thornton37814's 1010 challenge

I've decided that I should be able to read books in 10 categories for 2010, so I've decided to join. I'll have separate threads for each of my 10 categories.

Category 1: The Food Network - These will be books where food or drink plays an important part in the plot. There may be some fiction and some non-fiction here. I expect to have some coffee shop and tea shop mysteries that may also fit this category.

1. Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs - read 9 January 2010
2. Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson - completed 7 February 2010
3. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister - completed 9 February 2010
4. The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs - completed 9 March 2010
5. A Healthy Place to Die by Peter King - completed 28 April 2010
6. Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay - completed 24 May 2010
7. Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams - completed 8 Aug 2010
8. Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin - completed 27 October 2010
9. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle - completed 31 October 2010
10. Dead as a Scone by Ron Benrey and Janet Benrey (no working touchstone) - completed 2 December 2010

Category 2: One More Stitch - This is inspired by the name of my favorite needlework shop in my home town. Books in this category will feature some type of needlework such as cross-stitch, knitting, or crocheting.

1. Thai Die by Monica Ferris - completed 15 Jan 2010
2. Abbie in Stitches by Cynthia Cotten - completed 3 February 2010
3. Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman - completed 22 February 2010
4. Knitting Bones by Monica Ferris - completed 3 April 2010
5. Knit in Comfort by Isabel Sharpe - completed 15 May 2010
6. Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger - completed 3 Sep 2010
7. Patterns in the Sand by Sally Goldenbaum -- completed 6 October 2010
8. With Willing Hands: Living in Harmony with God's Plan by Cathy Butler - completed 21 October 2010
9. The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini - completed 11 November 2010
10. Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini - completed 22 December 2010

Category 3: The Melting Pot - America was called a melting point because of the many ethnic groups that comprise its population. This category will feature reads, fiction and non-fiction, embracing ethnic groups in their own countries or in another country.

1. The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu - completed 11 January 2010
2. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones - completed 24 January 2010
3. A Watery Grave by Joan Druett - completed 30 January 2010
4. The Bread of Angels by Stephanie Saldana - completed 2 April 2010
5. In Search of Ulster-Scots Land: The Birth and Geotheological Imagings of a Transatlantic People, 1603-1703 by Barry Aron Vann - completed 19 April 2010
6. Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin - completed 18 May 2010
7. Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson - completed 31 May 2010
8. A Historical Tour of the Holy Land by Beryl Ratzer - completed 9 Aug 2010
9. Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson - completed 30 Aug 2010
10. We Were Europeans by Werner M. Loval - completed 11 Nov 2010

Category 4: New England Leaf Tour - Books with a New England setting, both fiction and non-fiction.

1. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - completed 11 Feb 2010
2. Site Unseen by Dana Cameron - completed 17 Feb 2010
3. The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell - completed 27 Feb 2010
4. The Secret Ingredient Murders by Nancy Pickard - completed 20 Mar 2010
5. Lyndon: Gem in the Green by Venila Lovina Shores - completed 15 May 2010
6. Emily Dickinson Is Dead by Jane Langton - completed 12 September 2010
7. Quieter Than Sleep by Joanne Dobson - completed 24 September 2010
8. The Cemetery Yew by Cynthia Riggs - completed 17 October 2010
9. The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block - completed 8 November 2010
10. The Body in the Moonlight by Katherine Hall Page - completed 18 December 2010

Category 5: Caribbean Cruise - Books featuring a Caribbean setting, both fiction and non-fiction.

1. Abeng by Michelle Cliff - read 1/5/2010
2. A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie - completed 5/7/2010
3. Tales of Old Jamaica by Clinton V. Black - read 29 July 2010
4. A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid - read 14 Aug 2010
5. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - completed 12 September 2010
6. An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof - completed 21 September 2010
7. Pirates of the West Indies by Clinton V. Black - completed 23 October 2010
8. Mr. Potter by Jamaica Kincaid - completed 13 November 2010
9. Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking by Jessica B. Harris - completed 2 December 2010
10. Jamaican Me Crazy by Debbie DiGiovanni - completed 9 December 2010

Category 6: The Sound of Music - Books involving music in the plot or non-fiction books on music.

1. Death a La Fenice by Donna Leon - completed 13 Mar 2010
2. The Line by Olga Grushin - completed 25 July 2010
3. The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax - completed 6 Aug 2010
4. Buried in Quilts by Sara Hoskinson Frommer - completed 10 Aug 2010
5. C. B. Greenfield: The Tanglewood Murder by Lucille Kallen - completed 24 Aug 2010
6. Paganini's Ghost by Paul Adam - completed 7 September 2010
7. Requiem in Vienna by J. Sydney Jones - completed 11 September 2010
8. Murder Boogies with Elvis by Anne George - completed 9 October 2010
9. Divine Inspiration by Jane Langton - completed 26 November 2010
10. The Piano Teacher by Lynn York - completed 13 December 2010

Category 7: The Weather Channel - Books in which weather plays a factor, such as books with a snowy setting or a hurricane. Again -- fiction or non-fiction can count.

1. Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman - completed 29 May 2010
2. Vanished Mississippi Gulf Coast by Jim Fraiser - completed 10 July 2010
3. Wrecked: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Higgins Clark - completed 21 July 2010
4. Island in the Storm: Sullivan's Island and Hurricane Hugo by Jamie W. Moore and Dorothy Perrin Moore - completed 7 Aug 2010
5. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard - completed 12 Aug 2010
6. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny - completed 14 Aug 2010
7. Damaged by Alex Kava - completed 26 Aug 2010
8. Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton - completed 13 October 2010
9. Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll - completed 17 November 2010
10. Tempting Evil by Allison Brennan - completed 7 December 2010

Category 8: All Things Southern - Books featuring a setting in the Southern United States, fiction and non-fiction. (I just purchased a huge stash of histories of counties in North Carolina, and I have several Southern fictional titles in my to be read pile.)

1. Ford County: stories by John Grisham - completed 8 January 2010
2. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver - completed 21 January 2010
3. The Highly Effective Detective by Richard Yancey - completed 26 April 2010
4. Civil Blood by Ann McMillan - completed 5 June 2010
5. The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips -completed 19 June 2010
6. The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb - completed 23 June 2010
7. Native American Place Names in Mississippi by Keith A. Baca - completed 26 June 2010
8. Middling Folk: Three Seas, Three Centuries, One Scots-Irish Family by Linda H. Matthews - completed 30 September 2010
9. Sins of the Fathers by Patricia Sprinkle - completed 4 November 2010
10. Murder on the Candlelight Tour by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter - completed 27 November 2010

Category 9: It's the Holiday Season - Books with a holiday setting. I anticipate that most of these will be fictional, but there may be one or two that are non-fiction.

1. This Pen for Hire by Laura Levine - features a murder on Valentine's Day; completed 3 February 2010
2. The Flag, the Poet and the Song by Irvin Molotsky - completed 5 July 2010
3. Bon Bon Voyage by Nancy Fairbanks - completed 7 July 2010
4. Slay Bells by Kate Kingsbury - completed 20 July 2010
5. The Christmas Garden Affair by Ann Ripley - completed 28 July 2010
6. Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier - completed 1 October 2010
7. Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie - completed 23 October 2010
8. Gingerbread Cookie Murder with novellas by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier - completed 4 December 2010
9. A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit by Mike Huckabee - completed 13 December 2010
10. No Clue at the Inn by Kate Kingsbury - completed 25 December 2010

Category 10: Whodunit - Mysteries that don't fit some of the above categories. This is my favorite fictional genre.

1. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny - Mostly set in Quebec. 1/4/2010
2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - completed 2/3/2010
3. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall by Carolyn Keene - completed 20 Feb 2010
4. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie - completed 28 Feb 2010
5. Haunted Ground by Erin Hart - completed 5 March 2010
6. Jelly's Gold by David Housewright - completed 29 May 2010
7. Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger - completed 29 June 2010
8. Blue Heaven by C. J. Box - completed 10 July 2010
9. The Cruel Stars of the Night by Kjell Eriksson - completed 18 July 2010
10. Death of a Sunday Writer by Eric Wright - completed 14 September 2010
11. A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow - completed 19 September 2010

Lori,

I'm curious about category 2 - are these books with needlework backgrounds or actually needlework books? I have one on my list that is set in a knitting shop - that what you mean?

I think your categories sound more interesting than my own!!

I'm especially looking forward to your Weather Channel category. I read an occasional meteorology book but have never thought of focusing on fiction involving the weather.

> 12 Needlework - I'm thinking about books such as Monica Ferris' Betsy Devonshire novels featuring a needlework shop owner, Maggie Sefton's knitting mysteries, Betty Hechtman's crochet mysteries (I have one in my to be read pile but have never read it), Mary Kruger's Died in the Wool (which is in my to be read pile), etc. I have a few other needlework fiction titles in my wish list. Not all are necessarily mysteries although the ones I've mentioned above are.

> 13 Linda, I think that I can find some where people get snowed in or where there's a hurricane involved. I've read some of those before. I do like non-fiction books about weather as well, so I decided to include it.

#15, I bet that, if I thought about it, I can come up with a bunch, especially ones involving mysteries.

C.S. Challinor's Christmas Is Murder involved people getting snowed in.

Have you ever read Philip R. Craig? His mysteries set on Martha's Vineyard were among my favorites. When I think of "New England mystery" I think of him.

> 16 Linda, I have read some of his mysteries. I love Sarah Stewart Taylor's mysteries. She only wrote four of them. I wish there were a few more! Of course, the Katherine Hall Page mysteries are usually in Massachusetts or Maine (although there's an occasional New York and one European setting which strays from New England). I've found a few other series with a New England setting. I've tried some of P. B. Ryan's series set in Boston, but I've not really enjoyed any of the ones I've read. I also have a lot of non-fiction set in New England.

I've just completed my first book for the challenge which falls into my 10th category ("Whodunit"). It is The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny.

Would Leonie Swann's excellent sheep mystery, Three Bags Full count as a needlework mystery? Sheep have wool, which is often made into embroidery thread?

I really enjoy the Justin Scott series of Ben Abbott mysteries, HardScape, StoneDust, McMansion, etc. They are set in a small Connecticut town.

(edited due to pesky touchstones)

>19 RidgewayGirl: You could probably stretch it to include that one. I read it a couple of years ago at our library. I don't remember if that was before or after I started reviewing books on LibraryThing. I may not have been including library book reads at that point either yet.

>20 owlie13: I'll have to check those out sometime. I'm involved in a 50 states challenge also, but I've already read a couple of books with Connecticut settings for it. I can, however, count them toward this, but I have quite a stash of New England reads in my TBR pile.

Ken Follett wrote a book that revolves around a blizzard -- Whiteout, I think it's called.

I've just read Abeng by Michelle Cliff which is set in Jamaica. This one fits my Caribbean Cruise category.

My "All Things Southern" category has its first entry: Ford County: stories by John Grisham.

I just posted my first read in the "Food Network" category. It was Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs. This was the first in her Cackleberry Club series that is set in a diner/tea room/knitting shop/bookstore. Lots of references to food. I might have to try the cherry pie muffins.

Well, you will clearly have to make the cherry pie muffins and then report back to us, including pictures and a bite by bite summary of the proceedings.

I am not a fan of cozies, but that is an excellent title.

#25 I love her tea shop mysteries but haven't read anything in the Cackleberry Club series.

The second one in the series is called, I think, Eggs Benedict Arnold.

I'm beginning to think that your thread could be dangerous for me.

I have read several of the Monica Ferris' Betsy Devonshire novels and have a few more on my list this year, am planning on starting the Maggie Sefton's knitting mysteries as well as the Betty Hechtman's crochet mysteries and Mary Kruger's Died in the Wool - they all go into my crafts in the background category. We appear to have similar tastes. I also have read Eggs in Purgatory and have Eggs Benedict Arnold waiting in the wings.

>28 cyderry: I've seen matches with you on several occasions when I've added books. I don't like the Maggie Sefton books as well as some of the others. In fact, I probably liked the first book in the series the best of all of them.

>27 lindapanzo: I finally found a copy of Eggs in Purgatory at the used bookstore. I'd looked for it quite a few times before finally running across a copy. I still prefer Theodosia, Drayton, and Hailey, but I'm willing to see how the series progresses in the next installment.

I've picked up Maggie Sefton twice and couldn't advance very far in either. I love cozies and read dozens of them each year but I think I'm just not going to try to read any Sefton books anymore.

I just completed reading the first book in my "Melting Pot" category, Dinaw Mengestu's The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears.

The first book in my "One More Stitch" category is Thai Die by Monica Ferris. It's not as strong as other books in the series but it was an enjoyable and light read.

there's a series of cozy mysteries by Leslie Meier which is set around all types of holidays - i.e. St Patrick, Valentine's, Mothers, etc. , have you seen those?

>33 cyderry:. Yes. I plan to read a few of the themed ones. I've read a few of Meier's works in the past. She's not my favorite author, but I had thought of the ones in my to be read piles that I do have of hers when I posted that category.

I struggled with a category for The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. I decided that it seemed to fit my "All Things Southern" category better than the "Melting Pot" category. About half of the book is set in Mexico and half in the United States, primarily in North Carolina. The main character Harrison Shepherd was the son of a Mexican woman and an American father. Harrison spent most of his childhood in Mexico with the exception of one year where he attended a military school in the United States near his father in D.C. He went back to Mexico and lived there for some time until his employer enabled him to escape Mexico by delivering some photos to a gallery. He ended up in Asheville, North Carolina where he became a novelist during the "Red Scare" era.

I just read a book for which I have no category in which to place it. The book was Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones. It's the first fictional book that I remember reading with a Papua New Guinea setting. It's a great book embracing the power of language and literature.

Couldn't you put it in the Melting Pot?

>37 cyderry: I suppose it might fit somewhat since the main character does immigrate to Australia later in the story. Good suggestion. I think I'll add it there.

I read one of my SantaThing books. It was A Watery Grave by Joan Druett. My review can be found on the work's page. I'm using it in my "Melting Pot" category because the sleuth is part-Maori and spent the first years of his life in New Zealand before coming to the United States. There are enough Maori cultural elements in the book to justify its inclusion in that category.

Hmmm, a New England category? Why didn't I think of that? I'll have to remember it for next year. And thanks, I'll be looking for Laura Childs.

Although this book is not completely a mystery, "Whodunit" is the best category that I have which fits Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind. I read it for the Europe Endless Challenge as my book for Spain. It's set in Barcelona and has a "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" that I'd love to explore myself.

While looking through to be read books this afternoon, I found a mystery where the murder occurred on Valentine's Day. I decided to take it out to fill the first spot in my "It's the Holiday Season" category. Laura Levine's This Pen for Hire features sleuth Jaine Austen. It's a cross between chick lit and a cozy mystery. I loved the humor in the book, but I didn't like the sleuth that well. She suspected person after person until she finally came to the right conclusion. I had read a novella by the author in a Christmas collection a couple of years ago and liked the novella well enough to purchase the first book in the series. Unfortunately with so many good books out there, I probably won't be reading further installments in the series.

I have to confess that I almost feel like I'm cheating to count this one, but it fits one of my categories. Abbie in Stitches by Cynthia Cotten has been added to my "One More Stitch" category. It's a picture book about a young girl who would rather be reading than stitching a sampler. The book had been on my wish list for a long time, and I found a used copy in excellent condition at a great price and ordered it. I love counted cross stitch, and I love reading, so it's a picture book that I want to keep!

I just read a book that could have easily gone into four of my categories -- "Food Network," "It's the Holiday Season," "Weather Channel," or "Whodunit." I chose to add it to the Food Network because the sleuth is a caterer and that's where I expected to classify it when I picked it up to read. I think I'm really burning out on Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Schulz series. Sweet Revenge was a little too long, especially for a Christmas mystery. This installment reminded me of a soap opera where they keep bringing back supposedly dead characters. You need to read the previous novels in the series to avoid spoilers if you haven't read the prior ones.

Another book in my "Food Network" category: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. Lillian, who learned to cook at an early age runs a cooking school one Monday night per months. Each student brings his or her own issues to the class, and Lillian finds a way through cooking to meet each need. I think my expectations were too high for this book. I enjoyed Lillian's story, but I found myself enjoying the book less and less as it progressed through the various stories on the students. The book read more like a collection of short stories with the common thread of Lillian. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

Thanks for the review. I was going to go to a book signing for this two weeks ago but relatives dropped in for that night. Sounds like I shouldn't be too heartbroken.

>46 mstrust: You might enjoy it. I seem to be in the minority when you read the other reviews.

I added my first book in the "New England Leaf Tour" category. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout is set in the town of Crosby. I did not feel a sense of connection with Olive or most of the other characters in the book. Even though it is well-written, it's not one that I'm likely to revisit.

>48 thornton37814: There probably have been others, but your comments are the first I've seen that haven't been high praise for Olive Kitteridge. Good for me, I think, since now I won't start it with too high expectations. I did have it right at the top of the tbr stack, but it's gotten moved down, partially because of the author chats this month. Maybe soon...

I added my second book in the "New England Leaf Tour" category. I really enjoyed Site Unseen by Dana Cameron. It features archaeologist/amateur sleuth Emma Fielding. She's in the tenure process at a local college and is hoping that her summer dig project at Fort Providence, a site which predates Jamestown, will earn it for her. She encounters a body and other obstacles. I enjoyed this book very much. I had read a later book in the series once and had not been as impressed, but this first one is a winner. I especially liked the fact that for once a cozy mystery writer refrained from depicting the local sheriff as a buffoon.

That looks like a good one. Thanks!

I received Carolyn Keene's The Ghost of Blackwood Hall through member giveaway. I missed out on most Nancy Drew books growing up because I had older brothers and read their Hardy Boys books instead. I still prefer the Hardy Boys as sleuths. There were several elements of the book itself that are dated by today's standards. It's also difficult to imagine Nancy's father or the police encouraging her to become involved in investigations. This book would be most enjoyed by middle school age girls.

Number 3 in my "One More Stitch" category is a crochet mystery called Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman. I've had the book in a to-be-read stack for a couple of years. Since it was the first in the series, there were a lot of new characters to take in. I really didn't immediately connect with any of them, but I eventually grew more comfortable with them. One thing I disliked about the book was its setting in the greater Los Angeles area. I think this sort of series would have benefited from a more rural setting. On the other hand there were a few things to commend including the way Molly's boyfriend (a police officer who would have been assigned the case) removed himself from it. I liked it well enough to give the second in the series a try. 3 stars.

I have this one on my list to read this year. I'll keep an eye out to see if I have the same difficulties or feelings. Thanks for the update.

My third book in the "New England Leaf Tour" category is The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell. My review is here.

My fourth "Whodunit" is Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie. Her series featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James have become some of my favorite mysteries. This installment was not a disappointment. My review is here.

I'm glad I didn't attach quotas to my categories because "Whodunit" is rapidly growing! I just completed Haunted Ground by Erin Hart. It was a very interesting first in a series featuring archaeologist Cormac Maguire and pathologist Nora Gavin. They are called to investigate when a bog body (or "bog head" as it turned out to be) is discovered when the locals are cutting some peat by hand in the bog. There's also a modern mystery involving the disappearance of a mother and child. It was, overall, a very satisfying read. My review is here.

Another addition for my "Food Network" category: The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs. This is probably my favorite cozy mystery series. I love my visits with Theodosia, Drayton, and Haley at the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston. In this installment, Theodosia witnesses a murder of a nearby shopkeeper and friend in the alley behind their shops. Could Theodosia have been the intended victim? Plenty of suspects, lots of great food and tea. The best cozy I've read in awhile.

I've just read the first book for my "Sound of Music" category. It was Death a La Fenice by Donna Leon. In this book set in Venice, Commissario Guido Brunetti must find who is responsible for the death of a famed conductor who dies of cyanide poisoning following the second act of the opera he is conducting. I enjoyed this book, but I haven't quite developed the attachment to the investigator that one often develops with serialized mysteries. I do want to read further installments to see how the author develops Brunetti's character over time.

You are in for a treat - Brunetti definitely gets better and better!

I'm glad to hear that, cyderry!

I've just completed reading The Secret Ingredient Murders by Nancy Pickard which would actually fit three categories for me. It would fit "The Weather Channel" which is a still empty category for me because one of the characters is a very passionate television meteorologist and there's a storm brewing off the coast. It would fit "The Food Network" because the amateur sleuth and the victim were co-writing a cookbook and because a cookbook owned by the deceased is very important in providing clues. However, I'm choosing "New England Leaf Tour" because of its Rhode Island setting. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/340516/reviews/18024146

I added The Bread of Angels by Stephanie Saldana to my "Melting Pot" category as that seemed the best place for it. It was a remarkable read of the author's year as a Fulbright scholar in Damascus. I found that I really liked this book far better than Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Although both books deal with the author's spiritual quest, I felt a stronger connection with Saldana than with Gilbert. Saldana kept the reader engaged from start to finish. Her descriptions of Syria were wonderful, and the reader could almost feel themselves in the setting. I'm really glad that I won this book through Early Reviewers. My full review is

I've added Knitting Bones by Monica Ferris to my "One More Stitch" category. I discovered that I'd accidentally not read it before reading her latest book Thai Die so I decided that I'd better correct that before heading to the Twin Cities this summer for a conference. Here's the review I posted: After taking a tumble from a horse, Betsy is laid up with a broken leg. When a VIP from the Heart Coalition disappears along with a large donation to the organization from the EGA, the man's wife calls on Betsy to help clear his name. Betsy must rely on Godwin to do much of the questioning and legwork. The solution to this mystery was pretty obvious and I even anticipated the manner in which the guilty party would meet his fate, but it was still an enjoyable read. The officer from the Minneapolis Police Dept. was an interesting character. I'd like to see him in future installments of the series.

catching up on threads...

I like Monica Ferris but I haven't gotten this far in the series, good to know that it is still fun farther along.

Enjoying the reviews! I like the Monica Ferris series too, but I must be far behind. The last one I read was a Christmas story and it was a little thin. I'll have to get the next one.

I've added In Search of Ulster-Scots Land: The Birth and Geotheological Imagings of a Transatlantic People, 1603-1703 by Barry Aron Vann to my "Melting Pot" category. I was a bit disappointed in the book. The touchstone isn't working for either the brief or long forms of the title, so here's the link to my review. I received the book to review for Tennessee Libraries, and a more comprehensive review will be appearing in that publication in the coming months.

With a Knoxville, Tennessee setting, I've added The Highly Effective Detective by Richard Yancey to my "All Things Southern" category. It was a struggle to make myself finish this book. I won't be reading others in the series.

I read A Healthy Place to Die by Peter King for my "Food Network" category. This one has been sitting around collecting dust for several years in my to be read pile. I picked up to read because of its Swiss setting that I could use in the European challenge. It's a pretty typical cozy mystery. You can read my review here.

I added A Caribbean Mystery by Dame Agatha Christie to my Caribbean Cruise category.

I added Knit in Comfort by Isabel Sharpe to my "One More Stitch" category. I gave it 2.5 stars. Here is my review:

This is a book with many stories. There is Elizabeth who escapes her chef boyfriend in New York to try to find herself. There is Megan who is tolerating being married to a man practicing bigamy. There are other friends with other relationship problems. Then there is a string that knits this story with Megan's Shetland Islands ancestry . . . the knitting of Shetland lace. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the book overall. I'd like to say that the characters are not very believable, but the story of the bigamous relationship reminds me of one I heard about in a collateral line when I began researching my own ancestry. I think it's more accurate to state that I really did not feel a strong connection with any of the characters. Their experiences were so far removed from my own and from what I would expect in the location in which the book is set in western North Carolina. I did enjoy the information on the knitting of this most delicate lace, and I would love to see an exhibit of it. It's not a book I would recommend to others, but I'm not really sorry that I read it. This book was received as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program with the expectation that it would be reviewed.

I added Lyndon: Gem in the Green by Venila Lovina Shores to my "New England Leaf Tour" category. I gave it 4 stars. Here is my review:

As far as town histories go, this one is fairly well done. I purchased it for a summer trip that our choir was taking to this town. The trip has now been cancelled, but since I had nearly finished reading the book, I decided to complete it. It will be more meaningful to those who have lived there, but I enjoyed seeing some of the New England surnames that are in my own family history listed in the book. I'm fairly sure that they are probably distantly related to me, although I have not done research to verify it. There are some things that could have used a bit more documentation. There were other things that really seemed of marginal importance that could have probably been eliminated, cutting down on the overall number of pages. Those things may or may not have interested even those living there. My biggest criticism came during the part discussing the town's military involvement. There was a single sentence describing the Korean and Vietnam wars: "Although men from Lyndon served in both the above wars, few records exist telling of Lyndon's involvement." This book was completed in 1986. I have difficulty believing that there were not living veterans who could have supplied oral histories. I have difficulty believing that there were no newspaper accounts reporting servicemen leaving for those conflicts. I'm happy that I read this book, and I hope that I can visit the area sometime in the future.

Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin is a new addition to my "Melting Pot" category. I gave it 2.5 stars. The author will be speaking at a conference I'm attending in a couple of weeks. This is a Christian fiction novel. It's a story of three orphaned Swedish girls who immigrate to the United States, arriving first at Ellis Island, and then moving to Chicago. The story line is very predictable but somewhat engaging. The writing style is more on a YA level with more adult themes involved. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/6320985/reviews/60192476.

Another one down in my "Food Network" category -- Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay. It's the first in a new cozy series set in a cupcake bakery in Scottsdale. I think I'm beginning to tire of the endless string of new cozy series that are too similar and that have sleuths with whom I don't seem to make a connection. This book makes for a light summer read. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/9267065/reviews/60257596.

I've got a food mystery category for 1010 and likely will read Sprinkle with Murder. I can't read too many of these in a row because they start to sound alike.

Another book in my Whodunit category: Jelly's Gold by David Housewright. I'll be at a conference in St. Paul soon so I wanted to read something with a St. Paul setting. This one is a modern mystery with a tie to the gangster ear of the 1930s. An interesting read. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/8154703/reviews/60523107.

I finally have an entry in my "Weather Channel" category. It's Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman. It's a young adult book about a night filled with 7 tornadoes in one Nebraska city.

I really had not expected to be able to include Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson in my 1010 Challenge when I began reading it for my 50 States Challenge, but as I read it, I decided that the treatment of German immigrants during World War I was enough of a theme in the plot that I could include it in my "Melting Pot" category. I really loved this book. It's a young adult book which was a Newbery Honor book. The author was inspired by her own great-grandmother's life to write this book after hearing about and researching her homesteading effort. She even includes a bibliography of resources that she used in researching the story.

In my "All Things Southern" category: I just visited Civil War era Richmond, Virginia where Narcissa Powers and Judah Daniel are racing to save others from becoming contaminated with small pox through the careless and/or deliberate efforts of someone. You'll have to read the book to find out (but since it is a mystery that should give you a clue). Book is Civil Blood by Ann McMillan.

Another entry in my "All Things Southern" category: The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips. This was set in depression-era Carbon Hill, Walker County, Alabama, a coal-mining town near Birmingham. It was an area with which I was familiar, and the author did a good job of depicting the community with a story about a baby being thrown in a well that served as the thread that bound the novel together. I gave it 4 stars. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/4893066/reviews/60805778.

I loved Hattie Big Sky. She is a great character - tough, smart, and compassionate.

Another one for my "All Things Southern" category, thanks to the Early Reviewers: The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb. I gave it 3 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/9475434/reviews/61314413.

Added a non-fiction title to my "All Things Southern" category. I debated on putting this one in the "Melting Pot" category, but the nature of the book did not lend itself well to the manner in which I'd defined that category. It's Native American Place Names in Mississippi by Keith A. Baca. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/4172768/reviews/61560656.

In my "Whodunit" category, I've added Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger. It's a debut of a mystery series set in Greece featuring Detective Andreas Kaldis. It's an interesting, but flawed, first installment. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/7517181/reviews/60953341.

Another entry for my "Holiday" category. This one qualifies for Flag Day, I suppose. It's The Flag, the Poet and the Song by Irvin Molotsky. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/320504/reviews/61887745. I gave it 3 stars.

Another entry in my "It's the Holiday Season" category. I realize that Mother's Day has come and gone, but Bon Bon Voyage by Nancy Fairbanks involves a free Mother's Day gourmet cruise that the amateur sleuth received. The plot is not very believable, and characters are not well-developed (nor do they act in believable manners). I gave it 2 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/765772/reviews/42351970.

I read another book for my "Whodunit" category. Blue Heaven by C. J. Box kept me on the edge of my seat. It was hard to put down. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/3504288/reviews/62058029.

On a recent trip to Mississippi, I picked up Vanished Mississippi Gulf Coast by Jim Fraiser. It's a book that gives a brief overview of the history of the region as well as an overview of the culture of the region. The main portion of the book consists of before and after photos of the destruction left behind of Hurricane Katrina. The majority of the photos included are "before" shots, but there are plenty of comments on those photos that tell you whether the structure was damaged or destroyed by the storm. Those comments are also included in the book's narrative. I've added it to my "Weather Channel" category.

In my "Whodunit" category, I've added a Swedish crime novel, The Cruel Stars of the Night by Kjell Eriksson. A 70-year-old professor is missing. A few months later a serial killer appears to be targetting 70-year-old men. Is there a connection. Why is the professor's daughter acting so strangely -- does she know something or is she just crazy? It's up to Inspector Ann Liddell to determine what the truth is. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/2569183/reviews/54031135.

I decided I needed a new entry in my "It's the Holiday Season" category, so I decided to celebrate Christmas in July by picking up one of the Christmas novels from my to be read pile. I chose Slay Bells by Kate Kingsbury. Although I'd read several of the author's Manor House mysteries, I'd never read any of her Pennyfoot Hotel mysteries. I really enjoyed this one. It won't be my last. Where is Father Christmas? Cecily had hired a known drunk to be the Pennyfoot Hotel's Father Christmas, and it appears that he's forgotten to show up. Soon a footman she had sent to help Father Christmas down the chimney turns up dead, apparently having fallen from the roof. It isn't long until Father Christmas is discovered in the chimney -- dead from a knife wound. The local law enforcement is more interested in having the case wrapped up so he can enjoy his Christmas holiday than to see that justice is done so he decides the footman killed Father Christmas and then accidentally fell, even though the facts don't add up. Cecily would rather solve the case herself than call in the Inspector so she sets out to find the murderer. There are only a few viable suspects, but the author uses enough red herrings to keep the reader engaged and wandering if their guess is correct. Even though I didn't know the characters quite as well as persons who may have been following the series for some time, I could still follow the plot and felt that it didn't mar my enjoyment of the novel.

#90 I liked Slay Bells. Kingsbury's got a whole bunch of holiday mysteries in that series. I was the same way, having not read others in that series.

Have you ever read any of the Lee Harris mysteries? She seemed to have a book for just about every holiday, even the lesser ones. I enjoyed that series for awhile, but got tired of it.

>91 lindapanzo: I have a few other Pennyfoot hotel Christmas mysteries in my TBR pile so I'll probably get to those closer to Christmas. I don't think I've read any of the Lee Harris ones. I'll have to try one. I know I have a Halloween book in my TBR pile, but I'd love to find a few more that would fit my holiday category. I'm currently reading one for my weather channel category (and should finish it tonight) and next up is one for my music category.

Another entry in my "Weather Channel" category: Wrecked: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Higgins Clark. A storm is brewing when Jack & Regan Reilly arrive on Cape Cod to celebrate their first anniversary. The handyman discovers the neighbor has fallen and is bleeding (and possibly dead) on the steps leading to where her rowboat is tied. He goes for help, but by the time Jack & Regan arrive, the body is gone, apparently washed out to sea by the rapidly rising waters. Jack & Regan try to find out more about the woman so that they can contact the next of kin. Most of the action occurs on a single day, but the last few chapters are devoted to a couple of days where the actions comes to a head and resolves. I had a strong feeling when I first began this book that I'd read this book before, even though the book was first published in 2010. I definitely felt a similarity in the scenario to something I'd read before, but I could not place the book that I felt was similar. I do believe that as the plot developed that there was a deviation from the book I felt I remembered. This is an enjoyable, light read. I gave it 3.5 stars.

LauraBrook has challenged us to answer these questions that she found on another thread which had gotten them from yet another:

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
I used to snack while reading, but I'm trying to avoid so much snacking. If I do, it's usually popcorn.

What is your favorite drink while reading?
Water or unsweetened iced tea.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I don't mark my books. I used to mark in my Bibles until the ink was bleeding through making it difficult to read. Now I grab and old Bible if I want to make marginal notes but I keep my newer one nice and clean. If I'm studying, I will usually have both because they are different translations. I don't mark other books at all.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ear? Laying the book flat open?
I've tried to develop the habit of keeping lots of bookmarks handy so that I'm not tempted to lay the book open. I NEVER dog-ear the book.

Fiction, Non-Fiction, or Both?
Both.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
I will stop anywhere, but I prefer to get to the end of a chapter or a break in the text.

Are you a person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
No.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
I come across very few unfamiliar words, but when I do, I will look it up if the context doesn't make the definition obvious. If I'm pretty sure of its definition by context, I'll usually look it up later to see if there is a nuance that I might have missed that reveals why the author chose that particular word.

What are you currently reading?
The Line by Olga Grushin; Crazy Love by Francis Chan; and sections of several historical books and journal articles for a conference presentation I'll be giving in less than a month.

What is the last book you bought?
Francesca's Kitchen by Peter Pezzelli (for Rhode Island in the 50 states challenge; will fit in either my food or New England categories here)

Are you a person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?
I only read one fiction title at a time, but I may be reading multiple non-fiction titles in addition to it. It just really depends on my mood and my available reading time.

Do you have a favorite time/place to read?
I like the living room couch. It's usually in the evening, but I'll read most any time of day if I am not working.

Do you prefer series books or stand-alones?
My favorite genre is mystery so there are not enough stand-alones. I really do love stand-alones, but I'll read series books, but I will read a few other books before reading another installment in the series usually.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?
The Bible is the only book that I really have read over and over. As a librarian, I recommend lots of books over and over -- and it depends on what is current in our lease book collection.

How do you organize your books? By genre, title, author's last name, etc?
Most of the books I retain fall into certain categories -- history/genealogy, cookbooks, religious books, music books, needlework books. I have kept a couple of favorite fiction series as well. I prefer for my history/genealogy books to be arranged by country and/or state and/or county. For things that deal with specific periods or topics, I arrange those as well. It's pretty close to a standard library arrangement. Cookbooks are not in any particular order, although one of the shelves has the "shortest" ones. Religious books are in one room. Needlework books are kept together. Music books are kept together.

I finished The Line by Olga Grushin for my "Sound of Music" category. A line forms by a kiosk which never seems to be open. Everyone begins to stand in line -- even though no one is certain what they are selling. Rumors spread that an exiled composer will be returning to conduct his 9th symphony. This is a great work of fiction, but it did not completely hold my attention. I anticipated some of the outcomes. The book is great at showing the oppression during the communist regime in Russia. The book is great at depicting how people who are obsessed with a notion react. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Another installment in "It's the Holiday Season": The Christmas Garden Affair by Ann Ripley. It's a very flawed gardening mystery that is really stretching the Christmas connection in order to sell to the holiday market. I gave it 2 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/1833671/reviews/62785892.

I think I read (or at least started) an Ann Ripley mystery once and did not like it at all. Never went back.

In my "Caribbean Cruise" category: Tales of Old Jamaica by Clinton V. Black. This is a collection of fact-based stories, written by the archivist of Jamaica and utilizing sources in their national archives, which illustrates Jamaica's history from the mid-1600s to mid-1800s. It is not really a popular history because the reading level is higher, but it's not really academic because the author chose not to include bibliographic references. As is the case with many collections of this type, some of the stories are more engaging than others.

Another entry in my "Sound of Music" category: The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax. This is the story of cellist Feliu Delargo and his stormy relationship with pianist Justo Al-Cerraz and violinist Jewish violinist Aviva. It is set against a backdrop of political turmoil in Spain and other parts of Europe, particularly during the rise of Hitler and Franco. It's a beautifully written novel, capturing the political feel of Spain in the first half of the 20th century. I gave it 4 stars.

For my "Weather Channel" Category: Island in the Storm: Sullivan's Island and Hurricane Hugo by Jamie W. Moore and Dorothy Perrin Moore. The authors, professors emeritus from the Citadel, provide detailed information on Hurricane Hugo and its interruption of life on Sullivan's Island. This is a lesson on hurricane preparedness. It shows the challenges in responding to the disaster faced by various government agencies, the difficulties encountered by residents in getting insurance claims and FEMA settlements, and the stress caused by the disruptions. It also outlines changes made by government and by residents to deal with future disasters. This book has a decidedly more academic tone than many books on disasters. I gave it 4 stars.

I've definitely got to add the Hurricane Hugo to my disaster list. Thanks for the recommendation.

In my "Food Network" category: Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams. A scout for the Cooking Channel turns up dead at the Peabody Hotel with a huge number of persons as viable suspects, most of them family members or regular customers at Aunt Pat's Bar-B-Q. As a former Memphian, I eagerly awaited the release of this mystery. Unfortunately, it did not quite live up to my hopes. In the first few pages, readers were introduced to so many characters that it was difficult to keep them straight. The characters all had stereotypical names like "Lulu," "Peggy Sue," and "Flo." By the way, I'm not really sure what ever happened to Peggy Sue, but she disappeared later in the story. While Lulu, the main character, was likeable enough, I can't say the same for most of the rest of her family or friends. As the story progressed, I was able to more easily identify the characters who were too quickly introduced earlier in the story, but I was probably over 100 pages into the book before I had them sorted out sufficiently. I'm not sure if I'll read future installments in the series or not. I gave it 3 stars.

I'm probably stretching it a little bit to include A Historical Tour of the Holy Land by Beryl Ratzer in my "Melting Pot" category, but I think I defined the category widely enough to do so. The book does deal with other ethnic groups in the country of Israel and the departure and return of Jews to the country over the years. This is a very shortened and condensed history of Israel from pre-historic times to the present. With only 160 pages, including a 2 page bibliography and 3 page index, and being heavily illustrated, this is more or less a tourist's history of the country. The title of the book leads one to believe that the book would be more or less a showcase of places commonly visited by tourists to the country with text outlining the significance of each location. Instead, it is a history with photos to illustrate the history. This is a case where my expectations of the content of the book differed from the actual content. The author does a respectable job of condensing the history of one of the world's oldest geographic regions into such a few pages, but persons wanting to know more about the places they will visit on a trip to Israel or wanting a more in-depth look at the country's history need to look elsewhere. This book was received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program with the expectation that a review would be written. I gave it 3 stars.

#102 That's too bad about Delicious and Suspicious. I had high hopes about that one and was looking forward to it. I'll probably still give it a try but maybe not right away.

That sounds a bit like Lou Jane Temple's mystery Revenge of the Barbeque Queens though that one took place in KC instead.

>104 lindapanzo: Linda, it wasn't so bad once you got into it. I think I just didn't like the stereotypical names and then too many characters were introduced in too short of a time. It's a cross between a Southern novel and a cozy. I just don't think it will ever be a favorite series of mine though.

Buried in Quilts by Sara Hoskinson Frommer could count in either my "One More Stitch" or "Sound of Music" categories, but I need it more in my "Sound of Music" category (based on my stash to finish the year) so that's where I'm counting it. Joan Spencer is the manager for the symphony where she also plays the viola. They are playing at a quilt show in the small town of Oliver. The quilt show's organizer turns up dead under one of the quilts on display. While she wasn't the easiest person with whom to get along, who wanted her gone badly enough to kill her? Joan, with access to the building and observations from her fellow orchestra members, helps the detective Fred unravel the case by supplying information she learns. I very much liked the character of Joan and the manner in which she provided information that she learned without really interfering with the investigation. It's an older series, but it's new to me, and I hope to read other installments. I gave it 4 stars.

I love the Sara Hoskinson Frommer books. I don't think there've been any for awhile but that was a great series.

In my "Weather Channel" category: The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard.

Jody Linder was just a small child on that rainy and stormy Kansas night when her father was murdered and her mother missing and presumed dead. She's been reared by her father's close-knit family. Now the man who was convicted of killing her father is being released from prison after having his sentence commuted by the governor due to flaws in the original investigation. Jody and the man's son Collin had known each other growing up and had admired each other, always knowing that a relationship with the other was out of the question. In the small town of Rose, there are several persons who believe Billy Crosby was too drunk on the night of the murder to have committed it, but there is really no one who doesn't believe he didn't belong in prison. Jody begins to question her long-held beliefs about Billy Crosby's guilt.

This book got off to a slow start for me, but as I kept reading, I found myself drawn into the story by the author's vivid depictions of the area and her wonderfully drawn characters. One chapter with its vivid depictions of rain and lightning was especially poignant.

I gave it 3.5 stars.

I've thought about reading The Scent of Rain and Lightning and now, it sounds like I should.

Another "weather" possibility for you is the new Sandra Dallas book, Whiter Than Snow. I picked up a copy from my $9.95 book club, as I call it. Haven't read it yet though. An avalanche has overtaken kids in small-town 1920s Colorado

>109 lindapanzo: I think we have that one at the library. I may have to remember to check it out, although I think I've got several on my list. With the heat index 100 or above every day, snow sounds really appealing at the moment!

I was reminded of that Sandra Dallas book when I heard about that Alaskan plane crash earlier this week.

As I understand it, in the book, as with the crash, they knew there were x number of people involved and a good many survived but they're not sure exactly who did and who didn't.

I hear you about reading about snow during this hot summer. I want to start The Children's Blizzard soon for my disaster category for that very reason.

I read The Children's Blizzard two or three years ago. I enjoyed it. I'm about 75 pages into Bury Your Dead now! It arrived this afternoon. I'm really enjoying it so far!

Mine arrived today, too. Did yours come with a CD? I've never gotten one like that before.

Yes. I had the CD too. Nice touch! I haven't played it yet though. I was too eager to begin the book (which just keeps getting better). I just came really quickly to check a couple of things before going back to read the next few chapters!

I decided to include Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny in my "Weather Channel" category because it is very cold and snowy in Quebec and because the weather played a role in the confrontation scene. I'm not going to include my full review of the book in this thread because it includes a spoiler if you have not already read The Brutal Telling. I'm just going to say that the author does a marvelous job weaving three story lines into one. I literally stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish this novel. Louise Penny has become one of my favorite authors, and this may very well be her best novel to date. If you have not read The Brutal Telling, you need to read it before moving on to this one. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/9841764/details/63388136. I gave it 5 stars.

>115 thornton37814: Wow! 5* for a series mystery! But by the time I finished The Brutal Telling, I felt she had transcended the genre.

I haven't read your review yet, since I'm impatiently awaiting the book's arrival -- everyone else seems to have gotten it already! I guess it just takes longer to get to the West Coast.

>116 ivyd: Yes. Not many series mysteries can live up to 5 stars, but this one kept me reading and was so well-written! I'm ready to head to Quebec City now!

In my Caribbean Cruise category: A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. In this extended essay, Jamaica Kincaid describes her native Antigua in many voices. The first portion is written more or less in the second person describing what "you" (the visitor to Antigua) will see. It is very clear that the author has little affection for the British who ruled the country and Anglicized it. She has little love for the foreigners (Middle Easterners) who have economic interests in the country. She's not thrilled with the corruption in the government. This essay is full of anger for the way that the Antiguans (descendants of slaves brought to the island) have been treated by cultures who have come into contact with them. However, we do learn a great deal about life in Antigua. As a librarian, I particularly enjoyed the portion of the essay dealing with the library which ten years after "The Quake" still had a sign saying "Repairs are pending." A Small Place is a small book and is worth reading for those planning to visit the country or who just want to know more about Antigua and its people. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Glad to hear Bury Your Dead is as good as advertised. I hope to get to it after my current one.

In my "Sound of Music" category: C. B. Greenfield: The Tanglewood Murder by Lucille Kallen. Reporter Maggie Rome and her boss Charlie Greenfield head to the Tanglewood Music Center to enjoy some of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer offerings. When one of the performers dies during a rehearsal, it becomes obvious that he did not die of natural causes. The pair sets out to investigate. Lots of motives; lots of suspects. I enjoyed the description of Tanglewood and some of the characterization. In the end, however, the revelation of the murderer was not very satisfying. I gave it 3 stars.

In the "Weather Channel" category: Damaged by Alex Kava. FBI agent Maggie O'Dell heads to Florida with a strong hurricane approaching Pensacola Beach. A cooler with body parts has been found. Several story lines merge to form the plot, but it's clear far too early in the plot who the bad guy is and unfortunately events toward the end are fairly predictable. The first 2/3 of the book is better than the remaining 1/3. I gave it 3 stars.

In my "Melting Pot" category: Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson. Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy once again team up to solve a crime in Victorian era New York City. This time a young girl of Chinese and Irish parentage has been murdered. While I had determined who the murderer was about half-way through the book, there were enough red herrings to keep it interesting. One of the more interesting things that I learned in this book centered on the laws that limited Chinese immigration to the United States during this period, especially those barring women. I have already read a few short non-fiction pieces describing these laws and their impact on Chinese immigration. I gave it 3.5 stars.

I read the first Victoria Thompson gaslight mystery awhile back and definitely plan to get back to this series soon and start reading these regularly.

>123 lindapanzo: I really enjoy them for the most part. It's one of the better series out there. Although I love the city of Boston, I really don't enjoy P. B. Ryan's series set there nearly as well. I think I just don't like her characters.

In my "One More Stitch Category": Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger. Ariadne Evans owns Ariadne's Web, a knitting shop in the fictional town of Freeport in Bristol County, Massachusetts. One morning she discovers the body of a woman (Edith) who enjoyed browsing but rarely purchased any of her designs although she could afford them. Detective Josh Pierce is called in to investigate. Suspicion immediately falls to Ariadne and her closest friend's families. Of course Edith was not well-liked by most people in the town so suspects really do abound. Ariadne and Josh find themselves attracted to one another. The solution to the case was fairly obvious to me fairly early. I found many of the actions of the characters, particularly of the investigating officer, to be out of character and rather implausible. I also find it difficult to believe that even when this book came out in 2005 that dial-up Internet would still be in use by a shop owner (who is launching a web site for her business) at home and work. Broadband and DSL connections were in widespread use at that time. I will not be going out of my way to find future installments in this series. I gave it 2.5 stars.

Another installment in my "Sound of Music" category: Paganini's Ghost by Paul Adam. Before I give my review, I have to include a brief excerpt from the book in which the violin maker, Gianni, is providing background information to the reader:

I have a small library of biographies and reference books, built up over many years. I say "small" because by comparison with a municipal or university library, it is very small, but by most domestic standards, it is quite extensive--there are several hundred books downstairs and many more upstairs. My wife, Caterina, when she was alive, used to complain good-naturedly about the way in which my books were slowly colonising the entire house. From a few shelves in the back room, they had gradually spread to the sitting room and then, as the children grew up and left home, to all of the bedroms. It was like a disease, she said, or mould on a damp wall. It started small; then, before you knew it, every surface was covered with a virulent fungus that had no known cure. (p. 97)

I completely understand, and I'm sure many of you do too!

Once every two years, someone is chosen to perform on Paganini's violin. This year's winner is a 23-year-old Russian. Shortly after the performance, a man is found dead with a gold box that once belonged to Paganini. The contest winner and a shady character both turn up missing. It's up to Detective Antonio Guastafeste to solve the case, and he enlists the help of violin maker Gianni Catiglione. I very much enjoyed this visit to the world of violins. While most of the work is set in Italy, there is a small portion set in France and in London. Like the violins in this book, this book was well-constructed. Sadly, I do not know enough about Paganini's life to assess the novel's historical accuracy. This did not mar my enjoyment of the novel. It is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. I will definitely be looking for copies of the earlier book The Rainaldi Quartet and for future installments in this series. I gave it 4 stars, but I almost gave it 4.5 stars. I'm not sure why I left it at 4.

Another "Sound of Music" category book: Requiem in Vienna by J. Sydney Jones. Lawyer and private investigator Karl Werthen looks into a series of "accidents" that seems to be attempts on Gustav Mahler's life after being requested to do so by Alma Schindler. There is a rather large cast of suspects which seems to grow after each new attempt on Mahler's life. While the mystery itself is not bad, the writing does not flow as smoothly as it should. The author did a wonderful job in the historical research for the novel, but it reads more like a work of non-fiction (minus the footnotes) than it does as a work of fiction. Still, however, those who appreciate the music of the period of Brahms, Mahler, and Strauss should enjoy this mystery. I gave it 3 stars.

Another read in my "New England Leaf Tour" category: Emily Dickinson Is Dead by Jane Langton. A conference of Emily Dickinson experts is gathered in Amherst. Shortly before the conference, a fire breaks out in one of the dormitories, killing two young sophomore men. The local detectives have only a small lead on the case. The reader, however, is privileged and knows who set the fire and sees the potential for another deadly encounter during the conference. Among those in attendance are several professors from University of Massachusetts and Amherst College, a recently kicked out university graduate student who serves as a docent at the Dickinson house, a favored graduate student who will have the honor of wearing Emily's dress, a professor from the University of Central Arizona, Homer Kelly (retired detective and visiting professor), a doctor from Northampton, and an expert on Emily's family history. In spite of the reader's knowledge of whodunit, this is an enjoyable venture into the world of academia. The reader wonders how long it will take the persons with the bits and pieces of knowledge to put the puzzle together. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys is another entry in my "Caribbean Cruise" category. Author Jean Rhys has taken the first Mrs. Rochester of Jane Eyre and written an account of how she came to be in that state. Readers of Bronte's novel will be surprised at the account. The novel begins in the Spanish Town, Jamaica area in childhood and youth and moves on to Granbois, Dominica after marrying Rochester. Only in the last few pages of the novel do the Rochesters make their way to England. It is a haunting novel in which the reader's sympathies move from Antoinette (whom Rochester begins to call "Bertha" after her mother) to Rochester and back and forth again. I gave it 4 stars.

I must confess that I feel that I'm cheating when I add Death of a Sunday Writer by Eric Wright as my 10th (and supposedly "final") entry in the "Whodunit" category because it's a pretty poor excuse for a "Whodunit." However, it really does not fit any of my other 1010 categories, and I need it to count somewhere. I'm consoling myself by realizing that I'll likely be adding an 11th book to this category anyway because the Early Reviewer book that arrived today really doesn't fit any of my other categories at surface level either except this one. Lucy Brenner runs a bed and breakfast in Longborough and works part-time at the local library. She inherits a distant relative's private detective business in Toronto and decides that she wants to keep it running since she's always enjoyed mystery and detective fiction. She's convinced that her relative was murdered so she sets out to investigate. She discovers her relative was into horse racing and was writing a novel set in that world. The mystery is not strong. Racing is not my thing. I didn't like the main character very much. This book was just not a good fit for me. I gave it what I considered to be a very generous 2 stars.

I've overfilled my "Whodunit" category. If I can count the Lenten season as a holiday, I suppose I could move it to that category. I've just reviewed my Early Reviewer book, A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow. I gave it 4 stars. Since others of you may have received this one as well, I don't want to spoil it by putting the review in the thread, so I'm providing the link to my review. http://www.librarything.com/work/9467205/reviews/64692529

We just finished Jane Eyre for book group and now I'm more curious than ever about Wide Sargasso Sea. I think I will look through it before I decide.

>131 thornton37814: I really liked A Very Private Grave, too.

Another one in my Caribbean Cruise category - and this one really was a sailing adventure. An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof. Ann & Steve quit their jobs as editors to live out their dream of sailing the Caribbean. They sail in the Receta, eventually to most of the major islands of the Caribbean, spending more time in some countries than in others. Grenada seems to be their favorite. The narrative was sometimes interesting, but rarely gripping. Persons more interested in the mechanics of sailing might find it more enjoyable, but the narrative seemed to bog down in things that were of less interest to the average travel narrative reader. While I enjoy reading accounts of food history and food writing, these parts did not flow as many food narratives do either. I had trouble deciding whether it was a 2.5 star or a 3 star book, but I decided to give it 3 stars.

In my "New England Leaf Tour" category: Quieter Than Sleep by Joanne Dobson. Karen Pelletier is a non-tenured member of the English faculty at Enfield College. Randy Astin-Berger, the person most likely to become the new department head, turns up dead, and Karen is the last person to admit seeing him alive. He's not particularly popular, and the motives for wanting him out of the picture are as varied as the faculty in the department. Lt. Piotrowski is the officer in charge of the investigation, and he eventually enlists Karen's help to flesh out some of the more academic motives he suspects may be involved. The main characters were quite likable. There are some things that are less believable, such as the amount of fraternizing the faculty members seem to have with the college president and the willingness of the police to involve a civilian who is close to the case in the investigation as a consultant. The action did seem to stall in places, but overall it was an enjoyable read. I settled on 3.5 stars since I couldn't give it 3.25.

Another entry for my "All Things Southern" category: Middling Folk: Three Seas, Three Centuries, One Scots-Irish Family by Linda H. Matthews. Linda Matthews very ably demonstrates how we can give life to our ancestors by incorporating social history, diaries, and other materials into the narrative to offer a fuller and richer understanding of their lives. She takes her Hammill ancestors and moves them from Scotland to Ireland and then to America. While the family eventually settled in Prince William County, Virginia, she offers glimpses of their lives before in Maryland and afterwards in Washington state as well. This is a very readable family history. The author does a great job making it clear what is documented and what is possible or probable based on various factors. She does take liberty in some clearly identified "aside" chapters to fictionalize accounts based on what she has discovered. I did feel that the narrative bogged down a bit in places, particularly in the information she learned from Southern Claims Commission records, but overall this is a very well-done book. Anyone interested in genealogy should read this to see how a readable family history can be accomplished. I gave it 4 stars.

136
A family history is a very interesting idea. I know my mother and aunts have been working on figuring out the genealogy (and collecting pictures, and so on) for our family for quite some time.... I wonder if they've ever considered writing down what they've found. I may need to suggest this; I wasn't aware of writing family histories even as something people did. Fascinating.

>137 pammab: There are several family histories out there. Elizabeth Shown Mills wrote Isle of Canes awhile back. There are even some guidebook on writing quality family histories. The national genealogical conferences, such as NGS and FGS, offer workshops on writing them as well. The Institute for Genealogical & Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University offers a writing track as well.

It's now close enough to Hallowe'en that I felt I could drag out Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier for my "It's the Holiday Season" category. An arsonist is destroying old buildings in Tinkers Cove, Maine. When he burns down one old home, the investigation turns to murder as the woman who owns the summer home has gone there after finding her husband has been cheating on her. Will they discover who the arsonist is before he destroys more historic buildings? I found this to be an enjoyable, but flawed, read. The biggest problem with it lies in the lack of resolution to some things introduced, and the way certain statements should have been further explained to the reader -- maybe not at the point they were made, but later in the book. Just a lot of loose ends that weren't tied up neatly in the end. However, I still found this to be a fun, escapist read. I gave it 3 stars.

#139, Lori, Leslie Meier's newest mystery is another Halloween mystery. Wicked Witch Murder, in case you're interested.

I'll probably read it sometime this month.

I've found myself cross-stitching the last few days as I've been reading a knitting mystery. Since I've not yet succeeded in teaching myself how to knit one and purl two, I suppose I'll have to be content to let myself cross-stitch instead. For my "One More Stitch" category, I finished Patterns in the Sand by Sally Goldenbaum. Willow Adams is first seen curled up in the window of Izzy's knitting shop in Sea Harbor, Massachusetts on Cape Ann after having broken and entered through a window. When a murder occurs and she is named the heir, suspicion naturally falls to her, but Ruth, Izzy, and others believe in her innocence. It is up to them to find the solution before Willow is arrested for a crime they are certain she didn't commit. The author has created a very fun knitting group in a great little artists colony community. I found myself enjoying the characters and the location. I was a bit surprised that they were ignoring one person as a suspect throughout most of the book. I did not solve the murder until almost the time that the murderer was revealed. This is one of the better cozies on the market. I gave it 3.5 stars. I did toy with the idea of giving 4 stars, but something held me back from doing so.

With this entry in my "Sound of Music" category, I'm leaving the world of classical music and venturing into the a restored Southern theatre with a Mighty Wurlitzer for an Elvis impersonation number where the victim falls into the orchestra pit. Murder Boogies with Elvis by Anne George is a quick and humorous fun read. I gave it 3.5 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/87672/reviews/65558131.

I'm knocking out another one in my Weather Channel category although this one could fit several of my other categories as well. Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton is a cute read. It's about a native Memphian who lands in Vermont to become an innkeeper because her husband has tired of his insurance business. I found myself laughing out loud at times. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/8737798/reviews/65323918. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Just had a nice little armchair visit to Martha's Vineyard with The Cemetery Yew by Cynthia Riggs. I'm using it in my New England Leaf Tour category. I have to confess that it's somewhat of a stretch to believe that a 92-year-old sleuth is as capable as Victoria Trumbull. I gave the book 3.5 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/296893/reviews/30155034.

I have a rather unusual entry for my "One More Stitch" category. It's With Willing Hands: Living in Harmony with God's Plan by Cathy Butler. I happened upon this book while I was cataloging it for our Baptist Collection at the library one day. I made a note of the book and ordered a "like new" copy from one of the used booksellers at Amazon.com for less than a dollar plus shipping. I was impressed that the author used quilt analogies in the book and thought it would make a good fit for this category and be a book that I could read while I was reading other books. It's a book of meditations or devotions for women. I thought the first half of the book was stronger than the second half, but I still enjoyed it. Since all of us are addicted to reading, I just have to share this small excerpt from page 85 of the book: With the availability of radio, TV, video, disc, and Internet communications, reading seems to have fallen out of favor. (Obviously not with you, since you're reading this book. I had to laugh at her comment! I gave it 3 stars.

A Christmas book in my "It's the Holiday Season" category: Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie. Crombie's series featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James is one of my favorites, and this installment has to be one of my favorites in the series. Duncan and Gemma have taken the boys to Duncan's parents for the Christmas holidays. Duncan's sister Juliet happens upon a baby that has been mortared into the barn she is renovating for clients. There are lots of layers to this story. Crombie makes the most of the setting along a canal bed with its narrow boats that navigate it and the locks. When another member of Duncan's family stumbles across a body on the canal path, Duncan and Gemma's unofficial involvement in the case grows. I loved this book and gave it 4.5 stars. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/450147/reviews/66011669.

Another book in my Caribbean Cruise category (although I really don't think I'd have wanted to be aboard any of the ships mentioned in this book): Pirates of the West Indies by Clinton V. Black. Clinton V. Black, a well-regarded Jamaican archivist, shares the story of the pirates and buccaneers who trolled the waters of the Caribbean over the centuries. The author provides an overview of piracy and then spends the rest of the short book sharing the stories of some of the more prominent pirates--Henry Morgan, Capt. Richard Sawkins, Capt. Howel Davis, Capt. Bartholomew Roberts, Capt. George Lowther, Capt. Charles Vane, Capt. Teach (Blackbeard), Jack Rackham and the women pirates (Mary Read and Anne Bonny), Capt. John Evans, and Nicholas Brown. A timeline, glossary of terms, and bibliography are included. Although the author's knowledge of his subject is apparent and evidence of research is apparent, the work itself is marred by the absence of footnotes or end notes. Even though the author includes a bibliography, we cannot see where the various sources were utilized. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Move over Duff! There's a new "Ace of Cakes" in my "Food Network" category. Angel, the main character in Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin, deserves that title! She puts a lot of thought and skill into the cakes she bakes, but she puts just as much thought and demonstrates her listening skills as she hears the stories of those who come to purchase a cake from her. She's a transplant to Rwanda from Tanzania, and the Rwandans and whites trust her because she's an "outsider." I gave it 4 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/7795172/reviews/66162412.

*edited to correct a spelling error*

Baking Cakes In Kigali is on my wishlist, your review makes me want to move it closer to the top of the list.

Another "Food Network" entry: Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and wanted to get back to the series. I was in the mood for a cozy, so this was the right book for the right time. I really was surprised by the outcome, which is not something that happens often when I read a cozy. I felt the narrative bogged down a bit in places, but I enjoy the coffee shop atmosphere and Claire so much that it seemed to pick back up rather quickly. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/116760/reviews/54213456. I gave it 3.5 stars.

In my "All Things Southern" category: Sins of the Fathers by Patricia Sprinkle. Katharine Murray goes along with her friend Dr. Flo Gadney to Bayard Island when a developer plans to disinter a possible relative of Dr. Flo's. The novel explores some of Georgia's coastal history and shows racial prejudice. I loved the genealogical portions of the novel. There were some great quotes such as this one from page 5: "She hadn't started researching her own family, so she hadn't yet experienced the excitement of finding a sought-after piece in a genealogy puzzle." However, the author did not do a very good job of dealing with an 1880 census record early in the book. (The 1880 census was the first to list the relationship of each person to the head of the household, and the author neglected to mention this.) I feel that the novel bogged down in many places with things that really had little impact on the plot. I think the author could have done a better job in developing the characters on the island, particularly in respect to the murderer. I'm not sure I really understand the motivation that led to the murder. A superficial motive was given, but it left the reader with more questions than answers. As a genealogist, I really want to love this series, but I'm finding that I don't really feel connected with the main characters. I gave it 3 stars.

>151 thornton37814: I felt the same way. About this time last year, I read When Did We Lose Harriet? and all 3 of the genealogy mysteries. Although I enjoyed them to a point, by the end I was unhappy enough that I haven't continued with her books. What bothered me the most were the many, many inaccuracies both large and small -- of facts, common knowledge, genealogy and law. And when the motive for the murder was based on inaccurate law -- in 2 of the 4 books! -- it was a bit too much for me. When genealogy and legal concepts are integral to the entire book, why wouldn't an author (or publisher) have had it checked by a genealogist or lawyer?

In my "New England Leaf Tour" category: The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block. It's rather unusual to have a burglar who is the sleuth in a book, but Bernie Rhodenbarr fits the description. After he is jilted by his girlfriend, he and his friend Carolyn (and cat Raffles) end up in a house that has the feel of an English country house in the Berkshires. He is there to look for a copy of Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep which he believes Dashiell Hammett may have left in this house's library years ago. After the last guests, who turn out to be the jilted girlfriend and her newlywed husband, arrive, it doesn't take long until a body shows up in the library. As in Agatha Christie's book, And Then There Is None, access to the outside world is cut off, and it is up to Bernie to find the murderer before the rest of the guests end up dead. It's a cute read with a plot twist that will probably appeal to some readers and make others wish they'd sticked to Christie. I'm really not that comfortable with a burglar as a sleuth, but it certainly makes for a slightly different narrative than other books. I gave it 3.5 stars.

>153 thornton37814: I considered reading The Burglar in the Library this year. Thanks for the review!

I recently picked up The Burglar who Studied Spinoza which is an earlier book in the series. I didn't realise at the time that it was part of one and bought it because it was part of the No Exit Press 18 years collection. How does The Burglar in the Library sit as a stand-alone? It sounds from your review that it does okay on that score.

I think it The Burglar in the Library does really well as a stand-alone. I felt I knew enough about him and the other characters to enjoy it!

Another entry in my "One More Stitch" category: The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini. This was my first novel in the Elm Creek Quilts series, and I'm sad that I waited so long to finally read one, although I've intended to do so for a long time. The good thing is that there are many more books in this series so I can revisit the characters and get to know them better. It's a quick and easy read full of quilting and women's relationships. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Completing my "Melting Pot" category with an Early Reviewer snag: We Were Europeans by Werner M. Loval. Werner Loval recalls the story of his life through glimpses of his life growing up in Germany, his family's efforts to leave the country of their birth during the Nazi occupation, his schooling in England, his reunion with his family in Ecuador, their eventual move to the United States, his diplomatic service for Israel which lead him to other countries and eventually his work in real estate in Israel. He uses his sister's diary, photos and clippings, and many other things to illustrate and narrate his work. The real problem is that the book is more of a table top book that something that is readable and cohesive. The author's memories and insights are valuable, but the format in which they are presented is probably more appealing to those in his own immediate family than to persons interested in biographies of Holocaust survivors, diplomats, or business magnates. There are some materials which really need to have sources cited (although the author does attempt to offer an explanation for his lack of documentation). For example, on page 4 he lists children of a much earlier generation. The twelfth child has a name, but it states that no records have been found and that the child probably died in infancy. How then, did the author know of the child's existence and name? Was it in a family Bible that survived? That's a record, and future generations will want to know so that they can document their own ancestry. The irony is that the author was involved in the establishment of awards for those who document their family history. Although he has certainly demonstrated a great deal of research, the final product could have been more cohesive and better documented. I gave it 2.5 stars.

Another entry in my "Caribbean Cruise" category: Mr. Potter by Jamaica Kincaid. Set in Antigua, Mr. Potter is more of a series of snapshots of the way in which Mr. Potter interacted with others. Much of the language was repetitious. It is a far cry from the smooth narratives most of us are accustomed to reading, yet in its own way, it is effective, showing the rhythm in which persons are settled. There is also much allusion in the work. This will never become a favorite book of mine, but I can appreciate the author's unique manner of telling the story of Mr. Potter. I gave it 3 stars, mostly because of its literary merits. My enjoyment of it was lower.

Another one down in my "Weather Channel" category: Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll. This is a Christian adventure novel set mostly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Knoxville, and surrounding areas. A key witness is a child-trafficking scheme is in need of a heart transplant. Bad weather forces down the helicopter transporting the donor heart. That's when the National Park Service rangers get involved in the case. This was one book where I didn't need a map to help me navigate since the action is set right in my own backyard. It took me about fifty pages to really get into the novel, but once I became engaged, it was a quick read. It's the type of novel that would be more appealing to Christians than to non-Christians as faith is an integral part of several characters. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Thanks for the review, I was curious about this one when I saw it on the ER list.

Hello! I think this may be my first visit to your thread, but I've got you starred now! Lots and lots of interesting reading! whodunits . . . weather . . . Southern . . . New England . . . appealing categories to me!

I'll have to stop back when I have more time and start adding titles to my wishlist. :)

Thanks, tymfos!

Another one in my "Sound of Music" category: Divine Inspiration by Jane Langton. Alan Starr has been commissioned to install the new organ and "voice" it for the Church of the Commonwealth in Boston's Back Bay after a fire. He finds a baby on the church steps and discovers the door has been left open in the apartment building next door. He discovers blood on the floor and finds evidence that the apartment belongs to an organist who studied under the same organist he did. He is determined to find her and calls in Homer Kelly for help. Circumstantial evidence suggests she is dead, but things aren't adding up. Langton has written a cozy mystery that is a cut above most others. Her characters are well-developed. I learned much about organs and the categories of pipes in this work. I loved the Back Bay setting as it is an area of Boston with which I'm very familiar. This is a cozy mystery with a lot of layers. There is so much more to the story than the main plot line. Highly recommended. I gave it 4 stars.

Finishing up my "All Things Southern" category with a Christmas book set in Wilmington, North Carolina: Murder on the Candlelight Tour by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter. Ashley Wilkes' home is on the Candlelight Tour for Wilmington, NC's Christmas season. At the close of the first evening, a body is found in the library with another of her friends holding a poker in his hand. Ashley is convinced he did not commit the dastardly deed. A robbery occurred in 1960 that remained unsolved. Is there a tie between the present murders and the robbery? Ashley becomes involved in the case despite her homicide-investigator-boyfriend's best efforts to keep her out of it. I was ready to give this mystery 4 stars until the introduction late in the book of a character who practiced Wicca that had absolutely nothing to do with the plot on hand and whose Wiccan blessing and practice had no bearing on the outcome of the story. It was totally unnecessary and narrows the appeal of the novel. Then there were some other flaws that began to spring up such as the mention of something that she had withheld from her boyfriend that was treated as though they'd already discussed it. I gave it 2.5 stars.

Oh, Divine Inspiration sounds great! I love music, and I too am familiar with the Back Bay area of Boston. Only, I see that it's #10 in a series. Have you read others in the series, or did you read it as a stand-alone?

>166 tymfos: I've read several in the series, but I haven't read them all, and I haven't read them in order. They seem to work fairly well as stand-alones although I'm certain there may be some things that one would appreciate more if they have read others. This one works pretty well as a stand-alone because the main character is not necessarily Homer as much as Alan.

Completing my "Food Network" category with: Dead as a Scone by Ron Benrey and Janet Benrey (no working touchstone). Felicity "Flick" Adams, an American, is the chief curator of a tea museum in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England. Coffee-loving Nigel Owen is the acting director. Dame Elspeth Hawker, a descendant of the man for whom the museum is named, dies at a meeting of the museum's directors, and Flick is convinced it is poison. Most everyone tends to disagree with her since one of the directors is a medical doctor and attributed the death to natural causes. Flick is determined to investigate on her own. Like many works of Christian fiction, the writing leaves much to be desired. The narrative did not flow as smoothly as it should have. At first I really disliked Nigel Owen, but his character grew on me. The authors did show some skill in constructing clues throughout the book that would prove important later on. I am not convinced that the ending would have played out the way it did. It seemed a bit of a let-down. I gave it 2.5 stars.

Another one down in my "Caribbean Cruise" category. I just took a culinary tour of the islands with Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking by Jessica B. Harris. What a marvelous little cookbook! Not only does it give recipes, but it also provides historical perspective on Caribbean foods. There is also a glossary of terms that persons are likely to encounter in Caribbean cookery. I especially loved the island by island tour of the typical foods served on each (and how they came to be there). In reading through the recipes, I've determined that by adding a scotch bonnet pepper, a little rum, or both to a recipe, I can have a taste of the islands. The one weakness is the lack of photos. Still, if you are looking for a great book on Caribbean cookery adapted for American kitchens, look no further than this one! I gave it 4 stars, but I was being a bit conservative, I think, because of the lack of photos. It probably deserved at least 4.5.

Lori, looks like you're getting close to finishing 1010.

I need to get back to Jane Langton. She is one author I tend to forget about.

>170 lindapanzo: Yes, Linda, I'm getting closer to finishing up. I've got the books selected, and I should be able to complete the challenge easily.

I'm really glad that my November Early Reviewer book fit into my 1010 challenge. I won Gingerbread Cookie Murder with novellas by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier. Once again Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier have teamed up to deliver a collection of Christmas-themed novellas. The tie that binds these stories together is gingerbread men. Joanne Fluke's offering entitled Gingerbread Cookie Murder features Hannah's involvement in trying to get her neighbor to turn down his Christmas music so that the neighbors can have a little rest. When the music continues after his promise to turn it down after the kids arrived home, Hannah realizes she's going to have to pay him a visit . . . and we all know what she would find. This is not Fluke's best effort. I'd probably rate it about a 3. Laura Levine's installment is entitled The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies. Jaine visits her parents at their retirement community in Florida. A doctor portraying a gingerbread man falls to his death in the community theater play. There are plenty of suspects here. Levine writes with a lot of wit and humor, but I think my favorite part of the book had little to do with the plot. Laura's mother's pampering of the "grandcat" and the way the cat acted in return reminded me of my own late mother and my cat. Another 3 star effort. Leslie Meier's Gingerbread Cookies and Gunshots is the story of Lucy Stone's efforts to make sure a young child who was kidnapped is returned home by Christmas. This story is a winner and is worth the price of the book. I also loved the author's references to the volunteer spirit of Christmas and the reminders of the true reason we celebrate Christmas. I would give this story about 4.25 stars. I did notice one or two typos that were not caught before publication. Hopefully these will be corrected in future printings. I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program with the expectation that a review would be written. I gave it 3.5 stars overall.

#172 Glad you enjoyed it, too. I was similar in my views. The Leslie Meier was the tops for me and I also liked how she tied in the meaning of the season.

I rarely read short stories or novellas but this wasn't bad.

I've got a few more Christmas-themed mystery books I want to read, though one is short stories (the new Otto Penzler one).

Finishing off my "Weather Channel" category with Tempting Evil by Allison Brennan. Jo Sutton's husband and son were killed. Now there are prison escapees who are headed her way as well as a Montana blizzard. One of them is infatuated with her because of the novels she has written. The profilers know she is in danger because he's killed before with the same pattern. Will her friend Sheriff Tyler McBride and the other authorities (and locals) be able to rescue her. It took me quite awhile to get into this novel. Then there was a little too much violence for me. I also felt that the author was a bit redundant and that the book could have been about 75 pages shorter. For those who don't mind a lot of violence, this may be more appealing. I gave it 3 stars.

My "Caribbean Cruise" category has ended with the completion of Jamaican Me Crazy by Debbie DiGiovanni. Several ladies from Lakeside Baptist Church are treated to a Jamaican holiday trip by their friend and fellow churchgoer Becky, a single woman who has won a large sum of money on a television game show. This is a combination of chick lit and romance. This book could definitely use some editing. The book did not grab me right away. The book began with a prologue which was totally unnecessary. Then the first sentence of the main part of the book was very weak. I think Jennifer was supposed to be the central character of the book, but there really wasn't a clearly identifiable main character. The entire premise of the book is not plausible. There is no way that a single woman at any church is going to convince her all of her married friends to leave their families at Christmas time to go to Jamaica, especially churchgoing women who value family very much. Once the reader gets past all these shortcomings, the story does become somewhat engaging. There are some good points. Many works of Christian fiction go along and try to insert a plan of salvation at some point in the book. In this particular book, the ladies are, in many cases (aside from leaving their families to go on this vacation) acting exactly the way many church women act on a daily basis. They are living out their Christianity and concerned for their friends. The author is more successful at times than others in making the flow seem natural, but her intent to weave the Christian lifestyle into her characters is there. Most of the author's attempts at humor fell a little flat. This book is for those who really enjoy the Christian fiction genre, and I suspect that many persons who read Christian fiction almost exclusively would rate this book at 4 stars. I gave it 2.5 stars.

Only 4 more to go after completing this one!

I'm finishing off my "Sound of Music" category with The Piano Teacher by Lynn York. Miss Wilma is a small town piano teacher in North Carolina. Her daughter Sarah and granddaughter Starling arrive for an unexpected visit. Her son-in-law Harper and Jonah Branch turn up just as the body of an officer is found -- just in time for Jonah to be accused of the murder. Sarah, her mother, and her mother's friend are convinced of Jonah's innocence and must work to prove it before Jonah lands behind bars for good. I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't grip me. I liked Miss Wilma's character well enough, but the story line just didn't hold me. There was also a thread early in the novel about a piano student auditioning that just kind of fizzled out in the midst of the book with absolutely no resolution. I was more interested in this thread about the promising piano student than about the murder investigation so it left me unsatisfied. I gave it 3 stars.

Another entry in "It's the Holiday Season": A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit by Mike Huckabee. I really enjoyed this collection of stories from Governor Huckabee's life that remind us that sometimes simple is better. They also show us the depth of his faith in Jesus Christ. They challenge us to remember the true meaning of Christmas. One of my favorite portions of the book was the introduction. I would have enjoyed hearing him preach that message! Throughout the book, the Governor made reference to many members of his family. As a genealogist, I wanted to go hunting for his ancestors as most of his information on the distant generations appears to have been passed down through oral tradition rather than having been properly documented. I still loved the stories of his family and of himself. One of the most touching stories involved the last days of a family member who died to cancer. Having lost my mother to cancer in the last year, I found myself in tears in that section. While I doubt liberal Democrats would enjoy the book, I do think there are many other classes of persons to whom this book would appeal. The stories are touching. It's a great Christmas read! I gave it 4 stars.

Only 3 more to go!

>175 thornton37814: But what a great book title!

Finishing off my "New England Leaf Tour" category with The Body in the Moonlight by Katherine Hall Page. Faith Fairchild is catering an event when one of the guests dies from apparent poisoning. This, of course, frees up some of her time to investigate not only the murder but also to investigate the source of allegations against the school principal. It's a clever plot, but I'll admit that I had it figured out long before Faith did. A visit with Faith is like visiting an "old friend." I haven't read her series in order, but I've enjoyed almost all of the installments. I was a little disappointed that her friend Pix didn't figure in this one more prominently because one of my favorites in the series remains to be The Body in the Fjord in which the action revolves around Pix. Recommended for the nice "cozy" escape. I gave it 3.5 stars, but that might be a little generous. It was probably more like a 3.25.

Two more books to go and your done!

Yes. Hopefully before Christmas -- and then I can read a couple before the 11 in 11 challenge begins!

I, too, enjoy the Faith Fairchild series when I'm in the mood for a cozy. Like you, I haven't read them in order. I have several on the shelf I need to get to!

Last one in my "One More Stitch" category: Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini. I enjoyed the first installment of the series so much that I decided to read the second. I'm really glad because I enjoyed it even more than the first. I absolutely loved this second installment of the Elm Creek Quilters series. Their quilters' retreat has been in operation for awhile, but they all suddenly realize they need a quilt on the wall where visitors are welcomed to the Manor. Secretly the Elm Creek Quilters begin work on a round robin quilt for Sylvia to put there. I loved this glimpse into the lives of each quilter and how their part of the quilt reflected what was happening in their lives. We are introduced to two new characters in this installment -- Sarah's mother Carol and Sylvia's old friend Andrew. Each of these play an important part in this installment. I gave it 4 stars.

P.S. - Now I'm off to begin reading the last book for my challenge!

Way to go!

Woo-hoo!!

I read a Chiaverini book a few years ago and enjoyed it. Keep meaning to go back to the beginning of the series and start reading. The one I read was The New Year's Quilt.

The next one in the series, The Cross-Country Quilters, is one of my favorites of the ones I've read so far. I also really liked the 4th book, The Runaway Quilt. I'm trying to read the books in order and I'm hoping to get to The Christmas Quilt before the end of the year.

I've read quite a few and liked them all. I'm in the middle of gathering them together again so I can start at the beginning and have a quilter's marathon read.

*I read them before I joined LT and can't remember where I stopped. So I'll start again.

I think we all like Chiaverini! I think I'd like to try quilting. My sister-in-law was very good at one time and won lots of first place ribbons in competitions. I'm not sure how much she quilts now, but I do know that she had taught my brother to quilt too back in the day. I really would be happy just to try a patchwork quilt which I think might be a bit easier than some of the others. I'll look forward to reading some more Chiaverini books next year in the 11 in 11 challenge. I have multiple categories into which they could fit.

I'm DONE!!! My last book for the "It's the Holiday Season" category and for the 1010 Challenge is: No Clue at the Inn by Kate Kingsbury. It's fitting to finish this Christmas book on Christmas Day. It's been two years since Cecily and Baxter have owned the Pennyfoot Hotel, but when the relative who bought the hotel and converted it to a country club calls and asks for their assistance in getting through the Christmas season since the manager fell in the well on a nearby deserted farm. Baxter has misgivings about accepting the short-term assignment because he knows Cecily can't resist sleuthing, and it does appear suspicious to her. After all, why was the manager on that property in the first place. It just didn't make sense. Cecily has invited her former staff as her guests for the Christmas season. It was great to revisit the Pennyfoot and to have all the "old gang" back in place, even if in slightly different roles. I had anticipated part of the outcome of this installment and was happy to have it end that way even though I really don't think it was that realistic. I look forward to reading another installment of this series in the coming year.

I overfilled one of my categories so there are 101 in the challenge. I read 2 or 3 books through the year that I could not include in the challenge because they didn't fit my categories. I'll continue to report 2010 reads in this thread. I look forward to seeing you all over on my 11 in 11 thread in January: http://www.librarything.com/topic/96728.

Congratulations on completing your challenge.

Nice job!

Congrats on finishing! I look forward to following your reading - here until the end of the year - and over your 11 in 11 thread starting next week!

Congrats on finishing, a job well done.

Congratulations!

Congrats!!

Well done!

Good for you!

A post-challenge book that had been sitting on my TBR pile far too long:

Scent to Her Grave by India Ink. (The touchstone would show her real name so I'm avoiding its use.) Persia Vanderbilt has returned to her aunt's home and shop in Gull Harbor, Washington. A body is found in the shop, and when a valued employee is accused of the murder, she must work to clear his name. For me, the book started out fairly well with the cat causing Persia to fall down the stairs, but then it headed downhill from there for much of the book. Finally the action picked up in the last few chapters, redeeming it somewhat. As a Christian, I was bothered by the psychic consultations and some of the new age content, particularly in the pages from Persia's journal that aren't really central to the plot but are included with the book in much the same manner recipes are included in some books. The writer's technique has definitely not been perfected. I am unlikely to continue with this series. I gave it 2 stars.

Another post-challenge finish:

Booth's Sister by Jane Singer. This is a look at John Wilkes Booth through the eyes of his sister Asia. I began reading this during a particularly boring and misinformed lecture at a conference I attended in October. To be honest, the book wasn't much better than the lecture, but it gave me something to do without having to listen to a speaker who didn't know the difference in a blog and Facebook. I finally got back to it. I certainly had never considered how Booth's life had affected his family members, and this did give insight into it. The book seemed to be very full of dialogue. Much of the book is at a very low reading level -- maybe as low as 3rd grade. I really believe the book is better suited as a book for about 5th or 6th graders than adults to which it is marketed, although there are a couple of scenes that would be questionable content-wise for that audience. I read the Kindle edition of this book.

I gave it 1.5 stars.

I've begun reading my next book which will be for the 11 in 11 Challenge. (I realized there was no way to finish a book by the end of the year with a day of travel planned for today -- which has since been moved until tomorrow because the doctor's appointment yesterday for my dad ended up being an all day affair -- 4+ hours at the doctor, take him home, and then an hour at the pharmacy. Needless to say I didn't have the time to read anyway.) Join me over at my 11 in 11 thread to see what I think of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. The thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/96728

I liked that the officer from the Minneapolis Police Dept. cared about what was right, rather than just blindly enforcing the law, when he discovered Betsy's crow, and told her he thought that was a bad law and didn't enforce it.

I just realized that in my last reply I was referring to the police officer that visits Betsy in Knitting Bones. I've been trying to remember the Minneapolis police officer in Thai Die. Who was he or she?

I don't remember. It's been 20 months since I read Thai Die.