Lori (thornton37814) Reads 75 x 2 in 2020 (Thread 6)

Napping Cats. Barney, Sherlock, Mr. B

Now that I've done a triple, it's time for a new thread to close out the year.

I also participate in the Category Challenge, and my categories there may give you an idea of some of my plans for the year. My theme for the category challenge is cats, and I usually post the category here in this thread as I read things too.

1. Maine Coon - Mysteries
2. Siamese - Historical Fiction
3. Norwegian Forest - Other Fiction & Literature
4. Persian - History & Genealogy
5. Scottish Fold - Travel
6. Ragamuffin - Food & Drink
7. American Shorthair / Tabby - Cats
8. Russian Blue - Poetry
9. Ragdoll - Juvenile/YA
10. Bengal - Other Non-Fiction

Shelter Cats = Abandoned Reads

I completed my BingoDOG card (from the Category Challenge group) last month. I'm ready for 2020 to be over. I know 2021 will begin much as 2020 ended, but I hope it improves.

Napping Cats. Barney, Sherlock, Mr. B

Now that I've done a triple, it's time for a new thread to close out the year.

I also participate in the Category Challenge, and my categories there may give you an idea of some of my plans for the year. My theme for the category challenge is cats, and I usually post the category here in this thread as I read things too.

1. Maine Coon - Mysteries
2. Siamese - Historical Fiction
3. Norwegian Forest - Other Fiction & Literature
4. Persian - History & Genealogy
5. Scottish Fold - Travel
6. Ragamuffin - Food & Drink
7. American Shorthair / Tabby - Cats
8. Russian Blue - Poetry
9. Ragdoll - Juvenile/YA
10. Bengal - Other Non-Fiction

Shelter Cats = Abandoned Reads

I completed my BingoDOG card (from the Category Challenge group) last month. I'm ready for 2020 to be over. I know 2021 will begin much as 2020 ended, but I hope it improves.

Books 1-10:

1. Facets of Death by Michael Stanley- completed 1 January 2020
2. Much Ado About Nutmeg by Sarah Fox - completed 1 January 2020
3. Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie - completed 2 January 2020
4. The Art of Uzbek Cooking by Lynn Visson - completed 2 January 2020
5. Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler - completed 4 January 2020
6. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 5 January 2020
7. The Little Berlin Cookbook by Rose Marie Schulze - completed 5 January 2020
8. Keep Calm and Carry On, Children by Sharon K. Mayhew - completed 6 January 2020
9. Off the Grid by John Hunt - completed 6 January 2020
10. Laurel Mercantile Co.: Family Recipes & Stories (vol. 1) edited by Erin Napier - completed 7 January 2020

Books 11-20:

11. Bible Personalities: A Treasury of Insights for Personal Growth and Ministry by Warren W. Wiersbe - completed 7 January 2020
12. Two Steps Forward by Suzanne Woods Fisher - completed 9 January 2020
13. A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw - completed 12 January 2020
14. Triangle: The Fire that Changed America by David Von Drehle - completed 12 January 2020
15. Doctored Evidence by Donna Leon - completed 13 January 2020
16. Waterland by Graham Swift - completed 14 January 2020
17. The Hidden Ways: Scotland's Forgotten Roads by Alistair Moffat - completed 16 January 2020
18. An Unhurried Life: Following Jesus' Rhythms of Work and Rest by Alan Fadling - completed 17 January 2020
19. Death Finds a Way by Lorine McGinnis Schulze - completed 17 January 2020
20. She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge - completed 20 January 2020

Books 21-30:

21. Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days by Jeanette Winterson - completed 20 January 2020
22. Generations and Change: Genealogical Perspectives in Social History edited by Robert M. Taylor, Jr. and Ralph J. Crandall - completed 21 January 2020
23. The Asylum by Nathan Dylan Goodwin - completed 21 January 2020
24. Nightwoods by Charles Frazier- completed 22 January 2020
25. Good Mews: Inspirational Stories for Cat Lovers by Kitty Chappell - completed 23 January 2020
26. An Incomplete Obituary for Damien Stewart Wilson by Sean Rose - completed 23 January 2020
27. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - completed 24 January 2020
28. Clue by Paul Allor and Nelson Daniel; lettered by Neil Uyetake and Gilberto Lazcano - completed 24 January 2020
29. Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit - completed 25 January 2020
30. The Witch Elm by Tana French - completed 26 January 2020

Books 31-40:

31. Be Free: Exchange Legalism for True Spirituality by Warren W. Wiersbe - completed 27 January 2020
32. Stag's Leap by Sharon Olds - completed 27 January 2020
33. Great Possessions: An Amish Farmer's Journal by David Kline - completed 28 January 2020
34. Stepping Into Rural Wisconsin: Grandpa Charly's Life Vignettes, from Prussia to the Midwest by Edward J. Kuehn and Linda T. Ruggeri - completed 28 January 2020
35. The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch - completed 30 January 2020
36. The St. Valentine's Day Cookie Massacre by Elisabeth Crabtree - completed 30 January 2020
37. Borrowed Crime by Laurie Cass - completed 3 February 2020
38. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill - completed 3 February 2020
39. Perfect Pie and Pastry Recipes: Homemade Dessert Pies Made Easy Cookbook by Katherine Hupp - completed 3 February 2020
40. Julio Bunny Goes to the Library by Nicoletta Costa - completed 3 February 2020

Books 41-50:

41. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare - completed 5 February 2020
42. File M for Murder by Miranda James - completed 7 February 2020
43. Nighttime Is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark - completed 7 February 2020
44. Putting Flesh on the Bones: Bringing Your Ancestors to Life by Mark W. Swarthout - completed 9 February 2020
45. Romney Marsh: Eighth Wonder of the World by Roderick Leyland - completed 9 February 2020
46. Traditional Recipes of Reunion Island by Yohann Maillot - completed 9 February 2020
47. Speaking Chileno: A Guide to Spanish from Chile by Jared Romey - completed 9 February 2020
48. Evernote: Your Second Brain by James Keaton - completed 9 February 2020
49. Blood from a Stone by Donna Leon - completed 13 February 2020
50. Still Waters by Viveca Sten - completed 13 February 2020

Books 51-60:

51. Yorkshire: A Story of Invasion, Uprising and Conflict by Paul C. Levitt - completed 14 February 2020
52. Flubby Is Not a Good Pet by J. E. Morris - completed 15 February 2020
53. Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut by Sarah Graves - completed 15 February 2020
54. Corned Beef and Casualties by Lynn Cahoon - completed 15 February 2020
55. Fidelity: Poems by Grace Paley - completed 15 February 2020
56. Journey to the Alcarria: Travels Through the Spanish Countryside by Camilo José Cela - completed 16 February 2020
57. Luke: The Gospel of Amazement by Michael Card - completed 17 February 2020
58. Chocolat by Joanne Harris - completed 17 February 2020
59. Coconut Layer Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke - completed 18 February 2020
60. The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon - completed 21 February 2020

Books 61-70:

61. Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson - completed 22 February 2020
62. Circle of Friends Cookbook: 25 Mac & Cheese Recipes by Gooseberry Patch - completed 22 February 2020
63. Branching Out: How to Research Your Family's History by Simon Fowler - completed 22 February 2020
64. English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier - completed 24 February 2020
65. Hidden Depths by Ann Cleeves - completed 24 February 2020
66. Seasoned by Salt: A Historical Album of the Outer Banks by Rodney Barfield - completed 25 February 2020
67. British Manor Murder by Leslie Meier - completed 25 February 2020
68. Rainbows Are Made: Poems by Carl Sandburg - completed 26 February 2020
69. The Possibility of Prayer: Finding Stillness with God in a Restless World by John Starke - completed 27 February 2020
70. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 29 February 2020

Books 71-80:

71. Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri - completed 1 March 2020
72. The History of England: From the Reign of Henry the 4th to the Death of Charles the 1st by Jane Austen - completed 1 March 2020
73. Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano - completed 1 March 2020
74. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough - completed 3 March 2020
75. NC 12: Gateway to the Outer Banks by Dawson Carr - completed 4 March 2020
76. Touching the Altar: The Old Testament for Christian Worship edited by Carol M. Bechtel - completed 5 March 2020
77. Outer Banks by Anne Rivers Siddons - completed 5 March 2020
78. Roanoke Island: The Beginnings of English America by David Stick - completed 5 March 2020
79. The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott - completed 6 March 2020
80. Lake of the Ozarks: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America by Bill Geist - completed 6 March 2020

Books 81-90:

81. High Country by Nevada Barr - completed 7 March 2020
82. Final Account by Peter Robinson - completed 8 March 2020
83. The Prairie Schoolhouse by John Martin Campbell - completed 9 March 2020
84. Geography and Genealogy: Locating Personal Pasts edited by Dallen J. Timothy and Jeanne Kay Guelke - completed 10 March 2020
85. Letters, 1796-1817 by Jane Austen; edited by R. W. Chapman - completed 14 March 2020
86. Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott - completed 14 March 2020
87. Conan Doyle, Detective: The True Crimes Investigated by the Creator of Sherlock Holmes by Peter Costello - completed 16 March 2020
88. Be Comforted by Warren W. Wiersbe - completed 19 March 2020
89. Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman - completed 23 March 2020
90. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks - completed 24 March 2020

Books 91-100:

91. Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 26 March 2020
92. Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture: Ancient Festivals, Significant Ceremonies, and Modern Celebrations by Amy Riolo - completed 26 March 2020
93. The Call to Holiness: Pursuing the Heart of God for the Love of the World by Timothy C. Tennent - completed 28 March 2020
94. The Haunted Lady by Mary Roberts Rinehart - completed 28 March 2020
95. Rosie: Stronger Than Steel by Lindsay Ward - completed 29 March 2020
96. The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth: And Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine by Thomas Morris - completed 29 March 2020
97. Gone with the Whisker by Laurie Cass - completed 31 March 2020
98. Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder - completed 6 April 2020
99. When Faith Becomes Sight by Beth Booram and David Booram - completed 7 April 2020
100. Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 8 April 2020

Books 101-110:

101. The Tinned Fish Cookbook by Bart Van Olphen; photographed by David Loftus; translated by Laura Vroomen - completed 8 April 2020
102. Pumpkin Spice Peril by Jenn McKinlay - completed 11 April 2020
103. The Great Revolt of 1381 by Charles Oman - completed 12 April 2020
104. Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station by Dorothy Gilman - completed 15 April 2020
105. Becoming a Just Church: Cultivating Communities of God's Shalom by Adam L. Gustine - completed 17 April 2020
106. Going Back by Shelia Gaines - completed 21 April 2020
107. Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh - completed 21 April 2020
108. Suffer the Little Children by Donna Leon - completed 23 April 2020
109. Closed Circles by Viveca Sten - completed 24 April 2020
110. In Morocco by Edith Wharton - completed 25 April 2020

Books 111-120:

111. The Lifeline by Margaret Mayhew - completed 25 April 2020
112. The Red, Red Snow by Caro Ramsay - completed 29 April 2020
113. Curiosities of Crime in Edinburgh During the Last Thirty Years by James M'Levy - completed 29 April 2020
114. That Way and No Other: Following God Through Storm and Drought by Amy Carmichael; edited by Carolyn Kurtz - completed 1 May 2020
115. The Sacrament by Olaf Olafsson - completed 3 May 2020
116. The Poetry of Good Eats by Gary Dickson - completed 6 May 2020
117. Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber - completed 6 May 2020
118. Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan - completed 9 May 2020
119. The Wishing Tree by William Faulkner - completed 9 May 2020
120. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 11 May 2020

Books 121-130:

121. Eureka Mill: Poems by Ron Rash - completed 12 May 2020
122. Macbeth by William Shakespeare - completed 14 May 2020
123. A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette - completed 16 May 2020
124. Songs of America: Patriotism, Protest, and the Music that Made a Nation by Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw - completed 16 May 2020
125. Killer Chardonnay by Kate Lansing - completed 19 May 2020
126. Deep River by Karl Marlantes - completed 21 May 2020
127. Nana's Garden by Larissa Juliano; illustrated by Francesca de Luca - completed 21 May 2020
128. Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert - completed 25 May 2020
129. The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor - completed 1 June 2020
130. Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn - completed 5 June 2020

Books 131-140:

131. We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet - completed 13 June 2020
132. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 16 June 2020
133. Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison - completed 17 June 2020
134. The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold - completed 18 June 2020
135. Guiltless by Viveca Sten; translated by Marlaine Delargy - completed 21 June 2020
136. The Summer Guests by Mary Alice Monroe - completed 23 June 2020
137. An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma - completed 25 June 2020
138. Careless Love by Peter Robinson - completed 27 June 2020
139. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - completed 28 June 2020
140. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald - completed 28 June 2020

Books 141-150:

141. In the Lateness of the World by Carolyn Forché - completed 30 June 2020
142. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson - completed 30 June 2020
143. Play Hungry: The Making of a Baseball Player by Pete Rose - completed 30 June 2020
144. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - completed 1 July 2020
145. Let's Go to Europe and Draw by Peggy MacNamara - completed 2 July 2020
146. The Long Call by Ann Cleeves - completed 3 July 2020
147. The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan - completed 4 July 2020
148. The Island by Ragnar Jónasson - completed 5 July 2020
149. The Soup and Bread Cookbook by Beatrice Ojakangas - completed 5 July 2020
150. The House in the Woods by Mark Dawson; narrated by Simon Vance - completed 6 July 2020

Books 151-160:

151. The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse - completed 7 July 2020
152. The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn - completed 8 July 2020
153. American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan - completed 10 July 2020
154. Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 12 July 2020
155. One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak - completed 16 July 2020
156. The Summer Country by Lauren Willig - completed 20 July 2020
157. Kevin Belton's New Orleans Celebrations by Kevin Belton with Rhonda K. Findley; illustrated by Eugenia Uhl - completed 20 July 2020
158. When We Were Young & Brave by Hazel Gaynor - completed 24 July 2020
159. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo - completed 27 July 2020
160. Confessions by St. Augustine - completed 6 August 2020

Books 161-170:

161. About Face by Donna Leon - completed 9 August 2020
162. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 9 August 2020
163. Tonight You're Dead by Viveca Sten; translated by Marlaine Delargy - completed 16 August 2020
164. Florence and Her Fantastic Family Tree by Judy Gilliam; illustrated by Laura Addar - completed 19 August 2020
165. A Few Figs from Thistles: Poems and Sonnets by Edna St. Vincent Millay - completed 20 August 2020
166. Zotero for Genealogy: Harnessing the Power of Your Research by Donna Cox Baker - completed 21 August 2020
167. Innocent Graves by Peter Robinson - completed 25 August 2020
168. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell - completed 28 August 2020
169. Collected Poems, 1909-1962 by T. S. Eliot - completed 2 September 2020
170. The Old Success by Martha Grimes - completed 6 September 2020

Books 171-180:

171. The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown by Vaseem Khan - completed 6 September 2020
172. Edward Lear's Cats by Edward Lear; edited by Dr. Bruess - completed 6 September 2020
173. Hangman's Holiday by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 7 September 2020
174. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson; translated by Thomas Teal - completed 7 September 2020
175. The Best American Poetry 2020 edited by Paisley Rekdal; series editor, David Lehman - completed 7 September 2020
176. Ancestry Quest: How Stories from the Past Can Heal the Future by Mary Beth Sammons - completed 7 September 2020
177. A Poison Tree and Other Poems compiled and illustrated by Mercer Mayer - completed 8 September 2020
178. It's Spring by Noemi Weygant - completed 9 September 2020
179. A Home for Hannah by Amy Lillard - completed 12 September 2020
180. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne - completed 12 September 2020

Books 181-190:

181. The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson - completed 14 September 2020
182. Out of This World: A Journey of Healing by Mary Swander - completed 15 September 2020
183. A Slice of Snow: A Book of Poems by Joan Walsh Anglund- completed 17 September 2020
184. Murder with Cinnamon Scones by Karen Rose Smith -completed 18 September 2020
185. Snowfall on Cedar Trail by Annie Rains - completed 22 September 2020
186. That's My Church: The Seven Churches of Revelation by J. M. Hope - completed 22 September 2020
187. A Better Man by Louise Penny - completed 27 September 2020
188. Watching from the Dark by Gytha Lodge - completed 27 September 2020
189. The Christmas Boutique by Jennifer Chiaverini - completed 30 September 2020
190. Girl by Edna O'Brien - completed 1 October 2020

Books 191-200:

191. Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler - completed 4 October 2020
192. Tidelands by Philippa Gregory - completed 5 October 2020
193. The Middle Ages: A Very Short Introduction by Miri Rubin - completed 7 October 2020
194. Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm - completed 8 October 2020
195. Alpha and Omega by Harry Turtledove - completed 8 October 2020
196. The Innocents by Michael Crummey - completed 10 October 2020
197. A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of a Faith by Timothy Egan - completed 11 October 2020
198. Dominicana by Angie Cruz - completed 13 October 2020
199. Owl Be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews - completed 18 October 2020
200. An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson - completed 20 October 2020

Books 201-210:

201. A Question of Belief by Donna Leon - completed 22 October 2020
202. Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delany - completed 23 October 2020
203. Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers - completed 23 October 2020
204. Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon - completed 25 October 2020
205. In the Heat of the Moment by Viveca Sten - completed 28 October 2020
206. Thin Ice by Paige Shelton - completed 1 November 2020
207. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson- completed 3 November 2020
208. The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith - completed 3 November 2020
209. Summer Snow: New Poems by Robert Hass - completed 4 November 2020
210. Detective Stories edited by Peter Washington - completed 4 November 2020

Books 211-220:

211. Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food by Susan Marks - completed 7 November 2020
212. The Timepiece by Beverly Lewis - completed 8 November 2020
213. From These Broken Streets by Roland Merullo - completed 12 November 2020
214. At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson - completed 15 November 2020
215. Kanahena: A Cherokee Story by Susan L. Roth - completed 16 November 2020
216. Life on Mars by Jon Agee - completed 16 November 2020
217. From Sea to Stormy Sea: 17 Stories Inspired by Great American Paintings edited by Lawrence Block - completed 17 November 2020
218. The Mistletoe Matchmaker by Felicity Hayes-McCoy - completed 18 November 2020
219. Fog Magic by Julia L. Sauer - completed 19 November 2020
220. Flashback by Nevada Barr - completed 21 November 2020

Books 221-225:

221. There's a Murder Afoot by Vicki Delany - completed 23 November 2020
222. Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert - completed 27 November 2020
223. Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Stewart - completed 3 December 2020
224. A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie - completed 7 December 2020
225. Scorched Eggs by Laura Childs - completed 8 December 2020

Abandoned Reads:

1. Ribbon of Sand: The Amazing Conversion of the Ocean and the Outer Banks by John Alexander and James D. Lazell - abandoned 25 February 2020
2. A Body in the Bookshop by Helen Cox - abandoned 3 March 2020
3. Force of Nature by Jane Harper - abandoned 11 March 2020
4. Naked in Death by J. D. Robb - abandoned 23 May 2020
5. The Porpoise by Mark Haddon - abandoned 16 July 2020
6. The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste - abandoned 22 November 2020

2020 BINGODOG



1. File M for Murder by Miranda James
2. Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri
3. An Incomplete Obituary for Damien Stewart Wilson by Sean Rose
4. Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder
5. Life on Mars by Jon Agee
6. Letters, 1796-1817 by Jane Austen; edited by R. W. Chapman
7. The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch
8. Death Finds a Way by Lorine McGinnis Schulze
9. Collected Poems, 1909-1962 by T. S. Eliot
10. A Few Figs from Thistles: Poems and Sonnets by Edna St. Vincent Millay
11. Corned Beef and Casualties by Lynn Cahoon
12. Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott
13. The Art of Uzbek Cooking by Lynn Visson (GeoCAT)
14. Kanahena: A Cherokee Story by Susan L. Roth
15. Julio Bunny Goes to the Library by Nicoletta Costa
16. The Little Berlin Cookbook by Rose Marie Schulze (Berlin native)
17. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
18. A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw
19. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
20. American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan
21. The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth by Thomas Morris
22. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
23. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers (Arthur Ransome's Legacy Library)
24. Much Ado About Nutmeg by Sarah Fox
25. Keep Calm and Carry On, Children by Sharon K. Mayhew (World War II evacuation of children from London)

LOL - I don't know how I managed to duplicate the top post! Hope you really like seeing my cats as much as I do.

Happy new thread!

>1 thornton37814: >2 thornton37814: They are lovely and worth seeing twice!

Happy new thread, Lori!

Hi Lori and happy new thread!

From from your previous thread, I'm glad to hear that your back is much better.

And, congratulations on 75 x 3!

Yay for your third 75! And happy new thread.

Happy new thread, Lori!

>1 thornton37814: >2 thornton37814: That was the best choice for a post posted twice ;-)

>29 quondame: Thanks. Glad you don't mind it!

>30 harrygbutler: Thanks!

>31 karenmarie: I'm thankful my back is better too.

>32 richardderus: I know it won't be a full thread, but we do carry on a lot in December so it might be fuller than I think.

>33 FAMeulstee: It was the best photo to have twice. A friend of mine has a new kitten who adopted her and her husband about 6 weeks ago. They are making great cat parents. She posted some photos of her Christmas decorations earlier, and I asked her where the photo of Franky in the tree was. I dug up my photo of Sherlock who climbed in my tree the first year I had him before I had ornament on it--just the lights.

Hi Lori my dear, Happy New Thread and what a great thread topper photo, we both love your quilt dear friend.

Happy new thread!

Hi Lori. I love the opening image!

Happy new thread Lori.

>35 johnsimpson: Thanks, John.

>36 figsfromthistle: Thanks.

>37 Whisper1: I love any images with my boys!

>38 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

The boys are looking good, Lori. Happy new thread!

>40 ronincats: Thanks.

Happy new thread!

>42 drneutron: Thanks, Jim.

226. H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

Date Completed: 11 December 2020

Category: Bengal (Other Non-Fiction)

Rating: 4 stars

Review: To help overcome grief associated with her father's death, the author trains a female goshawk Mabel. She shares her love for falconry and enables the reader to see the bird's spirit. Readers learn about the author's personal struggles with depression and job loss, about her relationship, with her father, and about her study of author/falconer T. H. White. While I did not connect with this book as some did, I appreciated the author's way of sharing her pain. I sometimes found myself trying to cheer Mabel to fly away.

>28 thornton37814: double the joy, love seeing your kitties!

>226 Hi Lori. I own a copy of H is for Hawk. My goal for 2021 is to go through all my books and find some order, the note where the book is located in the house.

Have you read Wesley the Owl? I recently finished this book. It was so very good.

>45 fuzzi: Kind of like the old Doublemint gum commercials? Double the pleasure . . .

>46 Whisper1: I have not read Wesley the Owl, but I remember reading your review of it. Both of my libraries own print copies of it. At the moment, I'm just sticking to e-books, but I may eventually decide I want some things from curbside pickup if they are still doing it.

Book 227. Westering Women by Sandra Dallas

Date Completed: 13 December 2020

Category: Siamese (Historical Fiction)

Rating: 4 stars

Review: In 1852, ministers organize a group of Chicago women to make the journey west to California, becoming wives to men there. Although they intended to take only women of the highest character, a varied group formed. Maggie, the story's central character, flees with her four-year-old daughter after either murdering or attempting to murder an abusive husband. The group also includes an unwed mother, a "lady of the evening," and other women with their own secrets which surface in the story. A remarkably able woman named Mary becomes the women's leader. The women face challenges--sometimes as the past catches up to them, sometimes from within their own group. The women bond as they journey westward. Unable to replace the men who accompanied them as far as Salt Lake City, the women continue to plunge on their own until they reach their destination. Although sad at times, this novel celebrates the remarkable abilities and determination of women.

Congratulations on your 75 x 3, are you going to make it 4 before end of year? Congratulations on your blackout bingo. I don't think I will make it this year.

Happy New Thread, Lori! Hooray for H is For Hawk. I loved that one and also enjoyed her latest, Vesper Flights.

>49 Kristelh: I will not make it to x4 this year. I guess I'm hoping to reach 240. I'm not sure I'll do that, but I should come close.

>50 msf59: I'll read Vesper Flights in 2021. We have it in the library.

Happy new/last thread! And congrats on shooting well past the triple 75 -- you overachiever you! : )

I have just a little left in Vesper Flights and H is for Hawk is in the TBR mound somewhere. Happy reading!

>52 Berly: Well, I sometimes achieve a quadruple, but I think we all know how 2020 has been. I just didn't feel like reading at times. I may not hit 240, but I will try!

>44 thornton37814: As beautiful as the author's words are, I wanted her to see that Mabel was being abused...but I did not then nor do I now want to get into a kerfuffle, so I'll stop typing now lest a more partisan reader Take Umbrage.

>44 thornton37814: Yes. That's why I said I wanted Mabel to fly off and not come back. I kept cheering for Mabel to do so.

Book 228. Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Date Completed: 17 December 2020

Category: Ragamuffin (Food & Drink)

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Ina Garten, one of my favorite TV cooks, offers this new recipe collection. Grouped into cocktails, lunch, dinner, vegetables & sides, dessert, and breakfast, featured menu items include cider and alcoholic beverages, appetizers, soups, salads, pasta dishes, seafood, vegetable "casseroles" such as ones you'd find at a church potluck, cookies, cakes, Boston cream pie, cereals, muffins, hash browns, and even iced coffee. Everyone will find something of interest. I've made dishes similar to some of these, but I'm certain to try a few of these in the new year. I may deviate from her recipes when they call for something like mustard or mushrooms, ingredients I can eat but don't really like well enough to want to add in a dish. (Besides I'm allergic to funguses, so avoiding mushrooms is something I should do.) Those things are easy enough to leave out, and sometimes an ingredient substitution can be made. I love Ina's cookbooks, and this one combines great photography with usable recipes.

Selected Recent "Tangible" Acquisitions

Some of these were gifts, some were sale books, some are ARCs, etc. Some of these probably go back as far as last summer, but I'm just getting them entered. I'm not adding touchstones to speed up the process.

* The Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky / ed. by Paul A. Tenkotte and James C. Claypool
* Kentucky's Frontier Highway: Historical Landscapes Along the Maysville Road / Karl Raitz & Nancy O'Malley
* Alabama Quilts: Wilderness through World War II, 1682-1950 / Mary Elizabeth Johnson Huff and Carole Ann King
* To the Latest Posterity: Pennsylvania-German Family Registers in the Fraktur Tradition / Corinne and Russell Earnest
* Mississippians in the Great War: Selected Letters / ed. by Anne L. Webster
* Beyond the Household: Women's Place in the Early South, 1700-1835 / Cynthia A. Kierner
* Suspect Relations: Sex, Race, and Resistance in Colonial North Carolina / Kirsten Fischer
* Children Bound to Labor: the Pauper Apprentice System in Early America / ed. by Ruth Wallis Herndon and John E. Murray
* Brabbling Women: Disorderly Speech and the Law in Early Virginia / Terri L. Snyder
* The Great Yazoo Lands Sale: The Case of Fletcher v. Peck / Charles F. Hobson
* A Quiet Spirit: Amish Quilts from the Collection of Cindy Tietze & Stuart Hodosh / Donald B. Kraybill, Patricia T. Herr, and Jonathan Holstein
* Accounting for Slavery: Masters and Management / Caitlin Rosenthal
* Marshall County, Mississippi Probate and Will Records / Betty Couch Wiltshire
* Madison County, Mississippi, Will Abstracts / Betty Couch Wiltshire
* Mississippi County Court Records / May McBee
* Marriages and Deaths from Mississippi Newspapers (3 vols) / Betty Couch Wiltshire
* Family Tree Mad Libs / Roger Price
* Genealogy Presentations: Memories for Tomorrow's Generation / Philipp M. Mayer
* The Story of the Middle Ages: Feudalism, the Church, Europe's Nations and the Crusades: A History of Medieval Times for Young Readers /Samuel B. Harding
* Delivering the Truth / Edith Maxwell
* Midwest Made / Shauna Sever
* The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries / ed. by Otto Penzler
* Sixty Degrees North: Around the World in Search of Home / Malachy Tallack
* A Dance in Donegal / Jennifer Deibel
* Murder by Milk Bottle / Lynne Truss
* They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South / Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers
* The Gospel at Work: How Gospel Gives New Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs / Sebastian Traeger and Greg Gilbert
* The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce / ed. by Michael Newton

Recent E-Book Acquisitions

These are some I found I hadn't added into my library. Some were free. Some were cheap. I probably only paid much for a few.

* The Only Woman in the Room / Marie Benedict
* False Justice: Unveiling the Truth About Social Justice / Stuart Greaves
* Into the Minds of Madmen: How the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit Revolutionized Crime Investigation / Don DeNevi
* A Body on Fitzgerald's Bluff / Anna Celeste Burke
* A Real Southern Cook: In Her Savannah Kitchen / Dora Charles
* Lamb to the Slaughter / Karen Ann Hopkins
* Mystery on Hidden Lane / Clare Chase
* Chaos in Little Leaf Creek / Cindy Bell
* A Glancing Light / Aaron Elkins
* The Christmas Carol / M. J. Lee
* An Amish Cookie Club Christmas / Sarah Price
* Ladies' Bane / Patricia Wentworth
* The Western Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes from Montana's Chico Hot Springs Resort / Seabring Davis
* The Slave Ship: A Human History / Marcus Rediker
* The Sound and the Fury / William Faulkner
* The Fighting Bunch: The Battle of Athens and How World War II Veterans Won the Only Successful Armed Rebellion since the Revolution / Chris DeRose
* The Aran Islands / J. M. Synge
* The Last Plantagenets / Thomas B. Costain
* The Magnificent Century / Thomas B. Costain
* The Conquering Family / Thomas B. Costain
* The Three Edwards / Thomas B. Costain
* The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal about Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power / Deirdre Mask
* A Christmas Mourning / Laura Bradford
* Christmas at the Lakeside Resort / Susan Schild
* The Expected One: Anticipating All of Jesus in the Advent / Scott James
* Advent for Everyone: Matthew: A Devotional / N. T. Wright
* Desire of My Heart / Heidi Gray McGill
* In the Name of Truth / Viveca Sten
* Dishes & Beverages of the Old South / Martha McCulloch-Williams
* Our Southern Highlanders / Horace Kephart
* The Lost Child / Patricia Gibney
* The French Powder Mystery / Ellery Queen
* Murder in Saint-Remy / Susan Kiernan-Lewis
* Above the Bay of Angels / Rhys Bowen
* Paul: A Biography / N. T. Wright
* The Winter Mystery / Faith Martin
* Touch Not the Cat / Mary Stewart
* The Merchant's House / Kate Ellis
* Murder at the Opera / D. M. Quincy
* A Seat by the Hearth / Amy Clipston
* The Lodge Book of Dutch Oven Cooking / J. Wayne Fears
* Booked for Death / Victoria Gilbert

>57 thornton37814:, >58 thornton37814: Heckuva day doing your admin, Lori. I think of harmonizing my different catalogs once in a way and then break into a cold sweat. Much admiration for your organizational efforts.

Wow! What a great book haul.

>59 richardderus: I actually did the Amazon e-book admin about a week ago. I just didn't have time to compile it. I had most of the books to enter near my desk so that was easy to do. I do think I left one off and will need to go back and add it. It's the book for our book club at work next semester -- The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce. I may have added it when it came in, but I'll check.

>60 Whisper1: These represent several months; however, I did order several university press titles on sale late last month into the first part of this month. A few of those are still trickling in. Some of these were discounted 75% or more. Some great deals, and I splurged too much. Merry Christmas to me!

Happy new-ish thread, Lori! Oh, your kitties are so cute!

>62 tymfos: They are adorable. They've been making me feel loved and "kneaded" all evening.

Tachyon Publications, an SFF house, posted this on Twitter. Says it all, no?

>64 richardderus: LOL - I'm definitely hoping 2021 is different.

I opened the package from Chewy today and got out my cats' new beds from Santa. I wanted them to get used to them before we head to my brother's house. They seem to be enjoying them. I just hope I gave my feet enough room in the bed because the beds are all occupied.

Hi Lori! Yay for new kitty beds from Santa. Have a safe and good time at your brother's house.


... and here's to a better 2021!

>67 karenmarie: Thanks.

A couple more acquisitions:

* Writing the Amish: The Worlds of John A. Hostetler edited by David L. Weaver-Zercher
* Bathed in Prayer: Father Tim's Prayers, Sermons, and Reflections from the Mitford Series by Jan Karon
* Anchored in Jesus: Holding On to Truth in a Drifting World by Johnny Hunt

The first one contains essays about Hostetler as well as articles he wrote on the Amish. Since my maternal grandfather's paternal line was Amish, the book interests me.

The second one was part of my Christmas gift from Carrie (cbl_tn), and I plan to use it in my devotional book rotation early next year.

The third was purchased at the Christian bookstore downtown because I hated to leave with only a card. I just looked for something I could use in my devotional time in the next few months.

>70 johnsimpson: Thank you, John!

>72 figsfromthistle: Thank you!

Book 229. Many Rivers to Cross by Peter Robinson

Date Completed: 19 December 2020

Category: Maine Coon (Mysteries)

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: When a Middle Eastern boy's body is found stuffed in a trash can, Banks and his team must investigate. About the same time, an old man in an estate soon-to-be demolished for a development is found slumped over in his motorized wheelchair. The mystery deals with drugs, the Albanian mafia, and racial prejudice. This installment was a little more noir than I enjoy. I found it difficult to follow because of a second storyline dealing with human trafficking. This one is definitely not Robinson's best effort. I hope Banks' next case goes back to the charm of earlier installments rather than the direction this one took.

Book 230. In Harm's Way by Viveca Sten

Date Completed: 22 December 2020

Category: Maine Coon (Mysteries)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: When a journalist dies on Sandhamn in a snowstorm, it is at first assumed she froze to death. The autopsy, however, determines the presence of a poison from a bean often used in making bracelets. While the ex-husband's motive to kill the woman emerges as a front-runner, rumors the journalist might plan to expose an organization catch the attention of investigators as well. Thomas, Margit, and Aram feel they make little progress. A suspicious neighbor's injuries land him in the hospital, and the killer strikes again. The killer believes the woman's young daughter holds a copy of her mom's writing. Thomas and Margit must to find the killer before another victim turns up. Meanwhile Nora's bank boss pressures her to give the go-ahead on a project she feels might hurt the bank, but her investigation turns up no evidence of wrong-doing. Will she acquiesce or stick to her gut feeling? Knowing the back story for Thomas and for Nora helped me appreciate this installment more when I re-read it in order. Although the first victim died on Sandhamn, little action takes place on the island itself. I do not believe the writing is as tight as it was in the earliest installments. This one departed from the formula which seemed to be developing over the last few in the series. I think removing 50 pages with tighter editing would strengthen the novel.

Review from October 2018 before I'd read earlier installments:
A 400 page book with 107 chapters! The choppy organization disrupted the flow of the novel, making it difficult to follow. A journalist is found dead Christmas eve. Suspicion falls to her "ex" who retains custody of their child, but other suspects and motives exist. The police immediately notice the lack of a computer in the journalist's hotel room, leading them to suspect murder even before the autopsy reveals it. While I like the setting, I did not get a strong feel for it. The police did not seem very developed. I'm sure it's because it is a later book in the series, and I read no earlier installments. I received an advance electronic copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review. (2 stars)

Book 231. A Christmas Mourning by Laura Bradford

Date Completed: 22 December 2020

Category: Norwegian Forest (Other Fiction & Literature)

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Twenty-six years ago Jacob lost his mother's treasured spoon on the day of a school Christmas program. Although he went back to the schoolhouse when he realized he left it there, the spoon was gone. When Claire's planned visit to the schoolhouse arouses that painful memory, she determines to find the spoon. This simple short story leaves the reader with a happy feeling.

Or in other words, Happy Christmas! And have a great New Year as well. Here’s hoping 2021 is an improvement on 2020.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a peaceful time, remain healthy and full of hope.
I took this picture 2 years ago when we were on our pre-Christmas vacation.
Last year there was no snow, this year we were not allowed to go. Therefore, we revel in fond memories and look forward to next year.

>58 thornton37814: ooh! Costains!

Note: the original book in the series was titled The Conquerors, the edited version is The Conquering Family.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a lovely holiday season and a joyous 2021!
(I bet Santa found some awesome prezzies for your kitties)

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
May next year bring you greater peace and joy, good health and many books.

Hi Lori. Wishing you (and the furkids) peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and best wishes for the New Year!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May 2021 bring you less need for masks, loads of peace and joy, good health and, of course, books!

>77 SandDune: I think we all hope 2021 is an improvement over 2020.

>78 SirThomas: Thanks. No white Christmas where I am, but there is one at my house. Just saw we have 5 inches.

>79 fuzzi: The Conquering Family is the one that was on sale when they were all really cheap for Kindle. It will probably be read next month for HistoryCAT.

>80 Carmenere: SantaPaws allowed them to open their new cat beds early because they were going to need them a couple days early. He wanted them to get used to them. I hear he's bringing them lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.

>81 witchyrichy: Thank you.

>82 nittnut: I probably just need to read the books I already own, but I do hope the new year brings more!

>83 lkernagh: Thanks a lot.

>84 Berly: I hope we have less need for masks. I know it will take a while to get to that point, but I do hope we can see each other's faces again soon.

>85 AMQS: Thank you.

Book 232. The Orange Lilies by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

Date Completed: 24 December 2020

Category: Maine Coon (Mysteries)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Morton Farrier finally begins researching his own family after learning his aunt was his biological mother. When he goes to visit her, she brings out boxes of family treasures that tell an unexpected story. While I enjoyed this short story, one thing really bugged me. When he opened an Ancestry DNA kit received as a gift, he pulled out a swab. Ancestry kits contain a vial into which one spits and not a swab. Other than this error, Goodwin seemed to know a bit more about professional genealogy sleuthing than many who write the genre. I plan to read more of this series in the coming year.

Happy Holidays Lori!

You snuck a new thread in when I wasn't looking, Lori. Happy new thread and congrats on reading 3 x 75 and beyond.

>89 thornton37814: Those details about DNA testing definitely standing out, don't they. I just read The Milkman's Son and in it the Ancestry DNA test is said to give Y and mitochondrial information. Did they ever? I was questioning whether they had given those results at one time and I hadn't remembered correctly but at least the people in the book had to spit for the test.

Have a Happy Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Lori!

>91 quondame: Thanks! The Peanuts gang are favorites.

>92 Familyhistorian: Ancestry did have Y- and mt-DNA testing at some point before they destroyed their database in 2014. See Roberta's post at https://dna-explained.com/2014/10/02/ancestry-destroys-irreplaceable-dna-databas.... I'm not really sure when they quit testing, but their tests were never that popular in comparison with FTDNA's tests.

>93 harrygbutler: Thanks!

Book 233. The Mountains Sing by Phan Quế Mai Nguyễn

Date Completed: 24 December 2020

Category: Siamese (Historical Fiction)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Alternating time periods, mostly from years in which the Communists took hold of the Northern part of Vietnam and the end of the Vietnam War, this story follows the story of three generations of women during a turbulent time in the country's history. The atrocities they witnessed reveal the upheavals and loss caused by both communism and the war. Although I remember a lot about the war from my childhood days watching Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, and John Chancellor--and perhaps occasionally Walter Cronkite, I knew little about the war other than its unpopularity. In the books early chapters as I read about the B-52s destroying so much in the area, including the home in which the grandmother and granddaughter lived, my mind went to my brother's service on an air base in Thailand that sent many of those B-52s out on a mission. Although his service was prior to the date given in that book and his work was confined to the base, it still gave me pause. I shed a few tears. Some time periods pre-date and post-date the novel's main time frame. Although the author's native tongue is not English, she does a remarkable job telling the story. Many sentences bear the tell-tale signs of this through their simplistic construction; however, one overlooks this because of the story told.

I hope you get some of those at least, Lori, as we all look forward to a better 2021.

>96 PaulCranswick: My cats provided big doses of laughter today as I watched them playing with their new tunnel and with each other. The catnip-scented banana was also a bit hit as were the "cactus" toy and the "shrimp" toy. The tunnel, however, is the one that produced the most fun for me watching them. I got to see a few family members although not as many as normal.

Book 234. The Expected One: Anticipating All of Jesus in the Advent by Scott James

Date Completed: 25 December 2020

Category: Bengal (Other Non-Fiction)

Rating: 2 stars

Review: While the Scriptures read each day pertain to the usual Advent focus for each week, there is little food for thought. The "reading" is too brief, and the questions/answers are too simplistic.

Book 235. Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers

Date Completed: 25 December 2020

Category: Maine Coon (Mysteries)

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Harriet attends her college's homecoming/reunion called a "gaudy." Poison pen letters find their way into the hands of faculty members. They ask Harriet to investigate. With Lord Peter in Italy, she begins the case on her own, wishing for his assistance, but unable to reach him. He eventually shows up to offer his help, but will he conclude the case before being called away again? Twice as long as earlier installments, this one grew tiresome quickly. While we met Lord Peter's nephew in this installment, the absence of Lord Peter and Bunter for much of the book, while understandable at a female college, created a disconnect with series fans. Even Ian Carmichael's wonderful narration couldn't help this story's drivel. The book needed to be reduced by 50%.

Wanna help me kick 202 to the curb? 2021 group is here

Book 236. Advent for Everyone: Matthew: A Daily Devotional by N. T. Wright

Date Completed: 26 December 2020

Category: Bengal (Other Non-Fiction)

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Well-known biblical scholar N. T. Wright penned devotional thoughts from Matthew's gospel designed for the Advent season. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent and ending with the fourth Saturday, these devotions communicate deeper thoughts. However, in choosing to create His devotions from a single book in the Bible, he often strayed from the weekly themes associated with the Advent season, focusing on incidents in the life and ministry of Christ. If you want an Advent devotional with depth and don't care whether it is associated with the weekly themes, Wright's book offers that. If you prefer to stick to prophecy, Bethlehem, the shepherds, angels, and finally on Christ himself on Christmas day, you may wish to find a book using a wider variety of Scriptures.

Happy New Thread and Happy Holidays, Lori! What a great reading year you've had.

>102 jnwelch: It's been pretty good--not quite as good as some years though.

Book 237. Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

Date Completed: 27 December 2020

Category: Ragdoll (Children's and YA)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: A young girl dreams of reading a book a day, but a pink slip from the city government demanding "Book Uncle" get a permit to peddle books from his free lending library thwarts her plans. She takes to heart the story learned in a book loaned to her, organizing a plan to help Book Uncle by contacting all mayoral candidates in the upcoming election. Will the campaign promise be empty or will the Book Uncle be allowed to resume his work? This cute chapter book praises reading and provides a good platform for discussing election processes and campaign promises.

Book 238. The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri

Date Completed: 28 December 2020

Category: Maine Coon (Mysteries)

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Mimi Augello is called out when a man is shot on a fishing boat, claiming it occurred in international waters. Montalbano investigates a man's death on an apartment building elevator. A woman tied to the investigation disappeared, but when Montalbano hears of a child stealing lunches, he suspects it is the woman's hungry child. Montalbano's relationship with Livia continues in this installment. I listened to the audio version read by Grover Gardner because of his superb narration of the series even though I own the paperback.

These books found their way to my home over Christmas. Most were gifts. One was a book I ordered that finally arrived after making a tour of the country. I'm leaving off touchstones to speed up the process of reporting them.

1) Taste of Home Soups, Stews & More: 300+ Recipes, & Ideas to Ladle Out Bowls of Comfort / Hazel Wheaton, editor
2) Franklin County, Georgia, Inferior Court Minutes, 1794-1812 (Volumes 1 & 2) / Michael A. Ports
3) Day of the Dead: A Count and Find Primer / Greg Paprocki
4) The Space Child's Mother Goose / verses by Frederick Winsor; illustrations by Marian Perry
5) The Poisoned Chocolates Case / Anthony Berkeley
6) Criminal Mind Puzzles / Myles Callum et al. (Brain Games series)
7) The Scotland Yard Puzzle Book / Sinclair McKay
8) Abandoned Mississippi: Destruction in the Deep South / Jay Farrell
9) Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times / Elizabeth Wayland Barber

I still have one SantaThing book lost somewhere between Illinois and here. I have a box of about 5 books that were stuck somewhere between New Hampshire and New Jersey for fourteen days before finally being scanned 2 days ago. I still have one other package with an unknown delivery date. It may be books or something else I ordered. I didn't compare shipping numbers.

PS - I did receive a duplicate copy of a book I received before Christmas. I'm tracking down the gift receipt for one of them so I can choose another book.

>106 thornton37814: That's a lovely, varied list of additions! Every conceivable genre, and not one head-scratcher among 'em. Does that mean you selected them all or did you just get very, very lucky?

>107 richardderus: Many of these were on a wish list family used. One was a thank-you gift from a fellow genealogist who heard me say I wanted to read the book. The second book was one I ordered because I work with that county in that time period a lot. I bought it on sale. The fourth and fifth books are part of my SantaThing. One was on my wish list; one wasn't.

Book 239. Day of the Dead: A Count and Find Primer by Greg Paprocki

Date Completed: 29 December 2020

Category: Ragdoll (Children's & YA)

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is celebrated in many Hispanic countries. It is called All Souls' Day in other cultures. It is a day for remembering ancestors and relatives who died. Family altars are made with photos and candles, but other activities take place on the day as well. This durable board book emphasizing counting allows young readers to locate specific things (in specific quantities) associated with the day from the colorful illustrations. The author explains each illustration at the end of the book. A list of hidden illustrations also appears at the end allowing the search to continue after counting activities conclude. It should be popular in areas where Hispanic-American populations reside. I received a copy through LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.

>108 thornton37814: :-)

>109 thornton37814: How completely wonderful! I love calaveras.

>106 thornton37814: I grew up on The Space Child's Mother Goose though I'd already been inculcated with the vanilla version. That and Such Nonsense were always on the shelf left of the hearth. Also They Hanged My Saintly Billy which was a joke gift (re my very un-saintly brother Bill) and dumped when the joke paled. Woah - that was by Robert Graves, I like Robert Graves and may read the book - I've no idea if my parents even knew from Robert Graves.

Oh, free association, right on your front lawn, for free and everything....bye now.

>110 richardderus: I'm quite pleased with the ER book. I'll probably gift it to my great nephew. He'll enjoy finding things and counting them eventually. At the moment, he just rapidly turns the pages on books. I suspect you can actually read them to him at night or later, but at the moment those pages are gone after half a sentence.

>111 quondame: I don't think I've ever read the space child version although I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I did enjoy a version I had and a later version my nephew owned. My brothers were so much older than I was that I never received a book allegedly about them.

Book 240. Lineage Most Lethal by S. C. Perkins

Date Completed: 29 December 2020

Category: Maine Coon (Mysteries)

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: I want to like this series, but implausible plots and errors make it difficult. Genealogist Lucy Lancaster's current client is her friend Pippa Sutton. Lucy goes to the family's hotel to interview relatives during the period between Christmas and New Year's. Soon after arriving, a man uttering a mysterious message and bearing a vintage World War II era Montblanc pen falls dead at Lucy's feet. The dog runs off with the pen. After the police leave, Lucy finds the pen, wipes off the dog slobber, and photographs it to show her grandfather who collects the pens. When he sees the image, he asks Lucy to bring it to him in person. Lucy learns her grandfather served as a spy during the war and received such a pen on a mission with a few others. The pen includes a microdot reader, but the microdot is on evidence in police custody, and he devises a clever way to get it. They find the man with the pen had decoded five of the eight names. They must find a means to keep the others on the list safe. I find it a little too coincidental that as many people connected with the mission ended up in the Austin area. The mystery's solution seems obvious from an early stage.

Early in the book it mentions Lucy found Ben, the FBI agent introduced in the first installment, a photograph of his Revolutionary War ancestor. While not completely impossible, such a photograph is highly unlikely. The first photograph dates to 1826, but the first human photograph occurred in 1839. A young Revolutionary war soldier would have been around 80 at that time, and life expectancy in the mid-19th century was much shorter than today. Later in the book, it mentions that Ben looked like his ancestor, and in its context, it implies the man was not aged at the time it was taken. If the author used the term "portrait," one would assume a painted likeness. Instead, the author failed in historical accuracy. This error bothered me as I read the remainder of the book. In spite of its flaws, the mystery held my interest.

Happy New Year Lori and the Kitties.

>114 johnsimpson: Thank you and Meow! Meow! Meow!

Book 241. New American Standard Bible

Date Completed: 30 December 2020

Category: Bengal (Other Non-Fiction)

Rating: 5 stars

Review: New American Standard Bible remains my favorite English translation. Although some criticize it, those understanding the Greek language and its tenses and moods appreciate the manner translators incorporated them into the translation. I prefer the old 1977 edition to the updated edition, but I still enjoy reading this text after all these years.

Note: My year-long Bible plan was 365 days instead of 366.

>94 thornton37814: Thanks for the link to the article about Ancestry destroying those databases, Lori. I can see why there was a lot of head scratching over that decision.

Wishing you a Happy New Year and a better year in 2021!

>117 Familyhistorian: I remembered they owned Sorenson's database, but I couldn't remember all the specifics until I went in search of it. A lot of people were upset, and that's why it is so important to save what you can. What's here one day isn't always around the next.

>118 thornton37814: I found the fact that they got rid of the historic databases that they had taken over the most disturbing part of the article, Lori.

>119 Familyhistorian: Yes.

Book 242. Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

Date Completed: 31 December 2020

Category: Bengal (Other Non-Fiction)

Rating: 3 stars

Review: This devotional classic presents thoughts penned by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman or selected from other Christian writers (who are given minimal attribution--generally just a name or initials). Most days begin with a brief Scripture or Scripture excerpt, then have some written prose thoughts, and finally a poem. Many of the thoughts still resonate with readers. By today's standards, the citations to other works are incomplete and inadequate. The poetry seems a little trite and probably a little too focused on rhyme for today's audience. I'm certain the work will continue to provide daily thoughts to another generation of readers, but I hope someone takes the time to update it to include fuller citations and perhaps to replace some of the monotonous poetry with poetry that will speak to future generations.

While there's a slight chance I'll finish Dear Miss Kopp before my New Year's Eve party, I suspect I'll finish it tomorrow, and I know it won't be one of the meme answers.

So without further ado, here's the first 2020 year-end meme:

Describe yourself: Sugar and Vice

Describe how you feel: Full of Beans

Describe where you currently live: The Mountains Wild

Your favorite time of the day: The Enchanted Hour

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Off the Grid

Your favorite form of transportation: The Hidden Ways: Scotland's Forgotten Roads

Your best friend is: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

You and your friends are: The Innocents

Describe your job: Ancestry Quest

What are you eating? The Coroner's Lunch

What the weather's like: Fog Magic

You fear: A Killer in King's Cove

What is the best advice you have to give: Keep Calm and Carry On, Children

Thought for the day: Owl be home for Christmas

How you would like to die: Murder with Cinnamon Scones

Your soul's present condition: Guiltless

What was 2020 like for you? Garden of Lamentations

What do you want from 2021? Year of Wonders

Honorable mentions:

Describe where you currently live: The Asylum

Your favorite time of the day: The Remains of the Day

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Outer Banks

What are you eating? Modern Comfort Food

How you would like to die: Death by Frosted Doughnut

The Other Meme:

What would you call the event? St. Valentine's Day Cookie Massacre

How did they find their way? Snowfall on Cedar Trail

How did they know they'd arrived? The Witch Elm

Any special activities? Clue

Did your guests stay over? Christmas Camp

Were there servants to help? The Haunted Lady

Was there turn down service? Chocolat

How were the guests greeted? Good Mews

Was dinner held for later comers? Scorched Eggs

And dinner was? Five Red Herrings

Afterward? A Midsummer Night's Dream

I first began doing the main year-end meme in 2011. I thought it would be fun to accumulate all my answers. I'm not going to bother with touchstones for this post. Some questions were not on earlier versions, and I kept doing the same ones until I figured out I was missing some new questions.

Describe yourself:

2011: Plum Gorgeous
2012: Maphead
2013: Daughter of the Loom
2014: The Girl of His Dreams
2015: Walking a Literary Labyrinth
2016: Waiting
2017: The Dream Stalker
2018: Keri Tarr, Cat Detective
2019: The Family Tree Problem Solver
2020: Sugar and Vice

Describe how you feel:

2011: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
2012: Southern Discomfort
2013: Rotten to the Core
2014: Love So Amazing
2015: Restless
2016: Sorrow without End
2017: Separate from the World
2018: Flat Broke with Two Goats
2019: Plum Tea Crazy
2020: Full of Beans

Describe where you currently live:

2011: The Land of the Smokies
2012: Town in a Lobster Stew
2013: The Family Mansion
2014: Where Memories Lie
2015: The Strange Library
2016: Appalachia
2017: City of Secrets
2018: My Life in a Cat House
2019: Glass Houses
2020: The Mountains Wild

Your favorite time of day:

2019: The Darkness
2020: The Enchanted Hour

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

2011: Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast
2012: Let's Go Camping
2013: The Most Beautiful Country Towns of England
2014: The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion
2015: Choosing Charleston
2016: Beneath the Book Tower
2017: The High Mountains of Portugal
2018: Over the Hills and Far Away
2019: The Library at the Edge of the World
2020: Off the Grid

Your favorite form of transportation:

2011: Parnassus on Wheels
2012: The Excursion Train
2013: Hearse and Buggy
2014: Killer Cruise
2015: Locomotive
2016: Gone Camping
2017: A Cruise to Die for
2018: Steering the Craft
2019: The Long Flight Home
2020: The Hidden Ways: Scotland's Forgotten Roads

Your best friend is:

2011: Remembering Knoxville
2012: Homer, the Library Cat
2013: The Postmistress
2014: Nora Webster
2015: Daisy Miller
2016: Anne of Green Gables
2017: Somebody at the Door
2018: The Ice Princess
2019: Sworn to Silence
2020: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

You and your friends are:

2011: Birds of a Feather
2012: Kindred Souls
2013: Mad as the Dickens
2014: The Forgotten Girls
2015: The Hurricane Sisters
2016: Tailing a Tabby
2017: Common People
2018: Friends in High Places
2019: The Chosen
2020: The Innocents

Describe your job:

2020: Ancestry Quest

What are you eating?

2020: The Coroner's Lunch

What's the Weather Like?

2011: A Dark and Stormy Night
2012: Hurricanes in Paradise
2013: Winter Chill
2014: The Summer Wind
2015: Clouds without Rain
2016: Reading Up a Storm
2017: Thin Air
2018: Rain
2019: The Dry
2020: Fog Magic

You fear:

2011: The Haunted Bookshop
2012: The Czar's Madman
2013: Lotions, Potions, and Deadly Elixirs
2014: The Curse of the Pharaohs
2015: Creepy Carrots
2016: A Fatal Winter
2017: War and Turpentine
2018: A Shot in the Dark
2019: Wild Fire
2020: A Killer in King's Cove

What is the best advice you have to give?

2011: A Praying Life
2012: Sunday Is for God
2013: Books Can Be Deceiving
2014: Go Tell It on the Mountain
2015: A Prayer Journal
2016: To Live Is Christ: Joining Paul's Journey of Faith
2017: Do Not Say We Have Nothing
2018: Anything Is Possible
2019: Grow Your Own Herbs
2020: Keep Calm and Carry On, Children

Thought for the Day:

2011: If God, Why Evil?
2012: Who Do You Think You Are?
2013: Dead Men Don't Crochet
2014: Who's Picking Me Up from the Airport
2015: Why Was the Partridge in the Pear Tree?
2016: Things Fell Apart
2017: The Fish Can Sing
2018: Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful
2019: The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
2020: Owl Be Home for Christmas

How I Would Like to Die:

2011: Shaking the Family Tree
2012: Quietly in Their Sleep
2013: Buried in a Book
2014: Out of the Blue
2015: Read and Buried
2016: Sudden Death
2017: Death Overdue
2018: Dying in the Wool
2019: Assaulted Caramel
2020: Murder with Cinnamon Scones

Your Soul's Present Condition:

2011: Book Lust
2012: A Darkly Hidden Truth
2013: Silent in the Sanctuary
2014: The Ponder Heart
2015: Journey
2016: Hand in Hand: Walking with the Psalms through Loneliness
2017: Dark Night of the Soul
2018: Gardenlust
2019: A Sea of Troubles
2020: Guiltless

What Is Life for You?

2019: Tracing Your Ancestors in Lunatic Asylums

What Was 2020 Like for You?

2020: Garden of Lamentations

What Do You Want from 2021?

2020: Year of Wonders

>124 thornton37814: Wow, Lori, that is awsome!

>125 FAMeulstee: I just thought it would be fun to see how the answers changed over time. I wrote them out in the week between Christmas and New Year's so I could post them after I posted this year's answers.

Two final acquisitions for 2021:

* Gone to the Grave: Burial Customs of the Arkansas Ozarks, 1850-1950 by Abby Burnett.
* A Man of Some Repute by Elizabeth Edmondson

The first was back-ordered and finally found its way to me. The second is my final SantaThing book that finally escaped Illinois and arrived.

Still awaiting that shipment of books that got stuck between NH and NJ. I'm hoping they'll arrive next week.

Lori

As the year turns, friendship continues

Happy New Year, Lori.

>128 PaulCranswick: Happy New Year, Paul! I suppose it's well into it for you now.

>129 Kristelh: Happy new year!

>130 quondame: And good riddance?

Follow me to my 2021 thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327679