Terri (tymfos) runs her 2014 Reading Race #5: May Maneuvers

Hi! Welcome to my 5th 75 Challenge thread of 2014! This is my primary challenge for 2014. All the books I read this year will be here.



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
FICTION
e-book non-fiction
AUDIO

FIRST QUARTER BOOKS

Books completed in JANUARY
1. Blood Land by R. S. Guthrie e-book (1-2-14)
2. A Comedy of Heirs by Rett MacPherson (1-3-14)
3. 58 Degrees North: The Mysterious Sinking of the Arctic Rose by Hugo Kugiya (1-6-14)
4. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (1-11-14)
5. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (1-13-14)
6. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny (1-20-14)
7. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson e-book (1-26-14)
8. Southern Lady, Yankee Spy by Elizabeth Varon (1-26-14)
9. North of Nowhere by Steve Hamilton (1-30-14)
10. Firewall by Henning Mankell AUDIO (1-30-14)
10a Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson e-book short (1-31-14)

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 completed in FEBRUARY
11. The Round House by Louise Erdrich (2-1-14)
12. The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill (2-3-14)
13. Blood is the Sky by Steve Hamilton (2-10-14)
14. Faith Under Fire by Roger Benimoff (2-17-14)
15. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson e-book (2-18-14)
16. Real Men Work in the Pits by Jeff Hammond (2-22-14)
17. Ice Run by Steve Hamilton e book (2-27-14)
18. A Necessary End by Peter Robinson (2-28-14)

abandoned this month:
The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker AUDIO

Books completed in MARCH
19. Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear AUDIO and paper book (3-9-14)
20. I Was Right On Time by Buck O'Neil with Steve Wulf & David Conrads (3-16-14)
21. The Watcher in the Shadows By Carlos Ruiz Zafon e-book (3-16-14)
22. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (3-18-14)
23. No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews (3-21-14)
24. A Stolen Season by Steve Hamilton e-book (3-25-14)

SECOND QUARTER BOOKS:

Books finished in APRIL

25. Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism by Paul Collins (4-8-14)
26. Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason e-book (4-11-14)
27. Where's Your Jesus Now?: Examining How Fear Erodes Our Faith by Karen Spears Zacharias (4-15-14)
28. Jazz by Toni Morrison (American Author Challenge) (4-18-14)
29. The Pyramid: And Four Other Kurt Wallander Mysteries by Henning Mankell AUDIO (4-22-14)
30. Sun Storm by Asa Larsson e-book (4-22-14)
31. Not Flesh Nor Feathers by Cheri Priest (4-24-14)

Books finished in MAY

32. Embracing the Wide Sky by Daniel Tammet (5-2-14)
33. Dead Wood by Dani Amore e-book (5-3-14)
34. Foolish Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (5-5-14)
35. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler - AUDIO (5-10-14)
36. Taken by Kathleen George e-book (5-12-14)
37. Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott (5-14-14)
38. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (5-18-14)
39. A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson AUDIO (5-20-14)
40. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller (5-21-14)
41. The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett (5-26-14)
42. Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy (5-27-14)
43. The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams e-book (5-28-14)
44. Any Other Name by Craig Johnson AUDIO (5-29-14)

Currently reading:
So Terrible a Storm: A Tale of Fury on Lake Superior by Curt Brown e-book
Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King AUDIO short-story collection
Dead Water by Ann Cleeves (fiction)

Books finished in JUNE

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

I'm also doing the Book Bingo thing so many people are doing:



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 Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
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 (in progress)
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 -- Jazz (owned) COMPLETED
May Eudora Welty substitute Dashiell Hammett -- The Maltese Falcon and The Dain Curse (owned) COMPLETED
June Kurt Vonnegut
July Mark Twain
August Philip Roth The Ghost Writer (owned)
September: James Baldwin
October Edith Wharton
November John Updike
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 also doing the 2014 Category Challenge:


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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 this challenge is my tribute to my old "home state." I was listing my categories, but I keep editing them, so I've decided to now omit them from this thread.

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! These lists are as much for my reference as for visitors to see what I'm working on!


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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 -- a fourth is coming out in July)
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. (have read all 4)
Eden Moore series by Cherie Priest. (have read all three)
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)
Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson. (have read all 10, not counting minis)

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
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)
Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. Next: The Troubled Man, #10 of 10* (Note: some sources count Before The Frost as part of this series, and some consider it a separate Linda Wallander series. I may read that before I read The Troubled Man.)

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 (CLP Overdrive) hold placed with library
Buryin' Barry mysteries by Mark deCastrique. Next up: Final Undertaking, #4 of 5 (ordered)
Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. Next: Last Car to Elysian Fields, #13 of 20 (local library & One Click)
Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. Next up: The Hanging Valley, #4 of 21 (owned)
John Ceepak series by Chris Grabenstein. Next: Rolling Thunder, #6 of 9 (FLP) hold placed with library
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
Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Next: The Redeemer (FLP download)
Inspector Erlendur (UK publication order) by Arnaldur Indrudason. Next: Voices, #3 of 10
Inspector Ramsay by Ann Cleeves. Next: A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy, #3 of 6 (owned)
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
Joe Pickett mysteries by C.J. Box. Next up: Savage Run, #2 of 14 (owned)
John Cardinal series by Giles Blunt. Next up: The Delicate Storm, #2 of 6 (owned)
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)
Keye Street series by Amanda Kyle Williams. Next up: #2 of 3
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)
Richard Christie series by Kathleen George (read 4th of 4 from library before I realized it was a series) next to read: #2, Fallen, #2 of 4
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: Buffalo West Wing, #4 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)
Skip Langdon series by Julie Smith

F. START YOUR ENGINES: New-to-me series that I'm currently reading first book:

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)
Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves. Next up: Triple Witch, #2 of 16 (owned)
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)
Rebecka Martinsson series by Asa Larsson. Next up: Blood Split, #2 of 5 (own #4 in series)
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)
Inspector Matt Minogue Mysteries by John Brady. First up: A Stone of the Heart, #1 of 10 (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)
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: 44

ROOT books -- off my (real or virtual) TBR shelf: 21 (including one that's not part of this challenge)

Paper books: 26 1/2
E-books: 12
Audio books: 5 1/2

Fiction: 34
Non-Fiction: 10

male author(s): 24
female author: 19
male/female team author: 1

US authors: 32
authors from other countries: 12
NO IDEA:

living author (as far as I know): 39
deceased author: 5
unsure:

THE POSTING FORMAT:

This is my template for ease of posting the books I read:

Title:
Author:
Genre or subject information:
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?:
Date finished:
Off the Shelf?
My Rating:
Notes:

Tentative Monthly Goals (one book can fill multiple goals) and what I'm working on to fill them

aiming for at least 10 out of 12 of the following::

1) 4 "ROOT" books (on my TBR shelf at least since 12/31/13): Dead Wood, Foolish Undertaking, Operating Instructions, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (COMPLETED)
2) 1 American Author Challenge book: Eudora Welty: substitute Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon COMPLETED
3) 1 of the official "CAT" challenges from the 2014 Category Challenge (MysteryCAT, GeoCAT, RandomCAT): Farewell, My Lovely, Maltese Falcon (COMPLETED) (MysteryCAT) Taken, Operating Instructions (COMPLETED) (RandomCAT) MysteryCAT: Classic/Golden Age Mysteries. GeoCAT: South Asia. RandomCAT: Mothers
4) 1 of the Unofficial "CAT" challenges from the 2014 Category Challenge (AlphaCAT or GastroCAT): Embracing the Wide Sky COMPLETED, Foolish Undertaking (COMPLETED) for AlphaCAT
AlphaCAT: E & U. GastroCAT: Dairy or Coffee
5) 1 book from a 75 Challenge Theme of the Month or group read: May Murder & Mayhem Dead Wood, Foolish Undertaking, Taken, Farewell My Lovely, Maltese Falcon, A Serpent's Tooth (COMPLETED)
6) 1 book from my "white flag" series list: A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson (COMPLETED) (was last in series at start of month; new book released in series mid-month) Any Other Name by Craig Johnson new book in series
7) 1 next-in-series book that's not the last in a series: Foolish Undertaking (COMPLETED)
8) 1 first-in-series, preferably one that I OWN (or own others in series): Dead Wood, The Maltese Falcon, The Stranger You Seek COMPLETED
9) 1 spirituality/religion book: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (COMPLETED)
10) 1 general non-fiction book: Embracing the Wide Sky (COMPLETED)
11) 1 TIOLI book: Foolish Undertaking (COMPLETED)
12) 1 book from a least filled category in my 2014 Category Challenge: Dead Wood, Eggsecutive Orders (COMPLETED)

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Is it safe? Love the Bag O Sig on the last thread :)

LOL! It's safe, Kath! Congrats on being first!
"Bag O Sig!" I love it!

Here it is, for those who missed it on the old thread:

Well, my baby is registering for Early College today! The high school has a cooperative program with the community college to let seniors take a basic college course each semester that will count as one of their electives for high school graduation. I'm not sure my son is ready for this, but it's an opportunity to see where he stands as far as moving forward educationally beyond high school.

One hint regarding his readiness (or lack thereof) is that he waited to give us the college information until this morning. The college rep is coming to the school today, and the tuition check is due today.

My other baby -- the fur baby, Sig -- tipped his dry cat food dish into his water dish this morning. I was not amused.

Terri, a happy May Day to you!

Your reading is really organised. I don't think I've been that organized since I got out of school.

The bagful of Sig is adorable. What a fun fella he is! I'm very glad he found a forever home with you.

Gail, my reading is about the only thing organized about me these days. My home is in chaos. I keep shoving things away here and there to keep Sig from shredding them. I can't find anything.

Sig is so fun (most of the time). Sometimes he still looks so "kitten-y" and some times he looks so grown-up-catlike.

Listen... your son has done great so far. You were worried about Sig being hard on him, and now they are best friends. He may just feel the same about the college class, or not. Whatever happens will be just right for him right now. You do a great job with him... you must be very proud of him, and you should be proud of yourself.

My cats have a fountain on a small counter under the window. That is where I put their food dishes when they finish their first pass at them in the morning. That keeps Duncan out of the cat food. What they do, is they tip their food dishes into Duncan's water. yech!

Poor Duncan is very patient....

Happy new thread, Terri. + 1 for the wise Kath words in >18 mckait:

Happy New Thread, Terri!

Good way to start May Day with a new thread, Terri and as informative and stat driven as ever, thankfully.

Love the picture up top! Where is it taken?

>18 mckait: Thanks for the words of wisdom, Kath. I'm just glad I got paid yesterday so there was money to put in checking to cover the tuition check. Thankfully, there is a deep tuition discount for the Early College program, and it's only one course. There is a "payment plan" if you can't pay up front, but it costs extra, and I try to avoid extra fees wherever humanly possible.

And poor Duncan is right!

>19 wilkiec: Thanks, Diana! Kath can be pretty insightful. :)

>20 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>21 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! I've got to get over to your thread. I'm way behind, will never catch up.

>22 countrylife: Thanks, Cindy! It's a Roman Catholic church in Somerset County, PA. I was thrilled to be in a position to get that shot! I love rainbows.

OK, Sig seemed to be outgrowing his cat bed. Sometimes he'd curl up in a ball in it, but more and more often I'd see him stretched out with his butt end in the cat bed and his front end on the bottom of the cat tree next to the bed. So today I saw pet beds on sale at Ollie's and bought him a bigger one.

He won't get into it. I tried luring him with catnip and cat treats, even. He'll put his front paws in far enough to go for the goodies, but he won't climb all the way in. If I try physically moving him into the bed, he jumps out immediately.

Right now, he's curled up in a little ball in the tiny old cat bed (which I moved into the corner behind the cat tree).

I'm wondering whether someone else tried the cat bed and returned it, and it has another animal's scent on it. Or does he just not like how it feels?

Happy New thread, Terri!

I hope you are recovering form your fall! It sound very painful

>25 connie53: Connie, I'm surprised at how little I hurt two days after. And my upper back and shoulders actually feel better than they did earlier in the week. (It's like I knocked some sense into them!) I even bowled with my league today -- and had decent scores (for me), 133, 143, and 100. (I was kind of tired by the last game.)

It was very scary -- I'm very lucky I didn't get hurt a lot more -- and I think I learned a lesson about being more careful!

put the old cat bed into the new one...

eta

not in the center.... up against one edge

>15 tymfos: One hint regarding his readiness
Meh. That's no less ready than many actual college students. :-)

>27 mckait: Kath, I really showered it with catnip, and he finally decided to wallow in it. Then we played with "critter on a stick" (his toy for stalking) while he was in the bed, and he really seemed to take to it.

>28 qebo: Probably right, Katherine! :)

By the way, Sig did it again. This time, he tipped his dry food into the dish with the remains of the canned food I gave him at supper time. (I always give him some canned food then.) Now he's hanging out in the front window mewing his heart out.

I think I'm coming down with the cold my husband just got over. Oh, joy.

Oh dear, oh dear.

I've been trying very hard to teach my son to be respectful of the cat -- when Sig wants to be alone, to leave him alone; not to hold Sig on his lap when he's indicated he wants down, etc. My son has been a slow study in this regard, and tonight he's had a painful experience. The cat (which has been unbelievably patient until now) finally had enough, and gave my son a very nasty scratch clear down his forearm.

We immediately did the requisite cleaning and disinfecting -- and Sig is current on all his shots -- but I was still worried and wondered if we should go to the ER. Then I remembered the NurseLine that's part of hubby's employee benefits. I talked to a nice nurse who felt that we'd done everything by the book and should be able to monitor the scratch at home. She told me what to watch for. I'm also going to call the school nurse tomorrow morning and ask her to check on the wound for any signs of infection while he's at school.

Right now my son doesn't want anything to do with the cat. I think eventually the pendulum will swing back to about the middle, and maybe they will coexist with my son being a lot less pushy with the critter.

>31 mckait: Kath, I don't think we'll be getting a second cat right now. . .

Update: my son's arm appears to be doing OK. The less deep parts of the scratch are fading, and the deeper parts are scabbing over with no sign of infection.

He says he's not mad at the cat. This morning he petted Sig but did not try to hold him in place when Sig was ready to move away -- healthy interaction.

Sig has been especially quiet and subdued since the incident. I know the cat behaviorist would say that cats don't feel or show contrition like dogs do when they know they've disappointed their people; but I think maybe they do, at least a little.

Terri, it sounds like your son and Sig had quite the adventure together. I'm glad it wasn't more serious and that they are both OK. I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

This would seem to be apropos, for you and for your son: "...a person that started in to carry a cat home by the tail was getting knowledge that was always going to be useful to him, and warn't ever going to grow dim or doubtful." Mark Twain (Tom Sawyer Abroad) I'm very glad there was no serious harm done to either of you, or to Sig, as a result fo the recent mishaps.

Hi Terri. The scratch will be fine! My brother used to play with our cats (when we were still living in my parents house) and he got scratched a lot. It never infected though. It's just a lesson learned for your son.

>34 rosalita: Wishing you a lovely weekend, too, Julia!

>35 laytonwoman3rd: What a marvelous quote, Linda!

I recently came upon a sermon illustration about childhood lessons that were definitely learned through experience. In addition to "never let your mom comb your hair when she's mad at your dad" and "you can't trust dogs to guard your food for you," my favorite was "never try to baptize a cat." Not that any cats were being baptized here, but it's another example of lessons brought home by experience.

>36 connie53: Thanks, Connie! I'm sure it will be fine. This is just the first really ugly injury we've had from the cat, and it shook us up a bit. It took quite a while for the bleeding to stop.

Well, it looks like I've caught my husband's cold. Fortunately, he's feeling better and taking up some chores and other activities for me. Right now he's leading Sig around with "critter on a stick," a toy hanging from a string from a stick. Said toy is currently catnip-scented, as Sig had no interest earlier when it was unscented.

Ha! I know better than to leave any food unguarded when Adrian's around. He thinks all food in the house is supposed to be his!

I'm glad your son is on the mend, and I hope your cold won't hang on too long.

>38 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie!

He thinks all food in the house is supposed to be his!
You mean it isn't? ;-)

My mom always told the tale of her dog Sally who ate an entire freshly-baked cheesecake. I'm not sure Mom ever got over that . . . for that matter, I don't think Sally felt to good about it, when it all hit her digestion . . .

75 Challenge Book #32
Title: Embracing the Wide Sky
Author: Daniel Tammet
Genre or subject information: non-fiction, about the brain
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2008
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 5/2/2014
Off the Shelf? No, ILL
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

This was an interesting book, but I did not find it nearly as engaging as his first book, Born on a Blue Day. This book was much less about Tammet's own experience, though he drew upon his unique perspective and explained how what he was discussing fit into (or didn't fit into) his experience. There was much more of research in this book -- research into how our brains work, the new findings on the subject, what scientists are doing and trying to do in the areas of brain science. Tammet does a surprisingly good job of expressing some very complex ideas in terms a typical reader can understand (though I glazed over a bit on some of the mathematical examples -- I don't have a "math mind").

>33 tymfos: Then the cat behaviorist would be wrong. Cats are intuitive, loving and compassionate. Don't believe what you might read, it is one thing to study a cat and another to live with and love a cat. Believe me. I have had both cats and dogs for years, as have most of my friends... Sig just had a moment.. we all have them. Glad they are all made up.

Sorry you are feeling not so well. I am joining you on that list, I'm afraid. The concussion symptoms continue :P

ugh!

Happy Hew thread, Terri! Hope you are feeling a bit better today. Try to enjoy the weekend.

Feel better on the catching cold thing, Terri.

>41 mckait: Kath, sorry we're both feeling yucky.

Cats are intuitive, loving and compassionate.

Well, the behaviorist whose program I enjoy watching probably wouldn't disagree with that statement. He lives with a bunch of cats and he's saved hundreds from being sent to shelters by owners who were at their wits' end, by helping them to understand their cats and meet their needs. (so says the publicity, anyway.) He's also a great advocate of having multiple cats (even though he's often settling disputes between cats that don't get along) so he can't be all wrong, right?

That doesn't mean he's right about everything.

Anyway, whenever Sig's behavior starts to bother me, I watch an episode of "My Cat From Hell" and realize how relatively well-behaved Sig is (as well as seeing that even the most vicious-seeming cats can settle down to be nice kitties if their people become aware of and meet their needs for security, territory, medical care, play, etc.)

Last night hubby and I were discussing possible names if there was a second cat. Still a big IF, but the naming thing was a piece in the initial decision to keep Sig, whom he now loves to death.

ETA to add BTW, Sig now loves his new larger cat bed. But we kept the old one around, and sometimes when he really wants to curl up in a ball, he'll shift back to that one for a nap. (Kinda like how sometimes I nap on the sofa, and sometimes I nap on the queen-sized bed, I guess.)

>42 msf59: Hi, Mark! Thanks for the well-wishes!

>43 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

75 Challenge Book #33
Title: Dead Wood e-book
Author: Dani Amore
Genre or subject information: Mystery fiction
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?: John Rockne #1 (but there's no #2 yet!)
Date finished: 5/3/14
Off the Shelf? Yes (virtual)
My Rating: 3.4 stars
Notes:

I didn't expect a lot out of this little mystery, which I got free or for 99 cents a while back. I'd never heard of the author, and I see her profile has been removed from LT, though her author page still lists her as an LT author. (I bet she was spamming -- seems most obvious reason for her account to have been shut down.)

Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. No, it's not great literature, but it had a likable protagonist. John Rockne is an ex-cop private-eye whose sibling is a police chief. I enjoyed the humor. Some of the characters were a little shallow, and maybe some of it was a bit implausible. As is often the case in mysteries, the protagonist took too many foolish risks. And a few plot elements didn't quite hang together nor make sense to me. So I'm not quite sure why I gave it 3.4 stars, but overall I enjoyed it and laughed out loud on a few occasions.

Sig in his new, larger bed; and in his old bed about a month ago:

On the subject of dogs eating desserts: I learned a life lesson on Charlie's first birthday after baking his cake and leaving it on the kitchen island to cool. Never leave a cake to cool too close to the edge of the counter - I came back into the kitchen from the laundry room to find the cake mostly gone and the remaining bits in ruins on the floor, with a very guilty-looking Tuppence hiding in the corner! I cried a little, then pulling my big girl panties up and made another one. Sigh.

Happy new thread, Terri! Sorry to read you are coming down with a cold. I hate spring colds.

Does Sig have a preference for 'wet' or moist food over dry? I always found it a challenge when our cats developed a preference - just like us human and our favorite foods - when they would start to snub the food they didn't like as much.

Sorry to see your son was scratched by Sig, but it sounds like they are figuring out the boundaries.

I agree with mckait in that cats do feel a lot more than can be generally stated, but the previous cat owner in me knows that all animals have to be examined as individuals just like us humans and not something that can be categorized. I think you are on the right track with understanding Sig.

>47 tymfos: - Super 'Awe' pics!

>48 scaifea: Amber, I suspect every pet owner has a story or so to tell of some food that their pet managed to pilfer! :) They give us love, but they do get into things!

>49 lkernagh: Lori, when I first got Sig, the vet and I discussed feeding. She thought it was OK (as long as he didn't get too heavy) to give him wet food for breakfast and dinner, but leave dry food out during the day (along with water, of course). I had bought a bag of dry Science Diet kitten food from the vet, which Sig snubbed except when really hungry. He would ignore it and wait for the wet food. On wet food, we had the best luck with some of the Friskies foods, though we tried a few other brands and he ate some of them.

Well, the Science Diet ran out (a fair amount got tossed when it had sat in his dish too long), and I had Kitten Chow that I'd bought from the supermarket. He eats a lot more of that than he ever ate of the Science Diet -- sometimes he'll eat it with a fresh dish of canned food sitting nearby, depending on his mood and the canned flavor du jour. On canned foods, he does NOT like two cans in a row of the same thing. Guessing what he'll be in the mood for is a challenge. We waste too much food.

all animals have to be examined as individuals just like us humans

That sounds right to me, Lori! :)

Getting caught up here, Terri. I was sorry to read about your fall and hope you have recovered. At first I was afraid you may have tripped over Sig so was glad to see that wasn't the case. I see that your son and Sig are still setting their boundaries which I am sure they will work out to the satisfaction of both parties.

Thinking of names for the second cat? I would say we will soon be reading of your adventures with cat number two!

Hi, Judy! I was glad to see on your thread that your procedure went well. I'm fine, just a little bruised and fighting a cold or something.

Terri, I have to say your series organization is both amazing and super creative at the same time!

>50 tymfos: - LOL, lets hope Sig doesn't try to involve you in a midnight feast.... I will elaborate. Our cats had free reign of all rooms in the house so if they wanted to sleep on the bed at night with me they could. One night I was woken up by a strange rustling sound. It turns out that my cat had decided he wanted a midnight feast. Instead of doing what normal cats might do, he decided to take a half loaf of bread off the kitchen counter - it was in a sealed bag - cart it up the flight of stairs to the bedroom, dragged the bag of bread onto the bed and then proceeded noisily to try and open the bag - that was the rustling noise that woke me up. Once I was awake enough to figure out what was going on, I took the bag of bread from him to return it to the kitchen, only to have a very happy cat proceed me downstairs and wait expectantly at his empty food dish for a refill of cat food. He didn't want the bread.... he wanted me to wake up and fill his food dish!

For many years my cat insisted upon being a garden cat rather than a litter tray cat. Mostly she got her timing right but occasionally she would need to go outside in the middle of the night. To get me out of bed she would either take a running jump at my bed and dive-bomb me, or get into a box of books and papers in my study next door and make as much destructive-sounding noise as possible. She learned that one or other of these behaviours (or one after the other) would get the desired result!

>53 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie! Your comment made me look back at my series posts, and I need to do some re-arranging. I think I might re-classify a few of the series . . . and I need to get back to some favorites that I have listed as active, but which I've neglected lately!

>54 lkernagh: Lori, that story is LOL funny! I even read it to hubby and got a chuckle out of him.

>55 lyzard: That story is a lot of fun to read, Liz, but I bet when it was happening it was a royal pain!

Sig pretty much has the run of our house, but I haven't figured out a way to safely give him access to our bedroom at night. It's not just that he pounces with claws on any movement of the covers -- we took off the hand-made quilt and put on a thick-but-cheap comforter to protect against that, at least while the weather is still cool. The bigger problem is that I have sleep apnea, and the air hose on my C-PAP machine must look like a tempting snake to him. And if he punctures the air hose with a claw or tooth, it will (of course) impact the carefully-calibrated air pressure. I haven't managed to find a way to keep him away from it. Maybe when he gets a little older, he'll settle down and not attack it.

We're still working to train him off the kitchen counters. And now he's figured out how to open the cupboards -- Lord have mercy!

>47 tymfos: I can't Brumley to use his bed. It was a waste of money.

>57 thornton37814: That's a shame, Lori! The ones I bought were very inexpensive, and were a good investment for us. Like people, all cats have their individual temperaments and preferences.

I almost pulled an all-nighter finishing this book, with just a couple short breaks.

75 Challenge Book #34
Title: Foolish Undertaking
Author: Mark de Castrique
Genre or subject information: mystery fiction
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2006
Series?: Buryin' Barry #3
Date finished: 5-5-14
Off the Shelf? YES!
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

I stayed up LATE to finish yet another great mystery from Mark de Castrique. I'm not sure which series I enjoy most -- this Buryin' Barry series, or his current Sam Blackman series -- but they are both very enjoyable.

Barry Clayton is an ex-cop who returned to his hometown in the mountains of North Carolina to take up the family undertaking business when his father was stricken with Alzheimers. But he keeps winding up in the middle of mysteries. In this installment, he is assaulted when a body is stolen from his funeral home. The deceased is a Montagnard who was deeply loved by Vietnam veterans (including the local sheriff) for his courage in rescuing Americans in peril during the war. Why was his body stolen?

Those who assemble for the now-postponed funeral include a Boston detective, an Army general and his aide, a US Senator and his aide, a Hollywood actor, a slew of Vietnam Veterans, and a gathering of Montagnards who had resettled in the US.

de Castrique makes it clear in his preface that part of his motivation in writing this particular story is to draw attention to the fate of the Montagnards, the indigenous people of the Vietnam Central Highlands who showed astounding loyalty and courage in aiding American troops. Some were resettled here in the U.S., but since the American withdrawal those remaining have suffered constant persecution by the government of Vietnam. I was not familiar with this aspect of the Vietnam War until I read this book, so it provided a bit of an education in the process of a very enjoyable mystery.

The reason Sig didn't like the new bed is most likely because it didn't smell right. Next time, put a blanket or cloth in the old bed for a few days then transfer it to the new bed. He'll be happy as a clam.

Foolish Undertaking sounds like quite an interesting book; I like to learn a bit of history along the way, and I, too, was unfamiliar with the Montagnards until your review - so thumbs-up!

>59 Morphidae: Thanks for the suggestion, Morphy!

>60 countrylife: Thanks for the thumb, Cindy!

It's an absolutely gorgeous day today! I'll be going down to the local funeral parlor early this evening for calling hours for a friend who passed away this week. I'm definitely going to walk down. I think the warm sunshine will help me to feel less sad.

I'm sorry for your loss, Terri, and hope the pretty day will lift your spirits a bit.

On a lighter note, I'm glad Sig is keeping you on your toes! My naughty but adorable stinkers have made a tremendous difference in my life.

Thanks, Gail!

So sorry for your loss, Terri.

Thanks, Connie!

75 Challenge Book #35
Title: Farewell, My Lovely
Author: Raymond Chandler
Genre or subject information: golden age mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?: Philip Marlowe #2
Date finished: 5/10/14
Off the Shelf? No, audio download
My Rating: 3.4 stars
Notes:

I'm not sure why I chose to listen to this now. I thought a hard-boiled mystery like this would be good on audio, and it was available. I have some mental association with the title, some reason it appealed to me.

I know this is a classic in its genre, and it was a decent mystery, but it really didn't do a lot for me. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it. Maybe it wasn't quite what I expected.

It's hard to adapt to hearing the racial attitudes of that era.

Terri, I have had that happen before. It seems that when you've heard of a book over and over so that it has become part of the mainstream culture beyond reading, it can be jarring to actually read it and find out that it is either more or less or different than what you had assumed it would be. Not that your expectations are too high, but just that the way it exists as a shorthand for things in popular culture isn't necessarily reflective of the sum total of the book. Books aren't necessarily "about" the thing that they become a symbol for in culture, maybe?

Reading that over, it probably doesn't make any sense to anyone but me, and it barely makes sense to me. So i guess what I'm trying to say is: it's not you, it's probably not the book, it's just the way things are.

I'm leaving now before I tangle myself up even further!

>67 rosalita: Julia, that actually made a lot of sense to me! I know what you're getting at, and there is much truth in what you're saying.

Hope your son's arm is much better, Terri. Good lesson though in a way and the odd scratch will remind to treat Kitty with a bit more caution and in keeping with the cat's wishes. Our cranky cat Cinders has scratched everyone in the family at one time or another with the exception of yours truly and it is part of her charm in a way that she won't take any nonsense from my gang. Clever creature.

Have a lovely Mother's Day. xx

Poking my head in to say hello... I have been neglecting your thread... I have been feeling a wee bit anti social and weary :P and you have been a bit quiet, so I had thought I could get away with it :)
I am guessing that you are busy?

>69 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! My son's arm is doing fine. He's learning a bit more respect for Sig's wishes. He's not ever deliberately hurtful to the cat, just doesn't pick up the cues when Sig wants to be left alone. We are working on it, and Sig definitely delivered a lesson on the subject.

>70 mckait: Hi, Kath! Sorry to hear you are weary. Life does that to us sometimes; sorry it's got you down these days. Yes, things are busy here. and I'm feeling a bit unsociable lately myself. I'm not getting around to threads much, and not much to report here.

>71 -Cee-: Thanks for the lovely rose, Cee!

Happy Mothers' Day to all the mothers and mother-figures here on LT -- and to all LTers who are honoring their mothers, mother-in-laws, mother figures, etc., (or their memories) today.

My husband tells me that, while the gift is late, I am getting a new, taller, cat tree for Mothers' Day, to put in our living room, which has a high ceiling. The current tree will go upstairs where the ceilings are low, and take the place of the not-stable-enough cat perch sitting on the trunk in front of the picture window in the back bedroom. (That's the safest window for Sig to perch high in front of, as the opening of that window is a small awning window section at the very bottom.) Thus, our house will be more of a two-story haven for our Sig.

This is getting to be one spoiled cat. I can't believe I asked for a cat tree for Mothers' Day, instead of books.

I found that opening the windows from the top in our bedroom is not the best thing. This morning, Sig managed to heave himself up onto the top of the window that had been pushed down . . . crashing against the screen (which held in place) in the process. Uh, oh. He actually seems to just gently nose at the windows he can sit in front of, but the standing-cat-jump thing to the upper part of the window is perilous!

All I can do is the best I can to keep the fur kid safe. No way I'm keeping all the windows closed all summer. We'd all stew in our own juices, including the cat!

I, on the other hand, have no problem understanding why you asked for something for Sig for Mother's day. I get it.

Hope yours was good and that life gets kinder by the day .

Thanks, Kath! Same to you!

Hubby took me out to dinner for Mothers' Day -- my choice of place. We went to Ruby Tuesday. I called ahead, and we didn't have to wait at all. I had the New Orleans Seafood. Yum.

Now doing laundry. Son needs clean clothes for school.

I should try to catch up with threads more, but
Just. Too. tired . . .

Came by to wish you a great Mother's Day, Terri. Sounds like you had a good one.

I get the too tired thing, I have been having a tiredness issue myself :( time of year??? Just life?

>76 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy!

>77 mckait: Who knows why, Kath?

75 Challenge Book #36
Title: Taken
Author: Kathleen George
Genre or subject information: Police procedural (sort of)
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001
Series?: Richard Christie #1
Date finished: 5/12/14
Off the Shelf? No, library download
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

In this book, the 4-month-old son of a Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher is kidnapped in broad daylight from a discount store, seemingly without a trace, as far as authorities can detect.

I read a later installment of this series quite a while back, having borrowed it from the library not knowing it was part of a series. I'm still not quite sure how this book fits with that one, as recall it. Anyway, this series is set in Pittsburgh and its environs -- the author is professor at Pitt -- so that appealed to me. It wasn't a bad mystery. At first, I thought it was going in a direction I'd absolutely hate, but that got turned around. One of the main characters was detective Richard Christie, but this book was as much about the woman Marina (who winds up in the middle of the kidnapping) as about Christie.

Marina was the classic "what was she thinking?" character who keeps doing dumb things, trying to help, that can't help but get her into trouble. But, somehow, you can sort of understand her . . . sort of. I don't know what to make of the Christie character. Good cop, workaholic, has a messed-up marriage which is about to get worse. This book is full of complex and dysfunctional human relationships -- some rendered astutely, some seeming a bit shallow.

This was George's debut novel, and for a first effort it's pretty decent. I'll probably continue the series, though the setting is part of why I will.

My one big complaint (and maybe it's a petty one) is her use of the word autism. She flippantly uses it to refer to when the kids are zoned out on music with their headphones on. That's not autism, and I find it offensive that she'd use such an emotionally-charged word in such an inappropriate way.

>72 tymfos: crashing against the screen
Mine do this sometimes even with windows open at the bottom. Especially the window that offers prime viewing of the bird feeders. So I insert an expandable screen panel for an extra layer of security.

Nice review of Taken, Terri (BTW, your link goes to the book of the same title by Robert Crais). The Pittsburgh setting is appealing, and I like to read books by Pitt faculty and alumni, so I'll see if I can find a copy of it at an online library.

Ouch, I'm sorry you had a fall. AS always, I love the Sig photos and stories. He made a major place in your heart and it looks like he is there to stay.

I hope both the cold and your trauma from the fall are better today.

>58 tymfos: Brumley is finally using his bed, but not as it is intended. I've caught him urinating in it twice since I've been home.

>79 qebo: That's a good idea, Katherine!

>80 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I fixed the touchstone (again) so hopefully it will go to the right book now. My read was from the Carnegie Library's Overdrive collection, so the e-book is definitely out there.

>81 Whisper1: All better, Linda! Best wishes to you, dear, as you deal with your medical issues.

>82 thornton37814: Oh, dear . . . not good, Lori! I've been lucky so far with Sig always using his litter box. (Knock on wood, fingers crossed, etc. . . .)

Well, Sig has hit a new level of finicky. He wants an appetizer with his dinner! In order to get him to eat his canned food, I have to put out a few cat treats on and around it . . .

New cat tree arrived today. Don't think I can deal with assembling it tonight.

Well, at least he can't do it tonight! I put it in the washer on gentle and now it has to dry since it isn't supposed to go in the dryer. It's really supposed to be hand-washed, but with the problem it had, I thought it was preferable to hand washing.

Lori, I imagine if Brumley keeps this up, the cat bed will be history in short order?

>85 tymfos: Probably.

>83 tymfos: In order to get him to eat his canned food, I have to put out a few cat treats on and around it
Hah, he's got you trained!

>87 qebo: Yeah. (sigh)

>72 tymfos: Have you thought of opening the windows at the top? will your windows do that? I always open mine that way, as my boys are big enough to crash through for sure!

Cat tree must be from Amazon? They are alway nice and speedy. My cats are shredding their latest tree already. They boys again.. they are really hard on it!

Kath, I opened the upstairs windows from the top because it seemed safer, and the other day he leaped up to sit on top of the open window. I mean, perched on the 1-1/2 inch wide TOP of the actual window that had been pushed down from the top. Way up there. Made quite a crash getting up there. It put him way higher, and hitting the screen harder, than if he was looking out from the bottom. SCARED me half to death! Good grief!

Who would have thought he could or would get up there, if I hadn't actually seen it with my own eyes? I wish I'd gotten a photo. Of course, this is the cat who managed to launch himself from the upstairs stairway railing up to sit on top of an open door (and then howled for rescue), so nothing should surprise me, right? He's Supercat! Leaps tall buildings with a single bound and all that. . . .

Cat tree was from Amazon. Hubby picked it from my wishlist. I think I'll put it together today. Maybe. Hubby is not feeling well. In-laws are coming in about a week. I enjoy their visits, but I want the house spiffier, so must go heavy on the cleaning thing.

Lovely morning. Day off. Must mop.

Still haven't mopped. Cat tree is assembled. Sig seems to love it. It was hard putting it together because he was loving it while I was still trying to assemble it.

But now he's napping in his cat bed.

"this is the cat who managed to launch himself from the upstairs stairway railing up to sit on top of an open door" We have a front entryway with steps up to the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and steps down to the family room, laundry, etc. When we open the front door, the top of it is on a level with a railing, the top of a short bookshelf and the back of my husband's recliner in the living room. I worry that Molly will decide to step off the low bookshelf onto the top of the open door just like that. She's already stopped my heart several times by walking along that railing, which is about an inch wide and rounded rather than flat. She did lose her footing once, and caught herself so she was hanging from the railing, about half-way up the stairs. I didn't see that, but my husband had to rescue her---she didn't know what to do. The back feet were scrambling, but there was nothing for them to grab onto!

Well, my day off went away. Right after that last post I made, I got a call asking if I could come into work and cover the closing shift.

Darn, we've already got a yellow jacket in the house. Grrrr . . . .

>92 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I think that short of total renovation, it seems impossible to eliminate all possible home hazards to a cat, given their incredible jumping and climbing ability -- I mean, unless you shut them in one room or something, which wouldn't be any kind of life. I try to eliminate the most obvious, and the ones Sig has demonstrated an interest in and ability to access.

Yes, you never know what will take the cat's fancy. My daughter's cat has visited any number of times for extended periods, and never showed any interest whatsoever in doing the tightrope walk along that railing. She did spend a lot of naptime on the wide cushy top of the recliner, though, where Molly has never yet gone. Go figure.

>94 laytonwoman3rd: Cats are mysterious, Linda!

I woke up at 4 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep, so I managed to finish this book.

75 Challenge Book #37
Title: Operating Instructions
Author: Anne Lamott
Genre or subject information: published journal entries
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1993
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 5/14/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 3.75 stars
Notes:

Anne Lamott kept a journal during her son Sam's first year of life, and apparently her agent convinced her to type it up and publish it. I'm glad it was published. Lamott is more honest than most mothers would be about the thoughts that occur to a sleep-deprived mother. At times this was laugh-out-loud funny (and I laughed), at times poignant, at times uplifting, and at times painfully sad. The political rants, always a staple in the books I've read by Lamott, weren't too wild. Generally, I cringe at political rants on either end of the spectrum because I don't like being preached to when I read (even when I agree), but hey it was her journal this time. This was a quick read that I enjoyed.

Terri

Whew! I am so glad to hear your aversion to political rants. While I very much like the honesty and writing style of Lamott, I stopped reading her books because it seemed she used her books to sneak in her political views/rants at every opportunity. It is a shame because she seems to be a wonderful soul.

But, I don't read to listen to someone's rants, either on the right or left. A few months ago a very awkward event occurred. At the house of an acquaintance who was hosting a 50th bd party for a dear friend, the subject of Al Gore's movie/book An Inconvenient Truth was mentioned.

I calmly said that I wished Gore would practice what he preaches. While he seems to tell others how to save the earth from global warming, I've read that he wastes huge amounts of energy in flying to conferences, and in allowing limos to sit outside with air conditioning running while he is inside speaking...there are heated pools, large houses, etc., and it seems to smack of rules set for others that he doesn't follow.

The host jumped all over me and accused me of being a Rush Limbaugh freak. What??? I don't even like Rush Limbaugh.

>96 Whisper1: I'd tend to agree that Gore doesn't practice what he preaches, and think your host was quite childish for reacting that way, Linda. I think I would have walked out then and there, but that's just me. (I'd feel pretty insulted if anyone associated me with Rush Limbaugh in any way;-)

I'm sooooo behind on threads, sorry about that, Terri. Because I love to read Sig stories. And he is up to some acrobatics. That's a what a cat does. Especially when it's a young one!

>98 connie53: Connie, I'm waaaay behind on threads, too. And my reading has slowed up a bit, too.

Sig went to church today for the annual Blessing of the Animals. Not a good idea. He hated the drive -- cried the whole way. He was OK in his carrier in the pew during most of the service, but when we took him out of the carrier, he was not happy. Being an only cat, and an indoor one, he was overwhelmed by all the people and critters there in an unfamiliar place, and became quite agitated. I had never seen him really act out and growl and hiss and show his teeth aggressively before! To his credit, no blood was drawn; he didn't lash out at us or the pastor doing the blessing (my son got a small scratch, but nothing serious this time). But, boy, he displayed his dislike of the dogs present!!!

I don't think we'll do that again . . . :(

BTW, he meowed piteously the whole way home in the car until we got back on the street where the vet's office is and passed by it. That's the only other place we've ever taken him in the car. He suddenly went quiet. It was like, "OK, I know where we are now, and we're headed toward home and almost there!" Once in the house, he was absolutely fine -- we played a bit, he had a snack, and took a nap, as I did also.

Ah, these kitties. Wonderful, aren't they? And they provide object lessons to me on the value of patience and realizing that they're the cats and I'm the human, so they need to learn from me a bit too.

Which is not to be construed as a denial of the fact that mine are spoiled beyond belief.

>100 Matke: Gail, agreed that Sig needs to learn from me -- but I also need to learn that some experiences may be better suited to me than to him! I do think the whole event was just a little too much new stuff for him to process all at once.

Sig will get his first experience of overnight house guests later this week when my in-laws arrive. I'm hoping that goes a lot more smoothly . . .

I snagged some reading time this afternoon.

75 Challenge Book #38
Title: The Maltese Falcon
Author: Dashiell Hammett
Genre or subject information: Classic Mystery PI
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1929
Series?: Sam Spade #1
Date finished: 5/18/14
Off the Shelf? Yes, but only part of a multi-novel tome
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

I enjoyed this book much more than the Raymond Chandler I recently finished. It's been years since I saw the movie version of Maltese Falcon, and my memory of it is a bit foggy, though what I read seemed to fit what I remembered. But it was especially enjoyable reading it. I like Hammett's style. And the novel is pleasantly short, which fits my reading hours for this month!

Today's expedition with Sig reminds me of the book I just read, All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome. It's a little like my son's difficulty with church, as a child with autism, when he was younger -- totally overwhelmed and over-stimulated. Only it was more important to us that my son become accustomed to church, so we worked at it and he eventually learned to like it a lot. The cat will not be expected (nor invited) to be a regular church attender.

I am really behind on threads, and with company coming I'm not likely to catch up any time soon. I'll try to keep up on my own threads, and respond to posts here, but I apologize that I'm not likely to do much visiting over the next week or so. What little free time I get, I'll probably spend with books.

>99 tymfos: - It sounds like Sig came through the annual Blessing of the Animals better than I would have expected. Our cats did not do strange environments or strange people/animals so the combination of the two would have sent them over the deep end and out the church doors as fast as they could go.

Terri, seeing both you and Connie admitting to being behind on LT and having trouble catching up makes me feel less guilty. I think the warmer weather gives us more options than sitting in front of the computer. Sounds like Sig (and you) had quite the adventure, sorry it didn't go smoother, I think the Blessing of the Animals sounds wonderful.

I have two or three Dashiel Hammett's on my shelf and need to give him a try one of these days. I love all the movies that have been based on his work. I also think with a name like that, he could only have been an author!

I have to admit I'm happy that the threads have finally slowed down. LT was taking up far too much of my time! I'm able to get more book reading done. I'm far behind on my usual 300+ books goal. So I can certainly understand you needing to focus on non-LT time!

>104 lkernagh: Lori, I hope Sig takes to having my in-laws here. I've decided to make a preemptive strike and have them give Sig cat treats when they arrive, so he associates them with good things happening.

>105 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I liked Maltese Falcon enough that I jumped into another Hammett novel, The Dain Curse.

>106 Morphidae: Hi, Morphy! I think it's good that we've slowed down a bit here on the threads. They are still daunting.

I finished listening to this while doing housework today:

75 Challenge Book #39
Title: A Serpent's Tooth AUDIO
Author: Craig Johnson
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: Walt Longmire #9
Date finished: 5/20/14
Off the Shelf? No, Audio download from library
My Rating: 4.1 stars
Notes:

OK, the gang's all back for this one -- most of Walt's usual sidekicks are in evidence throughout this installment in the series. But will they all be there at the end?

At first, I wasn't sure I'd like this, as a tale of a lost boy and missing woman from a pseudo-Mormon polygamous cult began to emerge. But nothing is ever quite as it seems in Walt's part of Wyoming (and neighboring South Dakota, too). There's something else entirely going on. This one grew on me, even as some elements seemed a wee bit implausible. And the ending caught me by the heartstrings and bumped up the rating a fraction of a star, too.

It was a lovely day today for my day off. I was able to reclaim my front porch and, after some vacuuming and other cleaning, spent a little bit of time out there "porching" with a cup of coffee and a book.

Lucky me, the new Walt Longmire book Any Other Name, released last week, was available on audio through Carnegie Library's One Click, and I downloaded it. I usually don't do two books from the same series right in a row, but the one I just finished made me want to follow up right away. The one regular character who was barely present in the last one was the elderly former sheriff, and he's the main player besides Walt in this one so far.

Me too! Porching I mean. And yesterday. Sigh.... so good!

Hi Terri, I got very far behind on your thread but now I'm all caught up (for now).

A beautiful day and having it off - it doesn't get much better! I love sitting outside with a cup of coffee and my book. Especially in the morning. Or the evening. Or mid afternoon. :)

I've had many cat scratches through the years and never had a problem. Had a bad experience after a bite though (attempting to medicate my sick cat). That wasn't fun. I hope your son and Sig are working through their boundary issues and are buddies again!

Terri, I always enjoy your Sig stories. I hope your visitors are keeping you busy in all the good ways and none of the bad. :-)

Hi Kath, Joanne, and Julia! All is peaceful here. I did a little more porching today after work, until the rain drove me in.

75 Challenge Book #40
Title: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Author: Donald Miller
Genre or subject information: memoir & spirituality
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2009
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 5/21/14
Off the Shelf? yes
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

We all love stories, don't we? Every life is a story, and part of a bigger Story. While working with screenwriters to adapt his earlier memoir to a screenplay, Donald Miller learned a lot about stories. And he began to look at the story of his life, and imagine that it could be a better story.

This book was very different from the earlier book I read by Miller, Blue Like Jazz. There's some of the same whimsy and irreverent reverence, but he's older, more mature, and writing of a somewhat later period of his life. There is more of an overall arc -- a single story -- and an overarching philosophy (or theology) developed over the course of the narrative.

Miller writes from a Christian perspective, but much of what he writes is more general -- about life well-lived. I really liked this book, and it gave me a lot to think about.

I like stories. Glad you lked your book. I have been having a good run myself, bookwise.

Nice to see you around ~ I have been having some trouble dragging myself to LT instead of playing outside :) or reading outside.

Kath, I don't have much time for LT, but I pop on every now and then and try to catch a thread or two.

Busy, busy. Can't stop to smell the roses, because they're not in bloom yet (though my lilacs are -- one of the rare years that a late frost didn't kill the buds before they blossomed).

However, I can take a few minutes and appreciate my kitty. He's really taken to his new cat tree.

>114 tymfos: Love this.

Sorry to see you have been so busy lately, Terri. Happy to learn that your lilacs are blooming. I love lilacs! Happy Sig sleeping in his own cat "tree house". ;-)

>114 tymfos: Lilacs and a contented cat - life sounds good.

What a beautiful boy Sig has grown into... You're a good kitty mom!

Oh, what an adorable Sig photo! He looks so comfy!

Sig at church! I loved the story! And he is so cute sleeping in his cat tree bed!

Hi! Our visitors have left, and I'm taking a few minutes to LT. We had a good visit, and Sig was fine with having house guests for the first time since we've been his people. He was a little spastic and bewildered at the extra people and activity in the house, and got into some things, but he wasn't hostile toward anyone -- definitely not My Cat From Hell TV show material. ;)

>115 Matke: Hi, Gail! Sig's a cutie, I think.

>116 lkernagh: Lori, it's mostly been a good kind of busy, so it's OK. I love lilacs, too.

>117 Familyhistorian: Life is good, Meg!

>118 mckait: Thank you, Kath! :)

>119 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! He has definitely found his comfy spots where he likes to chill out.

>120 connie53: It was a real adventure, Connie!

Now I'd really like some reading time . . .

>121 tymfos: Nice to have a sociable cat, Terri. My Sally hides when anyone comes in the house which can be a good thing when tradesmen come in to work as I don't have to worry about her sneaking out. It must feel great to have some time to unwind and catch up.

>122 Familyhistorian: Sig didn't hide -- too curious!

I did make some time for reading:

75 Challenge Book #41
Title: The Dain Curse
Author: Dashiell Hammett
Genre or subject information: classic mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1929
Series?:
Date finished: 5/26/13
Off the Shelf? yes (but part of a larger multi-novel volume of Hammett works)
My Rating: 3.3 stars
Notes:

I didn't like this mystery nearly as much as The Maltese Falcon. It felt too convoluted, especially in the final chapter where the whole thing was explained . . . all that explaining made my head hurt, and I had trouble following it.

I dislike it when books are too convoluted. Why do they think that is better than a straightforward story? I'm glad things went well with your guests.

>124 mckait: Kath, I expect and enjoy a certain number of twists and turns when reading a mystery and/or suspense story. But this one strained my patience a bit.

Looking for lighter fare, I started Eggsecutive Orders from the White House Chef series last night. I'm finding it slightly annoying. I dislike the "innocent protagonist under suspicion of crime" theme.

My current e-book is The Stranger You Seek, which is first in a series about a recovering alcoholic ex-FBI profiler who is consulting with Atlanta police to try and find a grisly serial killer. I don't think it's a series I'll continue, as I'm not particularly enjoying it. It is well-written enough, but I haven't really taken to the protagonist and am just not eager to pick the book back up and finish it.

I would think I was just in a cranky, don't-like-anything mood if not for my audio book. I'm listening to the latest, newly-released Walt Longmire story, Any Other Name, narrated by the great George Guidall, and loving it.

That looks like a most excellent cat tree, and obviously it gets the Sig Seal of Approval!

>125 tymfos: I dislike the "innocent protagonist under suspicion of crime" theme. Me too. I also get very tired of "detective's loved ones placed in mortal peril". Both elements so overused as to have become cliches in mystery/suspense novels.

>126 laytonwoman3rd: it gets the Sig Seal of Approval!

LOL! By golly, I think it does! He spends a lot more time relaxing on this cat tree than he did on the old one. In fact, he's napping there now.

Hassles and more hassles getting all the paperwork filled out for son's summer camp. My son's doctor has to sign off saying he's seen the part of the medical forms we parents fill out -- but we can't fill them out until we have the info from the doctor. Catch-22.

Aggravation, aggravation, AGGRAVATION! When we signed my son up for early college, we were given a figure that it would cost for the class he's taking. We paid that. Now they're billing us for half again as much in addition.

Gah. I would really like to just go away somewhere and hibernate.

Sorry to hear you're having so much vexation right now, Terri. Hope things smooth out quickly.

>129 DeltaQueen50: Judy, in the grand scheme of things, these are no big deal. I am just a little over-sensitive right now, I think.

>125 tymfos: Eggsecutive Orders is next up for me in that series. It sounds like I need to wait until I'm in the right mood for it since that plot usually annoys me too.

>131 cbl_tn: Despite the annoyance factor of the general plot, Eggsecutive Orders is turning out to be pretty good. It's certainly not great, eggceptional literature, but it's a decent cozy, and I'm cracking it open whenever I get a chance.

>132 tymfos: I can see it's making an impression on you!

>133 cbl_tn: Eggsactly!

OK, I scrambled through this one pretty quickly. It was my day off, and I needed a light diversion from assorted bureaucratic issues I was dealing with.

75 Challenge Book #42
Title: Eggsecutive Orders
Author: Julie Hyzy
Genre or subject information: cozy
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2010
Series?: White House Chef #3
Date finished: 5/27/14
Off the Shelf? Not officially (owned, but not prior to 2014)
My Rating: 3.6 stars
Notes:

As a cozy, this was pretty good -- even though my initial impression of it was that it was of a plot line type (protagonist unjustly suspected of crime) that I normally dislike. It kept me reading so that I finished it within 24 hours of starting (on my day off from work, though). A NSA big-wig dies at a White House dinner -- with poison suspected -- and the White House kitchen is closed until further notice -- threatening the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. Executive Chef Ollie is determined to help clear herself and her staff from suspicion.

>114 tymfos: Awww.
>121 tymfos: Sig was fine with having house guests
My cats would've gone into hiding.

>135 tymfos: I scrambled through this one pretty quickly

Very punny, Terri!

>135 tymfos: That's the next one up for me in that series too.

>136 qebo: Katherine, Sig doesn't hide much, and when he does, he tends to stick his front half under a bed or table and think he's invisible, sort of like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand.

>137 rosalita: Just a little yolk, Julia!

>138 thornton37814: Lori, it got better and better as it went along, I thought.

OK, I am weeding out a bunch of books that I've read and probably won't read again. Some will be offered to the library, some will go to the paperback exchange, and the rest are being donated to a nearby community book sale.

Some books really get better as you read along. This seems especially true of first-in-series books, especially by new novelists. It took a while to get into this one, but I'm glad I didn't give up on it.

I'm just sorry I didn't finish it sooner. I started it because the third in this series is in this month's LT Early Reviewer batch; I thought if I liked this first-in-series book, I'd request the installment that was available. Well, by the time I decided I liked this one, it was too late to request that one. I am actually rather bummed out about that.

75 Challenge Book #43
Title: The Stranger You Seek e-book
Author: Amanda Kyle Williams
Genre or subject information: forensic mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?: Keye Street #1
Date finished: 5/28/14
Off the Shelf? Yes (virtual bookshelf)
My Rating:3.6 stars
Notes:

Keye Street is an interesting character. She's a recovering alcoholic, a former FBI criminal profiler who was fired due to her drinking problem. She's dried out and started her own detective agency in Atlanta, near where she grew up. She's Asian-American by birth, raised by adoptive white southern parents with an adopted African-American brother who happens to be gay. The family dynamics are interesting.

Keye is close friends with an Atlanta PD detective named Rauser, who unofficially calls upon her profiling skills when a pair of grisly murders are linked together and with two earlier murders in Florida, and the police realize that they have a serial killer on their hands. Now the killer is taunting them with letters and e-mails. What kind of person is committing these crimes?

I didn't expect a lot from this book, which I'm sure I got free or very cheaply for my e-reader; however, it was well written. I didn't like the sections that got into the mind of the killer, as they were too graphic, violent and twisted for my taste (not unusual for a forensic murder mystery). Fortunately, those passages were brief. It took a while for me to warm up to the protagonist. I gradually grew to like Keye and her detective friend Rauser. There were plenty of twists and turns as Keye is drawn further into the case by the killer, while the Atlanta PD big-wigs seek to distance her from the case due to bad press about her past.

This is one of those books that I liked better the further I read, and at the end I could hardly put it down. Early on, I wasn't sure whether to continue it and definitely didn't plan to continue the series. I'm glad I kept reading; I may decide to read more about these characters.

>139 tymfos: stick his front half under a bed or table
One of my cats hides under the bedcovers and becomes a very large lump.

>141 qebo: Cats are really fun critters, aren't they?

75 Challenge Book #44
Title: Any Other Name AUDIO
Author: Craig Johnson
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2014
Series?: Walt Longmire #10
Date finished: 5/29/14
Off the Shelf? No, library download
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Rifleman
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 4.7 stars
Notes:

Oh, I listened to this one every chance I got! This started out as a case where Walt is helping his old boss the former sheriff look into the suicide of a detective in a neighboring county, the deceased being an old friend's husband. Soon they are investigating three missing women. Vic eventually joins the fray, as does Henry Standing Bear, and meanwhile Walt is fielding phone calls from his very pregnant daughter in Philadelphia, demanding that he be there for the delivery of his first grandchild.

Personally, I had a hard time relating to someone so determined to have her father in the delivery room; my own dad was hundreds of miles away when my son was born and it never occurred to me to invite him to the hospital, though I was glad when my MIL arrived a bit later to help me through the first days at home with the baby. Certainly, if my father was in the business of saving lives, I wouldn't want him to walk away from that to sit around the hospital while I was having a baby. Cady's attitude seemed more than a tad self-centered for someone raised by the selfless Walt Longmire.

That quibble aside, I loved this book. I loved the interplay between Walt and the old sheriff, Walt and Vic, and especially Walt and Henry Standing Bear. There were some interesting "guest" characters to keep things lively -- and a touch of the other-worldly, too. Trains were a significant part of this novel. I love trains, so the railroad components of the story really caught my attention. The weather was a factor, too. The story provided plenty of suspense in the closing chapters, as Walt battled to keep himself and others from being killed.

George Guidall's narration on the audio was spot-on, as usual. Boy, howdy!

OK, this leaves me with NO books in progress. I've finished what I was reading, except for a number that I abandoned or suspended for various reasons in recent months. Now what?

I've got holds on a couple of e-books from the library. Meanwhile, I'm going to read one of my Kindle books, a non-fiction, So Terrible a Storm, about the 1905 disaster that wrecked 30 ships on Lake Superior.

Hi Terri, I saw this title as I was leaving the bookstore today and immediately thought of Sig. The book is called How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity: a Guide to Financial Freedom LOL

I am there, too, Terri. No books in progress. I will take my kindle and a book Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Girls on the plane, tomorrow, though ... ot much reading time on the flight..

>144 Familyhistorian: LOL! The cat's already got enough attitude. Can you imagine if he was famous? ;)

>145 mckait: Safe travels, Kath!

Well, I read a little of the storm e-book. It starts out with background info about the Great Lakes. I haven't gotten to the storm yet.

I'm going to try to pick up where I left off a while ago with the audio of Stephen King's short story collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes, which is again available from the library; that is, if I can get it to download correctly. I seem to be having issues there.

I'm also taking a look at Dead Water, the latest in the Shetland Islands series by Ann Cleeves. Whatever I start now will finish in June, and the June GeoCAT is "islands & bodies of water" with a focus on the Atlantic Ocean; the mysteryCAT is police procedurals. It would work.

I wish I were at a point of no books in progress - I do love deciding on new ones! I'll finish one more tonight or tomorrow and carry over the rest into June. Oh well.
Terri, you are one busy woman! Glad you get some time to read - you definitely need and deserve it. And I love the Sig pictures and stories! You will be such a practiced hand when cat #2 makes an appearance. (I nominate "Tau" as 2nd cat name.)
And I have consistently preferred Hammett to Chandler.

>144 Familyhistorian: *snork!!* Love it! Go for it, Terri - Sig will be famous!!

>147 LizzieD: Peggy, I'm never at the point of no books in progress for long! I nibbled at the e-book about the storm, then dove into Dead Water, and am about 90 pages into it. I need to see where I was in the King audio when the library loan expired and I had to put it aside.

>148 scaifea: I don't think so, Amber! You have a great weekend.

Yay! I just discovered that my public library has OneClickDigital in addition to OverDrive, which I've been using for years. Several books from the Longmire series are available to me via OneClickDigital. I've read and loved the first two books in the series, and now I'm eager to continue it with the audio downloads. The only downside is that the maximum checkout period is 10 days - less than half the time I'd get through OverDrive.

Sig is a beautiful boy and a cat, so he's entitled to feel "special". Well, all cats feel that way, don't they?

Finally getting back to the library--haven't tried the downloads, butg I'm sure I will be soon.

Have a wonderful weekend, Terri.

>150 cbl_tn: Carrie, I've done most of the Longmire series via OneClick. I love those Longmire audios. George Guidall is the perfect narrator for Longmire. It's like listening to an old friend tell me a great story. I've found OneClick not as nice to use as Overdrive, but it's worth it for the Longmire audios.

>151 Matke: All cats are special, aren't they, Gail? ;) Wishing you a great weekend, too!

Oh, and I had a box arrive from Better World Books -- my Memorial Day Weekend Sale booty already!

Ooooh, Better World Books boxes are the best!

112: I liked that Donald Miller book also. I bought another one by him that I haven't had a chance to read yet. Maybe I'm still thinking a out the last one? Haha.

Terri, I do love your cat stories, except for the one where he scratched your son. I'm glad they've made up! Some life lessons are harder than others. Sig looks very contented on your Mother's Day present!

>153 scaifea: Yes! Sig even things so. He's claimed the box as a nesting place. :)

>154 Donna828: Thanks! I notice my son seems to have some fear of Sig now, which wasn't the case before. I hope he can find a happy medium between earlier recklessness and current fear level, for a respectful comfort.

OK, my new thread is up and running!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/175228

>135 tymfos: This series is one I keep meaning to test. I've enjoyed some of her others. Thanks for reminding me. I'll keep it close by for when I need a quick and easy.