Lori's (lkernagh's) 2013 Kaleidoscope Year of Reading - Part 4

Lori's 2013 Kaleidoscope of Reading - Part 4

Well, it is "Good-bye" Summer and "Hello" Fall!


Kaleidoscope Picture: Asters

original photo courtesy of Flickr

Just like last year, the majority of my 2013 reading is being structured by the various challenges that I will be participating in for the year. My home base will be the 2013 Category Challenge group, but I will also be participating in the ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes, RTT - Reading Through Time and the SANDMAN groups on top of this one. There will be some duplication of reviews from group to group, as there are different members in each of the groups and I don't want anyone to feel left out or make them work to access a review.

No promises that I will be quick to respond to comments posted here - real life and work commitments take precedence. Just so you know, I read threads starting with the oldest unread posts in my Talk listing and work my way up from there so if you have a really active thread, I will get there - really I will - just no guarantees of frequent visits. I am also a bit of a lurker - sadly, no time to post comments every visit to every thread - but I will de-lurk on threads when a book mention/review, conversation or picture strikes my fancy.

To give you a feel for the books I will be reading in 2013, here are the categories for my 2013 Category Challenge:

1. All things GRAPHIC - Graphic Novels
2. All things NEW - published in 2012 or 2013
3. All things EPISTOLARY
4. All things GOTHIC
5. All things FABLES and FAIRY TALES - original and re-telling
6. All things EUROPA - books published by Europa Editions
7. All things REGENCY - books set in the Regency period
8. All things PENGUIN - books published by Penguin
9. All things MITFORD - Book series by Jan Karon
10. All things SERIES, SEQUELS, PREQUELS and TRILOGIES
11. All things NEWSWORTHY - books that get a lot of buzz (On LT, as prize contenders and winners, etc)
12. All things ON MY TBR BOOKCASE
13. All things WITH A TITLE, AUTHOR(S) AND WORDS WRITTEN - The life saving 'catch-all category'

Books read:

JANUARY:
#1 - The Twitter Diaries by Georgie Thompson and Imogen Lloyd Webber -
#2 - The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman -
#3 - Clay: A Novel by Melissa Harrison -
#4 - A Sickness in the Family by Denise Mina Illustrated by Antonio Fuso -
#5 - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka-
#6 - A Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch-
#7 - The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman -

FEBRUARY:
#8 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen -
#9 - The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison -
#10 - Black Butler, Vol. 1 by Yana Toboso -
#11 - Black Butler, Vol. 2 by Yana Toboso -
#12 - Lady Susan by Jane Austen -
#13 - Enter At Your Own Risk: Old Masters, New Voices edited by Alex Scully -
#14 - Riding the Bus With My Sister by Rachel Simon -
#15 - Fun Home by Alison Bechdel -
#16 - Black Butler, Vol. 3 by Yana Toboso -
#17 - Black Butler, Vol. 4 by Yana Toboso -
#18 - Ice Song by Kirsten Imani Kasai -
#19 - Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge -

Books read:

MARCH:
#20 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline -
#21 - The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman -
#22 - Snow Falling On Cedars by David Guterson -
#23 - Love and The Mess We're In by Stephen Marche -
#24 - Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham -
#25 - Sorry by Gail Jones -
#26 - Complication by Isaac Adamson -
#27 - The Dinner by Herman Koch -

APRIL:
#28 - Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan -
#29 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry -
#30 - Mrs. God by Peter Straub -
#31 - How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by The Oatmeal -
#32 - February by Lisa Moore -
#33 - The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb -
#34 - F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton -
#35 - Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham -
#36 - Fables Vol. 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham -
#37 - Old Filth by Jane Gardam -
#38 - Freaks of the Heartland by Steve Niles -
#39 - The Little Book by Selden Edwards -

Books read:

MAY:
#40 - Mistress of Blackstone Castle by Patricia Werner -
#41 - The Sandman: Vol. 4 Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman -
#42 - The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris -
#43 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (père) -
#44 - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier -
#45 - The Sandman: Vol. 5 A Game of You by Neil Gaiman -
#46 - At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon -

JUNE:
#47 - Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple -
#48 - Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles -
#49 - Type by Alicia Hendley -
#50 - Basti by Intizar Husain -
#51 - Soulless by Gail Carriger -
#52 - His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik -
#53 - Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril and Romance by Marthe Jocelyn -
#54 - The Rules of Gentility by Janet Mullany -
#55 - Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn -
#56 - The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter -
#57 - Fables Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers by Bill Willingham -
#58 - A Book of Tongues by Gemma Files -
#59 - Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle -

Books read:

JULY:
#60 - Sandman Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman -
#61 - Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear -
#62 - Changeless by Gail Carriger -
#63 - The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway -
#64 - Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart -
#65 - Life After Life by Kate Atkinson -
#66 - UTU by Caryl Férey -
#67 - Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole -
#68 - Frederica by Georgette Heyer -

AUGUST:
#69 - ENGN by Simon Kewin -
#70 - The Arabian Nights Entertainments selected and edited by Andrew Lang -
#71 - Mary Todd Lincoln: Her Life and Letters by Mary Todd Lincoln, Justin Turner and Linda Levitt Turner -

Books read:

SEPTEMBER:
#72 - The Hopfield Tales by Mike Evers -
#73 - Crow Lake by Mary Lawson -
#74 - Red Dragon White Dragon by Gary Dolman -
#75 - The Alienist by Caleb Carr -
#76 - 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff -
#77 - The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff -

OCTOBER:
#78 - The Moor is Dark Beneath the Moon by David Watmough -
#79 - The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe -
#80 - The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer -
#81 - Deeds of Men by Marie Brennan -
#82 - Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal, and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty by Jerry Oppenheimer -
#83 - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson -
#84 - Go Ask Alice by Anonymous -
#85 - The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson -

Books read:

NOVEMBER:

DECEMBER:

This thread is now open for business! Pull up a chair and settle in or breeze through while you are out and about the group..... the door is always open and the kettle is on!

Hi Lori! Happy new thread!

> 10 - Thanks, Susan!

--------------------------

My August plans to read a bunch of books of my TBR bookcase failed rather miserably so I am going to attempt it again for September, allowing myself the ability to also read LTER books that need to be reviewed.

Currently Reading plans for September:

Red Dragon White Dragon by Gary Dolman - LTER Book
Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott - reading it for the Sept Lab Lit Random CAT
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson - also for the Sept Lab Lit Random CAT
The Hopfield Tales by Mike Evers - LTER Book

Edited to added the e-book read I started last night.

Hi Lori - just marking my spot! (By commenting, not by, you know, doing what dogs and cats do to "mark" things... ;-)

Breezing through--trying to work up a breeze here to cool down.

Congratulations on your latest thread Lori. I haven't got or heard of your latest reads so it will be interesting to see what you make of them.

Happy new thread, Lori! Just grabbing a seat early.

Checking in to your shiny new thread. It's still officially summer for a little under 3 weeks so I'm not ready to break out the fall clothes yet, especially when it's as hot as it has been today. I know my car's thermometer showed 90 earlier.

Hi Lori! Oh, you are in for a treat when you read Crow Lake. I really loved that book when I read it. The Other Side of the Bridge was wonderful, too.

Hi Lori, just marking my spot. Lovely kaleidoscope at the top of your thread : ). I don't like to see autumn come actually. Summer is just my favourite thing ever, but time stops for no one ... so here's to fall!

Hi there, Lori! Sorry I don't visit more often. *Hugs* Looks like you have made some great progress in the challenge, woohoo! :)

Hi Lori - just stopping by to say hello:)

Thanks Katie, Roni, Paul, Mamie, Lori, Anne, Nancy, Stephen and Calm for stopping by!

> 12 - Katie, Feel free to mark away! ;-)

> 13 - Great to see you breezing through, Roni! Here is hoping your weather does cool down!

> 14 - Thanks Paul! Typical me, I plan to read three books for September - leaving everything else to chance - and last night I ended up picked up an e-book to start reading instead! Current reading list has been amended, accordingly. ;-)

> 15 - Hi Mamie! The armchair in the corner is quite comfy and has a nice reading lamp. ;-)

> 16 - So true, Lori. Mentally, Labour Day means summer is over in my mind *sniff!*.... where does the time go?! Here is hoping I don't need to pull out the fall/winter wardrobe any time soon. Right now I am aiming to see how long I can go before I have to resort to wearing nylons or tights again.... another sure sign that the seasons have changed.

> 17 - Hi Anne, very happy to learn you enjoyed Crow Lake! I also have a copy of The Other Side of the Bridge so now I am kind of excited to start reading them!

> 18 - Nancy, like I mentioned to Katie, mark away! I like Autumn but only when I am in an area where all the vibrant autumn colours can be seen and the air has that crispness to it... then I want to just snuggle up with a book in a big woolen sweater!

> 19 - Stephen, I am overwhelmed with happiness that you have made it over here!!! I will try not to litter this thread with photos so you can come by more often! ;-)

(((Hugs back)))

> 20 - Lovely to see you stop by and say hello, calm!

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Sooooo, instead of picking up one of the three books already slated for my September reading, I started The Hopfield Tales by Mike Evers last night instead. It was such a lovely evening last night that I spent some time sitting outside reading and needed the back lighting of my iPod Touch to read by (bringing a light outside to read by just seemed silly and counter to enjoying the evening) so the e-book was chosen. It is also an LTER and I will need to get around to reading it sooner rather than later.

So far I am really enjoying The Hopfield Tales. The first story has a modern day boy stumbling across a stone that marks the grave of The Ear of Huntington (aka, Robin Hood) he ends up strikes up a conversation/friendship with Robin Hood's spirit.

Hi Lori! Nice new thread. I love autumn but I live in hot Houston and we have lovely mild winters. October does it for me. It will be just barely cool enough for a long sleeve by then.

Overwhelmed with happiness? That's not the usual effect I have on people. :P

I'm ready for some cool fall weather, too, Lori. Congrats on the new thread!

> 22 - Thanks Roberta! I have a bit of difficulty adjusting to places that have the same weather year round. At least in the tropics they have - or used to have - a rainy season and a dry season! If things can change temperature wise enough in Houston to transition to long sleeves, that's something! ;-)

> 23 - And just who wouldn't be delighted by your wit, intelligence and overall charm? ;-)

> 24 - Thanks, Joe! Cool fall weather would be just the ticket right about now, even if it would upset the majority of the residents where I live!

------------------------------

Still enjoying The Hopfield Tales - story two in this three story book is even better than the first one!

During my walk home this evening I had a rather fun and unexpected wildlife encounter. My walk home takes me along a walkway that hugs the Inner Harbour of Victoria.... it is a nice scenic walk and the walk home is a nice way to unwind after the work day. At one section, right beside a local brewpub, there is a natural horseshoe shaped inlet that has a steep mini cliff/hill down to the water with the path running along the top. As I was walking past this area I heard some rustling in the buses to my left, on the water side. Glancing over, I saw a sea otter pop his head up and look around. Not used to seeing a sea otter on the top of the hill like that, I paused. A second later, a second sea otter popped his head up. While I stood there pondering these two creatures making like two over-sized wet ground hogs popping out of nowhere not 10 feet away from me, a third sea otter crashes through the bushes and joins his/her two buddies craning their necks to scope out the area. These three full grown sea otters - these were not young pups - were such a comic sight to watch that I started digging in my purse looking for my camera, which it turns out I had left at home. By then they had stopped rubber-necking and started heading towards the path I was on, which reminded me instantly that they are wild animals, not someone's pets roaming loose, so I decided that was a good time to continue heading home. In all the years I have lived here, I have seen the sea otters in the water or sunning on the deck over at Fisherman's Wharf but not on the land, up hill from the water and by the looks of things, heading for the brewpub. Me thinks they have discovered the establishment's garbage area or they are being fed but some one.

I like your wildlife experiences better than mine. I worked until closing this evening (10:30) and I was looking forward to getting home. I wasn't able to get in the house for a while, though, because of the skunk hanging around the car port. I'm no where near a brewpub so I'll have to think of something else to entice him away from my house. I don't want him to get comfortable here!

> 26 - Oh dear, I like my wildlife experience better, too! Here is hoping the skunk was just passing through and has already headed off to greener pastures (if that is the sort of thing that a skunk would gravitate towards!)

I've had Crow Lake on the shelves for ever - maybe I should get around to it

> 28 - Rhian, Crow Lake is next on my reading list, once I finish The Hopfield Tales. I have two of Lawson's books, Crow Lake and The Other Side of the Bridge, both purchased on the recommendation of a total stranger at a book fair. ;-) My reading has been a bit haphazard lately and I am hoping to get back into my reading mode this month.

--------------------

Cool and rather gloomy fall weather today which makes it the perfect day to run some errands and tackle some household projects. Today's project is re-organizing the bedroom closet which is starting to appear crammed with "stuff" on the floor and shelves.

I will probably finish The Hopfield Tales sometime this evening.

Lori, I hope your re-organising goes well - it will be good to get it done, anyway.

Wildlife though they may be, I've never heard of a pack of sea otters attacking a human on land. ;-) Such a fascinating encounter, Lori!

Awwwwwwww..... Sea otters!!! Too bad you didn't have your camera, Lori! That would have been a great picture! I'll bet someone has been feeding them and they were looking at you for their next snack! (not as in to eat you, but like, "where's the grub, lady?")

Sea otters -- how wonderful! It's too bad you didn't have your camera, but then you could just focus on watching them. How cool!

Can't wait to see what you think of Crow Lake. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Lori - When I visited New Zealand last year we went to Kaikoura which is well known for it's profusion of Sea Lions. We were told that, though appearing cuddly, if they snapped or were provoked they could attack and do a fair bit of damage too. Discretion was rightly the better part of valour I think.

Have a lovely remainder of your weekend and I trust that your book funk is consigned to near history.

Otters are so cute!

Good grief, it is Sunday night. Where did the weekend go!

> 30 - Thanks Susan, organizing went well. Now that the bedroom closet is as I want it, next weekend I am going to tackle the rather larger front storage closet... that one is also in a scary, sorry state of organization. ;-)

> 31 - Ha, ha, ha, good point, Roni. Having spent part of my childhood in southeast asia and my teens in Alberta, usually things that come crashing through the underbrush one doesn't want to get too close to. Those sea otters did seem rather eager and I am not sure if they thought I had food or something.

> 32 - Hi Tina, they probably were looking for me to produce some food for them! Not sure how I feel about wildlife being that comfortable with humans but I guess feeding sea otters isn't quite as annoying as people that feel compelled to feed the crows and the seagulls around here. Seriously, those animals don't need to be fed by people... some of the seagulls I have seen are the size of small turkeys!

> 33 - Hi Anne, I had one of those "duh" moments after I got home from seeing the sea otters. Well I didn't have my camera with me, I did have my iPod Touch and I could have taken pictures or even a video with that..... I just wasn't thinking! *slaps forehead with palm of hand*

I will be starting Crow Lake this evening!

> 34 - Hi Paul, I agree. Cuddly can still be dangerous, even in a domesticated animal you think won't attack so I will continue to observe the wildlife from a safe distance. Part of my daily walk to work during the summer months usually involved walking through a gaggle of Canada Geese that had settled into the area and were usually feeding on either side of the pathway. For the most part they were docile, and probably accustomed to the number of joggers and dog walkers out on the paths at that time of day but even then there was a morning when one of the geese hissed at me as I walked past. I see by the news that a woman was attacked by river otters when she was swimming in one of BC's lakes last month so one just never knows: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/08/13/bc-river-otter-a...

> 35 - Hi Rhonda, they are cute!

Book #72 - The Hopfield Tales by Mike Evers



The Hopfield Tales is a collection of three novellas - two previously published and one new one - with a common theme of place. All three stories are set in modern day Hopfield, a fictional and somewhat sleepy town of Yorkshire, Northern England. These tales, as they are aptly called, blend the ordinary with the extraordinary, bringing some of English history and legend to captivate the reader. These are not your typical time travel stories of modern day characters traveling back in time. Instead, the legend of Robin Hood, the wonderment of Viking gods and history of Ivar Ragnarsson's (aka Ivar the Boneless) invasion and capture of York, and the histories of the Roman rule of Britannia, the Battle of Caer Caradoc and Buodicca are woven into the very fabric of these stories.

In The Spirit Archer, young Jamie Wilson has troubles of his own with failing grades and working nights and weekends in the local chip shop as the sole support for his widowed and troubled Mom. Jamie doesn't see much in his future. This otherwise run-of-the-mill story of overcoming personal trials transforms into something unique with the chance discovery by Jamie of the real grave of England's most legendary archer, along with the archer's still lingering spirit with secrets to tell. With an unusual budding of a friendship that bridges over 800 years, this one has the makings of a charming and heart-warming YA story that provides a different perspective on the tale of Robin Hood.

The Campaign of the Gods, is a roller coaster of a ride after The Spirit Archer. Premise: What happens when a board game two Viking gods, Týr and Thor, are playing up in Asgard turns into a larger than life reenactment in modern day Hopfield? For PCs Walker and Gooding, a routine day on the beat is anything but routine when Fenrir's wolf packs and Ivar Ragnarsson's berserker warriors show up in town to battle over the Hopfield Stone. Evers lets his playful side show here as our Viking warriors encounter everything from modern markets to modern forms of transportation and strange people. (Yes, to the Vikings of Ragnarsson's time, we are very strange people!) Fun with a capital "F". This was my favorite story in the collection. Loved the characters, the plot and the dialogue. The ending could have been better but overall a great story!

The last story, Mark of the Legion took longer for me to warm up to and probably because my understanding of Roman history and the time of Roman rule over Britannia is pretty much based on my reading of Asterix the Gaul books, and not much else. When Brother Bentham, a monk in the Brotherhood of the Resurrection, is assigned to befriend octogenarian Ernest Teale, an elderly resident in the care home across the street from the monastery, he is taken aback when Ernest calls him Titus and by what Ernest seems to know about the legendary Roman Ninth Legion. This one was more of a sleeper story - and a bit of a letdown after the fun of Campaign of the Gods - but it did come together in the end quite nicely.

Overall, three different stories providing a focus on three different time periods of England's past. I loved the way Evers brought out the details of history through Robin and Ernest's stories and through the Viking notebook and historical references provided by PC Walker, a weekend Viking reenactment hobbyist. I enjoyed the stories and learned a whole lot about fascinating events in history at the same time.

Just for the record, this was one of the hardest reviews I have written, and I am still not totally happy with it, but such is life.

This book was courtesy of Librarything's Early Reviewer Program.

Decimal Rating: 3.66
Star Rating: 3.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: e-book
# of Pages: 194 pages
Source: LTER
Male/Female Author: Male

Next up: Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Okay, The Hopfield Tales has hopped right onto the wishlist, although it looks as though I'll have to wait for it to get to the library. Do I want to spring for $2.99 for the Kindle version?

Love the sea otter story, though I agree the fact that they are so comfortable around humans could be a bit problematic...

The Hopfield Tales sounds interesting, and it's available to borrow from the Kindle lending library, so I might go that route.

Have a great week, Lori!

Lori- Just checking in. Hope you had a nice weekend. And good luck with that September reading. I've been meaning to get to Crow Lake for eons and I have it on shelf too. Grrrrrr!

Hi Lori, I love the sea otter story, too. And I know exactly what you mean about the geese; we have them in abundance in one of our city parks here.

The Hopeful Tales looks good!

I was once "attacked" by a squirrel. I was holding peanuts in my hand and a squirrel decided to climb my bare leg to get to them. Needless to say, it couldn't get a good grip and slid down, clawing me. Ouch.

> 38 - Hi Roni, you might want to keep your eye on the Kindle versions. According to the following blogpost, the author and the publisher have recently parted company and the author has now re-loaded The Hopfield Tales onto Amazon with plans to do a few KDP(?) Select free promotion days.

> 39 - Hi Katie! Wildlife comfortable around humans usually turns into wildlife dependent upon humans which can be nothing but bad news. Wonderful to see The Hopfield Tales is available for borrow! Thanks for the great week wishes. Today is a day off for me and I plan on just puttering around and reading Crow Lake which is proving to be quite the mesmorizing story. I stayed up until 12:30 last night reading it and that is rare for me.... I am usually in bed by 10pm!

> 40 - Hi Mark, Happy Monday to you! Weekend was wonderful, productive and just a tad on the short side so I am happy that I have today off to stretch my weekend out a bit longer. I am going to nudge you towards your copy of Crow Lake. I started it last night, stayed up way past my bed time reading it and I am already at the half-way mark!

> 41 - Nancy, I tell, those geese are everywhere! I just wish they wouldn't leave such a mess in their wake. At least they are quieter than those darn seagulls! ;-)

> 42 - Oh Morphy, that must have really hurt! I hope he didn't draw blood in the process and that you were able to disinfect the area. That is one thing I do worry about with wildlife, even the supposedly tame ones: You have know idea what contagions they are carrying that they can infect a person with. I am not a germaphobe but infections I can do without!

I was 10 or 11 at the time so really don't remember. I think it bled a bit. I didn't lose the leg or anything, so I suppose my aunt disinfected me (it happened at her house). If she didn't, my mom certainly would have when I got home!

Ah, that makes sense. Still, one doesn't expect to be clawed by a squirrel when feeding it a peanuts, even if the poor thing it had traction issues! ;-}

Book #73 - Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

I hadn't been aware that people could change. But then, I hadn't been aware that people could die. At least not people you loved and needed. Death in principle I had known about; death in practice - no. I hadn't known that could happen.

This is my kind of story! I am still amazed that I purchased this one on a whim based solely on the recommendation of a total stranger at a book sale, took it home, place it on my bookcase and promptly forgot about it for over three years. Why didn't I start reading it as soon as I got it home!!?! The fact that I read this one from start to finish in less than 24 hours (yes, I did need to stop reading it to sleep and other things) speaks to the page turning quality of this mesmerizing story, at least for me.

Crow Lake: A small, somewhat isolated farming community in Northern Ontario and home to the Morrison family. When I say small, I mean small with about a dozen farms, a general store, a school and a church. Closest town was 20 miles away. Isolated in that there was only one road into Crow Lake and the train that passed through only stopped if you flagged it down. A tranquil place, or so one would think. Told through the point of view of Kate, an assistant professor of invertebrate ecology at a University in Toronto, we meet her family and the tragedy that struck them that fatal Saturday in July when Kate was only seven years old.

To say that this is a story about coping with loss and the struggles and sacrifices made to keep a family together really oversimplifies all that this story has to offer a reader. Lawson joins the ranks of some of my favorite authors like Timothy Findley, David Adams Richards and John Bemrose as having a wonderful gift for storytelling, bringing the characters, the events, the settings and the time period to life with poignant prose and balance. By the end of the story I felt like I had visited the Morrisons at the house in Crow Lake and had spent an afternoon at the ponds with Kate and her brother Matt.

What makes Crow Lake such an amazing story is that Lawson doesn't try to be everything or show everything to the reader. This story is told from Kate's POV and there are gaps where Kate was not privy to information or events, which brings a realism to the story that I really appreciate. I found it very easy to connect with Kate as a character. Her self confessed lack of empathy and strong desire to isolate herself from emotional attachments is one I can understand and appreciate. Now, don't get me wrong... this is not just a story about Kate. Kate's older brothers Luke and Matt and her baby sister Bo (short for Elizabeth) are also wonderfully drawn complex characters.

I like to pin my stories down to the era they are set in. This story has a timeless quality to it and could even today represent a small northern Canadian community, but Lawson did provide me with one piece of information to set the time period: Mention of the doctor's bill. While Canada's universal mediacare system had its start in 1946 in Saskatchewan, it was adopted by all provinces in 1961, with the federal Medicare Act being brought in in 1966. I think it is safe to say that young Kate was probably born in the late 1950's or early 1960's. That is my theory anyways.

Overall, a wonderfully poignant story that kept me up reading way, way past my usual bed time and provided me with a strong connection to characters that has been missing from a number of books I have been reading lately. I am now extra happy that I already own a copy of Lawson's book The Other Side of the Bridge.

Recommendation: For anyone reading this and loved Crow Lake as much as I do, I highly, highly recommend John Bemrose's The Island Walkers!

Decimal Rating: 4.88
4.50 - Plot Development
5.00 - Character Development
5.00 - Writing Style
4.75 - Readability
5.00 - Premise
5.00 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
4.75 - Originality
5.00 - Length

Star Rating: 5.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 304 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Female

Next up: Red Dragon White Dragon by Gary Dolman, and LTER book

Great review of Crow Lake! And 5 stars too! It looks like it's time to move it up to the Must-Read Now shelf. There is not much elbow room there either but it's one step closer.

Lori, I loved your review of Crow Lake! I've just reserved it from the library.

Lori, that is a fantastic review of Crow Lake. Sounds like one I would love, so it's on the list!

NNnggh. Must resist adding to Mount TBR...

Great review of Crow Lake! It's been sitting on my shelf waiting for me, for a looong time. I really MUST get to it.

Fabulous review of Crow Lake! I enjoyed your story of your encounter with the sea otters too. We don't have those here, but we do have river otters....I have never been attacked by one though! LOL

46> Oh!! We did Crow Lake in our book group a number of years ago. It was so well liked that we did The Other Side of the Bridge a couple years later.

If you like those, you will probably like Bonnie Burnard's A Good House and Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani.

Thanks for The Island Walkers recommendation. I'll have to look for it.

I went ahead and "borrowed" The Hopfield Tales, as an Amazon Prime member!

> 47 - Yup, a 5 star read, Mark! I hear you on the elbow room... what is up with all these books demanding attention?!? ;-)

> 48 - Thanks Susan! I love it when a gem of a book appears, even if I did own it for three years before I sat down to read it. *duh!*

> 49 - Thanks Nancy... I think you would love it!

> 50 - Oh, come on Morphy, maybe just pick up a copy and leaf through the pages a bit and see if it calls to you.... ;-)

> 51 - Hi Carol, so happy to see this book has been sitting on other peoples bookshelves unread... I don't feel like I have been a negligent book owner now. ;-)

> 52 - Thanks Heidi! I love wildlife encounters and hope all of mine continue to be positive ones. For some reason I get the impression that river otters may be more vicious that sea otters, but I am probably just fooling myself and should stick to the adage that all animals have the potential to be vicious.

> 53 - The fact that your book group was so taken with Crow Lake to read Lawson's other book is awesome! What was the response for The Other Side of the Bridge? How does it compare to Crow Lake? I actually own a copy of Burnard's A Good House, which has also been sitting on my bookshelves unread since I purchased it back in 2010..... Must try to remember to pull that one off my bookcase and stack it beside my reading chair! I don't own a copy of Remembering the Bones so adding that one to my list for the library/book store visits. Thanks so much for the recommendations!

> 54 - Excellent news, Roni! Sounds like it pays to be Amazon Prime member!

------------------

Work has been rather interesting lately - and not all in a good way - but one just buckles down and gets on with what needs to get done. The good news is the wonderful summer weather continues so I really have nothing to complain about!

On the reading front, I am 50 pages into Red Dragon White Dragon by Gary Dolman, a historical murder mystery set in Northumberland, England circa 1890 with a husband and wife investigative team. I am warming up to the story but I have to say it reads like the second or third book in a series the way Dolman presents his main characters which I find a bit unsettling for me because I keep on thinking that I am missing vital tidbits of information to understand the main characters. There is no mention anywhere that this is part of a series so maybe I am just used to more background on the characters before diving right into the investigation, I don't know.

Hmmmm, I just checked, Gary Dolman has only published one other book. The other is The Eighth Circle of Hell, it's set in the same time period (or close) but it doesn't sound related at all, judging by the book description. So, I guess it's just his writing. :)

Your last two books sound great, Lori! But a 5 star read recommended by a stranger? By George, yes! Off to thumbs up your review now!

> 56 - I think you are right, Stephen. This probably is just how Dolman writes. He is doing a good job laying the ground work for the mystery and the setting and not going overboard on anything. I am 100 pages in now and more comfortable with the story and the fact that character development isn't his focal point. I should have realized that, it is a murder mystery, after all!

> 57 - I know! Go figure! I love those chance encounters when you have a book in you hand and a total stranger stops just to tell you how great the book is and then moves on out of your life.

Lori, I am a big fan of Crow Lake, too. I have it in my permanent library and it has been loaned to several friends with happy results! I'm glad you got such a good recommendation on a chance encounter. I usually have someone hand me a Danielle Steel-type book at library sales.

Love the new kaleidoscope pattern. I am sooo ready for autumn.

Argh! Okay! FINE! *stomps off to add book*

> 59 - I am still blown away by Crow Lake, Donna! I usually have someone hand me a Danielle Steel-type book at library sales. Yikes..... I wouldn't know quite how to react to that kind of book suggestion..... "Um, thanks but I am looking for something a little different?"

> 60 - No pressure Morphy, really..... ;-)

---------------------
Happy weekend everyone!

Fog horns woke me up at 5:30 this morning - at least it wasn't the sea gulls. Fog horns are a more relaxing sound to wake up to! - so I have been curled up with a cup of coffee in front of the computer taking stock of where I am with my various LT challenges this year:

75 Group: 1.5 books still to read (currently halfway through book #74)
ROOTs off the Shelf: 13 books still to read
Sandman: 5 volumes still to read
Commonwealth Challenge 49 books still to read (this is a multi-year challenge and will be one of the categories for my 2014 category challenge)

I set up my category challenge rather open-ended with each category being considered completed if the number of books read in the category = a prime number.

2013 Category Challenge: 7.5 books still to read
(if I only read books to complete categories and don't move any books from one category to another)
~~NEW - current read Red Dragon White Dragon will complete this category
~~EPISTOLARY - need 1 more book
~~FABLES and FAIRY TALES - need 3 more books
~~SERIES, SEQUELS, PREQUELS and TRILOGIES - need 1 more book
~~NEWSWORTHY - need 1 more book
~~ON MY TBR BOOKCASE - need 1 more book

If I treat the Sandman books as FABLES and FAIRY TALES and close that category out with 13 read instead of 11, I can conceivably complete all of my on-going challenges (except for my Commonwealth Challenge) by reading just 20.5 books (remember, I am currently half way through a book!). This is my fall reading plan, so wish me luck.... I am no good with focusing my reading this tightly! ;-)

Your reading is so wonderfully organized, Lori. I fly by the seat of my pants from one book to the next, LOL.

> 62 - LOL, I may start out organized, Nancy but there are usually a couple of hiccups along the way when I put my plan into action! ;-)

Oh Lori, I am so thrilled you loved Crow Lake! It is one of my favorites. I loaned it out a few years ago, and it was never returned, so I bought another copy. You are right -- she draws the characters so beautifully, and so honestly, you come to care about them deeply. I reread it a few years ago, and loved it even more.

*happy, happy happy*

Thank you SO much for recommending The Island Walkers -- it is going on my wish list immediately!

> 64 - Crow Lake is such an amazing read, Anne, I can see why it is one of your favorites! You do realize I am going to be scouring your library for more books to read, since we seem to like the same books? ;-)

I do hope you enjoy The Island Walkers. Like Crow Lake, it has wonderfully drawn characters and the writing is just right to grab the reader and draw them into the story.

I've had The Island Walkers on my list for a period of time. Must get to it! I added Crow Lake following your amazing review, Lori : ).

> 66 - Yay, I managed to hit you with two books, Nancy! Both are excellent reads. Now that I have said that, I look forward with some trepidation to see what you think of them.... Oh who am I kidding? You loved Lonesome Dove so you are bound to love Crow Lake and The Island Walkers. They all have that amazing storytelling quality to them.

Book #74 - Red Dragon White Dragon by Gary Dolman



A murder mystery set in Victorian England, 1890 Northumberland to be exact, with a husband and wife investigative team, wind swept moors, grisly deaths, Gothic elements of a long-vanished castle and the legend of King Arthur that just will not die equals a wonderful blending of some of my favorite mystery elements all in one book. What more could a girl ask for.

I have some mixed feelings about this one. The beginning was a bit of a distraction for me as we jump right into the story and the characters with little to no background build. Some people like to jump right into the story, I need my background build. It felt to me as though I was reading the second or third book in series and had missed the 'get to know your character' meet and greet that usually occurs in a stand alone book or first book in a series. Okay, I am probably quibbling over this point so lets progress. Atticus and Lucie Fox, our married investigative team, seem like a balanced husband and wife team and I did enjoy how Lucie, the trained medical nurse, is the one to step forward when a body is discovered and displays practical observation and insight, while Atticus is more the man of precision and analytical thinking. Still wish I new more about them.

I did like how Dolman crafted his mystery around the legends of King Arthur, the Arthurian hallows and the Norns of Norse mythology, otherwise known as the Writing Women or the Sisters of the Wyrd. I wasn't sure how that would work but I can happily report that it worked rather well. Dolman provides enough information to explain these elements to the uninformed reader without making them come across as informative digressions or sidebars to the mystery. I did have some trouble with how the story jumped around and it started to lose me once I had figured out the 'who dunnit' but Dolman managed to keep the story going with a couple of more interesting twists and turns.

Not sure what I think about the ending except that by the time I reached the last 10 pages I was just skim reading to finish the book and not really paying attention to the ending as it played out. A different ending might have captured my attention better.

Overall, an interesting murder mystery. Did I enjoy this book enough that I would read another book with Atticus and Lucie Fox investigating a new mystery? Yes, I would. Would I recommend it to others? Yes, I would.

This book was courtesy of Librarything's Early Reviewer Program.

Decimal Rating: 3.42
4.00 - Plot Development
2.85 - Character Development
3.25 - Writing Style
3.50 - Readability
3.50 - Premise
3.75 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
3.50 - Originality
3.00 - Length

Star Rating: 3.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 246 pages
Source: LTER
Male/Female Author: Male

Next up: The Alienist by Caleb Carr

I think you all have convinced me that I need to add Crow Lake to my TBR list.

Crow Lake is waiting for me to pick up at the library on Monday! I hope you're having a good weekend, Lori. Any crafting to report?

> 69 - Lori, I think you would find Crow Lake to be a good read!

> 70 - Hi Susan, I am looking forward to your thought on Crow Lake! Weekend started out with peasoup fog this morning in my part of the world, which I really like because I like the fog in general and because it keep a lot of Victorians indoors making my morning shopping trips hassle-free! No weekend craft project this weekend.... a household project instead. Details below.

----------------

Today's weekend project was a long overdue one.... clearing out and organizing our large walking-in front closet. After ripping everything out of the closet and a lot of back and forth "We are keeping this, why?" dialogue, one large garbage bag of 'stuff' and an armload of collapsed cardboard boxes are now gone. I have a satisfied sense of accomplishment and my other half has said that "If I am happy, he is happy" so I am going to chalk this up as an accomplishment, even if my pack-rat other half has his reservations. ;-)

On the reading front, my reading has slowed down a bit. I am currently 177 pages into The Alienist and I have to say, as much as I like the story and as much as I am fascinated with the murder investigation as it develops, it's not proving to be a gripping, page-turning read for me - even if Carr does a great job of making each chapter end on a teasing minor cliff hanger to encourage me to read further. I think it is the attention to detail that is bogging me down a bit, because it is not a laborious read. This would make an amazing movie, but it looks like nothing has come to fruition in that regard since film producer Scott Rudin purchased the film rights back in the early 1990's and Paramount Pictures bought the film rights back in 1993.

The writing style of The Alienist reminds me a bit of Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which I loved, so of course I will continue reading The Alienist, but I am not sure when I will finally complete it.

Lori, I know what you mean with The Alienist. Great premise and reasonable writing but it doesn't grip somehow.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

I listened to the audio cassettes of The Alienist way back in the day. Yes, I wrote audio cassettes! I enjoyed it in the audio format and wished they had done a Masterpiece Mystery of it. The details lend themselves to a miniseries better than a movie.

> 72 - Thanks Paul, I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I feel like I am finding projects - like the one mentioned further down this post - to work on instead of going back to The Alienist. Here is hoping it doesn't take me until the end of September to finish this book!

> 73 - Hi Roberta, audiobook might work better for me to get through The Alienist.... I will keep that suggestion in mind! A Masterpiece Mystery miniseries would be a great way to adapt The Alienist. Who do we talk to suggest that idea? ;-)

--------------------

Happy Monday, everyone! We have hit the wet weather of fall so I spent most of the weekend indoors. Instead of getting back into reading, I spent Sunday surfing eBay for loose bead deals - Yes, I do like to dabble in beading projects, when the urge takes me there! A couple of great purchases later my other half asked me if I was going to get around to doing anything with the beads I have already purchased over the years, so Sunday afternoon and evening was spent watching four episodes of Warehouse 13 Season 4 and beading.

End result, a double strand necklace and earring set made from Picasso beads and some left over beads from my dress beading project over the summer and a fun blue and white necklace with some Millefiori glass tube beads, silver spacers and some seed beads I had on hand:



Here is a close up shot on both projects:



The double stand necklace and earring set will go great with some of my office clothes and I am looking forward to wearing the blue one as a fun way to dress up a T-shirt and jeans. And, I am off the hook with my other half for buying more beads. ;-)

Okay... back to reading The Alienist.

Lori, those are both gorgeous!

Time well spent, both are beautiful - I love the double strand necklace.

I love the blue one. It's a happy necklace!

Lori, what a talent you are! Necklaces are beautiful.

Gorgeous necklaces!

Lori - I love the necklaces! Does your library have the audio book of The Alienist?

Very nicely done on the necklaces. The colors on the double stranded necklace are very appealing to me.

I feel like I read The Alienist at some point but can't for the life of me remember anything about the plot......

After a crazy busy day at work - and another one I know I will have to faced tomorrow - it is nice to come home and see all the wonderful responses on my thread! You guys are the best!

Thanks Susan, calm, Morphy, Nancy, Katie, Roberta and Heidi for your wonderful comments on my weekend crafting project! I wore the double strand necklace and earrings today with a basic navy blue dress and brown heels for work, so already making use of my handiwork!

I love the blue one. It's a happy necklace!

It really is a happy , good feeling kind of necklace, Morphy! I am going to wear it during our casual Fridays at work. ;-)

> 80 - Roberta, I checked both the local library and our province-wide ebook/audiobook library system and no dice on an audiobook of The Alienist.... I will preserver with reading it.

> 81 - Good point, Heidi. As much as I find the psychological profiling of the 'suspect' interesting, it is becoming a lot of theory with not much action, which is probably why you have difficulty remembering the plot. ;-)

>74 lkernagh: So beautiful! You are very talented. Hope you're having a good weekend.

Oh, I love both of those necklaces!! You are definitely going to give me some competition here!

And I've added Red Dragon - White Dragon.

Oops, I missed the transition to a new thread. There should be a group for you eclectic craftfolk.

> 83 - Thanks, Anne, even though I still feel like I am just a beginner at this beading stuff. I took advantage of bad weather conditions to stay indoors today and finish my current read and get some laundry done so a good day it has been! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

> 84 - Roni, that is high praise indeed coming from the group's resident beading/ pottery/ scarf knitting expert! I don't think you have anything to worry about on the competition front. I am no where near attempting bending wire jewelry like your tree pendants and as for pottery...... well, lets just say that my entire art class in high school learned really fast to never let me near a pottery wheel! ;-)

> 85 - Hi Katherine, great to see you here now! A crafty crafting group.... sounds like a fun idea.

-----------------

Today has been a day of steady, heavy rainfall so I took advantage of the weather to stay indoors and Finally finish the last 120 pages of The Alienist. That, three loads of laundry and a review written is the scope of my productivity today. I just love lazy days like this one has been!

Book #75 - The Alienist by Caleb Carr



Definition of ALIENIST:

psychiatrist; especially: one specializing in the legal aspects of psychiatry

New York City - March 3, 1896. When New York Times police journalist John Schuyler Moore is dragged out of bed in the middle of the night by a summons from his long time friend and psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, the last thing he expects to find himself doing is standing on the outer walkway of the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, staring at the mutilated body of a young boy. While at first blush this crime looks like nothing more than a one-time gruesome murder of a molly boy who worked in a disorderly house, it takes Kreizler to question that something more sinister is at work here. In a city where money talks, where the majority of the police force is on the take and crime and political corruption rules, Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt has his hands full trying to clean up a the police force he has oversight over. It becomes clear that if this matter is going to be investigated - to the annoyance of many powerful members in the city - an unofficial investigation team using new forensic methods of detection and psychological profiling, to try and find the killer will need to be set up. As the body counts starts to mount, the race is on to try and discover the killer's identity and find them before they kill again.

Written from the point of view of Moore, this story has a journalistic quality to it. The writing style reminds me of Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, another really good crime story considering that one is non-fiction. The attention to detail in The Alienist is amazing, although it can make for sluggish reading if you are looking for a more action-packed crime story. I found the quote on the front cover of the copy I read a little misleading.... The Alienist is a good crime story but not quite "A high-spirited, charged-up and unfailing smart thriller." IMO. The good news on the action front is that the slow build the story goes through for the first two thirds of the book does start to pick up speed as you progress closer and closer to the ending. The story does a great job depicting the American Gilded Age and has a wonderful character cameo by J.P. Morgan. I only wish that we got to know the characters that comprised the investigative team in the detail that we learned about our killer. I never really grew to appreciate the characters. They just were not given the same attention the author gave to the forensic methods, the crimes, the setting and the time period.

Overall, this one is a solid and well researched crime story that made for interesting reading. I just wish it had been a bit shorter in length - 512 pages seems a bit much for what the story conveys - and I wish it had more of an action/suspense build to it. This story would be fantastic adapted for film as the detail made it easy for me to visualize the story as I read it.

Favorite Quote:

"I'm not at all sure how much it will amount to, John, in the end," he said gloomily. "There are times when I feel that the job we have undertaken is not one that can be addressed at the metropolitan level alone. Corruption in this city is like the mythical beast, only instead of seven heads it springs a thousand for every one that is cut off. I don't know that this administration has the power to effect truly meaningful change."

Decimal Rating: 4.03
4.00 - Plot Development
3.50 - Character Development
3.75 - Writing Style
4.75 - Readability
4.00 - Premise
5.00 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
4.25 - Originality
3.00 - Length

Star Rating: 4.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 512 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Male

Next up: In the mood for something completely different so I have decided to embark on a re-read of Helene Hanff's 84, Charing Cross Road so I can then dip into The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street.

Congrats on hitting 75! I just hit it myself. :)

Lori - thanks so much for delurking - I don't know that I've ever visited your thread. Wonderful reading here. (I posted by mistake on yr. old thread, but moved it to here,) Haven't read anything you are reading right now, but Nine Coaches Waiting was one of my favourite books as a teenager - I've said elsewhere I think that it even encouraged my determination to become fluent in french..... I loved the idea of speaking a language and the people around me not knowing I could understand every word.

Also I listened to Rebecca this fall - what a great story!

You've read lots of other great books, but I can't comment about everything, so this is kind of random.

The shirts you made are wonderful. The jewelry also - just lovely.

Back to add: Congrats on reaching 75!

Congratulations on reaching the 75 book mark, Lori!

Lori, congratulations on reaching 75! Your day sounds like the perfect weekend!

Lori, 75 books!! Yay!

WOW -- 75! Congratulations. And what a wonderful review, too!

Congrats on 75, and nice review of The Alienist. I read it years ago, and really liked it.

Whoop whoop on the 75 Lori. I am in the middle of mine!

Yay for 75! Well done!

Yay for 75! You're on track for a nice even 100. :)

Thanks Everyone and thanks ! Wasn't sure I was ever going to get through that last read. ;-0

Books #76 and #77 - 84, Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff



This was exactly what I needed as a change of pace after reading The Alienist! I absolutely loved 84, Charing Cross Road when I read and watched the film adaptation starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins back in 2010, and I continue to love it today. I re-read this one only as prep for diving into the sequel, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, which has been languishing on my TBR bookcase since 2010. My opinion of 84, Charing Cross Road hasn't changed and my original review can be found here. Now onward to the new read: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street.

Written in diary format, this book captures Hanff's trip to England in 1971, when she finally travels across the pond to promote her book, 84, Charing Cross Road and to satisfy her lifelong dream, to find, "The England of English literature". Beautifully told with charm and candor, I was transported back in time to a world that is wonderfully timeless. This is a story about a personal journey, about old friends who finally meet, about new friendships made and about the changes in perspective such a monumental journey can bring about. As this one is in diary format, it lacks some of the spellbinding charm of 84, Charing Cross Road and the wonderful correspondence between Hanff, Frank Doel, the other members of Marks and Co and Frank's patient and loving wife, Nora. Reading 84, Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street back to back is the perfect way to really experience this second book... the magic of the first book carries this second book and gives it meaning. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is filled with anecdotes that made me smile and transported me back in time to an era where air travel wasn't subject to the rigid scrutiny that it is today. I loved how Hanff was met on the tarmac coming off the plane by a fan who happened to work at London Airport, and was walked by this gentleman right past the Immigration and Customs tables with a flippant "Friend of Mine" called over the shoulder. No one stopped them or questioned anything. This reminded me of the time back in 1996 when I flew into Manchester Airport with my Scottish other half for a long term (two month) visit of the UK. As a British subject, he went through a different line for immigration. Colour me surprised when I found myself being grilled, and grilled hard, by an immigration officer about my purposes for traveling to the UK. Apparently, it wasn't, and probably still isn't, considered 'normal' for someone like little old Canadian me to travel to the UK, with no real set plans in place besides seeing the country. When my other half had cleared his re-entry into Britain and realized that I was being given the third degree, he did what is probably a Hugh no-no today: He walked up behind the officer, thumped him on the shoulder, showed his passport and said "she's with me". Would you believe the immigration officer said not another word, stamped my passport and waved me through? Okay,I was a lot younger than and I have no idea what the immigration officer may have assumed was my 'ulterior motive' but it all worked out in the end.

It is amazing the memories a book can conjure up. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is the perfect read for anyone who loves 84, Charing Cross Road, is a book lover, and anglophile or just loves to armchair travel.

Favorite Quote:

"Got so carried away by my own eloquence that when we were driving home I began to wonder whether in explaining the American affection for Gray, I stumbled on a clue to the English passion for Dickens. They may admire Shakespeare more but it's Dickens they love. Maybe the average Englishman, being neither king nore peasant, identifies less with the kings and peasants of Shakespeare than with the lower and middle-class upward-mobility types in Dickens."

Food for thought, indeed.


Decimal Rating: 5.00
Star Rating: 5.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 97 pages
Source: My books
Male/Female Author: Female


Decimal Rating: 4.00
Star Rating: 4.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 172 pages
Source: TBR books
Male/Female Author: Female

Next up: I haven't decided yet.

I think I missed that you had hit 75, but I noticed #76 and #77. Congrats on exceeding 75.

I loved your airport stories Lori - how the world has changed!

I loved 84, Charing Cross Road so much, your review makes me want to jump right out to get The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street!

Oh, I like that review of The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, Lori. I loved 84 Charing Cross Road and must read The Duchess. Please post that review on the book page - I'll thumb it.

Congratulations on 75! 84, Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street sound like excellent reads.

Wow, Lori, you go!

Congrats on reaching 75!!

I, too, loved 84 Charing Cross Road and now I really must read The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street which I didn't even know existed! Fantastic review of it by the way.

I am overdue with posting my October kaleiodoscope picture and responding the visitors but I have been at home sick for the past two days with a bad flu/ stomach bug and not up to dealing with any on-line time, or any reading. I am feeling better now but still not back to my 100% normal.

-----------------

Thanks everyone for the 75th congratulations. As per Joe's request, a depersonalized version of my review of The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is now up on the book page.

> 101 - The world has truly changed, indeed, Lucy! I remember loving the efficiency of air travel in the 80's and 90's when my parents lived overseas I used to visit them for holidays. I remember changing planes in Hong Kong airport one summer with less than 10 minutes between docking one plane, running to the next plane and it being undocked for departure. My luggage made the connection with me. I was well and truly impressed on that trip. I remember another trip when we departed Hong Kong two hours behind schedule. Our pilot informed us that we had a good tail wind and that they hoped to land us ahead of schedule in Vancouver. A faster than normal landing and what might account to 'speeding' through the airport grounds, the pilots were true to their words.... we were docked at the terminal and deplaning 7 minutes a head of original schedule. Whoever had the bet the pilots they wouldn't make up the time, lost that bet! ;-)

I was surfing the web this weekend - before getting sick - looking for pictures of marigolds that I could transform into a kaleidoscope picture and was ecstatic when I found a marigold kaleidoscope picture up on Flickr under a creative commons license.

October's Kaleidoscope picture was created by Clyde Robinson, who has a Flickr account under the handle srqpix - his pictures are wonderful and his photo gallery can be found here!

October Kaleidoscope - Marigolds

Kaleidoscope marigolds! Love!

Great marigold picture, Lori! I hope you are feeling MUCH better.

Oh that is lovely, red-gold.

Hope you feel better soon!

Making up two hours is amazing.

Thanks Nancy, Roni and Lucy! There is just something about the red-gold marigolds and October.... a perfect match!

I am on the mend and well enough to head into the office today, where I was informed of more business changes to where I work and the reporting structure. For the most part, it's a positive change that makes sense and not a nerve jarring experience.... I am actually looking forward to seeing how this change/transition occurs!

On the reading front, I do have a book review for posting (see below).

Books #78 - The Moor is Dark Beneath the Moon by David Watmough
Category: - All things ON MY TBR BOOKCASE



From the book inside cover flap:

After decades in Canada, Davey Bryant returns to Cornwall, England, for the funeral of a mysterious relative and lands in the middle of a property-inheritance squabble that threatens to escalate into something far worse. Distraught by the changing landscape of his beloved homeland, Davey wanders the lonely moors and is soon sleuthing his way through a farce of megalithic proportions in which a midget couple driving a Morris Mini van might or might not be reincarnations of an evil Camelot dwarf and his consort. In the course of his investigations, Davey becomes even more dislocated in time as he tries to fathom the nature of a gay family tree that besides himself may include a spinster aunt and a good-looking teenage cousin named Quentin. Magic's in the air, and it's not just the glint of the BBC cameras shooting a miniseries about Merlin and King Arthur in Tintagel. As Davey says about the moors, "Lots of things have died out here. And not just bodies, but hopes and strange loves. Nothing is really quite as it seems."

I purchased this book about this time last year when I came across a book sale while walking through the library courtyard on my lunch break. The dark cover, the dark hidden family secrets and the title all seemed to make this one a perfect fit for the October RandomCAT. Silly me didn't realize that this is book 12 in a rather loosely knit series of books all based on the main character, Davey Bryant, so it is possible that my quibbles about this story could be because I haven't read any of the previous books.

For the most part this is your typical "death in the family = return to one's roots" kind of introspective study. Problem is the book isn't all that introspective. I found Davey to be a rather crotchety septuagenarian and I had troubles coming to terms with a character that on one hand was enjoying manipulating situations while at the same time weakly finding himself subject to some unusual time shifts of memory. It also didn't help when Davey would come across as a petulant school boy when the facts being discovered - remember, there is a family mystery of sorts to be uncovered here - didn't meet with his understanding of the situation. From a settings perspective, Watmough does a good job conveying the dichotomy of a Cornwall that has never changed in hundreds of years with the Cornwall that is unrecognizable to its returning son. The ending left me unsatisfied.... pieces were still not adding up in a clean manner, but like life, maybe it isn't supposed to add up. Some things tend to remain a mystery, no matter how hard we try to uncover the truth.

Watmough has a solid biography as a writer in Canada for five decades with 20 books to his credit. He was even the first president of the Federation of B.C. Writers. Having grown up mainly in Cornwall, the setting for this story - and the trip home Davey makes after decades of living on Canada's west coast - has a hint of autobiography to it, even though Watmough clearly states in his author's statement at the end of the book that he did not conceive of this book as any kind of swan song. He admits that this novel was written to address some unfinished business and approached it with no preconceived notions... he just let the story write itself. I will probably try and track down a couple of the first Davey Bryant books, as it was probably wrong of me to start with the 'last book', so take this review with the grain of salt that there is probably a lot more to this story that might make sense if all the books in the series have been read first.

Decimal Rating: 3.16
2.75 - Plot Development
3.50 - Character Development
3.25 - Writing Style
2.75 - Readability
3.25 - Premise
3.50 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
3.25 - Originality
3.00 - Length

Star Rating: 3.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 176 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Male

Next up: The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe.

Forgot to post this:

YEAR-TO-DATE (Jan to Sept) STATS COMPARISON:

Thought I would do something different this time - a side-by-side comparison of my reading stats as of September 30th for the past three years:

No. of Books read:
2013 - 77
2012 - 64
2011 - 85

Largest book read by page count:
2013 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas at 1,314 pages
2012 - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens at 560 pages
2011 - Perdido Street Station by China Mieville at 640 pages

Smallest book read by page count:
2013 - Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge at 88 pages
2012 - Scotland Road by Jeffrey Hatcher at 48 pages
2011 - The Little Prince By Antoine Saint-Exupery at 96 pages

# Pages read:
2013 - 23,673
2012 - 16,838
2011 - 25,681

Average # pages per book read:
2013 - 307 pages
2012 - 263 pages
2011 - 302 pages

Woot! You're having a great reading year, Lori! The Count is a huge chunkster, but one I'd read again : ).

Love The Count, even if it is a chunkster! ;-)

Wow! Gone a while and you reach 75~~!! Congratulations!!!

More love for The Count from me, Lori. What a good ride it is.

Happy Friday. I hope you're setting up for a good weekend.

Great idea for the stats, Lori! You are going to town this year, indeed.

Now Lori, you know I can't resist stats like that!!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Hi Lori - I hope you're all better now and had a good weekend. Any crafting to show? :-)

Lori, I haven't read The Alienist but I own a copy and will get to it someday. At least now I know what an Alienist is! Even though it might have been a little too long and a bit slow, a 4.03 rating from you is good enough for me.

I love the October kaleidoscope. Marigolds are faithful flowers that produce well throughout the summer here so I always have some at the edges of my garden. I have heard that the bugs don't like them either. We always seem to have a plethora of bugs, however, with or without those bright orange-red and yellow blossoms. I also love the bright color in your blue necklace creation. I can see it dressing up jeans and a t-shirt for the youngsters like you! For me, the double-strand necklace would be perfect for my conservative tastes. You have a big range of creativity, and I always like to see what is new over here.

I have been AWOL from my own thread for a couple of days,so thanks to Tina, Joe, Roni, Paul, Susan and Donna for stopping by! First, individual responses and then a more general reading update:

> 117 - Thanks, Tina!

> 118 - The Count is a good example of a book that can make a reader forget how big the book is they are reading! I hope your weekend was equally fabulous, Joe!

> 119 - Thanks Roni, this year is shaping up to be a bumper year for reading!

> 120 - Hey Paul, thought I could entice you with some stats! ;-) Weekend was wonderful, I just don't know where it went.

> 121 - Hi Susan, I am happily recovered. Seems I was suffering from a bout of food poisoning so bed rest and a liquid diet for a few days has managed to get my body back to some form of equilibrium. No actual crafting this weekend but a lot of time has been spent thinking about crafting. I am starting to get twitchy about Christmas crafting and have been checking on line for some interesting Christmas tree ornament ideas, preferably something that incorporates beads. I have a couple of ideas and will be making a trip to Micheal's tomorrow to see if these thoughts transport into ideas I can work with. Our Christmas tree theme has remained pretty consistent over the past five years - a red, gold and 'natural' theme where the natural ornaments are things like pine cones, mini wreaths with holly berries and some decorated wooden drums. Time to add some new ornaments into the mix so I will be hunting around for ideas that are consistent/compliment the current theme.

> 122 - Thanks Donna, as I bashfully kick my toe in the dirt! My office wardrobe tends towards the more conservative spectrum and the double stand necklace is a perfect compliment for some of the outfits I wear Monday to Thursday, with the blue necklace being a fun piece for more casual Fridays (when I don't have any scheduled meetings, that is!). I love Marigolds, both for their colours and just the intricate details of the flowers themselves.

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On the reading front, I am still working my way through The Butcher Boy, but only because it is a rather disturbing read for me and I need to walk away from it from time to time. I hope to finish it later this evening.

Hi Lori- I hope you had a great weekend. I remember wanting to read The Butcher Boy many years ago and forgot all about it.

Hi Lori! I loved your reviews of 84, Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. Love the books, too:) Have a great week!

Hi Lori, food poisoning, ugh! Glad you are feeling better and that a trip to Michael's for Christmas crafting is in order.

Glad you are feeling better. Nothing worse that it coming out of both ends. Ugh!

> 124 - Hi Mark, weekend was good, if a tad short! ;-) I manged to finish The Butcher Boy. I continue to stand by my one word description for it as being a 'disturbing' read. I need to scour my bookshelves for a palate cleanser now... probably a Georgette Heyer!

> 125 - Thanks Anne! Both books are keepers, because I know I will read them over and over again! I see you have had snow... crazy weather this fall or what! I hope you have a lovely week!

> 126 - Thanks Nancy, I do feel better. Michael's was a bit of a frustrating trip today but only because I had a idea and they didn't have any supplies that fit my needs. Good thing I am starting my Christmas crafting now.... ;-)

> 127 - So true, Morphy!

Books #79 - The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe

"I climbed in the back of the chickenhouse and just stood in there in that woodchip world listening to the scrabbling of the claws on tin and the fan purring away keeping the town going. When we were in there me and Joe used to think: Nothing can ever go wrong. But it wasn't like that any more."

Set in a small town in Ireland in the early 1960's against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis and just prior to the start of The Troubles, The Butcher Boy is a disturbing view inside the mind of a troubled young boy, Francis "Francie" Brady. Told from Francie's point of view in a garbled stream of consciousness style of writing, this story is a deeply disturbing first person perspective of a child's hell growing up in a dysfunctional family where his Da spends his time immersed in drink and abusing his Ma and the locals refer to the Brady family as "the pigs". Even Francie's only friend, Joe Purcell, starts to distance himself from Francie's growing "dark side" of violent behaviour, disregard for personal property and brooding grudges against one of the families in town.

Filled with a lot of dark humor, confusing leaps in mental focus and horrifying scenes of macabre, this is a disturbing read as Francie's world is filled with death and loss. Francie is viewed by his neighbors as not quite human, making Francie a social outcast and all alone with no support network to help him. McCabe has done an amazing job capturing Francie's mind as he slowly decends from a child relying on fantasy as a way to escape his dysfunctional and unloving world into one of genuine insanity as Francie lashes out at the world that has shunned him. The frustration Francie feels is palpable.

The New York Times Books Review called this one "Stunning... part Huck Finn, part Holden Caulfield, part Hanibal Lecter." If you are like me, as you read this one, you will want to reach out and help Francie but at the same time, you will pull back scared to death to go near him for fear of what he might do. McCabe manages to present this dichotic image of Francie in believable terms and pulls it off with a skill that makes up for the struggles I had making sense of some of Francie's inner dialogue. While McCabe draws the reader completely inside Francie's mind, he still leaves open a window of awareness for what is going on outside of Francie's delusions and ignorance of reality as it unfolds around him.

As much as I am glad to have finally read this one, I am equally glad that it is now off my TBR pile and it can find a new home somewhere else. This one started to hit my boundaries for horror and morbidity and makes it a difficult one for me to recommend to anyone because of that.

Decimal Rating: 3.28
3.25 - Plot Development
4.50 - Character Development
3.00 - Writing Style
2.50 - Readability
3.25 - Premise
3.50 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
3.25 - Originality
3.00 - Length

Star Rating: 3.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 231 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Male

Wow! Outstanding review of The Butcher Boy!!! I'll be off to give that a thumbs up as soon as I add it to the wish list! It sounds horrifying, but one I think I'll have to read specifically for that reason!

Great review of The Butcher Boy Lori - thumbed it! I came across this one years ago and did start it, but I think it soon became clear that it might 'hit my boundaries for horror' as you say, so I stopped. My boundaries are fairly low, so be honest that's not difficult to do, but I don't think I'll be picking it up again.

Oh I like those stats! And your book rating system. So exact. So tempting!

hit my boundaries for horror and morbidity... I don't think I can go there, Lori, but I enjoyed your review!

Hi Lori, a belated congratulations on surpassing the 75 mark. I have a pretty high tolerance for dark and disturbing so I am going to add The Butcher Boy to the wishlist, although I have seen the movie a number of years ago. Georgette Heyer sounds like the perfect read to pick up next!

Yikes, hit your boundaries for horror and morbidity! Like Anne, I think I can't go there, at least not right now. I, too, think your rating system is fabulous, Lori : ).

I cannot believe it is only Thursday. This week has been an insanely busy one for me at work with no ability to find time to sit back, breath and assess. Friday evening isn't coming fast enough but at the same time I wish time would slow down so that I can get more done and off my desk. Does anyone have a Tardis or time travel machine I can borrow? Monday is a holiday - Canadian Thanksgiving - in my part of the world and I have booked the rest of the week off - Yah!!!! - so this crazy activity at work has me scrambling to try and clear as much as I can off my desk. The work I do is more client-driven project-based and cannot be handed over to someone else to run with while I am out of the office.

So, of course, I am super happy, given the week I have been having, to come here and find visitors have stopped by!

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> 130 - Awe, thanks, Tina! I kept experiencing shifts in emotions as I read this one. It really had me reacting to what was going on and the actions of some of the characters.

> 131 - Thanks, Rhian! There is a rather stark reality to Francie's world that made parts of the story difficult for me to comfortably read, which is a credit to the author. It must have been challenging for McCabe to write from the perspective of Francie, especially the slow decent into mental illness and insanity. It is probably a good thing I wasn't really sure what I was in for when I started reading this one and once I did find out, I decided it was a perfect read for the October sub challenge over on the 2013 category group and that motivated me to carry through with reading it.

> 132 - Thanks Lucy! Feel free to use/ borrow/ steal any of it, because I am pretty sure that is how I came up with it in the first place! The stats were fun and easy to pull together as I have been tracking certain stats for the past three years. I think I will use something similar to do my year end summary.

> 133 - Anne, it really did. I consider myself to have a low-moderate tolerance level. I was never able to read/watch the Silence of the Lambs and the like, it was Francie's "Huck Finn" side of banter and enthusiasm that was able to compensate for the darker elements of the story, for me. I don't work with children but if I did, after reading this story, I would probably find myself fixating, with concern, on little comments or behaviour patterns that I wouldn't normally treat as a cause for concern.

> 134 - Hi Judy, thanks. What did you think of the movie? I have been trying to figure out how they would pull this one off as a movie considering Francie is a rather unreliable narrator and so much of the story is communicated as inner dialogue. You are so right, Heyer is the perfect read to shift gears after reading The Butcher Boy! I am really enjoying The Unknown Ajax and the more male dominated story this one is!

> 135 - Hi Nancy and thanks! Like I mentioned above in my response to Anne, I think it is a good book to avoid if it is going to hit any boundaries for you.

Hi, Lori. The Unknown Ajax is one of the lesser-known Heyers but one of my faves.

Lori, it' been quite a few years, but as far as I can remember I really liked the movie. I do remember that Sinead O'Connor had a small part as the Virgin Mary. It was directed by Neil Jordan whose films like The Crying Game and The Company of Wolves, I usually admire.

I read The Butcher Boy many moons ago Lori and a disturbing read it was too. Something very irish in its intonation and realisation and I don't suppose I'm that comfortable with that my irish roots and all.

Have a lovely weekend.

Lori, yippee for a week of holiday! I hope you can make some progress with the Christmas crafting - it is so frustrating when the shops don't have what you want, but there is always the interweb :-) Your tree sounds lovely.

> 137 - Hi Liz, great to see you stopping by! I am enjoying The Unknown Ajax and really starting to pay attention to the subtle nuances from Hugh. Love how the women in the story seem to have a better handle on what is going on and I am enjoying a good giggle or two over Claud. The dust-up between Claud and Vincent's respective man servants was also really entertaining, so I am surprised that this is one of her lesser-known books. I was handed this copy by a friend so I might not have picked it up on my own to start reading.

> 138 - Hi Judy, good to know and for some reason, your mention of Sinead O'Conner playing the village girl who had experienced holy visions is ringing a bell with me.... I may have watched part of the movie (the part near the end with O'Conner's role) but not enough of the movie to make the connection with The Butcher Boy.

> 139 - Hi Paul! I have to go back to my grandfather before my Irish roots crop up but I can see where The Butcher Boy would have a disturbing, grating effect on a number of readers, and probably more so if they have a more intimate understanding of Ireland in that time. I hope you had your lovely family have a wonderful weekend.

> 140 - Yippee is right, Susan! I was so excited when I finally came home from work last night at dinnertime, I sent my other half out to the pub with his friends and I promptly went to bed to sleep! I slept straight through until 8:30 this morning. I didn't realize just how exhausted I was, but the long sleep did me a power of good!

As for crafting, I do have a couple of ideas that I hope to play with while I am off, but first I need to teach myself how to stain wood using tea/coffee, steel wool and some vinegar. Yes ,I am being mysterious only because I still just have a vague idea in my head of what I want to accomplish, but I do promise to report back as I make headway.

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I am now officially on vacation for the next 10 days and super happy about that. Nothing special planned, more a case of using up some vacation time that I cannot bank or carry over to next year so I am looking forward to puttering around, sleeping in late (or staying up all night and sleeping all day) tackling some minor chores around the house (We have some steamer trunks that need to be opened and the contents gone through for possible disposal) and reading, lots of reading and maybe even some crafting. ;-)

Current Reading:

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer - currently at the half-way mark. Love the more male focus of this one and really enjoying the rapier wit it has, like the following quote:

'I collect that some meaning lies behind these cryptic utterances,' remarked Vincent. 'Or am I indulging optimism too far?'

Crazy Rich by Jerry Oppenheimer - Yup, couldn't resist a biography that gets into the nitty gritty mess that is this American dynasty. Reading it for the Reading Through Time October biographies theme.

Happy Thanksgiving (weekend) to you! This is a crazy shopping weekend in our border towns in Maine. I hope you have a fantastic relaxing vacation week. It sounds heavenly.

Oh, The Unknown Ajax is perhaps my very favoritest Heyer! Enjoy! And enjoy your vacation time, too.

Enjoy your staycation!

Nice review of The Butcher Boy. I saw the movie, years ago, and I am not sure that I am up for the book.

Thanks for the vacation wishes, Heidi, Roni and Morphy and for the review comment, Rhonda. Loving every minute of my vacation/staycation so far!

We did the big Thanksgiving dinner last night as tonight and tomorrow night just didn't work for all parties invited, so dinner tonight is - leftovers. I love Thanksgiving leftovers!

I have spent the day tackling some laundry and just puttering around on-line here on LT and surfing the web for crafting ideas for the Christmas ornaments I am going to make. I have now decided that I am going to make some sleigh ornaments out of crafting sticks, sheet music ornaments, vintage-style motif paper fans ornaments as well as some vintage-style wooden tag medallions. Today was a printing day - printing the sheet music and making printouts for the paper fans, as well as printing the vintage motifs that will be added to the plain wooden tag medallions I purchased at Micheal's earlier in the week. I will post some pictures of the planning and the final products, as I am not doing a very good job of describing this craft project. ;-)

Books #80 - The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer



What an enjoyable comic romp, this is, and my favorite Heyer read so far. This was an exceptionally fun period piece, and the funniest Heyer read for me so far. Set in 1817, Major Hugo Darracott, recently returned to England from his war service on the peninsula, finds himself being summoned to Darracott Place by his paternal grandfather, Lord Darracott, as the new heir now that his lord's previous heir and heir apparent have both died in an ill-fated boating expedition off the coast of Cornwall. Hugo, a Yorkshireman giant in size and with a gentle disposition, finds himself under the scrutiny of the remaining Darracott family where they expect their newly discovered working class relation to "eat off his knife". Hugo finds himself surrounded by family he has never met before along with stories of ghosts that haunt the Dowager House and of smugglers and free traders that abound in that area of Sussex and Kent where the Darracott stately pile is located... and a pile it is, a huge rambling house and estate in serious need of repairs.

I am a big fan of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series so, of course, mention of the 95th rifles and some of the battle locations on the Pennisula caught my rapt attention. The characters are great - from the Corinthian cousin Vincent to his fashion forward, Mr. Bromwell wanna-be younger brother Claud to their strong-minded cousin Anthea and eighteen-year-old Richmond, who happens to be Lord Darracott's favorite. I really, really enjoyed how Heyer made the romance take back seat in this one, leaving the story to instead focus on the various male characters, their roles in society and their interactions with one another. The women are present but spend most of their time in the shadows, observing all that is happening. This story also brings some of the servants into the spotlight, kind of like a Downton Abbey experience, and written way before Downton Abbey saw the light of day! As for the adventure at the end, well, lets just say it is a caper that is worthy of reading, even if you don't gravitate towards novels set in the regency period.

Decimal Rating: 4.06
4.25 - Plot Development
4.50 - Character Development
4.00 - Writing Style
4.50 - Readability
4.00 - Premise
4.00 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
3.50 - Originality
3.75 - Length

Star Rating: 4.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 318 pages
Source: Borrowed
Male/Female Author: Female

Next up: Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty by Jerry Oppenheimer - So far, I am 53 pages into this unauthorized biography and not really taken with it. I will continue to read it tonight but, unless it improves, I might be abandoning this one.

The Unknown Ajax sounds like fun! I'll have to make sure it's on my list of Heyers to read.

Well, I've already mentioned that The Unknown Ajax may very well be my favorite Heyer of all, so I'll just say how happy I am that you so obviously appreciated it sufficiently! I think you'll like The Toll Gate as well.

Yay to Heyer's The Unknown Ajax being a favourite amongenjoyable comic romps. She is delightful, isn't she? Glad you posted your review, Lori. Thumb-up from me.

You're right about the male focus in The Unknown Ajax but I have to put in a word for Aunt Aurelia and that devastating climactic scene! :D

Oh, yes, Aurelia takes the cake in that one!

Lori, your crafting projects sound like a lot of fun. I'd love to see pictures! And I've just added Crazy Rich to the WL...

Just popping in Lori. I'm glad you are feeling better. Lots of great reads you are having. I love 84 Charing Cross Road. I must look for the sequel.

Just checked - my library has The Unknown Ajax in ebook and audiobook formats.

Hey everyone, Happy Tuesday!

Well, today has been productive one but not for reading or crafting, expect for tracking down and purchasing some clear varnish at Micheal's. Since Micheal's is next door to Home Sense, I ventured in there and came away with three boxes of Scottish Fine Soaps and a fantastic casserole pot - yes I acquire kitchenware like I acquire shoes (and soaps, apparently). After that, it was off to the passport office where I whiled away an hour of my day before I was served. Not complaining, more surprised at how busy our little local office was first day after a long weekend. Very happy Canadians finally have the option to get a 10 year passport so I can check that off my to-do list until 2023. ;-)

My first ever Coursera course started this week so my afternoon was spent getting acquainted with the on-line system, watching the week 1 videos and checking out the discussion forum for the course.... For the next 8 weeks I now have two on-line time eaters: LT and Coursera.

Dinner tonight is wild rice turkey soup, which is simmering away on the stove. This evening will be TV watching at crafting so I may actually have something to report back here with tomorrow, unless I make a complete mess of things in which case, crafting never happened Tuesday evening! ;-)

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> 148 - Carrie, the Unknown Ajax is a fun romp and one I can highly recommend! I love how Heyer can make the historical setting realistic without boring the reader with all the details she sets out to communicate.

> 149 - Hi Roni, you were so right about The Unknown Ajax, so of course I am now making note of The Toll Gate!

> 150 - Thanks Nancy, Heyer has written delightful books. Perfect escapism reading!

> 151 - Liz, you are so correct..... Aunt Aurelia really pulled that scene off with aplomb!

> 152 - I had an inclining that she had that quality in her but nothing I could imagine would have touched how Heyer pulled it off!

> 153 - Hi Susan, pictures will be coming.... if I can quite purchasing supplies and get down to crafting, that is! I am still not completely sold on Crazy Rich but I have now reached the 100 page mark and have decided to push forward with it. Hopefully, I will get the book finished in the next couple of days.

> 154 - Hi Roberta, great to see you stopping by. The sequel to 84, Charing Cross is also a compact read. As far as memoirs goes, that one is a jem of a book. Here is hoping that you are able to track down a copy.

> 155 - Hi Lori, I wonder how Heyer would be in audiobook form... I guess that would depend on the narrator, but at least you have options to other read or listen to it!

I am also taking an online course presently, job related. I am very selfish about my free time, and right now I just do not have enough of it!

I don't think I have read The Unknown Ajax yet but it sounds fun! I do hope to someday get through all Heyer's non-mystery novels.

The Unknown Ajax is one of the very few Heyers that I haven't read. Sounds like I ought to get around to it pretty soon

yes I acquire kitchenware like I acquire shoes (and soaps, apparently).

Lol! That sounds productive, even if it wasn't all crafting. You are so lucky with the ten-year passports - NZ has switched to five years, which I'm sure is not unconnected to the fact that about 20% of NZers live outside the country, so it's a nice little earner for the Department of Internal Affairs. I have to renew mine at the end of next year, as it expires in the middle of 2015 but you're always supposed to have six months left on it if you travel. I love the photo in this one - I look like a serial killer. I'll have to try and recreate that look somehow...

ETA: What do you think of the course? I looked at the site yesterday but I haven't watched the lectures yet. I'm planning to look at them later when I'm waiting to go to yoga.

I was wondering the same thing about the Heyer audiobook format. I will probably do the ebook, but that might be an option for a trip if it is available, and if it is one of the audio formats that works better with my iPhone.

> 157 - I understand about being selfish about your free time, Nancy - there just doesn't seem to be enough of it to go around, these days... time, that is.... time suckers, I can find loads of those!

> 158 - Heyer has quite the collection of books that she has written, what a great idea to work your way through all of her non-mystery novels, Heidi!

> 159 - Hi Rhian, The Unknown Ajax is fun. it did have some slow bits but the action at the end really made this one such a fun read!

> 160 - Hi Susan, I am stunned to read that NZ switched to five year passports.... did they have ten year passports and then stopped that? I know Passport Canada operates on a cost recovery model so they charge more for the ten year passports - $160 for the ten year and $120 for the five year, with a $25 fee that goes to consular services. The negative press around Canada's new ten year passports is that passports now only come with 36 pages, not the 48 pages my previous passports were, and Canada currently does not allow for page inserts...., if you travel frequently and manage to fill all the pages of your passport, I think one has to get a new passport, and I don't think there is any reduction in the cost for the new passport for the 'frequent flyers', but I haven't looked into this to confirm if this is correct as I haven't been jetting all over the place, filling up my passport. For once, I actually like my passport photo.;-)

So far I like the course and I really like how the videos are broken down into compact 4 to 6 minute segments. Interesting topic and the lecturers are doing a good job of hitting the high points and communicating the information in a manner that makes sense to a wide audience background. I am going to only spend a little bit of time in the discussion forums..... I thought LT was a time drain, but the discussion forum, good grief, I could get lost in there for days

> 161 - Hi Lori, audio versus ebook can be a tough call for me, and sometimes listening to the sample to test out the reader's voice doesn't always make work for me..... at least Heyer doesn't have a lot of difficult words or delve into a topic that would require concentration on my part to understand! I am thinking of reading The Canterbury Tales next year and I have already decided that for that book, I am going to listen to an audiobook as I read it.

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Yesterday was a day of grocery shopping, crafting and some reading.

Craft Project Update: I am almost finished the fans, the vintage wooden tags and the sheet music ornaments and I am about to start the sleighs. I hope to be completely finished with the vintage wooden tags later today and will post pics one they are finished.

Reading Update: Juggling two books right now - I am now 140 pages into Crazy Rich, Oppenheimer's unauthorized autobiography of the Johnson & Johnson family Dynasty and almost at the halfway mark of the novella Deeds of Men, an ER book I won back in August that I need to read and review. Both books are now keeping my interest and I hope to finish both before the weekend.

Envying the staycation! What's the Coursera course you're taking?

> 163 - Hi Katherine, I am loving the staycation, even though it will be ending next week.... its amazing how time seems to fly by when on vacation. The Coursera course I am taking is Epidemics - the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases, which is a topic that has fascinated me for some time so I was really happy when Susan (susanj67) brought the course offering to my attention.

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Craft Project Update: I have hit a bit of a snag with my fan ornaments but I am happy to report that the vintage wooden tags, the sheet music ornaments and the wooden sleighs are completed, or will be once I attach the gold hanging cords. Here are a couple of pics of the ornaments:



I am really happy with how they all turned out - in particular, I love how the tea stain with the steel wool and vinegar solution was able to give the otherwise light honey coloured wooden plaques and doweling a weathered, antique look, and goes perfectly with the vintage Christmas images I had found on line and printed! I still have stacks of supplies so I will probably continue crafting some more Christmas ornaments over the next month or so.

Reading Update: Still reading Crazy Rich, Oppenheimer's unauthorized autobiography of the Johnson & Johnson family Dynasty but I hope to finish that one this evening.

I have finished the novella Deeds of Men... review below.

Books #81 - Deeds of Men by Marie Brennan



This novella is part of Brennan's Onyx Court historical fantasy series and in series order falls between books 1 and 2. I haven't read any of the Onyx Court books before starting this one. Brennan does a nice job of bringing a reader like me up to speed with her fantasy world set in 17th century England. Our lead character, Sir Micheal Deven, has spent over the last thirty years serving in two courts: the various courts of the mortal realm (Queen Elizabeth I, James VI of Scotland and now Charles I) and the faerie court, the Onyx Court, located below the streets of London, where he is consort to Faerie Queen Lune.

This one has all the intrigue and debauchery of the 17th century courts. The inclusion of the faerie realm is a seamless one and quite a fun way to bring historical events like the Spanish Armada, the Gunpowder Treason and the maneuverings of Buckingham into this one. As a first glimpse into the Onyx Court series for me, this one was a wonderfully tantalizing read in a short 72 pages. The only downside for me was I found the story jumped around an awful lot. Usually that doesn't bother me but when the story starts out with a dead body found in a Coldharbour alley on June 2, 1625 and then proceeds to jump back and forth between 1621 and 1625 (and some points in between) to lay out the events, I started to wish the story was being told in a more linear format. That is about my only quibble with this one and I am now looking forward to diving into the other books in the Onyx Court series, or pretty much anything else Brennan has written.

Recommended for readers of historical fiction/ fantasy that like their historical fiction reads to be accurate for facts of the time period and loves to read stories with political intrigue.

Decimal Rating: 3.31
3.50 - Plot Development
3.25 - Character Development
3.25 - Writing Style
3.00 - Readability
3.25 - Premise
3.50 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
3.75 - Originality
3.00 - Length

Star Rating: 3.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: e-book
# of Pages: 72 pages
Source: LTER
Male/Female Author: Female

This book was courtesy of Librarything's Early Reviewer Program.

Next up: Continuing to read Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty by Jerry Oppenheimer.

Gorgeous ornaments! I'm partial to the sheet music ones since I'm a musician.

Thanks, Carrie... I really like the sheet music ones and they were so easy to make! I am thinking of incorporating a music theme into another set of ornaments, but I need to mull the idea around in my head a little bit more first.

Good job on the ornaments! I like the sleighs - great use of popsicle sticks.

I love your ornaments--they are so cute!!!

And I got hit by a book bullet on the Marie Brennan series. I read the first book of her Doppelganger series, but this sounds more interesting.

Lori, the ornaments are gorgeous! I love the tea stain effect on the plaques.

I think I've been hit by a book bullet too - I haven't heard of Marie Brennan but I'll have to have a look.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday. I am convinced there is a law of physics that says holidays and weekends go faster than work days, but it doesn't seem that anyone has discovered what it is yet :-(

I've watched the first week of lectures now and they were fascinating. I think the additional reading is beyond me but never mind.

Great ornaments! I like the music ones, but I'm not sure that I could destroy the books or sheet music to make them.

> 168 - Thanks Lois! I keep forgetting that popsicle sticks can be rather versatile, and rather easy to work with, even cutting them down.

> 169 - Thanks Roni, they were a lot of fun to make and I learned some interesting tricks - thanks to the web - that I will keep in mind for other craft projects.

Good to know about her Doppleganger series.... the novella came with synopsis summaries (teasers) of all of Brennan's books, and I have to say, they have caught my eye!

> 170 - Thanks Susan, I love the tea stain process.... it is a mystery in that I can only guess as to how the wood will change color. I used Twinnings English Breakfast tea so of course, now I want to experiment with other teas to see if they produce different effects.... I think I need to convince my other half we need a woodworking area. ;-)

I think you are right about the law of physics and vacation time.... darn it all! As for the course, I have ventured over into the additional reading section yet, but I might next week and see what they list. I am impatiently waiting for the week when we learn about vaccines.... that really will catch my interest and will probably generate a lot of discussion in the discussion forums.

> 171 - Thanks Lori! Do what I did... Google sheet music images, find one you like - I went with a copy of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" - print on both sides of the paper, cut and fold, glue, embellish and voila! No damage to any books or sheet music that you have at home!

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Foggy evening last night has lead to a foggy Saturday morning. Not much planned today except a trip to the stores in a little bit - after I have consumed my morning cup of coffee, that is! - to see if I can find a compartmentalized storage system for all of my beads. Then it will be an afternoon of reading and making a batch of turkey chili for this evening.

Books #82 - Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal, and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty by Jerry Oppenheimer

"They are a mixed-up, weird bunch, and always have been," he came to believe. "You couldn't make them up in fiction. They are dysfunctional and just don't know how to live a normal life. The whole family is like a great big spiderweb that innocent people would drop into - normal people who get caught in the Johnson web of craziness. There were the three brothers who started Johnson and Johnson, and they were smart. By the time they got down to Seward's generation this was a pretty pathetic bunch. It's almost like European royalty."

Well, they are not like any European royalty I have read about, but probably because even with the constant name-dropping Oppenheimer does to show just how connected the Johnson & Johnson family clan are with America's Who's Who in money and in politics, I lost interest in this one pretty fast. After reaching the 200 page mark and only seeing more same-old, same-old (this family really is a stuck record of broken marriages, drinking, drugs, extravagance, conniving, weirdness and tragedy) I pretty much skim read the remaining 252 pages.

What did I glean from this one? That Robert Wood Johnson, the founder of the company that we all now know as Johnson & Johnson, and his two brothers, were sharp entrepreneurs - a little too sharp for my tastes, especially when they hoodwinked Clara Barton to give them exclusive rights to use her iconic Red Cross symbol in exchange for one dollar - and that no family member has been involved in the running of Johnson & Johnson in any substantial way since "the General", Robert's son, died in 1968. The family members with any smarts went to great pains to distance themselves from the clan - or were distanced by the clan - and find their own paths in business, the arts and whatever else they could find, usually starting out with trust fund money set aside for them. This distance between the business and the family that created it is, IMO, the reason the company continues to be a success today.

While this probably is a good and well researched expose biography, I was hoping to read more about the company, its earlier product lines and its success story. If you are looking for that kind of a read, you will have to look elsewhere. At least three of the four Robert Wood Johnson's - Yup, four generations with the same flipping name! - went by nicknames "the General;", "Bobby" and "Woody" to make the story, which jumps around a fair bit, less confusing to read, but it is still a really long read about a lot of people that I really started to like less and less as I continued reading. I found myself willing to put the book down to engage in otherwise mundane choirs like wash the kitchen floor and clean the bathroom, that is how boring this book finally became for me.

Some dynasties reclaim their original glory, others become or remain notorious and some, with time, eventually fade away from memory. Regardless of whatever happens to the Johnson dynasty, I don't think they will ever regain the spark that three brothers ignited to create Johnson & Johnson.

This book may appear more to readers that like to read the gossip of a rich family or has a greater interest in some of the various players, political and otherwise, that are mentioned in this one... it just didn't do it for me.

Decimal Rating: 2.00
Star Rating: 2.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Hard cover
# of Pages: 496 pages
Source: GVPL
Male/Female Author: Male

Next up: I have started reading Go Ask Alice as my purse read - curious to see how this one holds up compared to when I read it as a teenager yonks ago - and I am about to start Larsson's book The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. My goal is to try and make it through all three books in the Millennium Trilogy this month.

I really enjoyed the Millennium Trilogy Lori. The first book started out kind of a slog for me. A friend told me to stick with it and I'm glad I did. The story really picked up and I couldn't wait to read the rest.

That is encouraging to know, Roberta. I have seen the movie adaptation (European version with subtitles) so I am ready for the gritter bits that I know have turned off some readers.

Lori, I love those ornaments! I'm glad you have a staycation to give you some more craft time. Taking a Coursera class is on my list of things to try next year. I hope you are happy with the one on infectious diseases. I will probably stick with a literature class of some type.

The technology talk in the first part of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo made my head hurt! I gave it up, watched the movie (Swedish version) and went on and read the other two books followed by the films. I thought both books and all three films were great. Enjoy!

I liked the Millennium series but it is SO violent.

Love your ornaments! You do really nice work --- Whenever I try something like that, there are globs of glue or wads of paper everywhere.

Wonderful ornaments, Lori -- you are so talented!

The one and only Heyer I've read was an audio, and it was wonderful! Sadly, my library weeded most of the Heyer audios they had before I had a chance to listen. The Unknown Ajax sounds very fun.

Pretty ornaments! I especially like the sheet music ones.

> 176 - Thanks Donna! Staycation ends tonight and then it is back to work tomorrow morning but I have had a relaxing and productive week off so I am happy about that. I like the setup for the Coursera courses and I think I will start looking for other courses on offer that start in the New Year. A literature course would be fun to take! I can see where the technology talk can get to be a bit much for some readers. I do like the reading flow of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I am already past the halfway mark and looking forward to an afternoon of reading. Very happy that I already have books two and three ready for reading!

> 177 - Hi Rhonda, I am waiting for the violence to really start getting to me. So far the violence scenes in the movies seem to be more violent and have more of an impact on me than the written scenes, probably because I feel a detachment to the book as I read it. Thanks! Trust me, the craft glue and I were 'bonding' a fair bit during my crafting project.... I found myself constantly wiping my hands and the glue bottle with a wet rag and I had an awful time getting the glue off my finger nails. Note to self: crafting with longish finger nails is an added hassle.

> 178 - Thanks Anne! The web is a great resource to come up with ideas. I did make a few judgement errors and have now learned better ways for how to do some of the crafting.... like the best time to add the hanging string to the ornaments..... at the end, after the ornament is finished is not always the best time! Shock and horror that the Heyers were weeded out before you were able to enjoy them! Do you think they will get more in, or will you have to resort to other sources for your Heyer reading/listening? I am always curious as to what older books get weeded out after a period of time and what one get maintained. Our local library two years ago made a purchase of new copies of a number of Heyer's books, probably due to popular demand.

> 179 - Thanks Carol! The Sheet music ones were also the easiest to make... sometimes simple is best. ;-)

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As mentioned above, I am finding The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to be a rather quick read.... I am already past the halfway mark and looking forward to some solid reading time this afternoon as it is back to work tomorrow for me.

If The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a quick read for you, Lori (it was for me, too - hard to put down), then you're likely to feel the same way about the two that follow.

Good to know - Thanks, Joe!

I really enjoyed the entire The Girl Who series. I'm glad you are finding the first one appealing!

I loved the Millenium series, Lori. I wasn't sure I'd even like them, and I ended up inhaling them one after the next, LOL! In fact, it was Larsson who sent me on a quest to find more ScandiCrime : ).

Add me to the list of those who loved the Millenium series. However, the first hundred pages of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo almost made me abandon ship. I'm glad I stuck with it because the book really took off and I burned through the rest of the series quickly.

Hi Morphy, Nancy and Heidi... you can now add me to the "loved the Girl Who book" and about to inhale the other two books in the trilogy! ;-)

Books #83 - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson



I do love reading books that have seen so much traction already here on LT that I can be lazy and dive right into my thoughts/observations..... which I am about to do here:

~ ~ I am discovering that I actually like the slow building, detailed, journalistic quality story-telling approach, even if I do find myself yawning a bit at first until I suddenly find myself completely sucked into it. The Alienist, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil immediately come to mind, and yes, I am starting to think about going back to reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay for that very reason.

~ ~ I was expecting to be cringing from the violence, having watch the movie last year (with subtitles so I half the time was spent reading the movie, not watching it) but surprisingly, reading the story didn't affect me the same way the movie did. Yes, the rapes and violence are things to be upset about as is any type of an attack on another human being (or animal), but I found Larsson's writing style kept me from getting emotionally drawn into what was happening.

~ ~ For the record, they (meaning the main characters) consumed an awful lot of coffee over the course of this read, to the point where I was finding myself unable to sleep at night.... and I wasn't drinking any coffee! ;-)

~ ~ Loved the psychological aspect of this one.... really well done how Larsson captured the personalities and emotions of the characters and their reactions to situations. Lisbeth is such a fantastically complex character and one of the best character developments I have read in quite some time.

~ ~ If I had waited until next year, I would have have been paying attention to the food consumed in this one (my 2014 Category Challenge theme is food based), so I figured, might as well start now:
- - vegetarian bagel with avocado - yum;
- - lamb chops in read wine sauce - Yum, yum!;
- - venison stew - Super YUM factor!!!;
- - liver pate and cucumber sandwich - okay;
- - liverwurst, cheese and pickle sandwich - no, No, NO! A thousand times, No!!!

~ ~ Love Lisbeth's T-shirt slogans, favorite being "Armageddon Was Yesterday. Today We Have a Serious Problem."

Am I sold on the trilogy? You bet I am.... I have already started The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Decimal Rating: 4.41
4.25 - Plot Development
4.75 - Character Development
4.25 - Writing Style
4.50 - Readability
4.75 - Premise
4.25 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
4.00 - Originality
4.50 - Length

Star Rating: 4.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 841 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Male

Next up: Still reading Go Ask Alice as my purse read, but it is going to take a back burner to The Girl Who Played with Fire when I am at home!

I thought the first book was the best- but the others are definitely worth reading.

Tickled you enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Lori, and have The Girl Who Played with Fire on tap!

Very happy to see Friday night has arrived! A foggy night is predicted - kind of what we have been having every night for the past 7 days now... really weird weather! - so a good night to sit back and take things easy with episodes of Doc Martin playing on the TV while I do some crafting. Before you ask, I will be continuing my read of The Girl Who Played With Fire - currently 120 pages in - later in the evening! ;-)

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> 188 - Hi Lois, the first book was really good! It is too early for me to develop a preference for the books in the trilogy but I am sure I will have my favorite(s) by the time I finish all three books!

> 189 - Hi Nancy, yup, I have both The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.... it pays to buy all books in a series/ trilogy before I start to read them, even if that means I am a little late to the game. ;-)

HUGE Doc Martin fan here! I can't wait to watch season six which I think is going to be played on PBS here in the US starting in January.

I've heard somewhere that most towns have at least one eccentric millionaire type person - for awhile in the 90's the (extremely comely) son of of our wee town's most glamourous resident ever (there was once an article about him in the New Yorker basically for some agricultural stuff he was up to) was married to some J&J heiress. You can betch yer boots that she wan't too innerested in our town. They lived 98% of the time in Mannahatta, BUT during her reign the son committed one of our most revered scandals. He hired someone to simply BURY an old trailer that had somehow come to rest near what became the grandiose (you know, the stone pillars etcetera) entrance to their mile and a half long driveway.... they just hired a 'dozer, dug the hole and buried 'er. Well, you can guess. Not too long after that he had to dig 'er up and dispose of 'er legal-like.

So that is my five degrees of connection story for today.

> 191 - Heidi, then you won't be surprised that our Doc Martin Friday turned into a Doc Martin weekend. Even as re-runs the shows are fantastic fun! You just can't go wrong with Doc Martin!

> 192 - Lucy, I love your five degrees of connection story to the J&J family! That totally sounds like something that a member of that family would get up to! I am just glad to see that the law did prevail, although I am still flabbergasted that someone would even consider burying a trailer... the work to do something like that shows just how crazy the idea is. ;-)

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A lazy weekend of routine chores and a lot of TV watching (with some crafting) was the scope of this past weekend.

Weekend Crafting Project: I decided to mess around with my current collection of beads and came up with a rather nice black and marble-toned necklace and earring set. Because I like longer necklaces that are versatile for wearing with crop neck tops as well as with button up collars and flounce necklines, I made a 33" necklace with matching earrings. The earrings I am really happy with because I have figured out how to make post-like dangling earrings using beading wire, giving the earrings more flexibility in movement. The trick is to double up on the wire - bead one way, use a tiny bead at the bottom as a base and then feed the wire right back up to the top, crimping it off after feeding excess wire back down through the beads. Sorry, no pictures at the moment, only because I am not happy with the pictures taken under indoor lightening conditions (the lights and/or the flash washes out some of the detail) so any pictures will have to wait for a natural lightening photography moment.

Reading Update: Still reading The Girl Who Played With Fire... waiting for the action to build but for now, settling in for the recap and what is going on with the various characters. I did finish my re-read of Go Ask Alice and I have cobbled together a review with my thoughts.

Books #84 - Go Ask Alice by Anonymous



First published in 1971, this fictionalized diary of a teenage girl's decent into a world of drugs and her struggles to resurface from that world presented quite a shock when it first came out. it was one of those books that was still making the rounds when I was a teenager. I purchased a copy back in 2009 - not sure why, was probably something I came across on a discount table or in a used bookstore - and it has been languishing on my TBR bookcase since then. Time to dust it off and give this one a re-read. Wikipedia has a very good overview and plot summary if anyone is interested.

So, you are probably wondering, how does the story hold up, decades after my first reading experience? It is dated, that is the first thing I noticed. The book is entrenched in the 1960's and it shows in the styles, attitudes, beliefs and popular culture presented in the book. Things like hippie-style clothes, jello salads, and ironing your hair to straighten it make the story feel very retro upon re-read. I did raise an eyebrow when I was reminded that our nameless narrator made a number of her own clothes. I had either forgotten about that or it just never registered with my teenage mind when I first read it. The circumstances that lead up the the downward spiral are still plausible. What did not feel retro and what caught my attention towards the end was the peer pressure, the taunts and the bullying our narrator experienced from some of her classmates - something that we all know, sadly, continues today in our modern, 'enlightened' society. From that perspective, this story isn't dated and still has some valuable insight to offer readers of today, and not just teenage readers.

Decimal Rating: 3.50
Star Rating: 3.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 224 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Female

Next up: Still reading, or I should say, going back to reading The Girl Who Played with Fire after a weekend of non-reading!

I have Go Ask Alice on my TBR Someday list. I wasn't really looking forward to reading it but after your review it sounds interesting.

Hi Lori! Thanks for sharing your craft projects - I enjoy them. As I've probably said before, I'm not wildly crafty, however, I have a recurring desire to learn the art of dollhouse furniture-making. Go figure.

#187 - I too would like to read this series. I've been reluctant, because I've seen the first two films (the originals), but now I think I've sufficiently forgotten all important plot points, so I'm good to go. :-)

It's always interesting to see how a book holds up over time with us, isn't it?

Lori, eagerly awaiting pictures!

194: I remember when that book appeared, to much controversy of a should-impressionable-young-minds-be-exposed-to-this sort. I was in junior high school, and it continued to make the rounds while I was in high school. Nobody would've stopped me, but I was never curious enough to read it.

I wonder how Go Ask Alice compares to The Perks of Being A Wallflower or another more contemporary book about teenage drug use? I've read Wallflower but didn't love it and have never read Alice. Anybody read them both? Or have a suggestion about a more modern book about the topic?

> 195 - I have to admit, Morphy, that I was actually surprised how little of the story I could remember. It is a quick read - I was reading sections whenever I was waiting for the bus or found 10 minutes to grab snatches of reading time. The narrator has a number of redeeming qualities about her, which is partly why what happened to her has/had its shock value back in the early 1970's.

> 196, Kerri, so happy to see you back among us LT folk! I can see the appeal of dollhouse furniture making. There is a store in town that I walk past on my way to work in the morning - some kind of a hobbyist store - and they have the most amazing dollhouse furniture in their window.... I particularly like their American Wild West saloon girl sitting on a bar stool beside a grand piano and a piano player. I will try to remember to snap a pic or two on my way into work tomorrow. ;-)

> 197 - So true, Nancy. That is part of the reason why I am scared to re-read some of my childhood favorites.... I am worried they will lose their luster and amazement when read through my adult eyes.

> 198 - Roni, we have had a wonderfully sunny day and I managed to get home early enough to snap a picture. Will post below after I finish responding to visitors, promise!

> 199 - Katherine, that was the excitement or 'buzz' I remember Go Ask Alice caused. I don't think the story warranted all of the buzz it generated, but part of the buzz was the belief that it was based on a true diary. After the origins of the story came in to question in the late 70's early 80's, the publishers have categorized it as a work of fiction.

> 200 - Good question, Heidi. I haven't read The Perks of Being a Wallflower.... was that the one that recently was made into a movie staring Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame? You have given me something to think about and I hope someone else might be able to chime in with some other suggestions, or a comparison of Go Ask Alice and Wallflower.

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Below is a picture, quickly taken this evening, while I was trying to take advantage of the remaining natural light before it disappeared, of my weekend crafting/ beading project. Given the length of the necklace, the easiest way to zoom in close enough for detail was to take a shot of the necklace coiled around the earrings:

Lovely!

Hi Lori- I loved your thoughts on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I was a big fan of it too, even with some of it's flaws. It was also the best of the trilogy, IMHO. I hope you continue to enjoy the 2nd one and try to find the Swedish film versions, especially the first one.

> 202 - Thanks, Roni!

> 203 - Mark, I have to say I am loving the trilogy read so far. Brilliant writing and I am already making short work of book 2, The Girl Who Played With Fire. I will be curious to see the Swedish films once I finish the three books.... at least that way, I won't spend half my time trying to 'read' the movies, I will be able to just sit back and watch them. ;-)

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On the reading front I am just over the half-way mark through The Girl Who Played With Fire, and I intend on finishing this one as my last October read before midnight Thursday. Some quick impressions on this one: Less coffee consumption (good), a lot of food consumed purchased from 7-Eleven (questionable if not dubious, if the 7-Eleven's I have been in in North America are anything to go by) and a very interesting parallel story of police procedural/investigative journalism. Yes, I am still hooked on this trilogy.

LORI -- love the necklace and earring combination! So very pretty!

I listened to Dragon Tattoo and never finished the series... I'm glad you're enjoying them!

> 205 - Thanks Tina, and so nice to see you stopping by! I haven't been very good making the rounds of the threads but I do hope to get caught up with your this weekend.

I just finished The Girl Who Played With Fire and really understand all of the attention this trilogy has received... what a great page turning read it has been for me. Review Comments below.

Books #85 - The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson



Overall thoughts on book two - apart from my previous comments about the amount of food purchased at 7-Eleven and consumed - is that while this one took a bit of time to get going, once it did, it didn't stop. I have got nothing against providing readers with recap details from previous books in a series to refresh their memories but it can be somewhat annoying when you go straight from book one to book two. Loved the dual streams of investigation - one police procedural and one investigative journalism! Some of my favorite parts of this story are when we (the readers) know what really occurred but the police manage to come up with a different idea of what happened ... interpretation of facts and details can really mess things up if not approached with an open mind, right Faste? ;-)

I also love how we get an ever better insight into Lisbeth in this one. She is such an enigma, it is like slowly peeling back layer upon layer of onion skin, wondering if you will ever get to core of the it.

Favorite quote - and love the fact that it shows up more than once in the book:

"There are no innocents. There are, however, different degrees of responsibility."

Possible Spoiler, and a way for me to test the new 'spoiler' feature:
Glad to see we finally get to find out what "All The Evil" refers to but I have question for people who have watched the Swedish film version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo..... was there a quick flash visual of this during that movie, because when I reached the part where it is disclosed, I could actually see the film clip play in my mind and I have only watch the first movie, Swedish version, not the others.

Yes, I am completely sold on this trilogy. I finished the remaining 75 pages this evening and I will be starting book three The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest before I go to sleep tonight.... darn good thing tomorrow is Friday and, so far, my Friday is looking pretty easy, because I don't think I am going to be getting much sleep tonight.

Decimal Rating: 4.72
4.75 - Plot Development
5.00 - Character Development
4.50 - Writing Style
4.75 - Readability
5.00 - Premise
4.50 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
4.50 - Originality
4.75 - Length

Star Rating: 4.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 724 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Male

Lori, nice review of the second Larsson. I enjoyed the first and keep meaning to continue on. I'm a little relieved to know there is some "recapping" as I don't remember many details about the first book.

Have a great weekend!

Lori, so delighted you are enjoying the Millenium Trilogy as much as I did! I LOVE the new spoiler feature; going to have to look into that.

Lovely necklace!

Lori - I do think that my next Kindle read will be the second in the Larsson trilogy. Your review whets the appetite nicely.

Have a lovely weekend.

Hi Lori!

#201 - Lovely!

#207 - Another review that makes me want to read the series. I know I have a print copy of the first, but I'll probably get the audio version at the library instead.

> 208 - Hi Katie, no worries on being confused if you do decide to jump into book 2 of Larsson's trilogy. They do provide enough background as you read to not leave you confused as you read!

Weather wise it is a really wet Saturday. I ventured out to pick up some necessary groceries and can now hermit indoors for the remainder of the weekend. I hope you have a lovely weekend.

> 209 - I love the Millennium Trilogy, Nancy - such great characters and intrigue! Thanks! If your Saturday is as wet as ours has been, I hope you are curled indoors reading a good book.... perfect weather today for that!

> 210 - Hi Paul, I love when books in a grouping like Larsson's Millennium Trilogy pick up roughly where the story left off and is easy to continue the reading flow. The wet, rainy days of Autumn have arrived in my neck of the woods so hibernating indoors is the plan for this weekend. I hope your weekend was a relaxing one.

> 211 - Hi Kerri, I have been having a lot of fun with non-book reading projects lately, but it helps that I have been very lucky in finding beads that I like..... I can be rather particular in my preferences. If you do get around to starting the series and listen to the audio version I will be curious to see what you think.

New thread to close out my last quarter of reading is now up and open for business. Please click the link at the bottom of this thread on click HERE if you would like to follow me.....

This thread is now