DeltaQueen's Random Miscellaneous Challenge - Part 4

Summer has arrived and it's time to welcome hot weather, flip-flops and outdoor reading! Welcome to my 2019 Category Challenge. My name is Judy and I live in the suburbs of Vancouver, B. C., Canada. I love to welcome visitors to my thread to discuss books and life. An assortment of random quotes gave me the idea of setting up some miscellaneous challenges to help me shrink my TBR pile this year. Some of these quotes are from famous people while others are credited to “anonymous’ and have been taken from advertisements and greeting cards. What they have in common is that they all paint a colourful picture of life and were easily molded into category subjects.

I have been doing the Category Challenge for a good number of years and I love the loose structure this challenge gives to my reading. As always I have a goal of removing books from my shelves, but also as usual, I expect that I will be crossing myself up by all the additions I add during the year. My top priority will be reading from my own shelves and Kindle but another 2019 book goal is to continue reading books from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List. I also love to participate in the various “Cats” that are established every year, hopefully my “Cat” reading will fit into my already set categories. Call me crazy but I’m going for 19 categories and have chosen 19 quotes fit my categories. I plan to read at least 8 books from most categories.

I enjoy the company of my husband, sipping a glass of wine, reading a good book, going for walks and, my family. But I also have a weird enjoyment of dark, twisted stories and I avidly watch “The Walking Dead” on TV.

Please feel free to join in on any conversations that are going on here, the welcome mat is always out.



2019 Reading Goals

1. My own books are my top priority, this includes my shelves, my two Kindles, my audio books and to a lesser extent my library list.
2. Read books from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List
3. Only participate in challenges where I already have a book that fits

2019 Categories


A. Armchair Travel: “To those who can dream, there is no such place as faraway.”
Anonymous
I will read 8 books set in 8 different countries

B. Book Bullets: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Lennon-McCartney
So many of the books on my shelves and Kindle are there because of recommendations from friends here on Library Thing. I will read at least 8 books and hopefully more of these recommendations

C. One Word Titles: “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
Buddha
I will read at least 8 Books that have a one word title.

D. Love Stories: “Every love story is beautiful, but my favorite is ours.”
Anonymous
I will read 8 books that have a connection to love.

E. Reading From My Shelves: “Having too many books is not the problem. Not having enough shelving – That’s A Problem.”
Anonymous
This category will be for books that I pull from my shelves either to fulfill a challenge or simply just because I felt like reading it at this point in time.

F. Let’s Eat!: “People who love love food are always the best people.”
Julia Child
I will read at least 8 books that have an item of food or drink in the title.

G. Doing My ABCs: Okay everybody, line up in alphabetical order according to your height.”
Casey Stengel
Throughout the year I will randomly read alphabetically by author’s name. Will use these reads for the AlphaKit.

H. 1,001 Books List: “A Classic never goes out of style.”
Coca-Cola Ad
Because of a bet with my brother I have been reading on books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List, trying to catch up with his total. This is where I will list most of my reads from that list.

I. Series: “Happiness is finding the first good book of a series and knowing there are more to follow.”
Anonymous
In an effort to catch up in my series reading, I will read at least 8 series books.

J. Crime Stories: “Reading mysteries is recreation for intelligent minds.”
Donna Andrews
I will read at least one mystery or police procedural every month.

K. Vintage Crime: “I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest
Agatha Christie
I am a huge fan of the classic mysteries from the golden age of detective fiction and I will read at least 8 classic mysteries over the course of the year.

L. Out of the Past: “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Teddy Roosevelt
I will read at least one book a month that delves into history – as set by the Reading Through Time Group or to fit other challenges

M. Science Fiction: “If you take the shackles off your imagination, you can go anywhere with science fiction.
Lani Tupu
I will read at least 8 science fiction books over the course of the year.

N. Fantasy: “A Single Dream is More Powerful that a Thousand Realities”
J.R.R. Tolken
I will read at least 8 fantasy books over the course of the year.

O. Young At Heart: “Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”
Walt Disney
I will read 8 YA books during the year.

P. Non-Fiction: “Any truth is better than indefinite doubt”
Arthur Conan Doyle
I will read at least 8 non-fiction books during the year

Q. Library List: Libraries: “The medicine chest of the soul”
Inscribed over the door of the library at Thebes
It’s not just about my own shelves. I will also read the following from the library in an effort to reduce my very long library list.

R. Saddle Up!: Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway!
John Wayne
Books about the American West and the cowboy way will be make up this category.

S. Overflow: “Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.”
George R.R. Martin
Books that don’t fit any of the above challenges, will be placed here.

Books Read



Pages Read



Read From My Shelves

How I Rate Books:

I am not a professional book critic nor do I consider myself to be an expert on literary standards, my reviews are based on my reaction to the book and the opinions expressed are my own personald thoughts and feelings.

2.0 ★: I must have been dragged, kicking and screaming, to finish this one!

2.5 ★: Below Average but I finished the book for one reason or another.

3.0 ★: Average, a solid read that I finished but can't promise to remember

3.5 ★: Above Average, there's room for improvement but I liked this well enough to pick up another book by this author.


4.0 ★: A very good read and I enjoyed my time spent with this story

4.5 ★: An excellent read, a book I will remember and recommend

5.0 ★: Sheer perfection, the right book at the right time for me

I use decimal points to further clarify my thoughts about the book, therefore you will see books rated 3.8 to show it was better than a 3.5 but not quite a 4.0; etc. These small adjustments help me to remember how a book resonated with me.

2019 BingoDog



Books Read

1. Author Uses Middle Name or Initial: His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
2. Debut Novel: The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
3. About Siblings: The Profession of Violence by John Pearson
4. Book Bullet: Beartown by Fredrik Backman
5. Mentioned in another book that I have read: City by Clifford D. Simak (Among Others by Jo Walton)
6. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
7. Animal in Title: The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham
8. Artistic Character: Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce
9. Eastern European Author: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
10. Children's Lit: The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
11. Alliterative Title: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
12. Part of a Series: The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
13. Read A Cat: Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read - SeriesCat
14. A prize winning book: Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman
15. Weather Word in title: The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles
16. Short Stories/Essays: Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
17. Made Into A Movie: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
18. A Fairy Tale: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
19. A Graphic Novel: Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu
20. Title Has 6 or More Words: At The Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper
21. Cover Has At Least 2 Human Figures: A New Day by Beryl Matthews
22. Translated Book: Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri
23. Food-Related Title: Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley
24. LT Rating of 4.0+: Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett
25. Title Contains a Homophone Word: The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

2019 PopSugar Challenge



01 - A book becoming a movie in 2019: The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon
02 - A book that makes you nostalgic: The Complete Beatles by Steve Turner
03 - A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
04 - A book you think should be turned into a movie: The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
05 - A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
06 - A book with a plant in the title or on the cover - Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor
07 - A reread of a favorite book: The Way West by A. B. Gurthrie, Jr.
08 - A book about a hobby: Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
09 - A book you meant to read in 2018: The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham
10 - A book with "pop", "sugar" or "challenge" in the title: The Sugar Pavilion by Rosalind Laker
11 - A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover: The Dress Shop of Dreams by Meena Van Praag
12 - a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore: Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor
13 - A book published posthumously: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
14 - a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
15 - A retelling of a classic: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
16 - A book with a question in the title: When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
17 - A book set on a college or university campus: Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
18 - a book about someone with a super power: Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines
19 - a book told from multiple POVs: The Sultan's Wife by Jane Johnson
20 - a book set in space
21 - a book by two female authors: Live Bait by P. J. Tracy
22 - A book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter" or "spicy"
23 - A book set in Scandinavia: Beartown by Fredrik Backman
24 - a book that takes place in a single day: Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk by Kathleen Rooney
25 - a debut novel: The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
26 - a book that's published in 2019: The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
27 - a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creatures: The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien
28 - a book recommended by a celebrity you admire
29 - a book with "love" in the title - I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson
30 - a book featuring an amateur detective: The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side by Agatha Christie
31 - A book about a family
32 - A book written by an author from Asia, Africa or South America: Whitefly by Abdelilah Hamdouchi
33 - A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title: Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
34 - a book that includes a wedding; Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
35 - A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter: Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer
36 - A ghost story
37 - a book with a two-word title: Deep Creek by Dana Hand
38 - A novel based on a true story: Sundance by David Fuller
39 - A book revolving around a puzzle or game: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
40 - Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Reading Challenge

Advanced:

41 - A "cli fi" book: American War by Omar El Akkad
42 - A "choose-your-own-adventure" book: My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran
43 - An "own voices" book: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
44 - Read a book during the season it is set in: Broken April by Ismail Kadare
45 - A LitRPG book: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
46 - A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters
47 & 48 - Two books that share the same title: Legend by Marie Lu & Legend by David Gemmell
49 - A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom: Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
50 - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent: Murder At the Old Vicarage by Jill McGown

A. Armchair Travel: “To those who can dream, there is no such place as faraway.”
Anonymous
I will read 8 books set in 8 different countries



Books Read

1. When the Rainbow Goddess Wept by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard - Philippines - 4.0 ★
2. The Nose by Nikolai Gogol - Russia - 4.0 ★
3. Broken April by Ismail Kadare - Albania - 3.7 ★
4. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo - Malaysia - 2.8 ★
5. Salt Houses by Hala Alyan - Middle East - 4.0 ★
6. Moon At Nine by Deborah Ellis - Iran - 4.0 ★
7. Whitefly by Abdelilah Hamdouchi - Morocco - 4.0 ★

B. Book Bullets: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Lennon-McCartney
So many of the books on my shelves and Kindles are there because of recommendations from friends here on Library Thing. I will read at least 8 books and hopefully more of these recommendations.



Books Read

1. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin - Kerry (avatiakh) - 5.0 ★
2. Hell’s Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett - Katie - 5.0 ★
3. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan - Mamie - 3.6 ★
4. Beartown by Fredrik Backman - Chelle - 4.5 ★
5. Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk by Kathleen Rooney - Linda P. & Beth - 4.0 ★
6. Norwegian By Night by Derek B. Miller - Mark - 4.2 ★

C. One Word Titles: “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
Buddha
I will read at least 8 Books that have a one word title.



Books Read

1. Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon - 3.6 ★
2. You by Caroline Kepnes - 4.0 ★
3. Firmin by Sam Savage - 4.0 ★
4. Legend by David Gemmell - 5.0 ★
5. Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor - 3.6 ★
6. Safekeeping by Karen Hesse - 3.8 ★

D. Love Stories: “Every love story is beautiful, but my favorite is ours.”
Anonymous
I will read 8 books that have a connection to love.



Books Read

1. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn - 3.8 ★
2. I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson - 3.3 ★
3. Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber - 4.0 ★
4. My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran - 2.0 ★
5. A Vintage Wedding by Katie Fforde - 4.0 ★
6. Love By the Morning Star by Laura L. Sullivan - 3.1 ★

E. Reading From My Shelves: “Having too many books is not the problem. Not having enough shelving – That’s A Problem.”
Anonoymous
This category will be for books that I pull from my shelves either to fulfill a challenge or simply just because I felt like reading it at this point in time.



Books Read

1. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - 5.0 ★
2. Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman - 4.2 ★
3. Celebrations At Thrush Green by Miss Read - 3.3 ★
4. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin - 4.5 ★
5. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman - 4.1 ★
6. The Moor by Sam Haysom - 3.7 ★
7. Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson - 3.2 ★

F. Let’s Eat!: “People who love love food are always the best people.”
Julia Child
I will read at least 8 books that have an item of food or drink in the title.



Books Read

1. At The Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper - 3.6 ★
2. Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley - 3.7 ★
3. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See - 4.3 ★
4. The Sugar Pavilion by Rosalind Laker - 4.0 ★

G. Doing My ABCs: "Okay everybody, line up in alphabetical order according to your height.”
Casey Stengel
Throughout the year I will randomly read alphabetically by author’s name. Will match my reads to the AlphaKit monthly letters.



Books Read

1. A - American War by Omar El Akkad - 3.8 ★
2. B - His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet - 4.2 ★
3. C - His Monkey Wife by John Collier - 2.0 ★
4. D - The Divine Wind by Garry Disher - 4.0 ★
5. E
6. F
7. G
8. H - Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer - 3.5 ★
9. I
10. J - The Sultan's Wife by Jane Johnson - 4.5 ★
11. K - At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon - 4.0 ★
12. L - Legend by Marie Lu - 3.7 ★
13. M - The Delivery Man by Joe McGuinniss Jr. - 2.5 ★
14. N
15. O - Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor - 4.0 ★
16. P - Lost And Found by Carolyn Parkhurst - 4.0 ★
17. Q - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - 3.7 ★
18. R
19. S
20. T
21. U - The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown - 3.6 ★
22. V - Oushata Massacre by Robert Vaughan - 3.2 ★
23. W
24. X - Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork - 4.2 ★
25. Y
26. Z

H. 1,001 Books List: “A Classic never goes out of style.”
Coca-Cola Ad
Due to an on-going bet with my brother I have been reading books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List, trying to catch up with his total. This is where I will list most of my reads from that list.



Books Read

1. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - 4.5 ★
2. The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien - 4.2 ★
3. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - 4.0 ★
4. The Double by Jose Saramago - 3.8 ★
5. Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes - 4.0 ★
6. Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro - 4.2 ★
7. House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - 4.2 ★
8. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis - 2.5 ★
9. Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce - 3.0 ★
10. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood - 4.5 ★
11. Adam Bede by George Eliot - 4.0 ★

I. Series: “Happiness is finding the first good book of a series and knowing there are more to follow.”
Anonymous
In an effort to catch up in my series reading, I will read at least 8 series books. I expect the SeriesCat will help me in making my reading choices.



Books Read

1. Excursion to Tindari (5) by Andrea Camilleri - 4.0 ★
2. Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer - 4.5 ★
3. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham - 4.3 ★
4. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson - 5.0 ★
5. The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey - 4.1 ★
6. The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo - 4.2 ★
7. A Finer End by Deborah Crombie - 4.0 ★

J. Crime Stories: “Reading mysteries is recreation for intelligent minds.”
Donna Andrews
I will read at least one mystery or police procedural every month.



Crime Stories

1. See How Small by Scott Blackwood - 3.8 ★
2. The Yard Dog by Sheldon Russell - 3.4 ★
3. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler - 4.2 ★
4. Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie - 3.8 ★
5. Waltz Into Darkness by Cornell Woolrich - 4.2 ★
6. Live Bait by P. J. Tracy - 4.5 ★
7. Murder At The Old Vicarage by Jill McGown - 3.8 ★

K. Vintage Crime: “I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest
Agatha Christie
I am a huge fan of the classic mysteries from the golden age of detective fiction and I will read at least 8 classic mysteries over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie - 3.8 ★
2. The Private Wound by Nicholas Blake - 3.4 ★
3. The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham - 3.8 ★
4. Towards Zero by Agatha Christie - 4.0 ★
5. The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh - 3.5 ★
6. The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side by Agatha Christie - 3.8 ★
7. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers - 5.0 ★

L. Out of the Past: “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Teddy Roosevelt
I enjoy historical fiction and will use this category for my Reading Thru Time choices or any other historical stories that don't fit elsewhere.



Books Read

1. The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks - 4.2 ★
2. The Colour by Rose Tremain - 4.5 ★
3. Footprints - Secret lives At Bletchley Park by Philomena Liggins - 2.0 ★
4. An Echo In The Bone by Diana Gabaldon - 4.3 ★
5. The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff - 3.0 ★

M. Science Fiction: “If you take the shackles off your imagination, you can go anywhere with science fiction.
Lani Tupu
I will read at least 8 science fiction books over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. City by Clifford D. Simak - 3.4 ★
2. Mordacious by Sara Lyons Fleming - 4.3 ★
3. The Final Six by Alexandra Monir - 4.0 ★
4. Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines - 3.7 ★
5. The Last One by Alexandra Oliva - 4.0 ★
6. Micro by Michael Crichton & Richard Preston - 2.0 ★
7. The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz - 4.0 ★

N. Fantasy: “A Single Dream is More Powerful that a Thousand Realities”
J.R.R. Tolken
I will read at least 8 fantasy books over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner - 4.1 ★
2. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines - 4.2 ★
3. Half A War by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5 ★
4. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien - 4.2 ★
5. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien - 4.5 ★
6. Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski - 4.0 ★
7. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien - 5.0 ★
8. Autumn Princess, Dragon Child by Lian Hearn - 4.2 ★

O. Young At Heart: “Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”
Walt Disney
I will read at least 8 YA books during the year.



Books Read

1. The Other Side of Dawn by John Marsden - 4.0 ★
2. Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott - 3.7 ★
3. The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson - 4.0 ★
4. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan - 4.5 ★
5. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter - 3.6 ★
6. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - 4.0 ★
7. Walkabout by James Vance Marshall - 4.5 ★

P. Non-Fiction: “Any truth is better than indefinite doubt”
Arthur Conan Doyle
I will read at least 8 non-fiction books during the year



Books Read

1. The Profession of Violence by John Pearson - 3.7 ★
2. Dove by Robin L. Graham - 3.0 ★
3. The Complete Beatles by Steve Turner - 5.0 ★
4. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara - 4.0 ★
5. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann - 4.0 ★
6. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence - 3.7 ★
7. Code Girls by Liza Mundy - 4.2 ★
8. Blue Highways: A Journey Into America by William Least Heat-Moon - 4.5 ★

Q. Library List: Libraries: “The medicine chest of the soul”
Inscribed over the door of the library at Thebes
It’s not just about my own shelves. I will also read the following from the library in an effort to reduce my very long library list.



Books Read

1. A New Day by Beryl Matthews - 3.3 ★
2. The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh - 4.0 ★
3. The Dress Shop of Dreams by Meena Van Praag - 3.6 ★
4. Buffalo Trail by Jeff Guinn - 4.2 ★
5. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell - 4.2 ★
6. The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon - 4.1 ★
7. The Walking Dead: The Rise of the Governor by R. Kirkman and J. Bonansinga - 4.0 ★

R. Saddle Up! - “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway!”
John Wayne
Books about the American West and the cowboy way will be make up this category.



Books Read

1. Deep Creek by Dana Hand - 4.2 ★
2. Sundance by David Fuller - 4.0 ★
3. Glorious by Jeff Guinn - 4.5 ★
4. The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles - 4.5 ★
5. The Hide Hunters by Lewis B. Patten - 3.6 ★
6. The Way West by A. B. Guthrie - 5.0 ★

S. Overflow: “Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.”
George R.R. Martin
Just in case I don't have enough books to read, any that don't fit the above categories will reside here.



Books Read

1. Three Graphic Novels: Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu, Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton, Sabrina by Nick Drnaso
2. The Walking Dead Volume 28: A Certain Doom
The Walking Dead Volume 29: Lines We Cross
The Walking Dead Volume 30: New World Order

2019 Reading Plans



January:

February:

March: Hosting the SeriesCat: A Series Book by a Favorite Author

April: Hosting the Reading Through Time Monthly Theme
Hosting the ScaredyKit: Modern Horror /Thrillers
Group Read: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

May: Hosting the CalendarCat
Group Read of Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers

June: Group Read of Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King

July: Starting the Group Read of Tom Jones

August: Group Read of Tom Jones

September: Group Read of Tom Jones

October: Hosting the TBRCat

November: Hosting the RandomCat

December: Hosting the SFFFKit: Reader's Choice

My Random Miscellaneous thought for thread #4:



and:

Happy new thread, Judy. It's always wonderful to re-read the quotes and smile.

Happy new one, Judy!

Happy new thread! I enjoyed the summery pictures!

>28 MissWatson: Thanks, I had fun looking for the quotes about summer and reading.

>29 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I am behind with just about everything on LT but at least I am updated on my own thread.

>30 NinieB: I am glad that you enjoyed them. :)

94. The Last One by Alexandra Oliva - 4.0 ★
Category: Science-Fiction
BingoDog: Debut Novel
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Debut Novel



The Last One by Alexandra Oliva is a combination of a TV reality shows like “Survivor” and a dystopian story. Wanting one more adventure before she and her husband start to raise a family, Sam becomes a contestant on a new reality show set in the remote Pennsylvania wilderness. The show is a race through the wilderness while practising wilderness survivor techniques. After a series of contests between the contestants, they embark on a solo challenge that is expected to last a number of days. Unfortunately while alone in the woods, a plague strikes and kills off a substantial portion of the world’s population. Not realizing what has happened, Sam continues to play the “game” and accepts the many strange things that happen to her as part of the show.

It’s a fun setup and the author’s good writing helps to carry off this story. Of course, this survival dystopian setup is totally in my wheelhouse, but I thought this book was engaging and interesting. The main character is very resourceful, competitive and tough but she is also sympathetic and, for me, quite likeable. As reality and “reality show” become meshed together, there are plenty of sharp observations on the nature of the media and how the behaviours of the various contestants’ are shaped to fit the producer’s planned story-line.

The Last One is a fast paced, clever and entertaining story. This is Alexandra Oliva's debut novel and I will certainly be watching for more from this author.

Happy New Thread, Judy.

Lots of good books up there that you've read. I was happy to see some of my favorite mystery series, a Heyer, and some graphic novels. :-)

>32 DeltaQueen50: - Ooh, that sounds like a fun read. Off to check the library catalogue...

Happy New Thread, Judy. Like your summer "more light to read" quote. Looks like your Bingo is almost done.

Happy new thread! I love reviewing all that has gone before.

Happy New Thread and welcome home, Judy!!

Happy new thread, Judy. Has summer come to the Lower Mainland? I can't wait for warmer temperatures!

>32 DeltaQueen50: Starting your new thread with a BB! A sign of things to come most likely.

Happy new thread, Judy!
They've started playing commercials for the new season of "Fear the Walking Deeeaddd". (That's my walker impression.)

Happy New Thread, Judy. Welcome back. Hope those current reads are treating you fine.

I forgot to visit my own thread yesterday and I spent most of my LT time lurking about on the June TIOLI Challenge thread. So a belated welcome to my visitors. I am switching my reading between an Agatha Christie mystery and the third volume of The Lord of the Rings - both are holding my attention.

>33 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I came to Georgette Heyer late in life but have become a hugh fan as I work my way through her catalogue and,of course, mysteries are my bread and butter - I am always ready to fall back into a mystery.

>34 katiekrug: It was a fun read, Katie. I appreciated that the main character was a full grown woman, not a teenager, which is so often the case in dystopian stories.

>35 dudes22: That quote is from Jeanette Walls, who I have yet to read, but hope to at some point. I think I will be completing my Bingo during June.

Have to run and take the car into the garage. Will be back later

>36 VivienneR: Welcome, Vivienne.

>37 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. I have to say I was very happy to get home to my own bed!

>38 Familyhistorian: Meg, as usual with our weather I don't have a straight forward answer. We are having cloudy and cool mornings that usually clear in the afternoon. So it's warmer in the afternoons, then we have beautiful evenings, that cool down as night falls. I actually enjoy this as I try to get my chores done in the morning when it's cool and the cooler nights are great for sleeping.

>39 AHS-Wolfy: Welcome, Dave.

>40 mstrust: Oh good, I am ready for some zombie action!

>41 msf59: Hi Mark, the books are good right now and I have some interesting ones lined up for June - you'll recognize some of the titles from your own thread!

95. The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side by Agatha Christie - 3.8 ★
Category: Vintage Crime
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Features an Amateur Detective
May TIOLI #3: Dedicated to a Non-Relative



The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side by Agatha Christie features Miss Jane Marple and is set in the fictional village of St. Mary Mead. While Miss Marple is mostly at home recovering from a recent illness, she nevertheless plays an important role in solving the murder of a local woman that happened during a village fete at a movie star’s home. It is quickly deducted that the poisoned drink was intended for Marina Gregg, the aforementioned movie star. And while Miss Marple is quite elderly, there is nothing wrong with her mental deductions or her knowledge of human behavior. As is so often the case, one murder is followed by more, but with Miss Marple on the case, all too soon the answers are revealed.

Although The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side was not my favorite Miss Marple, it is still a solid mystery with a large cast of characters and plenty of backstories to explore. Reading about the aging Miss Marple and her constant battle to be independent as well as the author’s comments on life in post-WW II Britain helped to enhance the book.

Happy new thread, Judy. I do love summer on the west coast. My salad greens are growing like crazy (my herbs, not so much, go figure) and the motivation to be outdoors is such a positive feeling. I see you are super close to having a Bingo blackout, and making great progress with your PopSugar challenge.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

I'm posting extensively but not exhaustively around on the threads that Jenn (jjmcgaffey) has posted a link for free online copies of all of Schmitz' work in those Baen compilations on the group read thread!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/307199#683300

>45 lkernagh: Ah, summertime and the living is easy! Wishing you a great weekend as well, Lori. We are enjoying the weather and today went to our granddaughters' horse show where I was very impressed by her abilities to control the horse around the ring and make all the jumps. After I catch up here on LT, I am going to take my book and head out to the terrace and soak up some more sunshine!

>46 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. I will definitely be checking that link out. :)

96. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien - 5.0 ★
Category: Fantasy
Group Read
1,001 Books List (The Lord of the Rings)
June SFFFKit: Road Trip
June TIOLI #11: The Author's First, Middle or Last Name Starts with a "J"



The third and final volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King brings the story to a close as many of the original fellowship fight the war for Gondor against the evil of Sauron, eventually Gandalf, Aragorn and the other Captains of the West lead their army right to the Black Gate of Mordor where a messenger of Sauron displays Frodo and Sam’s belongings and demands their surrender. Gandalf sees through the deception and the final battle begins. Sam and Frodo, meanwhile escape from the orcs that had captured them and although they are extremely tired and the ring is taking it’s toll, they continue on with their quest. Unknown to them, is the fact that they are being shadowed by the Gollum determined to get his “precious” back. It is now a question of timing. Can Frodo stand against the lure of the ring and destroy it? Thank heavens he has the loyal Samwise at his side watching out for him.

The Return of the King is a great ending to this tale and I was pleased with the satisfying closure that Tolkien gave his characters. All the loose threads were gathered but not tightly tied, there were some floating ends that could be expanded upon if he so desired. I can now fully appreciate the love that this treasured tale has generated since it’s original publication. With it’s adventurous story, descriptive narrative, and fascinating characters Lord of the Rings is indeed fantasy at it’s best.

Hi Judy. You are almost done with your BingoDOG card!

>44 DeltaQueen50: What would you say is your favorite Miss Marple mystery? I "need" to read something from a series that is "definitely complete" and I'm having a hard time choosing what I want to read. It could be the second in the Lord Peter Whimsey series but I'm not feeling inspired....

Happy New Thread and Happy Summer!!

Hi Ellen, I loved A Murder is Announced. It has all the ingredients I look for in a vintage mystery, a village atmosphere, interesting characters, well written conversations and a fun murder. Miss Marple is excellent as the little ol' lady who sits in the background but soaks up everything. I also remember really enjoying At Bertram's Hotel which has a London setting, but still Miss Marple manages to sit in a corner knitting and sipping her tea and solving the mystery. I hope you find one that you really enjoy.

>1 DeltaQueen50: Happy new thread!

>49 EBT1002: >50 DeltaQueen50: I too liked A Murder is Announced and At Bertram's Hotel. Another I especially liked is 4:50 from Paddington.

>51 mathgirl40: Thanks, Paulina. I too, really liked 4:50 from Paddington, those three above mentioned books would definitely be among my favorites of the Miss Marple series.

97. The Walking Dead Volume 28: A Certain Doom
The Walking Dead Volume 29: Lines We Cross
The Walking Dead Volume 30: New World Order by Robert Kirkman
Category: Overflow



It’s been some time since I have read any of The Walking Dead comics and so I checked out the 3 most recent books (Volume 28, 29 & 30) from my library. These books deal with Rick Grimes and his community of Alexandria after the Whisperers War. They barely fight off a huge horde of walkers and during the course of the fighting someone very close to Rick gets a fatal bite. While some people are sheltering in Eugene’s house they find the radio unit and hear the voice that Eugene has been communicating with.

Rick decides to send a party out to contact this new group, but what they find is a well developed community overseen by a female governor who relies on a strong military force to keep the power squarely in her hands. This community divides it’s people in upper and lower classes. She agrees to travel to Alexandria to meet with Rick but she is accompanied by a large force. The book ends with Rick and the Governor meeting and discussing how they could best benefit each other.

It’s pretty obvious that this new group that calls itself the Commonwealth will be the cause of the next upheaval in this world. I suspect Rick and his friends will find themselves in trouble very soon and it’s all the more worrisome because Michonne chose to stay behind in the Commonwealth to be reunited with her long lost daughter. Although the comics and the tv show don’t share the exact same plot lines or even the same characters, I suspect these three books have given me a sneak peak at what is going to be happening in the next season of the television show.

Happy newish thread, Judy. You've made a great start on your summer reading.

>53 DeltaQueen50: How many volumes are there? I read the first one when I was preparing for my dystopian lit class. I had no idea there were so many volumes.

Hi, Judy. Just chiming in on At Bertram's Hotel, A Murder is Announced and 4:50 from Paddington. Three of my favorites, too. For some reason I was particularly charmed by At Bertram's Hotel.

I had the same reaction as you to A Mirror Crack'd. Solid but not at the level of these others.

>54 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. The Walking Dead seems to be an on-going series. I actually thought that it was going to be wrapped up with Volume 30 but no, it's about to launch into a new storyline. I'm just about done with both the TV series and the comics, I would like to see some closure!

>55 jnwelch: Hi Joe, lucky for us that Agatha gave us so many great stories that we can give her a pass on the few lackluster ones.

Happy new thread, Judy! I just posted my review of The Siege with a shout out to you for recommending it to me so many years ago. What read!

>57 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Wow, that was a few years ago - I'm glad that you enjoyed it. :)

98. A Vintage Wedding by Katie Fforde - 4.0 ★
Category: Love Stories
June CalendarCat: June Weddings
TIOLI #14: Book Has an Even Number of Pages



Katie Fforde is one of the reigning queens of British Romance stories and A Vintage Wedding certainly showed me why this is so. With it’s quaint village setting, this story of three women who meet, become friends and form a wedding planning business together was a delightful read. These three are so focused on other people’s romantic weddings that it comes as a surprise to each of them that their own love stories are starting to blossom as well.

I was drawn into the story quickly as the three main characters – Beth, Lindy and Rachel were likeable, interesting and resourceful. Everyone loves a wedding and this book has a couple that are enchanting as the friends business is all about vintage weddings. The book offers up a nice mix of romance, humor and sentimentality that made this book a fun one to curl up with. The author knows how to please her audience and includes lots of descriptive detail about clothing, decor, and food.

My first Katie Fforde book but certainly not my last. I look forward to discovering more of her light romance stories in the future.

I think the first book I read by Katie Fforde, Wild Designs, was in the 1990s! I joined LT in 2009 and I only show 3 of hers in my library so I read most before that year. Eventually her books began to seem formulaic to me and I put her aside with fondness. I still have one on my shelf though that I probably picked up at a sale of some sort, Bidding for Love, that I haven't read and now that you've called my attention to it I'll do that. Maybe I should read some of her newer ones too, they may be fresh to me again since its been several years since I've read one. I'm glad you discovered her too!

>53 DeltaQueen50: Since the last of TWD series I've read was issue #27, your three reviews were perfect for me. Sorry you're burnt-out on it though. Too many good characters killed off in a short period. I recorded last night's premiere of FTWD, though I haven't watched yet.

>59 DeltaQueen50: >60 clue: I haven't read any Katie Fforde, but based on what you both have said, she seems like she'd be up my alley!

>60 clue: I still enjoy reading a light romance novel every so often. They are great escape reads, and yes, they are quite formulaic, but I think at times, that is part of the charm. I had been reading romance books by Trisha Ashley recently but I didn't really enjoy the last couple of hers that I read so I suspect Katie Fforde will be my go-to for romance now.

>61 mstrust: I also reorded FTWD and have yet to watch it. I really enjoyed the last couple of season of this program and so I am looking forward to it. I am not quite ready to give up on The Walking Dead (tv show), although it will be strange if they follow this new storyline and we have to watch another evil "govenor", but the tv show may decide to go in a complely different direction.

>62 christina_reads: I think you would enjoy Katie Fforde's books, Christina. I know that I will be looking for more books by her.

99. Salt Houses by Hala Alyan - 4.0 ★
Category: Armchair Travel
2019 PopSugar Challenge: An Astology Term in the Title
TIOLI #1: Set in an Asian Country With a Population of 25 Million or Less



Salt Houses by Hala Alyan is a moving account about four generations of a Palestinian family and how they are scattered across the Middle East in an effort to find a place to belong and to be safe. The author delivers a very engrossing story that encompasses the displacement and dispersal of Palestinians woven into an epic tale of one family.

The story unfolds in a series of stories about various individuals in the family and encompasses events from 1963 up to 2014. Some segments are more absorbing than others, and some characters grabbed my sympathy and attention more than others. One character that stood out for me was Atef, a flawed man both proud of his family but haunted by a past that involved his brother-in-law’s disappearance. I also enjoyed the contrast between his two daughters, Riham and Souad, one quietly religious while the other was out-spoken and stubborn.

The author is a poet and this shows in her lyrical prose. While at times her writing felt a little flowery or over-blown, for the most part this was a powerful, heartfelt and layered story that captures Palestinian history with depth and emotion.

Reading on the terrace sounds lovely, Judy, and Miss Marple mysteries are some of the best, I think. I really like At Bertram's Hotel which reminds me of London in the '60s when I first made its acquaintance.

>65 Familyhistorian: I love it when the weather is warm enough for outdoor reading. :) There's something about At Bertram's Hotel isn't there, definitely one of her best IMO.

100. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell - 4.2 ★
Category: Library List
BingoDog: Related to Medicine or Health
June TIOLI #11: The Author's First, Middle or Last Name Starts With a "J"



Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell is a wildly funny mashup of a medical and gangster thriller. Peter Brown is an overworked medical resident trying to get through his day at the worst hospital in Manhattan. Between keeping his medical students in line, overseeing the care of patients, covering up the medical mistakes he routinely comes across, and trying to keep communications open between himself and other medical workers, the last thing he needed was to recognize a patient as a mobster. You see, in another life Peter Brown was a mob hit-man known as Bearclaw Brown.

He entered the witness protection program and is hiding in plain sight as a trauma physician. His former accomplice threatens to rat him out if he doesn’t save his life. The day that follows is both thrilling and hilarious as it includes the doctor making a clever diagnosis, chasing down a runaway wheelchair patient and getting accidentally stuck with a needle full of infected pus. We are also treated to Brown’s backstory which includes plenty of gun and knife play as well as a harrowing encounter with a shark tank.

Fast, original and darkly funny, I found Beat the Reaper an absolute blast. This book will not appeal to everyone as it is very violent and quite improbable but for those who like dark and twisted stories as much as I, this is a great read.

Oh, what an intriguing review of Beat the Reaper, Judy. Post it on the book page and I will thumb!

This sounds like a fun one. Adding it to the WL.

>68 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I'm off to post it. Wouldn't you just know that this was a book bullet I took from Mark a few years ago!

>67 DeltaQueen50: A great review! On my WL it goes!

Happy new thread!

As usual for me, quite behind on catching up on threads - sorry to hear about your car troubles and nice to hear about your Mom's birthday celebration!

Took a few bullets for Disappeared, Brazen, Crescent, Waltz Into Darkness and The Last One.

Interesting to see your comments about When Will There Be Good News - someone handed me that book to read and I had no idea until now that it was part of a series. I remember that I found it uneven - but maybe that's because it was the 3rd book of the series. I may have to revisit this series sometime.

Nice to hear your thoughts on Alice Munro - I've read one collection by her so far, Open Secrets, and I really liked, and it sounds like I'll like this one when I get to it as a 1001 read. I have several others on my wishlist that have been recommended here on LT.

I've been on my own for the last few days as my husband and grandson took a trip to Saskatchewan so that hubby could show grandson his roots. They visted the small town in Southern Saskatchewan where my husband grew up and located the property that the family farm used to be on. I've enjoyed my time alone - although with a houseful of book one is never alone. ;)

>70 Tess_W: Oh I do hope you enjoy Beat the Reaper, Tess. I thought it was a very fun ride.

>71 LisaMorr: I hope you enjoy the BB that you are taking as well Lisa. I am a huge fan of Kate Atkinson, I love everything she writes, but I am also a stickler for reading series in order and I would imagine that if one hadn't read the earlier books there could be areas that would be uneven or gaps in the story that would have worked if one had read the previous books. Over all my reading from the 1,001 list has been positive. There have been a few books that I don't understand how they got on the list, and there have been a few that I didn't like (see the following review), but I have also been introduced to authors that I wouldn't have picked up otherwise, and I have had more than a few excellent reads. Alice Munro is an author that I probably would never have read but here I am, looking forward to reading more from her.

101. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis - 2.5 ★
Category: 1001 Books List
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Set on a College or University Campus
June TIOLI #12: A Book You Previously Returned Unread



Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis left me rather cold. I didn’t find this book all that humorous, and the writing didn’t overly impress me either. Perhaps I just wasn’t in the right mood but I definitely found this satire quite mean-spirited and overly misanthropic. I understand that this was his debut novel, but I have to say, I much preferred The Green Man to this.

Perhaps I am too North American to appreciate the nuances, or perhaps this type of humour just doesn’t work as well in the 21st century but I found myself wincing through much of it and getting angry and feeling insulted by his attitude towards the women in the book.

Unfortunately the best thing I can take from Lucky Jim is the fact that I can tick it off my 1,001 reading list.

>67 DeltaQueen50: I'm 99% sure I have Beat the Reaper on my shelves, so I'm glad to see your glowing review.
Enjoy your alone time!

>74 DeltaQueen50: I didn't like that one when I read it either!

Ha! That Mark. Thanks - your Beat the Reaper review is duly thumbed.

>75 mstrust: I think you will find Beat The Reaper to be a fun read, Jennifer.

>76 thornton37814: I remember, Lori, and after I read your comments I returned the book to my brother, but then I decided that I needed to check it out since I did enjoy The Green Man so I got it back from my bro but, honestly, it really wasn't worth that second chance!

>77 jnwelch: Thanks for the thumb, Joe. Yep, that Mark - he certainly keeps me reading!

102. Safekeeping by Karen Hesse - 3.8 ★
Category: One Word Titles
June TIOLI #14: Book has an Even Number of Pages



Although billed as a YA story, I think Safekeeping by Karen Hesse would appeal far more to adults than teens. This story of a world “gone wrong” doesn’t feature romance, daring actions or adventure. Instead it is a quiet story of one young woman who returns to America from her volunteer job in Haiti to be with her family after the assassination of the President of the United States and the government takeover by the right wing American People’s Party. She arrives home to a changed America of vigilantes, strikes, and police raids. She also finds her parents missing. She decides that her parents may have struck out north for Canada and feeling like she is in danger, she also sets out north and crosses into Canada.

Along the way she befriends another young woman who is travelling north with her dog and they decide to stick together. Once in Canada they find a small abandoned schoolhouse and make it their home. As they scavenge for food, they find that they have a benefactress from a neighbouring farm who leaves them supplies that ensure their survival. After a number of months pass, it looks like America is stabilizing so our main character returns home to find her parents.

This book feels very personal to the author who enhances the story with her own photographs of the Vermont countryside. The story is rather depressing and I was sorry that there wasn’t more detail about how the conditions in America were allowed to happen. As a Canadian though, I was happy to see my country shown as a sanctuary. The story is beautifully written but I felt this complicated plot needed more political background. The author does ensure that the ending although rather abrupt, leaves the reader with a sense of hope for the future. Overall, although I personally loved this story, there are flaws that I am not sure could be overlooked by most people.

>64 DeltaQueen50: Nice comments on Salt Houses, Judy. I also liked it a lot.

Congrats on reaching 100! And passing it!

>80 BLBera: Happy Saturday, Beth. Thanks, the books seem to be moving along nicely but of course, I keep filling the spaces they leave with more books!

103. Footprints - Secret Lives at Bletchley Park by Philomena Liggins - 2.0 ★
Category: Out of the Past
June Reading Through Time: Cryptography and Code Breaking
TIOLI #4: Book Has a Connection to World War II



Footprints - Secret Lives at Bletchley Park by Philomena Liggins is a very short novel set during WW II at Bletchley Park and is about two girls in particular who worked there as code breakers. Through their story of friendship and loyalty the author is able to describe Bletchley Park and the various clandestine activities that took place there. I picked this book up because I needed a book that dealt with cryptography for a reading challenge and this one fit the requirements.

This is a short, simple story and not one that I can particularly recommend. In fact, I doubt it will be one that I will even be able to remember a short time from now. The writing was not particularly good, nor did it flow smoothly. The story was based on true events and so was very factual, but neither the story nor the characters were developed beyond the basic.

Happy Sunday, Judy. You are just marching through the books. Glad you enjoyed Salt Houses & Beat the Reaper. I had a good time with those too. I am sure you will continue to devour Code Girls.

>82 DeltaQueen50: Thank you for that review, Judy. I'll try to remember it when I am drawn to "Bletchley Park" in the title.

>83 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I've just finished Code Girls and it was an excellent read. :)

>84 VivienneR: I am a sucker for the words 'Bletchley Park' but trust me, Vivienne, there are far better books out there that are set in and around Bletchley Park than this one was.

104. Code Girls by Liza Mundy - 4.2 ★
Category: Non-Fiction
June Reading Through Time: Cryptography and Code Breaking
June TIOLI #4: Book Has a Connection to WW II



The Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy is a non-fiction account of the women that were recruited from colleges, universities and from their jobs as teachers and offered a chance to serve the American war effort. Their job was far from glamorous. They worked in crowded, dirty and often unhealthy conditions as they scanned thousands of encrypted messages trying to discover the key to breaking the enemy codes.

There were dark days immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the invasion of the Philippines but gradually the code breakers got to work and cracked the Japanese codes. The Battle of the Coral Sea, where American aircraft carriers appeared out of nowhere to face a Japanese fleet was entirely to the credit of the code breakers. While the battle was in fact a draw, this did sideline the Japanese plans to invade Australia.

The author gives the reader a bird’s eye view of what life in Washington DC was like during WW II with its lack of accommodations, scant supplies and clothing and tightly rationed food. Due to wartime overcrowding it wasn’t unusual to find 4 to 6 women sharing a one bedroom apartment. Along with this interesting historical information the author zeros in on the individual stories of a number of the woman, giving the story a very personal touch.

Due to the secrecy of their work, these women took vows never to disclose the details of their wartime work and so have largely been overlooked by history. Thoroughly researched this well written account acknowledges their contributions and gives these women the recognition that they deserve.

>86 DeltaQueen50: - I know I've heard of this book before, but I see I didn't actually take a BB for it, so I'll give you the "credit". I saw an interview on TV sometime recently where they were interviewing a couple of women who did this during the war. (Can't remember why they were on)

>87 dudes22: It's an interesting book, Betty. So often we hear about the British code breakers at Bletchley Park but the Americans had thousands of people, the majority of them women, working on breaking both the German and the Japanese codes.

>86 DeltaQueen50: This sounds excellent, Judy. Onto the list it goes.

>89 BLBera: I think you'll enjoy this one, Beth.

105. A Finer End by Deborah Crombie - 4.0 ★
Category: Series
June TIOLI #3: Author Has a June Birthday



A Finer End by Deborah Crombie is the seventh mystery featuring Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma Jones. Although I wasn’t totally enamoured of the plot in this book, the author’s wonderful writing and multilayered characters totally drew me along until I literally couldn’t put the book down. Steering away from the traditional police procedural that usually forms the framework for these mysteries, this story was filled with touches of the supernatural.

The author has set the story in the ancient town of Glastonbury, Duncan’s cousin Jack is receiving messages from a 10th century monk in the form of automated writings. A small group gather to help Jack explore what these messages mean, but among this small group there are troubled souls and dark secrets. When violence erupts, Jack contacts Duncan and he and Gemma arrive to find one murder has already occurred.

As well as solving crime together, Duncan and Gemma have a personal relationship that has been slowly evolving over the course of the books. Gemma is now taking steps to separate their personal lives and their working lives, and she has a secret to divulge that could possibly change everything.

I love this series, and this couple and although I am too much of a skeptic to totally accept the paranormal elements in this particular story, I still found myself enjoying the book a lot. I am looking forward to continuing on with the series.

>91 DeltaQueen50: - I agree with you about that one, Judy. I did like learning about Glastonbury, though. Such a great series...

>92 katiekrug: It is indeed a great series, Katie, and I am looking forward to seeing how Duncan and Gemma blend their lives and families together.

106. A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce - 3.0 ★
Category: The 1,001 List
BingoDog: An Artistic Character
TIOLI #11: The Author's First, Middle or Last Name Starts With A "J"



I have never read James Joyce before and I had heard that A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man is considered to be his most accessible work so I decided this was where I would start with this author. In this book we follow the early years of Irishman Stephen Dedalus, starting from his boyhood and taking us through to the end of his university years.

It is apparent immediately that James Joyce is a master wordsmith. His writing paints vivid pictures but I disagree with those who call this book timeless. I felt it was quite dated and specific to it’s time and place. It is a barely concealed autobiographical piece and takes the main character through his adolescence while he searches for his own identity. His views on family, religion and the very essence of being Irish clearly date this piece as early 20th century writing.

Joyce is brilliant but I struggled through this short and quite readable book so I am not reassured that I will appreciate his more complex works and I expect they will be pushed to the bottom of the 1,001 pile.

>94 DeltaQueen50: Congrats on getting through it--I have not been able to do so.

>94 DeltaQueen50: I have come to realize that I will never in my entire life read Ulysses or Finnegans Wake...and I'm okay with this.

>94 DeltaQueen50: - I read Portrait in college, and without a good professor and engaging class discussion, I would not have made it through. I appreciated the novel, but it's not one I will ever return to.

I also wouldn't say it is Joyce's most accessible work. I think his collection of short stories, Dubliners, is much more accessible. It is one of my favorite books.

I've only ever read Joyce's Dubliners and I would think, like Katie, it is his most accessible work.

You got me with a BB with your wonderful review of Beat the Reaper, Judy.

>95 Tess_W: Luckily it's a fairly short book, Tess. I do admit throwing it down in frustration a couple of times but I cooled down and gave it another try. I really hate to admit defeat on any book!

>96 christina_reads: Christine, I realize that I will not get to all the 1001 books in my lifetime, so I am pretty sure that my future doesn't have any more James Joyce in it. ;)

>97 katiekrug: Yes, I can see reading Joyce in a classroom would be a far better experience. I could have used a knowledgeable professor! For now I am simply going to avoid any more Joyce. In fact, I am going to ensure that my next 1001 read is by an author that I know I like - Dorothy Sayers.

>98 Familyhistorian: Meg, for now I'll take your and Katie's word on that, but I still don't see any Joyce in my immediate future! I hope you enjoy Beat the Reaper, I loved it!

Another vote for Dubliners as his most accessible work, Judy. I made it through Ulysses, but it tweren't easy.

>100 jnwelch: Duly noted, Joe, I may turn to James Joyce by installment at some point but there are plenty of other literary classics that I haven't read yet that will get my attention first.

107. Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk by Kathleen Rooney - 4.0 ★
Category: Book Bullet - Linda P. and Beth
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Takes Place in One Day
June TBRCat: Book Bullet
June TIOLI #7: Set in a Real Place I've Never Been



In Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk by Kathleen Rooney a woman’s life is portrayed as she reminisces on New Year’s Eve 1984. She is strolling the streets of the city she loves, New York. The author describes the various neighbourhoods that 85 year old Lillian walks through and relates the impact these neighbourhoods had on her life. This story of a woman who became a highly successful ad copywriter to Macy’s, a published poet, and forged a stellar career in advertising is at times charming while at others quite bittersweet. The story is all the more interesting as it is based on the real life of Margaret Fishback, “the highest paid female advertising copywriter in the world during the 1930s”.

Lillian recounts her celebrated career in advertising and the milestones in her life and adds a richness to the story with the details of life in New York City during the passing decades. Lillian is definitely a character to remember. She’s elegant, smart and fearless. Her life wasn’t always easy, but she proves herself a survivor.

The fact that the author is also a poet certainly shines through in the lovely writing. I did think there were times that the book was a little too over-written but overall this is an intelligent and witty story that I enjoyed.

>107 LisaMorr: I've seen this and looked it over several times but somehow its never gotten home with me. It sounds like something I would really like but I think the cover art lead me astray.

>103 clue: Betty, it is a slow moving (but in good way) book that tells of an interesting life set in an interesting city. I think you would like it.

108. The Divine Wind by Garry Disher - 4.0 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs - D
June AlphaKit: D
June TIOLI #2: Rolling Challenge by Location



The Divine Wind by Garry Disher is an Australian story and takes place in the months leading up to and including World War II. Hart Penrose and his sister Alice grew up in the tiny town of Broome on the western coast of Australia. His father is a pearler, his sister and her best friend, the love of young Hart’s life, Mitsy Sennosuke have trained as nurses. Due to an accident Hart has an injured leg, he will never be able to serve in the Armed Forces, in fact, he feels himself drifting along without any purpose.
In truth, Hart is an excellent observer and while he watches and thinks, he also writes.

Alice decides to become an army nurse and ships out just days before Pearl Harbour. Once the Japanese attack, the Australians move to detain all Japanese, but in Broome, Hart and his father manage to convince the authorities that they can be responsible for Mitsy and her mother. When Alice is reported missing and eventually becomes a prisoner of the Japanese, both Hart and his father start to look at Mitsy and her mother differently. Things come to a head when their little town is bombed and strafed.

I thought this YA story was very well done. The author writes with a simplicity that manages to convey a lot of emotion. He describes the escalation of all racial tensions, especially the white fear of how the natives will react if the Japanese do invade. Hart is a believable character, a young man, often confused by his feelings but trying to do the right thing. There is no simple answer to all the questions that this book brings up, what comes across the strongest is how powerless any individual can be against circumstance.

>105 DeltaQueen50: That one sound interesting since it's a different setting for the WWII novel.

BB for Code Girls taken!

>106 thornton37814: That's what attracted me to the book, Lori. I haven't read very many books that have been set in Australia during WW II.

>107 LisaMorr: I hope you enjoy Code Girls when you get to it, Lisa.

I haven't got a hope of properly catching up on your thread Judy - so just a quick hi! I think I'm taking a BB for Lillian Boxfish, I've also picked it but for some reason haven't brought it home, sounds like I should.

Happy Saturday, Judy. Good review of Code Girls. Thumb. And hooray for Lillian Boxfish. It is great that folks are still discovering that one.

Hi Judy - I'm glad you liked Lillian Boxfish - it's so great to read a book about an old woman who isn't pathetic.

I am also a fan of Crombie's series and am waiting for the next one.

I tried to get through Ulysses last summer and made it about halfway before admitting defeat. I will go back to it; I'd really like to find a class on it. I did love Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man but it's been a long time since I read it.

I'm taking a BB on both Lillian Boxfish and Divine Wind.

I've spent the last two days updating my electronic library. I found many books that I hadn't listed as being in my library, a few that I had already read and forgotten to delete, and some just listed as being in the wrong place. I have three different electronic devices and now I have a good idea of what's on what! And I also know that I have over 1,000 books just on these devices plus the 740 books on my shelves so I better get reading!

>109 SouthernKiwi: Hi Alana, Lillian Boxfish was a good read and I hope you enjoy it.

>110 msf59: Hi Mark, Happy Father's Day. Both Code Girls and Lillian Boxfish have been standouts this month.

>111 BLBera: Beth, I am currently reading a book from another mystery series that you introduced me to - Live Bait is the second book in the Monkeewrench series. This series is being added to my favorites list. If I do decide to tackle Ulysses or Finnigan's Wake, I will probably do so in installment form. Short doses would probably be better with this kind of material.

>112 Tess_W: Hi Tess!

>113 DeltaQueen50: ... I also know that I have over 1,000 books just on these devices...

That's why I haven't added my ebooks to my LT collections. I'm not ready to face the truth. I'm holding to the idea that I only have a few dozen books on my iPad.

>114 RidgewayGirl: I have to admit I was rather shocked at the amount. It's just so darn easy to click and receive! There were more than a few that I have no memory of buying - probably from the Daily Deals ... which reminds me, I haven't checked today's deals yet. (See it's a sickness!)

>114 RidgewayGirl:
>115 DeltaQueen50:

I'm pretty religious about adding books as soon as I get them. However, I found a couple on my ereader that I didn't recognize and therefore went through the entire ereader and found 15 that I had not added. They are now added and it may make the difference whether my TBR pile goes down or not this year as I had already bought books with gift cards for my birthday and Christmas.

>94 DeltaQueen50: As you saw on my thread, I also couldn't connect with The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. I also felt it was very dated. Maybe if I'd understood the state of Ireland and the church at the time it was written it would have meant more to me, but as it is I couldn't care.

>117 japaul22: Yes, obviously we pretty much agree on The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. Here's hoping our next 1,001 choices are better.

109. Live Bait by P. J. Tracy - 4.5 ★
Category: Crime Stories
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Book by 2 Female Authors
June TBRCat: Book Bullets - Beth
June TIOLI #11: Author's First, Middle or Last Name Starts With A "J"



The mother-daughter writing team of P. J. Tracy have produced another great mystery with the second entry into their Monkeewrench series. Live Bait brings back the wise-cracking team of Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth as they work on the murder of a well known Minneapolis Nursery owner. This case quickly escalates into a series of murders, with all the victims being elderly Jewish people. The one thing the victims have in common is that they were all survivors of the Nazi concentration camps.

Along with the main police detectives many of the other characters that were introduced in the first book are back. Grace and Leo are still involved and although their relationship appears to have no definition, Leo is still upset when he learns that Grace and her Monkeewrench team are leaving Minnesota to work on a case in Arizona for a few months. Nevertheless, their romance takes a positive step forward and I suspect Grace will be back.

This series delivers both on the suspense and the humor. The authors have developed intelligent, well-drawn characters that engage in snappy, humorous dialogue, they are considerate and compassionate which make them easy to root for. When you add excellent plotting and timing to the mix, it is no surprise that the reader is riveted to the pages.

I sometimes remember to add ebooks and sometimes forget. I go through every so often to check for new ones since they load to my Kindle app in order of receipt.

I am very strict about adding e-books to my LT catalogue. I use the Collections feature on my Kindle to keep them somewhat organized in the cloud. I keep very few books downloaded on the Kindle - right now I have 5 and only that many because of my upcoming trip.

>120 thornton37814: Lori, I thought that I had added every book but I missed about four, what was more disconcerting was the number of books that I had absolutely no memory of buying, or what the book was even about!

>121 katiekrug: That sounds like a good system, Katie. And I do love to organize things - this could be my next project!

Book projects are The Best projects :)

>113 DeltaQueen50: ...I also know that I have over 1,000 books just on these devices...
Good. Lord. I had no idea a book reader could store that much. I'm always deleting a book right after reading it because I'm afraid it will tell me that I've got too many if I don't. ;-)

Judy, just stopping by to see what you've been reading and catch up on your posts. WOW! I also had no idea that an ereader could store so many books, or maybe some are just waiting in the cloud. Either way....1000 books. WOW!

>119 DeltaQueen50: Ooh, the P.J. Tracy Monkeewrench books look interesting. Onto my library "for later list" goes the first in the series. Talking about list, I really should go through that one soon. Now if I could only stop hitting the hold button.

This is so strange, I know I was here earlier today and replied to all my visitors - but it seems to have disappeared. I will try again.

>123 katiekrug: You know it, Katie!

>124 mstrust: & >125 This-n-That: I have three Kindles on the go with two of them being stuffed with books! I do delete each book after I read it and banish it to "the cloud" , now, thanks to Katie, I am going to set up some collections on my Kindles and send some unread books up to the cloud to be retrieved at a later date.

>126 Familyhistorian: I love the Monkeewrench series, Meg, and I hope you do as well. :)

110. Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson - 3.2 ★
Category: Reading From My Shelves
June TIOLI #11: Author's First, Middle or Last Name Begins with a "J"



Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson is the 7th book in the Walt Longmire series. In this one, Sheriff Longmire is tracking an escaped psychopath through the Bighorn Mountains during a blizzard. The psychopath has recently confessed to the murder of a young Native American boy who turns out to be the grandson of Virgil White Buffalo, a friend and spiritual guide of Walt’s. Walt sets off alone on the killers trail, and soon is past the point of return as the weather deteriorates, a wildfire has been set and roars down the mountain toward him, and the killer lies in ambush.

This is a series that I enjoy but this book was a little too spiritual for my taste. Walt is accompanied on his trip by a spirit guide and the whole story seems to be a deliberate spin on Dante’s Inferno, a book that Walt’s deputy was reading at the beginning of the story. I also missed the presence of the regular characters like Henry Standing Bear, and his feisty deputy Vic Moretti. Nevertheless, I am still a fan of the series and will definitely be reading on.

>128 DeltaQueen50: I need to read others in the series first, but the setting in the Bighorns appeals to me!

>119 DeltaQueen50: I'm so glad you like this series, Judy. There is a new one coming out sometime this year.

I am terrible about cataloging my ebooks and have starting adding them as I read them -- logging them all seems daunting.

>129 thornton37814: The setting is what first drew me to this series, Lori. I have travelled in the area and from the first book the author captures the scenery perfectly.

>130 BLBera: I am happy that I have only read two of the books in this series, Beth. That means I still have eight or so to go! :) As to logging my e-books, I love fooling around with lists of books and I am having fun rearranging them into collections and moving them to the cloud - not only am I making room on my Kindle, I am also reminding myself of the books I already own.

111. The Sultan's Wife by Jane Johnson - 4.5 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
June AlphaKit - "J"
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Multiple Viewpoints
TIOLI #6: Rolling Challenge Based on Family Members



I found The Sultan’s Wife by Jane Johnson an exotic ride to 1677 Morocco and the palace of the murderous Sultan Moulay Ismail and his witch-like wife, Zidana. We are transported from Morocco to England while reading the story of Nus-Nus, the Sultan’s African eunuch scribe, and Alys Swann, an English woman kidnapped and brought to the Sultan.

While both Alys and Nus-Nus are fictional characters, the Sultan and his wife actually did exist and he was as psychotic and blood-thirsty as depicted in this novel. Life at court was always dangerous, no one ever knew when the Sultan would be set-off into a murderous rage, and his cunning wife wasn’t much better. She ruled the harem with fear and those most in danger were the Sultan’s current favorites or those who had had his sons.

When Nus-Nus decides to champion Alys, his life becomes very challenging. Alys trusts him and he, in turn, has fallen in love with her. When she is delivered of a boy child, life becomes all the more dangerous as Zidana is obsessed with removing all boys who she sees as obstacles to her own son’s succession. When Nus-Nus is assigned to accompany the ambassador to England, he seizes the change to save Alys, her son and himself.

The Wife of the Sultan is an excellent story, woven around actual historical figures, it is full of intrigue, deceit and romance. The story cleverly meshes history, culture and religion together which gives it an authentic feel and makes for a very engaging read.

>128 DeltaQueen50: - I'm currently reading the one just before this so I've skipped your review, but I do love the series.

>133 dudes22: I love the series as well, just not this particular entry.

112. Micro by Michael Crichton & Richard Preston - 2.0 ★
Category: Science Fiction
June ScaredyKit: Techno-Thriller
June TIOLI #14: Book Has An Even Number of Pages



Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston is a techno-thriller that relies on an all too familiar theme of a greedy capitalist exploiting a technological breakthrough that could benefit humanity. In this story, a shrinking machine and mini-robots are being used for evil instead of for good and anyone who gets in the way ends up murdered.

When a group of visiting grad students stumble on the truth, they are shrunk down to tiny beings and left in the Hawaiian wilderness to die. As the 7 shrunken characters battle giant beetles, wasps and spiders, one can’t help but be reminded of the Walt Disney movie, “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. Of course as the story progresses, they are a number of grisly deaths each one progressively more horrifying than the last one.

I understand this this was an unfinished novel of Crichton’s that was completed by Richard Preston and unfortunately this combination of nature against technology doesn’t really work. A story of this nature needs to embrace it’s silliness and so should have had more humour and a lighter touch. I did enjoy some of the survival aspects of the story but the villain was an over-the-top cartoon, the science was ridiculous and the plot felt rehashed from previous books.

Monday is going to be my 11th Thingaversary - I can't express what a great day it was for me when I stumbled on this site! I don't need more books, but I couldn't resist this excellent excuse to add to my library, so my Thingaversary additions are:

The Churchgoer by Patrick Coleman
Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
Rabbit Run by John Updike
The Master by Colm Toibin
The Trick Is To Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
Don’t Move by Margaret Mazzantini
The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner
Stormy Weather by Paulette Jiles
And Justice There Is None by Deborah Crombie
The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley
Where the Forest Meets the Sky by Glendy Vanderah

Excellent haul, and Happy Thingaversary! You're celebrating in the right way.

Ooh, nice haul! Happy Thingaversary for Monday!

>137 mstrust: & >138 Jackie_K: Thank you, Ladies, and I am sure you will approve that the celebrations are starting this evening with cocktails on the terrace followed by my husband taking me out for dinner. Now I just need to keep this celebration going over the weekend!

Happy Thingaversary for Monday, Judy! What a great haul of books!

Happy Thingaversary, nice book haul!

Way to celebrate, Judy!

Happy Thingaversary, Judy! I see a couple of books on your list that I'd find interesting. My 11th was in January and a work friend introduced me to it. I have a hard time buying books so soon after Christmas. I wish someone would give me books cards then I wouldn't feel guilty.

Nice haul and Happy Thingaversary, Judy.

Happy Thingaversary and happy reading!

>136 DeltaQueen50: Happy Thingaversary! and congrats in celebrating it the right way.

OH, my 10th Thingaversary was earlier this year and I didn't even know cocktails should be involved. Silly me, I must catch up for lost time!

Happy Thingaversary! That's a nice selection of books to help you celebrate.

Happy thingaversary, Judy, and what a great idea to start celebrating early!

>140 VivienneR: Thanks Vivienne, I went for a number of 1,001 books but also a few "just for fun" ones as well.

>141 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen.

>142 ronincats: We had a lovely evening, Roni. We sat out on the deck and enjoyed a beverage and then we went to a local Greek Restaurant where we shared a plate of Kalamari and then I had lamb souvlaka. Delicious!

>143 dudes22: I've given up feeling guilty about buying books, Betty. I know that I am going to be continuing to add to my library, even though I probably have more than enough books to last my lifetime.

>144 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Now I just have to find time for all this reading!

>145 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess.

>146 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks, Dave. It's always good to have a reason to celebrate!

>147 clue: Definitely there needs to be a cocktail or two added to the celebration!

>148 mathgirl40: Thanks, Paulina, I am looking forward to digging into them.

>149 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit. We have nothing special planned for today but tomorrow will be meeting friends for Sunday brunch - so the celebration will continue!

Happy Thingaversary, Judy!

Nice celebratory book haul. Can't wait to hear what you think of Big Sky (it's in my future) and The Last Good Kiss (an old favorite).

Hi Joe, hope you are having a lovely weekend. I am excited for Big Sky as well, although I won't be getting to it until I read Started Early, Took My Dog first. I think The Last Good Kiss landed on my wishlist after I saw a conversation between you and Mamie about it. :)

113. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers - 5.0 ★
Category: Vintage Crime
1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List
June RandomCat: Pick A Card
June SeriesCat: A Completed Series
June CalendarCat: Author's Birthday - June 13th
June TIOLI #2: Rolling Challenge Based on Location



The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers was originally published in 1934 and is the 11th book in her Sir Peter Wimsey series. In this story, Wimsey becomes stranded in a small village after he accidentally runs his car off the road. It’s New Year’s Eve and the village rector offers his hospitality and Sir Peter eventually helps out in the ringing of a nine hour peal of the church bells. When, a few months later, a mutilated corpse is discovered, the rector writes to Sir Peter for assistance in solving the mystery of who this corpse is and who murdered him.

This is an intriguing case as in order to solve this murder, Sir Peter must solve a twenty year old mystery of the robbery of an extremely valuable emerald necklace, and discover where the missing necklace is. The book is set in a small village in the remote fens of East Anglia that is peopled by some very interesting characters. The art of bell-ringing is the framework upon which this story is developed and the author uses this art form in an original and engaging way.

First and foremost is the strong sense of place that the author builds upon to create atmosphere and, by opening the book during a snowstorm and closing it during a flood, she paints a striking picture of these isolated, flat and artificially drained lands. The author keeps the bells front and centre, even the solution to the mystery is wrapped in a cryptogram concerning them. The Nine Tailors is both clever and memorable and an altogether delicious mystery.

>153 DeltaQueen50: I'm always very pleased to see people enjoy this, it's one I enjoy a lot. Although as a bell ringer, I do have to let the few technical errors pass over me. >:-)

Happy Thingaversary, Judy. Hope you enjoy your weekend lead up to the celebration.

>136 DeltaQueen50: Happy Thingaversary!!

Great book haul! I really enjoyed Rabbit Run and the rest of the series.

>154 Helenliz: I thought that using the bell ringing to build her mystery upon was super clever and a great way to pull the reader into the village and it's characters. I read that researching this book gave Dorothy Sayers a life-long interest in bell-ringing. And, she thoughtfully included an apology for any mistakes that she made have made.

>155 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I had a slight episode of A-fib yesterday but feel much better today and we are going to Seasons in the Park to meet friends for brunch.

>156 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. It's good to hear you enjoyed Rabbit Run as I wasn't sure about this one but thought that I should give it a try.

Oh my. Nine Tailors is one of my fave mysteries ever. clever and memorable and an altogether delicious mystery. Yes! Go Lord Peter!

Nice Thingaversary haul! Enjoy reading!

<158 The Nine Tailors certainly deserves a spot on the favorite mystery shelf!

>159 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori.

114. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - 4.0 ★
Category: Young At Heart
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Revolving Around a Game or a Puzzle
TIOLI #7: Set in a Real Place That I Have Never Been



The Westing Game is a fun children’s mystery story about an eccentric millionaire called Sam Westing, who gathers 16 potential heirs to his $200 million estate to compete in a mysterious game to discover who among them murdered him. This is a book that I would have loved as a child and, even as an adult, found to be a very clever read.

More of a puzzle than a mystery, the book is filled with quirky characters that are all just slightly off normal. The potential heirs are mysteriously hand-picked to be tenants of a new apartment building within sight of the old Westing mansion. Like an Agatha Christie story, they are gathered together to be presented with the information that one of them is a murderer. They are put into pairs, given some very strange clues and told to solve the mystery. What follows is plenty of scheming, plotting and detecting as they scramble to make sense of the enigmatic clues.

This complicated game or puzzle within a novel makes for a very inventive and creative story that had me wishing that I had a child nearby to both read it with me and help me unravel the clues.

>161 DeltaQueen50: That's a classic! It's been awhile since I read it. I might need to track it down again.

The Westing Game is our daughter's (seasonoflove's) favorite book ever. She's in her thirties now, and still re-reads it every year.

>162 thornton37814: The Westing Game came along too late for me to enjoy as a child, Lori, but I know I would have loved it. It engages and makes you think, has great characters, a good story and lots of humor - defiitely a classic!

>163 jnwelch: It would have been one of mine as well, Joe.

115. The Hide Hunters by Lewis B. Patten - 3.6 ★
Category: Saddle Up!
TIOLI #16: Rolling Challenge Based on Author's Name Fitting To 'Jasper'



The Hide Hunters by Lewis B. Patten is an American Western novel that is set in Texas with the battle at Adobe Walls as the centerpiece of the story. The main character is Jess Burdett, who, en route to joining the buffalo hunters helps a badly beaten woman escape her brute of a husband. They arrive at the buffalo hunters headquarters just days before the famous Comanche and Kiowa attack. Unfortunately, the woman’s husband also arrives tracking his runaway wife.

I had recently read another account of this battle and both descriptions were very much the same so I am assuming that the author did his research. The tension of fighting Indians while guarding himself from the angry husband kept the pages turning. As one fellow teases him, “It’s Hell to get shot by a white man during an Indian fight.”

Lewis B. Patten is a Spur winning author of western stories. Although there is little buffalo hunting in The Hide Hunters, the author blends frontier morality, tense action and actual history into an enjoyable and quick read.

>164 DeltaQueen50: I was in high school when it came out. I read it in a YA lit class in grad school, I believe. If not, I just read it because I was still in a YA mode for several months after the class.

>161 DeltaQueen50: - I'll take a BB for this and see if I can give it to someone at Christmas. It sounds similar to the "Mr. Lemoncello" series by Chris Grabenstein which takes place in a library and which I enjoyed very much. They also have puzzles and anagrams, etc to figure out to solve the mystery.

>136 DeltaQueen50: Happy belated Thingaversary! That is a very fine book haul there.

>166 thornton37814: I am just happy that I hve finally read it and now know why so many people love it. :)

>167 dudes22: I hope you love it as well, Betty. I would say it is aimed at 10 - 12 year olds - or anyone youg-at-heart. ;)

>168 RidgewayGirl: Thanks, Kay. I love having an excuse to purchase multiple books!

116. An Echo In The Bone by Diana Gabaldon - 4.3 ★
Category: Out of the Past



An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon is the 7th book in her Outlander series and by now I am fully enmeshed in both the story and the characters. I have been listening to these books over the last few years and the reader, Davina Porter has become for me, the perfect voice to tell this story. She deals with the huge cast of characters very well with a distinctive voice for each of the main characters

This book follows the Fraser family both in the past, during the American Revolution and during the 1980 as Briana and Roger try to establish their family at Lallybroch. Their storyline is the least interesting to me, but they did get a cliffhanger of an ending in this book so I am eager to learn what is going to happen to them in the next book. I won’t go into the plot details for the rest of the family but this book has a fair amount of action and although much is resolved by the end of the book, there are plenty of loose ends that need to be followed on to the next book.

I will probably give myself a break from this series for a few months, but I suspect I will be listening to the 8th book this fall.

Hi Judy - It seems like you are doing very well on the reading front. My kids were fans of The Westing Game.

>171 BLBera: Hi Beth, for some reason this has been a stellar month in terms of number of books read, not all of them have been excellent, but enough were to keep me happy. :)

117. The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon - 4.1 ★
Category: Library List
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Book That Will Be A Movie in 2019
TIOLI #13: Fits one of Paul S' Pictures



I wasn’t expecting The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon to play so much upon my emotions, but this romantic coming-of-age story about two high school seniors, Jamaican American Natasha and Korean American Daniel, touched and moved me. The book takes place over the course of one day as these two young people meet, learn about each other and fall in love. Daniel thinks he has found his future, but Natasha has one last revelation, she and her family are being deported as illegal emigrants that very night.

The set-up of the book was inventive and original. During the course of the day Natasha and Daniel wander the streets of New York and almost every character or new idea that they encounter is given a small chapter which expands on the philosophy of the book. This interracial young adult romance never feels forced and I loved how two young people from such different backgrounds could be so funny, flawed and real together.

The Sun is Also A Star brings the small things front and center. The story flows easily, switching back and forth between the two main characters and as much as I don’t believe in love developing this quickly, the author did deliver a beautiful story about the emigrant experience. Unfortunately, I thought the ending was a little far-fetched and overly cute.

>173 DeltaQueen50: - I ended up liking that one quite a bit more than I expected. You're right that the emigrant experience was a strong part of the story.

>174 LittleTaiko: I chose to read The Sun is Also A Star because it fit a PopSugar prompt so I didn't have high expectations for it. And then in the surprising way that books can have, the story promptly drew me in and I ended up being very impressed with the it.

118. The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz - 4.0 ★
Category: Science Fiction
Roni's Sci-Fi Group Read
June TIOLI #9: Title of the Book is "Someone of/from Somewhere"



The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz is a science fiction novel about a young space ship captain who rescues three sisters who were being held as slaves. He then finds himself getting involved in one wild adventure after another as he comes into contact with alien invaders, space pirates and his own magical powers.

The three little girls are witches from the planet of Karres, after returning them to their home, the captain’s adventures continue and one of the witches accompanies him. It’s quickly apparent that she is the brains of the operation, despite being only 10 years old. They are able to induce the powerful Sheewash Drive that can instantly transport their ship to a different location, but this is also what is attracting the attention of others, all of whom want to have this magical technology for themselves. As they travel through the dangerous space wilderness of Chaladoor they encounter many page-turning challenges.

The Witches of Karres was originally published in novel form in 1965, this edition has been slightly edited to remove certain dated references but it is still full of action, adventure and humor. This isn’t a book with a deep message or philosophy, it is simply a good old fashioned space opera that doesn’t take itself or it’s science too seriously.

Happy Belated Thingaversary, Judy. I love that book haul. I will have to get my greedy mitts on The Big Sky too. I really enjoyed The Master and The Last Good Kiss is one of my favorite crime novels. I also want to get to the Jiles and the Kushner.

I hope you are having a great week.

>177 msf59: Welcome back, Mark and thanks for sharing your trip with the rest of us on your thread. Your pictures certainly show what a beautiful part of the country you visted. I am so excited about Kate Atkinson continuing the Jackson Brody series!

I have opened a thread for the planned group read of Tom Jones, if you are interested here's the link:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/308506

>179 DeltaQueen50: Dang, I should have checked the group reads, I just read and finished it 2 days ago!

>180 Tess_W: Oh, that's too bad, Tess. I hope you visit the thread and offer up any comments or encouragement that you have. :)

>173 DeltaQueen50: This looks like a good one, Judy. I have been looking for great immigrant stories.

>176 DeltaQueen50: Glad you enjoyed it, Judy! Have you posted it over on the Schmitz thread?

>182 BLBera: It is a YA book, Beth, but still it surprised me and delivered a good story.

>183 ronincats: Whoops, I forgot about that - I better go and post my review to the Schmitz thread.

Happy Canada Day weekend, Judy. I hope you are having a good one!

>185 Familyhistorian: We are having a lovely weekend, Meg. Hope you are having a good one as well.

119. Walkabout by James Vance Marshall - 4.5 ★
Category: Young At Heart
July Reading Through Time: Travel
July TIOLI #2: Set in a Country Participating in the 2019 Women's World Cup



Originally published in 1959, Walkabout by James Vance Marshall is the story of two children who survive a plane crash and find themselves lost in the Australian outback. They are American children who were on their way to visit their Australian uncle. They have no knowledge of the flora and fauna that they find themselves surrounded by and are very much in jeopardy. A young Aborigine finds them, and helps them learn how to survive and thus they begin their journey back to civilization.

An excellent story, but there are some very important moral questions raised. The white children just naturally seem to have a sense of superiority over the young black boy and call him “Darkie” or ‘Boy”. The young white girl, Mary, is actually very afraid of the black boy, thinking he may mean them harm when all he is doing is showing them how to find food and water. As the young boy looks at Mary and sees her fear, he believes it foreshadows his own death. I suspect the author was trying to highlight the difficulties that the Aborigines were facing as the freedom of their isolated, wandering lifestyle was coming to an end.

The author’s simple survival story is entwined with descriptions of the landscape of the Outback. His knowledge of plants and animals are excellent and these descriptions allow the reader to experience the story through the eyes of the children. Walkabout is a wonderfully haunting children’s story and one that deserves it’s place on the classic shelf.

My top reads of the 2nd quarter were:

Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers
Legend by David Gemmell
The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles
The Sultan's Wife by Jane Johnson
Live Bait by P. J. Tracy

Happy Canada Day, Judy!
I don't know how Canada Day is celebrated, but I'm picturing a BBQ with a maple glaze on everything.

I hope you are enjoying the holiday, Judy. What do you do, to celebrate it? Read? Grins...

>189 mstrust: You are very close, Jennifer. We had a salmon BBQ but instead of a maple glaze (which would have been very good) we did a lemon-teriyaki glaze. As it got dark we walked over to the local park and watched some fireworks.

>190 msf59: Thanks, Mark. You are also right - reading was definitely on my menu yesterday!

120. Love By the Morning Star by Laura L. Sullivan - 3.1 ★
Category: Love Stories
TIOLI #14: A Four Word or Plus Title



Love by the Morning Star by Laura L. Sullivan is a romantic farce about two young women who are mistaken for each other. Set in England in the months just before the start of World War II, Hannah Morgernstern has been sent to safety by her Jewish parents. She is to take up residence at the English country estate of Starkers. Meanwhile, Anna Morgan is to be placed at Starkers as a spy by her father who belongs to the National Fascist Front. The two girls could not be more different, one tiny and dark, the other tall and blonde, but somehow they are mistaken for one another and due to a variety of reasons the truth takes the length of the book to come out.

Reading like a 1930s romantic comedy of errors, both girls profess to have fallen in love with Teddy, the heir to the Liripip fortune, but in actuality Anna has fallen for the under gardener. There are many romantic mishaps until the lively climax at the end, but unfortunately the story just didn’t seem to be able to sustain itself throughout the book. What started out as a charming comedy of errors soon became just a series of silly scenes and double entendres.

While the writing was light and humorous, Love By The Morning Star just didn’t quite work for me. I think the subject matter of the persecution of the Jews and the rising power of the Nazis deserved a little more seriousness than the book gave it.

>192 DeltaQueen50: Glad to see your review of this one, as it's on my shelves. I like a good screwball farce, but I suspect the things that bothered you will also bother me. We shall see!

>193 christina_reads: Christina, I was hoping for a charming story like Countess Below the Stairs, so perhaps my expectations were too high. I'll look forward to seeing what you think of it.

121. Lost And Found by Carolyn Parkhurst - 4.0 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
July AlphaKit: P
July RandomCat: Birds



Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst is a satire about reality-TV shows. It alternates between comedy and tragedy while it explores the relationships between the various contestants of an Amazing Race type competition.

As the two person teams journey around the world from Egypt to Japan and Scandinavia, the producers, cameramen, editors and host try to expose the flaws in their contestants all in the name of making a “must-see” program. The raw emotions that they expose only encourage them to continue to dig deeper to unmask secrets and reveal hidden emotions. The teams are varied and interesting, in particular Laura and Cassie, a mother-daughter team whose prickly relationships hides a secret neither wants to publicly acknowledge; Justin and Abby, a married couple who have denied their gay history and have declared themselves born-again Christians but are constantly wrestling with their sexual orientation; Juliet and Dallas, former child stars who can’t seem to find the spotlight that they so desperately desire. The author employs a constantly shifting perspective that works really well in bringing this story to life.

At times heart-breaking but also at times very funny, these characters are pushed to the limit by the requirements of television with it’s relentless scrutiny and lack of privacy and while, the author didn’t break any new ground here, I thought the concept was clever and the story very interesting. The characters have depth and I was both intrigued and entertained by this story.

>195 DeltaQueen50: I hate reality TV shows. I'm really getting tired of the lack of creativity showing in television these days. I'm so sick of all the contest shows. I want good old 1960s to 1980s TV where shows offered plots.

>195 DeltaQueen50: - I read that years ago, Judy, but remember very little of it.

>196 thornton37814: Lori, I still watch the odd reality show, mostly The Amazing Race, but I do so with the knowledge that the show is far from "real", the editors shape how we view the show and what each contestant's role is to be. There seems to be a trend in TV to go back and dig up old shows and right now "game shows" seem to be popping up everywhere. There is a definite lack of creativity and originality in television today.

>197 katiekrug: I can see that this isn't a book that will linger on in the mind, Katie. Fun while it lasted but definitely no staying power.

>195 DeltaQueen50: - I have this in my TBR pile, but, having read your review, I can't imagine why I picked it up. Probably the cover. I'm sure it was at a library sale. Even though you gave it a 4*, I think I'll purge it. Doesn't sound like anything I'd like.

>199 dudes22: I doubt that you will miss anything by purging the book, Betty. As I say it's a simple, fun read but I doubt that I will remember much about it in a very short while.

122. Norwegian By Night by Derek B. Miller - 4.2 ★
Category: Book Bullets - Mark
TIOLI #16: A Relative Is Vacationing in the Book's Setting This Summer



Norwegian By Night by Derek B. Miller is about an aging cantankerous American-Jewish widower who has been transplanted to Norway and becomes involved in a hate crime. When a stranger murders the immigrant woman who lives upstairs, Sheldon shelters, protects and escapes with her son, fearing the boy is in danger as well. Haunted by his experiences as a Marine sniper in the Korean War and by his son’s death in Vietnam, Sheldon sometimes has difficulty in deciding what is real and what is not. He believes that that the Koreans are still after him, but he also knows that he is this little boy’s one chance as his mother’s killer is trying to hunt them both down.

I loved this book, the story was captivating and Sheldon was a unique and sympathetic character. He is so strongly drawn that many of the other characters seem to fade into the background by comparison which mostly was alright as Sheldon was more than able to carry the story. I did however enjoy the scenes that involved the police detectives Sigrid and Petter and would love to read more about them.

Derek B. Miller’s first novel, Norwegian By Night is a blend of styles from police procedural to a literary work that examines the emotional toil of aging, to a war story that combines memory and loss, and a stream of consciousness story that puts the reader firmly into the head of Sheldon Horowitz. Some of these styles work better than others, but the author’s clever use of humour, wit and compassion make this an original story of redemption.

>195 DeltaQueen50: Sweet Thursday, Judy. I read this one a few years ago and it fell short for me. Glad you got more of it. I have had Norwegian By Night on my list, forever.

>201 DeltaQueen50: - I read this back in 2015 when it was the "Read across Rhode Island" book and enjoyed it also.

>202 msf59: Mark, I thought Norwegian By Night was a BB from you - perhaps I added to my list just from you mentioning it on your thread!

>203 dudes22: Betty, I see there is a second book called American By Day which follows Sigrid to America while she searches for her brother. I will definitely add this one to my list.

123. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood - 4.5 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
July 1,001 Books Challenge: Multiple Books by the Author on my Shelves
July CalendarCat: July 1st - Canada's Birthday
July TBRCat: More Than One Book by This Author on my Shelves
July TIOLI #2: Author Born in One of the Countries Participating in the 2019 Women's World Cu



The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood is going to be a book that I long remember. I ran the gamut of emotions while reading it. At times I was frustrated and angry, other times I was laughing, some parts of the book touched me deeply while others cause me to rant and rave. The story is how three women are exploited and damaged by a fourth. She uses them, steals their men, takes their money, then gets bored and moves on. Occasionally she also uses blackmail to get what she wants.

I actually didn’t relate to any of the women, they mostly angered me with how they tended to put their men on a pedestal and the men totally peeved me with their wishy-washy ways and how they allowed their women to clean up their messes. Unfortunately these women were no match for this master predator as all three of them came from damaged backgrounds. She was an expert at digging out her victims weak spots and manipulating it to her advantage. And yet, the author gave a sense of playfulness to the story with her wit and insight into male/female relationships.

The Robber Bride has a dark fairy tale quality, with this truly evil she-creature picking apart each woman’s life, but in actuality, the men were such spineless philanderers and shameless liars that these women would be better off without them. Perhaps Atwood, with tongue-in-cheek, was showing that this villainous woman was doing them a favour.

>204 DeltaQueen50: I have checked my library for Derek B. Miller and they have both of these books plus one other with different characters. On the shortlist they go!

>201 DeltaQueen50: That one sounds good.

>205 DeltaQueen50: - Although I've read a couple of hers and have a couple more in my TBR, this is not one of them. I'll have to keep an eye out at the library sales.

>206 clue: I hope you enjoy his books. I'll watch for your comments.

>207 thornton37814: I liked that the author played with the genre, Lori. It's a hard book to slot into any genre, and I liked the main character of Sheldon very much.

>208 dudes22: I had always been rather nervous of Margaret Atwood but I have now read three of hers and loved each and everyone of them.

124. Moon At Nine by Deborah Ellis - 4.0 ★
Category: Armchair Travel - Iran
July TIOLI #10: Rolling Challenge by Number in Title



Moon At Nine by Deborah Ellis is about a fifteen year old Iranian girl called Farrin. She is a top student at her school yet she is watched constantly as her family is known to have been loyal to the Shah. It has been ten years since the Shah was overthrown, but Iran has been busy with fighting Iraq. Now that this war is over, the Revolutionary Guard is turning it’s eagle eye on their own people.

Farrin meets a girl at school called Sadira and they instantly become friends. Sadira is funny, smart and outgoing and the two girls become inseparable. Their friendship develops into deeper feelings and the girls are happy to be in love. When they are caught kissing at school, they are separated and forced to keep away from each other but finding this impossible the girls plot to run away and escape from Iran. Before they can put their plan into action, they are arrested. As homosexuality can mean a death sentence, the girls are now in deep trouble.

In this YA book, the author sets her story against the politics, religion and culture of 1988 Iran. The author handles the cultural taboos and legal restrictions of lesbian relationships in an informative manner, yet I would have like to have had an inside view of Farren’s mindset when she came to realize that she was attracted to Sadira and what this meant, living as she did under such a merciless regime. I was quite surprised and overcome when I learned that Farrin and Sadira’s story is based on the real life experience of an Iranian refugee that the author met in 2013.

>188 DeltaQueen50: You had some great reading during the second quarter, Judy.

I haven't read The Robber Bride, but now I'm thinking it should be my next Atwood. She is a national treasure.

>211 BLBera: Hi Beth, I am a relative newcomer to Margaret Atwood, but yes, she is a national treasure, and I am looking forward to my next read of hers.

125. Autumn Princess, Dragon Child by Lian Hearn - 4.2 ★
Category: Fantasy
July SeriesCat: Fantasy
July TIOLI #14: A 4 or Plus Word Title



Autumn Princess, Dragon Child by Lian Hearn is the second volume in her Tales of Shikanoko series. These stories are intense fantasies set in a mythic Japan of the author’s imagination. I have come to realize that I need to read these books closer together as the story reads as one continuous story with no recap to reacquaint the reader with the characters or their plot lines. These stores are full of fugitive emperors, evil priests, and young demons. The humans who come into contact with the fore-mentioned are forever changed by the contact if they are still alive.

The author has obviously researched ancient Japan as the book feels authentic to Japanese culture and history but is also highly entertaining as the reader is drawn into this story of intrigue, adventure, betrayal and sacrifice. Evoking a feeling of destiny, this story plays out against a background of deep magical forests, isolated fortresses, haunted homesteads and holy temples. There isn’t much resolution to be found in this volume but it is fast paced and, once you get the various characters straight (thank heavens for a list of characters at the front of the book) the story is captivating.

The authors’ straight forward writing draws one into the story and then you begin to realize just how complex and twisted the plots are. Personally I am captivated by these Tales of Shikanoko so I am eager to continue on with volume three and four.

>213 DeltaQueen50: I want to get to this series soon, I loved her Tales of the Otori. I've kept all of those and will probably reread them sometime in the future.

>214 clue: I also loved her Tales of the Otori and I would say that these stories aren't quite as good but still well worth a read.

126. Adam Bede by George Eliot - 4.0 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
July TIOLI #2: Set in a Country Participating in the 2019 Woman's World Cup



Adam Bede by George Eliot was her first novel and was originally published in 1859. The story explores the nature of physical and mental attraction and in this case lead to a tragedy and many misunderstandings before everything was worked out. The author sets her story of love, faith and redemption against a picturesque background of rural England. Unfortunately the rules and morals of society were not a pretty as the setting and there were some that had to pay a very hefty price for taking their attraction to each other too far.

I read the book in installment form and found it to be an engrossing story. Set in a small rural village called Hayslope, a love triangle develops between the beautiful but self-absorbed Hetty Sorrel, her suitor, the stalwart Adam Bede and the young squire who seduces her. To complicate the story further, we have Adam’s brother Seth, who loves Dinah Morris, Hetty’s cousin, a virtuous and beautiful Methodist lay preacher. Dinah does not wish to give up her preaching for Seth, but she does have feelings for his brother, Adam.

I liked this story but was never overly fond of Adam or Dinah. My sympathies lay much more with the other characters and in particular, Hetty, who really had nowhere to turn and no one to help her. I found Dinah, with her holier-than-thou attitude, rather a cold fish. However, the author enhances the story with rich details, wonderful writing and a wide variety of characters making Adam Bede a very good reading experience.

127. The Way West by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. - 5.0 ★
Category: Saddle Up!
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A re-read of a favorite book
July Reading Thru Time Challenge: Travel
TIOLI #4: Fits a Square From the Seattle Summer Adult Book Bingo 2019



One of my all-time favourite books, The Way West by A. B. Guthrie, Jr was originally published in 1949 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1950. It is part of series of novels that the author wrote about the American West and is an entertaining and inspiring classic.

One character from his first book, The Big Sky returns to this book and becomes the guide for a wagon train travelling from Independence, Missouri to the Willamette River Valley in Oregon. This novel brings to life the hardships and adventure these hardy souls endured on their difficult journey. The author delivers his story in straight forward prose, and saves his dramatic flair for the stark and beautiful scenery through which they travel.

Although the book starts out being driven by men, as they move along the trail, the women eventually come to the forefront as well and we learn of their strength, fortitude and grit. They are the backbone of the party and share the work alongside their men as well as fulfilling the traditional woman’s roles. I originally read this book over forty years ago and it is one of a handful of books that made historical fiction so important to me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction and wants to read about American expansion.

>217 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for this very interesting review! The Way West has been in my TBR for a while--I need to bump it up after reading this review. Should I read The Big Sky before, or could I get away with reading it later?

>218 NinieB: Although there is one character, Dick Summers that appears in both books, the actual stories have no connection as The Big Sky is about the mountain men and the fur brigades while The Way West is about the pioneers who were looking to settle and farm. The third book, Fair Land, Fair Land is more of a direct sequel to the first book so it shouldn't be read until after The Big Sky. I hope you enjoy The Way West. :)

Judy, you've made me pull my copy off The Big Sky off the shelf. No idea when I'll get to it, but at least having it more front and center might help!

Hi, Judy. I have not read an Atwood, in quite awhile and I have not read The Robber Bride, so I will keep that one in mind. I have also added The Big Sky to my list.

>219 DeltaQueen50: Good! Much easier to read one. I will try to read it sometime this summer.

>220 katiekrug: Katie, I love these books and I hope you enjoy them as well. I found I took away very different things on my recent re-read of The Big Sky, the author's descriptions of the country are wonderful and the story is certainly engaging, but this time around I could really see the darkness in the main character which I didn't seem to pick up as much on my first read.

>221 msf59: Mark, I am really enjoying discovering Margaret Atwood at this point in my life. I'm not sure I would have picked up the nuances that she fills her writing with when I was younger.

>222 NinieB: I will watch for your comments - I hope you enjoy the read.

>217 DeltaQueen50: - I'm not normally a fan of westerns but this does sound quite intriguing. At the very least I need to tell my dad about it as it sounds like something he'd love.

>224 LittleTaiko: If your Dad loves to read westerns or American history then I am sure he will love these books. The Way West is one of the best novels I have ever read about the experiences of the pioneers crossing the Oregon Trail.

128. Murder At The Old Vicarage by Jill McGown - 3.8 ★
Category: Crime Story
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Book is Set in an Abbey, Monastery, Nunnery, Vicarage or Cloister
TIOLI #2: Set in a Country That Participated in the 2019 Women's World Cup



Murder At the Old Vicarage by Jill McGown grabbed me right away, I was expecting this to be more of a cozy mystery but in actuality it had more in common with a police procedural. It was an interesting murder mystery with three immediate suspects, all part of the same family. On Christmas Eve, the vicar, his wife and their daughter were the only ones around so it seemed a sure thing that one of them killed the abusive son-in-law. The police just had to match the alibis, timing and motive to come up with the actual murderer. But all three lied, to protect themselves, to protect their secrets and to protect each other. Of course there was always the slim possibility that an outsider had committed the crime, but so many lies and tampering with the evidence made it very difficult for the police to fully comprehend the crime scene.

Even though I read this in July, I enjoyed the Christmas setting and the vintage feel to the book that was actually set in modern times. The author obviously meant this to be a homage to Agatha Christie as more than once a reference was made to her books. In fact, even the closing line of the book was a Christie reference. I wasn’t quite as taken with the secondary story line about the relationship between the lead Inspector and his Sergeant, finding it quite weak. It just didn’t make sense that this couple couldn’t find some kind of resolution to a situation that had been dragging on for years. But overall this was a solid murder mystery.

>226 DeltaQueen50: That is definitely a book bullet for me!

>226 DeltaQueen50: - I loved that series so much when I read it back in the late 90's/early 00's and was very saddened when the author died. Happy to see that you enjoyed this one as well.

I've never read any books by A. B. Guthrie, Judy, but it sounds like I might like this one. Do they have to be read in any kind of order?

>227 thornton37814: I basically read this book as I needed a vicarage setting for the PopSugar Challenge, Lori, but I think I will be looking for more books by this author - so a bit of a book bullet for me as well. ;)

>228 LittleTaiko: I didn't know that the author had died, I guess the books that are available for the Kindle are re-issues, I fully intend to pick up a couple more by her.

>229 BLBera: Beth, I think the first book, The Big Sky and the third book, Fair Land, Fair Land need to be read in order as they deal with the same characters. The Way West and These Thousand Hills can be read separately as one deals with a wagon train and the other with ranching in Montana.

I didn't get much reading done today as we had my husband's brother and his wife up from the States to visit. It was a beautiful day and we spent most of it sitting outside on the terrace. I always enjoy their company so it was a very nice break in our usual routine. I actually didn't mind cutting my reading time short as I am not overly excited by the strange book that I am reading - His Monkey Wife - but hopefully I will finish it up tonight and can move onto something better.

129. His Monkey Wife by John Collier - 2.0 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
July AlphaKit: C
TIOLI #5: The First Sentence in Chapters 1, 2 or 3 Contains a Number



His Monkey Wife is an unusual story of Mr. Fatigay, an English schoolmaster working in the upper Congo, and Emily, his intelligent and sensitive pupil who happens to be a prodigiously gifted chimpanzee. She is brought to England as a present for Mr. Fatigay’s frivolous fiancee, Amy. Amy puts Emily to work as a housemaid and keeps her locked up. But Emily has fallen in love with Mr. Fatigay and resolves to educate herself. She escapes in order to visit the British Museum, where she reads Darwin’s Origin of Species ...

Unfortunately this satire from the 1930's seemed very dated and the author’s cheerful misanthropic and racist attitudes had me wanting to toss the book across the room a few times. During the course of the book most characters did not even realize that Emily was a monkey, thoughts of her being a woman from Arabia, China, Ireland or Spain were all tossed about. I realize the author meant this to be a tongue-in-cheek satire on human weakness as well as a commentary on British manners but overall it simply annoyed and embarrassed me.

I was hoping for a book about a monkey and the affection that could develop between that monkey and her guardian, instead the author used the character of the monkey as a substitute for an immigrant to portray someone who didn’t understand the rules of British society and so didn’t fit in. The author was aiming for humour but I found the book to be small minded, intolerant and not humorous at all.

I had my library's website open as I caught up with your thread, Judy. You caught me with a few BBs so Norwegian by Night is now on my library hold list. The Jill McGown book looks interesting too and, strangely enough, my library looks to have a series of her books on order. Looks like the first book in the series that the vicarage book fits in is A Perfect Match. I also now have holds on Murder at the Old Vicarage (also known as Redemption) and the first book in the series. Not sure when they will show up because the library doesn't have them yet.

>233 Familyhistorian: I think you will enjoy Norwegian By Night, Meg. I bet if I had read A Perfect Match first, I would have had a better understanding of some of the minor plot points. I just checked my library but unfortunately they only have one book by her from later in the series. However there are a few available at Amazon so I may just pick up a couple more at some point.

130. Whitefly by Abdelilah Hamdouchi - 4.0 ★
Category: Armchair Travel
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Author is from Asia, Africa or South America
July TIOLI #5: The First Sentence in Chapter 1, 2 or 3 Contains a Number



Whitefly by Moroccan author, Abdelilah Hamdouchi is a detective story set in the exotic city of Tangiers. As four bodies wash up on a local beach a detective who goes by the nickname of Laafrit is assigned the case. He needs to find out who they are, why they died and who is to blame. At first it seemed like a case of illegal immigrants who are often tossed into the ocean and left to drown, but when one of the bodies turned out to have four bullets in him, Laafrit knew he an unusual case on his hands.

I found this a fascinating read, as much for the colorful setting as for the murder plot. Laafrit, which means crafty, is a likeable character who is often surrounded by rather incompetent assistants. As in many police stories, humour is used to offset the grim reality. Throughout the course of the book, the country of Morocco comes to life and the author, without adding much social criticism shows the political and economical difficulties that Morocco faces. In fact, this case ends up being very connected with agriculture and one of the main exports upon which Morocco’s economy relies on.

I was a little concerned about a few plot lines that the author made no effort to gel with the main story. I don’t know if this is part of a series, but if so, that could explain why some points were introduced and then left hanging. Also there really wasn’t a satisfactory ending even though the police worked out all the details of the case. This, however, didn’t really bother me as it wasn’t surprising that the Tangiers police couldn’t conclude their case as it turned out to be an international situation. I thought the translation was very well done and I would like to read more by this author.

>235 DeltaQueen50: This one sounds good, Judy. I like to read mysteries set in other countries, especially countries that I am not that familiar with.

>236 BLBera: Beth, although quite short, I really enjoyed Whitefly, again mostly for the descriptions of what life in Morocco is all about.

>235 DeltaQueen50: that sounds most intriguing.

>235 DeltaQueen50: Making note of this. It's not easy to find crime novels set anywhere unusual that are written by someone who lives there.

>238 Helenliz: I found it so. I have noted that this author has some other books available for the Kindle, although not connected to this one. I am definitely thinking about reading another one from this author.

>239 RidgewayGirl: I know, I jumped on this when I found it and luckily I did enjoy it enough to go searching for more books by this author.

131. The Walking Dead: The Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansigna - 4.0 ★
Category: Library List
July ScaredyKit: Summer Vacation (Reader's Choice)
July TIOLI #13: Rolling Challenge Based on the Letter Found in Edgar Martinez



I will start off by saying that I am a big fan of both the Walking Dead graphic novels and the television show, both of which featured the character of “The Governor” so I was very interested in reading this novel which supplies his backstory. The story opens and we find ourselves following a group of characters: Philip Blake, his young daughter Penny, his brother Brian and his two friends Bobby and Nick as they struggle to survive in this new world that is ravaged by zombies.

Philip doesn’t start the book as the sadistic, hot-headed, power-hungry character that we know from the comics and the TV show, but the seeds are definitely there. He is the leader of his group and doesn’t take well to any criticism or questioning of his motives. As they experience the many horrors that the world now offers, including the fact that often other humans are more dangerous than the zombies, the whole group undergoes personality changes. While one becomes even more timid, another turns more to his religion, and Philip becomes quite unhinged. As the twists and turns in the story deliver a series of blows to the group, Philip emerges as the dark villain that becomes known as the Governor.

The Rise of the Governor is the first book in a series that follows this character. Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga have delivered a dark horror story with many moments of terrifying tension that take place in this nightmare world. I listened to this as an audible book as read by Fred Berman who did an excellent job with both giving each character an individual voice and in narrating the bone chilling action. If you like to read zombie stories than this is a good one.

132. Blue Highways: A Journey Into America by William Least Heat-Moon - 4.5 ★
Category: Non-fiction
July CalendarCat: America's July 4th
July Reading Thru Time: Travel
TIOLI #2: Set in a Country that is Participating in the 2019 Woman's World Cup



For the past few days as I read Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon I have been glued to my computer so that I could use the Google maps to follow along with his journey. In 1978 after seeing his marriage fall apart and then his teaching job disappear, William Least Heat-Moon climbed into his van and set off to explore the byways of America. He tried to avoid all major routes and stick to the secondary roads that are marked by blue on the maps, hence the name of the book.

Setting off on the road with no set destination, just living moment by moment, I was green with envy. I would love to simply pack up and hit the roads for a tour around North America. The author travelled on very little money or comfort items, but managed to explore his country and meet and talk with some extremely interesting people all the while coming to terms with who he was and where he wanted to be. The book is rich in details of the trip. The sights, smells and tastes of America are detailed by this talented observer. By the time he headed for home in Missouri, he had completely circled the country.

As I read the book and checked the maps I was saddened by the changes that have occurred since then. Many of the roads have changed or no longer exist, and the same can be said for many of the small towns. Some have been swallowed up by ever expanding cities and some have just disappeared. It’s been over forty years since Blue Highways was published so at times this book seems more like a testament to days gone by. This became a journey of heart, mind and spirit for the author but he always kept America front and centre as the main character and delivers a wonderful road trip travelogue full of wit, humor and truth.

>241 DeltaQueen50: I'm glad you liked it. I thought it was so well-done and surprising.
>242 DeltaQueen50: That will go on my WL. I remember the movie but it was so long ago.

>243 mstrust: That book surprised me as well! Such a great twist at the end. I'm looking forward to reading on and finding out what happens next.

>242 DeltaQueen50: - I have his book River Horse on my nightstand. I was finding it hard to get into because of the detail at the beginning. I think I need to find a larger chunk of time to devote to it. I bought it for my husband who zipped right through it. I think I might find Blue Highways more interesting. I remember when my husband and I were in Spain years ago and the maps had red, yellow, and blue roads. Don't remember which which but we had some interesting times following those roads.

>242 DeltaQueen50: Great review of Blue Highways, Judy. (It has been duly thumbed.) I added it to my library list, maybe it will bring back some memories of when I was making the trek across the US to get to BC (the long way around) although we mostly stuck to main highways.

>245 dudes22: Betty, I want to read River Horse as well at some point. I like how he writes and although this was his trip, he didn't make it all about himself. He took the time to meet and talk to locals and his observations were alway interesting.

>246 Familyhistorian: I love road trips and I love getting off the Interstates and driving the slower routes so this book really appealed to me. My dream trip would be to simply head off with no set destination or time-line and just go where my inclinations took me. He travelled some routes that I have travelled and I enjoyed the trip down memory lane but I also enjoyed reading about the new places that I have never been and now, want to see with my own eyes.

>246 Familyhistorian: We also love getting off the interstates; we call them "windshield" tours; but we do often stop.

>248 Tess_W: Interstates are great when you simply want to put some distance on or get somewhere in a timely fashion, but the secondary roads really let you see and experience the country you are driving through.

133. The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff - 3.0 ★
Category: Out of the Past
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Book Published in 2019
July TIOLI #7: Book has at Least 1 American Character and 1 French



The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff is a fast paced narrative that about a network of female espionage operatives in the closing days of World War II. There are a number of time lines to follow as the book jumps to New York City after the war, to London for the development of this network and to France when the women are placed to work as radio operatives.

I really wanted to love this book but, for me, the story just didn’t mesh on many levels. While it is obvious that the author did extensive research, I didn’t find the story realistic. The love angle felt forced and it seemed to me that the author originally was going for a darker story when two characters died mysteriously in car accidents, but that plot line turned out to be a red herring. In actuality female agents were dropped into France and did heroic jobs there and many did not return, but in The Lost Girls of Paris, the tension never felt authentic. In the story that dealt with the betrayal of the agents, I was expecting more suspense but the final resolution seemed rather ho-hum and flat.

I have a number of this author’s books on my bookshelf and I have read and enjoyed her work in the past but this one just didn’t draw me in at all. Overall the concept of The Lost Girls of Paris was far more appealing than the actual read.

I've set up a new thread so please click on the continuation and join me.