So Many Books: Dejah_Thoris Keeps Reading....

Greetings, fellow readers, and welcome to my 2019 thread! I’ve been on and off LT since April of 2011 - it scarcely seems possible.

In most company, I think I’d qualify as a fairly eclectic reader, but around here, not so much. I’m primarily a genre fiction reader; fantasy and science fiction are long time favorites. There was a time when I read a lot of mysteries (for that matter, there was a time I read a lot of Regency romances), but not as many these days. Most mysteries I read are historicals with a few contemporary cozies thrown in - and I’m working my way through Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe novels. I like some literary fiction, just not the depressing kind, which can limit my choices.

I also read plays. In theory, I try to read a play a week when I’m not in or working on a show. I read a little poetry - I should read more.

I’ve been trying to increase my nonfiction reading. Some months I do better than others.

I love the TIOLI Challenges and participate each month.

What else? I’m a fairly crazy cat person. I live in the beautiful state of Georgia (U.S.). I’m active in community theater, love to garden and hope to get back to genealogical pursuits this year.

Thanks for dropping by.

Pulitzer Finalists and Winners

Over the last few years, I've been trying to read all the winning and nominated works for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama - and a few from other categories as well. Lists of the non-winning Finalists have only been made available since 1980.

Year or 'finalist' for works read in 2019 are in bold.

Drama: 1 / 33
1918: Why Marry? by Jesse Lynch Williams
1938: Our Town by Thornton Wilder
1940: The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan
1943: The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
1946: State of the Union by Russell Crouse and Howard Lindsay
1948: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
1955: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams
1959: J. B.: A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish
1967: A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee
1977: The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer
1981: Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley
1982: A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller
1983: 'night, Mother by Marsha Norman
1987: Fences by August Wilson
1988: Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry
1989: The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein
1990: The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
1991: Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon
finalist: Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas
1992:
finalist Conversations With My Father by Herb Gardner
1994:
finalist A Perfect Ganesh by Terrence McNally
1995: The Young Man From Atlanta by Horton Foote
1997: NO WINNER
finalistThe Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry
2000: Dinner With Friends by Donald Margulies
2001: Proof by David Auburn
2003: Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz
2005: Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley
finalist: The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl
2007: Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire
2008: August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
2009: Ruined by Lynn Nottage
2010:
finalist: In the Next Room, or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl
2011: Clybourne Park
2017: Sweat by Lynn Nottage

I'm also hoping to read some works from other categories.

Biography/Autobiography: 0 / 0

Fiction/Novels: 2 / 11
1923: One of Ours by Willa Cather
1928: The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
1932: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
1937: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
1945: A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
1948: Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener
1953: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
1961: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
1975: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
2017: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
2018: Less by Andrew Sean Greer

General Nonfiction: 1 / 6
1995: The Beak of the Finch: The Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner
finalist: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
1996:
finalist:Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder by Lawrence Weschler
1998: Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
2011:
Finalist: Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls and the Consequences of a World Full of Men by Mara Hvistendahl
2013>: Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King

History: 0 / 2
1987: Voyagers to the West: A Passage in the Peopling of America on the Eve of Revolution by Bernard Bailyn
2010
Finalist Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandin

Poetry: 0 / 2
1918: Love Songs by Sarah Teasdale (special prize, officially pre-Pulitzer Prize)
1923: assorted works by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Special Awards and Citations:

1977: Alex Haley for Roots
1992: Art Spiegelman for Maus

Year by year….

I’m not trying to read a book for every year of the 20th century and beyond, but I do like to see where my reading falls on a timeline. Years for which I did not read a book in 2018 are marked with an *.

2019 Knife Children+51
2018 The Calculating Stars +35
2017 All Systems Red +15
2016 Rivers of London: Body Work +10
2015 The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters +11
2014 To All the Boys I've Loved Before +2
2013 Box Office Poison +8
2012 Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America +9
2011 Across the Great Barrier +4
2010 Spider's Bite +2
2009 Sworn to Silence+6
2008 Zoe's Tale +
2007 Alpha and Omega+4
2006 The Ghost Brigades +4
2005 Yellow Jack: How Yellow Fever Ravaged America and Walter Reed Discovered Its Deadly Secrets+4
2004 Xuxub Must Die: The Lost Histories of a Murder on the Yucatan +4
2003 The Gigolo Murder +6
2002 Dragon Bones +1
2001 The Hob's Bargain +2
2000 Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale +3
1999 We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese +1
1998 War God's Own +1
1997 The Salaryman's Wife +1
1996 Drums of Autumn+1
1995 Oath of Swords +1
1994 One for the Money
1993 Five Women Wearing the Same Dress +1
1992
1991 By the Sword +3
1990 The Fire Stone +1
1989
1988 The Healer's War
1987 A Deceptive Clarity +2
1986 The Moon Goddess and the Sun +1
1985
1984 Brighton Beach Memoirs
*1983
1982 Master Harold...And the Boys +1
*1981
*1980
1979 The Family Vault
1978
1977 The Passion of Dracula
1976 Murder at the ABA +1
1975 The Exile Waiting
*1974
1973 Time Enough For Love
1972 The Stepford Wives
1971 When In Rome
1970 Nine Princes in Amber +1
1969
1968 Forfeit +1
1967
1966 Killer Dolphin
*1965
*1964 Nerve
1963 Confessions of an Advertising Man +1
1962 Hand in Glove
1961 Sackett's Land +1
1960
1959 Cat Among the Pigeons+1
1958 Ordeal by Innocence+1
1957
*1956 The Miracle Worker
1955
1954 The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant
1953 Casino Royale
1952 Rose's Last Summer
1951 From Here To Eternity +1
*1950 The Brading Collection +1
*1949
*1948
1947 Tales of the South Pacific +1
*1946 Cherry Ames, Veterans' Nurse
1945 The Pursuit of Love
1944 Helmets and Lipstick: An Army Nurse in World War Two
1943 Saboteurs on the River
1942
1941 Blithe Spirit
1940
1939
1938
1937
1936 The Talisman Ring
*1935
1934 The Nine Tailors
1933 Down and Out in Paris and London+1
*1932
1931 The Good Earth
*1930
*1929
1928
*1927
1926 The Blue Castle
*1925
*1924
1923
*1922
1921
1920
1919 The Tangled Threads
*1918 The Old Lady Shows Her Medals
*1917 Cinderella Jane
1916
1915
*1914
*1913
*1912 The Prince and Betty
1911
*1910
*1909
1908 The Circular Staircase
*1907
*1906 The Four Million
*1905
*1904 The Bobbsey Twins, or Merry Days Indoors and Out
*1903
*1902
*1901
1900

1669 Tartuffe
1601/2 Twelfth Night

January - February

January: 27 books/1 work, 6 nonfiction (22%), 0 plays, 17 female/10 male/0 mixed

1. The Gigolo Murder by Mehmet Murat Somer (TIOLI #11, in translation 894.35/PL248, 2003)
2. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (TIOLI #17, 2018)
3. Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy (TIOLI #1, nonfiction 659.1/HF5810, 1963)
4. Nerve by Dick Francis (TIOLI #9, reread, shared read, 1964)
5. Xuxub Must Die: The Lost Histories of a Murder on the Yucatan by Paul Sullivan (TIOLI #2, nonfiction 972.65/F1435, 2004)
6. Leverage in Death by J. D. Robb (TIOLI #18, 2018)
7. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon (TIOLI #5, book/audio, 1996)
8. Rivers of London: Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch, et al. (TIOLI #18, graphic novel, 2016)
9. The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi (TIOLI #16, shared read, 2018)
10. The Library Book by Susan Orlean (TIOLI #7, nonfiction 027.4, 2018)
11. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery (TIOLI #2, reread, shared read, 1926)
12. Sabrina by Nick Drnaso (TIOLI #13 , graphic novel, 2018)
13. Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour (TIOLI #12 , audio, shared read, 1961)
14. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (TIOLI #4, reread, shared read, 2017)
15. The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters by Laura Thompson (TIOLI #10, shared read, nonfiction 920.720/DA566, 2015)
16. Rivers of London: Night Witch by Ben Aaronovitch, et al (TIOLI #18, graphic novel, 2016)
17. Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs (TIOLI #7, 2002)
18. Dragon Blood by Patricia Briggs (TIOLI #17, 2003)
19. Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions by Valeria Luiselli (TIOLI #2, nonfiction 362.870/JV6600)
20. Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher (TIOLI #4, shared read, 2017)
21. The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher (TIOLI #7, shared read, 2018)
22. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie (TIOLI #11, reread, shared read, 1959)
23. At the Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper (TIOLI #10, shared read, 2003)
24. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol (TIOLI #13, graphic novel, shared read, 2018)
25. Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho (TIOLI #4, shared read, 2015)
26. Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King (TIOLI #6, Winner 2013 PPGN, nonfiction 305.896/KF224, 2012)
--. Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters by Christina Rossetti (TIOLI #10w, shared read, poetry, 1862)
27. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (TIOLI #18, shared read, reread, 2018)

February:23 books/1 work, 3 nonfiction (13%), 2 plays, 13 female/10 male/0 mixed

28. This Case Is Gonna Kill Me by Phillipa Bornikova (TIOLI #2, reread, 2012)
29. Knife Children by Lois McMaster Bujold (TIOLI #16, 2019)
30. The Bobbsey Twins, or Merry Days Indoors and Out by Laura Lee Hope (TIOLI #5, reread?, 1904)
31. Box Office Poison by Phillipa Bornikova (TIOLI #16, reread, 2013)
32. Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell (TIOLI #9, shared read, 2018)
33. Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents by Pete Souza (TIOLI #16, nonfiction 973.93/E908.3, 2018)
34. Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (TIOLI #17, shared read, reread, 2009)
35. Swordheart by T. Kingfisher (TIOLI #14, shared read, 2018)
36. Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie (TIOLI #1, shared read, 1958)
37. Yellow Jack: How Yellow Fever Ravaged America and Walter Reed Discovered Its Deadly Secrets by John R. Pierce and Jim Writer (TIOLI #15, nonfiction 614.54/RA644, 2005)
38. Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon (TIOLI #11, shared read, play, 1984)
39. The Selection by Kiera Cass (TIOLI #1, 2012)
40. Old Man's War by John Scalzi (TIOLI #15, reread, 2005)
41. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (TIOLI #5, reread, 2003)
42. Connections in Death by J. D. Robb (TIOLI #14, 2019)
---. Questions for a Soldier by John Scalzi (TIOLI #7w, 2005)
43. The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor by Mark Schatzker (TIOLI #9, nonfiction 641.3/TX370, 2015)
44. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi (TIOLI #4, reread?, 2006)
45. Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs (TIOLI #16, reread, 2007)
46. Zombie's Bite by Karen Chance (TIOLI #10, 2015)
47. Buying Trouble by Karen Chance (TIOLI #10, reread, 2007)
48. The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant by Douglass Wallop (TIOLI #3, shared read, 1954)
49. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: The Play by Mark Haddon and Simon Stephens (TIOLI #16, reread, play, 2012)
49. The City of Brass by S. A. Chokraborty (TIOLI #7, shared read, reread, 2018)
50. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines (TIOLI #6, shared read, 2009)

March - April

March: 19 books/6 works, 0 nonfiction, 3 plays, 11 female/7 male/1 mixed

51. The Black Ascot by Charles Todd (TIOLI #13, 2019)
52. Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #2, reread, 2010)
---. Web of Deceit by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #2w, online short story, unknown date)
53. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (TIOLI #12, shared read, reread, 2018)
---. Spider's Bargain by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #1w, online short story, unknown date)
---. Web of Death by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #8w, online short story, unknown date)
54. The Last Colony by John Scalzi (TIOLI #14, 2007)
55. A Long Time Coming by Aaron Elkins (TIOLI #14, 2018)
56. Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #2, 2010)
57. Forfeit by Dick Francis (TIOLI #6, shared read, 1968)
58. The Passion of Dracula by Bob Hall and David Richmond (TIOLI #6, play, 1977)
59. The Old Lady Shows Her Medals by J. M. Barrie (TIOLI #5, play, 1918)
60. Night Train to Rigel by Timothy Zahn (TIOLI #1, 2005)
61. Girls on the Line by Aimie K. Runyan (TIOLI #8, 2018)
62. The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty (TIOLI #9, 2019)
63. Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear (TIOLI #11, shared read, 2016)
64. The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford (TIOLI #10, 1945)
---. Let's Play Two: Poems About Baseball by Peter M. Gordon (TIOLI #7w, shared read, poetry, 2016)
65. Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw (TIOLI #3, shared read, 2017)
66. Sweat by Lynn Nottage (TIOLI #4, play, PPD 2017, 2015)
67. Unbreakable by W. C. Bauers (TIOLI #9, 2015)
68. Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede (TIOLI #11, shared read, 2009)
69. The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer (TIOLI #2, reread, 1959)
---. Poison by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #14w)
---. Wasted by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #14w)

April: 24 books/2 works, 2 nonfiction, 1 play, 14 female/10 male/0 mixed

70. Venom by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #15, 2010)
71. By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey (TIOLI #11, reread, 1991)
72. Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede (TIOLI #2, 2011)
73. Slash and Burn by Colin Cotterill (TIOLI #12, 2011)
74. The Far West by Patricia C Wrede (TIOLI #10, 2012)
75. Oath of Swords by David Weber (TIOLI #11, reread, 1995)
76. War God's Own by David Weber (TIOLI #6, reread, 1998)
77. Wind Rider's Oath by David Weber (TIOLI #4, reread, 2004)
78. Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi by John Scalzi (TIOLI #13, 2016)
79. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (TIOLI #2, shared read, 2019)
80. The Empress of Mars by Kage Baker (TIOLI #16, 2009)
81. Nate Expectations by Tim Federle (TIOLI #16, 2018)
82. The Moon Goddess and the Sun by Donald Kingsbury (TIOLI #8, reread, 1986)
83. A Million Open Doors by John Barnes (TIOLI #15, reread, 1992)
84. The 1959 Yellowstone Earthquake by Larry Morris (TIOLI #5, shared read, nonfiction 978/551/F722, 2016)
---. Tangled Dreams by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #11w)
---. Tangled Schemes by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #11w)
85. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (TIOLI #9, 2019)
86. Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #3, 2011)
87. Royally Screwed by Emma Chase (TIOLI #1, 2016)
88. The Tangled Threads Eleanor H. Porter (TIOLI #3, 1919)
89. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (TIOLI #7, 2014)
90. Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg (TIOLI #14, 2015)
91. The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs (TIOLI #7, 2001)
92. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson (TIOLI #5, play, 1956)
93. Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson (TIOLI #9, poetry, shared read, 2018)

May - June

May: 30 books/2 works, 5 nonfiction, 0 plays, 27 female/3 male/0 mixed

94. Sympathy for the Devil by Holly Lisle (TIOLI #8, reread, 1996)
95. Bittersweet by Colleen McCullough (TIOLI #8, 2013)
96. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (TIOLI #1, reread, 2018)
97. The Pain Nurse by Jon Talton (TIOLI #8, shared read, 2009)
98. Stone Mad by Elizabeth Bear (TIOLI #11, shared read, 2018)
99. Expedition Nurse by Jane Converse (TIOLI #8, 1968)
100. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny (TIOLI #13, reread, 1970)
101. How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger (TIOLI #13, 2018)
102. The Healer's War by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (TIOLI #8, 1988)
103. The District Nurses of Victory Walk by Annie Groves (TIOLI #8, 2018)
----. The School Nurse From the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler and Jared Lee (TIOLI #8w)
----. Clive is a Nurse by Jessica Spanyol (TIOLI #8w)
104. Stars Uncharted by S. K. Dunstall (TIOLI #1, 2018)
105. Hazard by Devon Monk (TIOLI #12, 2018)
106. Here I Am by Rochelle Alers (TIOLI #8, 2011)
107. Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander (TIOLI #8, reread, 2012)
108. P. S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (TIOLI #7, 2015)
109. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (TIOLI #8, shared read, 2017)
110. With a Vengeance by Eileen Dreyer (TIOLI #8, 2003)
111. The Seduction Challenge by Sarah Morgan (TIOLI #8, shared read, 2003)
112. Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro (TIOLI #9, shared read, 2000)
113. Cherry Ames, Veterans' Nurse by Martha Wells (TIOLI #8, reread, 1946)
114. Murder on Trinity Place by Victoria Thompson (TIOLI #8, 2019)
115. The Language of Kindness: A Nurse's Story by Christie Watson (TIOLI #8, nonfiction 610.73/828/RT37, shared read 2018)
116. The Lieutenant's Nurse by Sara Ackerman (TIOLI #8, 2019)
117. Helmets and Lipstick: An Army Nurse in World War Two by Ruth G. Haskell (TIOLI #8, nonfiction 940.547/D811, 1944)
118. Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (TIOLI #4, 2017)
119. Wives of War by Soraya M. Lane (TIOLI #8, 2017)
120. Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash (TIOLI #1, graphic novel, 2015)
121. Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale by Gena K. Gorrell (TIOLI #8, nonfiction 926.1/RT37, shared read, 2000)
122. Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Life, Death, and Everything In Between by Theresa Brown (TIOLI #8, nonfiction 616/RT120, shared read, 2010)
123. Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han (TIOLI #3, shared read, 2017)

June: 37 books/5 works, 6 nonfiction, 2 plays, female 27/10 male/0 mixed

124. Storm Cursed by Patrica Briggs (TIOLI #5, 2019)
125. A Dagger Before Me by Jeanne M. Dams (TIOLI# 11, 2019)
126. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (TIOLI #13, reread, play, 1601/2)
127. Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik (TIOLI #11, 2019)
128. Drama by Raina Telgemeier (TIOLI #10, graphic novel, 2012)
---. Spider's Nemesis by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #16w)
129. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi (TIOLI #11, shared read, 2008)
130. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (TIOLI #3, shared read, PPF 1932, 1931)
131. Spark (West Hell Magic) by Devon Monk (TIOLI #10, 2018)
132. Octavia Gone by Jack McDevitt (TIOLI #2, 2019)
133. The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey (TIOLI #5, 2019)
134. Score by Victoria Denault (TIOLI #10, 2017)
135. Ready to Wear by Chloe Taylor (TIOLI #10, 2013)
136. In Skates Trouble by Kate Meader (TIOLI #10, shared read, 2017)
137. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (TIOLI #14, shared read, 2019)
138. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell (TIOLI #11, reread, shared read, 2008)
139. Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw (TIOLI #2, 2018)
140. Kabul Disco: How I Managed Not to Be Abducted in Afghanistan by Nicolas Wild (TIOLI #2, graphic memoir, nonfiction 658.1047/PN6741, 2007)
141. We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese by Elizabeth M. Norman (TIOLI #4, shared read, nonfiction 940.547/D807, 1999)
142. The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan (TIOLI #2, shared read, 2018)
----. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, and Henry Cole (TIOLI #w)
143. For the Killing of Kings by Howard Andrew Jones (TIOLI #2, 2019)
144. Clarence Day's Life With Father by Lindsay Howard and Russel Crouse (TIOLI #6, play, 1939)
145. Bellewether by Susanna Kersley (TIOLI #5, 2018)
146. Linesman by S. K. Dunstall (TIOLI #13, 2015)
147. Hot Roll (Caught Dead in Wyoming Book 8) by Patricia McLinn (TIOLI #13, 2019)
148. The Flowers of Vashnoi by Mercedes Lackey (TIOLI #2, reread, 2018)
----. Robber Crabs by Joan Druett (TIOLI #11)
149. Galaxy Girls: 50 Amazing Stories of Women in Space by Libby Jackson (TIOLI #8, nonfiction 629.45, 2017)
150. Jerusalem 1913: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Amy Dockser Marcus (TIOLI #1, shared read, nonfiction 956.04/DS119, 2007)
151. The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark (TIOLI #2, 2018)
152. The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo (TIOLI #2, shared read, 2019)
153. Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos (TIOLI #12, 2013)
154. The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher (TIOLI #6, 2015)
155. Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others by Barbara Brown Taylor (TIOLI #15, nonfiction 261.20/BL72, 2019)
156. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers (TIOLI #2, reread, shared read, 1934)
----. Kubla Khan: A Pop-Up Version of Coleridge's Classic by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Nick Bantock (TIOLI #2w)
----. When the Rain Comes by Alma Fullerton and Kim La Fave (TIOLI #1w, shared read)
157. The Foyles Bookshop Girls by Elaine Roberts (TIOLI #16, shared read, 2018)
158. A Year in Japan by Kate T. Williamson (TIOLI #2, shared read, nonfiction 759.13/ND1839, 2006)
159. Marrying Off Mother and Other Stories by Gerald Durrell (TIOLI #6, shared read, 1991)
160. Women Talking by Miriam Toews (TIOLI #8, shared read, 2019)

July - August

July: 36 books/2 works, 6 nonfiction, 1 play, 21 female/11 male/4 mixed

161. Moonshifted by Cassie Alexander (TIOLI #5, reread, 2012)
162. The Lost Man by Jane Harper (TIOLI #3, shared read, 2019)
163. Alliance by S. K. Dunstall (TIOLI #12, 2016)
164. Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Pena (TIOLI #9, graphic biography, nonfiction 770.92/TR140, 2018)
165. A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr (TIOLI #2, 2008)
166. Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet (TIOLI #2, 2017)
167. The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch (TIOLI #11, 2019)
168. A Star and a Cross: Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile by Marjorie Agosin (TIOLI #2, nonfiction Bio/983.530/F3285, 1995)
169. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (TIOLI #4, 2019)
170. Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (TIOLI #3, reread, 2010)
171. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #13, reread, 2016)
172. Confluence by S. K. Dunstall (TIOLI #4, 2016)
173. Cinderella Jane by Marjorie Benton Cooke (TIOLI #8, 1917)
174. The Salaryman's Wife by Sujata Massey (TIOLI #2, 1997)
----. Sense Pass King: A Story From Cameroon by Katrin Tchana (TIOLI #2w)
175. Master Harold...And The Boys by Athol Fugard (TIOLI #2, play, 1982)
----. Madoulina: A Girl Who Wanted to Go to School by Joel Eboueme Bognomo (TIOLI #2w)
176. Bad Friends by Ancco (TIOLI #2, graphic novel, 2018)
177. Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #4, 2019)
178. Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs (TIOLI #5, reread, 2004)
179. Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #13, reread, 2018)
180. The Long March: The True History of China's Founding Myth by Sun Shuyun (TIOLI #2, nonfiction 951.042/DS777, 2006)
181. Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep (TIOLI #5, 2019)
182. Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (TIOLI #2, shared read, 2019)
183. The Four Million by O. Henry (TIOLI #10, short stories, shared read, 1906)
184. The Orphans of Raspay by Lois McMaster Bujold (TIOLI #13, shared read, 2019)
185. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (TIOLI #2, shared read, 1958)
186. Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold (TIOLI #4, reread, shared read, 1998)
187. Seeds on Ice: Svalbard and the Global Seed Vault by Cary Fowler and Mari Tefre (TIOLI #2, nonfiction 631.52/SB118, 2016)
188. Dark Heart of the Night by Leonora Miano (TIOLI #2, 2006)
189. The Rosie Project by Dan Simsion (TIOLI #2, reread, shared read, 2013)
190. Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights by Ann Bausum (TIOLI #6, shared read, nonfiction 307.76/HQ76, 2015)
191. Run For It: Stories of Slaves Who Fought For Their Freedom by Marcelo D'Salete (TIOLI #2, graphic novel/short stories, 741.598/HT1126, 2017)
192. Death of a Red Heroine by Qui Xiaolong (TIOLI #15, shared read, 2000)
193. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (TIOLI #14, reread, 2001)
194. 1632 by Eric Flint (TIOLI #7, reread, 2000)
195. The Family Mansion by Anthony C. Winkler (TIOLI #2, 2013)
196. Mission in a Bottle: The honest Guide to Doing Business Differently - and Succeeding by Seth Goldman Barry Nalebuff, illustrated by Sungydon Choi (TIOLI #1, shared read, graphic nonfiction 338.7/HD9198, 2013)

August: 35 books/2 works, 4 nonfiction, 0 plays, 18 female/13 male/4 mixed

197. Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #15, reread, shared read, 2018)
198. Hand in Glove by Ngaio Marsh (TIOLI #10, reread, 1962)
199. Water Witch by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice (TIOLI #8, reread, shared read, 1982)
200. Ring of Fire edited by Eric Flint (TIOLI #15, reread, 2004)
201. The Phoenix Illusion by Lisa Shearin (TIOLI #17, 2018)
202. Nobody's Sweetheart Now by Maggie Robinson (TIOLI #6, 2018)
203. Murder at the ABA by Isaac Asimov (TIOLI #1, shared read, 1976)
204. 1633 by Eric Flint and David Weber (TIOLI #17, reread, 2002)
205. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (TIOLI #12, shared read, reread, 2014)
206. The Provocative Colette by Annie Goetzinger (TIOLI #2, graphic nonfiction 070.44/848.912/PQ2605, 2018)
207. The Boys From Brazil by Ira Levin (TIOLI #5, 1976)
208. 1634: The Baltic War by Eric Flint and David Weber (TIOLI #16, reread, 2007)
209. Dead Water by Ngaio Marsh (TIOLI #10, shared read, reread, 1963)
----. Loch & Key by Seanan MaGuire (TIOLI #11w, short story)
210. Saboteurs on the River by Mildred A. Wirt (TIOLI #11, 1943)
211. A Deceptive Clarity by Aaron Elkins (TIOLI #1, reread?, 1987)
212. The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer (TIOLI #8. shared read, 1936)
213. Cafe Tangier: A Western Woman in Morocco by Patricia Clough (TIOLI #13, shared read, nonfiction, 2018)
214. Grantville Gazette I edited by Eric Flint (TIOLI #16, reread, 2004)
215. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (TIOLI #14, 1972)
216. Neptune's Brood by Charles Stross (TIOLI #2, 2013)
----. Bit Rot by Charles Stross (TIOLI #9w)
217. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (TIOLI #3, 1953)
218. Death Distilled by Melinda Mullet (TIOLI #4, 2017)
219. Forgotten Bones by Vivian Barz (TIOLI #6, shared read, 2019)
220. Rose's Last Summer by Margaret Millar (TIOLI #5, shared read, 1952)
221. Terns of Endearment by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #5, 2019)
222. Roar of the Heavens by Stefan Bechtel (TIOLI #5, nonfiction 363.34/976.043/F296, 2006)
223. Rat Race by Dick Francis (TIOLI #2, shared read, 1970)
224. The Brading Collection by Patricia Wentworth (TIOLI #2, shared read, reread?, 1950)
225. kaddish.com by Nathan Englander (TIOLI #14, shared read, 2019)
226. A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole (TIOLI #12, shared read, 2018)
227. Minor Mage by T. Kingfisher (TIOLI #7, shared read, 2019)
228. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #14, shared read, reread, 1994)
229. Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #14, shared read, reread, 2015)
230. Camille, 1969: Histories of a Hurricane by Mark M. Smith (TIOLI #12, nonfiction, 363.34/F347.G9), 2011)
231. Murder Offstage by L. B. Hathaway (TIOLI #2, shared read, 2011)

September - October

September: 20 books/0 works, 1 nonfiction, 0 plays, 13 female/6 male/1 mixed

232. Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #4, reread, 1996)
233. Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews (TIOLI #2, shared read, 2019)
234. The List by Mick Herron (TIOLI #3, 2015)
235. Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener (TIOLI #15, short stories, PPF Winner 1948, 1947)
236. A Willing Murder by Jude Deveraux (TIOLI #14, 2019)
237. One Way by S. J. Morden (TIOLI #9, 2018)
238. Love and Death Among the Cheetahs by Rhys Bowen (TIOLI #6, 2019)
239. The Family Vault by Charlotte MacLeod (TIOLI #6, reread, 1979)
240. Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb (TIOLI #4, 2019)
241. Navy Woman by Debbie Macomber (TIOLI #3. shared read, 1991)
242. Haunted in Death by J. D. Robb (TIOLI #6, shared read, 2006)
243. Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep (TIOLI #2, nonfiction 364.152/HV6533, 2019)
244. The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, adapted by Renee Nault (TIOLI #11, graphic novel, 2019)
245. Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #10, reread, 1997)
246. The Prince and Betty by P. G. Wodehouse (TIOLI #6, 1912)
247. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (TIOLI #2, shared read, 2019)
248. Bellwether by Connie Willis (TIOLI #1, shared read, reread, 1995)
249. Four to Score by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #5, reread, 1998)
250. Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (TIOLI #2, 2019)
251. From Here To Eternity by James Jones (TIOLI #6, shared read, 1951)

October

252. Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward (TIOLI #3, reread, 1941)
253. The Queen's Gambit by Jessie Mihalik (TIOLI #14, 2018)
254. The Queen's Advantage by Jessie Mihalik (TIOLI #13, 2019)
255. Killer Dolphin by Ngaio Marsh (TIOLI #7, 1966)
256. High Five by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #15, reread, 1999)
257. Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe (TIOLI #11, 2019)
----. The Last Peep by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #13w, short story, 1999)
258. Hot Six by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #13, reread, 2000)
259. The Hartford Circus Fire: Tragedy Under the Big Top by Michael Skidgell (TIOLI #5, shared read, nonfiction 974.630/F104)
260. A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie (TIOLI #6, 2019)
261. The Secrets of the Notebook: A Woman's Quest to Uncover Her Royal Family Secret by Eve Haas (TIOLI #12, nonfiction 929.7/943.07/DD205, 2009)
262. The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion (TIOLI #1, 2019)
263. Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach (TIOLI #11, 2013)
264. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #14, reread, 2001)
265. The Fire Stone by Tanya Huff (TIOLI #18, 1990)
266. Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #13, 2002)
267. The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer (TIOLI #10, reread, 1951)
268. Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh (TIOLI #7, reread, 1968)
269. The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith (TIOLI #17, 2019)
270. the way she spoke by Isaac Gomez (TIOLI #13, audible original, play, 2019)
271. Firestorm by Nevada Barr (TIOLI #13, reread, shared read, 1981)
272. To The Nines by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #15, reread, 2003)
273. Echo in Onyx by Sharon Shinn (TIOLI #2, 2019)
274. Through the Wall by Patricia Wentworth (TIOLI #7, reread, shared read, 1950)
275. We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (TIOLI #11, reread, shared read, 2016)
276. The Proposal Game by Megan E. O'Keefe (TIOLI #2, 2018)
277. Tartuffe by Moliere, translation by Richard Wilbur (TIOLI #4, play, 842.4, 1669)
278. Island of the Mad by Laurie R. King (TIOLI #6, 2018)
----. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe (TIOLI #13w, reread, shared read, 1839)
279. Must Love Hellhounds by Ilona Andrews, et al. (TIOLI #3, reread, shared read, 2009)
280. Magic Casement by Dave Duncan (TIOLI #18, reread, shared read, 1990)
281. Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #13, reread, 2004)
282. Jackalope Wives and Other Stories by T. Kingfisher (TIOLI #7, shared read, 2017)
283. Ragged Alice by Gareth L. Powell (TIOLI#13, shared read, 2019)
284. Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South by Beth Macy (TIOLI #5, shared read, nonfiction 973/791/GV1811, 2016)

November - December

November

285. The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark (TIOLI #15, shared read, 2019)
286. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (TIOLI #9, shared read, 2017)
287. Redshirts by John Scalzi (TIOLI #3, reread, shared read, 2012)
----. Cat Pictures, Please by Naomi Kritzer (TIOLI #7w, short story online, 2015)
288. Enchanted April by Matthew Barber, based on the novel by Elizabeth von Arnim (TIOLI #8, play, 2000)
----. A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark (TIOLI #2w, short story online, 2016)
289. Deadly Dram by Melinda Mullett (TIOLI #11, 2018)
290. Unlikely Master Genius by Carla Kelly (TIOLI #14, reread, 2018)
291. The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan (TIOLI #15, shared read, 2019)
292. Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball (TIOLI #14, play, 1993)
293. A Cruel Deception by Charles Todd (TIOLI #9, 2019)
294. Dead Spots by Melissa F. Olson (TIOLI #19, 2012)
295. Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling (TIOLI #8, play, 1987)
296. Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #14, reread, 2005)
297. Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri (TIOLI#12, shared read, 2018)
298. Owl Be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews (TIOLI #7, 2019)
----. The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by P. Djeli Clark (TIOLI#14w, short story online, 2018)
299. Come Blow Your Horn by Neil Simon (TIOLI #5, play, 1961)
300. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (TIOLI #17, 2016)
301. Frost Bite by S. A. Magnusson (TIOLI #6, 2018)
302. Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #16, 2019)
303. Bolt by Dick Francis (TIOLI #19, shared read, 1987)
----. After the Coup by John Scalzi (TIOLI #14w, short story online, 2008)
304. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (TIOLI #2, shared read, 1933)
305. Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (TIOLI #17, 2017)
306. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (TIOLI #1, shared read, 2019)
----. The Water That Falls On You From Nowhere by John Chu (TIOLI #7w, short story online, shared read, 2013
307. Tradition! The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-To-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World's Most Beloved Musical by Barbara Isenberg (TIOLI #7, shared read nonfiction 780/ML410)
----. Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu (TIOLI #3w, shared read, short story online, 2011)
308. Grantville Gazette II edited by Eric Flint (TIOLI #4, short stories/essays, 2003)
309. The Cutting Season by Attica Locke (TIOLI #10, shared read, 2012)
310. Faery Lands Forlorn by Dave Duncan (TIOLI #16, shared read, reread, 1991)
311. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (TIOLI#15, shared read?, 2019)
312. The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart (TIOLI #8, shared read, 1908)
313. Prime Suspect by Lynda La Plant (TIOLI #8, shared read, 1993)

December

314. The Christmas Princess by Patricia McLinn (TIOLI #5, 2014)
315. Equalize by Ryan DeBruyn (TIOLI #1, 2019)
316. Echo in Emerald by Sharon Shinn (TIOLI #17, 2019)
317. When In Rome by Ngaio Marsh (TIOLI #9, shared read1971)
----. We Interrupt This Broadcast by Mary Robinette Kowal (TIOLI #9w, shared read, short story online, 2013)
318. Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher (TIOLI #8, shared read, 2015)
319. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (TIOLI #15, shared read, 2019)
320. How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason (TIOLI #7, shared read, 2019)
321. Murder at the Palace by Margaret Dumas (TIOLI #16, 2019)
322. Died in the Wool by Melinda Mullet (TIOLI #4, 2019)
323. Royally Matched by Emma Chase (TIOLI #3, 2017)
----. Cross-Country Cat by Mary Calhoun and Erick Ingraham (TIOLI #5w, children's book, shared read, 1979)
----. Emergency Skin by N. K. Jemisin (TIOLI #8w, short story, shared read, 2019)
324. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (TIOLI #17, shared read, 2019)
325. Lord Edgeware Dies by Agatha Christie (TIOLI #11, reread, shared read, 1933)
----. Rest Ye Merry by Charlotte MacLeod (TIOLI #7w, short story, reread)
326. Time Enough For Love by Robert A. Heinlein (TIOLI #17, reread, shared read, audio only, 1973)
327. Regency Royal Navy Christmas by Carla Kelly (TIOLI #2, short stories, 2019)
328. Twelve Sharpby Janet Evanovich (TIOLI #16, reread, 2006)
329. A Dangerous Nativity by Caroline Warfield (TIOLI #6, 2016)
330. The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward (TIOLI #4, audio only, 2019)
331. River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey (TIOLI #15, shared read, 2017)
332. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, et al (TIOLI #11, shared read, graphic nonfiction 940.53/920/D769, 2019)
333. Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies (TIOLI #11, shared read, 1947)
----. Worth Her Weight In Gold by Sarah Gailey (TIOLI #17w, online short story, 2018)
334. The Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts (TIOLI #16, 2004)
335. The Exile Waiting by Vonda N. McIntyre (TIOLI #6, 1975)

Wishing everyone a happy and joyous 2019, filled with peace, love, and great books.

Happy reading in 2019, Dejah!

Happy New Year!

Welcome back, Dejah!

Glad to see you back with us again, Dejah!

Cheers, Dejah! I'm dropping off my star as your thread is one I'd like to keep up with more effectively in 2019.

Happy New Year!

Happy new year, Dejah and cheers to a year filled with wonderful books!

Happy new year! I love that beautiful fur baby photo in your intro!

Happy 2019
A year full of books
A year full of friends
A year full of all your wishes realised

I look forward to keeping up with you, Princess, this year.

Dropping off my star, Princess!

>11 FAMeulstee: >12 SandDune: >13 drneutron: >14 alcottacre: >15 EBT1002: >16 The_Hibernator: >17 Carmenere: >18 cbl_tn: >19 quondame: >20 PaulCranswick: >21 ronincats: Welcome to all my visitors and thanks you for all the New Year's good wishes!

>18 cbl_tn: The kitty at the top is Hecky, in a photo taken almost a year and a half ago. He's 16 now, and is considerably more frail than in the picture, but he's a trouper - and incredibly spoiled....

Happy New Year Dejah! And happy new thread!



Wishing you and your family the best for 2019.

Welcome back Dejah (from one crazy cat person to another)!

>23 humouress: >24 souloftherose: Thanks you so much, Nina and Heather! It's always fun to start a new year.

If I get my act together tonight, I'll post a bit about last year's reading. Then I need to start writing reviews.

I've never been one to track too much about my reading, but I have looked at a few things about my 2018 reading.

2018 Final Stats:

Books: 365
Nonfiction: 52 14%
Plays: 26/44 (goal) / 7% of total reading

Authors:
206 females 56%
135 males 37%
24 female/male teams 7%

Pulitzer Prize Winners and Finalists:
Only eight:
5 Drama
2 Novels/Fiction
1 General Nonfiction

Year by Year:
Winning Year: 2018 (there's a shock)
Winning Decade: 201x (ditto)
Decades with popularity:
201x - 149 (all years represented)
200x - 50 (all years represented)
199x - 32 (all years represented)
198x - 18 (7 years represented)
197x - 10 (8 years represented)
196x - 14 (8 years represented)
195x - 16 (8 years represented)
194x - 7 (7 years represented)
193x - 9 (7 years represented)
192x - 9 (5 years represented)
191x - 4 (4 years represented)
190x - 2 (2 years represented)
Pre-1900 - 7 (7 years represented)

So, it's obvious I read an absurd number of books in 2018. There were reasons I had some additional reading time last year, but I find the number a little shocking. I keep thinking I want to read less going forward, but I think it's really that I want to make different choices. That brings me to the next number - only 14% of my reading was nonfiction. That's something I want to change I'd like to see that number go up to 20% or even 25% in 2019. As for plays, I had thought to read a play a week except when I was in rehearsal for a show or heavily involved in tech for a show I wasn't performing in (community theater). That got me to a goal of 44 - I read 26. I actually think I'm ok with that number - a play every other week is enough.

As for the author numbers, well, I was curious. I though I skewed female, and I do - just not by much.

I have challenged myself to tackle the Pulitzer Prize Winners and Finalists - it started with the Drama winners, obviously, but I expanded to include all the non-journalism categories. I can't say I did particularly well, last year, but there's lots of room for improvement!

My Year by Year is not intended to have me read something from every year listed - I just think it's interesting to keep track. Unfortunately, my numbers don't match up - I apparently failed to list quite a few books. Another place for improvement.

I love the TIOLI Challenges and will continue to participate, but I'm not going to try for sweeps for a while. I think December brought me to 19 months straight - I'm going to take a break and see if it doesn't help me change my reading patterns. I still want those shared reads!

I'll tackle a few reviews tomorrow.

>26 Dejah_Thoris: Impressive stats, Dejah, a book a day in 2019!
After 24 months of sweeping I am doing the same, if I run into a sweep without trying that is okay.
My non-fiction reads were even less, I aim to higher numbers this year as well.

Happy New Year, Dejah! Love the topper - made me smile. And your stats are incredible.

Hi, Dejah! Happy New Thread and Year.

Oh, that's a great thread-topper! I have a year-by-year going too, but I haven't frightened myself by writing out all the so-far empty slots. I have Pulitzer fiction on my list for a future self-challenge (if / when I finish any of the current ones!), so obviously great minds think alike. :)

Yay! Cat photo! Please give us more, I can never get enough of seeing others' critters... er, and hearing about books too. Right. Books.

But also cats.

;P

Visitors - excellent!

>27 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I may give sweeps another try after a break - we'll see.

>28 Crazymamie: Hiya, Mamie! Hecky is a cutie - that was a fortunate shot. Thanks for dropping by.

>29 lyzard: As I recall, Liz, your Year by Year is a different century - right? Much harder! I am, however, perfectly delighted go along with the great minds idea - how can I resist? :)

>30 dk_phoenix: Well, since I haven't actually manage to write anything much about books so far this year, I guess I'd better get going with more cat photos!

Happy New Year Dejah! Dropping a star and looking forward to SFF goodness.

>32 swynn: Thanks for finding me! More and more wonderful SFF books seem to keep popping up all the time - thank goodness my library system is good about ordering them.

I’m finally feeling much better today - two weeks is too long to feel sick from some viral crud. I haven’t accomplished much today, but the weather is beautiful here in my part of Georgia, and I sat outside basking in the sunshine for a while (it’s been cloudy and rainy for what feels like weeks). In addition to reading (I’m working on Xuxub Must Die) I watched the cats play (or sleep) and the birds gorge themselves at the multiple feeders in the yard. The squirrels have their sunflower seeds at the base of two trees, and made an appearance as well. The deer came by this morning and the opossum will turn up tonight (along with more deer).

There should be more sunshine tomorrow - and another 70 degree day. I’m looking forward to it!

1. The Gigolo Murder by Mehmet Murat Somer

The Gigolo Murder is the third of Mehmet Murat Somer’s Turkish Delight Mysteries, and as I did about the other two, I have somewhat mixed feelings. I’m fascinated by the setting - Istanbul - and the fact that these novels were originally written and published in Turkish. That these mysteries are firmly rooted in the LGBTQ community also gives them an unusual piquancy. Nevertheless, it doesn’t always make for the most comfortable reading.

I don’t always like the unnamed hero/heroine of The Gigolo Murder, who is a computer security expert / hacker by day (so to speak) and a nightclub owner by night. Sometimes, his actions are mystifying to me. There is sex that takes place off page, but there are some very frank discussions throughout. There is one scene that the amateur detective walks into in his own apartment that cracked me up and still sets me to chortling, but would probably offend a number of readers.

I haven’t been in a hurry to read these - one a year is about my pace. I’ll read the fourth book in the series, The Serenity Murders (I believe there are seven, but only four available in English), eventually.

2. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

I got thoroughly sucked into this alternate history in which a meteorite strike with catastrophic results spurs a race to move humans off planet. Without computers as we know them (or at least reliable computers), women with superb mathematical skills function in their place and take on their name. But these talented women don’t want to simply crunch numbers, they want their chance at space, too.

I read all but about 70 pages of this in one sitting while I was sick - it’s tremendously engaging. I’ll be moving on to The Fated Sky soon, probably in February.

>33 Dejah_Thoris: What a delightfully peaceful way to spend the day. I hope you’re feeling much better now.

>36 humouress: I am feeling much better, Nina, thanks. It's about time!

Glad you are feeling better, and that we agree on The Calculating Stars!

>35 Dejah_Thoris: I'm going to get to that one early this year. I've heard so much good about it. Glad to hear you're feeling better!

>38 ronincats: >39 swynn: Thank you both - I was beginning to forget what feeling well feels like.

Actually, my timing on getting better is excellent: I start rehearsal for a community theater play tonight. It's an appallingly short rehearsal schedule - we open on the 25th of January. It's going to be an interesting few weeks.

>40 Dejah_Thoris: That is a short turnaround on rehearsals!

>31 Dejah_Thoris:

Yes, I'm doing the 19th century: a book a year from 1800 - 1900. I'm going okay but I'd be doing better if I could manage to stop doubling (and tripling) up on certain dates. :)

Good luck with your play!

>41 thornton37814: Oh yes, indeed it is! Terrifying, actually. Scheduling and other issues have been resolved so this will not happen again next year. As it is, we'll manage. Overall, it's a good cast.

>42 lyzard: I know exactly what you mean - 4 for 1921? And also 4 each for 1953, 1958 and 1960? What was I thinking, lol? I admire your 19th century efforts, but I won't be emulating you - the 20th century is enough for me. And if I weren't a fairly dedicated play reader, I wouldn't do as well as I do.

And thanks for the good wishes re: the play. It's actually a fairly new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility by Kate Hamill. It's actually very funny.

Ooh, Austen. Do you have a major part (or several)?

>44 humouress: Sorry I've been so long in answering, Nina Many people in the show have more than one part, but not me. As odd as it may seem, I'm playing Sir John Middleton. This was not a case of a shortage of men auditioning (which is not uncommon in community theater), but a decision by the director to play up the gender issues in the play. I don't mind - it's fun. I'm not entirely certain the audience will get what we're going for, though.

I'm still reading, just not posting. One of these days.....

>45 Dejah_Thoris: Oh, that should be fun!!!

>45 Dejah_Thoris: Huh; interesting. I hope it works. Break a leg!

>35 Dejah_Thoris: Hope you're feeling better. Yay for The Calculating Stars!

>46 ronincats: I'm really enjoying it Roni, I just wish we had more rehearsal time - we open a week from Friday.

>47 humouress: Interesting is one word for it, lol. I am enjoying Sir John - he's very entertaining.

>48 souloftherose: I am feeling much better, thanks, Heather. And I agree - yay for The Calculating Stars!

Happy Sunday, Princess!

>50 PaulCranswick: A belated thank you, Paul!

The very short rehearsal schedule for Sense and Sensibility made things tough for a bit - no time or mental energy to post! I kept reading, of course - and managed to track all my books above. One day, I may even write some reviews....

ETA: We opened last weekend, and the show is being well received - and I'm having a great time as Sir John!

Woo woo!

Thanks for the reminder to check your list above, since it doesn't show up as a new post to remind me to do so otherwise. Did you like the Clockwork Boys duo? And a sequel, at least of sorts, is coming out soon for Sorcerer to the Crown--I'm looking forward to it. I'm working on The Fated Sky as well as the new Aaronovitch as we speak!

I'll bet you are having a great time--of course it's being well-received.

The run of the show is over, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Plying Sir John was a hoot - I really do enjoy making people laugh. We sold a lot of tickets (money always matters to nonprofits), but not everyone loved the show. Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility feels very fresh and modern - and it’s certainly much funnier than the novel on its own - but to Austen purists, it may seem disrespectful.

At any rate, I had fun. As Sir John, I wasn’t strapped into a corset, thank goodness, but of course I didn’t get a truly gorgeous gown made for me, either - definite trade off! I miss performing and being with the rest of the cast. This one went by quickly.

That said, I’m dreadfully behind on reviews and visiting threads. I’ll see what I can do to catch up!

>52 humouress: Thanks for dropping by, Nina!

>53 ronincats: I know, Roni - it's hard to tell what I'm reading! I did enjoy the Clockwork Boys novels - I've got Swordheart downloaded to my Kindle. I liked Sorcerer to the Crown, but wanted to like it more. That said, I'll definitely read the sequel, although you almost ale=ways get to things before I do!

The Fated Sky should be up for me fairly soon - my local library system didn't purchase it, so I'm waiting for six months to be up so I can request it from the much larger, nearly state wide system we belong to. As for Lies Sleeping, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

>54 Dejah_Thoris: It is a great joy and talent to make people laugh, Princess.

I used to be pretty good a doing that once upon a time but I am less adept than previously.

>54 Dejah_Thoris: Glad to hear you enjoyed this show's run Dejah.

What did you think of Embers of War? I've heard good things about this one and am hoping to start it shortly.

It sounds like the show was a lot of fun, however brief it was.

I'm looking into reading The Clockwork Boys - I think I've managed to borrow it from the library (but once I start browsing, who knows where I end up, especially with three libraries on Overdrive).

>54 Dejah_Thoris: The Library has The True Queen on order, and I'm first in line for it, Dejah. I did enjoy Lies Sleeping--Aaronovitch is pretty much a sure thing.

>55 PaulCranswick: Oh, I bet you can still make people laugh, Paul, even if you're a bit out of practice. :)

>56 souloftherose: I know you've finished it, Heather, but I did like Embers of War. I wasn't sure what I was expecting (I checked it out from the library 3 times before I actually read it), but it worked for me. I'm trying to get my library to order it so I don't have to wait 6 months to get Fleet of Knives.

>57 humouress: I hope you've gotten to The Clockwork Boys - it was fun!

>58 ronincats: Hi Roni - I keep waiting to see if The True Queen will show up in the library catalog. They're not very good about getting books out promptly.....

>59 Dejah_Thoris: Oh I can still raise a smile or two occasionally, Princess.

Have a lovely weekend.

>59 Dejah_Thoris: I haven't got as far as reading it, but I've downloaded The Clockwork Boys on my Kindle (thanks to Roni's enthusiastic recommendations).

I haven't hosted a series or an author for a while. I'd like to do so this summer, during a month when the most interested folk have the time to do at least the targeted book, which is only 200 pp. long. I'd like to expose as many people as possible to the works of James H. Schmitz, a science fiction author who wrote from the late '40s through the 1970s. He is best known for The Witches of Karres, but imho has written much better works. Here is my bookshelf.


Many of his works, especially his shorter ones, were very hard to find for quite a while, but in 2000 and 2001, Baen published almost all of his oeuvre in a collection of 6 books, seen to the right of the shelf above. The book I would like to feature is Demon Breed, also found in the Baen collection The Hub: Dangerous Territory. Schmitz is known for his kick-ass female protagonists long before they became the current ubiquitous status quo in his stories about Telzey Amberdon, Trigger Argee, and the hero of Demon Breed, Nile Etland.

See my thread for more info if interested!

just *waving*

Missing you Princess!

Greetings, and Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate!

Well, I've kept up with recording all my books at the top of my thread, but I don't post much (mild understatement). I'll see if I can't do a bit better to close out the year and start 2020 on a more consistent note.

I am truly thankful for LT and community of readers it brings together. I'm out there lurking, even if I don't post!

Because LT doesn't register it when you add stuff to an already existing message, I keep forgetting to check in to see what you are reading up above.

I appreciate you dropping by, Roni! I know my thread is usually functionally invisible - my own fault. I do try to keep track of what you're reading, though, because I know there will be something of interest!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Belated congratulations on reaching 1x, 2x, 3x and 4x 75, Dejah!

Aiming for a book a day again?

I hadn't even realized you'd surpassed 300 because I rarely scroll up! Congrats!

>68 ronincats: Thanks again, Roni!

>69 quondame: I appreciate it, Susan - thanks for dropping by!

>70 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita! And good glory, no! One of my goals this year was to read less, which I'm just barely managing to do, lol. I promise, there will be no push to reach 365.

>71 thornton37814: Without me posting, there isn't much of any way for anyone to know what I'm up to. Thanks for the congratulations!

Adding my congratulations on your 300 Dejah!

You may have to work hard not to get to 365 :0)

>73 humouress: Thanks, Nina - but happily, December is a busy month so I will have no trouble at all resisting the lure of 365!

Lovely to see you posting, Princess.

Trust you are having a great Thanksgiving weekend.

I hoped that little flurry of posting might see Princess back in the fold.

Have a great weekend.

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

I'll look for your thread on 75 Books Challenge for 2020!