Stacy's 2016 ROOT Challenge

Back again for more ROOT reading. As usual, I'm only considering books acquired by the end of 2015 for this challenge. This does include both physical and e-books as I have plenty of both piling up.

My overall goal is 55 books which is slightly under what I will end up for 2015 but close.




1. With Baited Breath by Lorraine Bartlett (2015)
2. Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger (2015)
3. Elements of Style Illustrated by William Strunk Jr. (pre-2013)
4. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (2015)
5. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (2015)
6. The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer (2015)
7. Eventide by Kent Haruf (2015)
8. Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (2014)
9. Dino by Nick Tosches (2014) DNF
10. Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2015)
11. White Egrets by Derek Walcott (2015)
12. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)
13. Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks (2013)
14. Savage Season by Joe Lansdale (2015)
15. An Academic Question by Barbara Pym (2015)
16. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (2015)
17. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer (2015)
18. X by Sue Grafton (2015)
19. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner (2015)
20. Stone Cold by C. J. Box (2014)
21. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2015)
22. Endangered by C. J. Box (2015)
23. The Sweet Dove Died by Barbara Pym (2015)
24. Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet (pre-2013)
25. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (2015)
26. Death & Life of Monterey Bay by Stephen Palumbi (2015)
27. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (2015)
28. Artifact by Gigi Pandian (2015)
29. Kindred by Octavia Butler (2015)
30. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch (2015)
31. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart (2015)
32. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (2015)
33. Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (2013)
34. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (2013)
35. Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon (2015)
36. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss (2015)
37. Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen (2013)
38. America America by Ethan Canin (pre-2013)
39. Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis (pre-2013)
40. Outsider in Amsterdam by Janwillem de van Wetering (2015)
41. The Burglar Who Counted Spoons by Lawrence Block (2014)
42. The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson (2014)
43. Silas Marner by George Eliot (2015)
44. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (2015)
45. Exiles in the Garden by Ward Just (pre-2013)
46. Board Stiff by Kendel Lynn (2014)
47. Otter Country by Miriam Darlington (2014)
48. Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver (pre-2013)
49. Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis by Cara Black (2013)
50. Jimmy Stewart by Marc Eliot (pre-2013)
51. Murder on the Mind by L.L. Bartlett (2015)
52. Night Music by JoJo Moyes (2013)
53. The Mysterious Code by Kathryn Kenny (2015)
54. Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer (2014)
55. Impossible Things by Connie Willis (pre-2013)

EXTRA

56. Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino (2014)
57. Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers (2014)
58. Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym (2015)
59. A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes (2014)
60. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (pre-2013)

Hi Stacy. Good to see you back again.

Happy rooting!

Happy Rooting!

And I see I picked the same ticker as you.... ;)
Fellow Pluviophile?

Welcome back and good luck!

Good luck with your ROOT reading, Stacy!

Happy New Year to you both too! Hope it's off to a great start!

First ROOT down!

1. With Baited Breath by Lorraine Bartlett (3 stars) I'm a fan of her Booktown series under the name Lorna Barett so thought I would check out this first book in The Lotus Bay series. Set in a small town, Tori has come home for her grandmother's funeral. While there she realizes how much the bait shop and inn that her grandparents ran have fallen into disrepair. To top things off, a local man is found dead on their property. Tori, her best friend Kathy, and old friend Anissa (daughter of the deceased) find themselves investigating the murder a bit. In reality, this book was way less of a mystery novel and more of a female bonding book. Three strong women trying to figure out the next move in their lives. Each of them have dreams they want to pursue but do they have the courage to do so.

First root down! Congrats!

>4 avanders: - Yes! I am a fellow Pluviophile. Granted, I had to look it up first to see what it meant, but it does fit me to a tee. Love a nice rainy day.

>11 LittleTaiko: ;) I did too, the first time I heard the word!
Also,


& congrats on your first ROOT!

Happy New Year and congrats on your first ROOT!

>13 MissWatson: - Thank you very much! Managed to finish a second one but it wasn't very good. Hoping that my next one will be much better.

2. Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger (2 stars)

I'm always intrigued by those what if moments and stories. What if you had turned a different direction, slept in, answered a phone, etc...? This book starts with that premise - what if Ridley Jones had just done something differently this one particular morning, would her whole life still have unraveled? Unfortunately, the execution of the story just didn't work for me overall. Too much time with Ridley explaining to the reader all of her decisions. Too many stupid choices that just didn't make sense at all. Granted it was still a bit of a page turner, but I really have no interest in reading anything else in this series.

I read that one for last years ROOTs. I needed a book by a writer who's last name began with an U. So this was the one I choose. I do agree with your review. We call it 'een tussendoortje' an easy-go-between-better-books book.

>15 connie53: - Love that phrase! Very apt description too. Funny, I used it for an Alpha challenge of my own too. U's are hard to come by. Oh well, at least it's done and off my shelf and firmly in the to be donated to the library pile.

>14 LittleTaiko:
I like those types of stories, too, but it looks like that one won't be going on my list! Hope the next one you pick up is better.

3. The Elements of Style Illustrated by William Strunk Jr - (3 stars)

This was an informative yet slightly dated reference book. It's full of helpful information for those of us who might not remember all of the specific grammar rules.

However there were a few rules that stuck me as dated, specifically the rule about nouns used as verbs. The examples included criticisms of using hosted and debuted which are quite common verbs today. Also, I didn't agree with the rule saying that instead of using they we should all commit to using he as that was the most practical usage.

Overall this is a book I'll keep on hand for quick reference. I also find I'm a bit paranoid about writing now. What if I'm breaking one of the rules? :)

>18 LittleTaiko: I get paranoid about writing reviews of grammar books for that very reason -- fear that I'm committing some language atrocities.

>18 LittleTaiko:, I just heard on NPR this week that Merriam-Websters "new" word of 2016 is "they" ....not that it is a new word, but that it is used in a new way, instead of he. I'm from the old school and I teach high school and college (although not grammar), but I make my students use he! I am probably the last generation of teachers to do that.

>20 Tess_W: - I just heard that on a podcast I was listening to today. Absolutely fascinating to hear how divisive the use of they can be. I completely get the logic behind not using it in the singular form, but the reality is that for me it's much easier to use they in those cases when speaking. I must admit that I felt a bit better about it after listening to that podcast. :)

4. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (2 stars)

How best to describe the experience of reading this book? It's like when you pass a particularly gruesome accident sight. You don't want to look, but yet can't help but take a peak but you do so very quickly as you don't want to linger too much. Lotto and Mathilde have been married for quite some time and apparently are much in love. The first half of the book is from Lotto's perspective and the second half from Mathilde's. After spending that much time with the narcissistic Lotto it was a relief to get to Mathilde - no matter how disturbing her half might be. Nobody in this book is like able but more of a problem they aren't realistic. It was a page turner for sure as I was trying to read it as fast as I could to get out of there world. The one bright spot was the addition of a Shiba Inu puppy to their household. As a former owner of two Shiba's it was nice to see a relatively unrecognized breed get a little shout out.

5. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (3 stars)

Quirky, funny, slightly exaggerated memoir, at least I'm assuming it's exaggerated as surely not everything that happened could have really happened, right? This memoir recounts Gerry's experiences as a 10 year old when his family moves to Greece and he's given a chance to explore the animal world to his hearts content with humorous results.

>22 LittleTaiko: ooh, that's on our list of potential books for my RL book group this year... I've never read anything by Groff yet, but I personally wasn't excited about Fates & Furies.... ;) Based on your review, sounds like I may have been right (at least, for what I like in a book)

>24 avanders: - It's definitely a book club worthy book as there are bound to be tons of opinions on this. It seems to fall firmly in the love it or hate it scenario. I'll be interested to see if you guys do end up reading it what you think of it.

6. The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer (5 stars)

I do love a good memoir and this may be one of the best. He recounts the importance the neighborhood bar and all the regulars had on his life as he grew up without a father. It reads like a novel and is full of the most colorful cast of characters you could want.

7. Eventide by Kent Haruf (5 stars)

Really wish I had read this one sooner as it was a wonderful follow up to Plainsong. It continues to follow the lives of the townspeople in Hoyt, Colorado. So nice to be back with Raymond, Harold, and company. Haruf still manages to capture the feel of small town life.

8. Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (5 stars)

This may be the funniest Wodehouse book I've ever read. That is saying quite a bit as I generally love his books. This one was full of the usual romantic misunderstandings and scrapes but the duo of Wooster & Jeeves is just so good. Bertie was in fine form in this one.

Almost forgot to add this DNF. I'm counting it since it's one more book out of my pile so therefore a ROOT pulled.

9. Dino by Nick Tosches (1 star)

Really wanted to like this as I'm a big fan of Dean Martin's music. This book just wasn't for me. Too many side stories about the mob in Ohio and pretty much anybody other than Dean. The tone was pretty dark too with racist and misogynistic undertones. Finally just gave up because every time I thought about picking up the book I'd find a several other things that I'd rather be doing instead.

>28 LittleTaiko: I have found that to be about several biographies of the Ratpack....dark, racist, mob-related and misogynistic. So much so that I can't listen to Dean sing anymore!

>29 Tess_W: - Oh dear, if that is the case then I better stop reading their biographies as I'd hate to not be able to listen to Dean. He's one of my go to singers when I need a lift. I am tentatively planning on reading Rat Pack Confidential later this year. If it goes down the same path then I'm done with the Rat Pack biographies and will live in ignorant bliss.

10. Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Really, really loved this book. Held off from 5 stars as I did have a few quibbles with it but nothing too serious. If you are a fan of the whole what if concept then this is the book for you. Hannah has come back to LA to stay with her friend Gabby after a few years of not so great life choices. To celebrate her first night back, they go out with a group of old high school friends including Ethan, Hannah's ex-boyfriend. At the end of the evening she has to make a choice between staying out later with Ethan or heading back to Gabby's. The book alternates chapters between the two different realities. The author did a great job of juggling the two options and letting us see how the decisions we make sometimes make a difference.

11. White Egrets by Derek Walcott (2 stars)

Finally finished this volume of poetry and can safely say I really didn't understand most of the poems. It's probably more of a reflection on me as a poetry reader than anything else. I do love Mary Oliver's poems usually but those seem to be more simple and direct which works better for me.

>31 LittleTaiko: That sounds really like a fun book, Stacy.

12. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2 stars)

This book may suffer from my very high expectations. I had read so many wonderful things about the book I expected to be blown away. Instead I found myself frustrated with the format as it was primarily a steady stream of concisiousness. While short, this is not a book that can be quickly breezed through in an afternoon. It will challenge your beliefs, most likely make you mad at some point (if not many), and cause sadness. For me my main sadnes was in how angry and fearful he is and how he seems to be trying to pass along that fear to his son. Lots to digest and I'm sure I'll be thinking about it for a while.

>33 connie53: - It was a very fun book! A nice change of pace from some of the other things I had been reading.

>34 LittleTaiko: I just bought that this weekend... :) Interesting perspective! But I may also suffer from the "heightened expectations" issue....

Stealing avanders idea of having a potential list for Thingaversary purchases. My 9th anniversary is coming up in April. Not sure I'll actually buy nine books with one to grow on, but it's fun to think about. The list in no particular order is:

Unchartered Territory by Connie Willis
1984 by George Orwell
Quick Curtain by Alan Melville
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
Spook by Mary Roach
Sutton by J.R. Moehringer
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Why We Came to the City by Kristopher Jansma
In Montmartre by Sue Roe
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Stories from the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean
A Life with Books by Julian Barnes

Nice list, Stacy!

>38 LittleTaiko: very nice list! :)
It was actually Connie's idea, though ;)

>40 avanders: I love to share!

Well thank you both for the idea then!

13. Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulk (4 stars)

Billed as an homage to P.G. Wodehouse, this last installment in the Jeeves/Wooster series hit the mark. Faulk did an excellent job of capturing the Wodehouse spirit. The usual shenanigans ensue that are guaranteed to put Bertie into the most ridiculous positions. Loved it.

>41 connie53: we appreciate it! :D You always have great ideas!

>43 LittleTaiko: fun! I've only read 1 homage to Wodehouse and it was definitely fun -- my interest is piqued!

14. Savage Season by Joe Lansdale (2 stars)

Not sure how exactly to rate this one. Part of the low rating is that I've read a later book of his and know he can be so much better. Plus, with this being the first in a series and I believe his first book ever it suffers from quite a bit of unevenness. The first half felt like he was trying to hard with the Hap and Leonard characters but by the end they seemed to have settled down and he was starting to find his groove. Definitely lots of potential and I will try more in the series. Also interested in checking out the TV series based on his Hap & Leonard books - they might be the sort that work better on screen then in print.

15. An Academic Question by Barbara Pym (3 stars)

Published after Pym's death this was taken from her rough drafts and polished a bit. It still has some of the signature Pym elements like an academic setting. However, this was one case where the heroine, Caro, was just plain annoying. It was also the only Pym book that I've read that seemed a bit racist. Her insights into human nature were still spot on, but overall it was a bit rough and not one of her best.

16. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (5 stars)

Was so excited that Marra had a new book out and was anxious to find out if it would be as good as his first novel, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena which was one of my favorite books the year I read. His second book shows that he is no fluke. While this is soft of a collection of short stories they are all woven together as characters show up in multiple stories and you can see the ultimate story unravel over time. Covering the time period of 1937-2013 in Chechnya, St. Petersburg the stories follow several people who are trying to navigate the rules of war, peace, love, and the general act of living. The characters are complex people who will make you laugh and cry. Marra has a way of sneaking in some quick one-liners that you might miss if you aren't careful. Some of my favorite lines from the book are:

"If there is an operation, and if that operation is successful, she says she will move to Sweden. I fear for her future in a country who citizenry is forced to assemble its own furniture"

"We enter the stage of life as dolls and exit as gargoyles."

"Turning I would to I did is the grammar of growing up."

>47 LittleTaiko: I think that's the 3rd BB I've caught today!

In fact I just added A Constellation of Vital Phenomena to the wishlist as well, they both sound right up my street. It appears that The Tsar of Love and Techno isn't released in the UK until July-August time though.

>47 LittleTaiko: oh a Tournament of Books book! Do you follow?
That book is already on my amazon wishlist... :)

>49 avanders: - Yes! I'm definitely a TOB fan. I've read most of the books nominated this year with one left to go before it's round on Friday. There is a TOB thread in the Category Challenge group if you are interested in following along there. What has been your favorite book in the tournament?

http://www.librarything.com/topic/214782

>50 LittleTaiko: wow! A few of my friends and I are actually doing a bracket, like fantasy football, and betting a book each (i.e., the losers each have to give the winner a book :))
Although there are several that I'm interested in reading, I've read *none* yet :-o
Wish I had more time!
I think I will probably like Bats of the Republic the most, when I get to it -- just based on what I know about it and what the judges/commentators have said. But I'm also really intrigued by The Turner House, Our Souls at Night, The Whites, and the Tsar book.... Perhaps others as we go along ;)

& Thanks for that link! I've starred it and will check it out later...

>51 avanders: - That sounds like great fun! Love that the winner ends up with books as a prize. It's the first year that I've read as many of the books as I have - it's basically how I spent most of my end of Jan - February reading time. My favorite was definitely Tsar though Bats was my third favorite.

17. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer (3 stars)

Really didn't know what to expect from this book as it was given to me as a gift and not something that I had sought out. This is a mystery novel with the most unusual protagonist named Patrick who sufferes from Asberger's. You spend quite a bit of time with his POV which is disconcerting but quite interesting as it allows him to view things in a way your ordinary person might not. Loved all the twists and turns throughout the book.

>52 LittleTaiko: It's kind of exciting. ;) After this year, though, I will definitely want to spend some time reading the books next year!
Cool about today's result, don't you think?!

>54 avanders: - Yes! I was pleasantly surprised with today's results. Not sure it will win it's next round but am so happy it's made it this far. Maybe it will be the big underdog of the tournament.

>55 LittleTaiko: I hope it goes a bit further too! :)

>56 avanders: - Sadly, it didn't make it to the final round. Tomorrow is the big finale - I think I'm rooting for The Sellout but don't know if I care passionately either way.

Yikes! I've fallen so far behind on posting the books I've finished. Here goes a quick update.

18. X: A Kinsey Millhone by Sue Grafton (4 stars)

Still really love this series featuring Kinsey Millhone. I think Grafton gets better with age. There are a few stories that keep Kinsey quite busy and it felt pretty seamless how all the events unfolded.

19. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner (3 stars)

Nice novel about two women separated by 100 years who have suffered loss in New York City and somehow connected by a beautiful scarf. The story primarily focuses on Clara who in 1911 is working as a nurse on Ellis Island. The man she thought she loved has just died and she is trying to recover. Overall I enjoyed Clara though she struck me as quite naive. Her reactions seemed more inline with a teenage girl than an adult woman. However her spirit won me over.

20. Stone Cold by C. J. Box (3 stars)

Another entry in the Joe Pickett series that finds Joe getting into all sorts of trouble - some of it is is own fault. For once, I found Joe to be a bit too impulsive and bullheaded. The situation with his daughter just seemed to be a bit over the top, especially how it ended. Overall, spending time with the Picketts is always a nice way to spend the time.

21. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2 stars)

This is really a case of what I feel is really a good book just being completely wrong for this reader and I can't quite pinpoint why. I think it's the pacing that does't work for me. This book is one to be slowly taken in as she does have some beautiful sentences that are worth noting. My reading style does not naturally work with that languid pace. John Ames is an aging minister who is writing down life thoughts to leave behind to his young son. Through the letters you learn a bit more about Ames's past and his religious musings. Quaint.

Glad to see the high rating for the Grafton book - I am currently at "O" in that series - and well, darn on the Robinson read. ;-( It can see where the pacing of the story could be a problem.... it is a rather sedate 'no action' kind of story.

>59 lkernagh: - Yeah, it was slow, it was so strange to read it and have that feeling that I really should be enjoying it more. I'm passing it along to my dad as I think he might enjoy it.

22. Endangered by C.J. Box (4 stars)

This book picked up a few months after the previous one. The badly beaten body of a young woman has been found and it turns out to be April who has been missing since the end of Stone Cold. Immediate suspicion is on her cowboy boyfriend and his family closes ranks to protect him. In the meantime, Joe is also dealing with a grouse preservation issue, and Nate is battling his own problems. This was a well plotted book that continues to show a complex family. Joe is far from perfect and it was nice to have his belief in his assumptions challenged.

23. The Sweet Dove Died by Barbara Pym (3 stars)

The thing about Pym novels is that you may not like the characters overall but they all seem quite real and are just your basic flawed human beings who have their good and bad points. This time we meet the older glamorous Leonora who delights in the attentions of men as long as they don't go too far. She spends her time with Humphrey and his newphew James. While Humphrey is her age her primary focus is on James. We see the young James try to figure out what his life should be like and how much Leonora should be involved. Leonora is quite a piece of work and James really needs to grow a backbone.

24. Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet (3 stars)

I've had this book on my e-reader for over 3 years and I have no idea why it's taken me so long to read it. The action centers around Adrian, an author at the end of his career who churns out Agatha Christie style murder mysteries. He delights in changing his will on a regular basis and tormenting his grown children who are relying on an inheritance. When he announces he's going to remarry, it throws the family in a tizzy and results in the family getting together in one spot which of course is the perfect set up for a murder.

>62 LittleTaiko: I love that title - Death of a Cozy Writer - cute! :) Just a "meh" read, though?

>63 avanders: - It was better than "meh". For me, 3 stars means that I liked it but may or may not recommend it depending on the circumstances. It was enjoyable but not the greatest thing I ever read.

>64 LittleTaiko: Ok cool! Yeah, 3 stars can be the same for me... but sometimes also serves a "meh" purpose if the writing was fine and I didn't really have any complaints.... I guess I tend to give those 2 or 2 and a half stars, though. :)

25. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (3 stars)

Anne's family continues to grow up and this installment spends quite a bit of time with the children's various adventures. A little to cutesy for me at times but still a nice visit with Anne and company.

26. The Death and Life of Monterey Bay by Stephen Palumbi (3 stars)

This was an interesting look at the history of Monterey Bay and how over fishing almost destroyed the marine life in the bay. Due to some colorful people, the area is now home to a thriving community of various creatures and quite the tourist destination.

27. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (3 stars)

Bathsheba is determined to keep control of the farm she inherited and maintain her independence. That proves a bit more challenging then she thought due to three very different men - Gabe, the shephard; Mr. Boldwood, another farmer; and Seargent Troy, a bit of a scoundrel - who have shown an interest in her. Quite wordy at times which led to lots of skimming on my part. There is really only so much descriptive paragraphs a person can take. However, it was entertaining enough.

28. Artifact by Gigi Pandian (2 stars)

This first installment of the Jaya Jones mystery series is one that I really wanted to like more than I did. Jaya is a historian who received a mysterious ruby bracelet in the mail from her ex-lover. Turns out he mailed it the same day he was killed in a car accident. Jaya thinks there is more to the story and sets out to investigate. I liked the character of Jaya as she was full of energy, smart (most of the time), and not one to let people do everything for her. However, there seemed to lots of incessant discussions that went nowhere so after awhile I'd get bored with the story. Overall it was mildly entertaining and a nice diversion but not something I'd rave about.

>66 LittleTaiko: In general, I liked Far From the Madding Crowd; however, I'm still puzzled by the title. The only thing I can come up with is that the setting is pastoral. ??????

>66 LittleTaiko: I watched the movie of Far from the Madding Crowd, starring Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba, and I think that will do for me. Not sure how much strength I have for descriptive paragraphs.

>68 rabbitprincess: because I want to see the movie so badly, I bought the book (which I haven't yet read). I will wait until I read it before I allow myself to watch the movie... but I mean.. so many books, so little time...

Far From the Madding Crowd was one of my set books for English lit O'level (the exams we take at 16). I really didn't get into the book for ages, but then I saw the original film (with Julie Christie as Bathsheba), and having seen the film I found it so much easier to read the book. I haven't seen the more recent film though.

>70 Jackie_K: interesting.. if I struggle w/ enjoying the book, maybe I'll let myself go ahead w/ the movie, then, to see if that helps ;)

>70 Jackie_K: - It seems that the movie version would hit on all the more interesting parts and leave out all the descriptive stuff that tended to bog down the book.

On a fun side note, I just finished reading a book set around 1865 and a character stated that she was "glad to far from the madding crowd." Love it when the books I read relate in weird ways like that.

29. Kindred by Octavia Butler (4 stars)

This book was way more intense than I was expecting for a time travel novel. In hindsight though I shouldn't have been surprised since the issue of slavery plays such a big part in the book. Dana is a black woman living in the 1970's when suddenly she is pulled back into time and finds herself in Maryland during the early 1800's. Her purpose while there seems to be to keep a young white boy named Rufus alive. Turns out that Rufus is a relative of hers and he needs to survive in order for her life to happen. Let's just say he doesn't make it easy for her. The complexities of having to adjust to life as a slave in order to ensure her survival, keeping Rufus alive, and fighting for her own life at times make for a very intense and compelling read.

30. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch (4 stars)

I needed something more amusing after the last book I read and this book nailed it for me. Perfect book at the perfect time. Charles Lenox is an armchair detective living in London during the mid 1800's. His best friend and next door neighbor, Lady Jane, asks him to investigate the death of a former maid of hers. Her death was caused by poison but was it suicide or murder. I adored every character in Lenox's inner circle from Lady Jane, to his brother Edmond, to his friend McConnell. It ended up being a book that I flew through and kept wanting to get back to. In fact, once I finished it, I promptly bought the next two in the series.

>73 LittleTaiko: I loved Kindred, although I'm not really a time travel fan!

>73 LittleTaiko: oooh Kindred was recommended highly to me by a coworker... I added it to my RL book group's "jar of fate" :) So I'm sure I will get to it eventually! Sounds great!

31. Girl Waits With a Gun by Amy Stewart (4 stars)

This was such a fun read made even more enjoyable by the fact that it's based on a true story. Constance Kopp and her sisters are living in a rural area in the early 1900's making their living the best they can on a farm. Constance is not your typical woman - she's 6 feet tall with no interest in getting married and at one point in her life was a deputy sheriff. When the sisters have a run in with a local man and his gang trouble ensues. Constance ends up working closely with the sherriff to get matters resolved. Can't wait for the next book to come out that follows the sister's lives even further.

>74 Tess_W: - I can see that since time travel was just a means to move the story along. The real focus was on adjusting to life as a slave when you're used to being a free person.

>75 avanders: - Hope you like it!

32. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (4 stars)

How would you handle it if you woke up one day and couldn't remember the last 10 years of your life? Instead of being a happy newlywed expecting the birth of your fist child, you find out that you have three children, are in the middle of a very messy divorce and that your relationship with your sister is quite strained. That is what happens to Alice. As she tries to navigate her current life she's trying to figure out how she became the person she is today and realizes that the younger Alice might not like the present day Alice that much. I've enjoyed everything I've read by Moriarty so far and this is no exception. She really excels at getting into her character's heads and portraying them as realistic people doing the best they can. Really enjoyed the part of the story from Elisabeth's point of view as her thoughts really made sense to me.

>78 LittleTaiko: sounds very interesting!

>78 LittleTaiko: I've read other books by that author and I did like them.

33. Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery (3 stars)

Anne, Gilbert, and their clan are the back story here. This time the focus is on the Meredith's, the local absent minded, dreamy preacher and his free-spirited children. The Meredith and Blythe children become fast friends and spend a lot of time in Rainbow Valley. Definite foreshadowing of the upcoming War (now known as WWI) through Walter's vision of a Pied Piper coming to their village. The children's stories are quaint but I would have much preferred to spend more time with Anne.

34. Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery (4 stars)

The war has arrive and some of the local boy are signing up to fight. Rilla, the youngest of the Blythe children is now a young woman of 15 who is wanting the typical teenage things like parties, fun, and to flirt with boys. Instead she is worried about her brothers, her potential beau, and the impact the war is having on the people at home. I ended up shedding tears quite a bit and it was usually because of that dog. Every single time he made an appearance it just killed me. Really enjoyed learning about how involved the people left behind were in following the progress of the war.

>81 LittleTaiko: I had to read Rilla at home instead of on the bus because I kept crying all over the place. Such a good book.

Good call. I was very happy that I was reading it over the weekend. Every time I picked it up, the tears just came. When Dog Monday started howling, I was just a a basket case knowing what was coming.

35. Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon (3 stars)

If my rating was only based on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg then I'd totally give this 5 stars. She is such an amazing woman and has accomplished so much. The format as a bit too choppy for my taste but did give the pertinent details of her life.

36. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss (3 stars)

Funny and annoying book about punctuation. Lots of pertinent details but at times the tone felt a bit condescending. Still, it's something I'll keep on hand for reference.

37. Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4 stars)

This book has been languishing on my shelves for the past three years. I didn't really know what it was about only that someone had given it to me thinking I might like it. Very happy to discover a detective series of sorts. The newly established Dept Q solves two problems, it helps close cold cases and it allows the head of the police to relegate his most disliked detective to head up the department in exchange for a nice amount of government funding. I loved the interaction between Carl and Assad. This hit the right amount of humor and mystery for my taste. Now I have another series to read.

38. America America by Ethan Canin (3 stars)

Interesting book set in the 70's that follows Corey a young teenager who has learned the value of hard work from his father. His attention to details and willingness to work impresses a local wealthy businessman with an interest in politics. He hires Corey to do work around the house. Corey gets to know all the members of the family, especially the two daughters while working and is even invited to take part in some of their family activities. As he goes off to school, he also becomes involved in a presidential campaign that has shades of Ted Kennedy to it. Overall I liked this book, but it jumped around so much that it was hard to stay invested sometimes.

39. Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis (3 stars)

I usually enjoy anything written by Ellis and this was no different. He focuses on six significant occurrences during the founding of the US. Having seen the musical Hamilton recently, the chapter on the Hamilton/Burr duel was especially interesting.

40. Outsider in Amsterdam by Janwillem van de Wetering (2 stars)

The good: sly humor, one of the two detectives is surprisingly attached to his cat, a look at the Netherlands, a country I don't know much about.

The bad: maybe it's a product of it's time (written in 1975) but it comes across as a bit sexist, racist, and homophobic. Also, the translation seemed particularly stilted which led to some really basic dialogue.

Decent mystery but not a series I'd like to continue.

41. The Burglar Who Counted Spoons by Lawrence Block (4 stars)

Finally, another entry in the Burglar series. Okay, I've had this book for two years so maybe finally is too strong of a word, but I did enjoy catching up on Bernie's antics. Bernie is having to balance his normal job as a bookseller, his after hours job of burgling, as well as help the police with a suspicious death. Lots of fun as usual.

Wow, you have been reading lots of books! Good job!

42. The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson (5 stars)

I had started to read this a few years ago and got stuck on the introduction. This time around no such problem and I'm glad I picked it up again since I absolutely loved it. Who knew that lobsters were so fascinating? Things that I learned are:

1. Male lobsters have two penises
2. Female lobsters search out the male when it's time to mate. They can take in the sperm and then add the eggs later.
3. They shed their shells many, many, many times during the course of the lives
4. It is literally a pissing contest when lobsters are fighting for dominance as the lobsters urinate through their mouths and are spitting pee at their opponent.
5. Smell is very important
6. They can't swim except for the couple of weeks when they are super lobsters. Other than that, they walk. Strange visualization, isn't it?

The author did a great job of balancing the story of the families who make their living catching lobsters with the actual science of lobsters.

43. Silas Marner by George Eliot (4 stars)

Simple and sweet tale of a weaver who has been ostracized from his village and finds a place in a neighboring town. He is reluctant to get involved with his local neighbors but instead focuses on saving up his gold. When his gold is stolen it turns his world upside down. When a small child wanders into his cottage it creates more confusion but gives him something to live for. It's a nice tale of how family isn't necessarily defined by who you are related to and helping others.

>88 connie53: - Thanks! Only 12 more to go to reach my goal which is totally doable. Can't believe how many of my own books I've managed to read so far this year.

>89 LittleTaiko: Added The Secret Life of Lobsters to the TBR list! Those facts are fascinating.

>91 rabbitprincess: - It was quite entertaining - I kept stopping to share all these tidbits with my husband. We're going to Maine in September and hopefully doing a lobster cruise so I'm all set now!

>89 LittleTaiko: And now I know all those little facts too! Thanks.

44. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (5 stars)

I had forgotten how well McCullough can tell a story. Granted in this case, the Wright Brothers and their accomplishments are so fascinating it should be hard to write a boring story about them. While I obviously knew about their being the first in flight, I had never stopped to consider what an accomplishment that really was. The amount of time, effort, and brains that went into their creation is astounding. I highly recommend this book.

45. Exiles in the Garden by Ward Just (2 stars)

This ended up being a bit of a slog to finish. For some reason I had it in my head that this was a spy novel so was surprised to find out it was instead a political based fiction novel instead. I was fine with that as an inside look at Washington can be fascinating. However, that isn't what it turned out to be either. Instead it was a lot of navel gazing from a few characters. Lucia in particular was hard to spend any amount of time with as she was so immature and selfish. The lack of quotation marks completely drove me batty. I'm okay with that in some books but it just didn't work here with long passages that drifted in between conversation and thoughts.

Happy Sunday, Stacy.

>96 connie53: - Thank you, happy Sunday to you too. Hope you're having a nice day. I'm just getting caught up on posting as well as visiting other people's threads.

46. Board Stiff by Kendel Lynn (4 stars)

Fun first entry in a mystery series that I picked up in 2014. Elliot is working towards her PI license while also working as a director for a local foundation. When one of the board members is murdered she's worried about bad publicity for the foundation and could use the opportunity to get some more hours towards her license. Full of humor, overall realistic situations, and a fairly smart main character, I would definitely recommend this one.

DNF's - I got about halfway through all of these and just couldn't move forward with them for one reason or another. Trying to embrace the notion that life is too short to continue on with books that are boring me. Counting these towards the goal since they are actually being removed from my shelves.

47. Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver
48. Otter Country by Miriam Darlington

Hi! I couldn't possibly catch up on the threads after my crazy-long absence, but I just wanted to say hi :)

So I just noticed you're only 7 ROOTs away from your goal.... great job! You're almost there!

Where has September gone? I've been busy with work and then just got back from a quick vacation to Maine and haven't had time to post any reviews/updates. Taking advantage of a day off to get caught up before heading off to New Orleans to attend Bouchercon. Can't wait!!

49. Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis by Cara Black (2 stars)

This one ended up not quite being my cup of tea. A stranger has left a newborn for Aimee to look after. As Aimee tries to track down the baby's mother, take care of the baby, and work her day job life gets complicated. I just couldn't get into the plot of some environmental protest gone wrong.

50. Jimmy Stewart by Marc Eliot (3 stars)

I held off on reading this for so long since the author's book on Cary Grant had left a negative memory for me after reading it. The author shows the same flaws here by being way too interested in the sex lives of celebrities. Fortunately with this book he did a much better job of balancing out the tawdry tales with actual informative facts about Stewart's life and movies.

51. Murder on the Mind by L.L. Bartlett (3 stars)

I'm a fan of the author's other series so thought I'd give this one a try. The characters felt real to me and I enjoyed spending time with them. Not sure if I'm sold on the psychic aspect of the story, but it does make for an interesting take on a mystery novel. This time the protagonist knows for sure who the killer is, now it's just a matter of proving it. I'd be interest in reading more in the series to see how this develops.

52. Night Music by Jojo Moyes (3 stars)

The Spanish House is at the center of this story. You have Matt and Laura who were sure they were going to be left the house once the owner passes away as a reward for all the work they've done to help out the owner. Then there is isobel, a recent widow, and her two children who in fact inherit the house. A cast of village characters round out the story. Isobel is not someone I liked in the beginning as I was just wanting to shake her and tell her to grow up already. However, she does in fact grow up throughout the course of the book and I found myself rooting for her.

Three more to go to reach my goal for the year!

>101 LittleTaiko: Three more to go! Yes, you can do that easily!

Woo hoo - only 3 more to go!!

53. The Mysterious Code by Kathryn Kenny (2 stars)

Not sure what it was that put me off of this book, but I just didn't enjoy this one as much as the first six in the Trixie Belden series. The whole premise just seemed ridiculous as even if the principal banned groups or "gangs", why would that prevent everyone from hanging out after school. Anyway, think I may be done with revisiting my youth with this series.

54. Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer (3 stars)

Old-fashioned detective novel with damsels in distress, grim leading men, and rich people and their parties. Not sure I liked the main character that much, but then again that is the point I believe. Really enjoyed the couple of passages from Bill, the dog's, perspective.

55. Impossible Things by Connie Willis (3 stars)

A collection of short stories by one of my favorite authors. My favorites were "Even the Queen" where women and science have turned a basic part of being a female upside down, "Spice Program" - with a nod to the screwball comedies of early Hollywood, and "At the Rialto" with more screwball Hollywood fun with a dash of quantum physics thrown in.

Woo hoo!! With that I've actually met my goal for the year which is crazy. Everything after here is just a nice bonus.

>106 LittleTaiko: Awesome! Congratulations!

Congratulations!

>106 LittleTaiko: Hooray! Great job!

Very good job, Stacy!

56. Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino (4 stars)

I can't even pretend that I understood the math references in this slim collection of short stories. All of them detail aspects of the creation of the universe and have Calvino's humor. Really enjoyed reading this.

Woo hoo you did it! Congrats!

57. Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers (4 stars)

Finally got around to reading this one and am glad that I did. Haven't read many of the Lord Wimsey books, but had heard good things about this one. It focuses primarily on Harriet Vane and her return to her alma mater for a reunion. Very well thought out book.

58. Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym (3 stars)

This debut book of Pym's shows some hints of what is to come in her later works. She's exploring small village life and the personalities within. It was a bit slow going towards the end but still a decent enough entry in the Pym catalog.

>57 LittleTaiko: I am really pleased that you enjoyed Gaudy Night - that was the first of the Lord Peter Wimsey's I read and while an awful lot of it went over my head (and still does), it's still the dearest to me!

59. A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes (3 stars)

This is an amusing look at the world and how we are all linked together somehow. It starts with the tale of Noah's Ark from the perspective of a woodworm who was on the ship whether you believe it or not. The remaining stories tie back in some way to the ark or the wormwood though it might be in a small way. It sounds nuts but it was interesting and though-provoking at times.

>114 Caramellunacy: - Completely know what you mean, many of their discussions were over my head but yet fascinating anyway.

60. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (2 stars)

While I can appreciate the backstory to how this tale came to be, it just isn't something that is in my wheelhouse. It was amusing at times but Alice is such a selfish self-absorbed child that it became exasperating to read at times. Plus, I'm not really geared to enjoy crazy fantasy novels, I need a bit more realism.