Tess Reads in Time and Space Page 4

Hi, I'm Tess, newly retired in 2020 and enjoying life. I still teach one class online each semester to keep my mind (and my purse) functioning. I am a professor of History, mostly modern (post Renaissance), with a concentration on WWII, specifically the Holocaust.

I live with my husband of 46 years in a very small area of mid-west Ohio. I dabble in gardening both flowers and vegetables. Besides reading I like to travel, play games, and mostly just laze on the deck and in the pool every chance I get. In central Ohio, we feel the full force of all the seasons.

The loves of my life are my 7 grandchildren ranging in ages from 3-20. I never knew you could love anybody as much/more than your children; but 7 times I've been proven wrong!

My goal is to read 100+ books per year, hopefully most of them from my shelves.

Why do I read? To travel to and understand other places and times!

My rating system:
1 star--waste of paper and ink
2 stars-Is this literature? -major flaws or mind numbing boring
2 1/2 stars-not so bad I had to stop reading
3 stars-average, but still quite enjoyable
3 1/2 fun, informative, thought provoking
4 stars-excellent read
4 1/2 exceptionally good, among my favorites
5 stars-in all ways a superior read

Books may count in multiple CATS/KITS if the shoe fits!



My reading year runs from Dec. 25 to Dec. 25 As of Dec 25 there are 498 books on the TBR.

1. The Middle Ages Life in a Medieval Village by Frances Gies READ
2. 1800-Modern Day The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang HOST READ
3. Early Modern 1500-1800 Tulip Fever READ
4. Ancient 8 BC-AD 600 People of Fire READ
5. Dynasties/Civilizations/Empires Restoration (Charles II) READ
6. Military/War/Revolution Lionheart READ
7. Social History The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek READ
8. Your Own Country The Pioneers READ
9. Religion/Philosophy/Politics/Law The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoffer READ
10. Country/Region of Your Choice The Radetsky March Austria READ
11. Events Americans in Paris
12. Exploration and Discovery Camping with the Communists

KITASTROPHES



Jan-March Technology/Industrial/Manmade Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo READ

April-June Transportation and Maritime HOST Into the Abyss READ

July-Sept. Weather/Geological/Fire To Sleep With the Angels by David Cowan READ

Oct-Dec. Riots/uprisings/sieges/invasions THE SARACEN STORM: A Novel of the Moorish Invasion of Spain by J.M. Nunez

All year: Epidemics
1. Wickett's Remedy by Myla Goldberg READ

Books that have no CAT, that I just want to read!

1. 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental
2. Shackleton's Journey by William Grill
3. Nightwood
4. 1984
5. Patience and Sarah
6. A Gentleman's Murder
7. The Convenient Marriage
8. Sapphire and Shadow (A Woman's Life #1)
9. Master and Man
10. The Personal History of Rachel Dupree
11. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side: A Miss Marple Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries)
12. Keep the Aspidistra Flying
13. Midwives
14. The Legend of Mickey Tussler
15. One Grain of Rice
16. The Woods of Red Hill DNF
17. Swallows and Amazons
18 Devil's Brood
19. Anthony Adverse
20. McBroom's Wonderful One-Acre Farm
21. The Miller's Dance
22. The Shape of Mercy
23. How Martha Saved Her Parents From Green Beans
24. Thin Rich Bitches
25. Of Mortal Love
26. Nora and the Great Bear
27. Pig Surprise
28. Imperial Rescript
29. It's Not Over
30. Skeleton Lake
31. Ninety Two in the Shade
32. A Lovely Way to Burn
33. The Six Swans
34. Drowning Ruth
35. The Loving Cup
36. The Palm Wine Drinkard
37. Philoctetes
38. Ordinary People
39. Bella Poldark
40. Thriving in Babylon
41. Orestia
42. The Pilot
43. Peder Victorious
44. Flesh and Blood
45. Yours Sincerely, Giraffe
46. The Last Puritan
47. Her Final Words
48. Miss Julia to the Rescue
49. Sing Down the Moon
50. Far Away Across the Sea
51. Fields of Gold
52. The Theban Plays
53. Harvest Home
54. Tom Cringle's Log
55. When I Was You
56. Guy Mannering
57. Mother Mason
58. The Leopard Rider
59. The Twelve Disciples
60. The Life of Apostle Paul
61. The Picture of Dorian Gray
62. Her Royal Spyness
63. Medicus
64. The Lioness of Morocco
65. The Day of the Locust
66. Down the Santa Fe Trail and Into Mexico
67. The Life of Paul
68. The Abduction of Seraglio
69. The Country Where No One Ever Dies
70. The Two Baronesses
71. Peter Ibbetson
72. Ward Allen Savannah River Market Hunter
73. The Brief History of the Dead
74. Life with Father
75. Move Over, Darling
76. Who Gets the Drumstick
77. I'm Not Scared
78. One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow
79. The Story of Beautiful Girl
80. Frog Music
90. The Loyal Wife
91. The Damned Thing
92. Dagon

Reads in Place: Books set in France
1. Restoration READ
2. The Gauguin Connection: A Genevieve Lenard Novel READ
3. The Nun by Denis Diderot READ
4. Mauprat by George Sand READ
5. No Exit by Sartre READ
6. Madame Tussaud READ
7. The Second Empress

Books published in 1936
1. War with the Newts by Karel Capek READ
2. Nightwood by Djuna Barnes READ
3. Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier READ
4. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie READ
5. Keep the Apidistra Flying by George Orwell READ

Reads in Time: Reads the 5 oldest and newest books on my shelf (as of 1-1-2021)

OLDEST
1. The Courage to Care READ
2. Sapphire and Shadow READ
3. Midwives READ
4. In the Garden of Beasts READ
5. Tulip Fever READ

NEWEST
1. Death by Water READ
2. A Lovely Way to Burn READ
3. Florence Nightingale READ
4. Flesh and Blood READ
5. Curses! READ

Reads in Time: Read 5 books from childhood/teen years
1. Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Caldone
2. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
3. The Bobbsey Twins on an Airplane Ride by Laura Lee Hope
4. Beauty and the Beast
5 Peter Pan

Reads 5 non-fiction books/plays.
1. Life in a Medieval Village READ
2. Zoo Nebraska READ
3. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 READ
4. The Rape of Nanking by Irish Chang READ
5. Rani Laxmibai: Warrior-Queen of Jhansi READ
6. The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer READ
7. The Physical Death and Resurrection: A Surgeon's View READ
8. Living our Best Lives READ
9. Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project READ
10. This is my Lemonade: An Adoption Story READ
11. Aida READ
12. The Diary of Samuel Pepys READ
13. Frost Freezes and Fairs READ
14. The Kingdom of Sicily, 1100-1250: A Literary History READ
15. The History of Rome: The Republic (Volume 1) READ
16. The Federalist Papers READ
17. Rosemary the Hidden Kennedy READ
18 . The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen
19. The Cost of Discipleship
20. The Girls ALone: Six Days in Estonia READ
21. What is Life Worth?
22. Hunting Trips of a Ranchman: Sketches of Sport on the Northern Cattle Plains
23. In The Heart of the Sea
24. The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon
25. The Mayflower Compact
26. The Battle with the Slum
27. The Laughing Muse
28. A Chant for the Love of England
29. Into the Wilderness
30. Of Plimouth Plantation
31. The Battle with the Slum
32. Trials of Passion
33. Papers of Ben Franklin (https://franklinpapers.org/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=43&page=316)
34. Poems by William Cullen Bryant
35. Owls of the Eastern Ice
36. The Pope and Mussolini
37. The Book of Eels

Reading Through Time



Quarterly Reads
1. Renaissance Hamnet READ
2. 17th Century Tulip Fever READ
3. 18th Century Memoirs of a Sleepwalker READ
4. Napoleonic The Second Empress READ

Monthly Reads
1. Shakespeare's Children Hamnet READ
2. Fashion The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen: A Dix Dodd Mystery (Dix Dodd Mysteries Book 1) by Norah Wilson READ
3. Argh, Matey HOST Jamaica Inn READ
4. The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire Narrow Road to the North Read
5. Meet the Press When Google Met Wiki Leaks READ
6. Rewriting the Past Eli READ
7. Now we are free A King's Ransom READ
8. Food The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen READ
9. Time Travel/Prehistoric Primordial Earth READ
10. Supernatural Blood Coins: The Judas Chronicles--Books One, Two, and Three READ
11. Reader's Choice
12. TBD

New CAT (as of July 1, 2021)



My rules: I can carry this challenge into 2022, if not finished. A book may only count in 1 category.

1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899 The Story of an African Farm

2. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously published. Of Mice and Men READ

3. A classic by a woman author. Wuthering Heights READ

4. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer. Madame-Villeneuves-Story-Beauty-BeastREAD

5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author. (intent: Phyliss Wheatley, Complete Writings)

6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read. (intent: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) READ

7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read. (intent: Romola by George Eliot)

8. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird). (intent: either I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings or The Red Pony)

9. A children's classic. THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE SEASHORE READ

10. A humorous or satirical classic. (intent: Fairacre School Book #1) READ

11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure. (The Alhambra by Washington Irving)

12. A classic play. This is a work that was originally written for the stage. Plays will only count in this category. THE THEBAN PLAYS-READ

Again, welcome to my CAT. Please enjoy some homemade yeast rolls and peach butter with a cup of tea! (With lots of creamy butter, of course!)

Happy new thread! Your new classics challenge sounds interesting.

Happy new thread! You've been both reading and cooking up a storm by the looks of it! :)

>14 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie! I got 55 pounds of peaches, so it was peach butter, spiced peaches, frozen peaches and peach cobbler. Today I was gifted about 20 lbs. of zucchini. Tomorrow I will making 3 different types of zucchini bread and will gift a few loaves, but freeze it for the holidays.

>13 christina_reads: Thanks, Christina! I "stole" that from somebody in this group.........can't remember who!

135. Village School by Miss Read was my first Fairacre read. I found it to be delightful and reminiscent, without being overly sentimental. Reminded me of the Little House books without the prairie! 239 pages 5 stars CAT: Classics (humorous or satirical classic).

>16 Tess_W: You might also like Lillian Beckwith's The Hills is Lonely.

>16 Tess_W: I love the Fairacre books - sometimes you just need a lovely read! That is a gorgeous cover too. I also love the Mitford books by Jan Karon. Cosy and comforting.

>17 pamelad: I see there are a few books in this series too. I will have to look for this one.

>17 pamelad:
>18 JayneCM:

Added both to my WL!

July roundup:

26 books read including the Federalist Papers

Best Reads:
A King's Ransome
The Village School
The Picture of Dorian Gray

Stinkers:
The Leopard Rider
Memoirs of a Sleep-walker
Tom Cringle's Log

August goals: Keep reading what is on my shelf/buy NO books! Uni begins here on Aug 23. Thus far, I have only contracted to teach an online course (Western Civ I), so nothing to really prepare for other than getting my materials in order as I've taught this course before. Will have to check to see if any new "finds", but usually nothing changes in early western civ!

Wishing you a slightly belated happy new thread.

Happy new thread, and hope the course goes well in August!

Happy new thread, Tess, and good luck with the classics challenge. My library actually has one of the books in your photo..."Staatshaushaltung der Athener" which sounds very dry.

136. To Sleep with the Angels: A Story of Fire by David Cowan was the tragic non-fiction read of the fire at Our Lady of Angels school in Chicago in 1958. There was never a concrete cause or origin of the fire and nobody was ever charged, although there were several suspects including a 10 year old boy who had already set 3 fires and was implicated by circumstances and another man 10 years later who was in prison for another arson. This man confessed in a letter to the fire in 1979. He claims it was an accident and was 11 years of age at the time of the fire. He even admitted it on TV. Investigators weren't buying it. Three days later this ex-con laughed and admitted he fabricated the entire confession. Nobody was ever arrested for this crime that killed 89 students and 3 nuns. Authorities still believe it was the 10 year old boy originally suspected.

What I found most amazing about this story was that the janitor, the priests, the nuns, and even some of the firefighters received threatening mail.

Just a great non-fiction read. I listened to this on audio but also had the ebook. 320 pages 5 stars CAT: KITastrophe July-Sept Geo/Fire/Weather

>21 Helenliz:
>22 rabbitprincess:
>23 MissWatson:

TY TY TY!

Just caught up with your new thread. Going back to your previous one, I do make milk gravy occasionally and just ignore the fact that it is a tad lumpy.

>26 hailelib: Funny you should say that, because my youngest son asks for gravy with lumps in it! Just like he asks for chicken with skin and bones in/on it!

>27 Tess_W: You know I had completely forgotten, until I just read your comment, that when I was a kid I used to ask for gravy with lumps! I used to drink it from a bowl with a spoon, like soup, instead of having afters! (I'm prepared to concede I was maybe a bit weird when I was a kid)

137. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen was book number one in a series about Georgie, aka Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, cousin of King George V of England. She is 34th in the line of succession. Her and her brother own castle Rannoch in Scotland as well as a Rannoch, a London townhouse. The family has fallen up hard times. This was a witty and clever mystery. Not too deep, just an amusing, quick, read. I will read more in the series, assuming I can get them for free at the library, not something I would want to purchase. 324 pages 4 stars CAT: Because I Wanna.

>29 Tess_W: I'm always looking for light reads and it's ages since I've read one of these. Just found four on Overdrive. Thank you.

>29 Tess_W: I have heard good things about this series. I must admit to being a diehard Anglophile. And we can always do with some fun, light reads!

138. Medicus A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie is the story of Ruso, A Roman Legion Army Doctor stationed in Britannia. Ruso has troubles with the hospital administrator and also with the slave girl he purchased. Someone in Britannia (Chester) is murdering prostitutes and Ruso becomes involved. I think this book was a good time period piece, but I'm not a great mystery lover, so meh. This is book 1/8. The plot seems to be slow moving. 418 pages. This was a free Kindle read from 2014. CAT: Because I Wanna 3.5*

139. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was a partial re-read for me. I started this book years ago and DNF. This was a short novella of 111 pages that took place in California during the Great Depression. It is the story of 2 men who forge a deep friendship, one being a very large man with the mind of a child. I felt "doom" within the first few pages of the novel. The situation of these 2 men deteriorated as the story progressed. The ending was pretty much as I expected. 4* CAT: Classics--A novel published from 1900-1971.

>16 Tess_W: I stumbled across the Miss Read books about 30 years ago and devoured them. I began with Fairacre and then moved to Thrush Green.

I've got a copy of Medicus somewhere but never got around to reading it. It sounds like something I would like.

Hi Tess, I am always looking for lighter reads to fit in between the more serious books. I need to remember to pick up a Royal Spyness novel as I did read a couple of them previously and did enjoy them.

140. Narrative of the Texan Santa Fé Expedition: Comprising a Tour Through Texas, and Capture of the Texans by George Kendall was a non-fiction read that was a result of doing some research on my current reading (Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico). I go down so many rabbit holes! This book was a reproduction, thankfully, through Kindle. When I was looking around for a tree book (which I usually want for historical purposes), it seems this book is a collector's item and the originals at Abe's Books were in the $1000-2000 dollar range; just a bit out of my budget!;)

This was a great narrative of an expedition written by Kendall who was a soldier and a war correspondent. Kendall traveled to the Republic of Texas in 1841 to join up with and report on Gov. Lamar's attempt to take Santa Fe from the Mexicans and secure New Mexico for the Americans. This expedition met with disaster and Kendall and others were marched 2000 miles and put into a Mexican prison--a leper colony, where Kendall caught smallpox. Surprisingly he survived. While in prison he wrote letters which were posted daily. He spent about a year imprisoned before he was released upon payment by influential friends. One of my favorite parts of the book was his detailed description of Mexican food and customs. The military maneuvers were very dry and I oftentimes skimmed these. 878 pages, 4.5*, CAT: Because I Wanna!

>34 thornton37814: I will be reading through both series. I really liked the first one!

>30 pamelad:
>36 DeltaQueen50:
They are superb, light, entertaining reads!

>35 hailelib: I hope you like it!

141. Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini was the novelized form of the true story of Elizabeth Keckley, a slave who bought her own freedom and turned seamstress. Industry and good luck had her making frocks for the movers and shakers in Washington DC, where she met the most decidedly insane Mary Todd Lincoln. There was a bit too much 3rd person "lecture" on politics and the war, but all in all was a good slice of history. 384 pages 4 stars

>39 Tess_W: I like her historical novels too and rated this one 4 as well. I rated The Spy Mistress the same. Mrs. Lincoln's Rival 3.5 and I have Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule on the shelf waiting on me.

>39 Tess_W: I really enjoyed this one and have been meaning to get to her other historical novels. Thanks for the reminder!

>29 Tess_W: I really liked Her Royal Spyness! I got it as a SantaThing gift from RidgewayGirl some years back when I specifically asked for fun and light. That's definitely a series I'd forgotten about -- I'm glad you enjoyed it too.

Today I visited the Zane Grey Museum and Route 40 (National Road) Museum. They are house in the same building. Zane Grey grew up in what is now Zanesville, Ohio, which is on Route 40. It was a delightful museum. It is stuck out in the middle of nowhere, only about 40 miles from my house, and I never knew it was there! I came upon it by accident when my friend and I toured another author's home (Louis Bromfield) in June and they handed out a guide to a "literary trail" in Ohio. From the Zane Grey Museum we traveled to the home of Dr. Increase Matthews, the first physician in Muskingum County, Ohio. It was fabulous! I had never read anything written by Zane Grey (western genre). The museum had reprints for $5 and older books published in the 30's for $10-20. Both my friend and I chose the $5 book and we are going to trade with each other when we are done. The picture below is one of a conestoga wagon, meant for freight and not people. The wheel (which was wooden) was taller than myself (5'3"). There is actually an old leather shoe attached to a lever which acted as a break. Hence, the modern term, brake shoes. I just love a day like this (except the 100 degree temp!). I will see you 4 days as I'm off on another adventure to Pittsburgh, Pa!

Have fun on your trip!

>43 Tess_W: That wagon is a work of art! Safe travels for the rest of your trip!

>43 Tess_W: I need to remember to visit there when I make an Ohio trip to that part of Ohio.

I am a fan of Zane Grey and have been reading his stories on and off for the last few years. He can be quite dated and I have found his books rather hit or miss. I hated Riders of the Purple Sage but have enjoyed some of his other stories like The U. P. Trail. I am quite envious of you being able to visit his museum!

Riders of the Purple Sage rather put me off of Zane Grey so I'll be interested in seeing what you think of the books you got from the museum.

>43 Tess_W:, >48 hailelib: Riders of the Purple Sage was better written and more entertaining than I thought it would be, but it's aggressively anti-Mormon.

Belated happy new thread! I admire you for reading the Federalist Papers. I thought they might help me understand how American politics and constitution works but I found it just too dry to hold my interest.

I hope you are having a good trip.

>49 pamelad: You will find a lot of anti-Mormon lit during this time as it had not been too long ago that Joseph Smith, et.al; had been accused of killing 7 in Illinois. Smith himself was killed by a mob before he could go to trial.

>46 thornton37814: Interesting to this history nut! If you, when you come to Ohio, message me and we might be able to meet up as I live very close!

>47 DeltaQueen50:
>48 hailelib:
>49 pamelad:

And Riders of the Purple Sage was his most famous book--they even made a movie from it. Luckily, they didn't have any copies there, or I would have purchased that one. Instead, I purchased The Man of the Desert.

>50 VivienneR: Just my personal opinion, but had I not already studied government and such I would not have understood the Federalist Papers as well. They were eloquently written, by 3 attorneys and there is much legal jargon. I know I would be hard pressed to read another country's constitution and understand it. I did try to read The English Bill of Rights once, and quit.

I never knew that about brake shoes - but it makes perfect sense. Have fun with your next adventure.

>52 Helenliz: TY Helen! I did, in fact, just a couple of days later. My friend and I happened upon the Bushy Battlefield in Jeanette, Pennsylvania. I am a semi-retired history prof and had never heard of this battle, part of Pontiac's War, part of The French-Indian War, part of King Philip's War. It was quite interesting (good storyteller) and well done--they took us on a tour of the battlefield in a golf cart.

142. The Lioness of Morocco by Julia Drosten. This was a great read about Sibylla, from a upper class English family who moves to Morocco in the mid 19th century with her husband to take over the family's shipping interests in that part of the world. While there, Sibylla is forced to recognize some hard truths about her husband and raise her children by herself. This was a family saga as well as historical fiction, and the locale was exotic. My only complaint was that the last chapter seem to be rushed and a bit disappointing. 450 pages 4 stars CAT: Because I Wanna, GeoKit: Africa

Today I pick up 55 lbs. of tomatoes which I'm going to can for future spaghetti sauce, salsa, and chili!

143. The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West The setting is Hollywood in the 1930's. I believe the author was trying to show his contempt for Hollywood and its corrupting morals. The man character, Faye, is abusive, both physically and emotionally. A really bleak book, nothing redeeming. 160 pages 2.5* CAT: Because I Wanna

144. Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico. This was a delightful account of a wagon caravan from Independence, Missouri, to Chihuahua, Mexico in 1846-1847 (during the Texas-Mexican War). The author was 18 year old, newly married, Susan Shelby Magoffin. It was obvious she was well educated and well-read. This was a very enjoyable read with copious footnotes, sometimes 3 pages in length, but added much to the explanation of the some of the personages mentioned within Ms. Magoffin's entries. 260 pages 4.5* CAT: Because I Wanna

145. The Life of Paul by Rose Publishers. I'm teaching a 4 week course on the 4 missionary trips of Apostle Paul. This was a great book, organizing my thoughts; putting them in linear order, as well ad providing maps and the geography of Biblical towns/places. 96 pages 5 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

My latest food adventure: canned tomatoes (for the first time). I have always frozen them, but my friend convinced me there was nothing to canning tomatoes, and she was correct! I'm not sure what the advantage is yet of canning over freezing. I'll let you know after I make chili, spaghetti sauce, and salsa! I'm going to go back and get some more this weekend. They sure cook down! Also going to try and make some homemade ketchup.

>58 Tess_W: I know canning for me means not having to worry about power outages! You have been super busy. I am just starting my seeds for this year in cold frames - still too cold here for outdoor planting.

>58 Tess_W: Your cans look great! I recently started dehydrating tomatoes (but I haven't used them for anything yet so don't know if I'll like them), and I swear 3 pounds of cherry tomatoes became about 1.5 cups dry. I may also try canning later this year if there are tomatoes for it; I'm feeling encouraged that it went well for you.

>60 pammab: I'm wondering if you (or I) could make sun-dried tomatoes? I buy about 2 jars per year to use in cooking and they are very expensive!

>58 Tess_W: Canning isn't that difficult for tomatoes, salsa, and the like. Things requiring pressure canning (such as beans) are a little trickier.

>62 thornton37814: Yes, that's why I started out "easy." I have a water bath, but not a pressure canner, so I probably won't go any deeper with canning than just tomatoes. Really, for most veggies I prefer them frozen.

146. Rosemary The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson. This was the very sad story of Rosemary Kennedy, child number 3 and first girl in a family of 9. She was brain damaged at birth and for 20+ years the entire family tried to make her "normal." They provided the best care money could buy. However, in 1941, during the war, when the family was scattered, her father, Joe Kennedy, decided she should have a lobotomy and proceeded with it against the wishes of several members of the family. She was unable to walk, speak, etc. following that surgery. Very very sad. CAT: Non-fiction 381 pages 4 stars

147. Baby Tramp by Ambrose Bierce. I loved his An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge so thought I would give this one a try. Not so good! A mediocre ghost story. 6 pages 2.5 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

148. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte This was a re-read for me, for probably the 5-6th time. This is my all-time favorite book. Heathclifffffffffffffffffffffff! 381 pages 5 stars CAT: Classics-read a classic written by a woman author.

>66 Tess_W: it's my favorite Brontë work as well.
Whatever our souls are made of…. 💗

>66 Tess_W: I'm due for a re-read of Wuthering Heights too. It's a rather peculiar sort of book for me, where I sympathise with the characters but I can't say that I like any of them, and while the story has a way of driving me up the wall, having read it twice before hasn't completely driven me away. There is certainly something that is very compelling about it.

>66 Tess_W: I re-read it this year as well, after watching the 1939 movie. It was a real pleasure, both watching and reading.

>66 Tess_W: My favourite too! You beat me to the rereading!

>69 NinieB: After reading it, I watched the 1989 version with Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff. I've seen all 3 screen versions and the Fiennes one is my favorite.

149. The Abduction of Seraglio by Mozart ((Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail). I read the English version of the lilbretto (66 pages) and then listened to the German opera in its entirety (65 minutes). A story of Kostanze, a Spanish noble woman, who is abducted with her maid and her betrothed's valet and taken to Turkey where they are sold as slaves. Kostanze's betrothed comes to save them and after much subterfuge and mistaken identity, he is successful. 3 1/2 stars for the entire experience! CAT: Because I Wanna Most of the action takes place in Turkey, which was part of the Ottoman Empire during this time. Not sure where to geographically place this read, in Europe or Asia? P.S. I did not read the full score, only the English version of the libretto, the history, and why this particular opera of Mozart's isn't performed much today.



Now I'm off for a long walk with my phone/audible and going to try to get interested in American Pastoral by Philip Roth. I've started this book twice before and never got past the first chapter.

Through Aug 23 Chicago University Press has all Ebooks on sale at 75% off! Use code: EBOOK75 at the check out. This is ALL ebooks!

150. The Bridges at Toko-Ri by James Michener. I found this on my shelf and got 50% through it before I knew that I had read it before! (2017). Since it was only 123 pages, I finished it. It's going to the donation pile. I love Michener, his generational sagas, but not so much his novellas. This book featured the taking of an important bridge area during the Korean War. 123 pages 3 stars (again!) CAT: Because I Wanna, GeoKit: Asia

151. American Pastoral by Philip Roth. So, a Pulitzer prize winning author, eh? This book was about Samuel Lavov, a blonde Jewish all-star athlete in a New Jersey high school. This is about the fall of the smug Lavov. Roth could have written this book in 50 pages instead of the 400+ page slog that it is. I don't really care what type of baseball shoes Sam had when he was 11 years old. I also really don't care what the piece of a glove that connects the thumb to the rest of the glove is called--but the author did--4 pages worth. After reading this, I will run screaming back into the arms of Dickens or Melville! I certainly will be reading nothing else from Roth! 436 pages 2 stars CAT: Sept Random Cat--(I've got relatives coming from Florida on Thursday and not leaving until Sept. 9. I won't get much reading done!

>75 Tess_W: Years ago I read Portnoy's Complaint (funny but gross), Goodbye Columbus and some of Roth's short stories, but everything I have read since, including American Pastoral, has been too dull to finish. I've found the same with Joseph Heller: Catch-22 is one of my favourite books, but Good As Gold was the only later book I managed to read to the end, and I didn't like it. The miserable old man genre does not appeal.

Have a great time with your visitors!

>75 Tess_W: Uggh, but I will 'have' to read this some day for 1001! Later rather than sooner!

>76 pamelad: One miserable old man book that I loved was A Man Called Ove. And the movie was fabulous as well.

>71 Tess_W: Fiennes is my favorite Heathcliff and that's my favorite version too. I really want to say the Hardy one tho, as he met his future wife on that film set (she played Cathy) and I just love that. And plus, Hardy, but I digress… 😊

>76 pamelad: "The miserable old man genre" A new-to-me genre. Love it!

>78 VictoriaPL: I don't believe I have seen that one! Will have to watch. I have seen Heathcliff as portrayed by Fiennes, Laurence Olivier, and Ian McShane.

152. The Country Where No One Ever Dies by Ornela Vorpsi was a "description" of the country of Albania, written in novella form. I believe it was written in the stream of consciousness manner. The author describes, from her vantage point, scenes from daily life in Albania. I found it to be really creepy in spots, such as "my father kissed me on the lips and called me his good little whore." I neither liked nor disliked this book passionately, so I'm rating it 2.75 stars (average-), but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. 109 pages CAT: Because I Wanna/Geokit Europe

>81 Tess_W: This sounds less than appealing. Ismail Kadare is an Albanian writer worth reading. He won the first Man Booker International Prize.

>82 pamelad: I do have Kadare's Chronicle in Stone on my shelf, but went with the smaller page count....wrong choice! I will be reading Kadare at a later date.

153. The Two Baronesses by Hans Christian Andersen (in translation). This was one of Andersen's non fairytale works and seemed very mediocre. It was the story of Elisabeth, who loses her mother at birth and is "adopted" by a rich Baroness who expels her from her home as a very young girl for some trivial, petty infraction. The story continues until Elisabeth is married. The story takes place in Denmark during the 19th century. The story is probably about a 4, however, the story construction of writing ahead and then back-filling kept this reader always wondering what the heck was going on, netted it a 2. Therefore, my final rating is 3. I struggled to finish this novel. 370 pages. The ebook copy did not figure into my rating, but it was abominable with sections of pages out of order and obvious word insertions not in the same font as the original. CAT: Because I wanna/Geokit: Europe

154. The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen by Sharon Kramis. I have two cast iron skillets, one with a handle and the other a round baking type. I purchased this cookbook so that I would/could use my skillets more often with a variety of different foods. I can tell you that I will never bake cornbread again in anything but an iron skillet. I made at least 10 other recipes from this book so far including fried cherry cobbler, pork chops, brown sugar bacon and others. I also discovered (in writing, although I had experienced this) that iron skillets are not good for high acidic foods, such as spaghetti sauce, etc. 192 pages 5 stars CAT: Non-fiction

Since I won't get anymore read before Sept 1, here is August's round-up:

Books read: 18

Fav books:
Wuthering Heights
The Lioness of Morocco

Stinkers:
The Day of the Locust
The Country Where No One Ever Dies

I inherited several iron skillets and always use one for cornbread. And they last for generations.

155. Peter Ibbetson by George du Maruier was a mid 19th century novel . Peter moves from England to Paris where his new name is Pierre at the age of 5. His father is spaced-out, for some unknown reason. His mother was a very devoted wife and mother. When Pierre was 12 his father dies in an explosion and his mother dies a week later giving birth to a stillborn baby. A relative of Pierre's arrives from England to take custody of Pierre. The Colonel gives Peter his name, hence Peter Ibbetson. From there the book goes downhill quickly. Peter dreams each night (in between work and going back to Paris) I wasn't really sure what were dreams and what really happened; although Peter did die in prison while writing about the process of "real" dreaming. I was initially attracted to this book because the description said it contained 84 pencil sketches. However, the Kindle publication was missing these sketches. 220 pages 2.5 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

Back after a few days of R&R at Lake Erie. It had been about 10 years since we've gone to the lake and thought it was time we returned. It was tranquil because we went the week before Labor Day. So peaceful to just sit in the sun and listen to the waves hit the rocks. It was 70-75 degrees each day and sunny-the perfect weather! Besides lighthouses, the most interesting place we visited was The Confederate Stockade/Cemetery....literally hundreds of miles from any battles or action. Come to find out that Confederate officers were moved here because it was on an island--they couldn't escape easily and there were fewer guards needed. These officers were treated very well UNTIL--the Union learned about Andersonville, and then the officers' rations were cut in half and all medical care ceased. Many died. There are many more tales about this place! So interesting. Lived in Ohio all my life and never knew this place existed or its history.

156. Shadow of a Century by Jean Grainger This was an Irish love story told in two timelines--the "Irish Troubles" (1916-1919 in this book) and maybe 1980's. The two time lines converge at the end of the book. A good love story and a bit of history. 380 pages 4 stars CAT: Because I Wanna



Have had 2 family members from Florida since Aug. 23. They will be going home on Sept. 6.....then I can get back to reading! Love them to death (my husband's family), but fish and visitors..........

157. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Wow--this was so packed with profound ideas that I think I only absorbed and understood maybe 20% of the entire book. This is a book that needs read a chapter at a time with extensive note taking. To sum it up (and I will probably do it very badly), grace (God's unmerited favor) is not cheap. Bonhoffer believed the "church" had made grace just about lip service. I agree! Grace is difficult. How do you pay God back for what he has given or allowed you? I'm in awe of Bonhoffer, who was hanged by the Nazis in 1945. I will be rereading and studying this book more in detail at a later date. 322 pages 5 stars CAT: Non-fiction, Sept. History Cat: Religion/Philosopy/Law

158. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was the story of the birth and short-lived country of Biafra told through the lives of five main characters. The title was derived from the emblem of a half-sun on the country of Biafra's flag. This novel had a bit of a slow start, but for the most part was an evocative read. The last part was a bit shocking and disappointing--not the book--the situation. 433 pages 4.5 stars CAT: September Random Cat-Prize Winner--This won the Orange Prize in 2007; now called The Women's Prize for Fiction, 1001 BTRBYD, GeoKit-Africa

>91 Tess_W: Bonhoeffer's book is great. It's been a long time since I read it. Could you refresh my memory on how it fits the "history" part of the HistoryCAT?

>93 thornton37814: September's History Cat was: Religion/Philosophy/Politics/Law

And if one "knows" the history of the Nazi regime, this book is even more poignant. Bonhoeffer was telling the Germans that lip service to being a disciple was not good enough, that they had to live the Gospel, regardless the price...that it was supposed to "cost." I thought since he was a key member of the founding of the "confessional" church, this book would be appropriate. I wondered after I read it if Bonhoeffer had a notion of what life held for him? Would he have been inspired to write about "cheap grace" had he not been in the situation (historical) in which he found himself? I am sure this book was on the very fringes of the CAT, but it worked for me!

>94 Tess_W: I don't think it would work for me since the WWII stuff was contemporary to the author.

>95 thornton37814: Your definition applies to historical fiction, but seems very restrictive for non-fiction and could lead to eliminating primary sources as historical. But we're flexible on LT.

>95 thornton37814:
>96 pamelad:

The universities at which I teach usually set the limit at 50 years for something to become "historical", although I am aware that there is much debate on this issue. I included Bonhoeffer in this CAT because it was what a prominent leader of the "church" was thinking of at that time; almost 75 years ago. More than that, it is a non-fiction, primary source, so in most places, there are no time restrictions on primary sources.

>91 Tess_W: read Bonhoeffer in college for a class. Might be time for a refresher.

159. Ward Allen: Savannah River Market Hunter by Jack Cay. This was a short novella based on the true story of Ward Allen and Christmas Moultire, a freed slave. Ward and Christmas were friends from birth to death. I found it odd that the story takes place in the early 20th century and they refer to Christmas as a freed slave; he would have been freed regardless by 1864, at the latest. A good story about true friendship, but poor writing. 95 pages 3 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

160. The Girls, Alone: Six Days in Estonia by Bonnie Rough. This is the story of Bonnie in search of her roots, and maybe herself (she has writer's block). Bonnie and her friend spend time away from their children in Estonia trying to find Bonnie's roots. Bonnie did not find anything definitive. This book wasn't heavy laden with history or culture, but it provided me with just enough at just the right time. This was read with pamelad. 69 pages 4 stars CAT: Geokit: Europe.

161. What is Life Worth? by Kenneth Feinberg This was a non-fiction read that explained the difficult process that was derived at for compensating the victims of 911. Feinberg was asked by President Bush to head a committee to disburse the millions of dollars in relief money to the families of victims. Oh my, he ran into some unsolvable problems and was hailed as both a hero and a demon. There was no right or wrong side to this process; it was all just very personal and I understand that each person thought they had suffered more than the next. 241 pages 4 stars CAT: Non-fiction

162. The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier was a different, non-religious telling of purgatory. In Brockmeier's death sequence, when people died they went to a big city to live (in another dimension?). They lived until there was nobody else to remember them, then they passed into the next dimension, which was where Brockmeier's book ended. This was one of the oddest books I've read, neither odd good or odd bad! I had this both on Audible and Kindle. 272 pages 3.5 stars CAT: Scaredy-Kit-The Dead, Their Habits & Abodes

>103 Tess_W: I read very little science fiction but I liked this. There is also a book of short stories I like. Brockmeier lives not far from me, in Little Rock, and I've run across him through the years at book gatherings. He is very likeable.

>103 Tess_W: I've had this on my to-read list forever, so I've finally requested it from the library. The cover is unsettling!

>104 clue: very interesting!
>105 rabbitprincess: I think you will enjoy it!

163. Life with Father by Clarence Day is a semi-autobiographical story about a Wall Street stockbroker who is also an efficiency expert. He runs his family by a stop-watch and his well-intended schedules and processes don't always work and results in some hilarious situations. The man appears to be set in his ways and uber-strict, but really is an old softy underneath it all. I had read this about 40 years ago and came across it again at a church yard sale for just ten cents. I bought it, but the font was so small I could not read it and found it on Amazon as an ebook for ninety nine cents, again a great bargain! 140 pages 5 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

164. Move Over Darling by Marvin Albert was actually a book written after the movie was made in the 1960's. It's the story of a man whose wife is presumed and declared dead after a plane crash. However, she and another passenger are stranded on a desert island. When they are rescued the husband finds himself with two wives and some hilarious scenes unfold. 158 pages 4 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

165. Who Gets the Drumstick by Helen Beardsley was the story of Frank and Helen Beardsley's blended family of 19 children. Frank was in the Navy, but retired shortly after they were married. The story portrays a tough time of adjustment for the family, but in the end they seem to actually become one happy family. However, the eldest son also wrote a book (which I'm also going to read) that describes the "dark side" of Frank Beardsley and challenges the narrative of his mother's story. There is a movie based on this book, "Yours, Mine, and Ours" starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda, which I'm going to rent when I have a free couple of hours. 255 pages 4 stars CAT: Because I Wanna



The last 3 reads were syruppy nostalgia reads, I'm ready to move on!

>109 Tess_W: I loved that movie when I was a kid, possibly because it starred Lucille Ball.

166. Hunting Trips of a Ranchman: Sketches of Sport on the Northern Cattle Plains by Theodore Roosevelt. When Theodore Roosevelt's first wife died in childbirth at the end of Roosevelt's first term as president, he did not run again and instead purchased a ranch in the west and became a rancher and an avid hunter. This book told of those experiences, although most of the book was his time spent in pursuing white-tailed deer, elk, and mountain sheep. I think a hunter might have liked this book more than myself; but it wasn't awful. 346 pages 3 stars CAT: Non-Fiction

167. The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon by Sir Samuel Baker White and Theodore Roosevelt IV.

I have no idea why I had this book ( or book 166). I think I was enamored of Teddy's presidency and thought I should read more about him. I despise hunting, although I do eat meat and I realize animals are killed. This book was mainly about killing elephants and it was just awful! The writing was fine, I just found all the killing really depressing. And come to find out, this wasn't even Teddy Roosevelt, the president, but his son! This book definitely off to charity. 386 pages 2.5 stars CAT: Non-Fiction GeoKit: Asia

Hunting for food is one thing but I've never seen the attraction of big game hunting.

Just passing through to say Hi.

168. In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick. This was the Young Reader's edition that I listened to on Audible. I could have done without the first third of the book, the background of ships and whaling. Once the sperm whale did its damage, though, it was a fairly interesting story as men try to survive over 90 days in a small boat with food and water stores gone. They eventually turn to cannibalism. This was the story of the whaleship Essex. I would be quite surprised if young readers would in fact enjoy this--it was a bit dry. 338 pages 3 stars CAT: Sept. Genre Cat YA, non-fiction

>114 Tess_W: I liked it better with the "adult" version of the audio book.

169. The Battle with the Slum by Jacob Riis. This was Riis' non-fiction follow up to How the Other Half Lives (also alternately called "The Shame of the Cities.") In this book Riis argues that slums are generational and influences the home, the schools, and the community. Riis believes in the power of the written word to expose these conditions caused by political corruption and social "evils." He did not go into many of these social evils, but could not perceive at that time what I consider a big factor today: the chronic and pervasive drug problem. Riis makes a good case for the abolition of the slum by those who can well afford it. My favorite quote of this book and a theme throughout: "For it is one thing or the other; either wipe out the slum, or it wipes out us." Riis was considered a progressive muckraker. 234 pages 3 stars CAT: Non-fiction This was a free book on Kindle in 2015

I have taken a "breather" of sorts after completing The Federalist Papers, which was some of the most difficult reading, analytical wise, that I had done in some time. I'm ready to jump back into reading some famous American documents which I may or may not have read parts of previously. How did/am I going to choose? I simply went online and did a Google search "famous American documents." From there I created a list and then arranged that list chronologically. I will be taking notes on these documents and posting here as well as in written form in the same binder as I have The Federalist Papers.

170. The Mayflower Compact On Nov. 11, 1620, after 66 days at sea, 102 passengers landed on what is now Provincetown Harbor off Cape Cod. They were to have landed on the Hudson, where there was already a charter. Because of rough weather these "Pilgrims", technically 1/3 of them were Separatists, missed their original landing. Because it was winter they decided to stay. Before they got off the boat they signed a document, which became known as The Mayflower Compact. "We whose names are underwritten...doe by these presents solemnly & mutually in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather in a civill body politick." This was the Pilgrims' basis for self-government, based on the consent of the governed. It’s unclear who wrote the Mayflower Compact, but the well-educated Separatist and pastor William Brewster is usually given credit. 41/102 men signed the Compact (all the Separatists). I read this document (2 pages) on Project Gutenberg. CAT: Non-fiction

171. I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti was billed as a psychological thriller. However, I really didn't find this to be true. I found this book tedious and the plot, from the perspective of a 9 year old boy, quite unbelievable. The story got weaker as the book progressed. The ending was a big disappointment and I felt cheated. A book I would not recommend. 200 pages 2.5 stars CAT: Because I Wanna, 1001 Books, Geokit: Europe

Hi Tess- just popping by to say hello. You've had some good reads recently, sorry about the less-good ones though. At least they're off the shelf now :)

>103 Tess_W: I've seen this distinction between "living dead" (in memories of those who are still alive) and "dead dead" (old ancestors who become known as anecdotes and archetypes) in a few places now, and it is very interesting to see here in your thread too! I'm increasingly convinced there is something to that idea, culturally.

172. The Young Voyageurs by Mayne Reid was a young adult novel (probably specifically appealing to young men) about a group of 3 brothers who are making their way from the swamps of Louisiana to their uncle's trading post on the shores of the Arctic Sea. They of course, encounter all types of adventures from elk hunting to crazed wolverines to Native Americans. This wasn't a bad read, but I'm not a pre-adolescent boy! This book was really old and yellow (but with bigger font) so I'm assuming it was read by one of my sons who are now in their 40's. 242 pages 3.5 stars CAT: Sept. Genre -YA



ETA not sure if I have an abbreviated version or not. The LT info says 524 pages, Amazon says 242 (which mine is).

173. I usually don't like reading poetry....but I'm desperately trying to clear shelves...I read The Laughing Muse by Arthur Guiterman. This is a volume of poems that I think is a carry over from my undergrad days...that would be the early 1970's! Read it, time to go! My favorite poem was "The Cardinal Bird"--"he preaches with most unconventional glee, a sermon addressed to the squirrels and me..." I see that this is "rare" book now (yes, there are reprints), so I think instead of donating I will take it to the buy back shop and see what I can get for it---of course with money earned to buy more books?! CAT: Non-fiction 250 pages 3 stars

174. I keep clearing away books on a shelf--the "old" and the "quick" which is what I'm calling the effort. I read A Chant of Love for England by Helen Gray Cone, which is a book of poetry. My favorite poem from this book is probably "The Dandelions, which she likens to a "trooper band surprised the hill without a sound of warning"....and goes on to liken the blooming of the dandelion to an attack by soldiers. Very clever! 112 pages 3 stars CAT: Non-fiction Off to charity!

>120 pammab: that is very interesting!

>121 Tess_W: I read The Scalp Hunters by Mayne Reid a couple of years ago and found him a little too over-the-top for me. He obviously never let facts get in the way of his fiction!

>125 DeltaQueen50: I agree!

175. One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker The name of the book comes from a legend (prairie?) about planting; plant 4 seeds: one for the blackbird, one for the crow, one for the cutworm and one to grow. This is a story about homesteading on the prairies of Wyoming in the 1870's. Life is harsh! Each major character (4) has their own chapter/storyline/POV. A great tragedy throws two feuding families together when both of their menfolk are gone and winter is approaching. Besides being a character study, this is also a love-letter to the Wyoming prairie; beautiful, descriptive writing. 493 pages 5 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

176. The Radetsky March by Joseph Roth is an excellent time-period piece that covers the years 1860-1914. It chronicles 3 generations of the Trotta family (Austria) and also the Hapsburg Empire. Both are "old" and crumbling; neither can survive in the "new world." A very good piece of writing, but also very depressing. 355 pages 4.5 stars. I knocked 1/2 star off because the first chapter was very confusing! CAT: October-History- a country or region of your choice. Of course, I had to go down the rabbit hole of the history of the Radetsky March and listen to it several times on Youtube. I had heard it before, but would not have been able to identify it. I will read the next book on the same topic, The Emperor's Tomb in 2022. This is on the 1001 BYMRBYD list.

>128 Tess_W: Oh, that is such an earworm. The Wiener Philharmoniker always close their New Year's Concert with it and the audience is allowed to clap in time. And then there's that Bonduelle ad for canned corn, that always makes us sing along...

177. Primordial Earth by Baileigh Higgins was a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, time travel, thriller, all in one book of 182 pages! I'm sure this was written for the YA crowd. Rogue, an 18 year old, who was not "shifted" into an alternate universe (as her parents were), now finds herself in a land ruled by dinosaurs. I read this for the "Reading Through Time" September's read, which was pre-historic time travel--and I guess you could call it that, loosely! 3*

178. Of Plimouth Plantation by William Bradford. Bradford was among the 102 Separatists that landed in Plymouth in 1620. He was elected governor every year through 1647. I loved reading his first hand accounts of the Native Americans, the sicknesses, and the near-starvation like conditions. Bradford certainly had a Calvinist world view and that does creep in many times. However, I did not read the book to argue or debate theology. It's obvious that Bradford was a very learned man as he make references to Seneca and and previous French actions (which he does not explain) of selling weapons to the wrong country. I think all Americans should read this truthful account of the "Pilgrims." There are some amusing parts (to me), such as the trial of a 16 year old who had sex with a donkey, horses, a turkey, a cow, etc. Sadly, this young man was found guilty and executed. (this part was not funny) I feel this is a very honest rendering of conditions in Plimouth from 1620-1647. A very important primary source. 111 pages This was written in what is described as "Puritan Plain" language, although Bradford was not a Puritan. My guess is that he was educated by Puritans in England.

179. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer was a non-fiction read about the death of Christopher McCandless, which was from exposure. The author attempts to give us the "why" of McCandless' motivation(s) and psychology behind his choices. Krakauer does a good job in presenting the facts from all sides, while not bashing McCandless for his often arrogant and thoughtless choices. This book reads like a crime story, but the only crime was youthful missteps. A very good read. I have 3 books from this author and I hope the others are as interesting as this. 240 pages 4 stars CAT: Non-fiction, Reading through 50 states-Alaska, GeoKit: North America

180. The Second Empress by Michelle Moran was the historical fiction account of Empress Marie Louise from the time she is betrothed to Napoleon. This tale is told from three perspectives: 1) Marie Louise, 2)Paulene Bonaparte (Napoleon's VD riddled sister) 3) Paul--so called because Paulene insisted he be called this, a former slave from Haiti, serving as her chamberlain. The Bonapartes were certainly a dysfunctional family. I didn't learn many new things about Napoleon, but learned much about his family members, Josephine, and Prince Metternich. The story ends with Napoleon's death on St. Helena. This was a great read! 369 pages 4.5 stars CATS: France, Reading Through Time Napoleonic Era

Out with the old, in with the new.

September reads-25 (wow!) I think that's the most number of books I've ever read in a month

Best reads:
The Second Empress by Michelle Moran
The Radetsky March by Joseph Roth
Into the Wild by John Krakauer
One for the Blackbird One for the Crow
Of Plimouth Plantation

Stinkers:
I'm Not Scared
The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon
Peter Ibbetson
The Two Baronesses

Plans for October:
Finish Trials of Passion: Crimes in the Name of Love and Madness for Scaredy Kit

Blood Coins (Supernatural) for Genre Cat and Reading Through Time

>134 Tess_W: Wow, 25 books in one month! I'm impressed -- I think I only made it to 9 for September. Congrats on breaking your record! :)

>134 Tess_W: I made an effort to read books 200 pages or less, to get them off my shelves!

>127 Tess_W: I loved One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow too. I have her other two books on Kindle. I've started a list of books I want to read next year and have them both on it. According to reviews they will be as good as this one.

>133 Tess_W: I am so happy to see that you loved The Second Empress as I have it lined up to read in October. I was also happy to see praise for One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow as it's waiting patiently on my Kindle.

>138 DeltaQueen50: I think you will enjoy both!

181. Trials of Passion: Crimes in the Name of Love and Madness by Lisa Appignanesi Within this book are 3 non-fiction reads of famous murders and subsequent trials of those who chose to kill in the name of love: Christina Edmunds (British) and the Chocolate Cream Murders, Marie Biere (French) who only wounds her ex-lover, and Manhattan playboy Harry Thaw who kills his wife's lover, famed architect, Stanford White. This was a fairly interesting book, although I felt at times the author got side-tracked. 444 pages 4 stars KIT: Scaredy Kit October

182. The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon read by Kate Reading. Beautiful girl was placed in the " School for the Incurable and Feebleminded" by her family and forgotten; as were most of the other residents. (1968) This is a story of heartbreak but also resilience as well as some good luck. It was a good story even if a bit sappy at the end. 346 pages 4 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

183. Madame de Villeneuve's The Story of the Beauty and the Beast: The Original by Gabrielle-Suzanna Barbot de Villenueve Translated by J.R. Planche. This was much more convoluted that I had thought it would be, with all the main characters not really who they had thought they had been for their entire life. Nevertheless, a little better than average read. 153 pages 3.5 stars CAT: Classics-read an author in translation, Child/YA Reads (personal)

Just dropping in to say hello. You've had some great reading recently, and have been particularly productive reading 25 books in September!

>143 VivienneR: Hi, Vivienne! Yes, I have had some great reading! Hope you have, too!

184. I'm continuing my reading of great American documents--this time I've read about a dozen of Ben Franklin's writings. They are not contained within a book, but just preserved "papers", such as letters, newspaper articles, and journals. I read them online at https://franklinpapers.org/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=43&page=316.

My favorites, thus far, have been "My Arrival in Philadelphia" and "My Only Amusement." In the latter, Franklin contends that the library afforded him the means to his improvement and he set aside 1-2 hours each day to continue his education. Reading being the only amusement which he allowed himself. He claims to have spent no time in games, frolics, or taverns. He quotes King Solomon, "Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men." Franklin considered industry a means of obtaining wealth and distinction. At that time, he claims he never thought he would ever stand before kings; however, he stood in front of five, and sat down and dined with the King of Denmark. About 100+ pages CAT: Non-fiction.

185. Poems, by William Cullen Bryant by William Cullen Bryant. I've been in a poetry mood of late. I'm not a real poetry fan, per say. However, I do have some on my shelves, and if not now, then when? (!) This book of poetry was larger than most and took some thoughtfulness when reading. (Not something I want to do these days). However, I chunked it and read it over the course of 2-3 weeks. Bryant writes primarily about nature. My favorite poems were "To a Waterfowl", "March", and "The Planting of the Apple Tree." This book was a pre-1923 reproduction. 312 pages 3 stars CAT: Non-fiction

"March": "OH March! we know thou art kind-hearted, spite of ugly looks and threats, and, out of sight, art nursing April's violets."

186. Frog Music by Emma Donoghue This was advertised as a book about life in San Francisco for a French burlesque dancer (who was really a prostitute) coupled with a murder mystery. The characters were unpleasant. It was basically the story of a burlesque dancer engaging in all kinds of sex with both men and women--tedious and boring. I listened to the audio book and the reading, especially the part of Jenny, was horrific. I can't find anything redeeming about this book. A waste of my time. The title refers to a derogatory word for "French." 422 pages 2.5 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

>147 Tess_W: I have had this one on my TBR pile for ages. Since I have other books by this author that hopefully are better, perhaps I will now just send this one along to the second hand store.

>148 DeltaQueen50: Oh, I would hate that, just on my say so. On LT, the average rating is 3.63, so in general, other readers have liked it more than I.

187. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. I read this because it was a "classic", although I'm unsure why. This was a story of an "unconventional" teacher of impressionable girls ages 10-14ish at a junior school in Scotland. To be honest, I did not like the character of Miss Brodie. If found her to be cruel and crude. She blatantly and unabashedly picked favorites and ridiculed others. As to the writing, the narrative was exceedingly choppy switching from reminiscences to daydreams to current dialogue to future scenes at lightning speed. Not a fan of the story or the writing. Good thing it was not a long book or I would have abandoned it. 144 pages 2.5 stars CAT: Classics--read a new to you author, 1001 BYMRBYD

188. The Loyal Wife by Natalie Barelli. This was billed as a psychological thriller and I would concur, up to a point. It was the story of a woman, 2nd wife to Mike, a mover and shaker, politically. Mike has an affair, and his wife helps with the cover up. She thought she was helping her husband. Later in the story she seeks revenge; but soon realizes that digging a grave for one’s enemy is also digging one for yourself. The dialogue was brief and the vocabulary small; now what I would suspect of politicians and businessmen with MBA’s. 272 pages 3.75 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

189. Immortal Plague by Aiden James was the story of William Barrow, aka Judas Iscariot. Seems Judas is immortal and has come back to earth to collect the 30 pieces of silver. This book was his quest for coin #22 and took him to Teheran and The Garden of Eden. I will say the author was witty with words; but this book is way out of anything I would ever want to read, but I did! There about 7 other books in the series, and if forced to read another supernatural or fantasy book again, I would read book 2! 195 pages 3 stars CAT: October Genre Cat-Supernatural October -RTT Supernatural I got the first 3 books free in 2015 on Kindle first reads.

190. Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan C. Slaght was a non-fiction read in which the author recounts his quest to identify, tag, and create a conservation program for Frog Owls, the largest species of owls. These owls reside mostly in northeast Russia, Japan, and Korea. This PhD. research project was not without its problems, primarily being that the tagging transmitters did not work in spite of having a high price tag. This was a very interesting look at how one scientist tried to stave off the extinction of this owl, which is on the endangered list. 370 pages 5 stars CAT: Non-fiction

>152 Tess_W: I've just gone to add this to my wishlist to find it was already there! This is obviously not the first time a BB has hit the target!

>153 Jackie_K: I hope you enjoy!

I have a lot of Kindle singles that I purchased in 2015 when they were $.99--bogo! I purchased mostly spooky or Halloween reads as they are something that I would not spend a lot of time reading, but are nice to read in the fall. Hence, my first two reads:

191. The Damned Thing by Ambrose Bierce A fatal wild animal attack, or was it?

192. Dagon by H.P. Lovecraft Man meets fish and morphine.

193. The Horror of the Heights by Arthur Conan Doyle Told through a blood-stained notebook...what happens after 30,000 feet.

194. The Descendant by H.P. Lovecraft No wonder this didn't make sense to me, it's a fragment of an unfinished story that takes place when the protagonist observes a "weird" man in London who has a necronomicon---I had to look it up--a book of the dead.

195. The Cats of Ulthar by HP Lovecraft Bad kitties!

196. The Evil Clergyman by HP Lovecraft First person narrator enters an attic and what he finds is gruesome.

197. He by HP Lovecraft This was a free Kindle book in 2015. The narrator of the story is shown a city by a magician. Is it the past or the future?

OK...Done with my "Halloween" reads for this year!

198. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou was the author's coming of age story in the deep south in the 1920's. She certainly is a good writer. That being, said, I think an inordinate amount of time was spent on vividly describing rape, sexual exploration, and how Maya becomes pregnant at age 17. I know that the rape of an 8 year old is traumatic and can color the rest of their life, however, that's not my complaint. My complaint is with the explicit descriptions. Some might argue they are necessary, but I would argue they are not. I listened to this book on Audible, read by the author. Ms. Angelou had a thick, slow, voice that exhibited little or no emotion. 10 hours 11 mins=321 pages 3 stars CAT: Classics /Read a classic with an animal in the title.

You've covered a lot of ground in your recent reading!

I've made a note of that version of Beauty and the Beast and also Owls of the Eastern Ice. My local library doesn't have them but they are available for Kindle so I might get to them someday.

Unfortunately I have been having great back and hip pain; pain all the way down to my big toe! I had a back/hip xray and they say there is arthritis, but not so bad to be causing that much pain. On to an MRI next! That being said, I can barely move, so getting lots of reading done! Hard to focus sometimes, though, as the pain is so bad! Dr. said just take Tylenol, which does nothing!

199. Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville translated by Mansfield & Winthrop) I started this book sometime ago as part of my "US Famous Historical Documents/Books" read. This book seemed overwhelming; I'm not sure of de Tocqueville's thesis, so it was a bit difficult to figure out where he was going; and that is important to me when I read a non-fiction or historical document. My favorite parts were his observations on politicians, specifically Daniel Boone and Andrew Jackson, both of whom he found illiterate and unfit for office. de Tocqueville was also astounded at the "equality" he found in America. Everybody shaking hands, sitting in church together, and walking down the same street. Although in America in 1837 slaves, Native Americans, and women certainly were not equal, de Tocqueville certainly found it much different that the stratified classes of France. He also studied the US Constitution and warned against the tyranny of the majority. I think de Tocqueville got that wrong, in the US we have the tyranny of the minority. Although there was much repetition, I found this to be a thought provoking reading. 722 pages 4 stars

200. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I read this to cover 2 group challenges. I'm not a fantasy or sci-fi fan at all and this book just confirms it again! To me, this was an inane story about a floating castle, inept spell casters, and a very predictable ending. Thanks, but no thanks! 205 pages 2.5 stars CAT: Nov Genre Cat

>158 Tess_W: Very sorry to hear that you are in so much pain, Tess. Would physiotherapy be worth trying in the short term?

>160 pamelad: TY, Pam. Yes, the Dr. has given me stretching exercises until I can get an MRI. He doesn't want therapy until he knows what he's working with!

201. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough was as usual, an excellent slice of history from this author. This was my least favorite of the ones I've read (John Adams, 1776 and The Pioneers.) This is because the scope was so large. The time period was 1837-1867. There were at least 100+ famous and not so famous Americans that traveled to Paris for various reasons, some just to travel, some to learn, study, etc. Then there were the Paris personages...then there were many "back" stories from America and what happened to some of these people once they left Paris. I would have preferred to follow 5-6 in detail instead of such a plethora. However, other than a cast of hundreds, this book was very good. I think my favorite story was of Samuel Morse, frustrated painter turned inventor of the telegraph. I listened to this as on audio and was ready to quit after chapter 1--read by the author. He was so bad! However, the remaining chapters were read by Edward Herrmann, a very good reader. 16 hrs 50 minutes=658 pages. 4 stars CAT: November History Cat/Event (though it happened over 30 years)

Sorry to hear about the back trouble, I hope the MRI is scheduled soon and you get some relief.

>162 clue: TY!

>158 Tess_W: Sorry to hear about the pain! I had a friend who had sciatica and swore by acupuncture, for whatever that's worth (I'm sure it's on your radar screen). I hope they're able to help with it soon!

>156 Tess_W: I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings much too young to really "get it" -- but I got enough to have the sense that I'd probably be depressed for ages if I reread it now, and to see why it is a classic.

>158 Tess_W: Wishing you a speedy diagnosis and pain relief! Not knowing what is wrong is the worst part of it.

>158 Tess_W: Echoing the others, I hope they figure out quickly what the problem is and what to do about it, and in the meantime that you are not in too much pain.

There's little that's worse than back pain, it seems impossible to get away from. Hope the stretches help (I swear by twists and glute stretches for mine) and that the MRI shows up something helpful.

Sorry to hear about your back pain, hopefully they will figure out what the problem is and be able to offer some help.

Thanks all--back pain still there, it comes and goes, mostly comes! I will have an MRI next week.

202. The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for David Kertzer. This book challenged the accepted narrative that the Italian Catholic Church fought courageously against Mussolini and the Fascists. The author's thesis rests on newly released materials (2011) which paint Pius XI as a not so benign contributor to the rise of Fascism in Italy in the 1920's and 1930's. It began when Pius took a trip to Poland and saw how the Poles were treated by the Bolsheviks. He then was an avowed anti-communist and thought Fascism would be better than communism. Weird truce-like state between Mussolini (atheist) and Pius, which Pius came to regret and was in the process of trying to withdraw the church from this alliance when he died. The author also argues that the Italians have been very good at revisionist history, denying any alliance between the clergy and Mussolini. Great read, if you are interested in history. 592 pages 4 stars CAT: Non-fiction

203. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier was the story of a wounded/deserted Confederate soldier from his escape from a hospital back to his beloved, which he will not see for 4 years. It was a perilous journey. Very sentimental and very coincidental. The author read his own book--and he was fairly bad! 14 hours 57 mins=366 pages. 3 stars (average-in this case mediocre) CAT: Because I Wanna

>170 Tess_W: Funnily enough I was thinking about that book recently - I bought it after seeing the film (mid-2000s I'm thinking? Starring Jude Law and Nicole Kidman), but have never got round to reading it. The more I think of the film - which I enjoyed at the time, but have increasingly become more of a wimp since then - the more I think I wouldn't be able to finish the book. The film didn't strike me as sentimental (apart from the ending), and some of the violence of the war was pretty explicitly shown. If I can find it in the jungle that is my current fiction bookshelf I'm thinking of adding it to the pile to take to Barter Books next time we're down that way. It would be the first unread or non-duplicate book to go in the pile - I must be getting old, I used to be such a completer!

>171 Jackie_K: I'm really not interested in the movie! I'm not a Kidman fan.

Off to Pittsburgh to spend a weekend with friends. No reading!

Have fun!

Have a good trip!

>173 Tess_W: Woohoo, traveling! I'm still not doing that. Very curious how it goes -- hope you have a great time!

Thanks all! Even though it rained the entire weekend and was cold, it still felt good!

>176 pammab: It was only about 3 hours from my house. I stayed in a hotel and we went to a museum (masks on), a bookstore (masks on), and a historic battlefield (masks on inside)....and we ate and talked a lot! It was all good! I only bought one book--the 2nd in the Miss Read series, Chronicles of Fairacre. (the omnibus--3 books)

204. The Man From Berlin by Luke McCallin is the first in a series of books featuring Capt. Gregor Reinhardt. Reinhardt is an iron cross medalist from the Great War, where he was injured. On returning home he went to work for the Kripo (Berlin Police) and then the Abwehr (German military intelligence). Reinhardt is called to Sarejevo where another German military intelligence officer has been murdered along with a famous German female journalist; everybody's darling. Reinhardt has to contend with those who don't like him from the war and the police work, communists, partisans, Ustase, Croats, Serbs, Bosnians, Feldgendarmerie, and the SS. It was a real crime thriller. The first few chapters were a bit confusing in trying to keep all those organizations sorted and who worked for who, but it fell into place. I will read more of Capt. Gregor Reinhardt in the future. 426 pages 4 stars CAT: Because I Wanna

205. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. The year is 1810 and the location is Lyme, England. A brother and sister make a remarkable fossil find. This leads schemers and those that are sincere to "befriend" the family. The story centers on Mary, the fossil hunter, poor and uneducated and Elizabeth, more educated and genteel, who collects fish skeletons. Their love of fossils brings these two together in an unlikely and difficult friendship. 352 pages 3.5 stars. CAT: Because I Wanna Chevalier is one of my favorite authors, but this book doesn't seem as tightly written as her other works; but still enjoyable.

>179 Tess_W: I read Remarkable Creatures a couple of years ago but I can't remember much about it. Your 3.5 stars sounds reasonable.

I hope you get the MRI soon and find the cause of the pain. There is nothing worse than back pain. I hope all your hard-on-the-back gardening is done.

>180 VivienneR: Thank you, Vivienne. Thankfully, all gardening for this year is done, except cutting back a few plants.

206. The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson was a non-fiction read about said fish. I thought being a non-fiction it would have some substance, but not so much. It seemed to be a mere musing about many topics, maybe 60% eels. There were parts on the dodo bird, Rachel Carson, Vitus Bering, and various other topics. If you want a lot of concrete information about eels, don't read this one! 256 pages 2 stars CAT: Non-fiction