks for stopping by - enjoy the view of Mt, Hood at sunrise from a downtown Portland parking garage, grab a book and stay a while

I didn't even realize I'd caught the bird in the photo until I looked at it later,

This is my first year with the 75 Books group and I'm having a blast so far.

I'm an avid reader and blogger (at Whimpulsive). I live in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon with The Hubster and two very spoiled cats.

I read a mix of audio, paper and ebooks. I tend to read mysteries and thrillers more than other genres. I also read a lot of graphic novels

2SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 6, 2014, 6:37 pm




I'm making an effort this year to make sure that in addition to the latest library books and purchases I'm also getting to the books on the bookshelves upstairs and books hidden in my ebook library.

I'm going to keep track to make sure that I'm routinely reading books from each of these categories.

• Review book (ARC or e-galley)
• Library book
• Book from my bookshelf
• Book from my ebook library
• Graphic Novel
• Section of a Chunkster

2014 Reading List

January
1. Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield (e-galley)
2. Y: The Last Man Vol 7: Paper Dolls by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)
4. The Gates by John Connolly (Library)
5. Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh (e-galley)
6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Bookshelf, Review Book)
7. The Making of the African Queen: Or How I Went to Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind by Katherine Hepburn (Library)
8. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith (Review Book, Audio)

February
1. Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Bookshelf)
2. Y: The Last Man Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell (Bookshelf, Review Book)
4. The Expats by Chris Pavone (Bookshelf)
5. Persuader by Lee Child (Bookshelf)

March
1. The Black Country by Alex Grecian (Bookshelf)
2. 100 bullets: Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call by Brian Azzarello (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters (Audio)
4. Y: The Last Man, Vol. 9: Motherland by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
5. Y: The Last Man, Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
6. The Unwritten Vol. 8: Orpheus in the Underworld by Mike Carey (Library, Graphic Novel)
7. FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Vol. 1: Paradigm Shift by Simon Oliver (Library, Graphic Novel)
8. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (ebook library, Chunkster
9. The Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters (Audio)
10. Jack of Fables Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)

April
1. A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante (Review book)
2. Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)
4. Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
5. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Audio)
6. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood (Audio, Library)
7. The Accident by Chris Pavone (Review Book)

May
1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Review Book)
2. Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson (Library, Audio)
4. Empress of the Night by Eva Stachniak (Review Book)
5. No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (ebook)
6. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (Review book, ebook)
7. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (Library, Audio)
8. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor (ebook)
9. Sweet Tooth Vol. 2: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)
10. How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell (Library, Audio)

June
1. The Purity of Vengeance by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Review Book, ebook)
2. Sous Chef by Michael Gibney (Library)
3. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson (Library, Audio)
4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Library)
5. Jack of Fables Vol. 2:Jack of Hearts by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)

3SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 31, 2014, 6:52 pm

July
1. Sweet Tooth Vol. 3: Animal Armies by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)
2. The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport (Review book)
3. Redshirts by John Scalzi (Audio)
4,Sweet Tooth Vol. 4: Endangered Species by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)
5. Sweet Tooth Vol. 5: Unnatural Habitats by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)
6. Identity by Ingrid Thoft (Review Book, ebook)
7. Fables Vol. 10: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)
8. A Cast-Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell (Audio)
9. The Unwritten Vol. 9: The Unwritten Fables by Mike Carey (Review Book, ebook)

August
1. The Fame Thief by Timothy Hallinan (Library)
2. Sweet Tooth Vol. 6: Wild Game by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. One Kick by Chelsea Cain (Review Book, ebook)
4. Jack of Fables Vol. 3: The Bad Prince by Bill Willingham (Library. Graphic Novel)
5. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (ebook)
6. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny (audio)
7. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz (Library)

September
1. How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell (Library, audio)
2. Fables Vol. 11: War and Pieces by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. Queen & Country Vol. 1: Operation Broken Ground by Greg Rucka (Library, Graphic Novel)
4. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (Library)
5. Jack of Fables Vol. 4: Americana by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)
6. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (Audio)
7. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (Library)

October
1. FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Vol. 2: Wish You Were Here by Simon Oliver (Library, Graphic Novel)
2. Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood (Audio)
3. The Competition by Marcia Clark (Review Book, ebook)
4. 100 Bullets Vol. 2: Split Second Chance by Brian Azzarello (Library, Graphic Novel)
5. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (Library)
6. Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies by Lawrence Goldstone (Review Book)
7. Meet Mr. Mulliner by P.G. Wodehouse (ebook)
8. Pretty Deadly Vol. 1: The Shrike by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Library, Graphic Novel)
9. Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson (Audio)

November
1. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard (Library)
2. Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. The Invisible Man by H.G.Wells (Library)
4. Queen & Country Vol. 2: Operation Morningstar by Greg Rucka (Library, Graphic Novel)
5. The Handsome Man's DeLuxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith (Audio)
6. Denali's Howl by Andy Hall (Bookshelf)
7. Rest in Pieces by Bess Lovejoy (Library)
8. No Land's Man by Aasif Mandvi (Audio, Review Book)

December
1. Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg (Review Book)
2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (Bookshelf)
3. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix (Library)
4. Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson (audio)
5. Herbie's Game by Timothy Hallinan (Review Book)
6. 100 Bullets Vol. 3: Hang Up on the Hang Low by Brian Azzarello (Library, Graphic Novel)
7. The Nobody by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)

4SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 26, 2014, 5:06 pm

Currently Reading



Currently Listening To

Just catching up on Podcasts for now

5SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 6, 2014, 11:06 am

My Rating Scale

I realize that I've gotten a bit sloppy with assigning ratings over the past couple of years. This year I have resolved to make more thoughtful ratings. This has been my rating scale as posted on my blog since 2009 but I'm posting it here not only as information for others but as a reminder to myself to look at this carefully before assigning a rating to books I read.

- No stars – I couldn’t even finish it

- 1 star – I didn’t like it but I managed to finish it. I probably finished it out of some sort of misplaced sense of obligation due to having the book on a challenge list.

- 2 stars – It was OK. Not good, but seriously just OK. I probably kept reading hoping I would like it better or there was some plot point I had to know the answer to even though getting to that answer was maybe more work than pleasure.

- 3 stars - I liked it. I didn’t think it was great, but I thought it was good entertainment. Many of the series books I read are in this range – they’re enjoyable, but not great literature. These are books I might recommend, but only if I really know that your reading taste meshes with mine or if you already have an interest in the subject.

- 4 stars – I really liked it. I really think you might like it too. These are books I’d recommend but maybe with a caveat that ‘it’s not for everyone’. Many of these I pass along to The Hubster. I’m more comfortable recommending these books to a wide audience.

- 5 stars – It was amazing. I’d recommend this to just about anyone. These are the books that really made an impression and I’ll remember them for a long time. I’ve probably handed my copy to someone or said “you really should read this”.

6SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 6, 2014, 11:10 am

2014 Challenges

The What's in a Name Challenge is a challenge I've participated in since the very first one 6 years ago. This year it's hosted by Charlie at The Worm Hole.

The challenge is to read a book whose title fits each of the categories during the year. These are the categories for 2014

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):

A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
A position of royalty Empress of the Night
A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)
A school subject (The History Boys,Angelology, Mastering The Art Of Soviet Cooking)

Reading Bingo
I've decided to sort of unofficially participate in Reading Bingo this year. I'm not going to seek out any books but will just read what I want and see what happens.

I'll be using both cards but not limiting the second to YA books



Regular Bingo
More than 500 pages: Outlander
Forgotten Classic:
Book that became a movie: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Published this year: While Beauty Slept
Number in the title: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Written by someone under 30:
Book with non-human characters: Pride of Baghdad
Funny Book:
Female Author: The Tomb of the Golden Bird
Book with a mystery: A Circle of Wives
One-Word Title: Fangirl
Book of short stories:
Set on a different continent: The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon
Non-Fiction:
First book by a favourite author:
Heard about online: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Best-selling book:
Based on a true story: Empress of the Night
Book at the bottom of TBR pile:
Book my friend loves:
Book that scares me:
More than 10 years old: Persuader
Second book in a series:
Blue cover: All the Light We Cannot See



Not Necessarily YA Bingo
Book with female heroine: Cocaine Blues
Book set in a high school:
Last of a trilogy:
Book with 'color' in the title:
First book in series: Just One Damned Thing After Another
Book set in the future: Shovel Ready
Book with a break-up:
Book without a love triangle:
Book that became a movie: How to Train Your Dragon
Book set in Paris:
Book set in the past: The Black Country
Book with magic:
Book set in summer:
Book with a dragon: How to Be A Pirate
Book that made you cry:
Graphic novel: Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Deep Woods
Book based on a myth: Sea of Monsters
Classic YA:
Book with a Lion, Witch or Wardrobe:
Book with an incredible fight scene:
Book heard about online: Sous Chef
Book set in another world: No Place Like Oz
Book with epic love story:
Book with music:

7SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 19, 2014, 2:28 pm

Just saving this one last space for now in case I decide I need it.

8SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 19, 2014, 2:31 pm

maybe this one too

9SuziQoregon
lokakuu 19, 2014, 2:29 pm

I'll be back soon to update the books read list that's been neglected since mid-September but wanted to get the door opened and things set up a bit around here first.

Happy Sunday everyone - hope you're having a great reading day today!

10Ameise1
lokakuu 19, 2014, 2:57 pm

Happy New Thread, Juli! I love the photo.

11msf59
lokakuu 19, 2014, 3:03 pm

Love the new thread, Juli! And I love the topper! That is gorgeous. I picked up Understanding Comics . Now, we can compare notes. Smiles...

12maggie1944
lokakuu 19, 2014, 4:10 pm

Happy to have a new thread! Whoo hoo! Portland is very beautiful, but of course my first love is Seattle, also very beautiful. Isn't it wonderful to have a large mountain in your own back yard, you with Mt. Hood and we have Mt. Rainier. Lovely photograph, and such good luck to catch the bird. Great!

13scaifea
lokakuu 20, 2014, 6:47 am

Happy New Thread, Juli! Love the topper!

How's Birdmen? I just finished One Summer, which has a similar theme, not long ago and enjoyed it.

14banjo123
lokakuu 20, 2014, 2:48 pm

Great thread topper!

15Crazymamie
lokakuu 20, 2014, 5:43 pm

Happy new thread, Juli! Your thread topper is GORGEOUS!

16EBT1002
lokakuu 20, 2014, 11:02 pm

Juli, the unexpected bird in the photo is wonderful!

Happy New Thread!

I think we need to start planning our 2015 Great Portland Meetup. :-)

17maggie1944
lokakuu 21, 2014, 7:54 am

I agree with Ellen. I'd love to make a trip down sometime after the new year.

18msf59
lokakuu 21, 2014, 8:17 am

I wish I could make the "2015 Great Portland Meetup". Prays silently...

19michigantrumpet
lokakuu 22, 2014, 3:09 pm

That view of Mt. Hood is to *die* for ...

Congrats on the new thread.

20SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 23, 2014, 11:09 am

>10 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara!

>11 msf59: Thanks Mark - I finished Understanding Comics the other day. Interesting and I'm glad I read it. Need to write up more of a review of it tonight for the blog. You'll just have to get yourself out here for another meet-up.

>12 maggie1944: Yes Maggie - love our backyard mountains. I really missed them the years I lived in Michigan and Texas. We do need to plan another meet-up.

>13 scaifea: Thanks! Birdmen is interesting and I'm enjoying it but I'm at that awkward point in the book where I've started looking forward to my next book and I'm ready to be done with it. We have One Summer on our shelf but neither The Hubster nor I has read it yet. Good to hear you enjoyed it.

>14 banjo123: Thank you ;-)

>15 Crazymamie: I'm so glad I discovered the great view from that parking garage - now I just need our stormy weather to clear up so I can get some more photos.

>16 EBT1002: YES!! I"m up for a Meet-up!!

>19 michigantrumpet: why thank you! My only consolation to getting to work early is the occasional fabulous sunrise.

21michigantrumpet
lokakuu 23, 2014, 12:42 pm

>20 SuziQoregon: one finds one's solace where one can. ;-)

22banjo123
lokakuu 24, 2014, 6:30 pm

Hooray for a meet-up! I'm in.

23Whisper1
lokakuu 25, 2014, 3:26 am

What an incredible opening photo!

24msf59
lokakuu 25, 2014, 7:32 am

Happy Saturday, Juli! I started the GN memoir, Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? and it hooked me immediately. Looks like another keeper.

I read your review of Understanding Comics. Big Thumb! I hope to get to that one soon.

25Ameise1
lokakuu 25, 2014, 7:32 am

Juli, I wish you a fantastic weekend.

26SuziQoregon
lokakuu 27, 2014, 5:19 pm

> 21 - gotta find a bright side ;=_

>22 banjo123: - Yay!!

>23 Whisper1: Thank you!!

>24 msf59: I think you'll find Understanding Comics interesting. I think you've convinced me to put t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? on my list. Looks quite interesting.

>25 Ameise1: funny thing as much as I'm terrified of spiders, I find spiderwebs fascinating.

27SuziQoregon
lokakuu 27, 2014, 5:26 pm

Well I finished up a couple of books over the weekend

Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies by Lawrence Goldstone and
Meet Mr. Mulliner by P.G. Wodehouse.

I've been reading them both in small bits and pieces over a long time so while I liked them both it was nice to move on to two new books yesterday.

I started The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard last night and it's got me hooked.

My new comics collection is a fairly new series from Image Comics called Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick. It's very different and after I read the first section yesterday I went back and read it again and I'm glad I did. It's very rich and lush in both artwork and story. I think it's one that I'll stop and re-read each issue in the collected edition as I go.

Also worth noting - when you don't get a chance to update your stats and monthly totals for a month and a half you accidentally finish that 75th book and don't even realize it. I'm glad that Number 75 was a Wodehouse because he just makes me smile.

28Ameise1
lokakuu 27, 2014, 5:31 pm

>26 SuziQoregon: Juli, spider webs are gorgeous. At the moment we have a lot of them in our garden (autumn=spider high season). In the morning when I go to fetch (half sleeping) the paper I surly walk into a spider web. :-). Afterwards I'm fully awake.

29SuziQoregon
lokakuu 27, 2014, 6:35 pm

>28 Ameise1: yep - I get the spiderweb in the face on my way off the porch quite regularly this time of year. Not my preferred way become fully alert at 6:30am.

30Ameise1
lokakuu 28, 2014, 4:53 am

>29 SuziQoregon: LOL - welcome to the club ;-)

31SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:02 pm

Time for some major review catching up . . .

32SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:02 pm

How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell narrated by David Tennant



This series is making fabulous road trip listening for us. I’m often hesitant to start an audiobook on a shorter trip because we end up having to finish listening to it separately. These are shorter and just keep us giggling no matter how bad the traffic.

David Tennant does an amazing job with the narration. You can almost hear a slight smirk in his voice. The character voices are fun and fit the wacky names in the book.

This time the story involves Roman soldiers, kidnapped heirs, a blood feud between the Hairy Hooligans and the Bog-Burglars. Hiccup gets some help from fun new allies who I hope show up again in future books.

Let your inner 8 year old have fun and listen to this series.

33SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:05 pm

Queen & Country Vol. 1: Operation Broken Ground by Greg Rucka



One of the things I liked about Stumptown by Rucka was the strong but damaged female protagonist. In Queen & Country he gives us another similar character in Tara Chace.

This is post cold war (but pre-9/11 in this volume) spy stuff and it’s good. Tara is one of a team but the story revolves around her in this volume. She starts out with a successful sniper attack followed by a mostly successful getaway. Things turn ugly when she becomes a target and the bounty on her head brings an attack to the London Headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).

Tara’s teammates and bosses are an interesting bunch and the cast includes connections with MI5 and the CIA. This is not glamorous Ian Fleming spy adventures. These people have tough jobs that challenge their ethics and it’s hard on them.

Steve Rolston’s art is pretty stark black and white drawings. It’s very spare but manages to convey a lot of emotion. It’s a good compliment to Rucka’s story.

I will definitely be continuing with the series. If you like espionage stories I highly recommend it.

34SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:07 pm

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson



I just love the way Shirley Jackson lets the tension build gradually and subtly. Beginning with an introduction of the characters and their arrival at Hill House the stage is set to for what Dr. Montague plans. “Dr. Montague‟s intentions with regard to Hill House derived from the methods of the intrepid nineteenth-century ghost hunters; he was going to go and live in Hill House and see what happened there.”

There is nothing gruesome or gory that happens, There is no real sighting of anything that could be termed a ghost. What there is however, is a series of incidents that might be readily explained away but also might be something truly creepy.

Eleanor is the one who is most troubled by what she hears and experiences at Hill House but how much of that is the house and how much is Eleanor being rather unstable? It’s hard to know but as the story continues it’s clear that no matter what the reason Eleanor is deeply affected by what is happening.

I liked the way the creepiness gradually increased. While at several points I was ready to dismiss this book as a light thriller it did leave me with a definite sense of unease. I’m glad I don’t have any visits to creepy old houses in my near future.

35SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:08 pm

Jack of Fables 4: Americana by Bill Willingham



I have figured out that the only thing I really don’t particularly like about this spin-off series from Fables is the main character. As I have continued with the series most of the story surrounding Jack (and his enormous ego) and his quest for wealth is actually pretty entertaining. I just wish Jack wasn’t in it. I do giggle a bit every time one of his great plans gets thwarted however.

Actually in this volume (it started in volume 3) my favorite parts are the daydreams of Babe the Blue Ox. For reasons explained in previous volumes, Babe is currently the size of a large dog. Periodically while the other characters are busy doing things Babe gets leashed to something to wait. His daydreams are hilarious.

Humpty Dumpty plays an important role in this one and he’s amusing me at this point too.

I liked the detour into the world of the American Fables who included Huck Finn and Natty Bumppo. The new villain who appears is definitely a danger fo Fables of all kinds and I’m actually looking forward to where the story will go next.

I just wish it could go without Jack.

36SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:11 pm

The Long Way Home by Louise Penny narrated by Ralph Cosham



In the previous book in the series Louise Penny wrapped up many long term story lines. This one works very well as an entry to the series for new readers who don’t want to go back and read the first 9 books.

Gamache’s role has changed with his retirement and that’s reinforced by the way he lets Clara determine how they will proceed to search for Peter. The amusing part is how Gamache’s former associate Jean-Guy Beauvior handles this (badly). Jean-Guy has been through a lot throughout this series and he’s always been one of my favorite characters.

Peter Morrow, however, has always been one of my least favorites. When I realized that he would figure heavily in the story in this one I was disappointed but I should have trusted Louise Penny. She managed to make this book about Peter Morrow without actually having Peter present in the action for most of the book.

I won’t say more about the story but I will say that I loved this book. If you haven’t read or listened to any of this series you should. If you don’t want to go back to the beginning and read the first nine this one will make an excellent starting point for new readers.

The audio format is the only way I have experienced this series and to me Ralph Cosham is the voice of Armand Gamache. His narration has been wonderful to listen to for all 10 books of the series.

Sadly between finishing this book and writing this review I learned that the wonderful Ralph Cosham passed away this week. On Wednesday of this week Louise Penny posted the sad news on her Facebook page. It was particularly sad to hear this while I still had his voice echoing around in my brain. It’s far to early to speculate about who will take over the audion narration duties of this series but no matter who is chosen he (or she) will have big shoes to fill. I will miss having Ralph Cosham read to me.

37SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:12 pm

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell



I have just so many thoughts about this one that it’s hard to be coherent. There is much to discuss and even though I’m a chronic book club dropout I can see why this one works well as a book club book.

Honestly if it hadn’t been for the strong recommendations from my bookish friends from all over the internet, I probably wouldn’t have picked this up. Far too many people I trust have recommended it and continue to say that it’s one of their favorites. Now I know why.

The science part of the science fiction label is not too tech heavy. This is much more a book about the people involved. It’s about friendship, love, faith, exploration, intervention and ethics.

I liked the way the story shifted back and forth between 2019 when the first radio signals from near Alpha Centauri were detected and 2060 after Emilio is back on Earth disgraced, damaged and under interrogation by a Vatican inquest. Moving back and forth between the progression of the mission and Emilio’s retelling of it in past tense to his interrogators creates a spiral that builds up tension as the truth of what happened on Rakhat is revealed. Bits of the final outcome are revealed early on but the rest is doled out in beautifully written prose that captures the emotions as much as the action.

Many of the characters in this book will stick with me. That includes some that I didn’t like at first but grew to care about. Others I was skeptical about and in at least a couple of cases the skepticism was warranted.

Yes faith plays a huge part in this story but it’s not a book that whacks you over the head with religion. It’s about people and their relationships with other people as well as their deeply personal (and varied) relationships with their God.

38SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:20 pm

FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Vol. 2: Wish You Were Here by Simon Oliver



This is a very unique series. It takes place in a time when the laws of physics don’t exactly work like we’re used to them working. The Federal Bureau of Physics was created to put physics back in proper form when it got out of hand. In the first volume of the series events led to the fact that the research facility in Nakeet, Alaska is about to be shut down.

Before that happens however, one last experiment involving Agent Adam Hardy and Agent Rosa Reyes leads to a story that can leave the reader trying to figure out not only where and when but which dimension the story is in at any given moment.

This is one that for me really doesn’t come fully together until the second reading. I don’t see that as a bad thing. The second time though I caught so much more of the subtle shifts and hints as to what was going on.

The art in this series is both a bit rough and choppy but at the same time there are places where the visuals are incredibly fluid. The characters are often inconsistently drawn but the distinguishing characteristics keep that from being too problematic. It’s very bright and colorful.

There are several mysteries playing out and clearly not all are resolved by the end of this volume. I liked that Rosa’s character was more fully developed since she was introduced in the latter part of volume 1.

I’ll be keeping my eye out for more of this series.

39SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:22 pm

The Competition by Marcia Clark



Rachel Knight is a prosecutor with the Special Trials unit. This allows her to be involved in the potentially high profile or complex cases from the very beginning. For that reason she’s involved from the beginning and investigating this with her friend Detective Bailey Keller.

This one is a tough read because of the horrifying nature of the crime and the reinforcement over and over that it’s so difficult to see ahead of time that any individual might be capable of such a thing. The idea that someone would take the well known mass shootings as something to outdo as a form of competition is truly frightening and not all that out of the realm of possibility.

Clark does a good job of balancing the police investigation, the concerns of not hampering the potential prosecution if the perpetrators are apprehended alive and the consultations with psychologists to try to profile the killers and to evaluate the possible suspects. As the investigation runs into one dead end after another the exhaustion and desperation of Rachel and Bailey is well portrayed. I felt their exhaustion just reading about their non-stop efforts.

This is a good series and while my preference is to read series books in order these could easily be read as standalones.

40SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:24 pm

Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood narrated by Stephanie Daniel



This is just a fun series. Phryne Fisher is a great character. The setting in 1920’s Australia is a nice change of pace from so many of the other series I read. Phryne has plenty of money so her new career as an investigator isn’t something she does to survive. It’s because she enjoys and she’s downright good at it.

The supporting cast is fun. Phryne’s maid and the couple who are her new household staff are going to be great. I also enjoy the two guys she calls on when she needs some blue collar help.

In this one Phryne is investigating both a murder and a kidnapping. The story jumps back and forth and the two investigations don’t really intersect but it keeps things interesting.

Stephanie Daniel does a great job of narration. She’s easy to listen to and her voice characterizations are distinct and consistent.

This is an enjoyable series and I’m looking forward to listening to more. I also plan to check out the TV adaptation on Netflix one of these days.

41SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:26 pm

100 Bullets Vol. 2: Split Second Chance by Brian Azzarello



The first volume of this comic series introduced the concept of being gifted with an untraceable gun and 100 bullets along with the proof about who had done them wrong. What they chose to do with the information, weapon and ammunition was up to them.

That continues in this volume with some interesting outcomes. The thing I liked most about this volume however was the beginnings of looking into the back story of Agent Graves. Who is he? Why is he doing this? Where is he getting his information as well as the guns and ammunition. Who is funding this? Yes I have lots and lots of questions. The answers begin to be doled out in this volume. It’s clear that Azzarello isn’t going to answer them all at once and some of the answers will lead to further questions but he’s definitely expanded the story in this one.

It’s got a noir feel to it and that is greatly enhanced by Eduardo Risso’s artwork. Where the story lags a bit the artwork makes up for it.

I’ll be moving on to volume 3 relatively soon.

42SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:27 pm

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud



As a relative newbie to reading comics and graphic novels in the past couple of years my initial exposure was rather hit and miss based on recommendations from a variety of friends. Since then I’ve become more confident in branching out to explore on my own and have found the world of comics and graphic novels fun and entertaining.

This book is great for stepping back and looking into the history, form and structure of comics. Although it was written twenty years ago it’s still very relevant and informative. McCloud starts out by attempting to define comics and from there goes into the history of what he calls ‘sequential art’.

Along the way he explores the various methods of conveying elements of time and space in static images. He also explores how the Japanese forms of the art developed differently than American and European comics.

It’s a bit of history, a bit of explanation of the vocabulary, a bit of fun exploration of the various styles and methods.

I learned a lot and I’m glad I read it.

43SuziQoregon
lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:29 pm

Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies by Lawrence Goldstone



I enjoyed this one. I knew the basics about the Wright brothers and the name Glenn Curtiss was familiar but I really didn’t know anything about their years long battles in the courts and in the eyes of the general public.

After Kitty Hawk the Wrights seemed to spend more time trying to protect what they saw as a very broad interpretation of the patent application they filed. They used the court system to claim royalties they felt other aviation pioneers owed them. In their eyes every plane that existed or flew owed them licensing and royalties.

On the other hand it was a time of rapid innovation and a large number of other inventors and daredevils were experimenting with aircraft and expanding the limits of flight. While the Wrights sought to protect what they’d done, these other people were developing their own methods and machines. Whether or not any of them really borrowed or stole ideas from any others may never be known.

The battles over the next decade took place in courtrooms as much as it did in the air over exhibitions and daring airshows. In the end the patent wars probably slowed down the development of aircraft and aviation but by the time World War I began the military became the primary driver of aircraft development.

I enjoyed learning about the early aviators and the near insane daredevils that risked (and lost) their lives to extending the limits of flying.

44SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 28, 2014, 1:38 pm

And with that I am (for the first time in weeks) caught up with reviews I've written.

Now I just need to write up the two I recently finished.

Meet Mr. Mulliner by P.G. Wodehouse was perfect to read a story at a time here and there. I love me some Wodehouse. Guaranteed to make me smile.

Last night I finished the first collected volume of a relatively new comic series from Image Comics. Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick is part mystical, part western, with some amazing artwork. It also features some pretty badass women characters. It's one that I want to re-read before I return it to the library because there is just so much to absorb.

That leaves me continuing to enjoy my latest audiobook Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson. It's nice to be back with the Walt Longmire series.

My current print read The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard has me totally hooked. I cannot wait for lunchtime to get back to it.

45msf59
lokakuu 28, 2014, 7:46 pm

Great burst of reviews, Juli! I really want to get to The Haunting of Hill House, after just finishing We Always Lived in the Castle, which was quite a creepy treat.
I liked Pretty Deadly less than you, but I did love the artwork and kickass babes. Understanding Comics should be my next GN.

46thornton37814
lokakuu 28, 2014, 10:16 pm

>36 SuziQoregon: Another review of the Gamache book that is still on my TBR list. I'm hoping to get to it in either November or December.

47scaifea
lokakuu 29, 2014, 6:40 am

Ooooh, you've read a couple of my all-time favorites: The Haunting of Hill House and The Sparrow!

48banjo123
lokakuu 29, 2014, 11:09 am

Nice reviews! Birdmen sounds interesting.

49EBT1002
lokakuu 30, 2014, 5:11 pm

Hi Juli! You've been busy --- reading and reviewing!

Knowing how crazy all our lives are, we should probably start planning the meet-up now.
It so happens that I have a conference in PDX (Edgefield) April 8-10. We end after lunch on that Friday. I could perhaps extend my stay and do something Friday evening or Saturday. I mean, I have to go to Powell's while I'm in the area!

I want to read The Haunting of Hill House. I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle last year and really liked it.

50SuziQoregon
lokakuu 30, 2014, 5:47 pm

>45 msf59: Even though you didn't like it as much as I did I'm glad to hear you read Pretty Deadly. I've got a bunch of comics and GNs out from the library and will be getting to them soon.

>46 thornton37814: Hope you enjoy the Gamache book when you get to it. It's one of my favorite series.

>47 scaifea: and I'm glad I finally read them both! It's nice to finally get to books that have been on my TBR for YEARS and like them.

>48 banjo123: I did think Birdmen was interesting. Definitely learned things.

>49 EBT1002: Never too early to start planning a meet-up. If something gets organized I'll definitely do my best to get to Powell's anytime someone is in town. Because - yeah - like I need an excuse to go there. My company is moving to a different building at the end of the year and it might be dangerous for my wallet that I'll now be several blocks closer to Powell's.

51SuziQoregon
lokakuu 30, 2014, 5:49 pm

I'm really enjoying The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard. I'm about halfway through that one.

I'm on the final section of listening to Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson. I need to make sure I take my ipod in the house when I get home so I can make sure my next audiobook is ready to go when I finish it.

52maggie1944
lokakuu 30, 2014, 6:05 pm

well, I certainly will have recovered, in my wallet, from my Nov. Hawaii trip by April. So, I'll put it on the calendar.

Whoo hooo!!! I love Portland.

53SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 6, 2014, 6:47 pm

>52 maggie1944: - Yay!!!

I finished listening to Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson on my way to the park & ride lot this morning. My new audio is The Handsome Man's Deluxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith. I really enjoy listening to the No. 1 Ladies Detective series narrated by Lisette Lecat. It makes my errand and commute time enjoyable.

54SuziQoregon
lokakuu 31, 2014, 11:12 am

Meet Mr. Mulliner by P.G. Wodehouse



Any visit to the Angler’s Rest pub will likely end up with the conversation reminding pub regular Mr. Mulliner of a story involving a member of his extended family. Mr. Mulliner is irrepressible and can quickly take any topic of conversation off on a tangent to one of his stories.

As with most of Wodehouse’s work these stories were originally written for publication in magazines and later collected into collected editions. Meet Mr. Mulliner contains 9 stories. Some of the Mulliner relatives show up in multiple stories but all the stories are independent of each other.

The reason I like Wodehouse is that the stories are light and amusing in a way that will more likely provoke a smirk than a real laugh. I like having one of his books around whether in print or digital edition so that I can read one of the stories in between other longer books. They’re nice palate cleansing stuff.

55Ameise1
marraskuu 1, 2014, 6:41 am

Juli, I wish you a lovely weekend.

56msf59
marraskuu 1, 2014, 7:36 am

Happy Saturday, Juli! I have not read Wodehouse. Where is a good place to start? I hope Paul includes him on the BAC!

57SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 1, 2014, 12:03 pm

>55 Ameise1: - Oh that's just lovely - thank you!

>56 msf59: I've read The Inimitable Jeeves and Carry On, Jeeves both early books in the Jeeves and Wooster stories.

Meet Mr. Mulliner is the first in the books that feature him.

Here's an old LT thread about where to start with Wodehouse that has some good information.

I've heard good things about the audio formats so my next Jeeves book will be the audio of Very Good, Jeeves

58luvamystery65
marraskuu 2, 2014, 7:56 pm

Hi Juli! It's been too long since I've been on your threads. My apologies.

You are another one whose review makes me want to read The Sparrow. You are also leaving me nostalgic for Jeeves.

Have an excellent week!

59maggie1944
marraskuu 2, 2014, 8:41 pm

yeah, I've been hankering after a little Jeeves my own self, but I just can not add another book to my TBR piles, and boxes, and archives.

Hope your coming week is excellent!

60SuziQoregon
marraskuu 3, 2014, 2:20 pm

>58 luvamystery65: No apologies needed - life happens. I'm glad I finally read The Sparrow many recommendations from friends for that one. Definitely one that will stick with me.

>59 maggie1944: The nice thing about Wodehouse is that most of his work is short stories so If I read one story in between other books it seems to work out well for me.

I had a good reading weekend. I finished The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard last night. Very good! I need to look for more of her work.

Over the weekend I started another new comic Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe which is kind of a strange mix of humor and fantasy that come highly recommended by some blogger friends.

This morning I started The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. I've never read it and I want to before I dive into Jeff Lemire's retelling of it in The Nobody.

At lunchtime today I'm kicking off my unofficial Non-Fiction November by starting Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses by Bess Lovejoy (another recommendation from a fellow book blogger.

61maggie1944
marraskuu 3, 2014, 4:58 pm

I remember when The Invisible Man was made into a TV show way back in the 1950s, I imagine. The show was definitely in the era of black and white TV, and each drama was only 30 minutes long. There was some excellent writing done at that time. I was, of course, as a youngster fascinated and heard all the adults carry on about how all the TV watching was bad for our eyes, and would ruin our intellectual development.

I think I have bad eyes due to heredity and reading. As for intellectual development, well, I'm probably not qualified to comment.

I hope the book is good.

62msf59
marraskuu 4, 2014, 7:26 am

Hi Juli! I wanted to mention to you, that I abandoned Understanding Comics. This is something I rarely do but it wasn't cutting it for me. Too dry and uninteresting. Glad it worked for you better.

63SuziQoregon
marraskuu 4, 2014, 10:43 am

>61 maggie1944: LOL - I vaguely remember an Invisible Man movie (could have been TV show) but I don't remember ever actually watching it.

>62 msf59: It was a bit dry so I totally understand.

Enjoying my current reads. Rest in Pieces is a mix of odd historical facts with a bit of irreverence - It's one that is probably best as a book to pick up and read a few sections in between other longer books so I'll probably approach it that way. It's full of odd and interesting facts.

Rat Queens is kind of quirky but I'm enjoying it so far.

I have barely started The Invisible Man but will get more of that read this evening while I'm on the treadmill.

64SuziQoregon
marraskuu 6, 2014, 11:11 am

Finished up Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J.Wiebe last night. It's a fun comic. Very different but fun and I liked it. I probably wouldn't have requested it from the library if a blogger friend hadn't mentioned it. I do enjoy comics with kick-ass female characters.

Here's the description:
Who are the Rat Queens? A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they're in the business of killing all god's creatures for profit. It's also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief.

65SuziQoregon
marraskuu 7, 2014, 11:20 am

Enjoying all of my current reads.

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe is typical of the #1 Ladies Detective series. I just really enjoy listening to these. I think Lisette Lecat's narration is delightful.

The Invisible Man is a good phone and treadmill time ebook. I can't believe I've never read this.

Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses is fun and interesting but it's one of those books I'd rather read in small bits here and there rather than straight through. It's all short chapters and truly would make a perfect "Bathroom Reader" kind of book.

So I felt I needed to add a book from my huge non-fiction stack to my reading mix. I started Denali's Howl : The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak by Andy Hall about an ill-fated 1967 climbing expedition.

66Ameise1
marraskuu 8, 2014, 7:26 am

Juli, I wish you a gorgeous weekend.

67michigantrumpet
marraskuu 10, 2014, 7:25 pm

>54 SuziQoregon: I adore Wodehouse and the Mulliner stories. Every one thinks of Jeeves and Bertie Wooster with him, but he is so much more!!

I forget, is the story about the Buck-u-up-oo in this collection? I love that one.

68banjo123
marraskuu 10, 2014, 11:41 pm

I have been fascinated by climbing disasters ever since Jon Krakaeur wrote about the '96 Everest season. I will be curious to see what you think of Denali's Howl.

69SuziQoregon
marraskuu 11, 2014, 1:07 pm

>66 Ameise1: OH what a pretty photo - thank you!

>67 michigantrumpet: Yes!! Meet Mr. Mulliner has two stories in which Buck-U-Uppo is featured - so fun!!

>68 banjo123: That's exactly how I got interested in reading about high altitude climbing stories. The author of Denali's Howl is the son of the man who was the Park Superintendent at the time. I've only read a few chapters so far but it's pretty good.

I haven't been reading much the past few days. We had a busy weekend with a 5k race on Saturday and then watching football the rest of the day. Sunday was a 'get all the things done' kind of day. Hoping to settle in for some good reading time this evening. I want to finish up The Invisible Man and get back to Denali's Howl}.

70BLBera
marraskuu 12, 2014, 9:56 am

Hi Juli- I was fascinated by Into Thin Air. I'll be interested in your comments on Denali's Howl. My parents lived in Alaska for years, and I remember my dad making comments about the idiots who had to be rescued from Denali. (His words). :)

71Oregonreader
marraskuu 15, 2014, 12:10 am

I'm way behind on my thread visiting so I'm stopping by to say hi. Love the Mt. Hood picture. I've added The Scent of Rain and Lightning to my wish list.

72Ameise1
marraskuu 15, 2014, 8:59 am

Juli, I wish you a lovely weekend.

73EBT1002
marraskuu 16, 2014, 11:48 pm

Just sayin' hello.

74SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 25, 2014, 12:59 pm

>70 BLBera: Interesting about your parents. I'm enjoying Denali's Howl it's interesting to read knowing how far technology has come since this particular climb took place. Both in terms of gear and communications.

> 71 I really liked that one. Hope you do too.

>72 Ameise1: thanks - I love waterfalls!

>73 EBT1002: thanks for stopping by!

So as for reading - I have finished The Invisible Man by H.G, Wells. I'm glad I read it. It's one of those I kind of wish I'd read with a book club because there is much to discuss.

I also read Queen & Country Vol. 2: Operation Morningstar by Greg Rucka. It was just as good as the first one.

Yesterday I finished listening to The Handsome Man's DeLuxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith, narrated by Lisette Lecat. I really enjoy this series on audio and it's perfect light driving around town listening.

My new audiobook is No Land's Man by Aasif Mandvi. It's fun so far.

I need to get myself organized to do another review posting binge and catch up on all my tracking and statistics but I need to spend some time catching up on threads around here first.

75Ameise1
marraskuu 22, 2014, 7:23 am

Juli, I wish you a lovely weekend.

76SuziQoregon
marraskuu 25, 2014, 1:08 pm

>75 Ameise1: Oh that looks so peaceful and serene - I need that today.

Over the weekend I finished up Denali's Howl. It was good. I think the author really tried to be balanced and not focus on placing blame. There has been enough of that in previous books by members of the expedition who survived. Andy Hall has interviewed them as part of his research for this book. I think the time has helped put some of it into perspective. Also meteorological analysis of the records seems to show it was a rare extreme storm that hit.

The biggest thing for me in reading this book is to realize how far technology in both climbing gear and communications have changed for mountaineers since 1967.

I haven't started anything new. I'm trying to focus on finishing the books I've got in progress. They're all very different but good.

Rest in Pieces is weird but I'm learning all kinds of fun historical tidbits.

Texts from Jane Eyre is a hoot and perfect to pick up an read a few pages then put back down.

Unbroken is excellent. I'm glad I waited to read this. Sometimes when a book is getting all the hoopla all over the place it's not good for me to read it. I'm also glad I'm getting it read before the movie comes out.

Now I need to get out and catch up with other folks threads.

Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels if you're on the road or in the air this week.

77SuziQoregon
marraskuu 25, 2014, 1:26 pm

I discovered this week that the 2015 Left Coast Crime Conference will be in Portland in March.

I'm slightly giddy about this. I have to find a way to work out the finances and vacation days.

Looks like a perfect time for folks to plan a trip to Portland and a meetup!!!!!

78Oregonreader
marraskuu 25, 2014, 4:11 pm

Juli, I saw your mention of the conference on the Oregon thread. It sounds fabulous but I'll have to start saving for it!

I'm also a fellow Duck fan. I retired from the UO about two years and my son went there so I have strong ties. What a great year we are having!

79msf59
marraskuu 25, 2014, 7:35 pm

Hi Juli! I am so glad you are loving Unbroken. I read it shortly after it came out and was floored by how good it was. Seabiscuit is also terrific.

I am really enjoying Snow-Piercer and I also finished a new GN called Nail-Biter, about serial killers, which ended up being very entertaining.

80SuziQoregon
marraskuu 26, 2014, 10:37 am

>78 Oregonreader: Doesn't that conference look great - really hope I can work out the vacation and finances. Since it's right here in town it would really be a shame to miss it.

>79 msf59: Good to know about Snowpiercer - I've got that on my library wish list but have to read a few I've got out from the library first. I'll check whether they have Nail-Biter too.

I was happy to win The Girl on the Train from this month's ER batch. I'm hearing lots of good buzz about this one.

81EBT1002
marraskuu 26, 2014, 10:04 pm

I still have Unbroken in my TBR library....

Happy Thanksgiving, Juli!

82SuziQoregon
marraskuu 27, 2014, 2:36 pm

>81 EBT1002: thanks Ellen! Same to you

83SuziQoregon
marraskuu 27, 2014, 2:39 pm



Not much reading today but it'll be a nice low key day with family.

Happy Thanksgiving to all celebrating today.

84msf59
marraskuu 27, 2014, 3:06 pm

Happy Thanksgiving, Juli! Enjoy the day with the family. I really liked Snow-Piercer.

85PaulCranswick
marraskuu 28, 2014, 2:22 am

Juli, my own thanks should be added to you for quickly becoming such a warm and engaging presence in the group this year.

Have a lovely holiday weekend.

86BLBera
marraskuu 28, 2014, 8:36 am

Happy Thanksgiving, Juli. I hope your day was filled with food and family.

87banjo123
marraskuu 28, 2014, 3:47 pm

Book bullet--I have put Denali's Howl on hold at the library. I don't know why it is that I love stories of climbing disasters.

And enjoy Unbroken. That was one of my favorite books last year.

88Ameise1
marraskuu 29, 2014, 6:02 am

Juli, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

89SuziQoregon
joulukuu 1, 2014, 1:16 pm

>84 msf59: Thanks Mark - we did have a great weekend and I've put Snowpiercer on hold at the library.

>85 PaulCranswick: Why what a nice thing to say Paul. I've been a merely occasional user of LT for several years but when Amazon bought Goodreads I took the leap and moved everything over here. I was a little nervous about diving into this group headfirst this year but I'm so glad I did. Everyone has been welcoming and friendly and it's been a wonderful experience.

>86 BLBera: Thanks and yes it was!

>87 banjo123: Oh good - I hope you enjoy it. I really an enjoying Unbroken. I'm glad I decided to read it before the movie comes out.

>88 Ameise1: Thank you Barbara - another lovely photo.

We did have a lovely long weekend. A nice balance of doing stuff with family and friends as well as time to get stuff done on our own.

Sufficiently stuffed ourselves and had fun with family on Thanksgiving. Spent Friday watching football and getting the indoor Christmas decorations up. Saturday we watched football with friends and happily the Ducks won. Yesterday was errands and getting most of the outdoor decorations done. We had to stop because of the cold and wind before we finished the garage side but we'll get that done after work one day this week.

I also finished a couple of books over the weekend.

Rest in Pieces was a quirky bit of fun and interesting facts.

No Land's Man by Aasif Mandvi was good. It's a series of essays about his growing up in England, his family's move to America when he was 16, and his career as an actor. It was a nice mix of humorous, touching and thought provoking.

I'm currently taking a break from audiobooks because I started listening to the Serial Podcast. It's about a murder case from 1999. It's a podcast that a bunch of my friends are hooked on and recommending. I'm halfway through the first episode and very intrigued. Is anyone around here listening ot this podcast?

90Ameise1
joulukuu 6, 2014, 10:30 am

Hi Juli, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

91SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 1:07 pm

>90 Ameise1: Oh my goodness - that looks magical

92SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 1:16 pm

I finished Unbroken the other day. Truly an incredible survival story. Laura Hillenbrand really did an amazing job of telling it.

I'm still listening to Serial instead of audiobooks. I'm partway through episode 9. I was hoping to be caught up in time for tomorrow's new episode but I'm not sure I'm going to make it. I have still not formed an opinion one way or the other about the case. There is so much that can be spun either way.

As for books, after a minor non-fiction binge I'm reading fun stuff.

I started Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix. I've been on the library waiting list for this one for a while. It's a horror story set in an IKEA knockoff type of store and the book is the the size of an Ikea Catalog complete with descriptions of things sold in the stores. It's starting out pretty humorous but I know it's going to get much darker soon.

I also started the fourth book in Timothy Hallinan's Junior Bender series, Herbie's Game. I've enjoyed the series so far. I'm excited that Hallinan will be at the Left Coast Crime mystery convention in Portland in March. I'm still trying to work out vacation and finances but I really really really want to attend this.

I'm making progress on catching up on a backlog of reviews and tracking so expect a review blast here soon.

93msf59
joulukuu 10, 2014, 2:18 pm

Hi Juli! Serial has sure become a phenomenon, hasn't it? I am not sure I've seen anything take off like that. Even my daughter is racing through them. I will listen #6 tomorrow.
Did you hear that they are already planning a Serial Part Deux?

I am so glad you loved Unbroken. It is a fantastic book and your timing was perfect.

94SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:28 pm

>93 msf59: Yes it has - My co-worker cannot wait for me to catch up so we can talk. I know a whole bunch of book bloggers I chat with regularly are listening too,

I am glad I read Unbroken before the movie hoopla really got started.

Hang on . . .
Massive review backlog coming up . . .

95SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:28 pm

Pretty Deadly Vol. 1: The Shrike by Kelly Sue DeConnick



The story starts out with a young girl named Sissy and her guardian (an older blind man named Fox) performing the myth of Death Faced Ginny to a frontier town audience. As the story unfolds the links between the characters are gradually revealed. Each issue is introduced by a conversation between a butterfly and a bunny (a dead bunny that is). It’s a story within a story within a story.

I liked this one but I have to admit that I had to read through it twice to better understand the flow of the story and distinctions and relationships between the characters. There are a lot of characters and intertwining stories in this Western with a twist. It’s a bit confusing on the first read through but worth a second go through to catch all the connections and to appreciate the artwork.

The art is beautiful and brutal. The colors are rich and dramatic. The flow of the panels often over a background image is different and interesting.

96SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:28 pm

Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson narrated by George Guidall



I didn’t realize it had been so many months since I last listened to a Walt Longmire book. This is such a good series and I just thoroughly enjoy the audio editions narrated by George Guidall

This one has Walt mostly on his own chasing a deadly criminal through a winter storm ravaged wilderness. I got cold just listening to this one. Although some of the regular secondary characters made small appearances this one was mostly Walt on his own against the elements and a killer. It was reminiscent of the ordeal Walt endured near the end of the first book in the series.

I was pleased with the reappearance of an interesting character from an earlier book in the series. It added some interesting elements and touches of humor. There were some other places that Johnson dropped some hilarious moments to break the building tension that made me laugh out loud.

Once again, George Guidall does a wonderful job of narrating this series. His voice characterizations are subtle but consistent. In longer sections of dialog I never lose track of who is speaking.

This is definitely a series worth checking out if you haven’t. I’m partial to the audio editions but I’m sure they’re just as enjoyable in print.

97SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:28 pm

The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard



Every once in a while browsing the library website and searching for random words leads me to a real gem. I was looking for a book with a weather term in the title for the What’s in a Name Challenge. This one popped up in the search and the description caught my attention right away.

I’d never read anything by Nancy Pickard but I checked this out from the library hoping it would be OK. It was far more than OK. By the time I’d read first two or three chapters I was praising the random library fates. Then I mentioned it on Twitter and several of my blogging friends immediately responded that they had really liked this one.

I did too. The book opens in 2009 with Jody Linder finding out that the man who went to jail for murdering her father and suspected of murdering her mother has been released from prison. After that opening scene setting the book goes back to the days before the murder and the whole first half is spent describing the events leading up to the crime. This whole section definitely raises a lot of questions and suspicions.

The second half of the book takes place back in 2009 and is about what happens after Billy Crosby returns to town and Jody begins to ask questions of her family and friends about what happened when she was only three years old. She soon discovers that what she has been told all her life by her loving family may not be the entire truth.

This was a suspenseful story and I’m so glad I read it. I definitely recommend this one. Pickard does a great job of keeping the reader questioning the supposed facts of the case right along with Jody.

98SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:31 pm

Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J.Wiebe



Oh this was fun! I heard about this one from a blogger friend and I’m so glad I paid attention. It’s kind of weird and hard to describe but I cannot wait to read more. You can check out a preview of a few pages at the Image Comics site. I’ve already put my name on the waiting list at the library for volume 2 which will be released in February.

The Rat Queens are a group of kick ass female mercenaries. They are assigned a quest as punishment for their latest drunken brawl (as are several other groups involved in this particular brawl). It soon turns out that this is all a trap and someone is out to get all these mercenaries assassinated.

Obviously the Rat Queens can’t let that happen.

This is definitely a comic for mature audiences so if your sensitive to bloody violence, profane language or sexual content don’t bother.

The art by Roc Upchurch is vibrant and action packed. The characters are so varied and interesting because of the fantasy setting. I found a great interview with him at Paste Magazine.

Personally I enjoyed the heck out of it. I liked all the main characters. They’re sarcastic and not pretty idealized female images. They’re also pretty darn badass. I’m going to have to buy this one so I can read it again before volume 2 is released.


a side note: a couple of weeks ago Kurtis Wiebe announced that Roc Upchurch would no longer be illustrating Rat Queens after he was arrested on charges of domestic abuse. Here is Wiebe;'s statement

99SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:31 pm

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells



This is one of those classics that has been on my TBR list for ages. When I picked up a copy of Jeff Lemire’s The Nobody at the library I discovered that it’s a retelling of this story. I decided I needed to read the original first.

I really didn’t know anything about the story before I started reading it. I may have watched the old classic movie one Saturday afternoon ages ago but if I did I didn’t remember it,

I’m glad I read it even though it’s not a book I’m going to go around telling everyone that they need to read it. The story was a classic example of be careful what you wish for. Once he perfected invisibility, Griffin soon discovered the disadvantages. Wintertime in England probably hastened that discovery.

My question is whether his transformation into a sociopath would have happened even if he hadn’t made himself invisible. Was he a person who would have been prone to rages and sociopathic behavior anyway? If he had been able to reverse the invisibility would he still have planned to use it against other people? I don’t think the invisibility or the inability to reverse it made him the way he ended up. I think it just made his story more than a simple crime spree.

I’m very interested to read Lemire’s graphic novel and see how he interprets this story.

100SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:32 pm

The Handsome Man's DeLuxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith narrated by Lisette Lecat



Clearly since I just listened to the fifteenth book in this series it’s obvious I enjoy it. These characters have become old friends.

While they are sometimes classified as mysteries this series is much more light general fiction than mystery. Yes they’re detectives but that’s only a small part of these books.

They are about relationships, friendships, and a love story about the country of Botswana. Precious Ramotswe is the kind of woman I’d like to meet for tea and an afternoon of chatting. She loves her husband, she’s fiercely protective of her friends and she’s immensely proud of her home country of Botswana.

This time around the detective work is about identifying a woman who may have amnesia. At the same time Grace Makutsi is branching out from her work at the detective agency and opening a restaurant. Predictably things don’t go smoothly. When one of the apprentices is let go from the garage he is soon exploring new and unexpected career opportunities.

Mostly it continues to be a light and enjoyable series that is perfect for my driving around and commute time listening. Lisette Lecat does a wonderful job with the characters and saves me the trouble of trying to figure out pronunciation of unfamiliar words.

101SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:32 pm

Queen & Country Vol. 2: Operation Morningstar by Greg Rucka



This spy thriller series is still in a pre 9/11 time frame (which explains the older accepted spelling of Taliban) but that doesn’t really make it feel dated at all. It’s still an exciting political thriller.

Set in both London and Afghanistan the story shifts back and forth between the two. In Afghanistan two of the SIS minders (agents) on a mission to recover a stashed contact list that could put everyone on it as well as years of SIS work at risk.

In London the third member of the team, Tara Chace is not on the mission partly because as a woman she’d have a difficult time in a Taliban ruled area and partly because she’s still undergoing psychological therapy as a result of previous missions. She doesn’t let this keep her from actively working to help the mission.

I am impressed with the way Rucka writes characters who are both strong and damaged and Tara Chase is an excellent example. She’s still messed up but she’s still on the job. Her interactions with the psychologist provide some fast and sharp dialog.

This is a relatively short volume of only three issues from the comic series but it’s a smart and exciting thriller.

The artwork is stark black and white with panels with a lot of detail in places and just enough to convey the story in others. It works well with the sparseness of the dialog to convey the broader story.

I cannot wait to read more of this series. If you haven’t given it a try yet, you should.

If you are a fan of the TV show Homeland I'd suggest giving this series a try.

102SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:33 pm

Denali's Howl by Andy Hall



I think it started when I was a kid and we visited my grandparents. I quickly finished whatever books I’d brought with me and started scouring their house for new things to read. Whenever I picked up a copy of Reader’s Digest (because of course they subscribed) I always scanned the index for a “Drama in Real Life” story. If there was one in the issue, that’s what I read first. That was the beginning of my fascination with survival and disaster stories. Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air is still one of the best I’ve ever read.

Since then I’ve read a couple of other mountain climbing related stories some good, some not so good.

Denali’s Howl lands in the good category. While Into Thin Air was about a relatively recent high altitude climb this book is about events in 1967. One of the things that really stood out for me in this book is the realization of how far technology in both climbing gear and communications have changed for mountaineers in the last nearly fifty years.

These young men didn’t have the advantages of today’s gear and relative ease of communication but even if they had would the results have been different?

For Andy Hall this story also started when he was a kid. His dad was the Park Superintendant at the time. His family lived at the park. When the group of climbers arrives at the park Hall says
Had the van turned into the small neighborhood adjacent to the headquarters area, he might have seen a large truck inner tube in the yard of the first house on the left, and even at that late hour one child bouncing on it: that would have been me.

Hall grew up knowing about this climb and he’s spent years tracking down survivors and information about it.

I think the author really tried to be balanced and not focus on placing blame. There has been enough of that in previous books by members of the expedition who survived. Andy Hall has interviewed them as part of his research for this book. I think the time has helped put some of it into perspective. Also meteorological analysis of the records seems to show it was a rare extreme storm that hit.

103SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:34 pm

Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses by Bess Lovejoy



This is an odd but oddly interesting book. It’s all in short little chapters of only a few pages. Even the size and shape of the book is a bit different. It’s about as wide as a mass market paperback but twice as tall as it is wide.

It’s the kind of book that is easily read in small bits rather than straight through. I’d read one or two chapters or a section and then set it aside to read something else before returning to pick it up when I only had a few minutes to read.

It’s full of odd, interesting and sometimes grotesque and even funny information.

It turns out that an awful lot of famous people went many different directions after they died. Some travelled a long way. Others had their head removed and skulls kept on display or hidden away for long periods of time. Heads are definitely not the only body parts to be snatched and kept.

For a book about dead bodies and scattered bones it’s rather lighthearted and witty.

104SuziQoregon
joulukuu 10, 2014, 8:34 pm

Texts From Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg



I first heard about this book on Twitter and after checking out the website about the book I was happy to say yes when I was offered a copy.

This is light and fun. It’s more the kind of book I picked up and read a few sections of and then put down for a while than a book I wanted to read straight through. The first couple of days I had it I drove The Hubster nuts with “Here! Read this one too!!”

This is an example (From Gone With the Wind):
where r u
......................................Scarlett I’m at work I can’t text right now
need u at mill
......................................Scarlett I have the baby with me I really can’t come to the mill

what baby
......................................My baby. Wade. My baby with Melanie.

guess what kind of corset im wearing

......................................I don’t see what this has to do with the mi-

im not ;)


The subjects range from the classics and Greek myths to Sweet Valley High and The Hunger Games.

The Sherlock Holmes conversations cracked me up as did the recurring Hamlet text conversations.

Some of the books and literary characters were unfamiliar and I really didn’t get the jokes but it was a fun book to pick up and page through when I wanted a giggle.

105banjo123
joulukuu 10, 2014, 9:09 pm

I just got Denali's Howl out of the library and am looking forward to it.

106msf59
joulukuu 11, 2014, 7:19 am

Hi Juli! Nice little flurry of mini-reviews! That will be my next Longmire, sometime early next year. I am also interested in Denali's Howl & Rest in Pieces.

My current GN is Tomboy, a memoir. I think you would like it.

Susan Koenig was on The Colbert Report last night. Did you see it?

107thornton37814
joulukuu 11, 2014, 9:45 am

>97 SuziQoregon: I'm pretty sure that one is already on my TBR list.

108SuziQoregon
joulukuu 11, 2014, 12:31 pm

>105 banjo123: Oh good! Hope you enjoy it.

>106 msf59: It's actually nice to get caught up with reviews here. I think you'll enjoy all of those. I'll take a look at Tomboy. Thanks for the recommendation.

>107 thornton37814: It was one of those that almost randomly landed on my lap and I ended up really liking it a lot. Love it when that happens.

109SuziQoregon
joulukuu 11, 2014, 12:38 pm

No Land's Man by Aasif Mandvi
(Narrated by the author)



This was a thoroughly entertaining and fun audiobook with moments that really made me think in between the moments that had me laughing out loud.

Mandvi’s family left India when he was an infant. He grew up in Northern England and they moved to Florida when he was sixteen. He tells of being an immigrant in two countries and how he developed his passion for acting.

As I said there were moments that were very thought provoking such as
He was just a kid and he didn’t think much about it. It was baffling to me that he had not learned something that I had learned very early on: The world is a much easier, friendlier place when white people like you.


There are also many many moments that made me laugh.

In high school in Florida Mandvi was trying to discover where he fit and felt comfortable.
I found myself without an ally or a group that I could call my own in this new American petri dish. It was only a matter of time, therefore, before I got involved with the wrong crowd: The Actors.


When he was rehearsing his Michael Jackson lip syncing and dancing act for a school production his family didn’t quite understand.
Despite my poor display, my family was supportive. Even though my grandmother didn’t understand what it all meant, she would walk into my bedroom every day and sing “Billy Jesus, not my lawyer.


It’s a short book and the author does a pretty good job of narrating his own story. There were a few times where it felt like he was projecting as if he was on a theater stage rather than right next to a microphone but it was only in a few spots where the story he was telling was a bit frantic and tense.

All in all I really enjoyed this and if you’re looking for something fun to listen to I’d recommend this audiobook

110scaifea
joulukuu 12, 2014, 6:56 am

>109 SuziQoregon:: Oooh, I like him but I had no idea that he had a book out, and I love that he's reading the audio version! Thanks for the review!

111Ameise1
joulukuu 13, 2014, 7:42 am

Juli, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

112SuziQoregon
joulukuu 16, 2014, 1:33 pm

>110 scaifea: I think the audio is a fun way to go with this one.

>111 Ameise1: Oh how lovely

I haven't finished any books since my update last week,

Still reading Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix. It's still got plenty of amusing parts but it's shifted over into the horror part of the story now. I already got twitchy whenever I was in an IKEA store - this book isn't going to help that.

Herbie's Game by Timothy Hallinan is my current treadmill reading ebook. I really enjoy the Junior Bender series and this one goes into how Junior met and learned from his mentor Herbie.

I got caught up on Serial last night so it was time to get back to audiobooks. I always try to find a holiday themed novella or short story collection this time of year. I started listening to Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson.

113SuziQoregon
joulukuu 16, 2014, 1:37 pm

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand



This is one of those books I had on my shelf (on loan from my sister-in-law) that I purposely avoided for a long time. Initially it was because everyone seemed to be reading and recommending it. When that happens I tend to avoid the book because my expectations are so high that I always feel like I’m setting myself up for disappointment.

I finally started it as part of my unofficial Non-Fiction November and then started seeing ads and trailers for the upcoming movie version. I’m really glad I read it before the movie came out.

Louis Zamperini’s story is an amazing one. It’s actually several stories.

His transformation from wild kid to Olympic athlete is one. A wild child headed for trouble, he almost accidentally found his talent as a runner. That he made it into the record books and to the 1936 Olympics is a triumph in itself.

World War II changed his path. When his plane crashed he and two other crew members were the only survivors. To survive 47 days floating in the ocean with no food or water is an amazing story. To follow that up with 2 years of the horrific conditions endured by Japanese prisoners of war is truly a story that would be unbelievable if it hadn’t actually happened.

Zamperini’s final story is his struggle with PTSD and alcohol abuse. His encounter with evangelist Billy Graham was a turning point.

In addition to these stories Hillenbrand takes several detours along the way to tell more about Zamperini’s crewmates, his family and even the sadistic prison camp guard.

Parts of this were extremely difficult to read. In particular the treatment of the POWs was horrific.

Hillenbrand clearly did massive amounts of research and Zamperini’s life is clearly a long and amazing one. I’m glad I finally read this book but it wasn’t one that I’d call excellent. There was a lot of information about a lot of people and even though this is primarily Zamperini’s story it felt rather distant and removed. It full of facts and details but even when the details were about Louie it felt disengaged.

So while I think it was an amazing story, I don’t necessarily think it was an amazing book.

114SuziQoregon
joulukuu 17, 2014, 5:12 pm

I finished Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix at lunchtime. It's a horror story that takes place in a big store that is a total parody of IKEA. It's a fun weird combination of humor, parody and horror without being gory and bloody.

Looking forward to focusing on continuing with Herbie's Game now. When I finish that I have one more book off my shelves I want to read that finish out my What's in a Name reading challenge for 2014. It's Six Years by Harlan Coben. Once I finish that it's going to be nothing but graphic novels and comics for the rest of December.

I'm enjoying my audiobook but will take a break from that tomorrow to listen to the final episode of Serial.

115maggie1944
joulukuu 17, 2014, 7:34 pm

I agree with you that the Zamperini story is the part which is extraordinary. I don't know that I even want to see the movie. Might be a little too "John Wayne-ish" for me.

116Ameise1
joulukuu 20, 2014, 7:01 am

Juli, I wish you a lovely weekend and Merry Christmas.

117maggie1944
joulukuu 20, 2014, 4:06 pm

Hi, Juli, I thought I'd stop by again and ask - what did we decide, if anything, about the next Powell's Bookstore Meet-Up. I've spaced out the discussion and am too lazy to dig back through the threads.

118EBT1002
joulukuu 20, 2014, 4:58 pm

Hi Juli! I stopped by to wish you Happy Winter Solstice and saw >117 maggie1944: Karen's inquiry. I will be in the Portland area April 8-10. That Friday, the 10th, would be a great day of others can do a weekday. If not, I might stay over for Saturday the 11th.....


119SuziQoregon
joulukuu 20, 2014, 5:10 pm

>117 maggie1944: I think the next Portland meet-up was left at "after the holidays".

>118 EBT1002: It just figures - that weekend in April we're heading out Friday afternoon to Ashland. The Hubster is running the Pear Blossom run that Saturday morning and then we're seeing Guys and Dolls at the Shakespeare festival.

120EBT1002
joulukuu 20, 2014, 5:47 pm

>119 SuziQoregon: Rats. Okay, we'll just have to look at other options.

121maggie1944
joulukuu 20, 2014, 5:49 pm

Ok, after the holidays is fine with me. Maybe we can look for a three day weekend for the working folks?

122EBT1002
joulukuu 20, 2014, 7:23 pm

We're taking our new snowshoes to visit The Grandmother (aka Mt. Rainier) for MLK weekend. Maybe Presidents' Day?

123arubabookwoman
joulukuu 21, 2014, 5:02 pm

Another Portland meetup? Count me in!

I had the same reaction as you to Unbroken. I also found myself wondering at times if some of it was a little exaggerated (I have nothing to base that on, just natural skepticism).

I haven't been very good at keeping up with threads this year, including my own--but I've lurked on yours off and on and hope to be much more active next year.

Best wishes to you and your husband for wonderful holidays, and a peaceful New Year.

124connie53
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 24, 2014, 9:23 am

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Juli.

125scaifea
joulukuu 24, 2014, 9:11 am

Happy Holidays, Juli!

126maggie1944
joulukuu 24, 2014, 4:04 pm

I hope your holidays hold everything you wish them to hold.

127AuntieClio
joulukuu 24, 2014, 9:03 pm



Juli, I'm so happy to have made your acquaintance this year. Looking forward to getting to know you better in 2015.

128SuziQoregon
joulukuu 26, 2014, 11:16 am

>121 maggie1944: Sounds like a good option to me.

>122 EBT1002: Presidents' Day weekend could work for me. I don't have the Monday off but I'd be available either Saturday or Sunday.

>123 arubabookwoman: Yay - we definitely need a Portland meetup again. The one last year kicked off my first year in the 75 books group in a perfect way.

Good to hear I'm not alone regarding Unbroken.

Hope you had a lovely Christmas and that the rest of the holiday season is good to you.

>Thank you - Hope you had a nice Christmas and a Happy New Year to come!

>125 scaifea: Thank you! Same to you ;-)

>126 maggie1944: Thanks! So far so good. I'm looking forward to a nice long New Year's weekend starting the 31s!

>127 AuntieClio: Oh that's adorable!

129SuziQoregon
joulukuu 26, 2014, 11:19 am

Hi folks - hope those of you who celebrate had a wonderful Christmas.

I scored a couple of Powell's gift cards so that was a good thing. I also got some noise cancelling earbuds which will make my lunchtime reading at work much more pleasant (and possibly save the lives of a few co-workers).

The bookish gifts I gave were a big hit. I got this book for both The Hubster and my brother and they loved it!

130banjo123
joulukuu 26, 2014, 11:49 am

Hi Juli! Glad you had a good holiday. I need to look into those headphones, for the safety of my co-workers as well.

131PaulCranswick
joulukuu 27, 2014, 12:48 am



Juli, wishing you a wonderful festive season.

132maggie1944
joulukuu 27, 2014, 8:18 am

Looking forward to seeing you in Portland and getting to know you a bit better as I've enjoyed following your thread here!

Yay for the pacific northwest and for books and for LibraryThing!

133msf59
joulukuu 27, 2014, 9:01 am

I hope you had a wonderful holiday, Juli! I also hope you are getting some prime time reading in!

134SuziQoregon
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 27, 2014, 12:42 pm

>130 banjo123: I'm hoping that these earbuds in conjunction with the white noise app on my ipod will make my lunchtime reading easier.

>Thank you Paul. We are so far.

>132 maggie1944: Yay!!

>133 msf59: We did Mark. I'm looking forward to getting some reading time in this weekend and then I'm on vacation on the 31st and 2nd so that will be many days of reading and watching football.

135SuziQoregon
joulukuu 27, 2014, 12:43 pm

I finished up my last novel of the year yesterday. It was Herbie's Game by Timothy Hallinan It's the fourth in his Junior Bender series. Junior is a professional burglar who ends up acting as a sort of private investigator for folks on the wrong side of the law. It's a fun mystery series.

I listened to the first part of the next Phryne Fisher audio Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood. It's the third in that series. I won't finish it before 2015 because I just don't have that much time where I'll be in the car by myself until after the holidays and that's my prime audiobook time.

I did start Six Years by Harlan Coben yesterday but I don't really plan on reading much of that until after the New Year.

My primary reading plan for the rest of 2014 is to work my way through the stack of comics and graphic novels that I have out from the library.

136msf59
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 27, 2014, 2:20 pm

On the GN front, I did finish Revival, which was very good and I will continue the series. I am also really enjoying The Wake. It might end up being a year end favorite.
How is your comic reading?

137SuziQoregon
joulukuu 27, 2014, 3:49 pm

>136 msf59: On my table by my recliner for this week:

Re-read of Fables Vol. 11: War and Pieces by Bill Willingham
Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire
The Nobody by Jeff Lemire
100 Bullets Vol. 3: Hang Up on the Hang Low by Brian Azzarello
Queen & Country Vol. 3: Operation Crystal Ball by Greg Rucka
Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith
SnowPiercer by Jacques Lob

All of which I've had out from the library for a while and need to get to before they're due back.

Backups are
Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages and Jack of Fables Vol. 5: Turning Pages by Bill Willingham

Backups to the backups are the long list of comic in my Comixology library on my iPad.

That ought to keep me busy until New Year's, right??

138msf59
joulukuu 27, 2014, 4:03 pm

Wow! Sounds like you have your comic hands full, my friend. Enjoy! I need to also request the latest Saga book, that just came out. Have you read these?

139SuziQoregon
joulukuu 27, 2014, 4:09 pm

>138 msf59: Yes - LOVE them. They're part of what I need to catch up with on my iPad.

140Ameise1
joulukuu 27, 2014, 5:03 pm

Juli, I wish you a lovely weekend.

141maggie1944
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 28, 2014, 12:06 pm

I am dipping my foot into the graphic literature and found Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino (and many adapters, and illustrators) and I liked it. I also have The Lovecraft Anthology Volume I edited by Dan Lockwood. I have not read it yet but I'm excited.

142SuziQoregon
joulukuu 31, 2014, 12:48 am

>140 Ameise1: Oh that's just lovely!

>141 maggie1944: Hope yoy enjoy. I haven't read those so I'm looking forward to hearing what you think

143SuziQoregon
joulukuu 31, 2014, 1:02 am

It's been a crazy few days - worked from home yesteday. My company has moved to a new building over the weekend and today I went in to the new building to get my workspace set up and to actually try to do some work. That was a bit of a challenge because the space is still under construction. Parts of the space are done and parts are still full of construction workers and very unfinished.

I did get my cube set up and mostly organized. I also got the last project I really wanted to get done before the new year completed. Now I'm on vacation until Monday.
{insert happydancing}

My plan for the next few days is plenty of football watching and reading.

Since I last updated I finished my re-read of Fables Vol. 11: War and Pieces. I love that Cindrella is sucha badass in this one.

I read 100 Bullets Vol. 3: Hang Up on the Hang Lowby Brian Azzarello. I think this was my favorite of the series so far. It's almost a self-contained story about a young man and his long absent father but there are still pieces of the ongoing mystery of the series there too.

I also read The Nobody by Jeff Lemire. This is a re-telling of the H.G. Wells classic The Invisible Man. I really enjoyed Lemire's take on this.

I'm going to start Queen & Country Vol. 3: Operation Crystal Ball by Greg Rucka tonight.

Tomorrow I plan to wind up this 2014 thread with the reviews I've posted on my blog but not here. Now that I'm on vacation I've got major catching up to get done.

Once I get 2014 done and updated here it'll be time to get my 2015 thread started. That means I need to pick a topper photo from my photo files - that's always the hardest part of any new thread for me because I know I'll be living with that photo for a few months. Silly I know but important to me.

144michigantrumpet
joulukuu 31, 2014, 3:20 pm

Hooray for {happy dancing} and being off until Monday! I hear you about having some major catching up!

Heading over to 2015 to see if you've started a thread there yet.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

145Ameise1
joulukuu 31, 2014, 4:13 pm



May all your wishes come true.

146SuziQoregon
joulukuu 31, 2014, 5:29 pm

>144 michigantrumpet: Nope - no 2015 thread yet. I have some stuff to post to wind down 2014 then I'll start one in the new place.

>145 Ameise1: Fabulous and Thank You!

147SuziQoregon
joulukuu 31, 2014, 6:43 pm

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix



Part of the reason a horror story set in an IKEA knock off store appealed to me was because I’ve been to IKEA twice and both times felt relieved to have escaped with my sanity intact. The disorienting layout and sensory overload of the displays, not to mention the crowds are just torture as far as I’m concerned.

So a horror story set in this type of environment? Totally plausible to me.

The fun part is that the book cover at first glance looks like an IKEA catalog. Inside chapter breaks are descriptions of merchandise that are initially innocuous but grow more and more disturbing as the story progresses.

It’s not a slasher type or blood and guts horror story, It more of a haunted house on a big box scale. There is plenty of humor along the way but it’s definitely a horror story.

It’s a little different. It’s a little creepy. It’s actually a lot of fun. Get the book – the IKEA catalog comparison just cannot come through in an ebook or audio version.

148SuziQoregon
joulukuu 31, 2014, 6:44 pm

Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson



I always try to listen to or read a holiday themed book or short story collection in the latter part of December. This year I chose this wonderful little novella featuring some of my favorite characters from Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series.

The story is set up with the arrival of a stranger who gets Walt to take her along on his regular Tuesday night trip to play chess with his former boss. From there it becomes a flashback to 1988 and the Christmas Eve just a couple of months after Walt became sheriff.

A winter blizzard, an historic plane, a dying little girl and just enough people who feel that the right thing to do is to try set the story in motion. The identity of the stranger and the outcome of the flight really aren't in question but the adventure and suspense remain high throughout this story.

For fans of Walt Longmire it’s a nice holiday story without being an integral part of the main series.

I opted for the audio version because I adore George Guidall’s narration of this series and was not disappointed at all.

149SuziQoregon
joulukuu 31, 2014, 6:44 pm

Herbie's Game by Timothy Hallinan



So you see, kid,” Herbie said, ‘we’re like Robin Hood. We steal from the rich and we give to the poor.”
“How do we give to the poor?” I asked.
“I said we were like Robin Hood, not a slavish imitation of Robin Hood.”
“So we’re sort of like Robin Hood,” I said.
“Yeah,” Herbie said. “If you squint.”

I have enjoyed every book in the Junior Bender series. A professional burglar who occasionally operates as an investigator for those on the wrong side of the law Junior is smart and witty even though he’s not always exactly keen on his job.
The idea of investigating crimes on behalf of crooks hadn’t been mine, and much of the time it took a gun to my head, metaphorically and occasionally literally, to get me to go to work. Even though I kind of enjoyed figuring things out and it was mildly flattering ot be asked, there was the drawback of my possible death every time I went to work.

This time around Junior is hired to investigate a theft but the investigation leads to his mentor Herbie who is most definitely dead. Junior is shaken by Herbie’s death and the investigation into both the initial theft and the identity of Herbie’s killer becomes more and more complicated and surprising. Junior learns things about his mentor that he’d rather not know and learns some things about himself along the way.

I really enjoy Junior and the cast of recurring characters, in particular Junior’s teenage daughter. Junior’s girlfriend Ronnie intrigues me. She’s got some secrets herself.

It’s a fun series with plenty of action and humor along the way. I recommend it. They do work as stand alones but there are some continuing stories that make a bit more sense if you read the series in order.

150SuziQoregon
joulukuu 31, 2014, 6:58 pm

And that wraps up the reviews I have written and posted on my blog for my 2014 books. The last couple I finished will be posted on the blog in the next couple of weeks and will be posted on my 2015 thread.

I'm currently at 92 books for the year which is more than my initial goal of 85. I'm good with that.

I doubt I'll finish my current read (Queen & Country Vol. 3: Operation Crystal Ball by Greg Rucka tonight so it might end up being my first of 2015.

I'm enjoying having a bit of a comics and graphic novel binge here at the end of the year and during my short New Year's vacation.

Wow - it's been a great year and I am so happy I took the plunge and joined the group. I have met some great people and my TBR list has exploded.

Looking forward to continuing to talk books with those I've met this year and hope to get around to some of the threads to meet more of the members of the group.

Thanks to all of you for making me feel welcome. I've had a wonderful rookie year here.

151lkernagh
tammikuu 1, 2015, 1:08 pm

Horrorstor is my kind of horror story. Glad to see you found it as fun, with a bit of creepiness to it, as I did!

152Oregonreader
tammikuu 3, 2015, 11:34 pm

Hope you had a wonderful end of the year, Juli. I look forward to connecting some time this year in a meet-up. I'm a terrible lurker but my goal is to take the time to stop and say hi more often! Go Ducks!