Terri (tymfos) thread#8: Fall's Fond Farewell to Summer Fun

It's time to say goodbye to a wonderful summer and gear up for fall reading.


One of the highlights of our summer was a trip to Shenandoah National Park, to enjoy the views on Skyline Drive.

Hi! Welcome to the 8th thread of my 75 Books Challenge for 2014. I consider this my primary challenge, and all the books I read are posted here. I tend to be most active in discussion in this group, too.

My name is Terri, and I work in a library in Pennsylvania. I live with my husband, teenage son, and a kitten -- well, now a young adult cat -- named Sig, who adopted us on the coldest day of the year. I read a wide variety of books, though I'm partial to mysteries. All visitors are welcome, and comments are encouraged. Part of the joy of reading is sharing the journey!

COVERS OF BOOKS I'M CURRENTLY READING

E-BOOKAUDIO

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)

Books finished in JUNE
45. Dead Water by Ann Cleeves (6-5-14)
46. Happy Cat, Happy You by Arden Moore (6-7-14)
47. Q Road by Bonnie Jo Campbell (6-8-14)
48. Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein (6-13-14)
49. Misery Bay by Steve Hamilton e-book (6-17-14)
50. Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King AUDIO (6-17-14)
51. The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill (6-18-14)
52. So Terrible a Storm: A Tale of Fury on Lake Superior by Curt Brown e-book (6-19-14)
53. A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy by Ann Cleeves
54. Safe From the Sea by Peter Geye (6-26-14)
55. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwod e-book (6-27-14)
56. Bone by Bone by Carroll O'Connor AUDIO (6-30-14)

THIRD QUARTER BOOKS:

Books finished in JULY
57. Dead Angler by Victoria Houston e-book and paperback fiction (7-8-14)
58. Blood on the Moon by James Ellroy AUDIO and hard-copy (7-14-14)
59. No Doors, No Windows by Joe Schreiber e-book (7-14-14)
60. Last Car to Elysian Fields by James Lee Burke (7-17-14)
61. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet AUDIO (7-20-14)
62. Castle Cay by Lee Hanson e-book (7-25-14)
63. The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb AUDIO (7-25-14)
64. Anarchy & Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill (7-27-14)

Books finished in AUGUST
65. Fun House by Chris Grabenstiem e-book (8-5-14)
66. The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman (8-7-14)
67. Darkside by Belinda Bauer (8-10-14)
68. Free Fall by Chris Grabenstein e-book (8-12-14)
69. The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey (mystery fiction) (8-14-14)
70. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson AUDIO (8-14-14)
71. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks (non-fiction)
72. The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth (8-19-14)
73. Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr (8-20-14)
74. Summer People by Aaron Stander (e-book) (8-23-14)
75. Triple Witch by Sarah Graves (8-26-14)
76. Dr. Mutter's Marvels by Cristin Aptowicz (8-28-14)
77. The Chardonnay Charade by Ellen Crosby AUDIO (8-28-14)

Books finished in SEPTEMBER
78. An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison (non-fiction/memoir) (9-2-14)
79. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (9-8-14)
80. This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash (9-14-14)
81. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom (9-19-14)
82. Cat Talk: What Your Cat is Trying to Tell You by Carole C. Wilbourn (9-22-14)
83. The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell AUDIO (9-23-14)
84. F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson (9-27-14)
85. City of Dust by Anthony DePalma (9-30-14)

abaondoned
Then Like the Blind Man by by Freddie Owens (e-book fiction)

FOURTH QUARTER BOOKS

Books read in OCTOBER
86. On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle (paperback and AUDIO) (10-3-14)
87. Come Closer by Sara Gran (10-3-14)
88. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon (10-20-14)
89. The Jefferson County Egan Murders by Dave Shampine & Daniel T. Boyer (10-22-14)
90. Scare Stories: Strange and Spooky Tales from Somerset County, Pennsylvania and Beyond (10-25-14)
91. The Cure of Souls by Phil Rickman (10-27-14)

Books read in NOVEMBER
92. Hell Gate by Linda Fairstein AUDIO (11-1-14)
93. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (11-14-14)
94. Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming (AUDIO) (11-16-14)
95. Borderlands by Brian McGilloway (e-book) (11-17-14)
96. A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan (11-21-14)
97. The Bat by Jo Nesbo (AUDIO) (11-22-14)
98. The Crowd Sounds Happy: A Story of Love, Madness, and Baseball by Nicholas Dawidoff (non-fiction) (11-25-14)
99. The Blue Hour by T. Jefferson Parker (e-book) (11-27-14)

Books read in DECEMBER
100. Windigo Island by William Kent Kreuger (12-2-14)
101. Let Him Go by Larry Watson (e-book, AAC) (12-10-14)
102. Peter Pan Must Die by John Verdon AUDIO (12-12-14)
103. Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson AUDIO/e-book (12-13-14)
104. Savage Run by C.J. Box (12-14-14)
105. Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy (12-18-14)
106. Circle of Hope: An Inspiring NASCAR Journey by Deann Alford (e-book) (12-21-14)
107. Started Early, Took my Dog by Kate Atkinson (AUDIO) (12-24-14-)
108. Die a Stranger by Steve Hamilton e-book (12-26-14)
109. The Drop by Dennis Lehane (12-27-14)
110. Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL by Dan Rooney (non-fiction; autobiography)(12-29-14)
111. The Shadows in the Street by Susan Hill (fiction) (12-31-14)
112. The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey (12-31-14)

currently reading:
A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey e-book
Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke (AUDIO)

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. You may note different stats dropping off the list as I find them not adding up.

total books READ 2014: 112

ROOT books -- off my (real or virtual) TBR shelf: 51 -- exceeded GOAL OF 48!
(including one that's not part of this challenge)

Paper books: 66
E-books: 28
Audio books: 18

Fiction: 89
Non-Fiction: 23

Male Author: 60
Female Author:52

US authors: 82
authors from other countries: 30
NO IDEA:

living author (as far as I know): 104
deceased author: 6
unsure: 1
(I missed counting one for this stat somewhere)

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:

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! I'm sure there are some series where I've missed a new installment or two in my calculations!

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 14)
Dave Gurney series by John Verdon. (have read all four)
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)
Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. (have read all 4)
John Ceepak series by Chris Grabenstein. (have read all 8)
Kenzie/Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane. (have read all six)
Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell.
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)
Rev. Claire Ferguson series by Julia Spencer Fleming.
Shetland Series by Ann Cleeves. (have read all 5) #6 due out 5/2015
Three Pines/Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. (have read all)
Trilogy of Fog by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. (have read all three)
Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson. (have read all 10, not counting minis -- put hold on book of short stories; #11 due out in 5/2015)

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)
Alex McKnight series by Steve Hamilton. Next up:Let it Burn, #10 of 10 (CLP)
Christopher Miller Holiday Thrillers by Chris Grabenstein. Next up: Hell for the Holidays #2 of 2
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. Next up: The Secret Place, #5 of 5 (local library)
Lamb/Holly series by Belinda Bauer. Next: Finders, Keepers, #3 of 3 (at 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

C. GREEN FLAG LAPS: Favorite series that keep me going
Anna Pigeon series by Nevada Barr. First up: Superior Dilemma, #2 of 18 (library)
Buryin' Barry mysteries by Mark deCastrique. Next up: Final Undertaking, #4 of 6 (owned)
Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. Next: Crusader's Cross, #14 of 20 CURRENTLY READING
Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. Next up: The Hanging Valley, #4 of 23 (owned)
Merci Raybourne series by T. Jefferson Parker. Next up: Red Light, #2 of 3 (county library)
Simon Serrailler series by Susan Hill. Next: The Betrayal of Trust, #6 of 8
Torie O'Shea series by Rett MacPherson. Next up: A Misty Mourning, #4 of 11 (owned)

D. YELLOW FLAG: Other series to continue, but taking it slow:
Alexandra Cooper series by Linda Fairstein. Next:Silent Mercy, #13 of 16 (library)
Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy: The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy, #2 of 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: Curse of the Pogo Stick, #5 of 8 (Hoopla audio, CLP e-book Overdrive)
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
Guido Brunetti by Donna Leon. Next: #2 out of 24 (at library)
Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Now that it's issued in English, I need to go back to read Cockroaches, #2 in series
Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves. Next up: Wicked Fix, #3 of 16 (owned)
Inspector Alan Grant series by Josephine Tey. Next: A Shilling for Candles, #2 of 6 (FLP e-book) CURRENTLY READING
Inspector Devlin by Brian McGilloway. Next up: Gallows Lane #2 of 5 (CLP e-book)
Inspector Erlendur (UK publication order) by Arnaldur Indrudason. Next: Voices, #3 of 10 (CLP Overdrive)
Inspector Sejir series by Karin Fossum (English Publication Order). Next: The Water's Edge, #6 of 11 (local library)
Joe Pickett mysteries by C.J. Box. Next up: Winterkill, #3 of 15 (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)
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Next: Messenger of Truth, #4 of 11 (borrowed)
Max Tudor by G.M. Malliet. Next up: A Fatal Winter, #2 of 4
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 Lamp of the Wicked, #5 of 12
Michael Kelley series by Michael Harvey. Next up: The Third Rail, #3 of 4
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; have read 1st) next to read: #2, Fallen, #2 of 5 (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) -- #12 due out 2/15
White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy. Next: Affairs of Steak, #5 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, and liked:
(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) 22 books in series
Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow (recently went back and read #1 in series)
Mickey Rawlings series by Tron Soos
Penn Dutch Inn mysteries by Tamar Myers (I own some unread; library has some I've not read)
Sharon McCone series by Marcia Muller
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:
Benjamin January by Barbara Hambly. Next: Sold Down the River, #4 of 13 (owned)
Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler. Next: The Water Room, #2 of 11 (CLP/FLP download)
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
Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle. Next up: Through the Grinder, #2 of 14
Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon. Next: Death in a Strange Country, #2 of 23 (at library; I own #3)
Death on Demand series by Carolyn Hart. Next up: Design for Murder, #2 of 25 (owned)
Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd. Next: Wings of Fire, #2 of 16 (library)
Inspector Ramsay by Ann Cleeves. Next: Killjoy, #4 of 6
Lloyd Hopkins trilogy (LA Noir) by James Ellroy. Next: Because the Night, #2 of 3 (owned)
Loon Lake fishing mysteries, by Victoria Houston. Next: Dead Creek, #2 of 13
Marty Singer series by Matthew Iden, Next: Blueblood, #2 of 3 (owned)
Ray Elkins series by Aaron Stander. Next up: Color Tour, #2 of 5 (I own #3 & 4 of series)
Rebecka Martinsson series by Asa Larsson. Next up: Blood Spilt, #2 of 5 (own #4 in series)
Wine Country Mysteries by Ellen Crosby: Bordeaux Betrayal, #3 of 6 (download FLP)

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Series I'm thinking of starting

A. Series to start; own (or was loaned) FIRST book in series
Agent Smoky Barrett series by Cody McFadyen. First up: Shadow Man, #1 of 5 (owned)
Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams. First up: A Killer Plot, #1 of 6 (owned)
Booktown mysteries by Lorna Barrett. First up: Murder is Binding, #1 of 9 (owned)
Bruno series by Martin Walker. First up: Bruno, Chief of Police, #1 of 5 (borrowed)
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)
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 Matt Minogue Mysteries by John Brady. First up: A Stone of the Heart, #1 of 10 (owned)
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)
Library Lovers series by Jenn McKinlay. First up: Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay (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 4 (owned)
Missing Pieces mysteries by Joyce & Jim Laverne. First up: A Timely Vision, #1 of 7 (owned)
Novel Ideas series by Lucy Arlington. First up: Buried in a Book, #1 of 3 (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 (own Kindle book)
Sigrid Harald by Margaret Maron. First up: One Coffee With, #1 of 10 (owned)
Sister Agnes series by Alison Joseph. First up: Sacred Hearts, #1 of 9 (own)
Underhill/Maiden series by Will Kingdom. The Cold Calling (owned)

B. Series to start; own (or was loaned) later book in series
Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass. First up: Carved in Bone, #1 of 7+ (FLP download -- own #2 e-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.
Tony Boudreaux Mysteries by Kent Conwell. First up: Galveston (no touchstone), #1 of ? (own 6th in series)

C. 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)
Donut Shop mysteries by Jessica Beck. First up: Glazed Murder (CLP Overdrive download)
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)
Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen. First up: The Guards (CLP Overdrive download)
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)
Mike Bowditch by Paul Doiron. First up: The Poacher's Son (CLP Overdrive 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
Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. First up: Sleepyhead (CLP Overdrive audio)
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

D. 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
Chief Inspecter Adamsburg by Fred Vargas. The Chalk Circle Man
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
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
Nathan Active series by Stan Jones. White sky, Black ice
Sam Turner mysteries by John F. Baker. Poet in the Gutter

I'm participating, some months, in Mark's 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 -- SKIPPED
July Mark Twain -- SKIPPED
August Philip Roth The Ghost Writer (owned) COMPLETED
September: James Baldwin -- SKIPPED
October Edith Wharton -- SKIPPED
November John Updike substitute Stewart O'Nan -- A Prayer for the Dying COMPLETED
December Larry Watson Let Him Go (I really want to read this, e-book available through library) COMPLETED

I'm also doing the 2014 Category Challenge and the ROOT (Read Our Own Tomes) Challenge. I gave up pretty much on Book Bingo, but maybe I'll go back to it.

Anyway, welcome everyone!

Are you finished??? I am first unless somebody is weasling in ahead of me!
Oh my goodness!!!! I just scanned the series that you haven't started and see E. George and C.J. Sansom. Get to them at once! Also Jack Frost and Inspector Rebus!!! If all else fails, the Wingfields are available at AMP, most of them for 1¢ + $3.99 shipping, and they are well worth the price.
Oh --- Happy New Thread, Terri!

Congrats on being first, Peggy!

I'm pondering your recommendations . . . so many books, so little time . . .

Nice new thread, Terri. I am in awe at how organized your series reading is. I readily admit I am struggling to keep track of all the ones that I am/or want to follow.

Happy New Thread, Terri!

Happy New Thread, Terri! Looks like a lot of reading going on over here. Smiles. It looks like we had similar feelings about This Dark Road to Mercy. I think the first half is on par with his first book but when the thriller elements begin to kick in, it isn't as compelling.

Are you reading Baldwin, for AAC? I am starting mine today. Just sayin'...

>14 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! I am struggling mightily to catch up with some more series, but it is a losing battle!

>15 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>16 msf59: Mark, I own no Baldwin works, and our local library has none. I checked the Overdrive download selection from Carnegie, and the only one available now in a format I can use is a book of essays that has no appeal to me at all. There's nothing in OneClick. It's too late for holds or inter-library loans to bring me a book to finish this month.

I did find a couple of audio possibilities on Hoopla, which I get through Carnegie. I've never used Hoopla. If it works easily for me, I'll try that when I finish my current audio. If nothing else, there are a couple of short excerpt recordings of Baldwin himself reading from his works that I'd really like to hear.

Starred.

When I bring in a new kitty.. I just sort of let them work it out. I keep an eye peeled of course. I have had a lot of cats, and typically this works fine. About 3 days of hissing and spitting then they get bored. It helps to rub a bit of essential oil on your hands and pet them both, so they smell the same. And get a kitty of the opposite sex. Easier bonding, imo.

Happy new thread! I loved your review of the cat therapy book on your previous thread. As a rule, we usually had two cats at any given time and for the most part, they were not doubly destructive. It was actually kind of cute how the older cat would spend time keeping the other cat in line.... less work for us! ;-)

Happy new thread, Terri. What a wonderful photo.

>18 mckait: Good advice . . .

>19 lkernagh: I'm seriously pondering it, but not sure if I'll take the plunge. Sig seems to enjoy being sole king of the house!

>20 Ameise1: Thanks!

75 Challenge Book #83
Title: The Troubled Man AUDIO
Author: Henning Mankell
Genre or subject information: Scandi-crime, military espionage, and issues of mortality
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2009
Series?: Kurt Wallander (numbering depends on whether one includes the first Linda Wallander mystery in this series)
Date finished: 9-23-14
Off the Shelf? No, library Download
My Rating: 3.9 Stars
Notes:

Inspector Kurt Wallander returns for one more investigation.

The mystery at the center of this book is not one he is investigating in his official police capacity. He's doing much of his investigation while on vacation. The father of his daughter Linda's partner has disappeared. The man was a retired naval officer, who spent much of his career in submarine duty. There are rumors of spies, and matters of Swedish political/military history may be involved.

Wallander, now a grandfather and finally living in a house in the countryside, is becoming increasingly aware of his own mortality and concerned about his failing health -- both physical and mental -- but is still too weak-willed to behave in a healthful manner. In many ways, the mystery takes a back seat to Wallander's reflections on his life and mortality. An old flame and an ex-wife both show up (at different times and for different reasons) at Kurt's door.

I found the conclusion of the mystery most unsatisfying (the many loose ends were acknowledged in the Epilogue) and the conclusion of the more personal aspects of the story (also in the Epilogue) quite heartbreaking.

My personal take -- don't read it for the mystery; read it if you've come to like Wallander in earlier installments and want to know the rest of his story.

I'm sure I'll eventually get to that installment in Mankell's novels.

It was worthwhile, Lori.

I do not like the new Comments format! I went to my comments page and was staring at all kinds of messages that I thought I'd archived or deleted. I was so confused, I just went through and started deleting EVERYTHING I saw.

I just visited the neatest book store in Cumberland, Maryland! It's called "The Book Center." It is an independent bookstore that sells both new and used books. It is also an official off-site adoption site for the Allegany County (MD) Animal Shelter, specifically for kittens. I took a long look at the kittens they had there for adoption. They also have a "house cat" named Alice who, I think, really owns the place. She was a bit aloof at first. Then she saw me in the pet book section, looking at the cat books, and she sauntered over to make friends with me then.

http://www.thebookcenteronline.com/

ETA to spell "Allegany" the Maryland way -- we spell it Allegheny in Pennsylvania!)

>25 tymfos: That sounds like a wonderful place! Books and kittens are a great combination.

>24 tymfos: I do like it. I prefer to save comments, and now they're organized. Alas, if the person on the other side of the conversation decides to delete, that's it, they're gone.

That book store looks like a great place to spend some browsing and kitten admiration time, Lori.

>26 cbl_tn: I agree, Carrie!

>27 qebo: I suppose I'll get used to it, Katherine. It just surprised me, I think.

>28 DeltaQueen50: It was a fun place to spend time, Judy.

My purchases today:



Between Heaven and Ground Zero: One Woman's Struggle for Survival and Faith in the ashes of 9/11 by Leslie Haskin
A Fog of Ghosts: Haunted Tales & Odd Pieces by John Douglas (regional folklore of WV and Western MD, no touchstone)
F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson

>29 tymfos: Yeah, I think they should show the unarchived comments by default; instead, they're showing everything by default and freaking people out, with years of comments suddenly reappearing.

>30 qebo: Maybe it's just as well to see and permanently get rid of some of the stuff I wrote. I occasionally write before I think.

75 Challenge Book #84
Title: F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers
Author: Richard Benson
Genre or subject information: collection of goofy answers students put on test papers when they didn't know the answer
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 9-27-14
Off the Shelf? (pre-2014 or ER) not old enough to count
My Rating: 2.9 stars
Notes:

This book really is too short to count, but it's not been a good reading month so I'm going to count it. At 127 pages, it does (barely) make my minimum page number count, but the pages are small and sparsely filled, so it really is a stretch to count it. But I am anyway. (BTW, the pages aren't numbered, so I'm going by the page number count on my LT catalog record.)

Some of these answers are really cute, even LOL funny. So this was good for a few laughs. But there are hardly enough to justify a whole book, and a number of them I've seen in other online "student blooper" collections.

In other book news, I've abandoned the book Then Like the Blind Man. I just couldn't make myself continue. I'm about a chapter and a half from the end of City of Dust, which is the only book I can truly list as "currently reading." I checked out an audio mystery, but haven't felt moved to start listening. I've wanted music instead. I seem to be in a bit of a reading funk.

Adopt a book and a cat all in one place! What a great idea!

Terri, I wish you a lovely Sunday.

That books shop looks amazing!

Books and cats - that sounds like an wonderful bookstore!

Happy New Thread, Terri

If that bookstore was in my town, I would always be there, probably oohing and aweing the kittens more than book browsing. ;-)

Happy Sunday Terri!

>33 Copperskye: Joanne, it's a pretty neat concept, isn't it? ("Oh, I got my cat at the bookstore, along with my copy of Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat . . .")

>34 Ameise1: Thank you! And I wish you a great week!

>35 scaifea: It doesn't have a huge selection like some stores I've been to, but the combination of books and adoptable kittens is great!

>36 Familyhistorian: It works for me!

>37 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

>38 lkernagh: Me, too. I wish it was a bit closer, but I'll surely be back! Happy week to you, Lori!

I would avoid the lovely bookstore at all cost, in order to not be tempted by kitties. Sad truth.

> 22, I may have mentioned that I am hooked on the Netflix Wallander series (not the BBC) version, but the Swedish version with subtitles. We bought season 1 from Amazon as Netflix does not offer this.

Last night we watched episode six from series one. It was incredible, and literally had me on the edge of the seat.

If you haven't watched the series, you might want to do so.

>40 mckait: But I'm thinking of helping Sig find a friend, so the kitties are appropriate for me to visit . . .

>41 Whisper1: Linda, we don't have Netflix, and getting it isn't on our radar (or in our budget). But if we ever do, I'll check out the Wallander TV series.

75 Challenge Book #85
Title: City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11
Author: Anthony DePalma
Genre or subject information: non-fiction, about aftermath of 9/11
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 9/29/14
Off the Shelf? (pre-2014 or ER) no, too new
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

Not all the victims of 9/11 died on 9/11/2001.

I read an article about how three FDNY firefighters died in one day last week, of illnesses linked to their work at Ground Zero. It was a timely piece of news while reading this account of the health effects (known and/or suspected) of the dust people were exposed to as a result of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

The Twin Towers collapsed with such force that building materials, office contents, and victims were largely pulverized into a massive cloud of dust that blotted out the sun and choked all the people in its path -- emergency responders and civilians -- as it plumed outward from Ground Zero. As the dust settled, it penetrated nearby office and residential buildings. The dust was caustic, and contained toxins such as asbestos (from fireproofing) and lead (from thousands of pulverized computer monitors). Those working on "the pile" at Ground Zero, first in desperate rescue attempts and then in the recovery/cleanup process that followed, were exposed in large doses for long periods of time. People who lived and worked in the area were exposed, too, finding bits of Ground Zero dust in their residences and offices for years as furniture was moved or ductwork was renovated.

Anthony DePalma explores the messages put out by city and federal officials about the safety of the air near Ground Zero, the issue of safety precautions (or lack thereof) for those working the rescue/recovery effort, and the health issues which soon began to crop up among those exposed to the dust. It is a complex book because it is a complex subject. I think he did a fairly even-handed job, on the one hand arguing that the message given out regarding the safety of the air was deceptive, but also that workers often shirked safety equipment when such equipment was offered. He shows that, clearly, some workers suffered serious health issues as a result of the dust, while pointing out that not every Ground Zero worker who got sick was necessarily sick as a result of work at Ground Zero. He explores the difficulty of dealing with the fact that many of the illnesses caused by environmental exposures don't show up until many years later, and the ongoing fear that fact poses for those at risk. He unravels the bureaucratic wrangling which had the government talking out of both sides of its mouth, so to speak, and the legal wrangling that stretched on for a decade and probably is still going on. It's a thought-provoking, frustrating piece of journalism.

Well, it's the end of September. I had really looked forward to the monthly theme of September Series & Sequels, but wound up only finishing two series books this month: the new Louse Penny novel, and the last Kurt Wallander novel (on audio)

>42 tymfos: I'm thinking of helping Sig find a friend
Oh? Could either keep him absorbed, or double the trouble. :-)

I have to say that the only thing more fun than one kitten is two kittens.
Hope the book funk lifts soon. I've had a bad reading year, but not because I was funky..... I just haven't been able to get to the books. I'll make 75 unless something really awful happens, but that's about it.

>32 tymfos: I have read F in Exams! And then I sent it to my daughter before her first set of finals in college, to lighten the mood a little. She loved it.

>45 qebo: My thoughts exactly, Katherine! That's why I'm thinking but not yet doing.

>46 LizzieD: Peggy, I thought it might be fun to have two -- IF they get along!

>47 Berly: It was funny, Kim.

My guys have headed out to the high school football game, in the rain. Son did not even don his rain poncho, as it is not school colors. I know he won't melt, lots of people have to work outside in all kinds of weather . . . (shrugs) . . . whatever . . . I will have hot cocoa ready to go when they return . . .

75 Challenge Book #86
Title: On What Grounds read via AUDIO plus my own paperback copy
Author: Cleo Coyle
Genre or subject information: cozy mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Series?: Coffeehouse Mystery #1
Date finished: 10-3-14
Off the Shelf? Yes, for the paperback book
My Rating: 2.9
Why am I reading this now?: my favorite coffeehouse may be closing soon
Notes:

The mystery: Claire, returning as shop manager after ten years away, finds the assistant manager near-dead from a fall down the stairs. It appears she slipped in coffee grounds that were spilled from the trash can, but there was no reason for the trash can to be where it was. Was it an accident or was she pushed? (The reader pretty much knows due to the prologue.) And if she was pushed, who did it?

This had all the weaknesses of a first-in-series cozy book. A lot of time was spent establishing the back story, too much of it via information dump at what felt like inappropriate times. And while I'd expect a coffeehouse mystery to include some information about coffee, this came off too much like a series of lectures, rather than feeling a natural part of the story. I wanted a mystery with some coffee -- for much of the book, I felt like I had a main course of coffee with a small side order of mystery. Also, I had a hard time tolerating the coffee snobbishness of the main character. Of course she'd be opinionated about her coffee, but she didn't have to be so grating about it. And there were a few of the usual "main character does stupid things" moments that usually crop up in cozies.

That said, toward the end the story started to move a bit and I got more drawn in. I think the series might have some potential, and I have another installment on my shelf, so I may try that one eventually and see if things improve.

>49 tymfos: I almost gave up on that series after the first installment, but I liked later ones better. I don't think it will ever be a favorite series, but it is a nice break, and I enjoy reading about the coffees.

>50 thornton37814: Thanks for letting me know that, Lori. My gut feeling was that the series might get better as it went along. Glad I was right.

75 Challenge Book #87
Title: Come Closer
Author: Sara Gran
Genre or subject information: Horror and/or psychological thriller. Demonic possession? Insanity?
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Series?: n/a
Date finished:10-3-14
Off the Shelf? Yes
Why I read it now: Halloween month, reading horror novels. I'm in a reading funk, and this one was short.
My Rating: 2.6 stars
Notes:

Ick. Well, I guess maybe this was well done. I really didn't care for it, but it was short so I didn't waste much time with it and now it's off my TBR shelf.

The story is narrated by the main character -- a woman who tells how she slowly became demon possessed. Or is she really just describing a descent into insanity which she thinks is demonic? Whichever interpretation the reader chooses, there are some aspects of the story that don't quite seem to fit, IMO. And if she's really been taken over, how can she tell this story, anyway?

I think I've learned by now that I don't like horror rooted in ancient Jewish mysticism, the Kabbalah.

Terri, I wish you a gorgeous weekend.

>42 tymfos: You have been bitten by the cat person bug if you are thinking of getting a second cat. It could be interesting. I have never tried to get two cats to get along. My cats always had dog companions. They were standoffish at first but always ended up being boon companions.

I read those Cleo Coyle mysteries once in awhile. Not my favorite series but not bad. It's been awhile since I last read one, I think.

Terri, I am in search of a good Halloween read! Cee is too, and since you're my go to for a good shivery read, I am hoping for a rec or two?

>53 Ameise1: Thanks! And a great week to you.

>54 Familyhistorian: Yes, it could be interesting. My son found a video on YouTube called Orange Tabby Cat Mad when kitten moves in house
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7XwpRuLMXM

>55 lindapanzo: I'll definitely read the next one eventually, as it's sitting on my shelf.

>56 mckait: Oh, Kath, this month my efforts at scary reading for Halloween haven't yielded much fruit. I started Thomas Tryon's Harvest Home last night. It's definitely one that starts out slow, but at least it is well written; the characters and setting are quite vivid. I understand that it eventually gets scary, but not quite sure yet what kind of scares to expect. I'll try to keep you posted. I've not been reading or LTing as much as usual lately.

I've dealt with introducing a new cat into the household twice. The general process is to separate the new and old cats with a barrier they can see through but not get through; I used a baby gate with posterboard taped to the top so they couldn’t jump over. Let them work out their issues for as long as necessary, then graduate to supervised visits, etc. My first effort was two new kittens and two 10 year olds. The older cats yowled for several nights, and when I put everybody together the older cats would chase the kittens into corners and such but never actually hurt them. My second effort was a new 5 year old and two 10 year olds (the previous kittens). One of the older cats was fine; he’s mellow and friendly and welcomed a new companion. The other old cat was just awful: yowled, lunged at the gate, swiped through the bars. I kept the gate up for several months, and things didn’t fully settle down for another several months. Everybody is fine now, so the main advice is to be patient and don’t get too worried about initial behavior.

>43 tymfos: Thumbs up for your excellent review!!!!

Sig loves my ratty old fleece robe, and cuddles up to nap with it if I leave it lying on the bed. I've taken to leaving it there deliberately because he likes it so much. My husband took this photo.

>58 qebo: Thanks for the advice! It fits with a lot of the advice I've read, except from that cat therapist whose book I reviewed a while back.

>59 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda!

>57 tymfos: Oh yes, that video looks and sounds familiar. Reminds me of a few weeks ago when a strange cat came up to the sliding glass door - I am not sure who won the hiss-off in that fight but the strange cat eventually left.

Oh what a peaceful photo of your cat. We had once a cat which looked liked the older brother of your cat. The cats we have now are of completely different colours.

>60 tymfos: What a sweet photo!

Love the Sig photo!

>60 tymfos: Awww! Cute kitty!

>60 tymfos: I had to buy a second dressing-gown, because if the first one was "occupied", I could never bring myself to disturb the occupant. :)

Finally catching up on the threads, Terri. I love that photo you posted of Sig napping on your robe. SO sweet! And what a very handsome kitty he is!

Awwww

That is such a sweet photo of Sig.

Love the kitty photo. Makes me want to go find my own snuggly...and a good book! Happy weekend. : )

I saw the cutest video on Facebook today of a cat that had a little toy that s/he was cuddling up with and hugging. I fell in love with the cat! Such a sweetie! If you happen to be on Facebook, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=717508474998183

Terri, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Hi Terri. Adorable Sig photo. Still pondering a second cat? I have no experience there but I look forward to hearing about the adventure should you decide to go ahead with it. Your local book and kitten store sounds like a great idea. So many animals are looking for good homes.

>61 Familyhistorian: A few weeks ago or so, when the windows were still open, we had a big old nasty gray tabby cat come up on our porch and hiss at Sig, who was sitting up in the bow window. I opened the front door and looked out through the screen door to see what the fuss was, and he waltzed over and parked in front of the door hissing at Sig (who'd come down to the door). I never saw the gray cat before or since. Sig just kind of mewed back at him. My husband finally chased the strange cat away.

>62 Ameise1: >63 cbl_tn: >64 lkernagh: >65 Copperskye: Thanks! He's sweet when he's asleep like that!

>66 lyzard: I think I may need to get a new robe, too, as I hate to disturb Sig when he's napping on it, too. :)

>67 Crazymamie: >68 cal8769: >69 thornton37814: >70 Berly: Thanks, all! I love my handsome cat!

>71 thornton37814: I don't Facebook, but I've seen some videos on YouTube that make me LOL. There is one called Cat Logic -- it's sponsored by a cat food, so it's really a promo, I guess, but the Cat Logic really fits how Sig behaves!

>72 Ameise1: Thanks!

>73 Donna828: I still ponder it, but am quite hesitant.

I am spending very little time reading and on LT. I have family coming in for a visit, so will probably continue to be mostly absent from the book scene. RL just get priority now.

Wishing you a wonderful time with your family.

Enjoy RL!

>74 tymfos: Maybe Sig will be good with a new cat companion if he only mewed back at the tabby. Every time Sally sees a strange cat up close I hear her make threatening sounds first. That is what I am used to my cats doing but then most have them have been female. Maybe males are better at getting along with others.

>76 Ameise1: >77 Berly: Thanks, Barbara and Kim!

>78 Familyhistorian: I thought the same thing, Meg -- that his just mewing back might show a desire to get along with other cats. And he seems friendly when he vocalizes at the neighbor's calico cat when she's outside. (I watched an extended catversation one day between them.) But my husband says he saw Sig hissing at the big gray tabby cat one day when I wasn't there. So I don't know.

My house is still more of a mess than I want it to be when my house guests arrive, but I keep getting distracted by assorted tasks that must be done. Reading is not going well. I was enjoying Harvest Home for a while, but I'm finding that now I've gotten to the actual horror part, it's not particularly to my liking. I abandoned my audio of Reunion at Red Paint Bay because I didn't really like the characters nor care about the plot. I was drawn to it for the Maine setting, but that's not enough. I don't get as rich a sense of the setting as in some other books I've read.

It might just be that no book will make me happy right now. I seem to be in a reading funk.

I've gone back to pick up a long-neglected favorite series for my latest audio. I usually like Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper novels, and Hell Gate is next up for me.

>79 tymfos: Ah, well calicoes are female maybe that is why he is friendly to that cat. Maybe the cat he hissed at is male.

>60 tymfos: Baaaaw. So cute.

Some rescue societies allow you to bring your pet in to see if they get along with the one you are looking at.

Terri, I wish you a fantastic weekend.

OK, my company left this morning, and my work day is now over. I have some things to report, but not much reading.

My father-in-law built a "catification" in my kitchen while he was here -- some shelves for Sig to get him up high where he likes to be, away from the food prep side of the room. We still need to get some nice cushioning on them to soften the surface and give him a place to sink his claws and leave his scent.

My son passed the literature part of his remediation work toward graduating next spring. Now he can concentrate on the Math requirements.

I think I've only finished one book since I last posted. I'll get to putting it on here in a bit.

I am so far behind on threads, I will NEVER get caught up. And I really will be spending less time here. RL just demands more of me right now. But y'all are still special to me.

>80 Familyhistorian: Yes, I thought of that. The gray cat is definitely male, probably an intact tom, with all that macho posturing :)

>81 Morphidae: That would be great, though I'm thinking how Sig reacted to being around lots of animals at the Blessing of the Animals service, and I'm not sure how much I could tell in the rescue shelter setting. Plus he hates to travel so much, he'd be out of sorts regardless.

>82 Ameise1: Thanks so much! Hope your week is great.

Hi Terri, just cruising through to catch up with what's new with you. You appear to have been very busy but it looks like good things are happening in your life. I am sure Sig will appreciate his new observation post.

I wouldn't stress over catching up too much, just draw a line, carry on and post when you can. That's really all any of us can do, otherwise LT becomes a full time job.

>84 DeltaQueen50: I wouldn't stress over catching up too much, just draw a line, carry on and post when you can. That's really all any of us can do, otherwise LT becomes a full time job.

That's good, sane advice, Judy!

The book I finished over the past few weeks, and a short one I just finished this afternoon:

75 Challenge Book #88
Title: Harvest Home
Author: Thomas Tryon
Genre or subject information: horror
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1973
Series?: no
Date finished: 10-20-14
Off the Shelf? yes

This started off just dandy. It's one of those stories where things start out almost too good to be true, which means they ARE too good to be true, and evil awaits. Tryon created interesting characters, and a strong setting, and displayed some strong writing in general. I loved this description of the local minister's wife, as she dealt with a bit of controversy: "It was Mrs. Buxley's habit not only to mince words but to make hash of them as well."

But when it got to the horror part, when things started to go wrong, the whole thing wasn't my cup of tea. I'm sure it was well done, but not what I expected or wanted.

75 Challenge Book #89
Title: The Jefferson County Egan Murders: Nightmare on New Year's Eve 1964
Author: Dave Shampine & Daniel T. Boyer
Genre or subject information: true crime
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2014
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 10-22-14
Off the Shelf? no, borrowed from family member

This slender volume from The History Press is, at 94 pages, too short for me to count, but given how little reading I'm getting done this month, I'm counting it anyway.

I borrowed this from a visiting family member. It was of mutual interest because this family member knew someone involved in the case, on the law enforcement side, and because I'm somewhat familiar with the Upstate NY environs where the murder investigation took place. It's the story of a grisly crime, its background and aftermath, and how police and prosecutors tried to bring the guilty to justice. It was an interesting read for me.

>83 tymfos: my cats are envious of Sig's catification.

A lot of us are taking allowing LT to take a backseat right now. Seems like a lot going on with LT's 75ers right now. Something in the air.

>85 tymfos: This has nothing at all to do with the book, but when I saw "Harvest Home," my mind immediately went to an old hymn we used to sing around Thanksgiving that I don't hear much any more.

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home,
All is safely gathered in,
E're the winter storms begin,
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied
Come to God's own temple, come
Raise the song of harvest home.

>86 mckait: Hi, Kath. I'll post a picture when we finish getting it nice and snuggly for Sig.

>87 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! We still sing that hymn in our little rural congregations. In fact, there's a "Harvest Home" observance that we do collecting a special offering for our denomination's regional social ministry organization, and we always sing that hymn.

>87 thornton37814: Glad to hear it is still being sung somewhere.

*waving* at Terri

>60 tymfos: love this image of Sig!

Terri, I wish you a fantastic weekend.

>89 thornton37814: Hope you're having a good weekend, Lori!

>90 alcottacre: *waving back* at Stasia!

>91 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda!

>92 Ameise1: Barbara, you always leave such lovely pictures!

75 Challenge Book #90
Title: Scare Stories: Strange and spooky tales from Somerset County, Pennsylvania and Beyond
Author: Beth Hutchinson
Genre or subject information: "true" ghost stories
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 10-25-14
Off the Shelf? yes
My Rating: 2 stars
Notes: Another very short book that I'm counting.

This is one of the many self-published regional ghost story books that seem to be available for almost any region. It is one of the more amateurish ones that I've read. The font on the introduction was almost microscopic, the numerous grammar errors annoyed me, and I didn't find most of the stories particularly creepy. Many of them were vague as to location (some intentionally so) and even regarding the events themselves. The more personal accounts rambled quite a bit. The final section contained memorial tributes to deceased loved ones.

The writer is part of a paranormal investigation group. Since such work is generally done in confidence, she relied on family stories and those told to her by various people she's encountered who know she's interested in ghosts.

My favorite was "Hitchhiker of North Center Avenue." Ghostly hitchhiker legend are common, but this story had a different twist.

:-)

Hi!

>94 Ameise1: :-) Smiling back at you, Barbara!

>95 Berly: Hi to you too, Kim!

75 Challenge Book #91
Title: The Cure of Souls
Author: Phil Rickman
Genre or subject information: Church of England priest dealing with the paranormal
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001
Series?: Merrily Watkins #4
Date finished: 10-27-14
Off the Shelf? Yes!
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

I generally like this series about The Reverend Merrily Watkins, of the Hereford Diocese's Deliverance Ministry. Deliverance ministry apparently is the modern-day Church of England terminology for a priest designated to help folks who fear that they are experiencing the paranormal -- possession, haunting, etc. She's a marvelous character, struggling with single parenthood of a teenage girl while trying to sort out what of her church charge's problems are the result of the supernatural, mental illness, or common human evil -- and what to do about them when she's not sure. It's a job that comes with a lot of public relations and (ecclesiastical) political fallout if she makes a mistake. This time around, she's even got to deal with the police when the "cleansing" (blessing) of a reputedly haunted home goes terribly wrong. There's also a girl whose parents claim that she's possessed, and some strange goings-on in a hop yard. Yes, apparently they grow hops in rural parts of Herefordshire, and I learned a bit about the plant that gives beer its flavor.

In these books, Merrily often find herself dealing with folks who have what might be termed "alternate" spiritual beliefs from the common C of E dogma. This time, she's working with a Romany gypsy.

I found some aspects of the story a bit icky, but overall it was a good entry in the series.

Hi Terri!

Harvest Home is a blast from the past. It was all the rage in my high school/ college years. The Other as well. I don't remember much about either of them though.

Terri, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>97 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne!

>98 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

75 Challenge Book #92
Title: Hell Gate (AUDIO)
Author: Linda Fairstein
Genre or subject information: mystery, police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2010
Series?: Alexandra Cooper #12
Date finished: 11-1-14
Off the Shelf? no, audio download (plus a little read from a library book)
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

Assistant DA Alex Cooper is back, dealing with mayhem from all sides as an icy shipwreck in NY harbor spills its cargo of illegal immigrants, some of them dying in the accident. But one of the bodies shows signs of having met foul play before drowning. Meanwhile, the DUI arrest of an area Congressman helps to reveal the existence of a mistress and illegitimate child. Has the woman met with abuse from her lover? And it's clear that the women on the wrecked boat were victims of human trafficing, bound for lives trapped in prostitution.

I had a hard time following all the political intrigue in this one. It was hard for me to tell one sleazy politico from another for much of the book. As always, Fairstein introduced the history of some famous NYC landmarks -- this time, it was Gracie Mansion (the Mayor's official residence) and two other Federal-era mansions, plus the Highbridge -- the oldest bridge connecting Manhattan to the mainland, and part of the old aqueduct system that once supplied NYC with its water supply from Upstate.

The title refers to a treacherous section of river near Gracie Mansion.

This wasn't the best entry in the series, but I liked it better than the previous one.

On the cats:

We've introduced cats multiple times (as we somehow keep acquiring more) and have had very little problems with graduated introductions. With the latest kitten we weren't expecting him, and were bringing him into a household with four other cats. His living quarters were a very large dog cage with his bed, litter tray, food and water in it, and the other cats able to roam the house. It meant the established cats could choose to go and see him, or not, as they wished but as we put the cat on a 'thoroughfare' in the house, they generally walked by him and sniffed him a lot.

Then it was just a matter of small periods of him out with the others, and mixing the used litter trays so they got used to his smells around. They still don't particularly like him, but that's because he doesn't seem to understand 'cat' at all and goes barreling in for cuddles or play when they are clearly telling him to leave them alone! Not sure if he wasn't taught to talk cat by his mother or if he is just really really thick...........

Not sure how an adult cat would take to being in that kind of enclosed environment but for a kitten with short bursts of activity (which he would spend out) and long periods of sleep, it worked really well. We have done it with an older cat but that was to get her used to the sounds of the house as she was so scared she was getting into dangerous situations - we put her in the cage with a sheet over most of it, lots of hidey-holes for her to hunker down in, but it meant she got acclimatised to normal life, rather than just running away. We figured she was never going to become comfortable with everyday life in the house if she spent her whole time hiding away from it!

Now she is the biggest cuddle-bug we've got!

Terri, just stopping by to say Hello! My life is also very busy these days. I try to catch up a bit on Sundays but it is impossible to do as much chatting as I'd like to around here. We do what we can, right?

Hi Terri! Hope you are doing well! It seems like common thread around here with busy RL stuff and LT taking a back seat. The good thing is this group is a pretty understanding bunch. You pop in when you can and join when you can. Otherwise, no big deal. No pressure, no hassle! Hope you are reading some great books at least. :)

>101 Donna828: Hi, Donna! Yes, this group is impossible to keep up with, but we just muddle along and touch base when we can.

>102 jolerie: Hi, Valerie! My reading is like my LT-ing -- much more sporadic than usual. I think last month ended with my lowest total of books read for any month of 2014, and several of them were very, very short.

I think one of the reasons I'm spending so much less time on LT is that I used to do a lot of it late at night, and lately I'm just too tired to stay up late.

I'm here late tonight (or, rather, early this morning) because I dozed off watching election results, and then when I woke up and actually went to bed, I couldn't sleep. So a visit to LT seemed in order.

I am reading Borderlands by Brian McGillloway as an e-book; listening to Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming as an audio; and reading a memoir, The Crowd Sounds Happy by Nicholas Dawidoff. Given my slow reading rate lately, I really should be into our book discussion group's book for this month, which is Gone Girl. But I just can't seem to make myself pick it up.

I think November is a time for hibernation and the time change doesn't help. It saps my energy when I go to work in the dark and it is almost dark by the time I go home. Oh well, we will soon be into the madness of the festive season and trying to pretend that we are having fun - that will be a great time to take refuge in a good book!

Terri, I wish you a gorgeous weekend.

Happy New Week, Terri!

>104 Familyhistorian: Oh well, we will soon be into the madness of the festive season and trying to pretend that we are having fun - that will be a great time to take refuge in a good book!

True, Meg! Except, with my husband pastoring multiple congregations, I rarely get time to read during that season . . .

>105 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

>106 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

Busy, busy time! And I'm dealing with that energy lag Meg mentioned in >104 Familyhistorian:.

Yesterday, I was asked to host the November book discussion this Saturday at the library. I had barely started the book, so I dove in last evening and am a little over 1/3 of the way through Gone Girl. I'm not sure what all the hype was about. Of course, my enjoyment is probably dampened by a spoiler I saw on a fellow LTer's thread. He didn't like the book, and thus must have felt that no one else would want to read it. I've un-starred his thread and Xed (ignored) it. I don't need that kind of killjoy spoiling my reading. I can barely keep up with the folks who follow the spoiler protocols, so boo to him.

>107 tymfos: I'm with you and didn't understand the hype - I gave up on it about half way through as I simply wasn't interested. I looked up the ending on the internet as I couldn't be bothered with reading the rest. I think my problem was I didn't see that either main character had any redeeming features, they were just unpleasant, and not even complex or intriguing, just not nice people.

Hopefully you can get through it quickly to be able to do the book discussion.

I haven't read Gone Girl yet, Terri, but I have heard that people either love it or hate it. My sister is in the "absolutely loved it" category and sometimes asks whether I've read it yet.

>108 lunacat: I'm over halfway through now. The first major "twist" has arrived, but I knew it was coming all along.
By the way, Jenny, it's good to have you back posting on LT. I didn't see you for a while.

>109 lindapanzo: That's the sense I get, Linda -- most people have strong feelings one way or the other. As for me, it's OK, but not living up to the hype, IMO.

I had a shopping outing to Ollies with a 15%-off-your-entire-order coupon. I bought a few Christmas presents for my family, and some inexpensive food items. Of course, I had to look through the book section. My haul:



A large-print copy of Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic's First-Class Passengers and their World by Hugh Brewster
a hardcover edition of 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports by Kostya Kennedy
and a mass-market paperback of The Devil's Bed by William Kent Krueger. I love his Cork O'Connor series and Ordinary Grace, but back in 2003 he wrote this political thriller. Who knew? It's not a genre I often read, but I like him enough to try it for $1.99 (less 15%).

75 Challenge Book #93
Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Genre or subject information: Psychological suspense; woman disappears; husband is main suspect.
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 11/13/14
Off the Shelf? no, from library
My Rating: 3.3 stars
Notes: Read for book discussion group

I don't get what all the hype was about. OK, it was kind of twisty and turny, and it wasn't the standard story of a missing woman. There wasn't a likable character in the whole mix that I could see (except maybe the husband's sister; she was tolerable). I've heard it described as "clever." Yes, clever, but a kind of clever I didn't particularly like. It wasn't a bad book, it just didn't live up to the hype. I expected something a little more substantial.

Terry, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Stopping by to say hi and tell you I can relate to LT/reading fall off problems.

Things can just get overwhelming, I guess.

Give Sig a sweet chin scratch for me, please.

Oh, I'm so with you on Gone Girl, although I am loathe to confess that looking back on it with almost a year of space, I would admit it was a cleverly plotted book. I'm almost ready to say that in about another year, I'd like to read it again, knowing already that I'm going to hate the characters, but with an eye to the construction of the novel.

Not there yet, but.............

>113 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! Wishing you a lovely weekend, too!

>114 Matke: Hi, Gail! Life is overwhelming sometimes, but my kitty makes me smile. Consider him chin-scratched for you.

>115 tututhefirst: Hi, Tina! Thank heavens, I almost never do re-reads . . . ;)

The book discussion this morning was meh. I don't think I'm a good discussion leader.

Tomorrow is the halfway point of November, and I've only finished 2 books -- one for the book discussion, and the other one was an audio. I think I may finish a second audio tomorrow. Not my best reading month.

I didn't like any of the characters but I loved the plot twists of Gone Girl.

>117 cal8769: It certainly did have plot twists, Carrie!

75 Challenge Book #94
Title: Through the Evil Days (AUDIO)
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: Rev. Claire Ferguson #8
Date finished: 11-16-14
Off the Shelf? no, library download
My Rating: 4.1 stars
Notes:

A good installment in this series. A young girl disappears when a house is torched, leaving her foster parents dead. She is a transplant patient, who will die without her anti-rejection medication.

There are several sub-plots involving the familiar characters' lives. The crime leads to much suspense throughout the book. More personal dramas are left hanging at the end.

75 Challenge Book #95
Title: Borderlands
Author: Brian McGilloway (e-book)
Genre or subject information: police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2008
Series?: Inspector Devlin (McGilloway) #1
Date finished: 11-17-14
Off the Shelf? no, e-book download
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

I think I have Judy (DeltaQueen50) to thank for making this Irish mystery series know to me. Inspector Devlin is a Garda detective on the northern border of the Republic of Ireland -- the border with British-controlled Northern Ireland. When a young woman's body is found dead right on the border, the first order of business is determining jurisdiction. We see how the detectives on either side of the border work with one another, and also hear how things used to be at the height of "the troubles." This story is gritty without being excessively violent, and interesting in its setting. There were enough twists to keep me guessing, and some interesting, well-developed characters. I'd call it unusually good for a first-in-series; since it appears to have been the author's first novel, I'm even more impressed. It's definitely a series I'd like to continue

>110 tymfos: Yeah, I kinda fell off the planet for a while. It's still really difficult for me to be here at times (anxiety and depression is such a pain in the ***) but I'm trying to push through it and put myself out there. And trying to convince myself that just because I'm not reading nearly as much as I used to doesn't mean I can't hang around here.

>112 tymfos: Yay, I'm glad someone else didn't 'get' it as well. I still don't understand why it has had the hype it has, there are about a squillion books better than it.

>120 lunacat: So sorry that you're struggling with anxiety and depression, Jenny. By all means, you can hang around here any time!

Well, Tuesday was a relatively good day -- certainly not in terms of weather (brrrr) but I got a lot done. It was my day off from work at the library, and I made the most of it in terms of getting housework done, much of it while listening to an audio book, The Bat by Jo Nesbo.

I had also checked out an e-book from the library, but had problems downloading it. So I started one of my Kindle freebies, Itsy Bitsy Spider by Willow Rose. It's not great writing, but the protagonist has a son who is somewhere on the autism spectrum, so the boy is an interesting character. And it's set on a Danish island, so that's different. I don't know if I ever read a book set in Denmark.

My other read is a memoir, The Crowd Sounds Happy, which drew me in at the beginning, but about halfway through I'm finding it a bit meh.

Weird. I edited my last message and was sure I saw the edit posted, and now the edit is gone.

Anyway, what I said was that I abandoned Itsy Bitsy Spider.

I think I'm breaking out of my reading funk. The books I'm reading now are good. The memoir is still a bit meh, but The Bat is good and I've started an e book of The Blue Hour by T Jefferson Parker, and also A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan.

Hi Terri, I loved A Prayer for the Dying when I read it several years ago and recently bought a copy at the library sale so I could reread it. I hope it helps out with whatever remains of your dreaded reading funk!

>124 Copperskye: Joanne, I just finished it, and it definitely made an impression on me.

75 Challenge Book #96
Title: A Prayer for the Dying
Author: Stewart O'Nan
Genre or subject information: literary fiction about a town facing an epidemic and a fire
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1999
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 11/21/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 4.4 stars
Notes:

Wow. This one packed a punch. I'm keeping this one, as it's worth a re-read someday.

This book is a rarity -- a book written in second person, present tense, that actually works. In fact, it flowed so naturally, I was halfway through the first chapter before I noticed, and even after that it didn't distract me. It was appropriate, as it eventually wasn't evident whether anyone would survive to tell the story past-tense.

Jacob is the constable of Friendship, Wisconsin, shortly after the Civil War. He is also the local undertaker, as well as the town preacher. All these callings will come into play, for better or for worse, after a dead soldier and a severely ill woman from a religious commune are found. Doc's verdict is that they are victims of diphtheria. Soon, the disease is spreading. To make matters worse, a forest fire is raging nearby -- and headed their way.

We experience Jacob's life as the town and his mind gracually descend into chaos. It is a disturbing, and sometimes confusing, picture. Jacob and Doc make a number of questionable decisions early on that lead to even more tragic decisions later.

At 195 pages (at least, for my trade paperback edition) this is not a long book, but it is intense and not for the faint-hearted. It is an amazing journey into a hellish situation.

Terri, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>126 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb!

Great timing: I finished this audio just as a hold finally came up for another audio book I've waited 2 months for!

75 Challenge Book #96
Title: The Bat
Author: Jo Nesbo
Genre or subject information: Scandi-crime
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1997 (English translation 2012; audio production 2013)
Series?: Harry Hole #1
Date finished: 11-22-14
Off the Shelf? No, audio download from library
My Rating: 3.4
Notes:

I can see why this was translated into English after some of the later installments. It's not as complex a plot as later books in the series, and it lacks the Scandinavian setting of Harry's home turf in Norway. But it offers a lot of good background and insights about Harry, and it's not a bad mystery.

Harry travels to Australia to represent his home country's police force in the investigation of the murder of a Norwegian citizen. The Australian authorities want an observer, but Harry's not one to play any role that he's assigned by others.

In the process of following this mystery, we learn a lot about cultural/racial tensions in the Land Down Under, and some of the country's history and folklore.

A Prayer for the Dying sounds really good...! Happy Sunday.

>128 Berly: Hi, Kim! Have a good week!

75 Challenge Book #98
Title: The Crowd Sounds Happy: a story of love, madness, and baseball
Author: Nicholas Dawidoff
Genre or subject information: memoir
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2008
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 11-25-14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 3 stars
Notes:

The author of this memoir was the son of divorced parents. He lived with his hard-working mother in New Haven. He dreaded visits to his mentally-ill father in New York. He worried that he'd inherit his father's instability. His love of baseball got him through some rough times.

I'm not sure why I bought this; nor am I sure why I read this (except that I'd bought it and I needed another book for the "Play Ball" category of my category challenge). It was well constructed and well written. But I found myself questioning why I should care about this fellow's youth. At times the book held my interest, while at other times it felt like a chore to read.

Happy Thanksgiving, all US Library Thing friends!

OK, I just finished my current e-book, and have checked out and downloaded my December American Author Challenge book, Let Him Go, by Larry Watson. It's not quite December yet, but it was available, so I figured I'd grab it.

75 Challenge Book #99
Title: The Blue Hour e-book
Author: T. Jefferson Parker
Genre or subject information: police procedural; pursuing a very bizarre serial killer
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2000
Series?: #1 Merci Rayborn
Date finished: 11-27-14
Off the Shelf? Yes, off the Virtual Shelf
My Rating: 4.2 stars
Notes:

Tim Hess is a retired homicide detective who returns to the police force as a "consultant" to help chase a particulary awful serial killer, and to regain medical benefits needed in his battle against lung cancer. He's a tough old bird, even with part of a lung missing and dealing with chemo and then radiation. Merci Rayborn is a young homicide detective, distrusted by her peers after filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against her former partner -- a suit which opened the floodgates as other women abused by the same detective rush to file their own legal complaints. Hess and Rayborn are chasing a killer who leaves them no bodies, but unmistakable evidence that missing women are dead. They must learn to trust one another and work together to stop a demented killer.

I'd never read anything by this author before, but I'm sure I'll read more. He drew me into the book so that I kept reading it at times when I normally drop any e-book for whatever paper volume I'm into. There were plenty of twists and turns in the narrative. Parker has a way of handling sensitive, even truly gross and disturbing, material in a way that tells enough to make the point but doesn't drown the reader in graphic detail. The book dealt with sex offenders, sex offender registries, chemical castration, enbalming, necrophilia, and also the myriad side-effects of chemo and radiation -- but not in a way that was too graphic for me to stomach. Parker's deft touch avoided offering TMI, while providing enough background the serve the narrative and even be rather informative.

This was the first in a trio of Merci Rayborn novels, and I look forward to reading the next volume soon.

We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Malaysia Terri but I wanted to take this opportunity to count my own blessings at this time including for your warm and steadfast presence in this group. Have a lovely holiday.

I've read two by Parker, Silent Joe and California Girl, and enjoyed them both. Joe got 8/10 stars and Girl got 7/10 stars. You remind me I should read more of his books!

>114 Matke: I'm happy that someone else did not like Gone Girl. I also don't see the reason/need for all the hype.

I hope your holiday was lovely. Awhile back you mentioned that your son was developing his writing skills and liking journalism. Is he still on this path?

Terri, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

>131 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I tried to get around to a lot of threads to drop Thanksgiving greetings, but knew it wasn't a holidy in your country. But I'm thankful for your presence in the group, too!

>132 Morphidae: Glad to know he has more good stuff out there to read, Morphy!

>133 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! He's still active in the school newspaper, and his teachers say his writing has developed nicely, but he doesn't seem to be leaning toward doing anything professionally with it. He wants to work with computers.

>134 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! Lovely graphic as always.

I tried to catch up on some threads on the holiday, but only convinced myself that I've gotten horribly out-of-touch with LT land. Ah, well.

My next book is #100 for the year, and I want it to be something special; but nothing I'm reading is what I want for #100. So I'm slowing down on all of them while deciding what to dive into and finish next. (It's easy to slow down in reading, as I don't have much time for it at present.)

OK, I've started the book I want as Book #100 for the year:



The latest book in a favorite series by a favorite author.

>136 tymfos: I forgot how much I like that series. I have too many to keep up with them all.

>136 tymfos: Terri, I've been eyeing that book on the new shelf at my library - would you recommend just jumping into the series with it, or should I start with the first (or other) book?

>137 thornton37814: Lori, I can't begin to keep up with every series I try to follow. But this is one I really do keep up with.

>138 bell7: Hi, Mary! You could probably read Windigo Island and follow it fine on its own, but this is a series I really think is best read in order. This book might be said to have some spoilers for earlier volumes. I also think the book might not have the same impact if you don't "know" the characters from the earlier installments.

There is an overall arc to the character development in this series that I've enjoyed as the family matures and experiences pain and loss. I'm half tempted to say skip the first one, Iron Lake, as I found it by far the least satisfying of the series. It did settle a lot of the background information, but nothing absolutely vital that can't be gleaned from subsequent volumes if you skip it.

75 Challenge Book # 100
Title: Windigo Island
Author: William Kent Kreuger
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2014
Series?: Cork O'Connor #14
Date finished: 12/2/14
Off the Shelf? No, library
My Rating: 4.2 stars
Notes:

"These were his exact words: in every human being, there are two wolves constantly fighting. One is fear, and the other is love. When Cork had asked which of the wolves won the battle, Meloux's answer had been: The one you feed. Always the one you feed."

One kind thing is the seed from which a great goodness grows.

When the body of a missing teen washes up on Windigo Island, Cork O'Connor and his daughter Jenny are drawn into the search for another teen, a relative of Henry Meloux, who went missing at the same time as the dead girl. If you've read the Author's Note and Acknowledgments at the beginning of the book, you can already guess part of where the search will lead -- to the realm of human trafficking, as runaway girls are lured into hellish lives of prostitution by ruthless criminals. This book specifically deals with the harsh realities of how Native girls and women are often exploited.

This book is different from previous books in the series in that most of the second half of the book is told from Jenny's POV rather than Cork's (though the narration throughout is third-person.) It's a bit odd at first to see Cork referred to as "Jenny's father," but that's who he'd be from her POV, right? I enjoyed getting to know Jenny better, and seeing her growth as a person throughout the story. Henry Meloux is also prominent in the action.

I enjoyed the suspense and twists and turns, the strengths and failings of the characters, and the chance to learn more about a difficult subject. This was a good book, worthy of being my 100th of the year.

Congratulations on reaching the 100 book mark, Terri!!

Hi Terri! Finally making it over. Hope all is well. I see you are busy with the books. Smiles...

>139 tymfos: Thanks for your thoughtful response! I'm very much a character reader and like to see the way arcs develop, so I think I will start with the 1st. It sounds similar to the Louise Penny series in that yeah, you probably could start with a later book but the impact is so much more if you've grown to love the characters.

Congrats on 100!

Way to go!

Congratulations on making it to 100, Terri!

Wow!! 100 with a month to spare. :D

100!! WooHoo!!

Congrats on the big 100, Terri!

Terri, congrats on 100. I'm miles behind and won't reach 75. I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Hooray for 100 books read, Terri! Hoping that your weekend is full of fabulous!

Hi Terri, congratulations on reaching 100 books read. I am hoping to get back to the William Kent Krueger series next year, somehow I've let that one slip to the bottom of my pile which is strange as I really like his books.

Thank you, Joanne, Mary, Carrie, Meg, Valerie, Amber, Lori, Barb, Mamie, and Judy!

>142 msf59: Hi, Mark! I'm sort of sporadically busy with the reading, otherwise busy with other stuff.

>143 bell7: It sounds similar to the Louise Penny series in that yeah, you probably could start with a later book but the impact is so much more if you've grown to love the characters.
Yes, indeed. The characters are rich and complex, and to appreciate the richness of the stories, you need to get to know the characters as they are revealed and grow.

Hi Terri, did you happen to notice that this month's ER books include a new Erik Larson book about the sinking of the Lusitania? I've got my eye on that one.

>153 lindapanzo: The Larson book caught my eye as well very well timed as it is due to come out on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania. I won't compete with you for that ER book as it isn't available in my country.

>140 tymfos: awesome quote - something to ponder...

Where is Sig? Still sleeping (>60 tymfos:)? Sweet picture :)

>153 lindapanzo: I hadn't checked out the ER book list until I got your message, but now I've requested it. I probably won't get it, though. I've had bad luck with ERs lately. Even when I'm selected, 3 of the last 4 I won never arrived.

Of course, package theft from porches has been in the news lately. Maybe that was going on before it got publicized in this holiday season. Who knows? When they caught one pair of theives in Centre County last week, they were actually following the UPS truck around, and their booty included books and a 30-pound bag of dog food. Good grief!

>154 Familyhistorian: Sorry you don't have a shot at the Larson book. I can never figure out how publishers decide their strategies as to if/when to promote &/or release books in different countries.

>155 -Cee-: Hi, Cee! Glad you like the quote -- I sure did. Sig has been spending a lot of time chasing a dot of red light (laser pointer) around the house. As I'm usually the one aiming the pointer, I don't get photos of that. ;) He sniffs a lot where the dot has been, and probably can't figure out why this strange glowing prey doesn't leave any scent. :)

As you can probably tell, I'm not spending much time on LT, nor on the computer in general. I'm just in a mood where I don't feel like fussing with the computer much unless I have to. I'm having some neck & wrist strain from all the time keyboarding at work -- our work stations are not very user-friendly, and a current library project has me keyboarding for extended periods of time, much more than usual.

On the reading front, I'm about halfway through Let Him Go by Larry Watson for the American Author Challenge. I'm reading it in bits and pieces, and it looks like I'll be able to renew it and continue the slow pace. A tale of family conflict is not really what I'm in the mood for this time of year, when the memory of Christmas past carries enough drama from my family of origin.

Other reads: Peter Pan Must Die by John Verdon on audio; the memoir Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL; and Savage Run, second in the Joe Pickett series by CJ Box. All are OK, but none are really grabbing me. The return of the reading funk?

I'm kind of bummed out. A lot of people I know (and lots of other people in the world I can only read about) are struggling, and my ability to help is too limited. I'm generally content with what I have, but sometimes I wish I were rich so I could be a philanthropist.

Terri, I'm so sorry to hear about your neck/wrist issues. Take care and I get well soon.

Sorry to hear that you are bummed out Terri! I too daydream about being rich and all the good I think I could do with that...but then I'm reminded of what am I doing with what I already have? I guess it's not always about dollar and cents. Am I using my time well? Helping others with my skills? Even simply just being friendly and smiling at people can sometimes go a long way to spread some cheer. I hope your neck and wrist feel better soon! Sending you hugs and smiles from afar. :D

oops! I forgot to say Congrats on reading book #100! Great job.

First I thought I would never get to 75 this year. Then I was cruising along pretty good and thought - no problem. Now... I am so close and the book I am currently reading is slowing me down a lot because I like it a lot and refuse to hurry through it. (btw this great book is The Living by Annie Dillard)

Don't be so hard on yourself, Terri. You are quite a special person. I'm pretty sure you help many without even knowing it. You are rich in personality and caring. I don't know why, but I think we all have struggles for a reason.

Do take a break for yourself every so often. Let the well fill back up. Hugs {{{Terri}}}.

It is a difficult time of year, Terri, unless you are one of the lucky ones who gets buoyed up with Christmas spirit. Being reminded of family drama is not good either. Reading something light and fluffy usually works for me. Hope you feel less bummed out soon and the computer work in the library lessens so that you are able to enjoy your time on your home computer.

>158 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. Really, my discomfort is minor, hardly worth mentioning, except it seems prudent to not spend too much time on the computer.

>159 jolerie: You're right, Valerie. And I do try very hard to be friendly and always greet people with a smile. That's one way I can spread some cheer, for sure. I know how good it is to be on the receiving end when someone is just plain friendly and nice to you. And I do try to use my skills to help people as much as possible.

>160 -Cee-: Thanks for the kind words, Cee. BTW, you were asking about Sig so here's the latest photo. He's napping again:



>161 Familyhistorian: Oddly enough, Meg, despite the discomfort all the extra computer work at the library brings , I do like that type of project. I guess it's the detail-oriented geek in me shining through.

>162 tymfos: What a sweet photo! Sig is a handsome cat. I'm glad you found each other!

Looks like Sig has burned through some of his kitty feisty-ness.
He is such a beautiful boy!
Thx for the photo ;-)

Sig is quite content at your place!

>163 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie! I personally think he's the handsomest cat I've ever seen -- but, then, I guess I'm a bit prejudiced on the subject! :)

>164 -Cee-: Cee, he is settling down quite a bit. Glad you like the photo!

>165 thornton37814: Lori, I do think Sig seems pretty content. That bench by the den window, cushioned by an old comforter, is a favorite spot for him. He can look out at the bunnies that hop through the yard, and the birds that fly by, and he has a view of the back step where there's a little critter (chipmunk?) that lives in the cracks. Sig gets really excited when the critter makes an appearance!

75 Challenge Book #101
Title: Let Him Go (e-book)
Author:Larry Watson
Genre or subject information: literary fiction -- family relations in 1950's West
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 12/10/14
Off the Shelf? no, library download
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

I read this for the American Author Challenge. This time of year doesn't make me want to read family dama and conflict, but this was good enough that it eventually drew me in anyway.

75 Challenge Book #102
Title: Peter Pan Must Die (AUDIO)
Author: John Verdon
Genre or subject information: mystery/suspense; former cop PI drawn into investigating for appeal of murder conviction
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2014
Series?: Dave Gurney #4
Date finished: 12/12/14
Off the Shelf? no, library download
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

The climactic scene was a little over-the-top, and there was a bit too much psychobable for my taste, but the actual mystery here was delightfully full of twists and turns. I am getting tired of the dynamic between Dave and his wife.

>162 tymfos: Great photo of Sig all curled up. Sally looks like that all curled up on the top of the loveseat right now. She is spending a lot more time sleeping lately and I think it probably is because of the weather.

Love the Sig pic! My two, Sophie and Ruby, have settled down and are now best friends. Believe it or not, I think it helps when I go away and they are left with just each other. Of course, my cat sitter/housekeeper comes in twice a day for food, litter, and play time, and I'm never gone longer than 8 days, but that leaves lots of time for them to become their own tiny cat family. They admit me gladly--well, the younger one is kind of sad with her great need for her human Mama--but do enjoy each other very much. Just what I wanted to have happen, too.

I too haven't much to contribute to LT or anything else. Just tired I think. New year will be here soon, though.

Have a peaceful and pleasant Christmas, if I don't get back here before then.

Awww, I love ginger boys. We've got one but he rarely looks quite so peaceful, or so clean! Dirtiest cat I've ever seen.

Terri, I wish you a relaxed weekend.

75 Challenge Book #103A
Title: Spirit of Steamboat (AUDIO)
Author: Craig Johnson
Genre or subject information: rescue/suspense
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?: Walt Longmire novella
Date finished: 12/13/14
Off the Shelf? no, download
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

So good to hear George Guidall's voice again narrating a Walt Longmire tale. It's so like listening to an old friend tell a story, last night I actually sat around in the evening after "my boys" were upstairs in their beds, just listening to this short but sweet tale. A mysterious young woman appears one Christmas Eve, to remind Walt and old Lucien of a very special Christmas Eve spent in a seemingly impossible medical evacuation mission in an old B-25 plane. The mission is fictional. However, the author's forward (thank heavens I also downloaded the e-book, or I wouldn't have had this!) tells us, Steamboat is a real plane, named for a real and very famous Wyoming horse. While seeming a bit implausible, aviation and medical details were researched with real pilots and doctors to ascertain that the implausible was not impossible. The fact that a plane involved in bombing the Japanese is here used in a desperate and dangerous effort to save the life of a young Japanese-American girl is also touching, as are the literary allusions to Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

75 Challenge Book #103B
Title: Christmas in Absaroka County (e-book)
Author: Craig Johnson
Genre or subject information:
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?: Walt Longmire -- short stories
Date finished: 12/16/14
Off the Shelf? no, download
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

75 Challenge Book #103C
Title: Messenger (e-book)
Author: Craig Johnson (e-book short)
Genre or subject information: short story
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?: Walt Longmire -- short story
Date finished: 12/17/14
Off the Shelf? no, download
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

>168 Familyhistorian: Meg, Sig seems to be sleeping more, too. Last evening he slept a long time in the little "treehouse" in his cat tree -- the first time in ages. I think it probably helps hold body heat to keep him warm in our rather cool house.

>169 Matke: Gail, glad to hear the Sophie and Ruby are buddies now. We still talk about maybe getting another cat, but Sig seems to so enjoy owning the place, if you know what I mean. And we've been so lucky with Sig regarding allergies. The guys have had severe reactions to some other cats. Maybe we should quit while we're ahead -- unless another stray needing rescue wanders our way, anyway.

>170 lunacat: Sig is an indoor cat, so that helps with keeping him clean. I think he was definitely indoor before we had him, too, because his health and the condition of his coat were such that he couldn't have been outside much for long when he turned up on our doorstep. That's one reason we worked so hard trying to find his previous owner, with posters and an ad, because it was so obvious he had been someone's indoor pet not long before.

>171 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Lovely image, as always.

I just spent some time trying to organize upcoming reading for the rest of the year. Hah! My reading has felt terribly disorganized lately, and will probably continue to be so.

Hi Terri, I just finished reading Spirit of Steamboat, too. I thought it was sweet. I also have Christmas in Absaroka County downloaded from the library so I thought I'd give it a try, too.

Sig's adorable!

>175 Copperskye: Joanne, I'm reading Christmas in Absaroka County, too.

Sig says (meow) thank you for the compliment!

75 Challenge Book #104
Title: Savage Run
Author: C. J. Box
Genre or subject information: mystery about game warden in Wyoming
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2002
Series?: yes, Joe Pickett #2
Date finished: 12/14/14
Off the Shelf? Yes!
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

Animal lovers beware, this story begins with an exploding cow, and that unfortunate bovine was not the only critter casualty in this book set in the wilds of Wyoming. Joe Pickett is a game warden, and finds himself dealing with an explosion involving a famous environmentalist/saboteur. There are other sudden deaths of people in the environmental movement. What is going on? And what does Joe's wife have to do with it? There is evil afoot. This story had plenty of suspense, especially near the end.

Today was my day off from the library. I did some file weeding/paper shredding. I got Sig's claws trimmed. He's been a pistol today, jumping in the filing cabinet drawer, and generally making mischief. I wonder whether it would have been easier to just turn Sig loose in the file cabinet and let him shred everything before his pedicure. :)



I finished the short Walt Longmire story Christmas in Absaroka County, which I'm going to list up in post >172 tymfos: with Spirit of Steamboat; the next short I've downloaded, Messenger, will go with that listing too, as "book" #103 A, B, and C. There's another book of Walt Longmire stories I have on hold (the content of which may overlap these) that I'll be putting in that listing, too, as #103 D.

And what did Sig get filed under? P for pest, T for terror or H for handsome?

>178 lunacat: Actually, I captioned this "File under CAT." :) Not very original, huh? I should probably cross-reference him with all of your suggestions!

I'm loving the photos of Sig. Sig probably thought the filing cabinet was a box.

Well, you should think about making Sig apprentice. Perhaps you could get some profit a couple of years later. ;-)

I love the Sig-in-the-Filing-Cabinet story (and photo)! What a scamp, eh?

75 Challenge Book #105
Title: Buffalo West Wing
Author: Julie Hyzy
Genre or subject information: cozy set in The White House
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?: #4, White House Chef series
Date finished: 12-18-14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

I found parts of this book very aggravating, but it kept me wanting to know what came next, and the ending had a lot of suspense. Mystery chicken wings appear in the White House Kitchen as a new (fictional) President and his family take up residence. Protocol says food of unknown origin is never consumed by the First Family (duh!) but the new First Lady doesn't seem to understand the logic of this, no matter how many times the Chef and the Secret Service try to explain it to her. (duh?) Misunderstandings ensue that threaten Olivia's job as Executive Chef, in the midst of a terrorist plot aganst the new administration. A three-star beginning and a four-star ending average out to 3.5 stars, IMO.

>180 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori! He does love boxes.

>181 Ameise1: Barb, that's an interesting idea . . .

>182 scaifea: Thanks, Amber, he's indeed a bit of a scamp.

Dreary day today. Christmas is a week away, and I am NOT ready at all.

I'm listening to the audio of Started Early, Took My Dog as I go about my chores and errands. I think this is a book that would work better in hard copy. I'm having trouble following the various threads via the audio. Atkinson tends to get a bit complex, plus my attention span is rather limited these days.

I think I'm going to do something I almost NEVER do -- deliberately skip ahead in a series that I've been reading in order. I'm going out of order to read a Christmas installment during the Christmas season. Somehow, I never seem to be able to time my series reading so that I get to Christmas books at the right time of year. Six Geese a Slaying is sitting on my shelf, and I want to read it.

ETA No, on second thought, someone whose advice I greatly respect suggested reading Dennis Lehane's The Drop, and I grabbed that off the "NEW" library shelf and checked it out. I still may read the Andrews book later.

Terri, I wish you a lovely weekend and Merry Christmas.

>187 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

75 Challenge Book #106
Title: Circle of Hope: An Inspiring NASCAR Journey e-book
Author: Deann Alford
Genre or subject information: non-fiction sports-related Christian inspirational
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 12/21/14
Off the Shelf? Yes (the virtual shelf)
My Rating: 3.3 stars
Notes:

This is a book about the side of NASCAR most people don't see -- the drivers who struggle just to qualify for the race, or to have a car to race at all. We meet folks on some of the under-funded little teams who often can't afford enough tires to run the entire race -- racing in "start and park" mode for last-place prize money. The writer focuses mostly on the 2nd-tier NASCAR Nationwide series, though we see a bit behind the scenes of the top-tier Sprint cup series, too. We learn about the lives of these drivers, and a quite a bit about their outlook on life and faith. We meet one driver whose whole reason for continuing to race is to witness to his faith. I did enjoy reading about these folks.

The author's usual beat is writing articles for publications like Christianity Today magazine, often about issues of social justice and poverty. This is apperently the first time she's written a book, and it shows. Her style of present-tense writing might work well in presenting the immediacy of a current events story in a magazine, but for a book that covers events over half a decade, I find it a bit annoying. She's saying, "It's such-and-such a way" and I'm thinking, "That hasn't been the case for several years." I understand the literary reasons for sometimes writing in present tense (I'm doing it for this review) but for a non-fiction book covering matters going back a number of years (during which time much change has occurred) I think a straightforward past-tense approach would be less distracting.

That last book finished both my ROOT challenge and my 2014 Category Challenge. Since I'm already past 75 books here, I think I can consider my reading year a success.

I am horribly behind on threads. I suspect I'll never catch up. Surely this week isn't a time when I will.

My best wishes to all in this holiday season.

>189 tymfos: Surely this week isn't a time when I will.
Why try to catch up now when we can start fresh with everyone next week? :-)

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Terri!

Happiest of Christmases for you and yours, Terri (including Sig the Adorable, of course)!

Happy Holidays!

Thank you, Connie, Amber & Katherine!

75 Challenge Book #107
Title: Started Early, Took My Dog AUDIO
Author: Kate Atkinson
Genre or subject information: literary mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: not handy to find on audio
Series?: Jackson Brodie #4
Date finished: 12/23/14
Off the Shelf? NO, download
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

I had a bit of a hard time following this one. Atkinson tends to be complex, this time of year my brain does not handle compexity well, and I was doing it on audio so I couldn't easily check back to sort out details. So my sense of this is a bit fuzzy, though I got the gist of the main points. I enjoyed it, and I liked the dog.

What's the deal that I'm reading two books with rescued dogs this week? My current book is The Drop by Dennis Lehane, which starts with an abused dog being rescued. I'd better not have a dog show up on my doorstep tonight! Sig would not be amused.

Current reads:
The Drop by Dennis Lehane (fiction book)
Die a Stranger by Steve Hamilton (e-book)
Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke (audio)
Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL

Not exactly warm and fuzzy holiday reading. The Rooney book is pretty mellow, but the rest are fairly hard boiled. I didn't really plan it this way, just trying to catch up with some favorite authors.

I wanted to post some Christmas art that I'd added to my LT gallery "junk drawer," but half the stuff I had posted there isn't showing today. Why? There's no rhyme or reason to what's there and what isn't.

I don't think I'm going to have much time to be online this week (though I'll MAKE time to read).

So . . .

"God bless us all, everyone." Charles Dickens
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night." Clement C. Moore

Merry Christmas Terri! I hope Santa is good to you and manages to slip in a good book or two.

From our family to yours!

Merry Christmas to you and your family, Terri.

Doing the rounds with a festive Connie to wish you a very Merry Christmas full of joy, love and books.

Have a wonderful Christmas filled with joy and love.

Merry Christmas, Terri, and a joyful Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays, Terri!

I have enjoyed following your reading and pretty much everything - including the wonderful adventures of Sig! - posted here in 2014. wishing you and your loved ones a happy holiday season and all the best in 2015!

Best wishes for the holiday season to you and your family, Terri, particularly the irrepressible Sig.

Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas, Terri!

Let the madness begin!

http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2015

Thank you for the holiday greetings to Barb, Connie, Amber, Katherine, Carrie, Valerie, Linda, Jenny, Carrie, Peggy, Mark, Jess, Lori, Meg, Darryl, Paul. Wow! So many great folks. I wish you and yours all the best in this holiday season.

>207 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! I'll be there by the first of the year or so.

75 Challenge Book #108
Title: Die a Stranger
Author: Steve Hamilton
Genre or subject information: suspense fiction
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2012
Series?: Alex McKnight #9
Date finished: 12/26/14
Off the Shelf? no, library download
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

For an ex-copy, McKnight is awfully reluctant to ask for help from or cooperate with law enforcement. His lone-wolf style is aggravating, but the books would be a lot less exciting (and occasionally less aggravating) if he always played by the book.

McKnight's best friend Vinnie disappears shortly after his mother's death, at the same time as a drug-related massacre at a nearby airstrip. McKnight goes looking for Vinnie and another missing man, and winds up dealing with a pretty nasty situation. I don't want to spoil all the twists and turns of this suspenseful novel.

I get so annoyed with Alex, sometimes I wonder why I read these. In large measure, it's due to the stunning Upper Penninsula of Michigan setting, which I've visited several times and love. Hamilton captures the essence of this wild and beautiful area. I also like the characters, though Alex continually annoys me with his unwise choices. BTW, I don't think they're unrealistic choices for a hard-nosed, hard-headed individual of the type Alex is portrayed to be. And he does get drawn into situations, often because of his loyalty to his friends and determination to protect them.

This book pushes the lines of right and wrong more, perhaps, than any previous book in the series. It left me feeling a bit unsettled -- which is OK, because in the book Alex is pretty unsettled, too.

75 Challenge Book #109
Title: The Drop
Author: Dennis Lehane
Genre or subject information: novella
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2014 (previously published in a different form)
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 12-27-14
Off the Shelf? no, library book
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

This book is set (at least the beginning) at Christmas time, and starts with the rescue of an abused dog, but this is not your typical warm and fuzzy holiday read. Frankly, it's not your typical anything. The central character is Bob, bartender at a Chechen-mob-owned bar that's managed by (and used to be owned by, until the mob moved in) Bob's Cousin Marv. (Everybody calls him Cousin Marv, but he's really Bob's cousin.) Bob and his newly-found dog Rocco are helped by a troubled young woman named Nadia. There is crime, and double-crossing and lots of curisng. There are people who are not what they appear to be at first, and there are those who are obviously very, very twisted. One of those twisted people is Rocco's former owner, who decides he wants the dog back.

This short book is full of gritty realism, and some surprising twists and turns of plot. It's filled with the ambiguities and contradictions one finds in real life. It's a pretty amazing read, but not for the faint of heart.

Terri, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>212 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb!

75 Challenge Book #110
Title: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL
Author: Dan Rooney
Genre or subject information: sports autobiography
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 12-29-14
Off the Shelf? yes
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

I enjoyed many parts of this book. The Rooney's of Pittsburgh are a fascinating sports family, and the Steelers are an interesting team. Dan Rooney's memoiries go beyond the Steelers to much of the nuts-and-bolts business of the development of the National Football League. I also enjoyed his accounts of family visits to Ireland; however, it was written prior to his term as US Ambassador to that country.

There was a bit of bragging going on, but not so much about himself as about the people around him and the Steelers organization as a whole. Rooney comes across as the thoughtful, decent, principled man who loves his faith, family, football and his city of Pittsburgh. He may have been less than candid about some family squabbles which have since become public, perhaps putting a bit of "spin" onto events such as the firing of one of his brothers.

This account, published in 2007, pretty much ends with the hiring of Mike Tomlin as coach. I don't think, as he wrote this, Rooney could have anticipated some of the controversies that have arisen in the years since.

Then end of the book includes brief interviews with some famed members of the Steelers organization over the years, and also a thumbnail background sketch of each NFL club (as it stood at the time of publication).

ETA to add I do think the book could have been organized better. Parts of it skipped around in time and resulted in repetition. Also, the chapters were long and the chapter headings were hardly inclusive of much of the subject matter that the chapters covered.

I'm going to have to add this Dan Rooney list to my TBR. I like reading about the Steelers.

Nice review of My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL, Terri. I may have to read it as well.

>214 lindapanzo: >215 kidzdoc: Hi, Linda & Darryl! It was a fun read, though I'm sure he slanted some things to present in best light. There were some comments about the NFL commissioner that were, uh, interesting in light of recent events -- like saying he had as a priority being tough on discipline regarding anything that might bring discredit to the league.

I felt it was somewhat lacking in organization, as it skipped around in time and confused me a bit -- there was some repetition. Perhaps that's to be expected in a book written in such a conversational tone.

Hooray! I just won an LT ER copy of Eric Larson's new book about the Titanic Lusitania. A favorite author writes on a subject of tremendous interest to me. I think I can probably count on enjoying this one.

ETA to fix info about ER book

>216 tymfos: I requested the Larson book but I ended up winning a different one. I'll be looking forward to your review.

Hi Terri

I send all good wishes for a warm, wonderful and healthy 2015 filled with many great books to read.

>217 thornton37814: I wanted this one so much, I didn't request any others. It's one I'll read as soon as it arrives.

>218 Whisper1: Thank you so much, Linda dear. Best wishes to you for the new year, hoping your surgery will go well.

75 Challenge Book #111
Title: The Shadows in the Street
Author: Susan Hill
Genre or subject information: literary mystery (police procedural and so much more)
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2010
Series?: Simon Serrailler #5
Date finished: 1:30 a.m. 12-31-14
Off the Shelf? yes
My Rating: 4.3 stars
Notes:

Here I am again, staying up late to finish one of Susan Hill's books, and too wound up after finishing to go to sleep.

Two prostitutes go missing, bodies are found, more women (not just prostitues) go missing, the public then gets alarmed. Inspector Serrailler is called back from sabatical to head the investigation.

Meanwhile, life goes on in Lafferton. Cat continues to mourn the death of her husband and ponders changes in her work situation and going back to school. A new Dean of the Cathedral is appointed, and begins making radical changes in worship and program that create massive conflict; meanwhile, his home life begins to unravel.

The books in this series always start out rather slow, as Hill sets the scene and immerses us in the enviorns of Lafferton. But at some point the book becomes absolutely un-put-down-able (at least for me). This one tackles a couple of tough issues -- prostitution and mental illness.

I've got a copy of the new Eric Larson book, too. It should be good!

>219 tymfos: I can't wait to read it, Joanne! I just hope it arrives -- three of the last four books I was "awarded" never showed up.

May all your wishes come true.

Thanks Jenny and Barb! Happy New Year to you, too!

The nice thing about having my in-laws spend time with us is that my MIL and I can have a lively conversation, then settle down and read comfortably in companionable silence. So I've had some good reading time. And this was yet another worthy read to cap off my year.

75 Challenge Book #112
Title: The Chicago Way
Author: Michael Harvey
Genre or subject information: mystery (hard-boiled contemporary PI)
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Series?: Michael Kelly #1
Date finished: 12-31-14
Off the Shelf? YES
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

This is another book I found hard to put down. This one is a contemporary hard-boiled PI tale set in Chicago. Kelly's former partner approaches him about a rape case from almost a decade before. But there's more to this than initially meets the eye. This one is complex and I did not see the ending coming.

Hope you have a Happy New Year, Terri.

Thanks, Meg! Wishing you the same!

OK, I've just officially "joined" the 75 Challenge for 2015, though I haven't started my thread yet. I'm wanting to simplify things for the new year. I thought of eliminating my series listings on my thread, and just tracking them through FictFact. But I kind of like referring to the list here. I thought of eliminating the list of series I haven't started yet, at least, but I think the first comment on this thread was about that list, with suggestion of what to start next, so I hate to eliminate that. I think I'll get rid of the statistics. I need to keep my list of books read. I may simplify my posts, not using the template I have in recent years. I won't have to make room to list other challenges, as I plan to make this my one and only, for now.

I really want to keep things simple this year, and read what I want to read.

Terri,



Happy New Year from your friend in Kuala Lumpur

Happy new year Terri!

Hi Terri! Best wishes for a happy, healthy year filled with good friends and books. : )

Terri, I wish you a fabulous weekend and hope to find your new thread soon.

Thanks, Paul, Rachel, Kim, and Barbara.

Here's my 2015 thread:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/185856