Terri (tymfos) runs her 2014 Reading Race #3: "March"ing into Spring

Hi! Welcome to my third 75 Challenge thread of 2014! This is my primary challenge for 2014. All the books I read this year will be here. I'm welcoming MARCH with a new thread. I'm hoping that this month will (eventually) bring better weather and I can say goodbye to scenes like this:





I enjoy many different kinds of books. I'm partial to mysteries, but I read a lot of other things, too, both fiction and non-fiction.

You may notice I have a fondness for lists and organizing things.

Feel free to comment. Part of the joy of reading is sharing the journey!

COVERS OF BOOKS I'M CURRENTLY READING

FICTIONAUDIO
NON-FICTION

FIRST QUARTER BOOKS

Books read in JANUARY (challenges fulfilled; date completed)
1. Blood Land by R. S. Guthrie e-book (2014 category Rifleman; 1/2/14)
2. A Comedy of Heirs by Rett MacPherson (1/3/14; ROOT, 2014 Honor Thy Father category)
3. 58 Degrees North: The Mysterious Sinking of the Arctic Rose by Hugo Kugiya (1/6/14; ROOT, January Joyrides)
4. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (GeoCAT, RandomCAT, unofficial alphaCAT, American Author Challenge, 2014 American Author category 1/11/14)
5. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (ROOT, MysteryCAT, 2014 Category Whodunit?1/13/14)
6. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny (2014 Category Garden of Evil 1/20/14)
7. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson e-book (2014 Category still deciding; randomCAT, mysteryCAT)
8. Southern Lady, Yankee Spy by Elizabeth Varon (ROOT, 2014 Category "war"& unofficial alphaCAT)
9. North of Nowhere by Steve Hamilton (MysteryCAT 1/30/14)
10. Firewall by Henning Mankell (audio -- 2014 Garden of Evil category 1/30/14)
10a Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson e-book short

abandoned:
Murder on the Mind by L. L. Bartlett. (Just not my cup of tea)
Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff (may try again later when in different mood)

Books read in FEBRUARY
11. The Round House by Louise Erdrich (2/1/14)
12. The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill (ROOT, 2014 Category "Garden of Evil," MysteryCAT, unofficial AlphaCAT)
13. Blood is the Sky by Steve Hamilton (2/10/14; ROOT, MysteryCAT, unofficial alphaCAT H)
14. Faith Under Fire by Roger Benimoff (ROOT, 2014 Category "war," GeoCAT)
15. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson (2014 Category Rifleman, MysteryCAT) e-book
16. Real Men Work in the Pits by Jeff Hammond
17. Ice Run by Steve Hamilton (e book)
18. A Necessary End by Peter Robinson (MysteryCAT, unofficial AlphaCAT
abandoned this month:
The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker AUDIO

Books read in MARCH
19. Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (paper book & audio book)
20. I Was Right On Time by Buck O'Neil with Steve Wulf & David Conrads
21. The Watcher in the Shadows By Carlos Ruiz Zafon (e-book)
22. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
23. No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews
24. A Stolen Season by Steve Hamilton (e-book)

Currently reading:
Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King (audio)
Rocket Men by Craig Nelson
Winter Tides by James P. Blaylock

I'm doing the ROOT (Read Our Own Tomes) challenge again in 2014, "trimming" neglected books that have taken root on my TBR shelf:



http://www.librarything.com/topic/162208

So many people enjoy my thread-topper graphic for my ROOT challenge (where I focus on trimming the TBR pile), I've decided to add it here, in a somewhat smaller version:


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Reading Lori's (lkernagh) thread, she had this Retreat's Book Bingo thing she's trying promoted by Random House. I just may try it for 2014.



I'm not sure how to define "a book at the bottom of your to be read pile." Maybe pull one from the bottom shelf of the TBR bookcase?

A book with more than 500 pages
A Forgotten Classic
A book that became a movie Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
A book published this year
A book with a number in the title 58 Degrees North by Hugo Kugiya
A book written by someone under Thirty
A book with non-human characters
A Funny book No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews
A book by a female author How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
A book with a mystery North of Nowhere by Steve Hamilton
A book with a one-word title Firewall by Henning Mankell
A book of short stories Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King
FREE SQUARE
A book set on a different continent Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
A book of non-fiction Southern Lady, Yankee Spy by Elizabeth R. Varon
The first book by a favorite author
A book you heard about online Faith Under Fire by Roger Benimoff with Eve Conant
A best-selling book
A book based on a true story
A book at the bottom of your to-be-read pile A Comedy of Heirs by Rett MacPherson (the M's are on the bottom of my first TBR case)
A book your friend loves
A book that scares you
A book that is more than 10 years old
The second book in a series One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
A book with a blue cover Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

And I'm participating in Mark's American Author Challenge:


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My (very) tentative list for the American Author Challenge

January Willa Cather -- Death Comes for the Archbishop (I've wanted to read this for some time, at local library)COMPLETED
February William Faulkner -- As I Lay Dying, library Louise Erdrich The Round House COMPLETED
March Cormac McCarthy -- All the Pretty Horses COMPLETED
April Toni Morrison -- Beloved (I really want to read this one, at local library) and/or Jazz (owned)
May Eudora Welty -- Losing Battles (at local library)
June Kurt Vonnegut substitute Thomas Wolfe - Look Homeward, Angel (owned)
July Mark Twain substitute Ernest Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls (owned -- for over 20 years, about time I read it!)
August Philip Roth The Ghost Writer (owned)
September James Baldwin substitute Ray Bradbury - A Graveyard for Lunatics (for September Series & Sequels, owned)
October Edith Wharton substitute F. Paul Wilson - The Keep (for Halloween reading, owned)
November John Updike (Still deciding on selection)
December Larry Watson Let Him Go (I really want to read this, e-book available through library)

All titles subject to change. In fact, they will PROBABLY change, more than once!

I'm doing the 2014 Category Challenge:



http://www.librarything.com/topic/162285


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I struggled to decide on a theme for this year -- or whether to even have an overall theme for my categories. I considered using the titles of hit songs from 1974 (40 years ago) as my category titles. But I think I've settled on themes loosely based on a number of famous folks born in the great state of New Jersey.

I pretty much consider myself a Pennsylvanian now, but my formative years were spent in the Garden State, and my old home has shaped my sensibilities somewhat. (Its certainly affected my musical tastes, as anyone can attest whose heard how frequently I blast Springsteen and Bon Jovi songs.) So here's my tribute to my "old" home state.

Disclaimer: everything I'm planning here is subject to change.

And the categories (actual category names in bold print) are:

1. Bud Abbott (Asbury Park) & Lou Costello (Patterson), movie comedy team, who did the movie Hold That Ghost!

2. Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, astronaut & 2nd man to walk on the moon, Glen Ridge, NJ (grew up in Montclair) Out of This World

3. Count Basie, jazz musician, Red Bank, NJ, Music and All That Jazz

4. Jon Bon Jovi, rock musician, Perth Amboy, NJ, hit song Wanted Dead or Alive

5. Edna Buchanan, author of mysteries, Patterson, NJ, book Garden of Evil

6. Grover Cleveland, US president, Caldwell, NJ, The White House

7. Dylan Dreyer, NBC/MSNBC meteorologist, Manalapan, NJ, How's the Weather?

8. Philip Roth, Pulitzer prize-winning author, Newark, NJ, one of the authors in the American Author Challenge

9. Norman Schwarzkopf, military general, Trenton NJ; Admiral William Halsey, WWII Fleet Admiral, Elizabeth NJ, War

10 Christian Sharps, inventor of the Sharps Rifle (first successful breech-loading rifle) Washington, NJ, The Rifleman

11. Bruce Springsteen, musician, Long Branch, NJ, hit song The River

12. Guy Talese, author, Ocean City, NJ, who wrote the book (about the Mafia family, but my category is family in general) Honor Thy Father

13. Mike Trout, Major League All-Star baseball player, Millville, NJ, Play Ball!

14. Martin Truex, Jr., NASCAR driver, Mayetta, NJ, Fast Cars

(And a list of miscellaneous books I've read that don't fit.)

I want to set my goal for each category fairly low -- low enough so I'm not "shoehorning' books into categories where they really don't fit, and so that I'm not hating the limits the challenge is putting on my reading at the end of the year. So I'm going to stay with the 4's, and say at least four books per category -- some categories will have extras!

I also participate in a lot of the "CATS" on the Category Challenge -- MysteryCAT is my favorite, but also GeoCAT, RandomCAT, and even the Unofficial CATs (AlphaCAT and GastroCAT).

THE SERIES I'M READING

As you can see, I'm reading a lot of series! I'm trying to keep track of which installment is next; also, I'm trying to track how many are in each series, though that's hard to keep up with!


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RACING TO READ MY SERIES!

A. CHECKERED FLAG: Series that I'm actually caught up/finished with those which have been published!!! (as far as I know, anyway!)
Blood Detective/Nigel Barnes series by Dan Waddell (have read both)
Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. (have read all 13)
Dave Gurney series by John Verdon. (have read all three)
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. (have read all 4)
Elm Haven series by Dan Simmons (read both)
Fever Devilin series by Philip DePoy. (have read all seven)
Flap Tucker series by Philip DePoy (have read all 5)
Kenzie/Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane. (have read all six)
Lake Superior Mysteries by Matthew Williams. (have read all three)
Lincoln Perry series by Michael Koryta (have read all four)
Mallory series by Carol O'Connell (have read all 11)
Three Pines/Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. (have read all 9)
Trilogy of Fog by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. (have read all three)

B. WHITE FLAG LAP -- ONE TO GO!: Series that I am reading, only one left to read that has been published (As far as I'm aware)
Christopher Miller Holiday Thrillers by Chris Grabenstein. Next up: Hell for the Holidays #2 of 2
Eden Moore series by Cherie Priest. Next: Not Flesh Nor Feathers, #3 of 3 (owned)
Rev. Claire Ferguson series by Julia Spencer Fleming. Next up: Through the Evil Days, #8 of 8 (library)
Sam Blackman series by Mark deCastrique. Next up: A Murder in Passing, #4 of 4 (owned)
Samantha Kincade series by Alafair Burke. Next: Close Case, #3 of 3
Shetland Quartet by Ann Cleeves. Next up: Dead Water #5 of 5 (owned)
Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson. Next up: A Serpent's Tooth, #9 of 9

C. GREEN FLAG LAPS: Favorite Series that I am very actively reading -- not as far along
Alex McNight series by Steve Hamilton. Next up:Misery Bay, #8 of 10
Buryin' Barry mysteries by Mark deCastrique. Next up: Foolish Undertaking, #3 of 5 (owned)
Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. Next: Last Car to Elysian Fields, #13 of 20 (local library & One Click)
Inspector Sejir series by Karin Fossum (English Publication Order). Next: The Water's Edge, #6 of 10 (local library)
Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. Next up: When Will There Be Good News , #3 of 4
John Cardinal series by Giles Blunt. Next up: The Delicate Storm, #2 of 6 (owned)
John Ceepak series by Chris Grabenstein. Next: Rolling Thunder, #6 of 9 (FLP)
John Madden series by Rennie Airth. Next up: The Blood-Dimmed Tide, #2 of 4 (owned)
Simon Serralier series by Susan Hill. Next up: The Vows of Silence, #4 of 7 (owned)
Torie O'Shea series by Rett MacPherson. Next up: A Misty Mourning, #4 of 11 (owned)

D. YELLOW FLAG: Other series to continue, but I've slowed down for now:
Alexandra Cooper series by Linda Fairstein. Next:Hell Gate, #12 of 15 (library)
Alex Cross series by James Patterson. Next:Alex Cross' Trial, #15 of 21 (library)
Benjamin January by Barbara Hambly. Next: Sold Down the River, #4 of 12 (owned)
Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy: The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy, #2 of 3
Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler. Next: The Water Room, #2 of 10 (CLP/FLP download)
Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon. Next: Death in a Strange Country, #2 of 23 (at library; I own #3)
Crumley mysteries by Ray Bradbury. Next: Graveyard for Lunatics, #2 of 3 (owned)
David Ash series by James Herbert. Next: Ghosts of Sleath, #2 of 3 (at library)
Dr. Siri series by Colin Cotterill. Next up: Anarchy and Old Dogs, #4 of 8 (owned)
Emma Fielding series by Dana Cameron. Next: Grave Consequences, #2 of 6 (download FLP)
Genevieve Lenard mysteries by Estelle Ryan. Next: The Braque Connection, #3 of 4
Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. Next up: The Hanging Valley, #4 of 21 (owned)
Inspector Erlendur (UK publication order) by Arnaldur Indrudason. Next: Silence of the Grave, #2 of 9 (county Library, CLP)
Inspector Ramsay by Ann Cleeves. Next: A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy, #3 of 6 (owned)
Joe Pickett mysteries by C.J. Box. Next up: Savage Run, #2 of 14 (owned)
Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. Next: The Pyramid, #9 of 10
Lamb/Holly series by Belinda Bauer. Next: Darkside, #2 of 3 (owned)
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Next: Messenger of Truth, #4 of 10 (borrowed)
Marty Singer series by Matthew Iden, Next: Blueblood, #2 of 3 (owned)
Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews. Next: The Penguin Who Knew Too Much, #8 of 13 (county library)
Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman. Next: The Cure of Souls, #4 of 12 (owned)
Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin. Next: The Serpent's Tale, #2 of 4 (owned)
Temperence Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. Next: Spider Bones #13 of 17 (library)
Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman. Next: Another Thing to Fall, #10 of 11 (library)
White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy. Next: Eggsecutive Orders, #3 of 7 (owned)

E. ONE-OFF DEALS: Series I started reading out-of-order once in a while over the years as I came upon volumes:
(I'm not sure which books I've read in some of these series!)
Ballad novels by Sharyn McCrumb (ten in series)
D.D. Warren series by Lisa Gardner.
Elizabeth MacPherson series by Sharyn McCrumb
Faith Fairchild mysteries by Katherine Hall Page (I own some unread)
Harmony series by Philip Gulley (first in County Library & One Click)
Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow (recently went back and read #1 in series)
Michael Kelley series by Michael Harvey (read 2nd; own 1st)
Mickey Rawlings series by Tron Soos
Penn Dutch Inn mysteries by Tamar Myers (I own some unread; library has some I've not read)
Richard Christie series by Kathleen George (read 4th of 4 from library) next to read: #1 Taken (at county library, CLP)
Skip Langdon series by Julie Smith

F. START YOUR ENGINES: New-to-me series that I'm currently reading first book:
Haunted Mysteries by Chris Grabenstein (juv.) First up: The Crossroads CURRENTLY READING -- AUDIO
Inspector Matt Minogue Mysteries by John Brady. First up: A Stone of the Heart, #1 of 10 (owned) CURRENTLY READING

G. START-AND-PARKS: Series I started at the beginning and don't necessarily feel like going the distance with, though I may try one now and then:
Charles Lenox series by Charles Finch. Next: The September Society, #2 of 7 (CLP/FLP Download)
Claire DeWitt by Sara Gran. Next Up: Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway, #2 of 2
Death on Demand series by Carolyn Hart. Next up: Design for Murder, #2 of 23 (owned)
Emily Locke series by Rachel Brady. Next: Dead Lift, #2 of 2 (CLP download)
Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Next: The Redeemer (FLP download)
Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves. Next up: Triple Witch, #2 of 16
Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd. Next: Wings of Fire, #2 of 16 (library)
Ravynne Sisters Paranormal Mysteries by Merabeth James. I'm definitely skipping #2, the vampire one. Next up: A Haunting at Storm House (owned, e-book)
Wine Country Mysteries by Ellen Crosby: Chardonnay Charade, #2 of 6 (download FLP)

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Series I'm thinking of starting

A. Series to start; own (or was loaned) at least one book in series
Agent Smoky Barrett series by Cody McFadyen. First up: Shadow Man, #1 of 5 (owned)
Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass. First up: Carved in Bone, #1 of 7+ (FLP download -- own #2 e-book)
Booktown mysteries by Lorna Barrett. First up: Murder is Binding, #1 of 6 (owned)
Bruno series by Martin Walker. First up: Bruno, Chief of Police, #1 of 5 (borrowed)
Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle. First up: On What Grounds, #1 of 11 (owned)
Det. Ellie Hatcher series by Alafair Burke. First up: Dead Connection, #1 of 4 (owned)
Emmanuel Cooper series by Malla Nunn. First up: A Beautiful Place to Die, #1 of 2 (owned)
Frank Renzi series by Susan Fleet. First up: Absolution, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Gin Palace Trilogy by Daniel Judson. (Own #2 in series as Kindle Book -- I understand that it's a "prequel" so may work to read first.
Hackberry Holland by James Lee Burke. First up: Lay Down my Sword and Shield, #1 of 3 (owned)
Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke. First up: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, #1 of 15 (owned)
Huntress Moon/FBI thrillers by Alexandra Sokoloff. First up: Huntress Moon, #1 of 2 (Kindle book)
Inspector Alan Grant series by Josephine Tey. First up: The Man in the Queue, #1 of 6 (owned)
Julie O'Hara series by Lee Hanson. First up: Castle Cay, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Lacey Flint series by S. J. Bolton. First up: Now you See Me, #1 of 2 (owned)
Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn. First up: Silent in the Grave, #1 of 7 (borrowed)
Lake Champlain mysteries by William Kritlow. First up: Crimson Snow, #1 of 3 (owned)
Laszlo Kreizler series by Caleb Carr. First up: The Alienist, #1 of 2 (owned)
Loon Lake fishing mysteries, by Victoria Houston. First up: Dead Angler, #1 of 13 (owned)
Madeline Dare series by Cornelia Read. First Up: Field of Darkness, #1 of 3 (owned)
Mark Tartaglia series by Elena Forbes. First up: Die With Me, #1 of 3 (owned)
Missing Pieces mysteries by Joyce & Jim Laverne. First up: A Timely Vision, #1 of 5 (owned)
Quirke series by Benjamin Black. First up: Christine Falls, #1 of 6 (owned)
Rebecka Martinsson series by Asa Larsson. First up: Sun Storm, #1 of 4 (CLP library download; own 4th book in series)
Rosa Thorn series by Vena Cork. First up: Thorn, #1 of 3 (owned)
Shadows series by Cege Smith. First up: Edge of Shadows, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Sister Agnes series by Alison Joseph. First up: Sacred Hearts, #1 of 9 (own)
Tony Boudreaux Mysteries by Kent Conwell. First up: Galveston (no touchstone), #1 of ? (own 6th in series)
Underhill/Maiden series by Will Kingdom. The Cold Calling (owned)

B. Series I'm eager to start; none owned, but at least first book available at library:
Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd. First up: A Duty to the Dead, #1 of 4 (library)
Cemetery of Forgotton Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind, #1 of 3 (FLP downloads)
Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron. First up: Bootlegger's Daughter, #1 of 18 (library)
DS Alex Morrow by Denise Mina. First up: Still Midnight
Guido Guerrieri series by Gianrico Carfiglio. Involuntary Witness, #1 of 4 (CLP download)
Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. First up: The Black Echo, #1 of 18 (library, library downhload)
Homer Kelley series by Jane Langton. First up: The Transcendental Murder, #1 of 18 (FLP download)
Inspector Silva series by Leighton Gage. First up: Blood of the Wicked, #1 of 4 (CLP download)
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. First up: Killing Floor
Jack Sawyer series by Stephen King. First up: The Talisman (library, downloads)
Kathryn Dance series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Sleeping Doll
Lynley/Havers series by Elizabeth George. First up: A Great Deliverance (library paperback)
Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Samson. First up: Dissolution, #1 of 5 (FLP download)
Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larsson. First up: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, #1 of 3
Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. First up: Odd Thomas, #1 of 6 + novellas
Rizolli/Isles by Tess Gerritsen. First up: The Surgeon: A Rizzoli, #1 of 10
Shakespeare Secret series by Jennifer Lee Carrell. First up: Interred With Their Bones
Steve Vail series by Noah Boyd. First up: The Bricklayer, #1 of 2
Strange & Quinn series by George Pelicanos. First up: Right as Rain
Tea Shop mysteries by Laura Childs. First up: Death by Darjeeling
The Sparrow series by Mary Doria Russell. First up: The Sparrow
Thora Gudmundsdottier series by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. First up: Last Rituals
Tradd Street series by Karen White. First up: The House on Tradd Street, #1 of 3
Women's Murder Club by James Patterson. First up: 1st to Die

G. Series to start where first book is at county library
Anna Travis series by Lynda LaPlante. First up: Above Suspicion, #1 of 7
Barker & Llewellyn series by Will Thomas. First up: Some Danger Involved, #1 of 5 (county library)
Cackleberry Club by Laura Childs. First up: Eggs in purgatory
Duncan Kincade series by Deborah Crombie. First up: A Share in Death
Evelyn James series by Elizabeth Becca. First up: Trace Evidence
Gregor Demarkian mystery by Jane Haddam. First up: Not a Creature was Stirring
Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin. First up: Knots & Crosses, #1 of 17
Jack Daniels series by Joe Konrath. First up: Whiskey Sour
Jason Kolarich series by David Ellis. First up: The Hidden Man
Jemima Shore series by Antonia Fraser. First up: Quiet as a Nun
Joona Linna sereis by Lars Kepler. First up: The Hypnotist, #1 (only one in English so far)
LA Quartet by James Elroy. First up: The Black Dahlia
Leaphorn series by Tony Hillerman. First up: The Blessing Way
Lincoln Ryme series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Bone Collector
Nobody Nowhere series by Donna Williams. First up: Nobody Nowhere
Nora Gavin series by Erin Hart. First up: Haunted Ground
Ray Dudgeon series by Sean Chercover. First up: Big City, Bad Blood
Sister Agatha mysteries by Aimee Thurlo. First up: Bad Faith
Virgil Tibbs series by John Ball. First up: In the Heat of the Night, #1 of 7

C. Recommended series, not readily available:
Antique Print Mysteries by Lea Wait. Shadows at the Fair
Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams. First up: A Killer Plot
Chief Inspecter Adamsburg by Fred Vargas. The Chalk Circle Man
Donut Shop mysteries by Jessica Beck. Glazed Murder
Emily Tempest series by Adrian Hyland. Moonlight downs
Inspector Challis by Hal Disher. The Dragon Man
Jack Frost by R.D. Wingfield. Frost at Christmas
Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen. The Guards
Joe Faraday series by Graham Hurley. Turnstone
Joe Plantagenet by Kate Ellis. Seeking the Dead
Kyle Murchison Booth by Sarah Monette The Bone Key
Logan McRae by Stuart MacBride. Cold Granite
Matthew Bartholomew series by Susanna Gregory. A Plague on Both Your Houses
Max Tudor by G.M. Malliet. Wicked Autumn
Mike Bowditch by Paul Doiron. The Poacher's Son
Nathan Active series by Stan Jones. White sky, Black ice
Novel Ideas series by Lucy Arlington. Buried in a Book
Sam Turner mysteries by John F. Baker. Poet in the Gutter
Sigrid Harald by Margaret Maron. One Coffee With
Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. Sleepyhead

THE STATS: I always try to keep these kinds of stats, and I always mess them up sometime in the course of the year so that the totals don't add up properly.

total books READ 2014: 24

ROOT books -- off my (real or virtual) TBR shelf: 11

Paper books: 15 1/2
E-books: 7
Audio books: 1 1/2

Fiction: 19
Non-Fiction: 5

male author(s): 13
female author: 10
male/female team author: 1

US authors: 16
authors from other countries: 8
NO IDEA:

living author (as far as I know): 22
deceased author: 2
unsure:

THE POSTING FORMAT:

Title:
Author:
Genre or subject information:
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?:
Date finished:
Off the Shelf?
Category for 2014 Category Challenge:
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating:
Notes:

I found this meme on Cheli's last thread for her 2013 Category Challenge. I did it for 2013, and now I'm going to play with it as the year goes along with my books for 2014. I hope by the end of this month to have enough books read to have at least provisional answers to all these:

2014 year-in-progress meme

The book that kept me breathless: Blood is the Sky by Steve Hamilton
The mystery that I enjoyed reading the most: The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill
Biggest disappointment: How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
Book that gave the most smiles/laughs: A Comedy of Heirs by Rett MacPherson
Book I wish I'd read sooner: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Best Recommended book: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
The book with the most surprises: North of Nowhere by Steve Hamilton
Most thought provoking book: The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Series book that has me wanting the next one NOW!: Ice Run by Steve Hamilton
Best Audio book: Firewall by Henning Mankell (only one I've finished on audio!)
Book I am still working on: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Book I'm glad I finished: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Tentative Monthly Goals (one book can fill multiple goals)

at least:

4 "ROOT" books (on my TBR shelf at least since 12/31/13):
1 American Author Challenge book (designated author or appropriate substitution):
1 of the official "CAT" challenges from the 2014 Category Challenge (MysteryCAT, GeoCAT, RandomCAT):
1 of the Unofficial "CAT" challenges from the 2014 Category Challenge (AlphaCAT or GastroCAT):
1 book from a 75 Challenge Theme of the Month or group read:
1 book from my "white flag" series list (as long as there are items available for that designation):
1 next-in-series book that's not the last in a series:
1 first-in-series, preferably one that I OWN:
2 non-fiction books:

I think this may do it!

(Actually, I think I overdid it.)

Anyway, WELCOME! Pull up a chair and make yourself at home!

1st!
Boy are we night owls or what. :)

I'm in. Happy new thread, Terri!

>15 curlysue: Hi, night owl Kara, first to the thread! Friday night was a good time to stay up and finish a book and start a new LT thread. But I hit the sack as soon as I was done putting the thread together!

>16 wilkiec: Thanks, Diana! Good to see you!

Since I posted this book on my old thread minutes before starting this thread, I've decided to post it here, too, though I've counted it toward February. It was actually well after midnight when I finished it, so I probably should have counted it toward March.

75 Challenge Book #18
Title: A Necessary End
Author: Peter Robinson
Genre or subject information: police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1989
Series?: Inspector Alan Banks #3
Date finished: 2/28/14
Off the Shelf? No, ILL
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

A police officer is stabbed to death when violence flares up at an anti-nuclear demonstration. Chief Inspector Banks is on the case -- unfortunately, under the supervision of Superintendent "Dirty Dick" Burgess, brought in from the South to handle the case. Is it simply a case of random violence when a demonstration got out of hand? Or was the policeman a targeted victim?

This was a good, solid police procedural with a likable protagonist and some interesting supporting characters. I like this series, and I'm told that later installments get even better.

I'm torn. Happy because you descibed a series that I would love to start and sad because you described a series I would love to start.

Hopefully the storm will miss us both but I doubt it. Usually your area gets a lot worse weather than my area. Yeah......sorry about that. Lol

Happy New Thread, Terri!

>#8 Terri....sorry I've taken so long in de-lurking on your threads. I love the way you've set up tracking your series. I may just steal this (although probably will just follow on my master reading spreadsheet instead of trying to keep updated on LT). You have so many good series here that match my own less than up-to=date ones. I'm really committed to catching up on several of these for the rest of the year as soon as I finish my last three Maine Readers Choice short listers. BUt I am definitely flaggng this post! You can bet I'll be back often to see how you're doing.

ETA I guess the linking thingie isn't working ---this is in response to your

>#9 Oh dear...I didn't see this list when I replied above. I can give you some hints on some of these if you haven't gotten started yet:

A. I've only dipped into Hannah Swensen (read about 1/2 of them) and Inspector Alan Grant -- fun reads, but IMO nothing to jump over a pile of others you want to read.
B. Bess Crawford, Deborah Knott, Lynley/Havers are three of my all time favorites. I've read them all except for the latest L/Havers which is sitting on my bedside table. I also highly recommend the Inspector Silva series by Leighton Gage - it's unfortunately come to an abrupt end due to Gage's recent death from cancer. WARNING:: THEY ARE VERY VIOLENT.
G. LOVE LOVE LOVE the Duncan Kincaid series....they are especially good on audio.
C did you get out of order? Books by the Bay and Mike Bowditch are both fun series. Good characters, enjoyable settings and plots that aren't too brain taxing. Great for reading between heavy heavy tomes.

You've sure given me lots of fodder for the TBR pile.

ETA DITTO NO LINKIE HERE>>>>BOO HISS

># 18 I just discovered this series last year and really like the characters. Can't wait to read more of them.

>19 cal8769: Carrie, it seems like there are as many versions of this-weekend-into-Monday's weather forecast as there are weather forecasters. We'll just get what we get. And I know what you mean about one more series . . .

>20 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>22 tututhefirst: and other posts Tina, when you de-lurk, you really de-lurk! I've been doing more lurking than posting on other threads lately -- especially when I was stuck just using the phone for internet. Thanks for the hints.

>23 tututhefirst: Hmm, I have several Robinsons on the shelves. I will have to try one this year.

Happy new thread, Terri!

>25 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

ETA to add Oh, now I've got it, how to do the reply thingy!

Love the rather daunting lists of series! I've enjoyed quite a few, and am trying to get up to speed with FictFact; it's a bit easier to track there as the site automatically lists all titles an the update process is simple.

I really like the Peter Robinson Banks series. It's just right for those in-between moments when it's hard to find a good read to suit one's mood.

>27 Matke: Gail I do fict fact too but find myself referring to my LT lists quite often to link to the book page to see my collection listing and see if/where the book is available to me. Fictfact doesn't give me the same option to note that, only to note if I own it.

Terri, I am pretty sure I have a Peter Robinson book (probably the first in the series) on my TBR list. It sounds familiar. So many books, so little time.

>29 thornton37814: So many books, so little time.

Oh, yes!!!!

Lori, the first in that series was Gallows View. Great title, but it's actually the name of a street -- can you imagine having that as an address?

>24 tymfos: Terri, exactly! I have heard everything from sleet and freezing rain to 2-18 inches... as you say, we'll get what we get.

So how is the furkid?

Terri, that snow picture is so pretty but I'm with you in wishing that winter would just get over itself! I'm thinking "green" for March!

I heard from Mamie that the Robert B. Parker audio books are terrible. I see you abandoned the first one. The books themselves are pretty dated but so much fun. It's also good that they are short. Small doses of Spenser work well!

Lovely new thread, Terri! Going back up to the Reading Bingo and your questions of how to define "a book at the bottom of your to be read pile." I like your idea of pulling one for the bottom shelf of your TBR bookcase. To fill that square, I read one of the books I have had stored at my parents house for a couple of decades, going on the principle that "a book at the bottom of your to be read pile." can be one of my oldest acquisitions.

Happy Sunday, Terri!

>32 Donna828: Donna, I'll probably give some of the Parker books a try . . . I may not do that series in order, though. Our library mostly has the later ones. There's too many to seek out all the early ones.

>33 lkernagh: Lori, I'll probably take something off the bottom shelf. The shelf position itself is strictly alphabetical by author, but I'll choose one that's been around a while.

Happy Sunday to everyone!

The snow has begun again, and the roads are getting hazardous. Sirens are sounding, and the scanner is abuzz with activity, including at least one serious-sounding accident. I'm glad my hubby has arrived home safe and sound -- and with a pizza we'll warm up for dinner.

I have too many series to keep track of. I have to find a way to figure them all out.

>35 Morphidae: Morphy, I try tacking them here on my thread lists, in my catalog, and on FicFact, and I still can't keep them straight. And I'll never get caught up with most of them.

Well, we've been downgraded from a winter storm warning to a winter weather advisory. The worst of the bad weather is going to miss us, I guess. So far it hasn't been bad -- some slick roads during a heavy squall this afternoon, but then it tapered off.

Sig is pretty much back to normal. I wanted to get a photo of him on my bookshelf, wedged in on top of the books on the bottom shelf, but he moved before I could get my camera.

I've found your new thread, Terri. I'm glad to hear Sig is back to normal even though that means he won't sit still! Isn't this winter ever going to end?!

>37 rosalita: Hi, Julia! I'm glad you found me!

Sig continues to entertain. Here he is stalking the common cloth mouse:

Such a beautiful boy! So glad you keep posting pics :)

>39 mckait: Good morning, Kath! Thanks for complimenting my fur-kid. Sig is a lot of fun. I just wish I could bottle up some of his energy for myself.

I'm in a weird place with books. I am reading some very good ones, and committed to reading some other very good books this month . . . but I'm just not feeling much like reading any of them. I even considered pitching the reading plan and the in-progress stuff and just pulling something off the shelf I want to read . . . but nothing jumps out at me (except Sig). Is it onset of the dreaded reading funk?

ETA to add . . . but then, I'm feeling pretty much that way about everything. I think it's just the "I'm sick of winter" funk!

I just love the rings on Sig's glorious tail!

Terri, It probably is the 'I want some spring' thing.

>41 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda. Isn't his tail wonderful? I think all his markings are lovely, but the tail is especially nice.

>42 connie53: You're probably right, Connie. At least we have sunshine today, even if it is very cold for March. We started out below zero (Fahrenheit) this morning, but it has actually gotten above freezing (34 F) -- warmer than the forecasters predicted.

Anyway, I took some time this morning for a "mental health break" and just sat and listened to some favorite music, sipping a cup of a favorite coffee. That energized me to the point of making some phone calls I'd been putting off, and getting the laundry started. Tuesdays being my normal day off, I always plan to get tons of stuff done, and usually wind up accomplishing much less. Sometimes you just have to let a "day off" be more or less a "day off," and relax, if you can get away with it.

I had posted an edit/addition to the above post, but it doesn't seem to have registered . . .

If a day off is what you need, just do that! Nothing wrong with a day doing nothing!

>45 connie53: Thanks, Connie

That's odd: my missing edit to my post 43 is now there. LT is quirky today!

Yes, I noticed that too! It took a long time for posts to get through!

Terri, you have a cat extraordinaire! That boy is so funny and beautiful from the tip of his nose to the tip of his strikingly awesome tail!
The pictures make me laugh ;-) The 'common cloth mouse' - LOL

>47 connie53: Oh, well, at least the posts finally showed up!

>48 -Cee-: Thank you, Cee! I think he's just gorgeous, and also hilarious at times. Sometimes he flat-out scares me. Today he decided to jump onto the back of a dining room chair, and sent the whole thing toppling over backwards! He is OK -- the chair is wobbly now.

Our library is in the process of a major re-arrangement. Thankfully, we're taking this time to also fix some of the cataloging and labeling irregularities that have cropped up as different systems of doing things have evolved over time. Today, I went through every "popular" DVD and scanned each to see that the proper title came up, and also that the "call number" and "circulation modifier" was correct in the computer catalog. There weren't too many errors to fix on those. Friday I will start on the "educational" DVDs, and I already know that there are a LOT of them that will need work. To be honest, I enjoy working on the ones that need fixing more than checking the ones that are OK -- I feel like I'm accomplishing something. Weird, I know.

That's not weird at all! Then you are really making things better and that's far more rewarding then just checking if things are okay! I really completely and totally understand that!

>51 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

Today I was upstairs and heard a loud thunk from downstairs -- the unmistakeable sound of a somewhat heavy object falling onto the floor from a moderate height, maybe a desk or tabletop. Well, it was my camera -- and my kitty had knocked it off the desk. So I decided I'd better test it . . .



BTW, this was taken without a flash, just in case anyone is concerned about Sig's sensitive eyes.

>52 tymfos: A perfect place for a cat. Of course the camera had to be pushed away. Sig is making himself quite at home, isn't he?

>53 qebo: . Sig is making himself quite at home, isn't he?
Yes he is, Katherine! He was wandering over the books on top of my short bookcase, creating a bit of havoc this morning. Now I hear meowing; I think he's stuck behind the sofa. Must go rescue him . . . no, here he comes, he's extracted himself . . .

Oh, and I've changed my profile picture for the first time since I've been on LT. I got another photo of Sig in one of our windows.

Gorgeous kitty!

Oh, Sig, you handsome devil! What an education you're giving your new Mama. (My camera has to live in a drawer, because Molly thinks the carrying loop is just a dandy kitty toy. Makes it hard to even take her picture---I must remember to enclose it in my hand, because if it dangles...well, you can imagine.)

I just love that photo of Sig behind the curtains! What a beautiful cat he is! I am so enjoying his adventures, so thanks for sharing, Terri.

>54 tymfos: love this picture. So cat-like, but so elegant also. A keeper.

>52 tymfos: A smiling, handsome mischief-maker!
Dang! He's cute. You almost have enough material for a cat book, Terri! A very funny one ;-)

>55 mckait: Thank you, Kath! (I do tend to agree . . .)

>56 laytonwoman3rd: (My camera has to live in a drawer, because Molly thinks the carrying loop is just a dandy kitty toy.
You mean it isn't a kitty toy, Linda? ;-)

>57 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! Glad you're enjoying the Sig Saga.

>58 tututhefirst: Thanks, Tina!

>59 -Cee-: A smiling, handsome mischief-maker!
Dang! He's cute.
Cee, he makes me laugh even when I'm having a bad day.

Hi Terri, I've been away for a bit and was glad to read that Sig came through his procedure with flying colors. He seems to be as active as ever. He does take beautiful photos.

I think I am going to "borrow" your 2014 Book Year In Progress Meme and install it on my next thread. :)

>61 DeltaQueen50: Judy, thanks for the kind words for Sig. As for the meme, we all seem to "borrow" these things liberally from one another -- it's part of the fun of the group. Have a go at it!

I've started All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy for Mark's American Author Challenge. This is only the second McCarthy I've read, the first being No Country For Old Men a number of years ago for a book discussion group. I am enjoying it so far. I love how he paints images with words. This description of a passing train just before sunrise really caught my fancy starting on the first page:

As he turned to go he heard the train. He stopped and waited for it. He could feel it under his feet. It came boring out of the east like some ribald satellite of the coming sun howling and bellowing in the distance and the long light of the headlamp running through the tangled mesquite brakes and creating out of the night the endless fenceline down the dead straight right of way and sucking it back again wire and post mile on mile into the darkness after where the boilersmoke disbanded slowly along the faint new horizon and the sound came lagging and he stood still holding his hat in his hands in the passing ground-shudder watching it till it was gone. Then he turned and went back to the house.

He gives a few short sentences, then one long, run-on sentence, an unstoppable barrage of words themselves like a freight train running on and on. And then it's gone, with another short sentence to bracket the experience as he goes into the house.

It's lovely, expressive writing that epitomizes the writers' classic adage, "show, rather than tell."

The a/c guy came today to give me an estimate. Morgan was sitting on the back of my chair looking out the window. He tapped the window and spoke sweetly to her :) He did this just as I noticed that there are eleventy million nose prints on the window ..eep!

>63 mckait: Sounds like a nice AC man. Don't fret the nose prints -- mark of happy cat(s).

Sig in the sink
Sig in the window
This cat loves the places that he's not supposed to go.

What lovely images! Isn't it amazing how an animal comes into our live and gets right into our heart!

By the way, I finished a book that you might be interested in reading. Help for the Haunted is VERY good. I found this one on Kath's thread. I couldn't put it down.

>50 tymfos: Heh. When I first started reading that, I thought you meant your personal library. After all, I have all my DVDs cataloged in a database.

>50 tymfos: Weird? Nope - sounds like heaven to me. :)

Love the Sig photos, as always - what a handsome thing he is!

I haven't begun my Cormac McCarthy book yet. I'm planning to read a different one than you though.

>65 Whisper1: Linda, I don't mind him taking to the windows for a view -- as long as he doesn't tear down the curtains!
I spotted Help for the Haunted when it arrived at our library and had my eye on it even before Kath's recommendation. Glad to see you liked it, too. Maybe I should try it.

>66 Morphidae: Morphy, sometimes I think I should catalog our home DVD collection -- especially my son's train videos, so I know what we have. I cannot keep track of what he has.

>67 scaifea: Hi, Amber, and thanks!

>68 thornton37814: There's a lot of time left in the month, Lori. Which one are you going to read?

Crazy day. Didn't get half the things done at work or at home that I wanted to.

I found this picture on FB. I have to share this with the catloving people!

*snerk*

I am stealing >70 connie53: and posting it on fb...
Thanks ! :)

Work was CRAZYtown today.. So was Ambridge and Beaver. Sheesh!
If your place was the same, no wonder you didn't get half your work done.

Terri, I continue to enjoy your Adventures with Sig. I think I may be in a big of late winter funk, too. I haven't loved the last two books I've read. What's up with that? Of course, they follow The Goldfinch which I did love so it might just be a case of not quite measuring up to a good book. Rain here today but sleet on the way. Yuck.

Your cat is an adorable nutcase Terri.

Have a lovely weekend. Both of you.

>72 mckait: be my guest!

>70 connie53: LOL, Connie!

>71 drneutron: Hi, Jim! Come by and snerk anytime! :)

>72 mckait: Hi, Kath! I've got the noon-7 shift today. We'll see how much I get done.

>73 Donna828: Hi, Donna! I'm glad you're enjoying Sig, and sorry you are feeling funky. We actually have a decent day today. Go figure . . .

>74 PaulCranswick: Your cat is an adorable nutcase Terri.
That just may sum it up, Paul.

Life with Sig is getting even more interesting as we've finally opened up the bedrooms for his exploration, at least during the day. We're still working out some issues for night access. We learned quickly that Sig will pounce on feet moving under the covers. So I'm replacing the handmade quilt our church quilting group gave us with something I don't mind having claw marks on, and that's thick enough to serve as some protection. For now, I found an old comforter in the attic that I don't care about. We shall see if he goes after the CPAP equipment I use for my sleep apnea. In the daytime, I remove the tempting hoses and straps to a drawer, but at night the whole deal will be exposed.

I did finish a book last night. Report to follow shortly . . . or longly, depending on what happens between now and when I go to work.

75 Challenge Book #19
Title: Pardonable Lies
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Genre or subject information: Historical Mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2005
Series?: Maisie Dobbs #3
Date finished: 3/9/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

There were several interesting cases intertwined in this book, all with some sort of greater societal or political issues of significance. But all the mysteries in this book took a backseat to the powerful account of Maisie facing her traumatic past as a nurse in WWI.

Maisie takes on two cases involving service men lost during WWI, and the attitudes of those seeking answers couldn't be more different. There is also a case, in consultation with the police, of a 13-year-old girl accused of murder. The coincidences test my ability to believe, but author Winspear confronts that head on, as Maisie sees the hand of Fate in the progress of her investigations. Her work takes her to France for the first time since her service in the war; she must face her demons.

This one started off slow for me, but near the end it had me in tears.

With all of the Sig challenges, just remember... in time...most will go away.

Today was......not too busy, but a paperwork day for me.

>78 mckait: I know, Kath. It's getting better. Today got really crazy at work a little after 4. I was working the desk alone, and had patrons lined up and both phone lines ringing at once. It did finally calm down enough for me to work on a new project that cropped up, sort of related to the one I've been working on.

I keep meaning to start the Maisie Dobbs series - I have the first three books in the series on the shelf.

I hope you like Dead Water as much as I did!

>80 Copperskye: Joanne, it's a very intelligent series of historical mysteries, with lots of period detail -- from neat little things like how they placed phone calls, to the Big Picture issues about war recovery in Europe . . . oh, and what people in a cafe were saying about a certain leader emerging in Germany . . .

We've gradually opened the whole house up to Sig's investigation. Hubby decided he wanted company when he was working in his study; since the allergies didn't seem to be an issue, Sig is now pretty much a fixture there when DH is working there. I set up a "window seat" on an old toy trunk, with Sig's mini cat tree/scratching post in front of the window, which has by far the best view in the house. Sig is now King of the Hill:

Lucky Sig! Happy Tuesday to you, Terri! I am so delighted by your posts detailing Sig's adventures - so lovely. And love your comments up there in >62 tymfos: where you are talking about the writing in All the Pretty Horses - "He gives a few short sentences, then one long, run-on sentence, an unstoppable barrage of words themselves like a freight train running on and on. And then it's gone, with another short sentence to bracket the experience as he goes into the house."

Such a great observation - I will be looking for that quote when I pick up that book this month. I am betting that I would not have thought of that, so already you have enriched my experience!

Happy Tuesday to you, Mamie! Glad you're enjoying the Sig saga and my book comments. It's funny how a particular passage can catch a reader's fancy -- and that one in the McCarthy definitely caught mine.

OK, at some point in my LT-ing, I found that the URL in my browser was a regular one, not the "https" secure SSL connection that's been standard since they fixed the security glitch. Does anyone understand why that would happen?

Never mind, I think I had an old link stored in my bookmark bar. I re-did it and things look OK now.

>85 tymfos: From the blog post, https is enforced only when you're submitting personal info, e.g. login and profile. If you go to edit your profile, the page opens as https, and if you try to change it to http, you can't; it automatically reverts to https. In Talk however, you can switch back and forth. This seems a tad sloppy, but harmless.

Sig looks blissful! Well done :)

>86 qebo: I think I understand, Katherine.

>87 mckait: Thanks, Kath!

It's a gorgeous day! Who would think I'd get such a nice day for my day off? I've been trying to do some spring cleaning, which involves taking some recycling & trash materials out of the house. Well, recently Sig hasn't shown much interest in going out, but today he must be able to sense the warmth out there. He has been very vocal about wanting out, and very obstructive to my efforts to go out without him.

Yesterday & today have both been in the upper 50s, and most of the snow has melted. So, of course we're supposed to get more tomorrow as a cold front slams us. Go figure.

Wow! When I came home from the store, it was 64 degrees (F). Gorgeous day! Tomorrow night it's supposed to drop down into single digit temps. Is that crazy or what?

Terri> I'm planning to read Suttree. I sent myself an email to work to remind myself to check it out before we get off for spring break.

We had a beautiful 70 degree day yesterday! Today was cold and snowy... :(

I am not looking forward to the dropping temps. In fact I am dreading it :( too much winter this year.

Terri, I am going to take a notebook and try making a new sheet, but I will use a notebook and make it smaller. The fact that the blasted thing is at least 18 inches across makes it too wide and hard to see things. I will let you know if it flies and I thank you for the idea.

>90 thornton37814: I sent myself an email to work to remind myself to check it out before we get off for spring break.
Good idea, Lori! In January, I meant to check out Death Comes for the Archbishop but forgot -- and then we had a long weekend where the library got closed down for a snowstorm, and I didn't have my book to read.

>91 Copperskye: We're making that transition today, Joanne -- almost 70 yesterday, 54 when I came home at 3 p.m., 37 degrees now and dropping like a stone.

>92 mckait: Icky cold, Kath. Sick of it. Good luck with the accounting sheet! The one you've been using sounds awful.

I don't know what got into me when I got home today, but I put together a chicken pot pie with leftover roast chicken & gravy, a bag of mixed veggies from the freezer, some seasonings, and a couple store-bought refrigerated pie crusts I needed to use. It was a hit with my guys! (If only I could find something my cat liked that much . . . finicky lately . . .) I put the chicken carcass on to boil into stock for soup (tomorrow will definitely be soup weather!), fixed some broccoli slaw and some marinated cucumbers. I'm really not sure what accounts for this burst of culinary activity.

No comment . . . ;-}

Oh, and it started snowing . . . temp is now 28 degrees (F) and dropping.

Hahaha Lucky, beautiful Sig...
He's growing!

>95 mckait: Kath, he loves that particular trash can -- the one under my desk. He just dives in head first, and it falls over, and he rummages to the bottom. I keep wondering if someone put catnip in it or something.

I have one in the bathroom with a lit on it. If we don't put Q-tips in a different trash, Angus can get in, despite the fact that it is jammed beside the tank and closes with a lid. He seems to know if someone ( Dan) fortes and puts them in there.

Well, this one by my desk is just mainly full of paper scraps and an occasional tissue. He usually pulls out a wad of paper and bats it around and chases it for a while.

Hi Terri- Happy New Thread! That topper looks awful familiar. I am so glad you are enjoying Pretty Horses. If you love it, I highly recommend the next 2 in the trilogy.

>94 tymfos: LOL! What a great picture of Sig!

he loves that particular trash can

Maybe he likes the colour blue? Otherwise, it is probably the tissues.... and the paper. ;-)

Wow, it looks like Sig has grown a lot. He is so beautifully marked. Maybe he choses that trash can to get a reaction out of you, maybe he's wanting his Mommy's attention.

>99 msf59: Mark, I think snow scenes are way too familiar to a lot of us these days. I'm hoping to read the whole McCarthy trilogy.

>100 lkernagh: it is probably the tissues.... and the paper. ;-)
Hi, Lori! I see your point. Well, it's not like other trash cans in the house don't have paper in them. :-) That's pretty much what's in all the cans that he can access. (The icky & hazardous trash is kept in covered trash cans.)

>101 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy, I just love his markings, too. He has especially pretty stripes on the back of his head/neck. They really haven't shown in photos I've posted so far; this one shows them (yet another foray into the same trash basket), though it doesn't quite do them justice.



Maybe he choses that trash can to get a reaction out of you, maybe he's wanting his Mommy's attention.
Judy, you may well be right! This one is literally at my feet when I'm sitting here typing. My desk is L-shaped, and he also likes to lie down on the part of the L next to me -- and he'll "clear the deck" to make space for himself!

Temperature has dropped to 19 -- still dropping.

I'd better go check my chicken soup. It should be about done -- lunch for tomorrow!

>94 tymfos: Och gossie, love! Hi Terri!

>94 tymfos: Clearly you've interrupted Sig in his work. He must feel about trash like mountain climbers feel about mountains - Because It's There.

You know I am so jealous! I have always wanted a red kitty and one never came my way. Your Sig is such a beauty! I will never have one, now. Oh well.. I have plenty of kitties to keep me laplocked and busy. It.Is.So. Cold. I swear my tolerance for cold has diminished, and coupled with Daylight Savings Time, I am a mess.

Oh the notebook thing.... they won't let me do it.
It has to be the giant pad with a zillion lines that blur together with unreadably small numbers.

BAH

I'm tickled to get to watch Sig make himself at home! He's a handsome guy, and it looks like he came to the right place. Greetings from Elle, Tully, and Hilfy Bit!

>103 wilkiec: Hi, Diana!

>104 cbl_tn: Carrie, I think he gets into a lot of stuff Because It's There! :)

>105 mckait: Kath, it's still only 7 degrees here. School was delayed 2 hours. I'm not scheduled to work today, so I think I'll STAY IN THE HOUSE.
(Tomorrow it's supposed to be 50. What is with this weather roller coaster?)

Oh the notebook thing.... they won't let me do it.
It has to be the giant pad with a zillion lines that blur together with unreadably small numbers.

What is wrong with these people? Gah!!

>106 LizzieD: Hi, Peggy! And greetings from Sig to your furkids!

Oh, I hear ominous sounds coming from upstairs. What's Sig gotten into now?

I am just sitting here with a silly grin on my face.
Oh, Sig. You are much too cute!

I'm liking All the Pretty Horses so far... about 1/3 of the way through.

>94 tymfos:, >102 tymfos: Oh he's a handsome little devil cat! :) I had and orange and white cat when I was a kid. Sig makes me think of my old Charley (also a boy).

All our trash cans have lids....but papers on the kitchen table are still fair game. Our kitty loves crinkly papers.

>108 -Cee-: Sig makes me grin, too, Cee -- though not always. I'm about halfway through Pretty Horses and still liking it.

>109 Copperskye: Crinkly papers seems to be a big thing with kitties, Joanne.

Lead me not into temptation! Better World Books is having a sale of 33 percent off of Bargain Bin used books that ship from their warehouse. Combined with their free shipping, it's just about more than I can resist. I found 6 books that are next in series I'm reading not available at the library, each $3.98 before the discount. But I have no place to put them!

>102 tymfos: My, he is a handsome boy! They are so entertaining, even if just the least bit intensive in the work department right at first. I'm so glad you're enjoying each other.

I think I might have a giant fail regarding McCarthy. We're not having a meeting of the minds.

I'm about halfway through All the Pretty Horses as well. I'll probably finish up today. McCarthy is a good writer but from what I hear, the story is going to get brutal from here on out.

I'm afraid to ask you what series. You hook me with your reads way too often....

>111 Matke: Gail, it's like becoming a mother all over again. There are times when you sit and watch them and every move is adorable -- and moments when they drive you crazy. As for McCarthy, which one are you reading?

>112 Morphidae: Morphy, I get the feeling a lot of McCarthy's books get brutal. No Country for Old Men certainly did, as I recall.

>113 mckait: Kath, it's not any one series; it's the next book up in six different series:

Hanging Valley from Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series (British police procedural)
Eggsecutive Orders from July Hyzy's White House Chef series (cozy mystery)
Close Case from Alafair Burke's Samantha Kincade series (legal mysteries, I believe, though I've been waiting so long to get my hands on this last book in the series, it's hard to remember)
Blood-Dimmed Tide from Rennie Airth's Inspector Madden series (British historical mystery, set post-WWI)
The Delicate Storm from Giles Blunt's John Cardinal series (Canadian crime fiction)
Hell for the Holidays by Chris Grabenstein, a Christopher Miller Holiday Thriller

The Burke and the Grabenstein would complete their respective series for me. I'm not sure any of them would be your cup of tea.

oh no.....

>115 mckait: Kath, I repeat: I'm not sure any of them would be your cup of tea.

I keep telling myself I don't need any more books, but some of these are next-in-series where the book after that is waiting on the shelf. Dilemma.

You all may see me around LT a bit less. I'm resolving to spend less time LT and more time RL. This week on my days off, I was popping into LT constantly when I should have kept my nose to the grindstone cleaning house. This must end, before I'm swallowed up by dirt or the dust bunnies eat my kitten, or something.

I promise that in the battle of dust bunnies vs cat, kitties win without fail. Just sayin'.

:)

>117 mckait: LOL!

>116 tymfos: I know what you mean. I spend far too many hours on LT. I've tried cutting back on how often I come to LT but then I end up spending all day catching up!

I saw the movie No Country for Old Men and absolutely hated it. I have no desire to read it.

I use one of my week end mornings (like today) to catch up on LT. I have found RL much more fun these days with two little granddaughters who like to spend time with us! Of course, there's that reading thing that keeps me busy, too. I am really liking McCarthy's writing in Suttree. His choice of characters and story is very bleak but the writing is exquisite.

I envy Sig his spot in the study window. What a lovely view. I also loved how he uses your trash can as a way to find new toys. Batting paper around sounds like just the thing…if one is a cat!

>120 Donna828: I wish it only took that long. I skipped two or three days of LT and it has taken me all day to catch up.

>119 Morphidae: I've figured out that I can't possibly keep up or catch up, Morphy. The best I can do is random scanning with an occasional comment.

>120 Donna828: My weekend mornings are spoken for, Donna, so other times have to do for me . . . but I need to use more moderation with LT, regardless.

>121 Morphidae: I skipped two or three days of LT and it has taken me all day to catch up.
My experience exactly, Morphy,

Today after church (and lunching at a local benefit dinner for a seriously ill child) was spent reading and playing with my kitten, with doses of TV sports mixed in. Sig was very manic today. I had to remove him from bookshelves because he was gnawing on my books. Tonight I heard some thumping and crashing, then the distinct sound of a distressed Sig. Somehow he'd gotten himself up on top of an open door, and couldn't find a way down. I have no idea how he managed to get himself up there. He was literally at the top of the house, except for the attic -- near the second floor ceiling by the stairway, looking down at the bottom of the stairs to the first floor. Yikes! Hubby lifted him down. I think Sig was really scared by that stunt, so maybe he won't try it again.

I actually managed to finish two books I'd had in progress for a while.

>122 tymfos: I think Sig was really scared by that stunt, so maybe he won't try it again.
Speaking from experience... don't count on it.

75 Challenge Book #20
Title: I Was Right On Time
Author: Buck O'Neil with Steve Wulf & David Conrads
Genre or subject information: Non-fiction memoir
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1996
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 3/16/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

Buck O'Neil, who died in 2006, was a player and later a manager in Negro League Baseball, which flourished in the years before the "major leagues" were integrated. Later, he was a scout for the Chicago Cubs -- he coached briefly, the first African American to do so in MLB -- and later yet, was a scout for the Kansas City Royals. He gained a renewed recognition when Ken Burns featured interviews with him in his epic "Baseball" mini-series production.

I struggle with how to rate this. O'Neal was a most likable person, and this is reasonably well written in a conversational style, which frequently rambles a bit -- bringing things up almost stream-of-consciousness and then saying, "But I'm getting ahead of myself" or "more about that later." He has maintained a mostly upbeat outlook on life, as evidenced by the title. At first, I got the feeling he seemed almost too accepting of the injustices that he'd experienced and witnessed. That sense faded as the book went on, and the book benefited from the honesty. It was an informative and thought-provoking book by and about a very impressive man.

75 Challenge Book #21
Title: The Watcher in the Shadows (e-book)
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Genre or subject information: fantasy/horror
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1995
Series?: Trilogy of Fog
Date finished: 3/16/14
Off the Shelf? No, e-book libary download
My Rating: 3 stars
Notes:

This is the third in Zafon's YA Trilogy of Fog, which really isn't a series as they have no common characters, and only share genre connections. They were the first published works by Zafon. I liked the first two better than this one. This was just . . . TOO . . . I don't know. They all had plenty of fantastical elements, but this one was just too weird for me. Or maybe the audio format by which I enjoyed the first two helped to draw me into those more.

>123 qebo: I was afraid of that, Katherine!

Crap, it's snowing again.

Ugh, I noticed I posted just about the same exact thing in two different posts. They say the memory is the second thing to go...

Sig sounds perfect to me...kitties have magical powers, you know.

>127 Morphidae: That's OK, Morphy, I'd already forgotten I'd read the other one. ;)

>128 mckait: Yeah, Kath.*(see ETA below)

Lovely thing about daylight savings time is that now when I close up the library, it's still light out when I leave and walk home. It feels much safer.

ETA to add Sig seemed to magically make his toy mice disappear. . . Until I cleaned under the stove and found a toy mouse convention there, where he had batted them under the stove playing with them.

OK, I couldn't resist the Better World Books March Madness sale. I picked up five books for less than $15 including tax, with free shipping. I did resist a couple of the titles I was thinking of adding -- I decided that, despite my book-obsessive tendency to want to COMPLETE series, I really didn't like those series enough to buy two books whose described plots sounded custom-designed to aggravate me.

What I did buy:

The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt
Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy (I have the next two in the series after this one on my TBR shelf already, so this will allow me to get to those)
Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson (Again, I have the two after this one already on my shelf)
The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth

and I added one non-fiction book to the mix, The Man who Tasted Shapes by Richard E. Cytowic.

I want to read The Man Who Tasted Shapes! .. tell me what you think when you get to it :)

>131 mckait: My mom had synesthesia, so this book is of special interest to me. She saw pain as different colors. After her heart attack -- which almost killed her because she didn't realize what was happening before it was almost too late -- she said if she ever had another one she'd recognize the pain immediately because it was a shade of teal that she'd never felt before! (I actually didn't buy a car once that I really liked because of the color -- I didn't want her to see a heart attack coming every time I drove up. :-)

I have felt rather slighted, ever since I first heard of synesthesia, an I don't have it. I have road several books on the subject...fascinating!

>133 mckait: I first heard of it when writing a term paper about a composer who had it, Amy Beach. I got talking to my mom about it, and that's when I learned that Mom had it -- and she learned that it was a real condition with a name! She had learned long ago not to mention it, as people thought it was weird.

OK, I finished my book for this month's American Author Challenge:

75 Challenge Book #22
Title: All the Pretty Horses
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Genre or subject information: literary fiction
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1992
Series?: first of the Border Trilogy
Date finished: 3/18/14
Off the Shelf? No, library book
My Rating: 4.2 stars
Notes:

McCarthy is a genius of a writer. My struggle in reading this was between savoring the language and wanting to race ahead in the suspenseful parts to see how situations resolved (or didn't).

I love how he paints images with words. As I mentioned earlier in my thread, this description of a passing train just before sunrise really caught my fancy starting on the first page:

As he turned to go he heard the train. He stopped and waited for it. He could feel it under his feet. It came boring out of the east like some ribald satellite of the coming sun howling and bellowing in the distance and the long light of the headlamp running through the tangled mesquite brakes and creating out of the night the endless fenceline down the dead straight right of way and sucking it back again wire and post mile on mile into the darkness after where the boilersmoke disbanded slowly along the faint new horizon and the sound came lagging and he stood still holding his hat in his hands in the passing ground-shudder watching it till it was gone. Then he turned and went back to the house.

He gives a few short sentences, then one long, run-on sentence, an unstoppable barrage of words themselves like a freight train running on and on. And then it's gone, with another short sentence to bracket the experience as he goes into the house. It's lovely, expressive writing that epitomizes the writers' classic adage to "show, rather than just tell."

The story itself contained much beauty and much ugliness. But it felt honest, and I wanted to know what would happen to the characters.

Sorry to hear that stress is catching up with you, too. Maybe you should join Tina and me for that spa day? I am determined to get to Medica in Gibsonia one day soon... sigh. WEll, wishing you an easier and stressless day :)

>135 mckait: No spas for me, Kath. Sig is adding some comic relief tonight. We were re-hanging curtains after the old curtain rod came down, and Sig was kind of in the way -- like lying on them while I tried to put them on the curtain rod. So we took his favorite toy -- a stick with a dangling line bearing a fuzzy thing, which we call "critter on a stick"-- and sprayed the critter toy with catnip oil spray -- and sprayed the cat tree/scratching posts with catnip oil, for good measure. Well, that certainly took his mind off the curtains! Hubby lured him with the toy to the tree while I loaded the curtains onto the rod, then I took over with the cat toy while he put up the curtain rod. Teamwork!

*Happy weekend wave*

Hi Terri, I have been googling synesthesia. I never heard of it before, very interesting!

And Sig is such a lovely cat!

>136 tymfos: Life with a cat requires some adjustments, and creativity. Just wait until you try wrapping a gift or two.....but it looks like you are going to be up for the task :)

>137 wilkiec: Happy weekend, Diana! *waving back*

>138 connie53: Glad you find it interesting, Connie. Sig thanks you for the compliment!

>139 mckait: Yes, Kath, definitely some adjustments!

I stayed up last night and finished a book. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I was determined to make it to the end. The result is that I don't quite remember exactly what happened at the end . . .

75 Challenge Book #23
Title: No Nest for the Wicket
Author: Donna Andrews
Genre or subject information: cozy mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?: Yes, #7 in Meg Langslow
Date finished: 3/21/14 (or, more precisely, early a.m. 3/22/14)
Off the Shelf? No, ILL
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

Meg stumbles across a body while playing eXtreme Croquet with an oddball cast of tournament contestants which includes the mavens of the local historical society, two real estate agents, the wife of a local developer, and some Morris-dancing college students. The murder seems to be related to the history of a local Civil War battle and/or a proposed mega-mall on the site. Or maybe some other motive entirely. Once the abrasive victim is identified, the suspect list grows.

As with many in this series -- many cozies in general, actually -- I enjoyed the clever humor and madcap characters, but found the mystery a bit weak.

I haven't read that installment in the Meg Winslow series yet, but I'm sure I'll get to it. With the historical society/Civil War twist, I think I'll enjoy that installment.

>132 tymfos: I've mentioned this elsewhere in the group before, but I have synesthesia: all numbers and colors have specific colors, gender and personalities for me. In fact, most inanimate objects have gender and personality for me. I've got that book on my wishlist already!

>140 tymfos: Extreme croquet? That is like playing tennis with cricket balls no?
Cozy mysteries are not really my bag, Terri but they do look fluffy and fun.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. xx

>140 tymfos:

I stayed up last night and finished a book. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I was determined to make it to the end. The result is that I don't quite remember exactly what happened at the end . . .

Perhaps re-reading the end is in order, Terri. You are not the only one that happens to.

>141 thornton37814: I think you'll enjoy it, Lori, though she doesn't paint a real flattering picture of the historical society ladies.

>142 scaifea: Isn't the human brain amazing, Amber?

>143 PaulCranswick: Apparently it is croquet played over rough terrain with special heavy-duty mallets (which could make a great murder weapon). According to the author's note, this is a growing sport in some circles. I had never heard of it, Paul.

>144 connie53: Connie, a little refresher read was in order.

Today is my day off and I'm trying to catch up LT, but it's a losing battle since I also must catch up housework -- and I'd like to find some time to read, too.

>146 tymfos: I think you need to put those things in a different order. Or just pick up a book, dust it before you sit down to read it, and you're good!

>147 laytonwoman3rd: Good idea!

Or maybe I could follow my kitten's lead and take a cat nap:



The cat bed is just a cheapie from Dollar General, but Sig spends a lot of time there, even as he seems to be rather outgrowing it! It's a cozy, warm spot right in front of the radiator, between his cat tree and an end table.

Seriously, I spent a good part of the afternoon on the phone trying to sort out a warranty issue -- not what I had planned at all. If you buy an extended warranty, do your best to follow up and see that you're actually getting what you've paid for!

Wonderful picture of Sig! He looks very comfy. The Dollar Store has some good bargains on pet supplies. Adrian's favorite toy came from the Dollar Store. I haven't tried looking at Dollar General yet, but I should!

Hi, Terri! What an innocent baby you obviously have in that snoozing Sig!
I sympathize with the conflicted emotions evident in deciding to spend less time at LT. I'm sort of doing it, and it's sort of working ill. I miss so much that people have going on. *sigh*
Sorry about the snow. More cold weather coming to NC too. *sigh* again.
I know I need to try some C. McCarthy, but I haven't done it yet.
When I was a child, I said I heard people's voices as colors, but I think I just made that up rather than being truly synesthesiac if that's a word. I do believe that I was a weird child, and .....
And now I'm off to Better World Books in hopes that I missed their sale because I really, really, really don't need to buy anything else right now.

One should always follow the cat's lead and take a nap. I just wish I could convince my cat to follow my lead when he's trying to awaken me at 4 a.m. and get him to stay asleep.

>149 cbl_tn: Hi, Carrie! Glad you like the photo of Sig.

>150 LizzieD: Peggy, he is so peaceful when he naps . . . like a baby . . .

>151 thornton37814: Lori, Sig does keep odd hours. Of course, I guess I do, too.

I finished an e-book:

75 Challenge Book #75
Title: A Stolen Season
Author: Steve Hamilton
Genre or subject information: more mayhem on the UP of Michigan, and in Ontario
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2006
Series?: Alex McKnight #7
Date finished: 3-25-14
Off the Shelf? no, library download
My Rating:
Notes:

It's the 4th of July, and it's foggy and almost freezing. Alex McKnight is wondering whether summer will ever arrive on the UP, when a boat wrecks in front of him. The love of his life is undercover in Toronto, trying to bust gun runners. Life is unsettled. Mayhem follows, and terrible grief. I often question McKnight's actions, but rarely his motivations. This installment, he faces more provocation than ever.

In a year when we're beginning to wonder if spring will ever come, a book about a missing summer seems most appropriate. This was a pretty good mystery, and an enlightening installment in the continuing saga of Alex McKnight.

BTW, it's snowing here now. Ugh! I don't think it will amount to anything much, but it's the principle of the thing.

Abandoned audio, almost halfway through:

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstien
This is part of his children's Haunted Mystery series. I tried it for the MysteryCAT YA focus over on the 2014 Category Challenge, since I love Grabenstein's adult John Ceepak series. This book might go over OK with his target audience, but I found it convoluted.

Terri, smart of you to buy a baby Sig bed at the $ store. You can buy a bigger one when it's time. He is beautiful

You know, Terri... you might have been a much better choice to read the book I just reviewed. It is Christian fiction/thriller.. and well written for sure, but not my cuppa. I had to really pay attention to the story and not some of the background threads. What was fun, is that it basically takes place in my neck of the woods....

Snow here, too. Stolen Season sounds pretty good.

Sorry about the snow, Terri. I just adore that photo of Sig napping up there - what a gorgeous kitty he is! I am hoping to finish up All the Pretty Horses today - I listened to it on audio, and the narrator did a fabulous job with it. I am really liking it so far and loving the character of John Grady.

Hoping that your Wednesday is full of fabulous!

We got enough snow here overnight that the schools had a 2-hour delay. That threw me off, and I forgot to take lunch with me to work. Then my lunch break was later than usual, and I forgot to go on and order lunch ahead from somewhere, and it felt like by the time I'd get food, it would be almost time to go home. . . so I bought a library-fundraiser candy bar for lunch. Real nutritious, huh? Then I walked home past the post office and forgot to stop and mail the letters I was supposed to mail on the way home. I am really "with it" today.

>154 mckait: Thanks for saying Sig is beautiful. I think he is! Kath, I don't know if I would have been a better reviewer of that book or not. It would depend on the issues and viewpoint. If it was pushing a really Conservative Christian agenda -- especially politically -- I'd probably have had issues with it, too.

>155 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! I loved the John Grady character, too. A fabulous day to you, too!

To be honest, some things were just too vague to nail as conservative, but liberal it was not. I hope you get a chance to take a look at it one day.. even if you don't read it. I was feeling really pressured to say nice things since the goddess of the libraries apparently knew him! And she requested that I do the review :P but it's over, and I now have a YA sequel and the new Anne Perry. I don't think I have ever read any of hers before. Maybe I will go ahead and review that one, too? Or not.

>134 tymfos:- Lovely review of Pretty Horses, Terri! I am so glad you could join us on the McCarthy. Do I see The Crossing in your future?

>158 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Yes, I'm planning to read the entire trilogy.

>157 mckait: Kath, I tried two by Perry. I abandoned the first in the Monk series, on audio, as I was thoroughly annoyed with the main character. I listened to the first in the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series, and found it just OK, nothing that really grabbed me. But I know some people love her writing.

Some do love Perry, and since I never read any by her that I remember, I figured I should give one a shot.. since she is so popular. Oh and btw, I say Sig is beautiful, because he is. :)

I'm on the warpath. I bought a manufacturer-based extended warranty on a product, and did not receive the coverage. I'm writing to the respective companies (the retailer and the manufacturer) plus the Bureau of Consumer Protection.

AGGRAVATION!!!!!!!

>160 mckait: Kath, Sig and I say thank you!

Oh no... FRUSTRATING for sure... argh!

Hi, Kath!

Now I've misplaced one of Sig's food dishes -- can't find it anywhere. ??????

Weird. He may have pushed it under or behind something? :P

Hope you find it...I have a small counter area under my kitchen window on top of a small cabinet. I keep the kitty fountain on it. After the kitties all eat, and wander off... I put their dishes up there, so Dunkers won't eat cat food. ( bad) . If the dishes are empty and Angus wants more, he indicates this by knocking at least one dish off of the counter. Of he knocks it off of the right side, any little single bits of food can go into the vent, the other side, Dunkers water. Tricksy kitty, is he.

Stopping by with happy weekend wishes, Terri. Sorry to see you are having difficulties with the extended warranty coverage you purchased.... good luck with getting that resolved to your satisfaction. Love the Sig snaps.

I love the pictures of Sig, Terri. And good luck on getting some kind of solution on the warranty stuff.

>164 mckait: I fed Sig, went in the other room for a few minutes, came back and there were two dishes sitting there! Either one materialized from another dimension or (more likely) the two dishes had "nested" one inside the other & Sig pulled them apart. This actually fits with the circumstances when the one went missing. I did think I'd checked for that but apparently not.

>165 lkernagh: Thanks Lori. I think things will work out. Hope your weekend is good.

>166 connie53: Hi, Connie! Thanks! Things will probably work out OK on the warranty.

We had mixed precipitation this morning especially in the higher elevations. My car spun out a 180 turn on the way to church. Fortunately there were no cars coming, I didn't hit anything and I kept it on the road. It did shake me up a bit!

I am not getting much reading done the past few days. I'm feeling rather tired and stressed.

>168 tymfos: It did shake me up a bit!
Yikes. We're getting this round entirely as rain, but a few degrees would've made a significant difference.

>169 qebo: Yikes is right, Katherine. Here it was a few degrees, a few miles, a few hundred feet of elevation, made all the difference.

>167 tymfos: Terri, if you want to think that Sig pulled them apart is more likely that one reappeared from a visit to another dimension... you go ahead. I will stick with the other dimension theory...

:)

>171 mckait: Kath, that doesn't surprise me . . . :-)

heh! LOL :)

>168 tymfos: Oh, we've been having that mess all day; first the trees got coated with ice drops, the it turned sleety, then snow...the ground is white now, and I'm not sure what is expected overnight. I'm glad your little "spin" did no damage. I've done that myself; in fact I did a 270 in an intersection once, and ended up pointed the way I intended to turn anyway!

>174 laytonwoman3rd: My spin left me pointed back toward home, Linda, and I admit being tempted to go back there, especially since I had to go back a ways that way to find a safe place to turn around toward church again. Since I was leading worship today, I soldiered on.

>168 tymfos: Whoa! I'm glad you're okay!

Thanks, Amber!

Yikes, Terri! That kind of thing does shake one up! Glad you are ok.

Happened to me once when I still had a long way to get home. Wound up back end into a snow bank - just missed a fence. Luckily men with shovels stopped and dug me out and pointed me home. I think I drove about 5 mph all the way. When I got the car in the garage I found I had a flat tire!

Believe me. As much as I love snow, I am not fond of driving in it anymore.

Oh! Love your missing bowl story ;-)

>178 -Cee-: Cee, I hate winter driving. My mother hated it so much, she wouldn't go out on the road if there was so much as a snowflake in sight. I was very lucky on my spin. It was on a blind curve, but no one came along to hit me. It was a tight spot between a hillside and a guard rail (protecting drivers from a steep drop) but I didn't hit either barrier. I had to wait a few minutes for a train before I started up that hill where I spun. It annoyed me at the time, but there was a truck coming from the other way who wound up waiting on the other side of the tracks. If we hadn't been held up by the train, who knows but that I might have met that truck at just the wrong moment?

I was going through photos and found this one that I don't think I posted yet. I don't know how I missed posting this one:



Two things I love -- cat and books -- but I'd prefer one wasn't walking on the other! At least he is perched on the very top where I put the books that I'm done with or otherwise plan to part with when I get the chance.

Cats are very smart, they all seem to love books..

>180 mckait: Of course! ;)

Oh, I read a children's book for another challenge, but I'm not going to count it here except as it fits the following goals:

Final Tally of Monthly goals (I don't think I'll finish any more books today):

4 "ROOT" books (on my TBR shelf at least since 12/31/13): Pardonable Lies, I Was Right On Time, The Summer Camp Mystery 3 OUT OF 4
1 American Author Challenge book (designated author or appropriate substitution): All the Pretty Horses COMPLETE
1 of the official "CAT" challenges from the 2014 Category Challenge (MysteryCAT, GeoCAT, RandomCAT): The Watcher in the Shadows, The Summer Camp Mystery (MysteryCAT YA); All the Pretty Horses (GeoCAT, Mexico); No Nest for the Wicket (RandomCAT, Birds on the Cover) COMPLETE -- exceeded goal
1 of the Unofficial "CAT" challenges from the 2014 Category Challenge (AlphaCAT or GastroCAT): Pardonable Lies (AlphaCAT "L") COMPLETE
1 book from a 75 Challenge Theme of the Month or group read: NO problem in Mystery March; also I Was Right on Time for Spring Training read COMPLETE - exceeded goal
1 book from my "white flag" series list (as long as there are items available for that designation): The Watcher in the Shadows, last of the Trilogy of Fog COMPLETE
1 next-in-series book that's not the last in a series: No Nest for the Wicket, #7 in Meg Langslow series; A Stolen Season by Steve Hamilton, from the Alex McKnight series; Pardonable Lies from the Maisie Dobbs series COMPLETE -- exceeded goal
1 first-in-series, preferably one that I OWN: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, first of the Border Trilogy COMPLETE
2 non-fiction books: I Was Right On Time 1 OUT OF 2

That's not too bad for a very busy month. I was only short a book in two categories, and I exceeded my goal in several others.

I'm thinking of trying a TIOLI next month. I've never done one of those.

My brain is too dead to think of a TIOLI this month. I've done them in the past, but I've got two books selected to read next month -- Jazz for the American Author challenge and The Guns of August that I didn't get to in March and really wanted to read. If I don't finish up the NetGalley that I'm reading today, it will be finished in April. Other than that, I want to grab what I want to read at the time. I'm long overdue for that! I suspect at least one or two of my Thingaversary books will call out to me.

>182 thornton37814: Lori, I'll probably only do a TIOLI if it's something that I would have read anyway. I get the feeling that there's usually such variety of options, one is likely to fit something that sounds appealing to read. ;) I'm planning to read Jazz for the AAC, too. I read Guns of August last year -- mostly via audio, but with a hard-copy edition from the county library to refer to. It's a very interesting book.

I'm going to start my annual "April is Autism Awareness Month" thread. I'll post a link here when it's up.

Here is the link:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/172153

My new thread for April is ready!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/172156

This thread is closed.