Clue's Shelf Life 2023, Best Read by 12-31-23

A few years ago I started using the very simple process of just listing what I had read by genre and keeping a spreadsheet with planning several months in advance. As time has gone by I've ignored the plan more and more so this year I may make a few notes but I'm not doing a formal plan, I'll just scan the TBR and To Read lists a few weeks ahead. I like Cats and Kits and will continue to participate in them based on my TBR, and I'll also play BINGO. I want to read biographies of the earlier President's wives. I read one on Martha Washington in 2022 and have one on Abigail Adams in process. Other than that my plan is to pick books from my sumptuous TBR most of the time with little or no pressure to read anything in particular.

I think I'll have more reading time in 2023 and I look forward to that so much!

Bingo
A book about a topic you don’t usually read
A book rated above 4 on LT Hamnet
A book that taught you something - The Stranger in the Woods
A memoir - Home Waters
A popular author’s first book - The Absent Author
Art or craft related - Oil and Marble
Author who shares your zodiac sign
Bestseller from 20 years ago
Book by a local/regional author where you live/have lived
Book is set on a plane, train or ship - Danger on the Atlantic
Features a cat (cats) or member of the cat family (leopard, lion, tiger, etc.) - The Cat Who Sang for the Birds
Inn or hotel - Murder at the Mena House
Involves an accident - The Heart of the Sea
Journalist or journalism
More than 1000 copies on LT - The Cat Who Went Up The Creek
Music or musician - Now is the Hour by
Read a CAT
Small town or rural setting - The Scent of Water
STEM topic- The Green House
Switched or stolen identities - A World of Curiosities
The next book in a series you started - Murder at Wedgefield Manor
Title contains a number or quantity - Table Two by Wilenski
With a book on the cover -Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J. Farmer
With a plant in the title or on the cover - Night Gardening
Written by an author under 30

Biography/Memoir

1. Home Waters: A Chronicle of Family and a River by John N. MacLean
2. Big Russ & Me by Tim Russert
3. The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel

Fiction

1. Night Gardening by E. L. Swann
2. Oil and Water by - Stephanie Storey
3. Table Two by Marjorie Wilenski
4. The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly

Nonfiction

1.

Mysteries

1. Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer
2. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
3. The Cat Who Sang for the Birds by Lillian Braun
4. The Cat Who Saw Stars by Lilian Jackson Braun
5. The Absent Author by Ron Roy
6. Peril at the Exposition by Nev March
7. What a Picture's Worth by Susan Page Davis
8. Murder at Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer
9. The Cat Who Went Up The Creek by Lilian Jackson Braun

Hold

January:

Read from Shelf: 5
Read from Library: 2

Purchased: 1

1. Soldiers in the Army of Freedom by Ian Michael Spurgeon for Historical Site bookclub.

Enjoy your 2023 reads!

Good luck with your 2023 reading

Happy New Year and good luck with your reading.

Good luck with your 2023 reading, Luanne!

>9 thornton37814:, >10 lowelibrary:, >11 majkia:, >12 Tess_W: Thanks to all. I'm looking forward to some good reading! I hope you have a good year too, I'll be checking out what you post.

Stopping by to wish you a wonderful year of reading in 2023.

Origin - Library
CAT - Series Cat
BINGO: Inn or Hotel
My Rating - 3.5

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer



Jane Wunderly, a young American widowed by WWI, was asked by her Aunt Millie to accompany her to Egypt in 1926. Upon arrival they checked in at the hotel Mena, a luxury hotel where all the best people stayed when in Cairo. It's not long before Jane has made the acquaintance of a handsome, though somewhat mysterious man, and a young socialite has made it clear all romantic conquests will be hers, and a few bodies turn up.

This is a light mystery that could be called cozy because there is no graphic sex, violence or language. The Egyptian setting is weak with the action primarily taking place in the hotel.There is a touch of romance, though Jane doesn't want one (wink, wink), and I didn't guess the murderer.

This won an Agatha Award in 2021 and there are three more in the series with a fourth being published in March. I'll put the second on my sometime list.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - No
BINGO: Switched or Stolen Identities
My Rating - 4.0

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny



Young adult siblings come back into the lives of Gamache and Jean Guy. As children their mother, a prostitute, was murdered. During the investigation Gamache realized the brother and sister had been routinely sexually abused by her customers. He remembers it as one of his worst cases. Although he has had a personal relationahip with the young woman, he has never been comfortable with her brother. There is something that causes him to want distance between them.

A second storyline revolves around a secret room found in Myrna's loft after a wall is knocked down. Surprisingly it isn't an empty room, it holds many unexplainable things including a very large painting that has a sinister quality. How long has it been there? Who painted it? What does it mean? Eventully the two storylines merge and all questions are answered.

There are things I don't like about Penny's writing. For instance, though her plots are often called complex, I think they're just cluttered with unnecssary information and disjointed sentences. Still, I started reading the series when the first book was published and here I am, just having finished the 18th.

>16 clue: - Skipped over everything you wrote as I'm not quite ready for this book yet. I think #16 is my next one, scheduled for some time this year. I'm so tempted to catch right up but also to take it slow. I'm thinking I might do a total reread once I catch up as this is one of my favorite series.

If I didn't already say - looking forward to your reading this year.

>15 clue: I think I liked that one slightly better than you did. It's a series I really enjoy.

>16 clue: That one will be read soon so I'm not reading your comments closely.

>17 dudes22:, >18 thornton37814: I think I'm going to take the plunge and watch the TV series. One of my friends loves the book series and says the TV series is well done with good casting. It's on Amazon Prime.

Popping by to make it easier to follow along! Happy Reading!

>19 clue: - I've seen them and I liked them although some of the characters were not as I pictured from reading the books.

>15 clue: I remember liking that book well enough to try another by the author.

Have a great reading year in 2023!

Happy New Year! I am taking a BB for >15 clue: and also skipped your review of A World of Curiosities because I have just started that series...

I hope you have a good reading year!

Happy New Year! You are off to a good start with two books completed already!

Happy new year! I hope your reading year is relaxed and fun!

>18 thornton37814:, >23 MissBrangwen: As it happens, I think I'm going to read the second in the Jane Wunderly series in February as it fits RandomKit. My library doesn't have it so I'll probably get it from ILL whenever it's available. And >22 hailelib:, I hope you like the first one.

The big snow storm has just hit us! It's really coming down, huge wet flakes and although it's 37 degrees it's probably gotten an inch deep within 30 minutes! This is supposed to continue for 11 more hours but will remain above freezing the whole time! If I can pull myself away from the window I might get a book finished!

>26 clue: Hope you're not snowed in! Stay safe!

Origin - Shelf
CAT - Random CAT, Alpha S
BINGO: No
My Rating - 3.5

Night Gardening by E. L. Swann



Maggie is sixty years old, the widow of a man who was a member of one of Boston's old and wealthy families. Unfortunately, in recent generations they had became a family of drinkers and spenders.

After her husband's death, Maggie suffered a major stroke from which she is still recovering. A talented gardener, she sits on her porch and laments the poor condition her once beautiful garden has fallen into, and the fact that she has neither the health or finances to restore it.

The large house next door has new owners and Maggie begins to occupy herself by watching work in their garden by peeking through holes in the wall between them. She delights in the unusual choice of plants and the amazing feats of heavy equipment. It's not long before she also delights in watching Tristan Mallory, the landscape architect making it happen.

After a through the wall meeting takes place, Tristan is delighted to learn Maggie calls plants by their Latin names. Ten years younger than Maggie and divorced, a friendship develops between them and Tristan begins to work at night restoring Maggie's garden.

I loved the unique story of this small, quiet book and the well done gardening angle was a delight to me. I didn't feel the same with the characters. Maggie I found beliveable but there wasn't much depth to Tristan and I'm disappointed their relationship which grew into a romance, didn't ever seem real to me.

Origin - Library
CAT - No, Book club
BINGO: Biography
My Rating - 4.0

Home Waters A Chroicle of Family and a River by John N Maclean



I have seen this book called a sequel to A River Runs Through It by Norman MacLean, this author's father. It isn't that, although this is about the same family and the same river. It is instead a memoir that recounts his family's Montana history and how a river gave them a place to be and a place to come back to.

As anyone familiar with A River Runs Through It might expect, there is a lot of trout fishing woven through the book. This is the activity the men through generations of MacLean's have bonded through, learned life's lessons through, and learned love and respect through. Although Maclean has spent much of his adult life in Chicago where he worked for the Chicago Tribune for more than twenty years, he has also spent part of every year at the cabin his family has owned for three generations in Montana. He is the author of five books on certain forest fires, the people who fought them, and those that died in them. National Geographic has called him the Bob Woodward of forest fires.

If you choose to read this book, I'll warn that it begins slowly with family genealogy. If that isn't your interest, hang in, it will help later on.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - No
BINGO: Features a Cat
My Rating - 3.5

The Cat Who Sang for the Birds by Lilian Braun



This month's Cat read is the 20th in the series. The title refers to one of the two cats belonging to the protagonist who seemingy likes to sit in the screened in gazebo and attempt to "sing" back to the birds. The mystery this time revolves around fraud by someone in local politics and the death by fire of the oldest woman in town.

>30 clue: I'm considering a re-read of that series in the future. It probably won't start this year.

Home Waters looks interesting. Been awhile since my lit class discussed A River Runs Through It.

Enjoyed catching up on your thread!

>31 thornton37814: I've really enjoyed reading these. I had read the first one or two years ago but for whatever reason didn't continue. I'll finish the series this year and I'm starting the search for another light series.

>32 VictoriaPL: I liked this once it got started. I'm learning that living in a fast world has made slow reading harder for me than it used to be. My family's river was the Ouachita (Wash a Tah) though the water is too warm for trout there are other fish that made our outdoor dinners a banquet.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - No
BINGO: Art or Craft
My Rating - 4

Oil and Marble by Stephanie Storey



This is a novel about the great artists Leonardo and Michelangelo. The author tells her story using historical sources when they are available, and using her own imagination when they are not. The relationship between the artists, which isn't known, is the base of the story.

The period covered is 1501-1505 when both artists were living in Florence. During those years Leonardo created one of the world's greatest paintings, Mona Lisa, and Michelangelo created David, one of the world's greatest sculptures.

The author includes a coda that gives us basic facts about the artists after 1505 and includes notes that tell why she made the decisions she did when facts weren't available. In her notes she writes: Oil and Marble is based on twenty years of research and grounded in real history, but it is unapologetically a work of fiction.

I liked this, there isn't a lot of depth, but it's a good story, one that provokes thought and possibly inspires more reading on the artists. She gave us a little teaser at the end by introducing Raphael, the subject of her second novel, I already have it on my shelf.

>34 clue: interesting!

Origin - Library
CAT - Random Cat
BINGO: No
My Rating - 2.5

Peril at the Exposition by Nev March



When I read the first in this series, I made note to read the second when it came out. Unfortunately, I like it much less than the first. The setting has changed from Bombay to Chicago and the protagonist has become Wonder Woman.

Jim, the husband of Diana, is an experienced investigator and has gone to work for a private agency in Boston where they are now living. He is sent to Chicago, it's 1893, to help an investigator who has already been sent there. When Diana goes weeks without hearing from Jim, she decides to go find him and of course, she does. My greatest problem with what follows is that it doesn't have even a slim thread of possibility to me.

>36 clue: I only gave the first one 2.5 stars. Sounds like I can give the rest of the series a pass.

>34 clue: BB's for my WL for sure!

>38 Tess_W: I hope you like them. I think I'll get to the Raphael in March.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - Random Cat
BINGO: Title includes a number
My Rating - 4.0

Table Two by Marjorie Wilenski

Can't get the Touchstone to work correctly. It is in the LT database.



Table Two resides in the ministry of Foreign Intelligence in London as WWII begins. For a group of translators, all women, the table is their workplace. Most are mature women with years of work experience, but the youngest, Anne, has just come to London, determined to make her way after her family's wealth is lost. The reader observes the daily interaction of the translators and also follows Anne and a few others into their private lives.

The author has created authentic characters readers will recognize from their own experiences. It's amazing that this is the first and only novel Wilenski wrote. Some have speculated it is based on her own work experience during the war. I've given the book a rating of 4, although the ending seems abrupt and somewhat weak. It was still a very good read and a book I wouldn't have known about had LT not recommended it.

According to Amazon, Elizabeth Bowen said, ‘The most striking novel about women war workers this war has produced.’

Origin - Shelf
CAT - Random Cat
BINGO: Small Town or Rural Setting
My Rating - 3.5

The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge



Elizabeth Goudge (1900-1984) was English and a very popular novelist of both children's and adult books. In fact, J. K. Rowling has said that one of Goudge's books was her favorite book as a child.

Mary Lindsay had been a city dweller (London) all of her life. At fifty she was very surprised to learn she had inherited a home in a small town from her father's cousin. In turn, she surprised her friends by deciding to retire and move into the house even though she had only been in it once and that was when she was a child.

The book revolves around Mary's life in the village and her influence on the people who live there. Many of the same issues people and families deal with today are part of the lives of the villagers. Husbands/fathers damaged by the war, mental illness, grown children taking advantage of elderly parents, lack of money, etc. Goudge's father was a theologian (Anglican) and there is a gentle spiritual element woven through the book.

Some reviewers describe this book as being similar to Miss Read. I don't think so, to me it's more serious and not as light a read. I think I've become accustomed to too much drama though, I had to remind myself to slow down and let the book flow. There isn't much plot development really but the characters and setting are well done.

Origin - Library
CAT - Random Cat
BINGO: The Cat Who Went Up the Creek by Lillian Braun
My Rating - 3.5

The Cat Who Went Up the Creek by Lilian Jackson Braun



Jim Quilleran, former investigative reporter, decides to spend a couple of weeks at the Black Creek in the newley restored Nutcracker Inn. The cats, Koko and Yum Yum go along because he gave them no choice. It isn't long before he finds Koko enjoying watching a body float down the creek. It turns out the deceased had been staying in the hotel and Qwilleran (and Koko) jump into the investigation of his suspicious death.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - No
BINGO: No
My Rating - 3.5

The Cat Who Robbed a Bank by Lilian Jackson Braun



So here's another Cat book this month. I've had two visits from the plumber and no washing machine for a week, one from the handyman to fix an unrelated water problem in the kitchen, gutter damage from a hail storm, and a cancellation of my insurance for home and cars because the insurance company is no longer selling insurance in my state, in addition to the caretaking of my sweet sister who has dementia, I've had a greater need for easy reading the last 3 weeks!

This time a jeweler comes to town to buy and sell estate jewelery. Qwilleran becomes suspicious when he learns the jeweler accepts only cash. When the jeweler is murdered and his assistant, said to be his relative, disappears the investigation is on.

There are always acivities taking place in Pickax and in this book it's a first ever Highland games weekend. Many of the small town's residents have Scottish ancestry including Qwilleran whose mother was a Mackintosh. No competition for my family, I have an uncle whose first and middle names are Bonnie Brun! And, quite the drinker!

>40 clue: A BB for me!

I'll be interested in what you think of it. She does a good job of mixing the different personalities and contrasting young and old thinking. It also gave a good descrption of how people became used to the horror of the Blitz. They started out saying the middle of London couldn't be attacked but soon were orgainizing their daily routine around the chaos.

Origin - Library
CAT - No
BINGO: Ship
My Rating - 3.0

I don't know what I've done but the message above will not post comments. However they show if I look at edit or preview. I've copied and moved them here and hope they don't show twice later. I remember this happening a few years ago. Maybe the raging thunderstom is causing some trouble interferred with the transit. Here they are:

The third in this series could be a standalone. It takes place on a ship and the male protagonist works undercover for the U.S., the female assists. The two became a couple in the previous book. Working undercover, the purpose of their voyage is to identify a spy that could be a passenger.

While I like the characters and the plot, there are weaknesses in the writing that were irritating. The time period is supposed to be between WWI and WWII but it isn't evident, and the author used some descriptions over and over. For instance, most characters at one time or another had "a sparkle in their eye" or "sparkling" eyes. Editor please!

Origin - Shelf
CAT - No
BINGO: Rating of 4 plus
My Rating - 4.5

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell



There isn't much I can say about this that hasn't been said. The writing is so beautiful, the characters, particularly the child who will die, are so real you think you can reach out and touch them. This is one book that deserves the hype it's received, the development of Anne Hathaway alone makes it a worthy read.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - No
BINGO: No
My Rating - 4



Painting Title: Lady With An Ermine

Book Title: The Night Portrait

The author is the American art historian Laura Morelli, a Harvard graduate who also taught there ten years. This is an historical novel telling the story behind the painting Lady With An Ermine. The subject is thought to be Ceccilia Gallerani, about 16, and mistress to the Duke of Milan. DaVinci served as painter to the Duke's court during the 1490s and it is accepted that he did the painting during that time.

The plot covers DaVinci's decision to leave Florence and journey to Milan, the painting of the portrait, Gallerani's life once she left the court, and what happened to the painting during WWII. The WWII period included following a German conservator (a woman character, not an actual person), and a young American soldier (not an actual person) who was assigned to the Mouments Men.

The book has several time lines which I normally complain about, but this is a good example of how those can be handled. When a new chapter begins there is a banner with the chapter number, name of the character we will be following, the location, and the date. No where am I now?

The painting was returned to the Czartoryski family in Poland after the war, and it can be seen at the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow. Morelli includes some of her resources in the book, but because there are many so a complete list is available on her website. This is the first book I've read by her but I have more on my TBR and look forward to them.

>49 clue: - We just read this for book club and had an interesting discussion about it. The person who picked the book did a lot of research which was very interesting too. She said there are a lot of video interviews available with the author available because the book came out during covid so that was the only way.

I read it for book club too. Most liked it as much as I did but there were a couple who chose not to read it due to the child's death. Our club leader reads about 15 to 20 books a month and wants us to have two choices. Most of us just read one and it hurts our discussion because we have 7 members and when they're split between books there isn't much time for discussion of both books.

I'm kind-of the organizer of our book club and I can't imagine having more than one book a month.

>49 clue: I tried to read it last year, not successful. Still on my shelf for a re-read. Maybe now is the time!

>50 clue: What a great cover. I love books about paintings! Off I go to secure!

Your challenge is a dangerous place to visit if I want to keep a lid on new books!

>54 Tess_W: Well, it's not the cover, I didn't like it, it's the painting and why it wasn't on the cover I can't imagine. A large part of the book is about WWII and the scramble on both sides to grab the great art pieces and collections.

Origin - Library
CAT - No
BINGO: No
My Rating - 3.5

Galatea by Madeline Miller



A short story published in book form, this is Madeline Miller's rewrite of Pygmalian. This time the woman is a sculpture brought to life. Interesting that the she becomes the one in control.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - No
BINGO: No
My Rating - 3.5

Message From Absalom by Anne Armstrong Thompson



Published in 1975, this is a good example of the romantic suspense genre that was so popular at that time. Susannah, formerly with the CIA, is the owner of an antique store. While on a vacation trip with a group that is currently in Bulgaria she sees a former CIA colleague dressed in workmen's clothes. He sees her too, but immediately turns and quickly walks away. Later he comes to her hotel pleading for help in making sure a message gets to the President, no one else can be trusted. And so the story begins.

I liked this and will read her other 3 books if I run across them. Be aware this was written almost 50 years ago and the same story would be written differently now. When it comes to romance this smart former spy is pretty darn niave, and the book would be more graphic and gritty. The cover above is on Amazon but the original cover shows a stylishly dressed woman sitting alone at a sidewalk cafe and being watched by a man in uniform and a man in a suit in the background. The original cover describes the book better even though Susannah has difficult challenges. Notice on that cover the book is called a thriller, certainly not romantic suspense. But, all said, it's still available today, republished in 2017.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - No
BINGO: No
My Rating - 3.5

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly



In the early 1900s a wealthy couple hire Venetia Smith, a well known landscape designer, to create a large formal garden at their country manor house. To Mr. Melcourt the garden is primarily a matter of prestige.

In 1944 Beth Pedley, a Land Girl, comes to work on a neighboring farm and delivers produce to the estate, becoming friends with the cook. Part of Highbury House has become a convalescent hospital for soldiers and is being managed by the widow of a decendent of the earlier owners. Smith's garden has been neglected.

In 2021 Emma Lovell, a landscape designer is hired to restore the massive garden to Smith's original design. The current owner, Sydney Wilcox, digs through the house's archives and attic eventually finding among other things Venetia Smith's original map.

Though I could be caught up in the lives of these characters, it was the garden segments I most enjoyed. As the garden changed, the lives of the women changed too, though usually in predictable ways. The chapters jump from one time period to another and I found it difficult to remember who the minor characters were since each time period had several. Still, I found it an enjoyable read for a couple of stormy days.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - Alpha D
BINGO: No
My Rating - 3.5

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave



Owen and Hannah have been married a year. His 16 year old daughter from a previous marriage lives with them, the marriage ended when his wife died after being struck by a car.

When Owen becomes unusally stressed and distant he tells Hannah there are problems with new software development at work. There definately were problems at work, big ones, but there was also a lot more to know about Owen than Hannah knew.

I found the first half of the book suspenseful and hard to put down. In the last half the pace slowed. The ending itself was okay, but rather lackluster.

Origin - Library
CAT - Kiddie Cat
BINGO: No
My Rating - 4



Aesop's Fables by Charles Santore

A picture book of 24 Aesop's fables with beautiful full page illustrations by Santore. Santore's first job was with TV Guide where he illustrated the magazine's covers. Later he began illustrating new versions of children's classics for which he became famous.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - Random CAT
BINGO: No
My Rating - DNF



A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George

After I started this I realized I had tried it before. I was pretty determined to stick with it but couldn't figure out where the plot was going. About halfway through I looked at reviews on LT and discovered it was a prequel! The edition I had did not show anywhere it was a prequel and neither did the series list I had looked at. Since that irritated me, and I don't like prequels, I gave it up!

Origin - Shelf
CAT - Random CAT
BINGO: No
My Rating - 3.5



Next in the series was much better! Lynley investigates the death of a college student at Cambridge where her father is on the faculty. She doesn't know her father or his wife very well because she has been living with her mother in another city. Elena is smart, engaging and deaf. When her body is found in a wooded area near her dorm, it sends shockwaves throughout the community. I liked the Cambridge setting though it may have supplied more suspects than needed.

Origin - Shelf
CAT - Alpha C
BINGO: No
My Rating - 3.5



Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

This is a short post-apocalyptic novel that takes place in Northern Canada. The setting is in a small Annishinaabe community and Rice has created very likeable and realistic characters. As with other novels of this genre, it all begins when mechanical devices begin to fail and comes to the apex when the first, expected, and dreaded outsider shows up. It ends with a violent death and a decision that I think could lead to a good sequel though at this point, it was first published five years ago, there isn't even talk of one.

>62 clue: Good news! There is a sequel coming out this year: Moon of the Turning Leaves

>63 rabbitprincess: Oh, that's fantastic. Thanks, another book to look forward to!

Origin - Library
CAT - Kiddie Cat, Alpha Cat, K
BINGO: No
My Rating - 4.0



Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

I've finished Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, a chapter book for 4th and 5th grade readers. Opal has had a rough time for a little girl. Her mother abandoned Opal and her dad, and then her dad, a preacher, uprooted Opal and moved to Florida. Opal misses her old friends and has a hard time making new ones. That begins to change when she brings a rather ugly stray dog home from a shopping trip to the Winn-Dixie.

>62 clue: >63 rabbitprincess: So glad to hear about the upcoming sequel! I listened Moon of the Crusted Snow which added immensely to the atmospheric writing. I'll likely do the same with the new work.
Thanks for the info!

>62 clue: & >63 rabbitprincess: Wonderful to hear there is going to be another book from Waubgeshig Rice. I really enjoyed Moon of the Crusted Snow.

Next time I read it I'll listen to audio like >66 beebeereads: recommends.