tymfos “Series”ous Food challenge

2016 Category Challenge “Series”ous Food

Hi! Welcome to my thread!

Once again, I’m focusing on series reading. But this year, I’m adding a little “flavor” to the effort. I realize that many of my categories are too broad to be represented by any one dish, or even two dishes. I mean no disrespect to any nationality if the choice of dish doesn’t quite fit the settings of all the books, or seems stereotypical. If anyone with more cultural knowledge has a better suggestion for a category's food, please don't hesitate to make a suggestion.

Being a bit of a traditionalist, I’m sticking to “the numbers” – 16 categories – but my goal is simply at least one in each category. Some categories will have many more, of course. A book can be placed in as many categories as it fits. These categories are subject to change at any time. At this time, I’m just organizing my thoughts.

1. Appetizer -- The first book in a series
2. Salad -- The second book in a series
3. Main Course -- Books in the “middle” of a series. This year, I’ll only list books here that don’t fit in any other categories, to avoid a ridiculously long list here.
4. Dessert -- The last/most recent book in a series
5. Snacks -- books from a series read alone or out of order
6. Lutefisk -- Books/series with a Scandinavian/Nordic setting
7. Cheesesteaks and Scrapple -- Book/series set in Pennsylvania
8. "Bartender, I'll have an Old Fashioned" – Books/series where history plays a significant role / historical fiction
9. Rice -- Books/series set in Asia.
10. Cappuccino and a bagel -- Books/series which feature coffee/tea, coffee shops/tea rooms, or baking/bakeries
11. Mint Julep -- Books/series set in the Southern US
12. Guinness Stout -- Books/series set in Ireland or featuring those of Irish descent
13. Fish & Chips – Books /series with a British setting
14. Lasagna -- Books/series set in Italy
15. Indian Fry Bread -- Books/series featuring Native Americans
16. Peanuts and Crackerjackx -- Books/series relating to sports
16. Genuine, All-Natural Ingregients -- This is the category for books from non-fiction collections.

1. Appetizer -- The first book in a series

1. The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall (Vish Puri series #1)
2. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley (Harmony series)
3. Never Buried by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow series)
4. Plainsong by Kent Haruf (Plainsong books)
5. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch series)
6. Death at Charity Point by William G. Tapply (Brady Coyne series)
7. The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty (Sean Duffy series)
8. A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams (Books by the Bay series)
9. The Body in Blackwater Bay by Paula Gosling (Blackwater Bay series)
10. Snow Angels by James Thompson (Inspector Vaara series)
11. The Shadow of the Wind (Cemetery of Forgotten Books series)
12. Pale as the Dead by Fiona Mountain
13. Sign Off by Patricia McLinn (Caught Dead in Wyoming series)
14. Cold Florida by Philip DePoy (Foggy Moskowitz Mysteries)
15. The Blue Edge of Midnight by Jonathon King (Max Freeman series)

currently reading:
One Coffee With by Margaret Maron (Sigrid Harald series)

2. Salad -- The second book in a series. There are so many series that I mean to continue but never get around to that second book.

1. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon (Inspector Brunetti series #2)
2. Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen (Skink series #2)
3. Never Sorry by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow series)
4. The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt (John Cardinal #2)
5. Someone You Know (aka "Hurt") by Brian McGilloway (DS Lucy Black series)
6. Eventide by Kent Haruf (Plainsong books)
7. The Water Room by Christopher Fowler (Bryant & May series)
8. The September Society by Charles Finch (Charles Lenox series)
9. The Girls She Left Behind by Sarah Graves (Lizzie Snow series)
10. Tailing a Tabby by Laurie Cass (Bookmobile Cat series)
11. Field of Screams by Mickey Bradley (sequel to Haunted Baseball

Currently Reading:

3. Main Course -- Books in the “middle” of a series (not first or second, nor latest). This year, I’ll only list books here that don’t fit in any other categories, to avoid a ridiculously long list here.

1. Shelf Ice by Aaron Stander (Ray Elkins series)
2. Winterkill by C.J. Box (Joe Pickett series)
3. Signs and Wonders by Philip Gulley (Harmony series)
4. Benediction by Kent Haruf (Plainsong books)
5. Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel (Bad Kitty series)
6. Trophy Hunt by C.J. Box (Joe Pickett series)
7. Life Goes On by Philip Gulley (Harmony series)
8. Christmas in Harmony by Philip Gulley

4. Dessert -- The last/most recent book in a series (at the time of reading)

1. A Specter of Justice by Mark DeCastrique (Sam Blackman series -- released 2015)
2. The Highwayman by Craig Johnson (Walt Longmire novella -- released May 2016)
3. The Girls She Left Behind by Sarah Graves (Lizzie Snow series -- released 2016)
4. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (Plainsong books, posthumous release)
5. The Baby Snatcher by Ann Cleeves (Inspector Ramsay series)
6. The Forgotten Ones by Brian McGilloway (DS Lucy Black series -- released 2015)
7. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (Three Pines/Inspector Gamache)
8. Police by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole series)
7. Risky Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (Burryin' Barry series)
8. An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson (Longmire series)
9. Wolf Lake: A Novel by John Verdon (Dave Gurney series)
10. Manitou Canyon by William Kent Krueger (Cork O'Connor series)
11. Lila by Marilynne Robinson (Gilead novels)

currently reading:

5. Snacks -- books from a series read alone or out of order. (This category gives me permission to go out-of-order on series books, which I often hesitate to do, but which is sensible or convenient at some times.)

1. Beneath the Book Tower by Steve Hamilton (short story, Alex McKnight series)
2. Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow series, #7)
3. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley. (Harmony series)
4. Never Buried by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow series)
5. The Body in Blackwater Bay by Paula Gosling (Blackwater Bay series)

(Three of these were first books in their respective series, but I had read later books first, and decided to go back to the beginning and read them all.)

currently reading

6. Lutefisk -- Books/series with a Scandinavian/Nordic setting

1. The Body in the Fjord by Katherine Hall Page (Norway - Faith Fairchild series)
2. The Leopard by Jo Nesbo (Norway -- Harry Hole series)
3. Phantom by Jo Nesbo (Norway -- Harry Hole series)
4. Snow Angels by James Thompson (Finland -- Inspector Vaara series)
5. Police by Jo Nesbo (Norway -- Harry Hole series)
6. The Draining Lake by Arlandur Indridason (Iceland -- Inspector Erlender)

currently reading:

7. Cheesesteaks and Scrapple -- Book/series set in Pennsylvania

1. Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire (Western PA, near Pittsburgh -- Leigh Koslow series. Also related to battle of Gettysburg)
2. Never Buried by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow series)
3. Never Sorry by Edie Claire
4. Never Preach Past Noon by Edie Claire
5. Haunted Roads of Western Pennsylvania by Thomas White (Haunted America collection)

8. "Bartender, I'll Have an Old Fashioned" – Historical fiction series & Books/series where history plays a significant role

1. Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow series)
2. Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie (Kincade/James series)
3. The Water Room by Christopher Fowler (Bryant & May)
4. The September Society by Charles Finch
5. Pale as the Dead by Fiona Mountain (Natasha Blake genealogy mysteries)

9. Rice -- Books/series set in Asia.

1. The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall (India - Vish Puri series)
2. The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill (Dr. Siri. series)

10. Cappuccino and a bagel -- Books/series which feature coffee/ tea, or a coffee shop/ tea room; or baking/bakeries

1. Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie (Kincade/James series)

currently reading:
One Coffee With by Margaret Maron (Sigrid Harald)

11. Mint Julep -- Books/series set in the Southern US

1. Six geese a slaying by Donna Leon (Virginia - Meg Langslow series))
2. Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen (Florida - Skink series))
3. The Riesling Retribution by Ellen Crosby (Virginia - Wine Country Mysteries) AUDIO
4. Out on a Limb: A Smoky Mountains Mystery by Carolyn Jourdan (Tennessee/North Carolina) e-book
5. A Specter of Justice by Mark de Castrique (North Carolina - Sam Blackman series)
6. Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews (Virginia -- Meg Langslow series)
7. Final Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (North Carolina -- Buryin' Barry series)
8. A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams (Books by the Bay series)
9. Home Fires by Margaret Maron (North Carolina -- Judge Deborah Knott series)
10. Fatal Undertaking by Mark de Castrique
11. Risky Undertaking by Mark de Castrique
12. Storm Track by Margaret Maron

currently reading:

12. Guinness Stout -- Books/series set in Ireland or featuring those of Irish descent

1. The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty AUDIO
2. Someone You Know by Brian McGilloway
3. The Forgotten Ones by Brian McGilloway

currently reading

13. Fish & Chips – Books /series with a British setting

1. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie (Kincade/James series)
2. Wednesday's Child by Peter Robinson (Inspector Alan Banks series)
3. Final Account by Peter Robinson (AKA Dry Bones that Dream) (Inspector Alan Banks series)
4. Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie (Kincade/James series)
5. A Finer End by Deborah Crombie (Kincade/James series)
6. The Healers by Ann Cleeves (Inspector Ramsay series)
7. The Lamp of the wicked by Phil Rickman (Merrily Watkins series)
8. The Water Room by Charles Finch (Bryant & May)
9. The September Society by Christopher Fowler
10. And Justice There is None by Deborah Crombie
11. From Doon With Death by Ruth Rendell (Inspector Wexford series)
12. Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler (Bryant & May)
13. Pale as the Dead by Fiona Mountain (Natasha Blake)

Currently reading

14. Lasagna -- Books/series set in Italy

1. The patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri (Inspector Montalbano series)
2. Death in a strange country by Donna Leon (Comissario Brunetti series)
3. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri
4. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri
5. Dressed for Death by Donna Leon
6. The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri
7. The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri
8. The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri
9. Death and Judgment by Donna Leon
10. The Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri

currently reading

15. Indian Fry Bread -- Books/series featuring Native Americans

1. Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn/Chee series)
2. A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn/Chee)
3. Talking God by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn/Chee)
4. Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn/Chee)
5. The Story Teller by Margaret Coel (Wind River)
6. Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn/Chee)
7. Manitou Canyon by William Kent Krueger (Cork O'Connor series)
8. The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman
9. Cold Florida by Philip DePoy (Foggy Moskowitz series)

16. "Genuine, All-Natural Ingredients" -- This is the category for books from non-fiction collections.

1. Ghosts of Grand Rapids by Nicole Bray (Haunted America collection)
2. Haunted Green Bay by Timothy Freiss (Haunted America collection)
3. Haunted Roads of Western Pennsylvania by Thomas White (Haunted America collection) -- analysis of spooky folklore
4. The Case for Grace by Lee Strobel (one of a number of "Case For" books written by Strobel about aspects of the Christian faith.)
5. Field of Screams by Mickey Bradley (sequel to Haunted Baseball)

currently reading

SUMMARY

1. Appetizer -- The first book in a series: 14
2. Salad -- The second book in a series: 11
3. Main Course -- Books in the “middle” of a series: 8
4. Dessert -- The last/most recent book in a series: 11
5. Snacks -- books from a series read alone or out of order: 5
6. Lutefisk -- Books/series with a Scandinavian/Nordic setting 6
7. Cheesesteaks and Scrapple -- Book/series set in Pennsylvania: 5
8. Old Fashioned – Books/series with lots of history: 5
9. Rice -- Books/series set in Asia: 2
10. Cappuccino and a bagel -- Books/series which feature coffee/coffee shops; tea/tea rooms; baked goods/bakeries: 1
11. Mint Julep -- Books/series set in the Southern US : 12
12. Guinness Stout -- Books/series set in Ireland or featuring those of Irish descent: 3
13. Fish & Chips – Books /series with a British setting: 13
14. Lasagna -- Books/series set in Italy: 10
15. Indian Fry Bread -- Books/series featuring Native Americans: 9
16. Genuine All-Natural" -- Books from non-fiction collections : 5

Welcome!

Yum! Despite having just had supper, I'm hungry again reading your categories ;) Great theme! I will be devouring the Guinness and fish&chip categories in particular.

Mmmmm.... Fry bread... with honey. Are you going to cook when you finish a book? If so, I might pick something tastier than lutefisk. Lefse is yummy. Well, I haven't tried lutefisk. I just remember once when I was working in an office with the lutefisk king, and he convinced most of the staff to go to a lutefisk dinner where the fish wasn't drained properly. It was kind of gelatinous, I heard, and I also heard that they made everyone swear to tell people that lutefisk is good. It's got to be bad if you have to make people swear to say they liked it.

Love your theme and categories! I look forward to following along.

Like the way you've organized your theme this year. Looking forward to seeing what some categories will hold as they seem fairly specific. And hoping for not to many BBs.

Nice setup! Good luck! I'm a series reader too, and I just might steal this idea for 2017!

Welcome back, Terri. Very clever challenge and, of course, I'll be following along.

Fun way to organize you categories. I hope you have a delicious year of reading!

Love it! Looking forward to the lutefish especially, of course. :)

I'm going to be very hungry following your challenge in 2016.

Love your theme! So creative!

Scrapple! It's so good...but when I described it to a friend of mine as "everything but the oink," she was reluctant to try it, for some reason. :)

A food challenge - YUM! You just know I will be back often to check out the food books you read! ;-)

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2016!

Oh, so many visitors! Hello!

Happy New Year, rabbitprincess, Katie, Christiane, Betty, Jean, Linda, mamzel, Eva, Lori, Stacy, Christina, and Lori! Thanks for stopping by my thread! I hope to get a chance to visit your category challenge threads soon!

Very yummy setup! I'll make sure to eat dinner before stopping by!

Happy New Year Terri. I am looking forward to following along with your mystery reading this year even though I always feel so far behind you in the series!

>30 christina_reads: My dad cooked scrapple for breakfast frequently, and I never tried it. I was pretty picky growing up. I might try it now, but I'm not going to seek it out!

>8 tymfos: Cheesesteaks on the other hand - oh yeah! Pat's or Geno's?

I will enjoy following your challenge - but now I have to go eat something...

Hi to all visitors! I'm glad you all stoped by. I'm posting by smart phone because my internet is out so comments are brief.

Series books read so far:
The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (1-5-16)
Six Geese a Slaying by Donna Andrews (1-6-16) Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman (1-6-16) e-book
Beneath the Book Tower by Steve Hamilton e-book short story (1-7-16)
Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon (1-8-16)
Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen (1-13-16) e-book
Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire (1-16-16). E-book

Hope your Internet is back soon! It is handy to be able to post by smartphone but typing can feel so slow on a touchscreen ;)

>36 tymfos: Looks like you've been doing some good reading. I need to check out a couple of those. The Hamilton book/short story title has me intrigued. I'll have to check out the Edie Claire series simply because the title contains the word "historian."

>37 rabbitprincess: Thanks!

>38 thornton37814: Not sure how much history is in the other books. This is the first one I've read, and the history angle seemed related to this particular mystery. But maybe not.

I just made my first category change. I changed "Cappuccino" to "Cappuccino and a bagel." I'm afraid I won't have that much in the way of coffee mysteries, but if I add in the baked goods, I could have a nice list. :)

Great theme! I'll be watching out for the mysteries.

>36 tymfos:
Great progress so far! Hope your "real" internet is back soon!

>41 VivienneR: Welcome, Vivienne! Lots of mysteries here!

>42 -Eva-: It's back now, Eva. New router up and running. Now to catch up all those unread posts!

Series books since last post of books, >36 tymfos:

Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie (1-17-16)
The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall AUDIO (1-18-16)
Wednesday's Child by Peter Robinson (1-25-16)
Final Account by Peter Robinson (AKA Dry Bones that Dream) e-book

I am actively reading the Crombie series. I just got hold of two more via ILL that I'll be reading. The Tarquin Hall book was interesting. It was set in modern India, and full of the culture and atmosphere of that country. I am a big fan of the Peter Robinson series, too.

I'm thinking of changing another category. I really want one for books that involve history in some way. I might call it by the name of a cocktail, an "Old Fashioned." But I don't know which category to replace. The "Jambalaya" category really could be absorbed into the southern category; Louisiana is part of the south, after all, but New Orleans and its environs has such a distinct character.

OK, so far this month my series reading includes:

The Riesling Retribution by Ellen Crosby AUDIO (2-2-16)
Out on a Limb: A Smoky Mountain Mystery by Carolyn Jourdan e-book(2-3-16)
Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie (2-6-16) -- this one involved a lot of history, and a tea company. Fits my coffee/tea category.
Broken English by P.L. Gaus e-book(2-9-16)
The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (2-10-16)

currently reading
Dressed for Death by Donna Leon
A Finer End by Deborah Crombie
Shelf Ice by Aaron Stander e-book
Artifacts by Mary Anna Evans AUDIO

Love the Crombir series! Seeing your post reminds me that I need to find out when the latest book will be released.

>47 LittleTaiko: It is a good series, though the one I just finished today -- A Finer End -- was a bit of an odd installment.

I also finished Shelf Ice by Aaron Stander. It was an OK mystery, though the ending was a bit of a letdown.

OK, I finished Dressed for Death -- I liked it.
I finished A Finer End -- not one of my favorites in the series.
I abandoned Artifacts. It's not a bad book, just not what I wanted to be reading.
I read A Specter of Justice by Mark de Castrique. I love the Sam Blackman series!
I read The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt -- very well written.

currently reading:
Winterkill by C.J. Box
The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO

I see your series reading is moving right along, Terri. I'm glad that you are still enjoying the Giles Blunt series. It's one of the few that I am actually ahead of you, my next one will be the 5th in the series.

How is the Andrea Camilleri series in audio? I haven't tried listening to one yet.

Judy, I have you to thank for finding the Giles Blunt series. It was a great "BB" for me to catch! I was reading along in it one night, way too late but not wanting to put it down, and thought "why do I read some of the junk I read when there are books like this?"

The Camilleri series is wonderful on audio. All the ones I've listened to have been narrated by Grover Gardner, and he does a fabulous job. I kind of feel about this series like I do about the Longmire series -- whenever possible, I get them on audio! So far, I think I've done all the Montalbano series that way. I'm lucky Carnegie library added Hoopla to its mix of services, because I needed to go to them for several recently.

>51 tymfos: Thanks Terri, I love Longmire in audio and will have to give the Camilleri series a try. It's great having the audio versions as options, it sure helps with both the housework and plodding along on the treadmill!

>50 DeltaQueen50: >51 tymfos: Grover Gardner is excellent on Montalbano. I too now prefer to listen to those!

>51 tymfos:
Great to know - adding to my Audible wishlist!

>52 DeltaQueen50: I's great having the audio versions as options, it sure helps with both the housework and plodding along on the treadmill!
Judy, I know exactly what you mean! I can motivate myself for both kinds of tasks when I have the promise that I can listen to a good audio book!

>53 thornton37814: Lori I think that sometimes the right narrator can make a book even better than it is, if you know what I mean.

>54 -Eva-: Do, Eva! They are great.

I finished The Wings of the Spinx (Montalbano series) It wasn't one of my favorites, as I found some aspects of the ending a bit unsatisfying, but I enjoyed my time with Montalbano, with Grover Gardner's narration.

I'm currently listening to Home to Harmony, the first in Philip Gulley's Harmony series. I had read the second-in-series earlier, not knowing at first that it was part of a series. (It was a loan from a friend.)

I'm finding Winterkill in C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series a bit of a slow go. It's just not grabbing me, but it's good enough that I don't want to abandon it. I must say, even though it was written more than a decade ago, it's very timely. It includes disgruntled right-wing extremists and a Federal land management area.

I'll chime in with everyone else and say that I love Grover Gardner's narration of the Montalbano books. He also does a fantastic job with Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series.

>56 tymfos: - Winterkill was one of my favorites. You've reminded me that I'm woefully behind on that series. I have the last three sitting on my TBR shelf. Time to get caught up!

>57 mathgirl40: Yes! Hmm, I haven't read the Vorkosigan series . . . don't know anything about that one.

>59 tymfos: I'm back to reading Winterkill. I realized that I just wanted to get to this month's Tony Hillerman book, A Thief of Time (for the reading project going on in the 75 Challenge) so I put Winterkill aside and read the Hillerman, which I loved. I'm much happier with Winterkill now that I've done that bit of reading business.

Along the way, I've read two series e-books: The Body in the Fjord by Katherine Hall Page (Faith Fairchild series), and Never Buried by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow series). They were enjoyable cozies.

I finished Winterkill. What an ending!

I read Healers by Ann Cleeves, a neat little police procedural from the Inspector Ramsay series.

I finished the audio of The Track in the Sand, from the Inspector Montalbano series by Andrea Camilleri. I do so enjoy these on audio, with Grover Gardner narrating.

In this one, Montalbano finds a dead horse in the sand outside his beachfront home. Then the horse's body disappears. Someone keeps breaking into Montalbano's house. Is the Mafia involved? Quite an odd story, but enjoyable.

I'm not getting much reading done this month. Only five books, two of them on audio. And only three series books that count for this challenge!

I've decided to scrap my "Jambalaya" (Louisiana) category -- anything that would have gone there can go in Mint Julep, my general southern category.

I've changed that category to and "Old Fashioned" (it's a cocktail I've never tried) which is a good name for books involving history in some significant way.

I've also tweaked my "Capuccino and a Bagel" category to include tea and tea rooms, since a lot of coffee shops sell tea, too.

Two other categories, which I'm keeping for now, are totally lacking entries: "Peanuts and Crackerjack," my sports category; and "Guiness Stout," my Irish category.

The other 12 categories all have at least one book completed, as we approach the 1/3 mark of the year.

You're doing well so far! And good call to change up categories that aren't working or not being used as much as anticipated.

Hi, Rabbitprincess! My reading has slowed down a bit lately, but the end of the semester is near, and I hope to have a little more reading time soon.

When I start my categories, I always reserve the right to change them if they aren't working. I think my recent changes will work for the best.

I just finished Kent Haruf's Plainsong. It's the first of several of his books that share the same setting in Holt, Colorado.

I read another Tony Hillerman book, Talking God. I found the plot a little convoluted. Not a favorite for me, compared to others in that great series.

Two cozies done for my Pennsylvania category: Never Sorry and Never Preach Past Noon by Edie Claire. They're set in Pittsburgh environs.

I'm listening to the audio book of one of the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo, The Leopard, for my Nordic category.

I finished The Leopard. I had to turn to an e-book download when my audio loan expired.

I read the new Longmire novella, The Highwayman.

I also finished another Meg Langslow, Stork Raving Mad.

Currently reading:
The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty AUDIO This will be the first in my Irish category.
Final Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (Buryin' Barry series)

I finished Final Undertaking. I really liked that one!

Talking God is next on my reread-list. It was too long ago for me to remember it, but I like the series a lot, so it'll be interesting to see what a reread does. :)

I finished The Cold, Cold Ground. Very well done, but a little out of my comfort zone. The audio narration was very, very good.

I also tried a book from William Tapply's old Brady Coyne series, set in Boston area: Death at Charity's Point. I wasn't crazy about it. It was the author's first
novel, so maybe I'll try another someday.

Oh, and I raced through Michael Connelly's The Black Echo. Very good.

I just recently decided to start the Harry Bosch series over again. I couldn't remember where I left off and I really liked the series so I decided to start over.

ETA: Also glad you were just busy and not missing.

>72 -Eva-: Hi, Eva! It's always interesting to reread a book read long ago.

>74 dudes22: Hi, Betty! I had read one or two from the middle of the Bosch series years ago, and have been meaning to go back to the start and finally did.

My LT time has been very irregular this year.

>74 dudes22: I took The Black Ice, #2 in the Bosch series, on vacation with me -- but then got distracted by the books I bought while I was away!

Series books I've finished since mid-June:

Signs and Wonders by Philip Gully (6-18-16)
The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill (6-22-16)
Someone You Know by Brian McGilloway e-book (6-25-16)
The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (6-25-16)
Eventide by Kent Haruf (7-3-16)
The Lamp of the Wicked by Phil Rickman (7-4-16)
Bad Kitty gets a Bath by Nick Bruel (7-6-16)
The Water Room by Christopher Fowler e-book (7-5-16)
A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams (7-9-16)
The September Society by Charles Finch AUDIO (7-10-16)
The Girls She Left Behind by Sarah Graves e-book (7-10-16)
Death and Judgment by Donna Leon AUDIO (7-14-16)
Benediction by Kent Haruf (7-17-16)
And Justice There Is None by Deborah Crombie AUDIO(7-21-16)
Home Fires by Margaret Maron AUDIO (7-25-16)
Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman (8-2-16)
From Doon With Death by Ruth Rendell e-book (8-3-16)
Phantom by Jo Nesbo AUDIO (8-6-16)
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (8-11-16)
Tailing a Tabby by Laurie Cass e-book (8-12-16)
The Body in Blackwater Bay by Paula Gosling (8-14-16)
The Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler e-book (8-18-16)
The Story Teller by Margaret Coel AUDIO (8-19-16)
The Baby Snatcher by Ann Cleeves e-book

I've really been focused on series books!

Wow, good for you, Terri, I have tons of series on the go, but seem to get easily distracted away from my series reading. I am hoping to really apply myself during the September Series and Sequels next month.

Judy, I'm probably too focused on series lately. I'm probably missing some great stand-alone books! But a lot of the series books were good vacation reads.

I finished another: The Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri. I love listening to the Inspector Montalbano series, narrated by Grover Gardner.

I'm thinking of losing my sports category. I read a fair amount of sports non-fiction, but series reads are few and far between. I have one of the Troy Soos baseball mysteries on the shelf, but that's pretty much it. And, as it takes place early in the 20th century, it could as easily be put in the historical fiction category.

I'm thinking I need something here to encourage me to read non-fiction. I have a lot of non-fiction books which are parts of trilogies and collections. I finished the Shelby Foote Civil War trilogy but, for instance, I have books by Bruce Catton which are volumes in a set. I really need to read some of those.

>80 tymfos: I've really been enjoying my non-fiction reads. I used to be such a fiction girl.
Next year I'm planning a Dewey category so they can fit in.

>81 VictoriaPL: All but one of my "books of the month" this year have been non-fiction, which seems surprising. I must be picking better ones!

>80 tymfos: I don't have any suggestions but I hope some great non-fiction catches your eye! :)

Hello to Victoria and Rabbitprincess. Thanks for the encouragement. I've decided to make the change. I now have a "Genuine, All-Natural" non-fiction category.

>79 tymfos: I love Grover Gardner's narration of that series too. He does a great job on Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series too.

>84 mathgirl40: Hi, Paulina! I've never tried McMaster's series. More for the TBR list....

I just finished another book set in Northern Ireland, The Forgotten Ones (aka Preserve the Dead by Brian McGilloway. I never know whether to list them in the Irish category or British category, since it is Irish, but it is part of Great Britain. It seems redundant to list the books in both. I tend to go with the Irish category, as I have so many books already in the British one.

They call the books in this series "Lucy Black Thrillers," but I really don't find them true thrillers. They are more police procedurals. In this one, it might have been more of a thriller if the author had written it to give the reader more investment in the characters most at risk as the story unfolded. As it was, peripheral characters were the ones most in need of saving, except for a few brief moments when Lucy herself was in harm's way.

For my southern category: Fatal Undertaking from the Burryin' Barry series by Mark de Castrique. I love this series!

>87 tymfos: Covering my eyes and tip toeing out - I don't need another series either! ;)

>87 tymfos: - I took a BB from you for this series back in 2014 and have #1 on my nook waiting to be read. Maybe I'll make it the next book for my treadmill reading since I have 2 categories it could go into.

>88 DeltaQueen50: LOL!

>89 dudes22: Sound like a plan. I hope you like it, Betty!

My series reading is starting to take shape for September Series & Sequels over on the 75 Challenge. Current series reads:

Paper book: A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (about 100 pages in)
E-book: Snow Angels by James Thompson
Audio: Police by Jo Nesbo

I've got holds placed on these books -- we'll see if they're available in time:
Trophy Hunt by C.J. Box
Dr. Sleep by Stephen King (sequel to The Shining)
An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson (to be released Sept. 6 -- probably slim odds getting that by the end of the month)

Others planned/possible:
Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell

Ok, let's see. Since my last post, I finished:

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (Thre Pines series)
Snow Angels by James Thompson (Inspector Vaara series)
Police by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole series)
Risky Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (Burryin' Barry series)
The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason (Inspector Erlendur series)
An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson (Longmire series)

They really were all very good books!

I'm currently reading Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Of the others I had stated as possibilities, I'm still waiting for my hold to come up for Trophy Hunt
I got Doctor Sleep and started it, but decided I wasn't in the mood for something quite that weird, and I returned it so the next person on the waiting list could have it
I never got to Lila or Epitaph -- yet.

I guess I could list my devotional read as a "series" read. It is The Case for Grace by Lee Strobel. He has written a number of these "case for" books about aspects of the Christian faith.

You are my "series-reading hero" Terri!

>92 tymfos: - I see quite a few on that list that are in my TBR, although they are probably not the next one I need to read; I'm so far behind in my series. - Oh well - maybe next year I'll concentrate on some of them.

>93 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Thanks!

>94 dudes22: Betty, no matter how many series books I read, my list of series books TBR never shrinks . . .

What Judy said! I am impressed by your commitment to work on those series. They seem to multiply like rabbits!

>96 rabbitprincess: Hi, Rabbitprincess! They do multiply, don't they? For each book I read, there are a crowd more of them yelling "read me!" from my shelves . . . never mind the huddled masses of unread volumes on the shelves in the library . . .

Seconding (thirding?) what Judy said! I get in moods when all I read is series, but it's been a while now and I miss it a little. Perhaps I jinxed myself now and will get hooked on a series that already has 112 installments... :)

Hi, Eva!

I'm still plugging along with a lot of series books. Gosh, I haven't posted on this thread for almost a month! I'll have to note my latest reads . . . though I haven't gotten much read lately.

eta Looks like I'm still reading several of the books that were "in progress" at the end of September when I last posted. I did finish these:

Haunted Roads of Western Pennsylvania by Thomas White e-book (10-7-16) -- Haunted America collection

The Case for Grace by Lee Strobel (10-18-16) "Case For" books about Christianity

Wolf Lake by John Verdon e-book (10-20-16) Dave Gurney series.

And I'm reading Trophy Hunt in the C.J. Box Joe Pickett series.

>99 tymfos: I've got one of the books in the Haunted America series sitting in my office to be cataloged for our East Tennessee collection. It's the Haunted Chattanooga one.

>100 thornton37814: Some of those Haunted America books aren't very good, but this one was, at least if you like to look at the stories in terms of folklore analysis (which I do). I haven't read the Haunted Chattanooga one, though I think I have it available via Hoopla.

>101 tymfos: We have a few of the others from around the state too. I only glanced at this one. It's still in my office because my student worker hasn't arrived to process it. I'm sure with Halloween almost here and as many students as we have from Chattanooga and surrounding areas this one will check out almost immediately if we display it.

>102 thornton37814: I bet it did check out quickly!

Lori, I finished the first of the genealogy mysteries by Fiona Mountain, Pale as the Dead. I rather liked it. Natasha is kind of a strange character, though. The genealogy in it is interesting, but she seems like a bit of a mess -- not a bad person, but horribly insecure and unpredictable. Even allowing for her background, I couldn't understand some of her personal attitudes and decisions. I have the second (and last) one on my shelf; maybe the author will be clearer about who the character is.

I also finished Trophy Hunt by C.J. box (Joe Pickett series). I was slow to get into it, but eventually really got immersed; and then there was a curve at the end that I didn't expect or particularly welcome. I need to try the next one to see if that direction continues.

On audio, I listened to Margaret Maron's Storm Track. I really like the Judge Deborah Knott series, and I thought this was a really good one.

>103 tymfos: It hasn't arrived yet (or maybe its invoice hasn't). Either way, it hasn't made its way to my office.

Ok, I read another book of "true" ghost stories (though the last chapter, about the elaborate hoaxes baseball players pull on one another, delightfully calls most of the stories into question.) Field of Screams by Mickey Bradley is a sequel to Haunted Baseball.

Ghosts aside, there's a lot of good baseball history in this book, as well as a look at the traditions (and superstitions) of baseball players in other countries.

I also read Manitou Canyon, latest in the Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. It wasn't my favorite in the series -- which is a favorite series of mine.

I'm debating whether to do the category challenge next year; and, if I do, what to do with it.

The past two years I've really focused on series reading, but I'll never catch up, and need to vary my reading more.

I need to think about this more.

Terri, I have resigned myself to the fact that I will always feel a slight guilt about my reading choices. If I concentrate on series, then I feel guilty about the other books on my shelves but if I don't continuously pick up a series book then I feel guilty about them! I have decided the most important thing for me to concentrate on is simply to keep picking up books from my own tbr shelves and working on shrinking that pile!

>107 DeltaQueen50: That's a good way to prioritize, Judy.

Unfortunately, working in a library, I'm constantly tempted to borrow those shiny titles I see on the shelves there, neglecting my own bookshelves.

Judy, your last comment got me thinking. For next year, I may simply have a "consider the source" category challenge. Something like:

1. Books off my shelves -- paper variety (trying to make this category as large as possible)
2. E-books already owned by me
3. Paper books from my hometown library
4. E-books downloaded from library
5. Audios downloaded from the library
6. Inter-library loans
7. Newly purchased -- any format (trying to keep this category as small as possible)

I could separate out the various library download sources (Overdrive, Hoopla, One Click), into separate categories, but I'd rather keep it simple. I'd been thinking of doing a seven-category challenge for 2017, so the format I've noted here would work well and maximize the incentive to read my own books.

Good luck on No. 7!

>109 tymfos: That would be a great idea!

>109 tymfos: That sounds like a great idea for your next year's challenge, and a great way to read books from your own shelves and still have room for those shiny library books!

>109 tymfos:
That's an excellent idea for a challenge. I'm another one who want to attack my own shelves, but find that I covet too much when I see something shiny elsewhere. I'd be lost forever if I worked in a library!

I just read an article from a newspaper where a Pittsburgh organization, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, has trademarked the term "light-up night" so that any little towns that use that phrase for their Christmas decoration lighting has to pay them a $100 fee.

I don't think it's fair to be able to trademark a term that has been in common use by so many people for so long. The money is going to a food bank, but still, the end doesn't justify the means. There are plenty of hungry people in towns other than Pittsburgh.

If I was fluent in social media stuff (I don't Facebook or Twitter) I'd try to start a crusade against this. I keep hearing about hashtags that are trending? How about the hashtag "BoycottPittsburghDowntown," huh? or "PittsburghDowntownScroogePartnership"?

Of course, I'm sure they have their organization name trademarked, so that would just let them shake down everyone who posted the hashtag.

What a bunch of Grinches!!

>110 mamzel:, >111 rabbitprincess:, >112 DeltaQueen50:, >113 -Eva-: Hi, Judy, Mamzel, rabbitprincess, and Eva!

I think I just may do that challenge for 2017!

Taking the morning to play catch-up on all the threads in the group and great to see all of the series reading you have been doing.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas, Terri!

Merry Christmas to you Terri:

>116 lkernagh: Hi, Lori! My reading has slowed to less than a crawl this week, but I have had some good books this year!

>117 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! You too!

>118 dudes22: Thanks! Merry Christmas, Betty!

Ok, I started two new series over the past week or so:

Patricia McLinn's "Caught Dead in Wyoming" series:

A search for "Christmas" found Sign Off about the disappearance of a deputy around Thanksgiving, and the arrest of a suspect (and his subsequent release for lack of evidence) around Christmas. But the action here really begins in the Spring, when a reporter exiled to a Wyoming TV station after her divorce from a network bigwig is drawn into the story.

I like McLinn's writing and the way her mind works. I read somewhere that these are self-published books, but I read this via Hoopla from the library, so it would appear that they have a mainstream following. There were a few typos that were mildly annoying, and I felt the story bogged down a bit in the middle, but it was pretty good.

The other series I tried was the new Foggy Moskowitz series by Philip DePoy, a favorite author of mine.

As is always the case with Depoy, it's a quirky read. Foggy is a Jewish car thief from Brooklyn, who relocated to Florida after a run-in with the law. These books are set in the 1970's, immediately after the laws were passed establishing Child Protective Services. The newness of these laws can explain how a wanted car thief could managed to get a job working for the first incarnation of Florida's Child Protective Services.

Aspects of this book, Cold Florida, were even weirder than Depoy's other series, but I did enjoy it. Foggy is called when a drug-addict flees a hospital with her critically-ill newborn. The child must be found in hours if she is to survive. But there's more to this case than meets the eye.

Two more first-in-series books are my current reads:
One Coffee With by Margaret Maron (Sigrid Harald series) and The Blue Edge of Midnight by Jonathon King (Max Freeman series). Both seem pretty good so far.

I finished The Blue Edge of Midnight. It was very, very good!

OK, having gotten hopelessly behind, I've un-starred all the 2016 threads, and am starting fresh with 2017.

My 2017 thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/244008