Stacy's (LittleTaiko) 2019 Challenge - Clue - 2nd Half

Hello everyone! I'm back for another year with a challenge built around one of my favorite movies - Clue! The categories are fairly basic and stretched to fit the characters from the movie. Some extreme stretching was needed in some cases. However, I've been wanting to use this as a theme for quite some time and finally decided that 2019 would be the year. The quotes below don't come anywhere near covering all the wonderful quotes however they do represent a few of my favorites.

I am an accountant for a theater in Dallas and love sushi, musical theater, walking, and wine. I will also read pretty much any type of book but my go to books will almost always be mysteries.

There aren't any minimums for any of the categories. The goal is to just to read whatever I want when I want to except when it comes to my book club selections.

Ratings:

1 Star - Didn't like at all or did not finish
2 Stars - It's okay but not something I would recommend.
3 Stars - I liked it but may or may not recommend it
4 Stars - Really liked it and am happy that I spent time reading it
5 Stars - Loved it and the whole world should read it too

Mrs. Peacock - Cozy Mysteries

Professor Plum: What are you afraid of, a fate worse than death?
Mrs. Peacock: No, just death. Isn't that enough?

1. Iced Under by Barbara Ross (4 stars) - Book - Jan
2. Carbs and Cadavers by Ellery Adams (3 stars) - ebook - Jan
3. Aunt Bessie Invites by Diana Xarissa (4 stars) - ebook - Jan
4. A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams (4 stars) - Book - Jan
5. Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams (2 stars) - Book - Feb
6. Aunt Bessie Joins by Diana Xarissa (4 stars) - ebook - Feb
7. A Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert (3 stars) - ebook - Mar
8. Mrs. Jeffries Delivers the Goods by Emily Brightwell (4 stars) - ebook - Mar
9. Aunt Bessie Knows by Diana Xarissa (4 stars) - ebook - Mar
10. Aunt Bessie Likes by Diana Xarissa (3 stars) - ebook - Mar
11. A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon (2 stars) - Book - Apr
12. The Killing at Kaldaire by Kate Parker (4 stars) - ebook - Apr
13. Aunt Bessie Meets by Diana Xarissa (4 stars) - ebook - May
14. Curses Boiled Again by Shari Randall (2 stars) - book - Jun
15. Aunt Bessie Needs by Diana Xarissa (4 stars) - ebook - Jun
16. Aunt Bessie Observes by Diana Xarissa (3 stars) - ebook - Aug
17. Love and Death Among the Cheetahs by Rhys Bowen (3 stars) - ebook - Aug
18. A Killer Edition by Lorna Barrett (3 stars) - ebook - Aug
19. Stowed Away by Barbara Ross (4 stars) - Book - Sep
20. Steamed Open by Barbara Ross (4 stars) - Book - Sep
21. Mrs. Jeffries and the Alms of the Angel by Emily Brightwell (4 stars)- ebook - Sep
22. Killer Cocktail by Tracy Kiely (4 stars) - Book - Oct
23. The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking by Leigh Perry (4 stars) - ebook - Oct
24. An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette (3 stars) - Book - Nov
25. Better Late Than Never by Jenn McKinlay (4 stars) - Book - Nov

Possibilities:

Unsolicited by Julie Kaewert
Choked Off by Andrea Frazer
Southern Spirits by Angie Fox
The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson

Colonel Mustard - Mysteries/Thrillers

Colonel Mustard: Just checking.
Mrs. Peacock: Everything all right?
Colonel Mustard: Yep. Two corpses. Everything's fine.

1. The Royal Wulff Murders by Keith McCafferty (4 stars) - Book - Jan
2. Death of Achilles by Boris Akunin (3 stars) - Book - Jan
3. Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes by Karin Slaughter (2 stars) - ebook - Jan
4. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz (4 stars) - ebook - Jan
5. The Appeal by John Grisham (2 stars) - Book - Jan
6. The Man on the Washing Machine by Susan Cox (4 stars) - Book - Jan
7. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (4 stars) - ebook - Feb
8. Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz (2 stars) - ebook - Mar
9. Death at the Chateau Bremont by M.L. Longworth (4 stars) - Book - Mar
10. The Vanishing Man by Charles Finch (4 stars) - ebook - Mar
11. Murder on St. Mark's Place by Victoria Thompson (4 stars) - Book - Mar
12. Endangered by Pamela Beason (4 stars) - Book - Mar
13. An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd (3 stars) - Book - Mar
14. Towards Zero by Agatha Christie (3 stars) - Book - Mar
15. Murder in Greenwich Village by Liz Freeland (3 stars) - Book - Apr
16. Clouds in My Coffee by Julie Mulhern (3 stars) - ebook - Apr
17. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (4 stars) - Library - Apr
18. Murder in Midtown by Liz Freeland (4 stars) - Book - Apr
19. Far From True by Linwood Barclay (4 stars) - Borrowed - Apr
20. The Twenty-Three by Linwood Barclay (4 stars) - Borrowed - Apr
21. A Woman Unknown by Frances Brody (3 stars) - Book - Apr
22. An Artless Demise by Anna Huber (4 stars) - Library - May
23. Run Away by Harlan Coben (3 stars) - Library - May
24. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan (3 stars) - Book - May
25. Death Comes As the End by Agatha Christie (3 stars) - Book - May
26. Some Die Eloquent by Catherine Aird (3 stars) - Book - May
27. Whisper of Death by Patricia Wynn (4 stars) - Book - May
28. The One That Got Away by Simon Wood (3 stars) - ebook - May
29. A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks (4 stars) - Book - May
30. Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott (2 stars) - Library - May
31. Death Mask by Jane Dentinger (4 stars) - Book - Jun
32. Diamond Solitaire by Peter Lovesey (3 stars) - Book - Jun
33. Ask Me No Questions by Shelley Noble (2 stars) - Book - Jun
34. Death in Brittany by Jean-Luc Bannalec (3 stars) - Book - Jun
35. The Richebourg Affair by R. M. Cartmel (4 stars) - Book - Jun
36. The Charlemagne Connection by R. M. Cartmel (4 stars) - Book - Jul
37. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (3 stars) - ebook - Jul
38. Camille by Pierre Lemaitre (3 stars) - Borrowed - Jul
39. The Vanishing Thief by Kate Parker (3 stars) - ebook - Jul
40. The Romanee Vintage by R. M. Cartmel (4 stars) - Book - Jul
41. Remembered Death by Agatha Christie (3 stars) - Book - Jul
42. Reykjavik Nights by Arnaldur Indridason (4 stars) - ebook - Jul
43. Into Oblivion by Arnaldur Indridason (4 stars) - ebook - Aug
44. Vicious Circle by C. J. Box (4 stars) - Book - Aug
45. The Disappeared by C. J. Box (4 stars) - Book - Aug
46. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (4 stars) - Book - Aug
47. Singapore Sapphire by A. M. Stuart (4 stars) - Book - Aug
48. Before The Fall by Noah Hawley (3 stars) - Book - Sep
49. Deadly Scandal by Kate Parker (4 stars) - ebook - Sep
50. A Gilded Grave by Shelley Freydont (3 stars) - Book - Oct
51. The Hollow by Agatha Christie (3 stars) - Book - Oct
52. The Solitary House by Lynn Shephard (3 stars) - ebook - Oct
53. Everything You Need Me to Be by Mindy Mejia (3 stars) - Borrowed - Oct
54. Murder on Gramercy Park by Victoria Thompson (4 stars) - Book - Nov
55. Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (4 stars) - Book - Nov
56. A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie (4 stars) - ebook - Nov
57. Shoot the Bastards by Michael Stanley (3 stars) - Book - Nov
58. Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie (3 stars) - Book - Nov
59. A Dangerous Duet by Karen Odden (4 stars) - Book - Dec
60. Eva's Eye by Karin Fossum (3 stars) - Borrowed - Dec
61. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett (4 stars) - Borrowed - Dec
62. Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Menuhin Baugh (4 stars) - ebook - Dec
63. Rocket to the Morgue by Anthony Boucher (4 stars) - Book - Dec
64. The Whole Truth by David Baldacci (3 stars) - Book - Dec

Miss Scarlet - Classics

Colonel Mustard: Do you like Kipling, Miss Scarlet?
Miss Scarlet: Sure, I'll eat anything.

1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (5 stars) - ebook - Jan
2. Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott (3 stars) - Ebook - Feb
3. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (5 stars) - Borrowed - Feb
4. Call of the Wild by Jack London (3 stars) - Ebook - Apr
5. The Professor by Charlotte Bronte (3 stars) - Book - Apr
6. White Fang by Jack London (3 stars) - Book - Apr
7. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (2 stars) - Book - Aug
8. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (3 stars) - Book - Sep

Possibilities:

Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemingway - Goal
Hard Times by Charles Dickens - Goal
Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane - Goal
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss - Goal

Professor Plum - Non-fiction

Miss Scarlet: Why is the car stopped?
Professor Plum: It's frightened.

1. The White Darkness by David Grann (4 stars) - Book - Jan
2. Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff (4 stars) - Ebook - Feb
3. Apple of My Eye by Helene Hanff (5 stars) - Book - Feb
4. Becoming by Michelle Obama (4 stars) - Borrowed - Feb
5. Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After by Heather Harpham (4 stars) - Library - Feb
6. The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris (4 stars) - Book - Mar
7. Mindful of Race by Ruth King (4 stars) - Book - Mar
8. The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan (3 stars) - Book - Apr
9. Lessons from Tara by David Rosenfelt (3 stars) - Book - May
10. The Untold Stories of Broadway, Part 1 by Jennifer Tepper (3 stars) - Ebook - May
11. Vacationland by John Hodgman (4 stars) - Borrowed - Jun
12. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (4 stars) - Book - Jun
13. Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (4 stars) - Borrowed - Jun
14. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (4 stars) - Borrowed - Jun
15. The Farmer's Son by John Connell (3 stars) - Library - Jul
16. Why Karen Carpenter Matters by Karen Tongson (3 stars) - Book - Aug
17. Word by Word by Kory Stamper (3 stars) - Book - Oct
18. The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell (3 stars) - ebook - Dec
19. Capital Dames by Cokie Roberts (3 stars) - Book - Dec

Mr. Green - Fiction

Mr. Green: I didn't do it!!!

1. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (4 stars) - Book - Jan
2. The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea (4 stars) - Library - Jan
3. So Lucky by Nicola Griffith (4 stars) - Library - Jan
4. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (3 stars) - Book - Jan
5. Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala (3 stars) - Library - Jan
6. The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel (4 stars) - Library - Jan
7. Small Island by Andrea Levy (4 stars) - Book - Jan
8. Census by Jesse Ball (3 stars) - Library - Jan
9. The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase (3 stars) - Book - Feb
10. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Groen (4 stars) - Borrowed - Feb
11. My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (3 stars) - Library - Mar
12. Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (3 stars) - Book - Mar
13. A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams (3 stars) - Book - Mar
14. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (4 stars) - Book - Mar
15. One Hundred Twenty-One Days by Michele Audin (4 stars) - Book - Mar
16. Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid (3 stars) - Book - Mar
17. Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse (4 stars) - Book - Mar
18. The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty (2 stars) - Book - Apr
19. The Lola Quartet by Emily St. John Mandel (2 stars) - Book - Apr
20. The Comedians by Graham Greene (3 stars) - Book - May
21. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (5 stars) - Book - May
22. Horse Dancer by JoJo Moyes (4 stars) - Book - May
23. The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (4 stars) - Borrowed - May
24. Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym (4 stars) - Book - Jun
25. Ten Women by Marcela Serrano (4 stars) - ebook - Jun
26. The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal (3 stars) - Library - Jun
27. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (4 stars) - Book - Jul
28. An Unsuitable Attachment by Barbara Pym (3 stars) - ebook - Jul
29. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (3 stars) - Book - Jul
30. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (4 stars) - ebook - Jul
31. Ring for Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (5 stars) - Book - Jul
32. Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard (3 stars) - Library - Aug
33. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (3 stars) - Book - Aug
34. Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (4 stars) - Library - Aug
35. Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald (3 stars) - Library - Aug
36. Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane (2 stars) - Book - Sep
37. Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon (3 stars) - Book - Sep
38. Little by Edward Carey (3 stars) - Borrowed - Sep
39. The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis (4 stars) - Library - Sep
40. The Address by Fiona Davis (4 stars) - Book - Sep
41. The English Wife by Lauren Willig (4 stars) - Book - Oct
42. The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg (3 stars) - Book - Oct
43. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (4 stars) - Library - Oct
44. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson (3 stars) - Book - Oct
45. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (3 stars) - Library - Oct
46. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout (5 stars) - Library - Nov
47. The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes (4 stars) - Library - Nov
48. Lost and Wanted by Nell Freudenberger (3 stars) - Library - Nov
49. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (3 stars) - Library - Nov
50. Normal People by Sally Rooney (3 stars) - Library - Nov

DNF
1. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Library
2. The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry - Book
3. Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner - Library

Mrs. White - Science fiction/fantasy

Wadsworth: Your first husband also disappeared.
Mrs. White: But that was his job. He was an illusionist.
Wadsworth: But he never reappeared!
Mrs. White: He wasn't a very good illusionist.

1. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams (4 stars) - Book - Jan
2. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (3 stars) - ebook - Jan
3. Passage by Connie Willis (3 stars) - ebook - Apr
4. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams (4 stars) - Book - May
5. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard (4 stars) - Borrowed - Jun
6. Young Zaphod Plays It Safe by Douglas Adams (3 stars) - Book - Jun
7. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams (4 stars) - Book - Jun
8. Hollow City by Riggs Ransom (3 stars) - Borrowed - Jul

Possibilities:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Grandmother Paradox by Wendy Nikel
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan

Wadsworth - Short stories/Poetry/Other

Wadsworth: ...and to make a long story short...
All: Too late!

1. Civil to Strangers and Other Writings by Barbara Pym (4 stars) - Book - Feb
2. Nothing Like a Dame by Eddie Shapiro (3 stars) - Library - Mar
3. A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman (4 stars) - Book - Mar
4. Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed by Meghan Daum (4 stars) - ebook - Mar
5. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (4 stars) - Book - Apr
6. Poems of Emily Dickinson (4 stars) - Book - Apr
7. The Nonexistent Knight and the Cloven Viscount by Italo Calvino (4 stars) - Book - May
8. Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut (5 stars) - Book - May
9. Billy Budd, Bartleby, and Other Stories by Herman Melville (2 stars) - Book - May
10. Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino (3 stars) - Book - Jul
11. Theories of Everything by Roz Chast (3 stars) - Book - Aug

Possibilities:

The Queen of Spades and Other Stories by Alexander Pushkin

BingoDOG

For fun, I'm going to limit this to books from my TBR shelf and not something I've borrowed from the library. More incentive to clear off some of the stack!



completed
possibilities

1. Author uses middle name or middle initial - Death at the Chateau Bremont by M.L. Longworth

2. Debut novel - The Man on the Washing Machine by Susan Cox

3. Book about/featuring siblings - The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase

4. Read a book bullet (meaning another LT member inspired you to read it) - Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff book bullet from Clue

5. Book mentioned in another book you have read - The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty (mentioned in The Secret, Book & Scone Society)

6. Topic or character related to medicine/health - Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

7. Animal on cover/in title/plays a significant role - A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams

8. Book with an artistic character - The Royal Wulff Murders by Keith McCafferty

9. Eastern European author or setting - The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

10. Children’s/YA book, or reread a childhood favorite - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

11. Alliterative title - Murder in Midtown by Liz Freeland

12. Part of a series - Iced Under by Barbara Ross

13. Read a CAT - The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

14. Prize-winning book - Small Island by Andrea Levy

15. Weather (title contains a weather word, or book involves/centers around a weather event) - The White Darkness by David Grann

16. Short stories or essays - Civil to Strangers and Other Writings by Barbara Pym

17. Book made into a movie - Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

18. Fairy Tale - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

19. Graphic novel - A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman

20. Main title has 6 or more words in it - So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish by Douglas Adams

21. Cover has at least two human figures - The Appeal by John Grisham

22. Book in translation - The Death of Achilles by Boris Akunin

23. Food-related title or topic - Carbs & Cadavers by Ellery Adams

24. Book has an LT rating of 4.0 or more - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

25. Title contains a homophone word (such as hair/hare, slay/sleigh, there/their/they’re) - Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes by Karin Slaughter

Happy new thread and welcome to the 2nd half of 2019! You are doing an excellent job of filling in your categories and your Bingo Card.

Can you believe half of our reading year is over?? Congratulations on completing the Bingo card, I still have a few left. Seems like it was relatively easy this year overall.

Happy new thread! I really enjoyed revisiting your "Clue" quotations. :)

Happy new thread and congrats on your progress with the Bingo! Mine is a treading water right now, need to get back to it.

>11 DeltaQueen50: - Thank you! It's that darn fairy tale square that is causing me problems. I keep inching my way through Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino, but with 200 of them, it's taking me a bit of time. I'll get there eventually!

>12 clue: - No, I'm a little bewildered by the fact that the year is half over. I actually still have one square left, but agree that it's an easier year than usual. No complaints on my end!

>13 christina_reads: - Thank you! It was fun for me to revisit them too.

>14 MissWatson: - Thank you for the comments. It is hard to get back to the card after the initial enthusiasm from the beginning of the year. I'm sure we'll get those cards filled though. :)

Ooooh you're so close to getting a blackout on the bingo! Will you do a second card or a different challenge once you complete it?

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread. I have that Calvino book on my TBR also, but will probably not get to it nor will I get the graphic novel square done.

>16 rabbitprincess: - I'm not sure what I'll do. It might be kind of fun to do a different challenge just to mix things up.

>17 Jackie_K: - Thank you!

>18 dudes22: - The Calvino book is your usual fairy tale fare - mean relatives, lots of royalty, magic, strange deaths, etc...It's fun but best in small doses.

Spent the 4th of July holiday in Philadelphia being especially patriotic on the 4th with tours of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross house, and the Museum of the American Revolution. Even bought some books along the say, two from the museum and three from the Joseph Fox bookstore.

Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer
The Quartet by Joseph J. Ellis
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

A few books finished over the last week.

113. The Charlemagne Connection by R. M. Cartmel (4 stars)

Enjoyed this second book in the trilogy just as much as the first one and am now impatiently waiting for the third book to be delivered. Commander Truchard finds himself back in his hometown village when he is called to help investigate a missing persons case. The events of the first book have an impact on this part of the story. I'm quite curious to see how this trilogy will play out.

114. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (3 stars)

Typical Slaughter thriller with lots of twists, violence, and strong women. Claire's sister went missing 20 years earlier and her family has never gotten over the loss. When another young woman goes missing she can't help but follow the case and wonder if there is any connection.

115. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (4 stars)

I'm a bit late to the Jackson Brodie game though I'm fairly sure I saw some of the TV episodes based on this book. This isn't a traditional mystery but yet has a detective protagonist so I guess it qualifies as a mystery. The book starts with three different case summaries and eventually Jackson becomes involved in solving them. I liked how the stores intertwined and how each character seemed fully developed.

116. An Unsuitable Attachment by Barbara Pym (3 stars)

Another lovely Pym novel about the usual social concerns of small English villages with lots of tea, talking, matchmaking, etc...Ianthe is over the hill at 35 and sure she is unlikely for marriage. Lots of various single men cross her bath. Then there is Penelope who is younger and single and has an eye on one man in the village. Sofia is a cat obsessed vicar's wife and the sister of Penelope who meddles in everyones life in her own well intentioned way.

>22 LittleTaiko: I think you made a funny typo... Lots of various single men cross her bath, Yep, that almost always works.. :)

>23 clue: - LOL! You’re right, that would be a bit risqué for a Pym novel. Think I’ll leave it just for fun.

117. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (3 stars)

This picks up pretty much where Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children left off. Miss Peregrine is now in bird form and not able to help the children. As they work their way to London to try to find someone to help repair Miss Peregrine, the children come across other peculiars and have lots of narrow escapes from the people who want to kill them. It's a fun book that ends rather abruptly, paving the way for book three. I don't think I'm that invested in the story that I'll actively track down the next book, but I wish the kids well on their next adventure.

118. Camille by Pierre Lamaitre (3 stars)

What a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Camille Verhoeven, Paris police commandment, is starting to move on from the events of the first two novels and has started dating a woman name Anne. When Anne is brutally attacked during a robbery, he manages to get the case assigned to him. Events in his life start spiraling out of control from there. I loved the character of Camille even when I was mentally chiding him for going off the rails a bit. The author did a nice job of tying the three books together. If you like your thrillers seriously dark then I would recommend this one and it's best to read them in order, Irene, Alex, and then Camille.

119. The Vanishing Thief by Kate Parker (3 stars)

Georgia is a bookshop owner in Victorian times. She inherited the shop after her parents were murdered in front of her. While she dreams of one day finding their killer, in the meantime she is part of a group called the Archivist Society whose purpose is to help achieve justice for people who need their help. When a woman approaches her claiming that her next door neighbor was kidnapped by a duke it opens up a much bigger can of worms. Nice first book in the series. I'm interested to see how the characters continue to develop in later books.

120. The Romanee Vintage by R. M. Cartmel (4 stars)

I loved this trilogy so much - it combined my interests in murder mysteries and wine in a very satisfying way. Inspector Truchard is still in his hometown wondering whether he's going to be able to go back to Paris when a bizarre murder happens right in front of him. While I was a bit disappointed in then outcome, I really enjoyed my time with the inspector and his family.

121. Remembered Death by Agatha Christie (3 stars)

Rosemary was beautiful and happy so it was surprising when she appeared to commit suicide at her birthday party by drinking a glass of champagne laced with cyanide. One year later, her husband is starting to wonder if she was murdered instead and starts asking questions. This was a decent Christie novel, but I just never could buy into the idea that everyone just accepted the suicide verdict. The ending was nicely done though.

122. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (3 stars)

This is a work of fiction that reads like a memoir in the way it's narrated and unfolds. It comes across as quite factual if a bit stilted in it's delivery. Kimberly is a young girl from Hong Kong who loves school and was an excellent student there. When she and her mom move to the United States with the assistance of her aunt life becomes quite challenging. The aunt own a sweat shop and basically forces Kimberly and her mom to work there for little money and puts them up in a condemned apartment building. Kim's love of learning though pays off and she works hard at school to learn English and improve life for her and her mom. I do enjoy a good love of education story and this was no different. Not sure I'm on board with some of the decisions she made later in life, but it definitely gives the reader something to think about.

One DNF:

The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry

I just couldn't do it. I made it about halfway through and decided that reading about small town teenagers attempts to have sex was just not that interesting, definitely not worthy of a whole book. The depiction of small town life sort of rang true but then he'd just take it a few steps too far.

Last batch from July.

123. The Farmer's Son: Calving Season on a Family Farm by John Connell (3 stars)

I really have no idea where I first heard about this book but as someone who grew up on a dairy farm, the title intrigued me. This memoir is a series of stories covering a few months on the farm when calves and lambs are being born. It brought up some fond and not so fond memories about my time. There were so many similar experiences. The author also touches on family issues and depression.

124. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (4 stars)

This was a well written and gripping novel that is the first in a trilogy. Set in Boston at the end of WWI it captures the social and political tensions of the city. It has a family saga, Babe Ruth, and even worked in the great molasses flood.

125. Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino (3 stars)

To be completely honest I didn't actually read all 200 stories. The ones I read had the same basic themes, royalty, love, death, etc...Amusing but after a while they became a bit repetitive.

126. Ring for Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (5 stars)

I adored this book! This Jeeves book doesn't have Bertie directly in it though there are several humorous references to him throughout the book. Jeeves is on loan to the rather hapless Bill who finds himself in the usual spot of trouble involving love, money, and tricky relatives. I enjoyed getting to see another side to Jeeves.

127. Reykjavik Nights by Arnaldur Indridason (4 stars)

Sort of strange and a little sad to read this prequel knowing the path that Erlendur's life is going to take. However I still enjoyed this quite a bit and got caught up in the various story lines. I immediately picked up the next prequel which sadly will finish out my Erlendur books.

July Recap

#Books Read
1 - Library
2 - Borrowed (Other)
7 - Owned
5 - Ebooks Owned
15 - Total

YTD Recap

#Books Read
14 - Library
12 - Borrowed (Other)
70 - Owned
31 - Ebooks Owned
127 - Total

Acquired - Not yet Read
19 - Ebook
23 - Books
42 - Total

Oh boy, 10 days into August and I haven't posted anything. Too busy reading!

128. Into Oblivion by Arnaldur Indridason (4 stars)

Another peak into the early career of Ernaldur who once again is working a current case along with a cold case involving someone who suddenly disappeared.

129. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (2 stars)

I finally had to call it quits halfway through this book. It just meandered so much that I grew tired of waiting for something to actually happen. I cheated and read the recap on wikipedia and feel like I now know everything I care to know.

If you like long descriptive passages about architecture and history then you'll probably enjoy this. It just doesn't work for me and my reading temperament.

130. Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard (3 stars)

Entertaining story about a Miami mobster who heads to Hollywood to collect on a loan and finds himself caught up in the movie making business.

131. Vicious Circle by C. J. Box (4 stars)

The saga with the Cates family continues. Dallas Cates is out of jail and ready for revenge on Joe Pickett and his family. Loved being back with the Pickett family and am looking forward to the next in the series.

132. The Disappeared by C. J. Box (4 stars)

The new governor has asked Joe to look into the disappearance of an English lady who visited a resort ranch and suddenly disappeared. Fortunately, Joe's daughter, Sheridan, is working at the ranch and can provide some insight. It was touching to see Joe adjust to how to interact with Sheridan now that she's an adult. Of course Nate is helping out in the background. Nice cliffhanger too.

133. Aunt Bessie Observes by Diana Xarissa (3 stars)

Bessie's friends, Janet and Joan, are visiting but instead of the relaxing time they were looking for they get pulled into a murder investigation. The usual eating, walking, and reading occurs throughout the investigation. The solution seemed a bit obvious but these books are comfort reads and not meant for deep thinking.

134. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (3 stars)

I'm not a fan of fantasy novels or fairy tales for the most part so I really had no business even reading this book. It started off slow for me since Mabel is truly an annoying character for a good portion of the book. Mabel and Jack are supposed to be in their late 40's or early 50's but have the emotional maturity of 20 year olds. Fortunately about a third of the way through the book starts to focus more on the farming and life in Alaska during the early 1900's and turns away from the fairy tale aspect involving a snow child.

>30 LittleTaiko: Sorry you didn't like The Snow Child, its one I wasn't sure would appeal to me either and If I hadn't received it as a gift I might not have read it. I liked it a lot though and also liked her 2nd book.

I'm determined to read the first in the C. J. Box series and go from there. I've read a couple of later ones, and think I could love this series.

>30 LittleTaiko: I really need to get back into the C. J. Box series. I always liked it because of its setting. It's been decades since I read The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I liked it better than you did. It's one of those books I keep meaning to re-read and put off.

>31 clue: - Considering that I don't really like fantasy novels, the fact that I gave it three stars is actually quite impressive. I just much preferred the farming parts of the story and pretty much any section that Esther was in. Loved her!

>32 thornton37814: - I love his books so much and it does give me quite the appreciation for Wyoming and the struggles of living in a small town, especially during the winter.

135. Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (4 stars)

This is a Canadian Muslim story very loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. Ayesha is a poet at heart and knows that she doesn't want to follow the traditional path to marriage. Khalid is a very devout Muslim who is perfectly content to have his mother arrange his marriage. However, life has a funny way of intervening. It was fun to read this and match the characters to their P&P counterparts. Some of them are composites of several characters and it's not a blow by blow retelling which was refreshing. I enjoyed this look at the struggles of maintaining the ties to tradition in a modern world.

136. Love and Death Among the Cheetahs by Rhys Bowen (3 stars)

Georgie and Darcy are finally on their honeymoon. They head out to Kenya to stay with a friend of Darcy's but of course trouble follows them. Despite the interesting setting, the story just fell flat. The murder gets wrapped up rather unsatisfactorily at the end and the question of who was trying to kill Georgie and Darcy never gets answered.

137. Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald (3 stars)

Okay, I generally love a good time travel novel. Throw in the setting of Grand Central Terminal and I should be in love with this book. However, I just found it okay. The premise is that Nora, who died at the age of 23 in Grand Central Terminal, keeps reappearing on the anniversary of her death. Joe, who works there, sees her one day and they instantly are attracted to each other and fall in love. I loathe instantly falling in love stories so that aspect really didn't work for me.

I ended up liking Nora more than I expected because she's the more practical of the two and can see all the problems they face: she can't leave the terminal, she never ages while he does, neither one of them s living a full and real life, etc...I was happy that the book wasn't completely predictable and took some turns that I wasn't completely expecting.

138. A Killer Edition by Lorna Barrett (3 stars)

Tricia is at loose ends since her assistant Pixie has been doing such an excellent job running the bookstore. To fill her time she has tried to get involved with a local animal rescue group. Additionally she's decided to enter a local baking contest which means facing off against her sister. When one of the shelter volunteers is murdered, Tricia inadvertently investigates. She never outright looks into the case but instead gets clues and she goes about her day to day life.

139. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (4 stars)

A classic crime noir that didn't disappoint. Normally I'm not a fan of these types of books since the women usually come off badly. While they still aren't portrayed that well, I couldn't help but be amused by Marlowe's take on life and how he handled the various challenges thrown his way.

140. Singapore Sapphire by A. M. Stuart (4 stars)

Historical mystery set in Singapore that features a strong female making her way the best that she can. She’s quite the feminist and disdains the weak woman expectations.

The mystery was solid. The relationship between the inspector and his local mistress made me a bit uncomfortable as it seems to me that he has all the power. While he may love her it’s in a way that made me a little squeamish. We’ll see how the next in the series plays out.

>22 LittleTaiko:, >23 clue:, >24 LittleTaiko: I noticed the bath too! Made me chuckle...

I'll take a BB for The Vanishing Thief and also the Pierre Lemaitre trilogy.

August Wrap-up and Recap

141. Theories of Everything by Roz Chast (3 stars)

Fun collection of cartoons that Chast created from the late 1970's through mid 2000's. Some really made me laugh and others went completely over my head.

142. Why Karen Carpenter Matters by Karen Tongson (4 stars)

Charming memoir about the influence of Karen Carpenter and her music on the author. The similarities between their families and the fact that the author was named after her all led for Tongson to feel a special connection to Carpenter. Best read while listening to Carpenters music.

August Recap

#Books Read
3 - Library
0 - Borrowed (Other)
8 - Owned
4 - Ebooks Owned
15 - Total

YTD Recap

#Books Read
17 - Library
12 - Borrowed (Other)
78 - Owned
35 - Ebooks Owned
142 - Total

Acquired - Not yet Read
22 - Ebook
25 - Books
47 - Total

Now for September reading.

143. Before The Fall by Noah Hawley (3 stars)

A private plane carrying some powerful business men and their families, along with a bodyguard and a painter crashes shortly after takeoff. The only survivors are the painter and the young son of one of the men. Each person gets a chapter with their back story and key events that lead up to the crash. It's an interesting look at the psychology of each character. I just wish the ending hadn't annoyed me so much.

144. Stowed Away by Barbara Ross (4 stars)

A former high school classmate of Julia's, Wyatt, is in town to help assess whether the Snowden family's island home can be restored. When Wyatt's boyfriend is murdered on his yacht, another friend asks for Julia's help in making sure that Wyatt is arrested for his murder. This was a solid mystery with lots of clues and character development. Julia is never my favorite person because our reactions to events are always different. However, that actually adds to why I enjoy the series. It's fun to see Julia grow and adapt.

145. Steamed Open by Barbara Ross (4 stars)

When an eccentric elderly lady dies and her estate passes to a rather unpleasant relative who cuts off access to the beach, his actions irritate a variety of people from local clammers to tourists. Julia gets involved since her clam source for the clambake is now having problems getting clams. When a murder occurs, Julia ends up learning a lot more about the secrets people keep, including some within her family.

146. Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane (2 stars)

How can one book go so wrong the longer you read it? It started off okay though maybe a little slow as it laid out the backstory for Rachel and framed why she suffers from panic attacks and starts to become a shut-in. Despite all that she ends up in a happy marriage. Where the book goes nuts is in the second half when you start to learn more about the husband and it turns into an inane thriller complete with really bad dialogue. Lehane is so much better than this.

Where did the month go? I've been reading but apparently not spending much time on LT.

147. Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon (3 stars)

Sweet story featuring Florence and elderly woman looking back on her life, particularly her relationship with Elsie. You quickly learn two things about Elsie, but it takes the rest of the book to learn the third thing.

148. Little by Edward Carey (3 stars)

Odd, quirky, and very readable story about the girl Marie, who grew up to become Madame Tussaud. There were some bits involving her relationship with the royal family that went on a bit too long, but it was really quite an entertaining story.

149. Deadly Scandal by Kate Parker (4 stars)

It's London, late 1930's and Olivia is living a fairly nice life with her husband Reggie. When he is murdered, her life is turned upside down. The police think it was suicide but she knows that it couldn't have been. She starts investigating and finds out the there was way more to Reggie than she could have imagined. This is the first in a series and I really liked Olivia, she's not afraid to face hard facts and is immensely practical. Looking forward to reading more in the series.

150. The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis (4 stars)

This book was right up my alley as involves theater and history. It's the 1940's in New York and Hazel and Maxine are two friends determined to make it in New York as a writer/director and actress respectively. They have found a place to live at the Chelsea and are working together on a play that could make their careers. However McCarthyism is rampant and threatening the livelihoods of many artistic professionals. It's a story about friendship, secrets, and the consequences of the communism scare.

151. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (3 stars)

This book had words, lots and lots of words - almost 1200 pages worth of them. Some of them were useful but about 75% of them were unnecessary. Despite all that, I couldn't help but get caught up in the story even though almost every character borderlines on ridiculous. The "good" people are all amazingly smart and attractive and the "bad" people are very unattractive. The scant few women in particular are not portrayed in a very good light except for Dagny, our heroine. Yet, it's a book that I'll probably be thinking about for a while and trying to wrestle with how much of it I agree with.

152. Mrs. Jeffries and the Alms of the Angel by Emily Brightwell (4 stars)

An early Christmas read that was a wonderful palate cleanser after finishing Atlas Shrugged. It's almost Christmas and once again the Inspector has been assigned to a murder case that gets the household out and investigating. Their old nemesis Inspector Nivens is peeved that he didn't get the case and does his utmost to cause trouble. The whodunit was surprisingly easy to figure out but it was still lovely to spend time with everyone.

153. The Address by Fiona Davis (4 stars)

The Dakota is a well-known address in New York City. This book takes up back to when it was first built in the 1880's and alternates with the 1980's. Sarah is head housekeeper in a London hotel when she seizes the opportunity to move to the United State and work at the Dakota. Her deepening friendship with the buildings architect, Theodore Camden starts to cause complications though. The modern day story focuses on Bailey, a young woman fresh out of rehab, trying to piece her life back together. One of her closest friends is a Camden descendant, and Bailey's own family has links as well since her grandfather was a ward of the Camden family. You find out quickly enough through Bailey's story line that Theodore was murdered and that Sarah was arrested for the crime. The rest of the book builds up to finding out what happened on that fateful day. The alternating stories worked for me, though it took me a bit longer to become vested in Bailey's story.

I'm confused on what I've read by Fiona Davis. I show in the LT Library that I have only read The Address but thought there was another. Maybe I just brought another one home from the library and didn't get around to it. At any rate, I mean to read more of hers, didn't know about The Chelsea Girls and I'll definitely read it.

September Recap

#Books Read
1 - Library
1 - Borrowed (Other)
7 - Owned
2 - Ebooks Owned
11 - Total

YTD Recap

#Books Read
18 - Library
13 - Borrowed (Other)
85 - Owned
37 - Ebooks Owned
153 - Total

Acquired - Not yet Read
22 - Ebook
24 - Books
46 - Total

I've just started Three Things About Elsie. I really liked her debut book, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep. And her memoir of being a junior doctor (called Breaking and Mending) is just out, so that's on my wishlist too.

October reading so far has brought a lot of 3 stars - decent but nothing to knock my socks off. One four star though which helped.

154. A Gilded Grave by Shelley Freydont (3 stars)

Overall this was a solid first book in a series set in Rhode Island during the late 1800's. Deanna is having her first season in Newport which she is cautiously looking forward to. She'd rather be doing almost anything than being a society girl, but there aren't that many options for her. When a maid is murdered at one of the balls Deanna attends she ends up investigating and connecting with a childhood friend. Deanna was a great character. The one huge drawback of the book was the depiction of the one black character in the book - a scary large man who everyone assumes practices voodoo? Really? The ending was a bit rough too with a sort of silly and offensive contrivance to unmask the murderer.

155. The English Wife by Lauren Willig (4 stars)

Yay for books with strong female characters. Annabelle and Janie are sister-in-laws. We learn more about each of them as the story alternates between their points of view over the span of about 10 years or so. When Baynard, Annabelle's husband and Janie's brother, is murdered and Annabelle has disappeared, Janie starts to rethink what she thought she knew about both of them.

156. The Hollow by Agatha Christie (3 stars)

Not one of Christie's best - full of rather unpleasant people that you just didn't care about, well besides Poriot of course.

157. The Solitary House by Lynn Shepherd (3 stars)

This could have been a really intriguing take on Bleak House by Charles Dickens if it wasn't for the author's heavy handed omniscient story telling. It just really took me out of the story every time the narrative turned back to the main story. Hester's diary and the scenic descriptions were quite good. I should have read this immediately after Bleak House when I read it a couple of years ago but didn't, so I missed all the nods to the original.

158. Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper (3 stars)

Not sure how such an interesting book could also continually lull me to sleep. Stamper writes amusingly about the inside world of dictionaries and how they get updated. Yet, I could only read a chapter before needing to put the book down as I'd start nodding off. Nevertheless, for word nerds I would still recommend the book.

159. The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg (3 stars)

Cute but a bit too saccharine look at a small Missouri town over the span of several families lifetimes. It's billed as a saga but I tend to think of sagas as having a steady flow of highs and lows in the characters lives. With this story, the lows were there but almost glossed over before breezing on to the next event. It was a nice relaxing way to spend some time though and I was definitely chuckling at some of the antics of the townspeople.

I'm going to give Word by Word a go!

Hoping you have a sock-knocking-off book soon :)

>43 LittleTaiko: I've thought about reading that Fannie Flagg book for years. It's been available numerous times, and I've almost checked it out. I'll keep your review in mind and hold off for the moment I'm in the mood for that type book.

>44 rabbitprincess: - I've definitely read some better books recently. Reviews to come soonish. Hope you like Word by Word!

>45 thornton37814: - It definitely requires a certain mood. It started off strong for me and then became a tad too sweet. Still fun though.

And now I'm off to Bouchercon!! It's in Dallas this year so only a mile or two to travel to actually get there which is a bonus. I'll report back next week on which books I picked up and any author meetings I have.

Oh dear, I may have overdone it at Bouchercon. Between the free books and interesting panels, I have come home with a ton of books. The debut author breakfast was particularly damaging as all of the books sounded interesting and I wanted to be supportive. So here they are, my rather lengthy list.

Cozies
Pane and Suffering by Cheryl Hollon
Tide and Punishment by Bree Baker
Murders's No Votive Confidence by Christin Breecher
The Importance of Being Urnest by Sandra Balzo
To the Last Drop by Sandra Balzo
Murder at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison
Still Life in Brunswick Stew by Larissa Reinhart
Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox
A Dream of Death by Connie Berry
Second to Nun by Alice Loweecey
Murder Once Removed by S. C. Perkins
Staging is Murder by Grace Topping
Doorway to Murder by Carol Pouliot
An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette

Historical Mysteries
An Untimely Frost by Penny Richards
A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman
The Dead Witness by Michael Sims
Murder Knocks Twice by Susanna Calkins
The Silver Gun by L. A. Chandlar
A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
A Dangerous Duet by Karen Odden
Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott

Thrillers
Death in Shangri-La by Yigal Zur
Apprehension by Mark Bergin
Next Girl to Die by Dea Poirier
Secrets of the Asylum by Linda Hughes
Murderabilia by Carl Vonderau
Boxing the Octopus by Tim Maleeny
The Shadows We Hide by Allen Eskens
Images by Lauri Broadbent
Three-Fifths by John Vercher
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

All Others
Come and Get Me by August Norman
Cold Silence by Danielle Girard
The Burn by Kathleen Kent
A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Munier
Substitute Soloist by D. R. Ransdell
Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey
Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett
Too Many Cooks Champagne for One by Rex Stout
Molten Mud Murder by Sara E. Johnson
A Head in Cambodia by Nancy Tingley
Death by Dissertation by Kelly Brakenhoff
Voice of the Runes by Manjiri Prabhu
The Cosmic Clues by Manjiri Prabhu

Looks like a great list. It's not too much, you're just getting ready for the new year!

>48 clue: - I like the way you think! I am toying with four different categories for next year that are based on Bouchercon.

That is an amazing haul! Looks like you had a good time at Bouchercon :D

Oh my goodness - I'm imagining your arms are now about 10 feet long after carrying that lot!

I'm going to have to go to Bouchercon some year. That's a sweet haul and books obtained at book festivals do not count as it's always a great thing to support the authors, publishers and bookstores participating.

All I can say is - "Oh My Gosh!

>51 Jackie_K: - They would be if I bought them all on the same day. Fortunately for me I just carried home one bag full every day for four days!

>52 RidgewayGirl: - You really should - it's so much fun. Though to be fair I can only handle it about every three years or so. I'm targeting the 2022 one in Minneapolis.

>53 dudes22: - That's what I think too every time I look at the picture. It was also a thought when I was trying to figure out how to fit them all on my shelves!

Now it's time to catchup on my end of October and beginning of November reading posts.

160. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (4 stars)

This was a reread in preparation for book club. I only vaguely remembered it but once I got into it the story came back to me. I had the same reaction reading it now as I did then. I actively disliked both of the main characters for a good portion of the book. However midway through things started to change.

161. Killer Cocktail by Tracy Kiely (4 stars)

A breezy murder mystery in the vain of Nick and Nora Charles with witty banter and Hollywood glamour.

162. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson (3 stars)

I regret that I didn't read this sooner after Life After Life since the events overlap in many spots. The bits with the younger version of Teddy and Ursula were the strongest. The portions with his family were tedious at points.

163. The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking by Leigh Perry (4 stars)

I tried really hard to put off reading this book until Christmas but just couldn't. It's one of my favorite cozy series and spending time with Sid and company was still a treat. It's the holidays and everyone is looking forward to celebrating. When their dog Byron brings home a bone and they are reassured that it's not one of Sid's they focus quickly changes to determining who it belongs to. When the remains of a young womans body are found and their is a link to one of Georgia's friends, Georgia and Sid throw themselves into investigating.

164. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (3 stars)

The title refers to the house that Danny and his sister Maeve grow up in with their parents. When their mother abandons them at a young age and their father remarries their lives are upended. This was a decent story about the complications of family and forgiveness. The ending didn't work for me at all as some of the character choices didn't make sense.

165. Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia (3 stars)

Featuring a tempestuous teenager who has tired of trying to be what everyone expects her to be. The book flashes back and forth over the course of the year in the days leading up to her murder.

October Recap

#Books Read
2 - Library
1 - Borrowed (Other)
7 - Owned
2 - Ebooks Owned
12 - Total

YTD Recap

#Books Read
20 - Library
14 - Borrowed (Other)
92 - Owned
39 - Ebooks Owned
165 - Total

Acquired - Not yet Read
26 - Ebook
78 - Books
104 - Total

166. An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette (3 stars)

Fun first book in the Key West Food Critic series. The food aspect of the story was the best and there is some potential for some character development.

167. Murder on Gramercy Park by Victoria Thompson (4 stars)

Third in the gaslight mystery and I got completely sucked into the story. Seargent Malloy is called out to what should be an easy assignment but instead of the apparent suicide he discovers that it's most likely murder. To top it off the new widow has gone into labor. He calls for Sarah Brandt, midwife, to come help out. She of course ends up helping him out with he investigation as their friendship strengthens.

168. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (4 stars)

Really intriguing setting and idea that features Perveen a female solicitor in India during the early 1900's. At a time when it was quite unusual for women to be working in the legal profession. She's a strong character and I look forward to seeing what other mysteries she gets caught up in.

169. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout (5 stars)

While I enjoyed Olive Kitteridge, I loved and adored Olive, Again. Maybe I was more prepared for Olive this time or maybe as I've aged I can appreciate her that much more. Almost every story touched me in some way. Olive is more introspective this time and watching her come to certain realizations about her life made you root for her.

170. A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie (4 stars)

Oh, how I've missed the characters in this series. This time Gemma and Kincaid are heading out of town to Melody's parents house along with Doug and the children. It was fun to get them out of their usual environment and to not be on the job for once. Of course there is a murder that needs solving but this time they get to be strongly interested participants instead of the ones in charge.

171. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (4 stars)

Maybe a wee bit predictable, but what is not to enjoy about a tale of a makeshift group of librarians in Kentucky around the depression era who ride out on horseback to deliver books to the townspeople? Each librarian is dealing with their own personal issues and are so varied in temperament but are all incredibly strong. Enjoyable.

172. Better Late Than Never by Jenn McKinlay (4 stars)

Lindsey had decided to implement a amnesty day for the library. Patrons can return books no matter how long they've been out and not pay any fines. One of the books returned has been out for 20 years and was checked out to an English teacher who was murdered shortly after her trip to the library. The murder remains unsolved and the books reappearance brings up several questions. Who returned the book? Where are the original suspects? Could the murderer still be in town? Enjoyable mystery especially since the love triangle business is firmly resolved.

I enjoyed Olive, Again so much. I really loved how Strout described her fraught relationship with her son and his family.

>58 LittleTaiko: Olive Kitteridge was a 5 star read for me and now, I am really excited to get my hands on Olive, Again. :)

>58 LittleTaiko: - Super excited to see your 5 star rating for Olive, Again! I loved Olive Kitteridge and The Burgess Boys, which are the only Strout books I have read so far.

61 - You’re in for a treat then! The Burgess boys make an appearance in one of the stories. Loved having them back!

>58 LittleTaiko: My turn finally came up on Olive, Again at the library. So glad it lived up to the first book.

I'll be behind everyone, but I'm thinking of a reread of Olive Kitteridge followed by Olive Again next year.

Yours is the first iffy review of The Dutch House that I've seen. I'm in a giant library wait list line and am looking forward to it, but maybe I'll temper my expectations!

>63 JayneCM: - Hope you enjoy it!

>64 dudes22: - I felt that Olive, Again could be read without having read the first one, but a reread would have been fun.

>65 japaul22: - A friend of mine had a similar reaction to the book but rated it slightly higher since she listened to the audio version which is narrated by Tom Hanks. I can see where having him read the book would have greatly improved the experience. :)

Argh, behind again on posting my reads. Quick updates:

173. Lost and Wanted by Nell Freudenberger (3 stars)

Really wanted this to be a different book than what it ended up being. It opens with the comment about the narrator having heard from a friend of hers more now that the friend was dead. It seemed ripe for lots of cool twisting options. Instead it just settled into the story of the friendship and flip flops back in time quite a bit.

174. Shoot the Bastards by Michael Stanley (3 stars)

Crystal Nguyen is a nature reporter in Minnesota. A colleague of hers has gone missing in South Africa while reporting on rhino poaching. She gets the assignment to try to find him and finish the reporting. It's a twisting mystery that takes the reader to South Africa, Europe, and Vietnam. Violent and thought provoking it explores all aspects of the rhino horn trade.

175. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (3 stars)

Cute and fluffy book about Evvie, a widow in Maine, who isn't quite as sad about her husbands death as the townspeople would like to believe. She hangs out with her best friend Andy and hides in general from life. When Andy's friend, Dean, moves into town to try and rebuild his life, life for everybody becomes more complicated. This book is pretty much exactly what you think it will be and is a fun way to spend an afternoon.

176. The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie (3 stars)

Hercule Porot is getting a bit bored with the detective work and is contemplating retirement. He makes a deal with himself that he'll only take cases that remind him of the actual labors of Hercules. The result is a collection of twelve unusual cases for Poirot to solve.

177. The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell (3 stars)

Written by a contemporary of hers, this book offers a intimate look at Charlotte's life. It relies heavily on letters to put together the narrative. Learned quite a bit and will probably reference this book when reading Shirley next year.

178. A Dangerous Duet by Karen Odden (4 stars)

First in the Victorian Mystery series, this features Nell, a pianist who aspires to be in the Royal Academy. In order to raise the money to attend, she's found a job playing in a music hall but must dress as a man in order to play there. Her brother is a Scotland Yard detective. When a case he is investigating crosses paths with the music hall, Nell can't help but get involved. Really strong character and quite an enjoyable mystery.

179. Eva's Eye by Karin Fossum (3 stars)

First in the Inspector Sejer series set in Norway. The first half focuses on the investigation into two open murder cases that may be linked. The second half of the book is focused on Eva who connected to the victims. I really enjoyed the character of Sejer and may read more in the series. There was too much of Eva for my taste.

180. Capital Dames by Cokie Roberts (3 stars)

A look at the lives of several of the influential women leading up to and just after the Civil War. Informative as usual with her books but a bit disjointed at times.

>67 LittleTaiko: I am going to make sure I fit A Dangerous Duet into the MysteryKIT next year! I see on Goodreads that the second one in the series, A Trace of Deceit has a higher rating, so looking forward to them both.

>68 JayneCM: - Yeah, I'm going to be on the lookout for the next in the series when I go shopping next week at The Mysterious Bookshop. Hope you like it!

Another round of updates before heading out of town for the holidays. We're going to be in NYC for Christmas and a visit there wouldn't be complete without a trip to The Mysterious Bookshop.

181. An Untimely Frost by Penny Richards (4 stars)

Intriguing mystery set in Chicago with a young orphaned woman who has been a part of a theater troupe for a few years. When she gets jilted by her husband, she takes stock of her life and decides to join the Pinkertons who have just started hiring woman as agents. She's able to put her theater skills to use. I enjoyed the character and the concept and hope to read more in this series.

182. Extreme Measures by Jessica Nutik Zitter (4 stars)

Reading or thinking about dying is not the most exciting ways to spend ones time, but this book is one that I'm glad to have read. It lays out how important it is for us to take as much control of our lives as we can if it comes time for terminal illnesses. She also shows how the medical world is continuing to evolve and to take palliative care much more seriously now. Lots to think about.

183. Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva (3 stars)

This is one authors take on how Charles Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol. There's enough fact to ground the story in reality but also leave the author a way to play with some what ifs. It was a fun and quick read that was just right for the holidays.

184. Bramton Wick by Elizabeth Fair (4 stars)

This book is quite suitable for fans of Barbara Pym novels. Same gentle village stories with characters living their lives as best they can. The subtle humor and vivid characters made for an enjoyable reading experience.

>69 LittleTaiko: Enjoy! Just the name makes me want to visit that bookshop. Well, let's face it, anything that says bookshop is somewhere I want to go! Enjoy your Christmas.

Have an awesome time in NYC!

Will we see you in the crowd at the Today Show?

>71 JayneCM: - It's a delightful store and I bought way too many books. No, I take that back, I bought just enough books. Fortunately they shipped them home for me since getting them on the plane would have been challenging.

>72 rabbitprincess: - Thank you! It was a great trip full of Broadway shows, book shopping, and lots of walking.

>73 dudes22: - Ha! No, I opted to sleep in instead of getting up early enough to be in that crowd.

Last batch of books for 2019.

185. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett (4 stars)

Spy thriller set in WWII that alternates between three points of view, the German spy, the British intelligence agent trying to catch him and a lonely woman on a remote island. It took a little bit for the story to be set up and get going but once it did it was hard to put down.

186. Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin (4 stars)

A free book that promises to be a cross between Downton Abbey and Agatha Christie with a touch of Wodehouse? Yes, please. It features Heathcliff Lennox who is a brighter version of Bertie Wooster but with similar outlooks on life. The mystery involves the murder of a Russian countess who is about to marry Lennox's uncle and cause some serious disruption to inheritance plans. It's Christmas time and the family has all gathered so there are lots of suspects, but Lennox is the primary suspect and has to do some serious legwork to figure out the real culprit. Solid plotting and clues and humorous characters made this a fun holiday read.

187. Rocket to the Morgue by Anthony Boucher (4 stars)

A locked door murder mystery involving sci-fi writers was a hoot. Anthony Boucher while being the name behind the mystery convention of Bouchercon was also a sci-fi writer. The characters in the books are loosely based on his fellow writers and he even makes an appearance in the story.

188. Normal People by Sally Rooney (3 stars)

Reading this since it made the ToB short list. While not my usual book as the struggles of two emotionally fragile people in their late teens/early 20's doesn't usually interest me at this stage in my life. However, I rather enjoyed it and rooted for them to figure out how to trust each other as well as other people.

189. The Whole Truth by David Baldacci (3 stars)

In an effort to reach a personal goal of clearing books from my shelf that have been there since at least before 2013 when I started tracking the year I purchased them, I picked up this book since I knew it would be a quick read. I was right, this was a typical Baldacci book with lots of page-turning action and a rather worrisome plot when you consider how much of it could be true.

DNF
Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner - Tried the first thirty pages and knew immediately that this wasn’t for me. Unlikeable and crude characters.

And that's a wrap for 2019. See you all soon in 2020!

Ah, good, I've been resisting Normal People and Fleishman is in Trouble so I'm happy to have someone else tell me they didn't love them! Congrats on a great reading year!

>75 LittleTaiko: A last-minute book bullet for me...adding Murder at Melrose Court to my TBR list!

>75 LittleTaiko: I liked Boucher's cameo in Rocket to the Morgue as well :)

>76 japaul22: I have those two on my TBR as well, just because I 'should' read them. I have heard good and bad things about both. Normal People seems to be loved by the younger reviewers, which makes sense. I'll still give them a go though!