CassieBash Continues the Challenge: More Eclectic and Sometimes Disturbing Reads

I’m getting a jump on my thread here while I have a chance. 2020 was not a good year for me regarding time to read, so here’s hoping 2021 is a little less hectic and stressful with more opportunities to read.

So, for those of you who are unfamiliar with me and my reads, I was once a children’s librarian and I now work for a small college as library director. I’m caregiver, along with my 2 sisters, to my mom and we all share our farmhouse with cats and dogs (and my hermit crab). My cat Peppa is my profile picture and she loves to be near me as much as possible—the most doglike cat I’ve ever had.

Books—I am game for most any book but strict romances. If you eat up romances and want ideas for new reads, this thread won’t give you much. I hope you find a good thread that does; I don’t have anything personally against them, they just aren’t my cup of tea if that’s the “A” plot. Romance as the “B” plot is fine as long as the B plot remains secondary. I tried to get into some of the fantasy romances but it doesn’t make any difference how many vampires or werewolves there are in a romance, I just can’t get hooked into them. Just about every other genre could be found here, though, with children’s chapter books, YA novels, fantasy, and mystery heavily represented, and I always have a few nonfiction reads as well—usually animal, botanical, medical, historical, or folkloric. Upcoming titles for this go-around might include books by Eve Bunting, Kate DiCamillo, Anne McCaffrey, William Sleator, Marguerite Henry, Ellis Peters, and Chris D’Lacey. My current reads not likely to be finished by the end of the 2020 challenge are a medical thriller and a book on the history of death and funeral customs so I’m getting some of the disturbing reads done early this year, lol! I did get a lot of new YA fantasies in particular this year but while I want to whittle down the to read piles, I’m also itching to re-read some stuff, particularly the Harper Hall trilogy by McCaffrey. I think that Dragonsong and Dragonsinger are my favorite Pern books.

So there you are; follow if you want (or dare). ;)

Welcome back! Looking forward to seeing what your first reads are - death and funeral customs!

Welcome back, Cassie. I hope 2021 is better year and a better reading year for you. x

Thank you both! I figure start the year out dark and maybe things will lighten up as we go along, lol! Unfortunately I have a feeling that at least at the start of 2021, it will be more of the same. Mom's health just isn't in a great place right now and I'm trying to juggle a 40 hour work week and running her to various specialists and appointments, so pleasure reading naturally takes a back seat. I do a lot of professional journal reading this way, though....

I can definitely relate - we’re caring for my mother-in-law, who needs around-the-clock help. We’ll be transitioning her to an assisted living facility at some point, but probably not until we can get covid shots. Taking care like you’re doing is pretty much a second full-time job!

Welcome back! Hope you have a great year of reading. If the next in series on my re-read of Ellis Peters is available, I may add it to my January reads to fit HistoryCAT in the category challenge. I already have one historical fiction book and lots of non-fiction on my to-be-read list from which to select to fit the category.

>6 thornton37814: I'll have to dig in my to read to find the Ellis Peters or a similar to try to squeak it into January. I have plenty of Egyptian history-mysteries (hysteries?) on the shelves so there's that route, too, but I'd rather take from the to-read pile and see if I can shrink that. Barring that, I have straight-up historical fictions in there, too.

This is as good a time to plug my fiance's used book store in Muncie, Indiana; if you happen to be in the area, look up White Rabbit Used Books. He's also on FB and will do mail-orders if you contact him.

For those who are new to my threads and haven't seen the photos of his store, here are a select few:

View from the top of the spiral staircase; there are more books under the steps.


2nd floor-nonfiction including the natural sciences, religion, and gender studies, and through the doorway is more nonfiction (the arts, crafting, history and military history), poetry, classics, and general fiction.


He does collectibles and local artists, too. See that book on the desk called "20 Slug Kitty Plates"? That's my sister's coloring book; he's her exclusive brick-and-mortar store distributor for her artwork.


Ah, the mystery section, tucked into a corner but all three walls are packed!

Happy new thread, Cassie!


I'm doing a small business theme this year with links to businesses, including bookshops. PM me with some info about your fiancee's shop, like when it opened, and I'll be happy to include it.

>7 CassieBash: wow- that is some collection!

>1 CassieBash: those are my two favorite Pern books, too.

Best wishes for a better 2021!

Happy reading in 2021, Cassie!

And keep up with my friends here, Cassie. Have a great 2021.

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

Happy New Year! I love the bookstore photos. I will have to check it out next time I'm in Indiana! I have family not too terribly far from Muncie.

Wonderful store. My husband’s cousin had a similar type store in Bloomington. How long has The White Rabbit been there. I lived there as a student and in the seventies and never saw it. Sorry to have missed it.
And I loved Brother Cadfael—even bought the PBS series after reading the books.

>8 mstrust: I’ll get you some info.

>9 LovingLit: He sells a little of everything except for general encyclopedias, for which he has little demand, and textbooks, since Muncie is a college town (Ball State University) and there are already 2 bookstores in the area that specialize in those. So he should have something for everyone. If you’re interested he does have a Facebook page for White Rabbit Used Books.

>10 fuzzi: I went through a period where I wanted to be Menolly. There are some great characters in the Pern books but I think Menolly is my favorite.

>11 DianaNL:, >12 FAMeulstee: Here’s hoping. It was a rough start already though; we had an ice storm followed by heavy, wet snow and we lost power on and off (mostly off) for two days starting on the eve of the first. I’m just now getting around to catching up on LT because of this. Today was the first time we’ve had uninterrupted power for an almost 24 hour period since then (it’ll be 24 hours around 11:30 tonight). Because we live in the country, everything relies on electricity so we were not just without light but heat and water, too. Mom and her dog and my hermit crab went to dad’s house in town for two days while my sisters and I took turns running over there and staying home to keep the fire burning in the fireplace. There are tree limbs everywhere, some damage to our pasture fence and our clothesline, and almost everything in the fridge needs tossed. On the up side, no buildings were damaged and I got a heck of a lot of reading done.

>13 PaulCranswick: As usual, my homebody self is going to skip the road trips in favor of more kitty snuggles. Everything else works for me. :)

>14 ronincats: Thanks! Can’t wait to see the continued photo tour of the new house!

>15 cbl_tn: Definitely! Bring the kids and teens; he has a youth section too!

>16 sjgoins: He started out in a flea market in 1979 then set up on Broadway south of the mall and didn’t move to his current location in The Village until the early 90s, when I started attending for my undergrad. Derek and I are both Cadfael fans, both of the books and the PBS series. He has an extensive collection of the series on DVD because his mom was also a huge fan and he got her ones whenever he could. When she passed, he kept them. The benefits are obvious; I can borrow them just about whenever I want!

Book 1: Let’s start out with a disturbing fiction; The Protocol is a plausible medical thriller/horror. In some ways this makes it scarier than the supernatural horror because this book is about a man whose research into a bacterial infection that can cure cancer also, unfortunately, causes a deadly and highly infectious respiratory illness, and he has unwittingly released it upon San Francisco doing illicit clinical trials on cancer patients. Oops. If you like medical horror this is a good one and fitting for the current situation but it does have a little sex, some swearing including the “f” bomb (used mostly by the B plot villains), and some references to male anatomy, as well as violent fight scenes and some other mature themes. Not a bad read if you don’t mind all that.

I’ve got 2 nonfiction going right now; a ghostly legends book I’ve been working on for like 2 years and that history of death book. I think I’ll pick up something light for my fiction—maybe I’ll just start those Pern books now—fitting somehow that I should read about dangerous stuff falling from the sky after surviving an ice storm.

>17 CassieBash: Sorry to read about the rough start of the year, Cassie.

>18 FAMeulstee: We've had such decent weather for the winter over the past few years, I suppose it was only a matter of time before it caught up with us. As long as we have no tornado warnings later, I'll be OK. Tornadoes are a challenge for mom because of the basement stairs, and we don't really have any interior rooms, so the basement is literally the only safe place for a tornado, except maybe the bathtub/shower.

>17 CassieBash: Wow, that sounds really bad. I'm glad you have your power back, and hopefully this is the worst behind you.

No more outtages, but then the weather hasn’t thrown any more significant precipitation our way yet. I’ve ordered more EcoTraction though, just in case.

Did a lot of reading today; book 2 is Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey. While her Pern books are marketed as adult fantasy, The Harper Hall Trilogy, of which this is book one, could all easily be YA: less dark and without the adult themes found in the Dragonriders of Pern Trilogy (which takes place chronologically at about the same time), the protagonists are themselves young adults. This book introduces Menolly, and the trials she faces at home where her love of music is seen as wrong and improper. A great introduction to the world of Pern as it introduces the dragons, fire lizards, and the social, political, and cultural setup of the world without the heavy politics that the Dragonrider trilogy has. Quick, well-written read that admittedly isn’t too complex so it’s a very light read. Perfect fantasy escape.

>21 CassieBash: Dragonriders of Pern is one of my favourite series, might be nearly time for a re-read.

>21 CassieBash: I reread that series every year or so. I started reading out of order and still love Dragonsinger the best.

Not too late for me to drop a star on this thread! Happy New Year!

>22 fairywings: It might be at that! Go on...you know you want to!

>23 fuzzi: Which I just finished, lol!

>24 vikzen: It's never to late to drop a star! :)

Book 3 is Dragonsinger, the sequel to book 2. Can't really give much of a synopsis without potential spoilers for the first book, except to say that it's Menolly's story continued. 'Nuff said. The same recommendation as "Dragonsong" still holds. Really, if you're a fantasy and dragon lover, this is a must read.

Book 4 is Dragondrums, the last installment of the trilogy. Instead of focusing on Menolly, however, this book is focused on her friend, Piemur. This one could still be YA but be aware that there is a suggested sex scene—no details but there’s definitely the implication. Boys will enjoy that this one’s hero is male and that it has plenty of adventure; however tomboy Menolly is, she’s still a girl and some young male readers will construe the first two books as “girly”. Each can stand alone though it’s best, of course, to read them all in order. Again, highly recommended.

>26 CassieBash: I love all three, they're up there with my "most favorite" fantasy/sci fi books of all time. I wanted specific editions due to horrible covers on some of them, so I searched the web until I found the editions I wanted:

Yep, recognize those covers, even though those aren't the edition I've got. To save on space, I opted for the trilogy. Not as nice a cover illustration as the three above, but better than the horrid artwork on the Dragonriders of Pern trilogy.





The dragons on this cover look too clunky and clumsy to me. And the riders are showing far too much skin if they're going to go between.*

*For those not yet familiar with this series, fire lizards and dragons can teleport, but doing so means a few seconds' existence in a nothing space called between, which is very, very cold. Riders wear special outfits designed to protect against this cold.

Just finished book 5, The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell. This is a book for older YA and up, because while it pulls from the legends of Robin Hood, it’s far darker and more mature in themes than the usual Robin Hood stories we tend to think of. In this case, “Robin” would actually be Silviana Loughsley, whose cruel brother,John, rises to sheriff when their father suffers from what we would now call a form of dementia. When Silvie prevents a villager girl from her suicide attempt, Silvie, her childhood friend Bird, and the rescued villager girl start the band that would be equivalent to the “Merry Men”, except that both genders are represented. Complicating matters is Silvie’s growing love for Bird; fear that a romantic relationship that might not work out could irreparably kill their friendship holds her back from commitment—this is the B plot, which doesn’t get in the way of the growth of the Robin Hood parallels nor the survival story.

It’s a good read if you don’t mind the mature themes, which includes not just suicide but rape, abortion, teen pregnancy, and incest, along with the underlying social and class issues of poverty and a feudal society. The author note discusses not only the Robin Hood legend but also touches a little on her own experience and research into midwifery, which is very important in the book. While these themes are present, there are no graphic descriptions and more is implied regarding the sexual themes, but those old enough to handle the content will pick up on the hints easily enough without details.

One last note: readers should remember that the book’s setting is an historical one—late medieval or early Renaissance England or Ireland—and that the views of the characters reflect this. Rape is always the woman’s problem, abortion—particularly when done in first trimester—was commonplace and accepted, and most people only had the rights allowed them by the nobility. It’s not a pretty society but it is a realistic one in the context given. If you are more a fan of romanticized fairy tales, you might not want to try this one. If you’re OK with gritty, you’ll be fine.

In an hour or so before bed last night, I squeezed in a short children’s chapter book, Sheltie and the Stray by Peter Clover, whose last name is just perfect for writing children’s books on ponies or maybe rabbits. Not a complex plot here; Sheltie is a Shetland pony whose young owner Emma takes him out riding (a lot) and one day as she’s riding in the woods they come across a terrified stray dog. The rest of the book is young Emma and her family trying to figure out how to best help the pup. Realistic in many ways including the dog’s wariness and the conclusion, which may not work out quite how Emma wants it to but it’s a satisfying ending nevertheless and one that parents might relate to. This gets a G rating and the short chapters make this a good read-aloud option for parents whose kids no longer need pictures on every page. My copy will be headed to Muncie to my fiancé’s used bookstore so one more book out the door—too bad it’s so slim I’m not really saving space, lol!

>28 CassieBash: I have had both of those trilogies, and agree with your comments about the artwork. I do prefer Whelan's Pern covers, too bad he didn't do the Harper Hall books as well.

>28 CassieBash: They are very striking covers, I have to say.

>27 fuzzi: I have these covers. Love the first two but I could never get really invested in Piemur.

Yes, the first two of the series are my favorites, but decided to go ahead and round out the trilogy while I had the book out.

Book 7 is The Devil's Hunt by P. C. Doherty; another series of medieval mysteries, once again read out of order and piecemeal. I seem to do that a lot with history mysteries, lol! King Edward has sent Hugh Corbett to Oxford to solve some rather grisly murders; beggars are being beheaded and Masters of the school are dying everywhere, it seems. And no one is certain whether the two are linked. Like most history mysteries, part of the fun is reading about what life was like back then, and with my job anchored in academia, it's interesting to read about the Oxford scholars and Masters, though I will say that I think you get a little more background from the Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael mysteries. Still enjoyable though, with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. I have a few more Hugh Corbett books in the to read pile, and some of Doherty's Egyptian history mysteries, so expect some more of these to pop up throughout the year. After all, 2021 is still young....

I still have to finish the nonfiction on the history of death; maybe I'll make some headway into that this weekend. I'd like to finish it before I visit Derek for Valentine's weekend, since I borrowed it from him and it would mean another book I could take out of the house. I will of course need to pick another fiction; so many possibilities to choose from! YA and children's animal fiction, fantasy, more mysteries, or I could start v. 11 of that 20 volume set....I just don't know!!

Book 8 is The History of Death which of course is my disturbing read #2 for the year. Honestly, it's not that disturbing because it's mostly focusing on funeral customs (OK, that might be disturbing to some) rather than what happens to the bodies after death. Frankly, if you want disturbing related to death, read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers; that book is just chock full of disturbing descriptions. (I reviewed it on a previous year's 75 list--not sure which but feel free to browse for it if you want.) This one talks about not just the "whats" of death--the funeral, coffins, and rituals of various cultures throughout time--but also the possible "whys"--why we in our various cultures throughout time treat the dead in a particular way. From mourning norms to preparing the body to the actual disposal (burial and cremation are just a couple of options), this book touches on a wide swath of customs.

About halfway through the next Hugh Corbett book; think I'll finish that darn ghost collection before moving on to the next nonfiction--which I haven't decided on yet. Maybe a food safety book, or the one on garbage? A book on the Black Death? Maybe a nature one? Lord knows I have plenty of those. Yes, maybe a nature book. So the next question will be--plants or animals?

So many choices.... lol!

Nasty weather coming, starting to day and running throughout this weekend; rain, snow, and wind will turn travel into a big mess, while the arctic cold and wind chills will conspire to keep me inside with the cat and cocoa/tea as much as possible. I sense some reading coming up....

>36 CassieBash: sounds like a win for you, once the bird feeders have been refilled?

>37 fuzzi: Of course. And the dogs walked, and the horses and outside cats fed and watered. I threw out extra scratch feed and a few ears of corn we've been saving for rough winter weather, for jays and turkeys mainly, though the squirrels and maybe, later tonight, the raccoons might also nibble them. There's also 2 cake feeders of fruit and nut, a suet feeder with 3 cakes of suet inside, a thistle seed feeder for the finches, 3 seed feeders full of black oil sunflower seeds, 2 hanging feeders with a fruit, seed, nut mix, and a squirrel feeder with the same inside (the birds get in there more than the squirrels, lol!). They eat well, our birds.

My phone is pretty dead now, I think--battery died and it's been charging for over an hour and no signs of life, so I have ordered a new one. Rest in peace, iphone 6s. Hopefully, I won't have an emergency between now and when my new iPhone 8 arrives....

>38 CassieBash: ...alas! It battled valiantly for you both day and night, but at last it succumbed to the storm that raged against it...

Yep. I would have needed a new phone sometime soon anyway, as it was an iPhone 6s, so probably not much time left on support. I got an 8 this time; did the weighing of support v. cost and since there are some big expenses we're working with right now, decided to take the short-term cheap route. I just have to have the Apple people see if they can pull the photos and such from the SIM card, since some of those weren't uploaded to Flickr yet. *sigh*

Book 9 is Haunted Homeland; this is part of a group of books collectively known as the "Haunted America" series, as each volume centers around supposedly true ghost lore and legends written by Michael Norman and with additional credit often given to Beth Scott. I have both the iconic first book, Haunted America, and Haunted Heartland, which focuses on the region in my general area, including my own state of Indiana. With the previous two, I've enjoyed the selections immensely, as they had a wide variety of "haunts" and lore. However, Beth passed in 1994 and I'm wondering if maybe she wasn't the researcher in the pair; while the writing of this volume is the same, I found myself thinking that several of the hauntings he covers sound alike, especially in certain sections. Example: the in the chapter on college hauntings, Michael focuses a lot on college theatre and music hall hauntings, which all seem to follow the same pattern: ghost of a famous instructor/student can't move on and attends performances and disrupts practices, often flipping the theatre seats down or messing with stuff backstage. You can only read so many of these before you start wondering why all the focus was put on the same or very similar hauntings when I know there's a wider variety of lore out there. Other areas of the book, especially the section on Canada, seemed to have the variety of haunts I'd come to expect from the series and were quite enjoyable. So I'm left wondering if the book suffered from this unfortunate loss--or perhaps the series has just gone on long enough. Anyway, if you're looking for ghost lore and it's available, it's worth a skim at least, but if you're looking for the better stuff, stick with the earlier collections. I think, while I'll keep the other two, this volume will be returned to Derek's store in Muncie for someone else to try.

The new iPhone came and I'm fortunate that the iPhone 6s SIM card is compatible with the 8 so I can switch the card and use the phone right away. It's updating apps right now but I tested the text feature and it's working well. I might eventually upgrade to a new one because newer SIMs support different tech features but at least it gets me going. Now I'm going to have to wait for a bit while the apps finish downloading/syncing.

Book 10: The Demon Archer is another Hugh Corbett history mystery by P. C. Doherty, taking place right after the previous book (>37 fuzzi:). Hugh is sent to solve the mystery behind the murders of both an unknown woman and a lecherous lord. Adult themes and language are present but not to excess. I liked the previous book a little better but can’t quite figure out why—maybe the pacing is faster? The intrigue better? Still, not a bad read.

Partway through sooo many books, I'm hoping to finish at least one this week. Should be able to return to the CD audiobook short story collection I started before the extreme cold hit; I didn't want to keep CDs in the car in sub-zero temps for the however-long-its-been (2 weeks? 3?) cold spell but we're going to start warming up--Sunday, I think. So next week's commute to and from work will be good for finishing the CD set. Also reading a YA historical fiction and a nonfiction on local area (Michigan, but close enough) wildlife. That one would be the easiest to finish as it's very short, with the occasional, rather nice pen and ink drawings, and the essays that comprise the book are quick reads.

Morning, Cassie!
Oooh, sub-zero! You are tough to keep going into work!
My aunt in Texas has been without power for days. She can only cook on her outdoor grill.

>44 mstrust: We're used to it and better equipped to handle it up here. Usually in the winter when we lose power, it's not because our generators--located in heated buildings rather than stationed outside--freeze up but more because ice and snow bring tree branches down on power lines. We also, at least up here, rely less on natural gas and more on coal (not that, environmentally speaking, that's much better). At least she can cook, though I do hope she gets power back soon. Longest I've been without power was 1 week back in fall 2007 (I think it happened in August), due to tornado taking out power lines all over our county. A few months later, in October, we had a bigger outbreak that really did a number on Nappanee.

I can honestly say that tornadoes scare the bejeebers out of me, but I still find them fascinating in an odd way. I credit a lot of this to an old picture of local "twin" tornadoes from the 1965 Palm Sunday outbreak up here.

>45 CassieBash: wow. What photographs...

>46 fuzzi: Takes a braver man than I. As soon as we get a tornado warning pertinent to our area, I'm alerting the family and we all round up all the critters as fast as we can and head for the basement. It's why I bought a weather radio. We'll be heading into the start of our tornado season up here soon enough.

OK, book 11: Nature from Your Back Door by local Michigander Glenn Dudderar is a collection of his essays on his observations of Michigan wildlife that can commonly be seen by just about any native, regardless of location. He even touches on the urban settings so don't feel like you'll be left out if you're from the city. He doesn't go into in-depth information on any one animal so if you're looking to learn a lot about any particular species, then this isn't what you're looking for. It does, however, act as a good starting point for considering animal behaviors and how the natural world works. A quick read and for the most part uplifting (there are a few sections that talk about death as part of nature and life, and he dedicates an entire essay to what can be learned from road kill patterns), so nature lovers might find it worth a read, especially if you're just starting out in the discovery process. This will be going to Muncie, since I probably won't re-read such a basic information book. Hopefully someone else will discover it and be introduced to the concept of looking for nature from their back door.

>47 CassieBash: we do get tornadoes here, though not as often as when we lived in the SC Upstate...tornadoes seem to cruise along the I-85 corridor there! I've seen the sky turn yellow/green but thankfully never have seen a tornado's funnel cloud in person.

A few years ago there were a cluster of tornadoes that crossed through eastern NC, and I saw one on the radar about 3 miles away, headed for us. I had blankets in the hallway (we don't have a basement/cellar) and was ready to hunker down, but it skipped over us and hit another area about 15 miles northeast of us. I was sorry for the area that was hit, but thankful it missed us.

That book about animal observations sounds interesting.

>48 fuzzi: Want it? I received Rose in a Storm yesterday (thanks!) so I could just snag your mailing address from the package and send this one to you.

>49 CassieBash: yes! Thank you.

Glad it arrived okay.

OK, will do. I'll try to get to the post office on Saturday. :)

I was going to try an experiment with a book I reviewed in a previous year (don't ask which one), Speak to the Earth: Pages from a Farmwife's Journal, which was sort of along the same lines, but with a more homestead rather than naturalist approach, using BookCrossing. The book is by an Indiana woman and I thought it would be cool to leave it somewhere in the state where a fellow Hoosier would have a good chance of picking it up and taking it home for a read, and maybe passing it on, and seeing if it left Indiana (and how quickly), or if it just passed from Hoosier to Hoosier. (I also realize that I might never know where it goes, but that's the chance you take.) But then mom read it and it reminded her of her childhood and she wanted to keep it, so...I guess the experiment will have to wait a few years, with luck.

And speaking of mom, some of you may know from last year's thread that she was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell lung cancer, a rare non-smoker variety. She's been on a targeted therapy for several months now with good results; my sister took her to the latest oncology appointment today to review her latest scans, and while she said she'll wait until tonight to give us all the details, she also said the news was good. I know her last scan showed all cancer traces had disappeared from her adrenal glands. :)

>51 CassieBash: WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!

Does she get to ring the bell in the treatment area?

Oh, that's great news about your mom! Yay!!

>52 fuzzi: Not sure we have a bell in the treatment area; I'd have to ask, since it was my oldest sister who was there. Here's the full low-down as given to me by said sister last night:

Pulmonology said there's still a little fluid; she had some pretty bad edema in her chest cavity that they drained in January. They think it's one of three things: just the remnants of what was there that maybe the drain didn't get; the Alecensa, her cancer treatment, can cause edema so it's possible the treatment is behind it; or her heart, which her EKG said isn't resting quite right. There was no sign of cancer in the fluid so they're positive that the cancer itself isn't behind it. Her liver, kidney, and protein levels are all good and she's not showing signs of heart failure, so pulmonology said that the next scan she gets, if it shows an increase in the fluid, she'll refer her to a cardiologist in case it's the heart not resting right thing. Oncology's report was even better, as her lymph nodes are now also cancer-free; the last remnant of the cancer is in the home turf of her lungs, and the Alecensa is keeping that small and contained. Since the drug isn't considered a cure but rather a maintenance drug, that's about as good as we could probably hope for. She will be on Alecensa for life, provided the cancer doesn't mutate and change form so that the drug stops working or she starts developing more severe reactions that negate the benefits of being on the drug. This is a rare form of small cell lung cancer most often seen in non-smokers (which she is) so our oncologist only has one other patient on the same drug but he says she's been on it for three years (mom hasn't hit the one year anniversary yet) and has no major problems, and it's working great for her. Here's hoping for similar results!

>54 CassieBash: good good news! Thanks for the update.

I work with oncologists, and have heard of other never-smoker patients with SCLC or NSCLC. My uncle had the latter, Non small cell lung cancer.

In the cancer center treatment area (radiation and/or chemo) there is often a large bell that a patient gets to ring once they have completed treatment. It makes everyone feel better to hear the "clang clang clang"!

Hooray, great news!

>55 fuzzi: She long ago finished both radiation and "standard" chemo; not sure if Alecensa is considered chemo or another type of therapy, actually. I'm going to guess chemo (it's still a drug) because I don't think it stimulates the immune response (my understanding of what immunotherapy does) and of course it's not radioactive. Not sure what other types of treatments there are. So I'm not sure if she technically qualifies for the "completed" treatment bell ring, if they have it.

But thanks, fuzzy and mstrust, for joining in the celebration!

Book 12 is The Wild One by Eve Bunting. By the cover and title, you would think that the book is about a horse, and while he is in there, the main plot is about a young, half-Cherokee boy growing up with discrimination within his tribe because his father was a white man. A good story and one that could be used with older elementary students as a starting point for tolerance of differences talks— but I had been hoping for a more horse-oriented story. There’s some violence in the form of extreme bullying but the book is free of bad language and sexual content, so upper elementary and younger elementary children capable of handling the more violent imagery are good candidates for this book—particularly boys who will appreciate the hints of adventure and danger, and the boy protagonist. Not stellar but not a waste of time, either.

>58 CassieBash: note: your Touchstone is showing the wrong book.

Your review of The Wild One reminded me of a book I read in my youth, and again as an adult: Wild Boy by Thomas Fall. The plot is similar, is appropriate for middle grades, and I think you'd like it.

>59 fuzzi: Fixed. It was late last night when I posted it and I was using my phone, so I didn't bother to check the touchstone like I normally do.

Once I'm done with my historical fiction, I must find myself a horse book. Though good, I still say it's a bit like false advertising, as Wild One (the horse), though he has a pivotal role and is featured strongly on the cover, is really not the main focus.

Don't fret--I know I have some Marguerite Henry books around....

>60 CassieBash: I have a number of horse books in my tbr pile, these are all from my ROOT collection (on the shelves over a year, unread):

The Crumb by Jean Slaughter Doty
Horse in the House by William Corbin
Native Dancer by Eva Jolene Boyd
Hoofbeats by John Taintor Foote
Beyond Rope and Fence by David Grew
Black Storm by Thomas C. Hinkle
Cinchfoot by Thomas C. Hinkle
Wild Palomino by Stephen Holt
Mountain Pony and the Elkhorn Mystery by Henry V. Larom
Mountain Pony and the Rodeo Mystery by Henry V. Larom
For Love of a Horse by Patricia Leitch
Golden Sovereign by Dorothy Lyons
The Golden Stallion's Adventure at Redstone by Rutherford Montgomery
Sand Dune Pony by Troy Nesbit
The Stallion by Joyce Stranger
Khazan: the Horse that Came Out of the Sea by Joyce Stranger

Whew. I didn't realize I had so many.

I've fixed the Touchstones to link to the correct books.

>61 fuzzi: For some reason, I'm thinking that those "Mountain Pony" books seem reminiscent of the "Gypsy" trilogy--ranch mysteries solved by kids on horseback. Whether they are or not, that's the conclusion I jumped to, lol!

Book 13 is The Mad Wolf's Daughter, an historical fiction action quest that takes place in 13th century Scotland. Though the characters and places are fictional, the author includes a decently-sized section of notes on the historic facts included. The story follows Drest, the youngest child (and only daughter) of a famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) war-band leader. When he and Drest's brothers are all captured and taken to prison in a distant lord's castle, Drest sets out to rescue them, with only a young, wounded knight from the enemy's side as ransom and the help of a small witch's son and his crow. This is a good book if you're looking for a strong girl character, and it has action, suspense, and aspects of survival fiction as the trio are hunted by outlaws, angry villagers, and even knights from the castle. Boys might not like the female protagonist, but if they don't mind, provided there's balance with male characters, this book might be acceptable. There is definitely violence and death so this is not for the early readers, but would be OK for tweens and younger teens--and older ones, too, who don't outgrow their fondness for reading "younger" books. (After all, I'm pushing 50 and I still enjoy these books!)

>61 fuzzi: My TBR list is already more than 5,000 books but I doubt that I have that many referencing horses.

>63 CassieBash: That one looks interesting, Cassie.

>64 PaulCranswick: That's OK; to each their own. I've gone with a nonfiction horsey book that fuzzi probably knows of, if hasn't read: Dear Readers and Riders by the queen of juvenile horse books, Marguerite Henry. Can't remember where this one came from--book sale? Derek? But I'm going to read it and probably pass it along. One of my older sister's friends has been collecting hardback copies of Henry's books.

It was; there's a sequel but the book can be read as a stand-alone. I got my copy from Ollie's, a buyout/overstock store you may or may not be familiar with. Along the line of Big Lots but usually (at least the ones I've been to in Kokomo and Muncie) with a bigger book section. Unfortunately, the second book wasn't there when I went but maybe I'll come across it the next time. And the historical notes are just as interesting as the fiction part. :)

>65 CassieBash: We have an Ollie's here. I haven't been there in well over a year because I had not been lately when COVID struck. I rarely find anything there, but I go occasionally--mostly to browse the books. I rarely end up purchasing a book. It's easy to see why most are remainders. Once in a great while, I find something really good.

>66 thornton37814: I do vary rarely buy an adult book but I find some interesting ones in the YA section, so maybe it depends on where you look. If you tend to stick with then non-juvenile and non-YA books, then there is indeed a lot of uninteresting titles at Ollie's. So it could just be your reading preferences--or maybe it's your local Ollie's. I live too far from any one Ollie's to go often enough to any of them make a study to see just how different their stock is from store-to-store.

Book 14 is Dear Readers and Riders by Marguerite Henry, famous youth author of (mainly) horse books. This book is a compilation of many letters written to her and her answers; the book is set up so that each chapter covers either one of her books (so all of King of the Wind queries, for example, are in the same chapter) or more general questions about animals and writing. While virtually all the book-themed chapters are equine, she did make one chapter dedicated to her one foray into anthropomorphic animals with Cinnabar the One o’ Clock Fox—though even he was based on the story of a real fox pursued virtually daily by George Washington himself.

A must read for anyone who read Marguerite Henry books, young or old—and an excellent way to introduce younger children to the world of biographies, as many of the letters give a glimpse into the author’s life. And the animal-oriented aspect won’t hurt, either!

>68 CassieBash: that's one I've missed so far.

>69 fuzzi: "Cinnabar" or "Dear Readers and Riders"?

>70 CassieBash: "Dear Readers and Riders". I've not yet snagged a copy of "Cinnabar". It's on my tbr/unowned list...

I loved Cinnabar as a child--it was actually my favorite of her books!

>71 fuzzi: & >72 ronincats: "Cinnabar" is a wonderful animal fantasy; she might have been inspired by one of her favorite books, as mentioned in one of the letters in "Dear Readers and Riders"--Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson. If you haven't read this one and you're an animal lover and fan of youth books, you definitely need to check this one out.

Book 15 is an OK realistic children's fiction by Sam Savitt, Vicki and the Black Horse. Vicki covets her father's black horse, Pat, and when she finally has the money to get herself her own horse, she chooses to save a neglected Shetland pony and nurse him back to health. When she has the opportunity to sell him for a profit to get herself a horse more suitable for her to ride, Pat grieves for his missing friend. Believable enough--I've heard of horses developing such a close bond with a stablemate--but I found the characterization of the people a bit two-dimensional and even Vicki, who is the main character and who has the most development, seems a bit stereotypical of horse-crazy young teen girl. The language and plot is suitable for all audiences though there is a serious accident involving a girl and her horse and scenes of neglect and abuse that might be distressing to younger children so I'm not sure you'd want to use this as a bedtime story for children who can't yet handle a bit of trauma.

>73 CassieBash: not yet found/read Cinnabar, it's on my TBR.

I've read the Vicki book, enjoyed it for what it was. Illustrations are top notch of course, it's Sam Savitt. I have the sequel, Vicki and the Brown Mare on my TBR, but am not searching frantically for it.

I love Rabbit Hill and the sequel The Tough Winter. I've recently discovered and read more books by Robert Lawson, and appreciate his works.

If you ever come across Sky Rocket: the Story of a Little Bay Horse I highly, highly recommend it. Savitt just does the illustrations, but it's well-written and based upon a real horse. I loved it as a child, and love it as an adult.

ETA: one of my most favorite "horse" books is Jump-shy by Joan Houston. She wrote three books, all of which were good, but this one is the best. It's harder to find due to having illustrations by Paul Brown but worth the search. It and the sequel Horse Show Hurdles are probably two of the most expensive books in my library. I think I got a replacement of my childhood copy of Jump-shy for about $20, and spent $40 for the sequel, WELL worth it to me.

>74 fuzzi: I'll keep my eyes open for these, thanks!

Not sure what the most expensive book in my collection is, but I do have some signed books, some out of print collectible books, and some first and special editions that might be worth a little more than what I paid for them. If I had to guess, I would probably say my limited special edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard would be a likely bet in the running.

>75 CassieBash: there's a copy of Jump-shy on bookfinder for about $44. The Thomas Cromwell US edition has the illustrations by Paul Brown, the UK edition has a different illustrator.

Ebay has copies of Horse Show Hurdles for hundreds of dollars, crazy.

>76 fuzzi: Crazy indeed! I don't have a few hundred dollars to spend on a book, so I think I'll pass on that one. :)

>68 CassieBash: The wild horses excursions don't hope for another week or two on the Outer Banks. I'd thought about seeing how safe they might be, but since they are not open yet, it was a moot point.

>78 thornton37814: Hopefully they've made them safe; I hope you get to go when they are back up and running.

>79 CassieBash: I'll have to come post-COVID "in season" so I can see them.

Book 16 is an older children’s chapter book, suitable for tweens. No Such Thing as Dragons is the story of Ansel, mute since his mother’s death, sold to a self-professed dragon slayer not much older than himself, as they seek out places where rumors of dragons live, so Brock can hunt them. Only Brock confesses privately to Ansel that there’s no such thing as dragons and that they’re really just running a con. That is, until they go to the village of Knochen, where the legend may just be a reality....

A good adventure story for older children, one very nice feature about this story is that there are both strong male and female characters so it’s appealing to both genders. There are deaths and there is violence that makes this less likely a good read for younger children but there’s no sex or bad language. A good action read for youth fantasy fans.

Double whammy! Book 17 is Green Angel by Alice Hoffman of Practical Magic fame. This slender YA book is about loss and mourning, the courage to go on even when it doesn’t feel like courage, and healing. The girl known as Green loses her entire family in a devastating terrorist attack that destroys the entire city, on the edge of which her family’s farm bordered. Green is devastated and adopts a hard persona she calls Ash but while she tries to keep the world at bay, the world pushes back at her in subtle ways. I don’t want to spoil any imagery because it’s a beautiful fairy-tale approach to loss and healing that needs to be experienced personally. Due to the themes and dark imagery, I would not recommend for younger readers; worldly tweens are about as young an age group as I would suggest. No bad language or sexual themes.

Book 18 is Cattail Moonshine and Milkweed Medicine: The Curious Stories of 43 Amazing North American Native Plants. Arranged alphabetically by common plant name, these trees, herbs, shrubs, bushes—even cacti and succulents—are all vital plants even today. Uses ranging from medicinal to wood to traditional foods and dyes and more, this book is a good overview of some of the species we take for granted in the U.S. Good for older children and up, with plenty of color illustrations and text broken into small chunks for easy mental “digestion”, this one is good for any blooming (pun intended) botanist or naturalist, particularly in the U.S.

Just catching up! Keep on reading.

Book 19 is a reread of a favorite fantasy classic, The Hobbit. If you’re a fantasy fan and have never read it—you should. Sooner rather than later, I suggest. Normally I follow this up with The Lord of the Rings trilogy but it was a spur of the moment decision when I saw that 2 Wednesdays ago was National Tolkien Reading Day, so I picked up the library copy to read at lunch. I really need to concentrate on getting books out of my room instead.

Despite (or maybe because) this book has a younger target age than the Rings trilogy, I’ve always had a particular fondness for “The Hobbit”. “Rings” may be the more sophisticated but “Hobbit” has a simple charm that makes it a great choice for fantasy comfort reads.

Book 20--I almost waited to post >84 CassieBash: and just do a double posting on the 4th but decided to go ahead since I assumed (rightly) that I wouldn't get around to posting on Easter. So now that I'm no longer doing holiday-things, I'll review Plan Bee: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Hardest-Working Creatures on the Planet. Originally, the author, Susan Brackney, wanted to raise chickens, but living within the city zoning at that time meant no fresh eggs. But there wasn't a ban on honeybees, and when she had the opportunity to obtain everything she needed, she started her own apiary. The author packs in a lot of information in a fun and layman-friendly way, and includes her own observations and experiences as she learns (sometimes the hard way) about these interesting and vitally important (if you love to eat fruits and vegetables especially) pollinators. Included are instructions for making bee-friendly environments and homes (including how to attract non-honey varieties of bees, like bumbles and masons) and DIY projects involving beeswax, like homemade candles and lip balm. Learn the differences between bees and wasps, what to do (and not do) when bees are around to avoid being stung (most don't really want to sting unless they feel it's their only option), and how they live, reproduce, and communicate.

I know a lot of people fear and even hate bees and I understand the allergy issue, but learning about them will maybe help those of you who don't like them to at least appreciate what they do--even if you still don't like them. I know people who say they would love it if there were no (insert name of nasty animal--bee or otherwise--here) anymore but bees are, like all living things, an important part of our planet's ecological health. While there are other pollinators--butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, flies, even bats--bees do a lot of the work when it comes to our food sources. Without them, many of our foods would not be available in quantity, and some like blueberries, almonds, and cherries rely so heavily on bees they are almost exclusively pollinated by them. And, of course, we can't forget to mention honey! So take a little time to read up on this group of pollinators and their fascinating, complex society.

>85 CassieBash: now go read Maya the Bee 😊

Will do! I'm downloading it to my LibriVox app right now, lol!

(I am working on another audiobook so it won't be the next ab to get reviewed, but it's in the queue!)

I have (aside from the audiobook) 3 other books going right now: a fantasy mystery (lunchtime read at work), another volume of that Classic Authors set (French works--bedtime reading), and a juvenile light suspense along the lines of Lemony Snickett only not quite so intense (for downstairs reading). So I've got 4 books going at once. If I get all 4 done, plus a little extra, I'll be just averaging just enough to be on track to meet the minimum challenge.

>87 CassieBash: woo!

Now, I've not read it since...1971 or 1972, but I recall really liking it!

Maybe I should find a copy, and we can do a shared read?

>88 fuzzi: You have a little time to find it since I need to finish my other audiobook first. If you want, I wouldn't mind a shared read; just let me know. :)

I wasn't sure as to the age of the book and whether it would be in the public domain or not, but any book that looks older and that I think I want (more or less) immediate access to, I search in LibriVox. For those unfamiliar with Librivox, it's an online archive of public domain books read by volunteers; the recordings are in the public domain so you can legally download, copy, and share books if you want. And there is, at least on Apple devices, an app for that, so it's really convenient if, like me, you sync your phone to your car and listen to podcasts/music/audiobooks through the car speakers.

Any audiobook I download to my phone through any app (iBooks, OverDrive, LibriVox, etc.) I refer to as my "phone book". Feel free to use the pun whenever you want to get a groan out of someone. :D

>89 CassieBash: woo! OpenLibrary has a copy that I can download. Good thing, as I have difficulty with audio books.

>90 fuzzi: If it's on LibriVox then it's a work in the public domain, so that makes sense. I'll let you know when I'm close to finishing the other set of audio so we can set a shared read start time. :)

Book 21: Rooftoppers is a children's fiction about an orphaned girl, Sophie, whose ward, Charles, is being forced to hand her over--but not before they receive a hint that may lead them to the girl's mother, saving her from a life in the orphanage. In order to truly find her mother, though, Sophie will have to avoid wandering the streets where she could be recognized and sent to the orphanage, so she makes friends with those who live and travel across the Paris rooftops. Part mystery, part suspense, part fantasy, this book has elements of Lemony Snickett in the crafting of a realistic but not quite our world setting, with unusual characters and situations, but without the extreme, constant, life-threatening peril. Recommend; might be good for a chapter book bedtime read-aloud.

>90 fuzzi: I should be able to finish my other audiobook (16 discs--whew!) today. When do you want to start a shared read of "Maya"?

>93 CassieBash: anytime is fine with me. I'm in between challenge books, am just working on a reread of Westward the Tide as my bedtime read.

>94 fuzzi: No time like the present, then! How about starting tomorrow?

Book 22: Songs of Love and Death audio book which took soooo long to get through because it's a short story compilation and my interest in any one story varied to the point where some were just hard to get through. Probably part of this was that each story was more or less a romance--the more the romance, the less interested and therefore the longer it took for me to play through. While all stories were based in other genres I enjoy--science fiction, horror, fantasy--some of these elements got buried in the romance. Not all the stories had happy endings (but not all had unhappy ones either) and some had bittersweet ends to them, so if you like all your romances to end up with boy and girl together happily, there will be some stories you won't care for, either. There are some big names in here, including Jim Butcher ( a Dresden Files story), Tannith Lee, Neil Gaiman, and Diana Gabaldon (an Outlander story), and lots of others. The readers (2 women and 2 men) are chosen to reflect the voice of the protagonist (female-oriented story read by a woman, male-oriented by a man) and I had no complaints with any of the readers, so if you like audiobooks and want to give this a try, don't worry about a reader who's too quiet or doesn't enunciate. You should be fine (as long as you can handle the occasional accent). Romance readers who enjoy crossovers with those three genres will probably enjoy it much more than I did overall.

Book 23: Cat under Fire is a fantasy mystery; if you like your mysteries grounded in pure reality, you'll want to skip this one. If you don't mind (and maybe even like) sentient talking cats going out to solve mysteries, then this series is probably a safe bet. I didn't read the first of the series so I'm picking up on why the cats talk from what backstory is in the book but apparently their sentience is explained. The mystery part is plausible so it's not like the author is leaving the realm of reality completely but the cats help the cops (or rather, help the competent cop--there is a rather sloppy one doing the main investigation here) by leading him to the evidence pieces needed to help clear the name of a man mistakenly arrested and on trial for the murder of a local artist. Not a bad read, not an exceptional one--but it's light and it involves cats so reading it during lunch was a great way to relax mid-day. Recommended for mystery readers who have enjoyed other "cat mysteries" and who don't mind a little fantasy thrown in.

I've started "Maya the Bee" as an audio; I'm enjoying the light children's fantasy elements blended with facts about insects (not just bees) hidden in the story. Edutainment--the best of both worlds, lol!

>96 CassieBash: I started reading Maya yesterday, and have noticed the writing style from 100 years ago. It reminds me of old classics like The Wizard of Oz, and my recent Jupie books reads including The Tale of Good Cat Jupie.

>97 fuzzi: Yep, it's quaint, but I don't know of any book that old that isn't. 100 years from now and the books of today may make the people reading them think the same thing.

Thought maybe I'd look for your recent book on LibriVox because you can seldom go wrong with a good cat book, right? Only it's not there NOR is it on Project Gutenberg. I had to go to HathiTrust to find an online version, but it is out there in public domain: digitized by Google, original copy provided by University of Michigan. So I will give this some thought; I usually don't do eBooks since my workday involves so much computerized stuff to do (answering emails alone can take me a couple of hours in the morning, depending on what's going on) I prefer moving away from computers when reading to relax. But I am planning on taking some time off over the next two months and it's only 144 pages so that's not too bad. But I have to get through this semester--halfway through May--before I can think of doing that.

In the meantime, I'm finishing Maya, finishing one of the volumes from the 20 book set Classic Tales by Famous Authors, and a nonfiction book about trees. Oh, and at work, Screwtape Writes Again by Walter Ralston Martin, which is a good sequel to C. S. Lewis's works of The Screwtape Letters and Screwtape Proposes a Toast. It has the same writing style--he did a good job recapturing the "voice" of Screwtape--but I do wonder how he got away with it when the original work is still in copyright, which protects the creation of derivative works.

>98 CassieBash: I hope you'll enjoy the Jupie book. I managed to snag the two sequels fairly cheaply, too.

>98 CassieBash: I suspect permission was obtained first, Cassie, before publishing Screwtape Writes Again otherwise royalties would surely be in jeopardy.

Just an FYI, The Adventures of Maya the Bee is FREE on Amazon.com. I downloaded a copy to my Android Kindle. It's not as nice a copy as the openlibrary.org but was easier to access on my phone.

>101 fuzzi: eBooks are difficult for me to enjoy right now because I don't have good tech conducive for reading them. I was hoping just a couple of years ago that I would make it to the 15 year mark with my current employers, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, because at that level they usually give you options for gifts and one of those is often a new Kindle. It's a very nice perk. However, since our college is merging with another and we'll be under a different employer, I'm going to be shy of the 15 year mark by about a year and a half. Bummer. My laptop is ancient and slow so I don't like downloading much to it and reading on a phone's small screen isn't ideal and I can't do it for very long. So I like to download free audiobooks from either my local library's OverDrive or, for books like Maya that are in the public domain, try to find them on LibriVox for downloading. The Jupie book technically could be on LibriVox one day because of its public domain status, but because all readers on LibriVox are volunteers and they proceed at their own pace, they haven't got every public domain book yet available. Jupie sadly just seems to be one of them. Maybe someday when I get a better laptop, I'll read the book and submit it to them. :)

Morning, Cassie!
Hopefully your new employer will honor your years of employment too. Keep watching, the Kindle goes on sale sometimes.

>102 CassieBash: argh. Sorry to hear it.

I finished and reviewed Maya.

>103 mstrust:, >104 fuzzi: Yeah, I've thought about looking into those but add to the ancient and small tech problems my lack of Internet at home (outside of a 4G network at home--I download at lunchtime at work), and I'm waffling about whether the Kindle will get enough use to justify plunking down the $80 (currently the cheapest refurbished one listed on Amazon). Indiana has traditionally sucked at rural technology infrastructure.

I, too, have finished The Adventures of Maya the Bee, as book 24 and agree with fuzzi's review regarding younger readers--use caution and judgement because of the deaths (though quite believable as many of them are creatures that fall prey to other creatures) but there is one particularly gruesome one with a frog and dragonfly--and you may think you can guess the details without reading the story but it's more twisted than you think. But it is a good read for older children and would make a good discussion starting point regarding the natural world. Recommend this fuzzi recommendation!

>105 CassieBash: I read Maya as a child, can't pinpoint how old I was, but it didn't scar me. I also read The Call of the Wild and White Fang at age 9, not traumatized either.

Don't buy refurbished unless there's a decent warranty. I've learned the hard way that used is not always a bargain.

>106 fuzzi: Being a country kid exposed to death of all sorts all the time, it probably wouldn't have scarred me, either. I always knew that the calves we raised were going to end up on the table. And of course there were frequent animal casualties in the road, particularly barn cats and the smaller mammalian wildlife, but as a children's librarian, I've met some kids who would weren't widely exposed to that kind of thing. And while it might not scar them forever, it would have certainly left a temporary scab on their minds. Some parents choose not to expose their kids to certain things if they can help it and, not ever having had kids, I don't think I'm in a place to tell them what's being over-protective and what's not. This is why I tend to stress in my reviews that parents should review the book themselves to determine if it's suitable for their own child, because I don't know their kid and his or her limits, and they do.

Eventually I want to get a new laptop; that's next on my big purchases list. However, with the sudden and total death of two of our Saturn Ions last summer (we can't complain; at least one had over 300,000 and the other was well over 200,000, and both had had hard lives), I had to get a new vehicle this fall. Then the she-shed happened and I'm the one who got the credit approval to re-roof the shed and the garage (which had a leak so bad along one edge it was beginning to rot the siding). Then there was the death of my iPhone 6s and the sudden need for a new phone. Added into that the uncertainty (which has recently been settled, in my favor) of not knowing what salary offer I would get from Marian University, into which we're merging, I've kind of put the laptop on the backburner. Once the loan for the roofs (18 months no interest--still have over a year to finish paying so it should be OK) are paid off, probably towards the end of this year, I can start thinking of the laptop.

>107 CassieBash: I think it's best that parents read what their children plan to read. That's how I discovered Ramona!

>108 fuzzi: There are distinct advantages to that; you get to read some really good books!

Book 25 is volume 11 of Classic Tales by Famous Authors: Tales of Olden France. Oddly, there are only 3 stories in this book (the first is a novella) and the other two are by the same author. Neither author is French; Stanley J. Weyman was an Englishman and Robert Louis Stevenson was Scottish. While the stories did indeed take place in historic France, I thought it odd that they didn’t use actual Frenchmen like, say, Victor Hugo. It’s not like they didn’t already use excerpts of his works in previous volumes. That aside, two of the stories were good though not exceptional. The last I found lackluster. I enjoyed the first, The House of the Wolf by Weyman, the most, with its high adventure qualities and strong characters but the Stevenson selection, The Sire de Maletroit’s Door, a misadventure romance, was a strong enough showing. But the second Stevenson tale, A Lodging for the Night, lacks closure to me. I’d call it a character sketch but it isn’t even that. Not my favorite volume in this set.

Book 26 is Screwtape Writes Again, written by Walter Martin, an Evangelist who founded the Christian Research Institute which specialized in countercults. While he doesn't really go into cults in this book, he does take the opportunity (as C. S. Lewis did before him in the original The Screwtape Letters) to bring up many other faith-based issues, including faith and family, philosophy v. religion, tithing, and much more. Like most books on religious , different people will have different opinions on how "preachy" this is but at least the basic premises are soundly based on Biblical doctrine regardless of whether you're Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, or other. This is a "food for thought" book meant to make you contemplate and reflect on its meaning; while presented in a fantasy fiction, the book is really designed to make the Christian reader think.

I read one of your recommendations, Flight of the White Wolf.

Review is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/330273#7499199

>111 fuzzi: I knew you'd like it. I have starred your thread some time back so I would have seen the review today anyway, but it's great for others who might want to check it out. (Go on, people--fuzzi reads some good stuff!) :)

I'm going to start a small, short story collection today at lunch to take the place of Book 26. I'm also reading a children's mystery/horror, a nonfiction book about trees, and I'm going to start a new audiobook. With finals and graduation culminating this week, and with in-person classes being only offered Tuesday-Thursday this summer, I expect I'll be listening to a lot of audiobooks at work again. We're having new flooring installed soon in the library, books need to come off shelves so we can move them, and I have no student help after tonight, so I think listening to audiobooks while I'm moving books sounds like a good idea. Don't you? ;)

>112 CassieBash: if you can listen to audiobooks while working, more power to you!

>113 fuzzi: Depends on what I'm doing. Just physically moving books from one space to another is not highly taxing on the brain so that I can do while listening to books. Number crunching, anything that requires reading, and other more cerebral stuff--not so much. But I take a lot of time in summer to clean and tidy so I can binge-recycle old files, sweep and mop, and listen to audiobooks at the same time (as long as the files don't need to be shredded--hard to hear over my little but mighty shredder!).

Book 27 is the children's mystery/horror (maybe more thriller?--this has so many elements of different genres it has a little something for everyone) The Haunted Cove. I'm calling it part horror because of the possible supernatural elements and intense (for children's lit) situations, but the crux is really mystery. Two children and their parents move into a rental cottage by the ocean for the season. When they befriend a local girl, the kids learn about a mysterious witch, descended from the original witch who cursed the cove by supposedly (according to local lore) summoning a whirlpool to drown her ex-suitor, killing many men who now supposedly haunt the beach at night. The witch comes out at sunset, appearing on an isolated pillar of rock out in the cove, and plays her flute while sea lions and dolphins frolic in the waves and seagulls swoop around her. Add to this two desperate bank robbers in the area, and you have a suspenseful mix. I remember when I first read this as a kid (in 3rd grade) that I got chills reading the book but no nightmare; I'm either made of stern stuff or this book is more thriller than horror. There aren't graphic scenes as far as blood and gore, no sex or even romance, but there is a lot of action and while much of the book focuses on the girl, her brother has some great scenes, too, that provide a good balance for the parent looking for a book that might appeal to both boys and girls. While it doesn't have the chill factor reading it as an adult (especially one who knows how it ends), it's still a good re-read for its own sake, as many loose ends are tied up by the end. It has a sort of "Scooby Doo" feel but without the dog. Recommend to aficionados of children's thrillers and mysteries.

>115 CassieBash: That sounds like one Charlie might like - I'm adding it to the list. Thanks for the great review!

>116 scaifea: The boy is the skeptic about the witches and ghosts but I love how he waffles between belief and skepticism as new occurrences in the plot pop up--very realistic for a boy of his age. And he's very protective of his sister, too--you can tell that their family is a loving one.

Had a decent chunk of time last night to read, and a bit this morning, so I've finished my tree nonfiction for Book 28. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate is written by a German forester who has spent a lot of time tying together his own observations with new research into the inter-connectedness of the plant world, and in particular trees. If you haven't read up on the research of the wood wide web, this book will get you up to speed and then some. While we like to think of ourselves, and maybe some of the other species of animals, as the only creatures capable of communicating, social grouping, altruism, and emotions, Wohlleben (and others, should you investigate the many citations he references in his notes pages) turns that concept on its head, proving that while trees may not "speak" as we think of it, they do have a sort of language derived from chemicals, and they have social bonds through roots and fungi. Of course, many may question his almost anthropomorphizing of plants, no matter how old and majestic the tree, as he argues (again, often with studies to back up his words) how trees socialize, protect and aid one another, and how they compete (and also with whom they compete). Yeah, this may be a bit too far out for some readers, but remember that there are still people out there who don't believe that animals feel pain--and that's independent of emotions, I'm talking physical pain. So for those still in doubt about animal intelligence and communication, this is one giant leap and I'm sure it would be scoffed. For those a little more open-minded, yes, there are sections in here that, despite the anthropomorphizing, do make a lot of sense. Why wouldn't a forest of trees work together to protect itself? Why wouldn't a parent tree connect to its offspring via roots or a network of fungi and share food with it as it struggles to compete with other trees? Even removing any possible "love" as an emotion that the tree might feel, it's still a possibility that the benefits of the connection are enough to make it desirable for a tree to connect to others of its own species (or even of other species, though this is less common, apparently). He also discusses tree life cycles, the differences between different types of forests (monocultured and planted/harvested by humans v. old growth), how the trees we plant in our yards are isolated and grow differently than those planted by nature, and how the forests create their own microclimates.

If I've piqued your curiosity but you're not sure you want to take the plunge with the entire book yet, you can get a small taste of it by reading this Smithsonian article about Wohlleben and his book. Recommended for naturalists (both professional and casual), hikers who walk in wooded areas who want to know more about forests, or anyone who looks out their window at the tree or trees growing in their yard and wonders what it might be doing both above ground and under.

>117 CassieBash: Good review, Cassie.
I think the word anthropomorphizing comes from those who still believe there is a giant gap between humans and all other living things on earth.

I loved that book when I read it 4 years ago. I just finished his third book about cooperation between animals and plants The Secret Network of Nature.

>118 FAMeulstee: I picked up my copy from a resale place that supports animal shelters, mobile spay/neuter clinics, and the like. I wasn't specifically looking for books but this one was displayed cover out, and I do like my nature nonfiction (as well as diseases, funeral customs, and other "disturbing" topics, as advertised).

It's been a bit since I've read something disturbing, and I'm in need of a new nonfiction to read. Hmmm...time to peruse the to read pile for medical books this weekend, maybe? :D

Ah, I'm cranking them out right now! I finished Book 29, Hard Luck Horse, a children's realistic fiction about a girl, Cristi, and a riding stable horse, newly arrived, that she falls instantly in love with. She's saving money to buy a horse--and she really wants this one, whom she has called "Woody Dip" (the naming is explained in the book). There are several problems with this: 1) she's not quite got enough to buy him, 2) a more well-off girl is getting a horse for her birthday and Cristi is certain she's got her eye on Woody Dip, and then there's number 3) he seems to be having trouble bumping into the barrels as they practice barrel racing for the Junior Rodeo. Could something be wrong with Woody Dip? Without going into details that would be spoilers, Cristi has to deal with some typical situations that come with growing up: friendship issues, family problems, and how to compromise in situations where you can't get everything you want. This book is from 1975 so the Native American family who own the riding stable are referred to as "Indians", but other than that and a little outdated language, there's not much objectionable in this book from a human rights standpoint. For those concerned about the rodeo and animal cruelty, there is a calf roping but most of the competitions are horse-related races of varying sorts. Again, no romance and Cristi's best friend, Jeff, is fun-loving but also very loyal, and it's obvious that he and Cristi have been best friends for quite a while, so while the protagonist is female there's a strong male character for balance. This could be a good discussion book about making tough decisions, since Cristi has to decide...well, you can read for yourself if you want or PM me if you want a little spoiler.

>120 CassieBash: new author for me, I'll keep an eye out for that one.

>121 fuzzi: Ah, my fellow children's lit horse book reader! Figures that one would catch your eye! ;)

I have another children's horse book waiting in the wings but I'm taking a detour for a short story compilation by C. S. Lewis. Also currently listening to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as an audiobook and...hmm, that actually seems to be it right now. Only 2 books? Oh, no--I'm slipping! XD

I feel better; I started another children's fiction, and I'm back up to 3 books, lol!

For those following my mom's health, she had an oncology appointment yesterday and he was pleased--lungs were clear and bloodwork was good (once he realized she hadn't fasted; he'd been concerned about her sugar levels until he'd been told she'd had breakfast right before the appointment). She is supposed to get a scan this month and as long as the results are good he's going to start seeing her only once every two months instead of monthly; her Alecensa seems to be working, so here's hoping for great results next month!

>123 CassieBash: wonderful news!

>123 CassieBash: Oh, that's fantastic!!

Thanks, fuzzi and scaifea!

Book 30 is by C. S. Lewis: The Dark Tower & Other Stories. This collection of works features a couple that were fragments--never finished before he died--including the titular "Dark Tower". One thing that all of these collections, with perhaps an exception in the last, the incomplete story "After Ten Years", is that they all feature women who are, shall we say, less than moral. I have read arguments that C. S. Lewis held great respect for women AND I've read just the opposite. Having read this book and The Screwtape Letters I can easily see why people argue the latter. I suspect the real thing is somewhere in between and that, like us all, he was as much a product of his times and probably did have some misogynistic views. That would have been commonplace then. It wouldn't be as bad, I think, if these stories didn't all have reflections of negative women roles: shallow, vain, materialistic. As far as plot and writing, they're good--they're what you might expect from Lewis--but taken as a whole I found the book a bit insulting. I don't think it would have been bad if there had been a story with a solid, positive female figure ("After Ten Years" comes closest but that's only because Helen of Troy has very little to say or do in the parts of the story available). I'm neither recommending nor not recommending it; I'm simply going to shrug my shoulders and let you decide for yourself, but I don't think I'll be revisiting it again as I do the Chronicles of Narnia.

Double whammy! Book 31 is Heartseeker, a children’s chapter book for upper elementary fantasy fans. Only is the only girl in her family and she has a secret power; she sees auras around people when they lie. But keeping the power secret is impossible and when the king finds out, he takes Only from her home into his royal palace full of intrigue. There is an underlying theme of xenophobia and discrimination issues and how wrong it is to judge a person not as an individual but to judge them based on race and abilities so this is a great conversation starter. The book is so good that I’m not only keeping it but I had to order it’s sequel (it’s a duology). The book is full of action and suspense and while there are some strong, important women roles there are some good male characters too, especially Only’s first friend from the royal entourage, Garett. Highly recommend for children’s lit fantasy fans (this may mean you, fuzzi).

Book 32 is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a LibriVox recording of the original (language retained) work by Mark Twain. Originally banned in some states for the positive portrayal of Jim the runaway slave, now it comes under fire for being a relic of its time and for portraying Jim as a slave (as well as use of the “n” word). Again, like many books from pre-Civil Rights era, it should be taken in context; when compared with many from its day, its actually one of the more redeeming ones. Still, probably should be discussed with younger readers who may not be able to recognize some of the negative aspects of the language and themes. But as a classic, I think it holds up pretty well.

Book 33 is The Ickabog by J. K. Rowling, a children’s fantasy about a foolish king, scheming advisors, hero children—and the Ickabog, a monster that may or may not exist. One of the best parts of this book is the illustrations provided by children who submitted their artwork online. Some of these children could have careers in the arts when they grow up! Fun, more straightforward than the Potter books, it reads more like a fable/fairy tale than a novel. Good for a read-aloud for both genders, but adults who appreciate the complexity and suspense of the Potter books may be disappointed since she explains things to the reader much more up front, so even though the characters may not know what’s going on, the reader knows far more.

I can now start the sequel to Heartseeker, I’m reading a Bradbury poetry collection, I’ve got a new disturbing (yet quirky and fun) nonfiction I’m reading while trying to find my other disturbing nonfiction that I laid down somewhere in the house but can’t remember where and have had no time to put in a serious search for it yet. Yellow fever will just have to wait….

Hey, I found my nonfiction read on the yellow fever outbreak in colonial America, so I can get back to disturbing read 1. But I also finished book 34: Riverbound, the sequel to book 31. Not much I can say that wouldn’t be a spoiler except that the book does wrap up the loose ends from the first one.

Book 35 is an audio version of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the classic dystopian society that has embraced censorship. Read very well by Christopher Hurt, the book is still enjoyable even if it seems dated, and the Mechanical Hound is still a thing of nightmares. If you like dystopian fiction and haven’t read this one yet, I suggest you add it to your list.

Book 36, Mad Science: Experiments You Can Do at Hone-But Probably Shouldn’t is my fun but disturbing read—fun because the author, Theodore Gray, uses humor and layman’s explanations for each experiment, disturbing because many of these experiments may lead to your demise, often in an unpleasant (and frequently incendiary) way. Want to play with liquid nitrogen, which can freeze skin instantly? He has a recipe for liquid nitrogen ice cream. Want to create your own salt? Just combine sodium and chlorine gas and hope you don’t have a gas leak (chlorine), that you don’t come in direct contact with the sodium (it burns), and hope you don’t create a fireball like the author did (accidentally). In fact, the author gives a lot of specific safety warnings on most of these experiments. Some are simple, such as never adding water to acid but always add acid to water, but some are dire warnings—in fact, his warnings on making salt include the statement that the experiment is probably the most dangerous in the book AND that combining the two elements outside of a proper lab and without an experienced chemist on hand “borders on lunacy”. Yep, these are things I’d want my kids to try—not. Except for a few exceptions—the best one is arguably the extremely safe (though potentially messy) way of catching snowflakes and preserving them with superglue—I can’t suggest anyone do most of these things. And if you have kids open to suggestion, you may not want them finding out this book exists.

When I’m in the mood for liquid nitrogen ice cream, I think I’ll just take a road trip to Nappannee and visit the Rocket Science Ice Cream parlor.

Book 37 is another Ray Bradbury but this one is a collection of his poetry: When Elephants Last in the Dooryard Bloomed. His poems, like his prose, are loaded with descriptive imagery and many are reflections on aging and death, but including within that his immortality through his children. Some are, of course, focused on space travel (because, you know, it’s Bradbury). I’m not much of a poetry person but as a huge Bradbury fan, I appreciate his use of imagery, similes and metaphors to paint verbal pictures. I wouldn’t read even Bradbury’s poetry very often but he’s one of maybe a dozen poets whose works I would re-read.

Book 38: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesis a prequel to The Hunger Games and is the setup and background to the character of President Snow. Fans of the original trilogy will find insights into Snow’s personality and why he is the way he is; it’s true to the original series’ dark dystopian feel, with plenty of unsavory people and of course a Hunger Game is played out. The title doesn’t just refer to the mocking and jabber jays and the serpents created in the Capitol’s labs but also to the various characters—I’ll leave it up to you to decide who is songbird and who is serpent, but a couple may turn out to surprise you in the long run. Sometimes reading an author’s work in a particular order—either chronological or in publication order—is imperative but this book can be a stand alone and can be read either before or after the trilogy. Recommend to those who like dystopian fiction.

One final book finished in June, thanks to extreme heat, humidity, and rain—book 39 is The Magician’s Death, another Hugh Corbett history mystery by P. C. Doherty. This is book 14 in the series and so there are technically a few books between this one and the last I read but this one does well as a stand-alone, tying up the loose ends to satisfaction. This one does have a lot going on, as there is more than one plot going on: the murderer of the young girls in the castle, the potential treachery of the French envoy visiting English soil in order to help translate a book of secrets (so they say), a mysterious priest who seems to be meddling in magic, pirates raiding the coast and outlaws in the woods…certainly no lack of suspense here. Good history mystery of medieval England, complete with historical notes, but may be a little confusing if you have problems with mysteries inside of mysteries, since there is so much going on. Recommend for those who like suspense and intrigue.

After about a week of looking for my morbid nonfiction, I did find it and have started reading it again. I do need a new fiction and a new audio book but neither should be too hard to scrounge up. I obtained some new print and audio on CD last weekend while in Muncie so I’ll probably choose some from the new stack. Yes, there is a new stack, which is now balanced precariously on the old ones. *sigh*

Have been busy with the merger between my old college and the new, plus the library renovation and moving back into my office, so reading time hasn’t been exactly plentiful. However, I did manage to finish one book today: book 40 is Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury—no known relationship to Ray Bradbury, who is one of my favorites. But what caught my eye originally wasn’t the author but the retro-looking cover of the elegant girl juxtaposed with a partially unwrapped Egyptian mummy. As I have a thing for mummies (a fascination thing, not a romance thing), I was naturally intrigued. The book takes place in London in the early 19th Century—Napoleon is back from his first exile and has his sights on England again, but for Agnes, the more pressing problem is her debut—and the looming prospect of marriage to London’s most eligible man, Lord Showalter. His garden party features an unwrapping of an authentic Egyptian mummy—and Agnes is the first chosen by Lord Showalter to help with the unwrapping! But a trinket Agnes finds in the bandages leads her into a dangerous escapade of espionage and mystery—with a touch of romance. Good for junior high and up, the book’s language and content is clean. It’s definitely geared more towards girls, with a lot of talk about what it was like for well-off girls during that particular time period. Recommend to those who like a little espionage mixed in with their mysteries—adults may find it too easy to figure out who the bad guy is, though.

Book 41 is Museum of Thieves, book 1 of a trilogy by Lian Tanner. Jewel is a city whose children are safe from harm—because they’re constantly tethered or chained to someone or something, even at night when they sleep. The Separation Ceremony is therefore a big deal for children like Goldie, who can’t wait to be free of her restrictions. But when a bomb blows up the office of the Fugelman, head of the Blessed Guardians who keep the city (and particularly the children) safe on the day of Goldie’s Separation, the ceremony is cancelled—so Goldie takes matters into her own hands and literally severs her ties to run away, where she finds the Keepers who keep all the past wildness locked up in the Museum. Goldie quickly becomes part of the little band—but there is treachery in the city, and the magical building threatens to unleash all of the wildness—war, plague, famine, and more—upon the city unless Goldie and her new friends can stop it.

Written for upper elementary children, this book deals with friendship, bravery, and the concept that a little risk and danger in life are unavoidable—and it’s better to have some experience handling it instead of living a sheltered life.

Goldie is definitely the protagonist and, as such, the book will appeal greatly to girls. However, her eventual friend, Toadspit (he’s self-named) is a boy so lads who don’t mind a book with a girl character as long as there’s also a boy should be ok with it. There’s no romance—Goldie and Toadspit are just friends—nor is there inappropriate language, but there are some violent deaths and child abuse—mostly psychological but some physical.Still, if your reader can handle that, the book is enjoyable and if I had them, I’d read the sequels, but while the ending clearly starts to set up book 2, it’s not such a cliffhanger that I feel the need to get the next one. Recommend to fantasy/dystopian children and YA fiction lovers.

OK, I haven’t done a disturbing read in some time so it’s about time, right? So I present to you book 42, a nonfiction by J. H. Powell called Bring Out Your Dead: The Great Plague of Yellow Fever in Philadelphia in 1793. This is a medical history of…well, pretty much what the subtitle says. While there are some gross descriptions of the disease (and some of the recommended cures), some of the most disturbing parts were actually about the horrible things people did to each other from fear. Remember—while we know now that Yellow Fever is spread by mosquitoes, they thought it could be caught by infected people and corpses back then. Husbands and wives sometimes abandoned each other and their children, orphans were shunned by all. Those who tried to flee the city risked being shunned, sick or not, or even killed—one account of one woman who tried to find sanctuary outside of the city told how she was stripped, tarred and feathered, and run out of town with nothing—because the townsfolk had burned everything she’d owned. Some corpses lay unburied where they fell because few wanted to touch a corpse dead from the fever—let alone bury one. Those that did could charge immense amounts for burial services.

Yet there were some touching moments; in fact, the bravery and kindness of some of the townsfolk—simple craft- and tradesmen by profession—who volunteered to form and serve on needed committees because most of the local government who would have served normally had fled in an attempt to escape illness, leaving the mayor short-staffed. While some doctors left, many stayed and worked incredibly long hours trying to help the sick. There are plenty of famous names from the Revolutionary period in American history in the last part of the book: Washington, Jefferson, and John Adams. Philadelphia was the Capitol at that time, after all, and the fever disrupted national as well as local government. But there are also some names that are known only among historians of medicine, most particularly that of Benjamin Rush, whose refusal to look at any other remedy than his “bleed and purge” method led to his breaking from the College of Physicians and many of his professional friends.

Not the grossest of books I’ve ever read, and the more historical slant to the content means I would recommend this book to adult readers interested in American history, particularly in the Revolutionary time period, as well as those interested in the history of medicine.

>136 CassieBash: Well, that one’s right up my alley…

>137 drneutron: For the medical, the historical, or both? :D

Another interesting thing that historians will appreciate is that while my edition had footnotes removed (apparently he was told, presumably by the publisher or editor that laypersons find them annoying), he does have a notes section that lists a lot of his primary sources and where he found them. While they aren’t in a bibliographic format, it’s pretty cool that he tells you where they’re housed as some, like the papers of John Adam’s or the letters of Dr. Rush, are obviously unique and can’t be found just anywhere unless they were published. So you could retrace the author’s research trail if you wanted.

>137 drneutron: Oh a bit of both. One of my favorite podcasts, Sawbones, did an episode on the outbreak. It's a medically-oriented podcast, so didn't cover as much of the politics or human side of events, and this might be a good follow-on.

Just checking in!

>140 fuzzi: Hi, fuzzi, thanks for stopping by!

“You Will Call Me Drog.” Parker is not quite 12 years old when he and his best friend, a girl named Wren, are sorting through junk at the dump to salvage for projects to work on together. Parker sees an ugly old hand puppet with a green face and, despite Wren’s disgust, takes it home. But when Parker tries it on, the puppet has a mind (and voice) of its own and Parker can’t get the puppet to release his hand. “You will call me Drog,” it tells him, and from then on they’re inseparable, though Parker tries multiple times to get Drog off. Everyone thinks Parker is behind everything Drog says, good and bad, though Parker insists the puppet is responsible for it all. So is it a supernatural creature cursing Parker, or could Drog have something to do with how Parker is handling his parents’ divorce, and his father’s threats of military school?

I thought book 43 was going to be another disturbing book; the cover looks very horror, with the white carved teeth and hint of a bulbous nose against the dark green predominating the background. Yet while you’re trying to decide whether Drog is supernatural or not, you realize that whether they’re individuals or one and the same, Drog and Parker start developing a bond with each other. Is Drog just an extension of Parker’s personality, saying what he likes while blaming it all on the puppet? Sue Cowan has worked up a suspense with hints of horror but also fantasy and comedy without using foul language or sex scenes and should, in fact, be suitable for its target audience, the tweens, especially those facing divorce. Recommend.

I listened to the audio version of book 44 from LibriVox: White Dandy; Or Master and I: A Horse’s Story by Velma Caldwell Melville, which touts itself as a companion book to the more famous horse story, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. As to that, my thoughts are thus….

Wait, what?!? Whoa there, hold your horses (so to speak). I get where that’s coming from in a few respects—both books are told from a horse’s point of view, both books highlighted the cruelty that horses were routinely subjected to in the days before motorized vehicles and farm equipment—heck, even the name of the protagonist horse, White Dandy, is obviously to bring Black Beauty to mind. But oh, boy—I’m never touching this book again, and here’s why.

Violence. Purposeful torture of animals of all sort, described in details I find unnecessary especially if you’re targeting younger readers. While I read “Black Beauty” as an upper elementary student (5th maybe), and cried my share of tears over some of the events, “Black Beauty” had his happy moments. There was joy mixed in with the pain and sadness. You got a bit of a mental break from the nastier, more graphic parts. “Dandy” doesn’t give you that. While he himself knows kindness for the most part, the focus of the book is on the many humans (most of us, if you go by the book’s tallies) who are cruel—not only from callousness as was mostly the case in “Black Beauty” but because they loved to inflict pain. There really isn’t a plot; it’s just one horror story after another. For 20 agonizing chapters. In more detail than you want. There are only like 3 good humans in the book; everyone else is nasty and base. While I acknowledge that the author maybe didn’t even make up any of these cruelties, may have gotten them from newspaper accounts, and agree with her assertion that the animal cruelty laws and Humane Societies are important advancements—saints preserve us, lady, aren’t there more good people out there?!?

One of my sisters commented that the point of a companion book is to expound on the theme of the other; Ms. Melville focuses on the cruelty aspects and ignores all the good parts of “Black Beauty”. In “White Dandy”, despite the laws and anti-cruelty societies, despite the fines and jail sentences, we only hear of one person’s “reform”—and that was only due to greed as he learned about the benefits of using an electric engine instead of a horse to do the work.

Now remember—I read a lot of books that I feel many would consider disturbing, as those of you who have followed me for a while know, but I’m going to say that this one somehow tops them all. The Hot Zone with the threat of a deadly virus that makes you bleed out? Scary, yes, and graphic—but a lot of the text didn’t focus completely on the horror. Parasite Rex? Nature has them and while many are gross, they’re doing their thing to survive—just as the scientists who study them are doing their jobs. The cruelties in “White Dandy” are pointless in such large amounts, with no examples of goodness to balance out the bad. I am exhausted and a bit depressed after it so I’m going back to youth fantasy adventure and a nonfiction about the origins of some of our superstitions. I don’t often do this, but I am NOT recommending this book at all.

Like obscure Celtic faerie lore? Then you’ll probably like The Shadow Hunt by Katherine Langrish, an English author who obviously has either done extensive research on faerie lore, grown up hearing and reading about it, or both. The premise of the story is based heavily around 2 legends not often cited anymore: that the first fae were children of Eve who she attempted to hide from God and so they were condemned to “be hidden from men”, and that the fae must provide the Devil with a human soul every 7 years in order to continue to exist, or the Devil claims them. Lord Hugo’s wife died some time ago, but he’s convinced that she isn’t dead but has been spirited away by the fae and held prisoner until this upcoming New Year, when she will be given to the Devil as the faeries’ tithe. His daughter, Agnes, betrothed to a man she’s met once when she was 5, is certain her mother is in heaven. Sharing her opinion is a young lad, Wolf, recently run away from an abbey, and who helped Lord Hugh capture a young elf girl. Wolf is in charge of teaching the elf child to speak so that she can lead Hugo to his wife in the land of fae. Mixed in with the lore is also political intrigue and other supernatural beings—some benign and some not. While this could have been written much darker, it’s no scarier than a Harry Potter book and parents don’t have to worry about a lot of swearing and sex. Written for and appropriate for tweens and up, boys will appreciate Wolf and girls will appreciate Agnes (nicknamed Nest)—both strong characters and devoted friends. Recommend to fantasy lovers in general and those who like the darker fae in particular.

I’m starting another Hugh Corbett mystery now, and a new fantasy audiobook on CD that I picked up from a library sale. I’ve got a nonfiction on the origins of some of our customs and superstitions going, and my work read is a realistic novel set in Japan between the two World Wars. I’m almost done with that one and I have an animal nonfiction waiting in the wings for my new work read. The next few days are packed so I probably won’t get much reading done but I’m still on track for 75.

What an interesting mix of books you've been reading, Cassie!!

>144 ronincats: Thanks! Here’s the latest one from the mix, roni:

Book 46 is Twenty-Four Eyes by Sakae Tsuboi and translated from the Japanese by Akira Miura. My copy has a preface which explains that the author had a hatred for war (she was born in Japan in 1900 and so had grown up experiencing her fair share, including both World Wars), and that she’s known for writing fiction where children are integral to the plot. This book is no exception. While the plot is told mainly from the perspectives of an adult woman teacher, the story focuses at first on her relationships with the children who she teaches for a few years in a remote village school, and as the climate in their village (and everywhere else in Japan) shifts from relatively free existence to a McCarthy-era paranoid that makes neighbor suspect neighbor of being “Red” and thus unpatriotic. Miss Oishi really doesn’t like the war but is bound by fear of being arrested from making any protest. The plot skips forward here and there, following the teacher, Miss (later Mrs.) Oishi as the inevitable problems of war-time life happen to her and her former students.

While this could have been a super-depressing book, while the author could have approached the horrors and sadness of war and the loss of sons, fathers, brothers, and friends by following a soldier instead of a civilian, I think this approach is just as meaningful. Many war stories don’t touch on the quiet bravery of those at home who had to deal not only with caring for their families and the typical struggles of illness, hunger, and other day-to-day issues but also to grieve and wonder silently why. But Oishi’s approach to each loss is inspiring—all the more because most don’t make sense to her. Even though this takes place in the early and mid 1900s, its message has a modern feel in many ways. It’s a gentle story with as much humor and tenderness as loss and sorrow. Recommend for adults who love realistic fiction with a timeless feel.

Book 47, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is my latest commuter audiobook. It’s a YA fantasy with elements of science fiction. The cover of my CD copy looks steampunk with this gear motif but I’m going to say it’s more fantasy than science fiction as the science behind the devices used is not explained. I can’t go into details without giving away too much but the book involves a supposedly dead prince, a young girl named Claudia betrothed originally to him and now to his cruel and shallow half-brother, and a sentient prison, Incarceron itself, which may hold captive that long-lost prince. There’s plenty of political intrigue, both in the outside world as Claudia’s father works towards getting her into a position of power, and inside the prison where bands of humans form and sever alliances. It’s an even-paced read (not slow but not fast, either) for much of the book but it quickly escalates at the end, with a lot of stuff happening at the conclusion. In fact, I was a bit concerned even up to the last disc (number 10) that it would be a cliffhanger, and though it definitely suggests there’s more to the story, you could read it as a stand-alone. Future books might lean a bit more to the science fiction genre but I can see it going either way. Recommend to YA fantasy fans, particularly those who also like palace intrigue and who don’t mind a little genre-crossing.

Book 48 is my newest nonfiction read from work: The Parrot’s Lament and Other True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity by Eugene Linden, who has done his own on-location research and observations of primates and other animals. While he admits that this book is far from being scientific in its approach to demonstrating intelligence in animals, the true stories he documents gives strong anecdotal evidence to the intelligence of several species, including dolphins, parrots, and of course apes. As a cat person, I was particularly taken with the story of Harriet, an orphan leopard cub hand-reared by a conservationist who rehabilitated her to release back into the wild—only to have her move her cubs into his kitchen when flood waters invaded her den. When the waters receded and left the den habitable again, she swam across once carrying one of the cubs, but decided it was too risky (maybe the swim for the first trip wore her out?) to take the other cub over as she did with the first. Instead, she hopped into the conservationist’s boat with the second cub and looked at her human friend until he paddled mom and cub across the river.The author does a lot of speculations on what the motives and thought processes are in each story provided. I see 3 basic views people might take towards this book: 1) it’s utter garbage because it’s not drawing from hard scientific studies done in controlled conditions (although it refers to some of those, too), 2) that despite the lack of scientific rigor, the anecdotes do point towards at least a limited intelligence in animals and the book is legit in its arguments, or at least raises some interesting points for future study, or 3) you like animal stories and you couldn’t care less about the scientific accuracies—you just think it will be a fun read. I fell between 2 and 3. I highly recommend to those who love animal stories (especially amusing ones—despite the title most are funny or touching), whether you believe in animal intelligence or not—and for clarification, the author is not claiming that dolphins can do higher level math or that a chimpanzee can read or write, but that animals can apply some limited critical thinking skills to solve a problem—and that this may be a trait common in more species than we think.

Book 49: The Waxman Murders by P. C. Doherty pits Hugh Corbett against a mysterious killer who is taking revenge on those who killed his brother, a pirate who sailed a ship known as “The Waxman” (thus the title) as he seeks the map to a mysterious hidden treasure. Another enjoyable medieval history mystery, with a brief author’s note about the real treasure and other historical facts used in the book.

I’m still working on the customs origins book and I’ve just started a Norse mythology book, and I need to start a new book at work for lunchtime. There are a few fiction options set aside in the office that look intriguing; ah, the benefits of working in a library!

The busy start of the fall semester at work, under our new flagship, has kept me from logging on and keeping up with my own thread, let alone everyone else’s. A week has gone by now since I finished book 50, and I just finished book 51, so I want to post them now so I don’t fall too far behind.

Book 50 is a contemporary teen murder mystery, The Less-Dead by April Lurie. Noah meets a boy named Will, who turns out to have a crush on him. Noah claims to be open-minded, in spite of his father’s strict Christian upbringing, but even though Will doesn’t press the issue, Noah treats him differently after he realizes his new friend is gay. But Will’s sexual orientation also gives Noah another thing to worry about—someone has been killing orphaned young homosexual boys in the city, and Will fits the pattern.

I know this is a sensitive topic for some and if you’re a patent worried about this book bashing Christianity and how “intolerant” they are to gays BUT give it a chance and the book shows a wide swath of Christianity, with tolerance levels ranging from none to full acceptance—a more realistic spectrum than either extreme. The language is mild (no f bombs) and no sex scenes make this a less gritty read than the book that I’m in now (both are lunch-time reads from work), where the teen protagonist uses an abbreviated (but still undeniably) version of the word and has far more sexual references. Interestingly, at the end of the book the author takes the 6 passages from the Bible that are quoted in reference to homosexuality and provides alternative interpretations to these passages, putting an historical and cultural emphasis that she claims changes the meaning of them entirely. I’m not a religious scholar so I’m not going to debate any points here but if you’re interested in just this, all you have to do is read the author’s note. But if you like LGBTQ fiction, this is a good title to try.

Book 51 is How Did It Begin?: The Origins of Our Curious Customs and Superstitions by Dr. Rudolph Brasch is a fascinating look into just what it says—origin stories. Why is 13 unlucky (unless it’s a baker’s dozen)? Why do we throw an old shoe at weddings? How did hot cross buns come to be? And why do we “kick the bucket” when we die? Dr. Brasch turned his research skills towards exploring the origins of dozens of customs in all parts of our lives to try to uncover how they came to be. Alas, even he can’t always come up with the exact reason and sometimes his research uncovered more than one possible solution; when this happened, he often says which he believes is most likely. Highly enjoyable for lovers of etymology and social customs.

Caught a cold (yes, just a cold) and spent a miserable night of coughing so hard I couldn’t sleep for a long, long time. However, this meant I was able to finish Book 52, Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, retelling them from the classic texts by Snorri Sturluson in the main. Good retellings of the stories but not necessarily suitable for children, as there is a lot of violence and sexual innuendo. Recommend for YA/adult readers into folklore and mythology, as it is a highly readable version.

Book 53 is Insects: Life Cycles and the Seasons by John Brackenbury. Normally this book wouldn’t have come home with me from Derek’s (it doesn’t really have a lot of new information for me), but what it does have is spectacular photography, most notably action shots of insects in flight and the insides of galls—structures of a plant that form around an insect pest or pests much as pearls form around irritants in an oyster. This will be going back to Derek’s as I have to be choosy about what books to keep, but it was worth the read if only for the captions beside the photos, so the actual text of each section is just icing on the cake. Recommend to those interested in insects, particularly if they also have a fondness for lovely, color photography of some of our small neighbors.

Spent 4 hours at work because we don’t get the weekend off (but we do get tomorrow) with absolutely no one showing. Between the 3 day holiday weekend AND Plymouth’s big Blueberry Festival, I’d have been surprised to see anyone. Was surprised to see that one person showed up yesterday.

We did get clearance from our boss to spend our holiday work time reading so I got in several hours’ worth of quality reading—which allowed me to finish yet another book, my work lunchtime read, Fake ID by Lamar Giles. This gritty contemporary YA thriller is told from the protagonist’s POV. “Nick’s” real name is Tony but he and his family have been part of the Witness Protection Program for four years—and his father keeps screwing up their placements doing hustles and cons in each town they’re placed in. Stepson is their last chance, and Nick doesn’t hold out much hope that anything will change. But then he bumps into the gorgeous Reya and he finds himself smitten—only her ex sees things differently. When he finds out that Reya is the sister of his newest friend, Eli, their relationship gets even more complicated—especially when Nick find Eli dead in his beloved journalism room. Authorities say it was a suicide but neither Reya nor Nick are convinced. Can they unravel what’s really happening—and before they, too, end up on someone’s hit list?

Recommend for older YA readers due to graphic violence and sexual innuendo, but I could see this being a good book for reluctant readers of minorities as the strong characters of Nick and Reya are black and Hispanic, respectively. Good into for YA readers into the mystery and thriller genres, too.

>149 CassieBash: I'm sorry about your cold (Charlie and I have had one this week, too, but not as severe and I'm also half convinced that it's just really bad allergies), but I'm glad you enjoyed the Gaiman.

Well, if you have to be sick, at least it sounds like your boss is nice. Get well soon!

I’m at the tail end of the cold now. Mostly what lingering symptoms I have are annoying more than anything else. But I have 3 more books done—huzzah!!

Book 55 is an audiobook version of Six of Crows, a book I’d read in print (along with its sequel, Crooked Kingdom) when I’d had that operation several years back. For those unfamiliar with my this duology, this takes place in Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha universe, where some people are born with special abilities. But this book is less focused on the Grisha (though there are some in there) and more on the extraordinary cunning of a non-Grisha, Kaz Brekker, who comes up with a Mission Impossible-type scheme for stealing a scientist out from the world’s most secure location, all for 30 million. But be warned—if this is your first reading, be prepared to read the sequel immediately afterwards, as the first book ends as a cliffhanger. These are awesome whether read or listened to if you’re an epic fantasy fan.

Book 56 is Ransom, by Lois Duncan, who I remember as a big name in YA tween and teen thrillers, with big name titles like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Killing Mr. Griffin. This gritty title finds five teen children kidnapped on their bus and held for ransom. Most of the book is character driven as we learn about the kids and their relationships with their families and each other. Not bad for gritty realistic fiction though a little behind the times now since smart phones aren’t featured in the story. So the book is probably too dated for what would otherwise be the intended audience. Good enough for a read if you come across it and like the genre I suppose, but not something I would say is a must read anymore.

Book 57 just got finished tonight and I know I have read it before: Alchemy and Meggy Swann is a short historical fiction set in Elizabethan times. Meggy is crippled, her mother thinks she’s accursed, and her father, to whom she’s been sent, is distanced from her at best. He’s too caught up in his alchemical experiments to look after her properly, so Meggy must make her way around London on her own. There’s so little physically to this book and so much is packed into the plots (lots of little plots held together by the loose plot of Meggy’s adjustment to living in a big city) that I don’t think I’d better say more for fear of accidentally giving a spoiler. Let’s just say it’s a good, fast read for fans of youth historical fiction and is rounded out well by an in-depth author’s note on the time period—always a plus with historical stories. Recommend.

I’m working on a weird cross-genre book that’s sort of a YA science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, humor meld for my downstairs read. Quite fun but very odd. And there’s a dragon book nearby upstairs that I’m thinking I should start, AND I should start a new work title since Ransom was my lunch read—maybe I’ll bring one from home to help reduce the to read piles. So. Many. Books….

Glad you're feeling better!

>154 fuzzi: Thanks!

Visited Derek this weekend and helped him sort and price books for the store. Only brought home 3, lol!

Weird and quirky but a fun read, book 58 is Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space. Art Mumby, his sister Myrtle, and their father live in a free-floating space house called Larklight—just the three of them since Art’s and Myrtle’s mom disappeared some time ago. But a mysterious stranger coming for a visit leads to an incredible adventure involving aliens, space pirates, ancient beings, and a plot to overthrow mankind. This is a genre crosser—part adventure, part fantasy, part science fiction, some steampunk elements, and some humor, it’s writ for the upper elementary/tween crowd. I love how old-timey the language feels, right down to the way they leave letters out of the curse words, like d——d. However, this book isn’t necessarily for struggling readers who may find the language and sentence structure in places hard to comprehend. But it could be a great read-aloud—as long as there are no aracnophobes in earshot. Spiders feature prominently in the book. But those who love fantasy and science fiction that doesn’t take itself entirely seriously should enjoy this book.

Another weird and quirky youth book, number 59 is Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson. Poor Claire has to deal with her cousin Duke, a bully through and through. But it can be hazardous to be a bully along the little stretch of the Mississippi River where magic still lies thick. When Duke takes his bullying a little too far, the magic kicks in and he starts to grow a horn where his nose used to be. Worse still, when he runs off with river trolls, he drags Claire into the mess. Now she has to try to get Duke to agree to leave his new river troll “friends” and go home before the horrible river trolls drag them both along to meet Bodacious Deepthink, leader of the even worse rock trolls, as they scheme to cheat her out of the tribute they must pay to avoid a curse. Like “Larklight”, the language is homey and sometimes feels quaint. Both are first person narratives. But the plucky main character in this one is a girl rather than a boy (albeit a tomboy who loves reptiles and amphibians) and that may skew reader demographics for this one a little more towards the girls. It’s not got any science fiction elements and is strictly a fantasy; it has no foul language or even romance so younger readers won’t find the storyline the least bit “mushy”. There is some humor to help keep the more serious parts a little lighter, too. Recommend for young fantasy fans who may find Harry Potter books a bit much.

Have started books 60-62, all fantasy YA. One deals with dragons, one with fae and other supernatural creatures (it’s too early to tell but it may end up being a fantasy-horror), and one about a girl who works at her father’s “unnatural” museum, where monsters are on display as specimens. I’m about ready to start a new audiobook for October and Halloween—a horror. And I have a couple of Halloween-appropriate books in the wings. I’ll actually be working Halloween Sunday so I’m seriously considering baking cookies the day before and bagging up a bunch to pass out to students coming in (and yes, I expect them to say “trick or treat” to get one). Right now, the library is one of several places on campus where students can come in and help themselves to candy, individually wrapped of course, whenever they want. I’m thinking cookies are something different, especially homemade ones.

>157 CassieBash: Interesting, Cassie.

I want to buy a book for my niece's upcoming birthday and you may have found it for me.

Have a great weekend.

>159 PaulCranswick: Excellent! Hope she has a wonderful birthday!

>160 CassieBash: Thank you, Cassie.

Book bullet for you fantasy fans: Book 60 is The Crowfield Curse, a tween fantasy with plenty of danger and suspense. A young orphan lad living in Crowfield Abbey as a servant to the monks gets caught up in the world of the fae, starting with his rescue of a hob from a trap, meeting a strange fae cursed to be bound to an immortal human who, in turn, suffers a hideous curse himself, and the threat of the Unseelie fae king. I’d tell you more but I can’t without risking spoilers, so just go read it, fantasy fans. It’s a great story for younger Potter fans who may not want the teen romance that starts showing up in the later books but who like the adventure and action. One thing I liked about this book is that, true to folklore, even the Seelie faeries aren’t always nice (though the hob is genuinely likable), so you honestly can’t trust most of the otherworldly characters right away, so there’s a bit of suspense, too. While no romance or sex scenes are present, there is some potentially scary descriptions of fae creatures and some violent scenes of death (animal) but nothing worse than the Potter books. The scariest creature has a bit part in this book but I suspect that it takes front stage in the sequel (which I’ve started), The Crowfield Demon.

Book 61 is a YA fantasy steampunk cross, The Unnaturalists; Vespa lives in a strange world of science that was transported through “Saint” Tesla’s experiments to a world of magic. Magic is forbidden and any magical creatures are hunted down, some for specimens in the museum of unnaturals her father curates but most go to the Refineries. Science is worshipped and all the classic scientists of the age—Tesla, Darwin, Lovelace, etc. are seen as saints. But the disappearance of all this magic from a world that had been steeped in it is taking its toll and throwing things out of balance, and it’s up to Vespa and her new friends to restore the world’s equilibrium—if they can. Some romance but the book is primarily action so it’s not overbearing, and there’s nothing inappropriate for tweens regarding sex or language. While the protagonist is a strong female, she is supported by a man and boy with equally strong characters so there’s a good balance between the genders (as well as ages). The book is apparently part of a series but can function quite well as a stand-alone.

One last thing I found interesting; Vespa is the scientific name for the hornet genus, while her last name, Nyx, refers to a Greek goddess of night. I’ll leave it up to other readers to decide if her name is fitting. :)

Book 62 is the sequel to number 60, The Crowfield Demon. William and his friends now face an even more dangerous enemy—an ancient fallen angel who had been worshipped as a god has set his sights on William’s soul. Darker than the last, I’d call this a fantasy horror, as some of the scenes and descriptions are pretty intense, especially for younger readers. While the story is self-contained, it will help to read them in order as the first book sets up the recurring characters and has key events setting up the sequel. Recommend to those who like their fantasy dark.

Book 63 is yet another YA fantasy, though contrary to my usual October reads, this one is solid fantasy without the horror genre mixed in. No demons in Pillage, just dragons and plants behaving oddly. The two are tied together but like the main character, Beck, you’ll have to find out for yourself how that works. Beck is left as an orphan after his mother, who has some mental health issues, passes and he is sent to live with his uber-reclusive uncle in the family mansion. But he’s told he can’t explore the backyard (which seems to be surrounded by an incredibly large wall without a doorway anywhere) or the basement (which doesn’t exist, they tell him after saying he can’t go into it). But odd things happen with plants when Beck is around, especially to the class bully; can his new friends Milo and Kate help him figure out his family’s secrets?

Intrigue and mystery are rolled into this fantasy; a little awkward teen romance with Beck and Kate but it’s innocent stuff—no sex, no foul language. Not nearly as dark as my previous read, and there’s even humor in Beck’s first-person narrative. Recommend to fantasy fans who like action/adventure type of plots.

Book 64 is an audio version of The Bone House, which I picked up at the last Muncie Library sale. Stephen Lawhead has created a world in which multiverses and time travel aren’t just theoretical, but can be traversed through ley lines. If you don’t know what these are, they are straight lines that can be drawn between important historical places; they are reputed to be lines of earth power that can be used as anything mystical, from magical rites to alien spaceship landing strips. But in this story, you can use them to travel to and from other dimensions and times. This is part of a series and not the first one so you might be lost if you start here; fortunately, I remember listening to the first book a few years back so I wasn’t too lost and I caught up relatively quickly with the plots. The main overarching plot finds several people all scrambling to obtain the Skin Map, which is a detailed map of the ley lines and their destinations, each with their own agendas. Because of the jumping around time and space, and a rather large cast of characters, this isn’t a quick read. But if you enjoy complex fantasy and science fiction worlds and plots, this series is a good one to try. However, the book is a cliffhanger so if you don’t want to get too involved, you might want to factor that in.

Book 65 is House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses as a fantasy horror. Annaleigh is one of 12 sisters from the aristocratic House of Thaumas—only when we join her narrative, they’re burying the fourth sister to die. Perpetual mourning is taking its toll and the girls are looking to escape from their sorrows in any way they can. When they find a mysterious door that can teleport them to incredible parties in far off lands where they can dance their sorrows away. Yet all is not right—one of her younger sisters sees the ghosts of the four dead sisters, while Anna starts seeing odd things, too. Can she figure out what’s going on before her suspicions of foul play are proven right—with her own death.

The book is excellent and while there are some creepy scenes, there’s not much in the gross dept., the psychological aspects of the story will keep you on the edge of your seat.Question reality and trust no one, just in case the dangers are
Real….

Like the best horror stories, this one is psychological in nature and how much of what’s going on is real and what is illusion will keep you. I recommend to fantasy lovers who don’t mind a little bit of that creeped-out feeling here and there. A bit of romance and very little sexual innuendo keeps this book appropriate for its YA audience.

Book 66 is a children’s chapter book called Secrets of Selkie Bay, by Shelley Moore Thomas. Three sisters (one just a baby) are missing their mother, who disappeared one day, leaving their father to care for them. When the eldest, Cordie, tells middle child Ione that their mother left because she was a selkie (a faerie-like shapeshifter that can switch from human to seal form) to offer her hope (and keep her quiet), Ione comes to believe it so badly that when she sees a dark seal in the bay, she believes it’s their mother. The story has a slow build during the first half but it picks up pace and as it’s a small book, it doesn’t take long at all to read. It has a bit of several popular genres for kids: animals (with the hint of an ecological message to it), a bit of fantasy, adventure, even a little survival thrown in. However, it’s more based on reality than I’d thought it would be and their mom’s disappearance isn’t at all what the girls believe. It’s ending wasn’t what I’d expected but it was satisfying enough. However, parents, please preview content since the reason their mother is gone is because she’s sick in the hospital with cancer. Language is G rated, no sex or crudeness but animal cruelty does come up, too.

Book 67 is my Halloween disturbing nonfiction read: Dark Banquet: Blood and the Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures. Written by bat expert Bill Schutt, he shares his experiences studying vampire bats (including how he keeps a colony alive in captivity), as well as his research into other sanguivores as he interviewed experts in ticks, mites, chiggers, and other blood-drinking animals (including the vampire finches of Galapagos). With a chapter that discusses the biology of blood (as well as hemolymph, the insect equivalent of blood, since he also covers those infamous bee parasites, mites). Fascinating but not for the faint of heart, descriptions of clotting (and how anti-clotting agents work), how ticks and chiggers “bite” (it’s not like the needle approach of mosquitoes), and of course no book on blood-sucking creatures would be complete without a bit of information on malaria, Lyme disease, rabies, bubonic plague, and scabies. He addresses many myths and fallacies regarding some of these creatures and gives reasons why eradication is not the best option for living with these animals. I may keep this one as he has a good sense of humor, but also because I do find these animals fascinating. If you like the darker side of the animal kingdom, you might want to give this a try.

The state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.—Oxford Language’s definition of “ambivalence”

The feeling I get when I look at the huge “to read” piles, proud that when I visited Derek last time, l didn’t come home with a single book—only to have him tell me that he thinks there’s a Muncie Public Library sale coming up on the next weekend I’m visiting him.—my definition of “ambivalence”

XD lol!

Book 68 is Grimms’ Other Tales, a collection of (mainly) little-known stories collected by the brothers and ones not commonly published in collections—“Puss in Boots” and “Bluebeard” being the most notable exceptions. Some are very short, not even a full page, and are more like fables than fairy tales, while others have all the classic fairy tale features. Some have happy endings, some don’t. Some even seem confusing and disjointed. I would recommend this book only to serious, die-hard fairy and folklore scholars (of both the professional and armchair variety); these are not generally stories to read aloud to young children. Helpful to the truly serious scholar is the notes section, which provides citations for the source material for each story, often including the region where the brothers picked up the tale.

I already have a “complete” works of Grimm so I’ll probably eventually send this one on its way to Derek.

>171 CassieBash: I was a big Grimms fan as a child, even had an old copy of lesser known tales. Many of them had grisly endings, too.

>172 fuzzi: Awesome! Some parents will only let their children read the sanitized versions of fairy tales. The Grimms didn’t have a monopoly on grisly endings in fairy tales, though. Perrault had some nasty endings, too.

Book 69 is a YA fantasy, Songs of Power. Imina’s grandmother was an Inuit shaman; when she passed, she bound her shamanistic soul to her belt and left it in Imina’s care. Now Imina is living with her parents in an underwater biodome—the last refuges in a world where the land based food supplies have failed. But someone seems to want to sabotage the dome. Could it be one of the political radicals, or is it magic as Imina thinks? And if it’s magic, can she convince anyone else in this science-based dome? Can she ever tap into enough of her own powers to help? Not a bad read, with an environmental message, but to the reader, it’s a bit too easy to figure out who’s responsible for the sabotage, so don’t approach this as a mystery. No real romance (maybe a small hint) and no foul language so it’s appropriate for all levels of YA.

Yay, another book post! Book 70 is a re-listen of The Scorpio Races. Normally, I probably wouldn’t revisit a title I’ve read fairly recently—those who have followed me for the past few years probably remember it—but I’m making an exception because 1) I bought this copy on CD from a library sale and wanted to make sure the discs worked,?and 2) it’s a darn good story. A YA fantasy with some romance, the story follows, in first person POV, the protagonists of Puck and Sean, each gambling everything on their winning the November Scorpio Race, where men and boys ride dangerous, carnivorous horses that come from the Atlantic Ocean. The “water horses” emerge from the ocean only on the small island of Thisby, which has an old-fashioned feel, perhaps because computers and cell phones seem non-existent. Complicating the plot is the animosity many of the male riders have against Puck, the first female, and a young one at that, to ride in the race. Sean’s story is complicated by both a rivalry with his boss’s son and his desire to help Puck, even while he must win to get his own desire.

There are two narrators—one for each main character—which I thought helped bring both Puck and Sean to life. But the story itself is strong and well-developed, so while I very much recommend the audio version if you like them, I would recommend the story overall to fantasy lovers.

>173 CassieBash: my parents never restricted my reading choices, only the public library tried, hahaha.

I reread Grimms tales enough that I was able to be a storyteller at a Girl Scout overnight trip. I didn't like most of Hans Christian Andersen's tales because they (almost 100%) ended badly. The Tinder Box is a good one, though: https://andersen.sdu.dk/moocfiles/tinderbox.pdf

>175 fuzzi: Anderson’s not really known for his gruesomeness but I agree—he’s quite a downer. Like you, though, I do like The Tinderbox. I remember an illustrated version where the dogs were just wonderfully done—eyes huge and round, menacing and disturbing. Just awesome—I love demented story art. Arthur Rackham is another personal favorite illustrator, particularly with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.

A Thanksgiving to Friends (Lighting the Way)

In difficult times
a friend is there to light the way
to lighten the load,
to show the path,
to smooth the road

At the darkest hour
a friend, with a word of truth
points to light
and the encroaching dawn
is in the plainest sight.

Cassie, to a friend in books and more this Thanksgiving

>177 PaulCranswick: Thanks, that’s beautiful.

Book 71 is a modern mystery, Eight of Swords by David Skibbins. “Warren” is a man in hiding from past mistakes that could land him in prison, but he’s living quite successfully as a street tarot reader—until a young girl he’s read is kidnapped, and her mother killed. Now it seems that someone wants the police and the feds to think he’s responsible, and they’re willing to go a long way to do it. Adult reading with language, violence, death, and sex, so think R rating. Still, if you’re not bothered with that, it’s a good read, very realistic with an ending that is believable because not everything ends all happily ever after.

I have another book started that’s another modern mystery with a possible hint of magic, and two nonfiction books, one another disturbing parasitic animals book and another that’s the more unpleasant parts of living in an earlier time.

>176 CassieBash: I've seen some lovely illustrations for Grimms and Andersen books. I personally own a paperback Grimms illustrated by Fritz Kredel, which I bought because the illustrations are wonderful, black and white sketches. We had a hardcover version of it when I was a child.

ETA:




I also bought a copy of Rumpelstiltskin for my Grands because it was the same one that their mother received from her Nana, illustrated by Paul Zelinsky.

Is that Rumplestiltskin dancing around the flames on the top pic? I love the frog prince!

Yep, familiar with Zelinsky. He does do some nice work. I gave my older sister his version of Rapunzel

>180 CassieBash: yes, that's him!

Kredel illustrated LOTS of other books, and in the classics series, too.

Blog post about Kredel: https://allthingsruffnerian.blogspot.com/2012/05/illustrator-fritz-kredel.html

Zelinsky is great, too.

Bad news for tonight: we’re under a severe thunderstorm warning with the possibilities of tornadoes. Yuck. Good news for tonight is that oncology is officially calling mom in remission! The Alescensa is still shrinking the tumor, and while this is a partial remission only because the cancer will likely never go away completely, we’ll take it.

Book 72 is Eye of Newt by Denise Dietz; part romance, part mystery, part historical and with a dash of fantasy thrown in, I confess a certain amount of ambivalence towards the work as a whole. The plot has several tangents; Sydney and her aunt are descended from witches, and when Sydney takes pity on an amnesiac panhandler shortly after the murder of a famous musician, she gets sucked into a hunt for the killer. I liked the mystery part and the involvement of the main character, Sydney, telling the story in first person POV of her theories and investigations. I enjoyed her looking into her witchy ancestor’s diary (the historical fiction and fantasy parts). It’s the romance that goes into heavy petting and beyond that irritated me about the book and clinched its trip to Muncie. Sydney’s obsession with “John” the amnesiac and her (and his) desire for sex had me skimming through the sex scenes trying to reconnect with the other plot. Not a bodice ripper but still too many sexual scenes for my taste.

>182 CassieBash: wonderful news about your mom!

I hope the storms missed you.

Book 73 is a disturbing nonfiction, historical this time (though there is a section on health). The Good Old Days-They Were Terrible! by Otto Bettmann looks at the physical, cultural, and societal problems of life between Reconstruction through the Victorian Era. Broken into topical sections like travel, education, traffic, and more, this quick read reminds us that those Currier and Ives scenes were romanticized images and that even the middle and upper class lifestyles weren’t as glamorous as we imagine. Doctors tended to be untrained, food was commonly tainted and/or adulterated, and heaven help you if you needed to travel at all, especially by rail. One of the best parts of the book are the period illustrations, many editorial cartoons, that provide some (dark) humor. One of my favorites is an illustration of skeleton shop keeps selling tainted food and cast-off clothing. For people with a penchant for quick, snippet-type information (most sections are two page spreads at most, heavily illustrated and summing up the problems rather than going into great details), I would recommend to those with an interest in American history as a fun, light read.

My next post will undoubtedly be my other (and final one for this year) disturbing read—another parasite book. I’ll finish the year then with something upbeat, maybe a Christmas book. I am reconsidering my usual rules for next year and may allow for picture books; psychologically, I know I’ve been putting off some of the larger, adult books (those 300+ page whoppers) because with my busy and unpredictable lifestyle, I’m never sure how much reading I’ll be able to do in any given month. The only fairly predictable read time I’ve got is my half hour lunch at work. So I may allow for a set number of them each month to allow my mind to justify tackling those larger tomes.

Book 74 is Furtive Fauna: A Field Guide to the Creatures Who Live on You, by Roger M. Knutson. Mr. Knutson takes a realistic and sometimes empathic look at the living things (not all are animals) that use our bodies as food and/or shelter. Some, like mosquitoes, he considers “visitors”—transients that stop by only as necessary for their required needs (usually food) while others, like the tooth amoeba or the myriad bacteria that live on our skin, are permanent and often beneficial residents, helping to keep at bay the nastier would-be residents. Probably not a read to consider if you’re the type that feels itchy just thinking about these kinds of things and it’s certainly not if you’re repulsed by the idea of things living on you all the time. But for those who can read about creepy crawlers during their lunchtime, this book is a quick and highly amusing introduction to the topic. Don’t expect a lot of details on any one entry, but his personable, almost conversational approach makes it enjoyable. It’s not got many technical terms so you won’t get bogged down by jargon, and except for the fact that it mentions sex and the areas involved you might think this was written for a younger audience. (Conversational approaches in children’s nonfiction is commonplace.). Personally, I wanted a bit more detail but it was good enough for what it is.

>185 CassieBash: sounds interesting. I know about lots of little critters living on us, it probably would not gross me out.

>186 fuzzi: “Disturbing” is a classification that is, of course, up for interpretation. I personally am not bothered by 98% of what I classify “disturbing” because I’m going on what I think most people think about the topic. I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who doesn’t find that so disturbing! :D

Have a lovely holiday, Cassie.

Thanks to you both and a belated merry Christmas to you both! Working on my 75th; should finish before the new year.

>190 CassieBash: I'll be looking forward to seeing what you picked.

Book 75! The Book of Christmas from Time-Life is one of a 21 volume set called Enchanted World; each volume focuses on a different theme of folklore, mythology, and customs. This volume starts out with a summary of the Christmas story, of the Annunciation and Jesus’s birth and follows with some of the origins of some of the past and present customs of Christmas celebrations from America, England, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, and other European countries. There’s even a small section with the lyrics to some carols (some common and some obscure). But the best part of this set is the wonderful pictures. The artwork is varied and some are reprints of famous works. All are credited in the back, under the text sources list. I have reviewed volumes of this set before and if you have followed my threads for the 75 challenges for a while you probably remember me gushing over this series. I still highly recommend any works from this set to folklorists.

So that’s my 75. This year’s breakdown into age groups and genres are as follows:

Nonfiction
Adult: 15
Chidren’s: 1

Audiobooks: 7

Adult Fiction
Fantasy: 5
Science Fiction: 1
Mystery: 7
Horror: 1
Historical: 1
Literature: 5

Young Adult Fiction
Fantasy: 6
Science Fiction: 1
Mystery: 3
Historical: 4
Horror: 4

Chidren’s Fiction
Fantasy: 8
Mystery: 1
Historical: 1
Realistic: 4

>192 CassieBash: Congratulations on reaching 75, Cassie!

>192 CassieBash: congratulations!

Congrats!

Looks like you got to 75 before the ball dropped! Congratulations!

Forget your stresses and strains
As the old year wanes;
All that now remains
Is to bring you good cheer
With wine, liquor or beer
And wish you a special new year.

Happy New Year, Cassie.

Well done on making it to 75.

Thanks, all!