Terri (tymfos) Reading Race thread 7: Moving toward the checkered flag

Questo è il seguito della conversazione Terri (tymfos) Reading Race thread 6: Autumn Reads.

Conversazioni75 Books Challenge for 2013

Iscriviti a LibraryThing per pubblicare un messaggio.

Terri (tymfos) Reading Race thread 7: Moving toward the checkered flag

Questa conversazione è attualmente segnalata come "addormentata"—l'ultimo messaggio è più vecchio di 90 giorni. Puoi rianimarla postando una risposta.

1tymfos
Modificato: Nov 19, 2013, 9:10 am

Hi! I'm Terri. Welcome to my new thread! The year is flying by, and I'm racing through some of the books on my "to read" list!

The year is almost over, and winter is about to arrive:




This is the seventh and probably final installment of my 75 Book Challenge for 2013. This is my primary challenge for the 2013 year. Everything I read is listed in this challenge.




I read a wide variety of things. I tend to read a lot of mysteries, but I like other kinds of fiction and a lot of non-fiction. I have a weakness for disaster books, and I enjoy reading a lot of history.

Oh, and a word about my rating system? I don't have one. It's always a seat-of-the-pants, gut-reaction kind of thing when I try to decide how many stars a particular book will get. I freely admit how arbitrary this is.

I welcome all comments (except spam) and enjoy having visitors post here. So pull up a chair and and let's chat about books and whatever else is on our minds!

READ WITH A FRIEND!

glitter-graphics.com

2tymfos
Modificato: Nov 19, 2013, 8:44 am

THE BOOKS: First Quarter


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in JANUARY
1. Whack-A-Mole by Christ Grabenstein (E-BOOK, Fiction)
2. The Bourbon Street Ripper by Leo King (E-BOOK, Fiction)
3. The Man Called Cash by Steve Turner (AUDIO)
4. Last Man Out by Melissa Fay Greene
5. Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman (ER book)
6. Family Skeletons by Rett MacPherson
7. A Haunted Love Story: The Ghosts of the Allen House by Mark Spencer (E-book)
8. The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell (AUDIO)


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in FEBRUARY
9. The Sandburg Connection by Mark deCastrique (E-BOOK)
10. Toms River by Dan Fagin (LT ER Book)
11. Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in MARCH
Theme: Mystery March -- designated by **
12. **Midnight by Dean Koontz (AUDIO)
13. **Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane
14. **December's Thorn: A Fever Devilin Novel by Phillip DePoy
15. **Still Life with Murder by P.B. Ryan (E-book)
16. **A Veiled Antiquity by Rett MacPherson
17. **Haunting at Hensley Hall by Merabeth James (E-BOOK)
18. Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly by Jennifer Fleischner
19. Time for God by Jacques Philippe
20. Killer Show: The Station Nightclub fire by John Barylick (LT ER book)
21. **The White Lioness by Henning Mankell (AUDIO)
22. **Dangerous Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (e-book)
23. You Can't Lose 'em All: The Year the Phillies finally won the World Series by Frank Fitzpatrick (non-fiction, from TBR shelf)
24. **A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch (AUDIO)
25. **Red Knife by William Kent Krueger (Fiction, ILL)
26. **Let the Devil Sleep by John Verdon (e-book from library)

3tymfos
Modificato: Nov 19, 2013, 8:46 am

THE BOOKS: Second Quarter


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in APRIL
27. Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy
28. American Lightning by Howard Blum (AUDIO NON-FICTION)
29. The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife by Connie Scovill Small (non-fiction)
30. Come Thirsty by Max Lucado (e-book from library)
31. Deadly Night by Heather Graham (AUDIO) from library
32. Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart
33. A Dedicated Man by Peter Robinson (AUDIO from library)
34. Faithful Place by Tana French (e-book from library)
35. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (mix of e-book and audio book)
36. Psalms: The Sunrise of Hope by Bob Saffrin (devotional -- e-book)
37. The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby (AUDIO)
38. Black Seconds by Karin Fossum (Mystery Fiction)
39. The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers by Amy Hollingsworth


glitter-graphics.com
Theme: May Murder & Mayhem -- designated by **
Books finished in MAY
40. **Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
41. **The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan (E-BOOK)
42. **A Place of Execution by Val McDermid (AUDIO)
43. **Heaven's Keep by William Kent Krueger (mystery/fiction)
44. **The Blood Detective by Dan Waddell (AUDIO)
45. **Grave Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (e-book)
46. Autism & Asperger's Syndrome in Layman's Terms by Raymond Le Blanc (e-book)
47. **Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
48. **The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill
49. **The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson (AUDIO)
50. **Site Unseen by Dana Cameron (e-book)
51. **Death Without Company by Craig Johnson (AUDIO)

ABANDONED:
Setup on Front Street by Mike Dennis (just plain awful)
Rebecca by Daphne du Marier (AUDIO) (not in mood for re-read)
Are You There Alone: the Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates by Suzanne O'Malley (not in mood for subject matter)


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in JUNE
52. Hell Hole by Chris Grabenstein (mystery fiction)
53. The Deepest Water by Kate Wilhelm (AUDIO fiction)
54. Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler (E-BOOK fiction)
55. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (AUDIO)
56. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran (E-Book)
57. Death in the Baltic by Cathryn Prince (ER book, non-fiction)
58. A Cape May Diamond by Larry Enright (E-book)
59. Haunted Jersey Shore by Charles A. Stansfield Jr.
60. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson (AUDIO)
61. Vermillion Drift by William Kent Krueger (AUDIO/HARD COPY)

4tymfos
Modificato: Nov 19, 2013, 8:47 am

THE BOOKS: THIRD QUARTER


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in JULY
62. River of Darkness by Rennie Airth (e-book)
63. Northwest Angle by William Kent Krueger
64. The Man Who Smiled by Henning Mankell (AUDIO)
65. Mind Scrambler by Chris Grabenstein (E-book)
66. Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes by Dwight Boyer (non-fiction)
67. The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson (AUDIO)
68. Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist (fiction)
69. Trickster's Point by William Kent Krueger (AUDIO)
70. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson (AUDIO)
71. The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves (e-book)


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in AUGUST:
72. It Happens in the Dark by Carol O'Connell (ER book)
73. A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton
74. Blood Atonement by Dan Waddell
75. Winter of the Wolf Moon by Steve Hamilton
76. A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow
77. A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleves
78. Murder in My Back Yard by Ann Cleeves
79. Sidetracked by Henning Mankell (AUDIO)
80. Haunted Lakes by Frederick Stonehouse
81. A Darker Domain by Val McDermid (AUDIO)
82. The Dante Connection by Estelle Ryan (E-BOOK)
83. The Alphabet of Grace by Frederick Buechner (Devotional, E-BOOK)


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in SEPTEMBER
Theme: September Series & Sequels -- designated by **
84. **Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson (AUDIO)
85. **Tamarack County by William Kent Krueger (AUDIO)
86. **Broken Harbor by Tana French
87. **The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill
88. Snow Angels by Stewart O'Nan
89. The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman (audio and hard copy ILL)
90. **A Reason to Live by Matthew Iden (e-book)
91. To Sleep With the Angels by David Cowan (non-fiction)
92. **Murder Bay by David R. Horwitz (e-book)
93. Maine Ghosts and Legends by Thomas Verde
94. **Superior Death by Matthew Williams e-book
95. **Jolie Blon's Bounce by James Lee Burke
96. **The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell (audio book / mystery)

5tymfos
Modificato: Dic 31, 2013, 11:24 am

THE BOOKS: Fourth Quarter will go here.


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in OCTOBER

Halloween Theme -- designated by **

97. **Little Terrors by David Jester (no touchstone) (e-book)
98. **Wings to the Kingdom by Cherie Priest
99. **The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (AUDIO)
100. **The Ghosts of Virginia, Vol. II by L.B. Taylor
101. **Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett
102. **Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman (E-book)
103. **Ghosts of Southwestern Pennsylvania by Thomas White (E-book)
104. **The Terror by Dan Simmons (mostly audio, and hard copy to refer back to)
105. **The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (AUDIO)
106 **Specters and Spirits of the Appalachian Foothills by James Burchill & Linda J. Crider (folklore)
107 **Cogslea Revisited by M. Juanita Taylor (fiction)
108 **Lineage: A Supernatural Thriller by Joe Hart (e-book)
109 **The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (AUDIO)
110 **Haunted Happenings by Robert Cahill (folklore)


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in NOVEMBER

Themes: "By the Numbers" or "Non-Fiction Follow-up" of a novel topic or "New-to-me-Author/Series" -- designated by **

111. **Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody (E-BOOK) -- new-to-me author theme
112. **One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (AUDIO) -- numbers, new-to-me series themes
113. **Jerusalem Gap by T.R. Pearson (e-book) -- new-to-me author theme
114. **Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink (non-fiction) -- trifecta -- numbers, n-f follow up, new-to-me author themes
115. **206 Bones by Kathy Reichs (AUDIO) -- numbers theme
116. **Medicine Men: Extreme Appalachian Doctoring by Carolyn Jourdan (E-BOOK), non-fiction -- new-to-me author theme
117. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson (for unofficial group read)
118. **NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (AUDIO) -- "by the numbers" theme
119. **Montana 1948 by Larry Watson -- "by the numbers" and new-to-me author themes
120. **Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt -- "by the numbers" and new-to-me author themes
121, **Messy: God likes it that way by A.J. Swoboda -- new-to-me author theme


glitter-graphics.com
Books finished in DECEMBER

122. A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash (AUDIO and e-book)
123. **Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (AUDIO and book) for last month's numbers and new-to-me-author themes
124. **Frozen in Time by Owen Beattie and John Geiger -- for last month's new to me author theme and non-fiction follow-up of a novel subject theme.
125. Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret by Steve Luxenberg
126. The Collapse of Richmond's Church Hill Tunnel by Walter S. Griggs, Jr.
127. One Step Behind by Henning Mankell (AUDIO)
128. Slay Ride by Chris Grabenstein (Fiction)
129. Superior Deception by Matthew Williams (e-book)
130. The Hunting Wind by Steve Hamilton (e-book}
131. Curse of the Narrows: The Halifax Explosion 1917 by Laura M. MacDonald (Non-Fiction)
132. Superior Dilemma by Matthew Williams (e-book)
133. A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris

6tymfos
Modificato: Nov 21, 2013, 3:18 pm

MY OTHER CHALLENGES:

I completed the 13 in 13 Category Challenge:



http://www.librarything.com/topic/142659
http://www.librarything.com/topic/155969

and I'm still adding to my totals -- and the group totals -- in the ROOTS (Read Our Own Tomes) Challenge (for clearing off those TBR shelves), even though I've met my goal.



http://www.librarything.com/topic/145564

I'm planning to do the 2014 versions of all these challenges.


glitter-graphics.com
I'm also planning to join Mark's American Author Challenge. My (very) tentative list for the American Author Challenge (which I've already changed twice in two days):

January Willa Cather - Death Comes for the Archbishop (I've wanted to read this for some time, at local library)
February Cormac McCarthy - All the Pretty Horses (I've been wanting to read another McCarthy, at local library)
March William Faulkner substitute Dashiell Hammett - The Maltese Falcon (for Mystery March, owned)
April Toni Morrison - Beloved (I really want to read this one, at local library) and/or Jazz (owned)
May Eudora Welty substitute James Ellroy LA Noir (for May Murder & Mayhem, owned)
June Kurt Vonnegut substitute Thomas Wolfe - Look Homeward, Angel (owned)
July Mark Twain substitute Ernest Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls (owned -- for over 20 years, about time I read it!)
August Philip Roth The Ghost Writer (owned)
September James Baldwin substitute Ray Bradbury - A Graveyard for Lunatics (for September Series & Sequels, owned)
October Edith Wharton substitute F. Paul Wilson - The Keep (for Halloween reading, owned)
November John Updike substitute Stewart O'Nan - A Prayer for the Dying (owned)
December Larry Watson Let Him Go (I really want to read this, e-book available through library)

All titles subject to change.

7tymfos
Modificato: Dic 31, 2013, 11:24 am

THE SERIES I'M READING


glitter-graphics.com

RACING TO READ MY SERIES!

A. CHECKERED FLAG: Series that I'm actually caught up/finished with those which have been published!!! (as far as I know, anyway!)
Blood Detective/Nigel Barnes series by Dan Waddell (have read both)
Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. (have read all 13)
Dave Gurney series by John Verdon. (have read all three)
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. (have read all 4)
Elm Haven series by Dan Simmons (read both)
Fever Devilin series by Philip DePoy. (have read all seven)
Flap Tucker series by Philip DePoy (have read all 5)
Genevieve Lenard mysteries by Estelle Ryan (have read both)
Kenzie/Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane. (have read all six)
Lake Superior Mysteries by Matthew Williams. (have read all three)
Lincoln Perry series by Michael Koryta (have read all four)
Mallory series by Carol O'Connell (have read all 11)

B. WHITE FLAG LAP -- ONE TO GO!: Series that I am reading, only one left to read that has been published (As far as I'm aware)
Eden Moore series by Cherie Priest. Next: Not Flesh Nor Feathers, #3 of 3 (owned)
Rev. Claire Ferguson series by Julia Spencer Fleming. Next up: Through the Evil Days, #8 of 8 (library)
Sam Blackman series by Mark deCastrique. Next up: A Murder in Passing, #4 of 4
Samantha Kincade series by Alafair Burke. Next: Close Case, #3 of 3
Shetland Quartet by Ann Cleeves. Next up: Dead Water #5 of 5 (not readily available)
Three Pines/Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. Next: How the Light Gets In, #9 of 9
Trilogy of Fog by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Next: The Watcher in the Shadows, #3 of 3

C. GREEN FLAG LAPS: Favorite Series that I am very actively reading -- not as far along
Alex McNight series by Steve Hamilton. Next up: North of Nowhere, #4 of 10
Buryin' Barry mysteries by Mark deCastrique. Next up: Foolish Undertaking, #3 of 5 (owned)
Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. Next: Last Car to Elysian Fields, #13 of 20 (local library)
Inspector Sejir series by Karin Fossum (English Publication Order). Next: The Water's Edge, #6 of 10 (local library)
John Cardinal series by Giles Blunt. Next up: The Delicate Storm, #2 of 6
John Ceepak series by Chris Grabenstein. Next: Rolling Thunder, #6 of 9
John Madden series by Rennie Airth. Next up: The Blood-Dimmed Tide, #2 of 3
Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. Next: Firewall, #8 of 10
Torie O'Shea series by Rett MacPherson. Next up: A Comedy of Heirs, #3 of 11 (owned)
Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson. Next up: As the Crow Flies, #8 of 9 (not counting the short stories that fall in between books)

D. YELLOW FLAG: Other series to continue, but I've slowed down for now:
Alexandra Cooper series by Linda Fairstein. Next:Hell Gate, #12 of 15 (library)
Alex Cross series by James Patterson. Next:Alex Cross' Trial, #15 of 21 (library)
Benjamin January by Barbara Hambly. Next: Sold Down the River, #4 of 12 (owned)
Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler. Next: The Water Room, #2 of 10 (CLP/FLP download)
Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon. Next: Death in a Strange Country, #2 of 23 (at library; I own #3)
Crumley mysteries by Ray Bradbury. Next: Graveyard for Lunatics, #2 of 3 (owned)
David Ash series by James Herbert. Next: Ghosts of Sleath, #2 of 3 (at library)
Dr. Siri series by Colin Cotterill. Next up: Anarchy and Old Dogs, #4 of 8 (owned)
Emma Fielding series by Dana Cameron. Next: Grave Consequences, #2 of 6 (download FLP)
Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. Next up: A Necessary End, #3 of 21
Inspector Erlendur (UK publication order) by Arnaldur Indrudason. Next: Silence of the Grave, #2 of 9 (county Library)
Inspector Ramsay by Ann Cleeves. Next: A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy, #3 of 6 (owned)
Joe Pickett mysteries by C.J. Box. Next up: Savage Run, #2 of 14 (owned)
Lamb/Holly series by Belinda Bauer. Next: Darkside, #2 of 3 (owned)
Marty Singer series by Matthew Iden, Next: Blueblood, #2 of 3 (owned)
Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman. Next: The Cure of Souls, #4 of 12 (owned)
Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin. Next: The Serpent's Tale, #2 of 4 (owned)
Simon Serralier series by Susan Hill. First up: The Risk of Darkness, #3 of 6 (just purchased)
Temperence Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. Next: Spider Bones #13 of 16 (library)
Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman. Next: Another Thing to Fall, #10 of 11 (library)
White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy. Next: Eggsecutive Orders, #3 of 6

E. ONE-OFF DEALS: Series I started reading out-of-order once in a while over the years as I came upon volumes:
(I'm not sure which books I've read in some of these series!)
Ballad novels by Sharyn McCrumb (ten in series)
D.D. Warren series by Lisa Gardner.
Elizabeth MacPherson series by Sharyn McCrumb
Faith Fairchild mysteries by Katherine Hall Page (I own some unread)
Harmony series by Philip Gulley (first in County Library)
Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow (recently went back and read #1 in series)
Michael Kelley series by Michael Harvey (read 2nd; own 1st)
Mickey Rawlings series by Tron Soos
Penn Dutch Inn mysteries by Tamar Myers (I own some unread; library has some I've not read)
Richard Christie series by Kathleen George (read 4th of 4 from library) next to read: #1 Taken (at county library)
Skip Langdon series by Julie Smith

F. START YOUR ENGINES: New-to-me series that I'm currently reading first book:
Christopher Miller Holiday Thrillers by Chris Grabenstein. First: Slay Ride #1 of 2 CURRENTLY READING

G. START-AND-PARKS: Series I started at the beginning and don't necessarily feel like going the distance with, though I may try one now and then:
Charles Lenox series by Charles Finch. Next: The September Society, #2 of 7 (CLP/FLP Download)
Claire DeWitt by Sara Gran. Next Up: Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway, #2 of 2
Death on Demand series by Carolyn Hart. Next up: Design for Murder, #2 of 23 (owned)
Emily Locke series by Rachel Brady. Next: Dead Lift, #2 of 2 (CLP download)
Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Next: The Redeemer (FLP download)
Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves. Next up: Triple Witch, #2 of 16
Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd. Next: Wings of Fire, #2 of 16 (library)
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Next: Pardonable Lies, #3 of 10 (borrowed)
Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews. Next: No Nest for the Wicket, #7 of 16 (county library)
Ravynne Sisters Paranormal Mysteries by Merabeth James. I'm definitely skipping #2, the vampire one. Next up: A Haunting at Storm House (owned, e-book)
Stephanie Plum. Next up: Two for the Show, #2 of 19 (#20 coming out in November)
Wine Country Mysteries by Ellen Crosby: Chardonnay Charade, #2 of 6 (download FLP)

Still to be organized:
G. Non-fiction series/collections/trilogies/sets, etc, to be read in order:
The Ghosts of Virginia CURRENTLY READING VOLUME 2
The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote (Have read 2 of 3)

8tymfos
Modificato: Nov 28, 2013, 3:20 am


glitter-graphics.com
Series I'm thinking of starting

A. Series to start; own (or was loaned) at least one book in series
Agent Smoky Barrett series by Cody McFadyen. First up: Shadow Man, #1 of 5 (owned)
Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass. First up: Carved in Bone, #1 of 7+ (FLP download -- own #2 e-book)
Booktown mysteries by Lorna Barrett. First up: Murder is Binding, #1 of 6 (owned)
Bruno series by Martin Walker. First up: Bruno, Chief of Police, #1 of 5 (borrowed)
Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle. First up: On What Grounds, #1 of 11 (owned)
Det. Ellie Hatcher series by Alafair Burke. First up: Dead Connection, #1 of 4 (owned)
Emmanuel Cooper series by Malla Nunn. First up: A Beautiful Place to Die, #1 of 2 (owned)
Frank Renzi series by Susan Fleet. First up: Absolution, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Gin Palace Trilogy by Daniel Judson. (Own #2 in series as Kindle Book -- I understand that it's a "prequel" so may work to read first.
Hackberry Holland by James Lee Burke. First up: Lay Down my Sword and Shield, #1 of 3 (owned)
Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke. First up: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, #1 of 15 (owned)
Huntress Moon/FBI thrillers by Alexandra Sokoloff. First up: Huntress Moon, #1 of 2 (Kindle book)
Inspector Alan Grant series by Josephine Tey. First up: The Man in the Queue, #1 of 6 (owned)
Inspector Matt Minogue Mysteries by John Brady. First up: A Stone of the Heart, #1 of 10 (owned)
Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. First up: Case Histories, #1 of 4 (owned)
James Pruett series by R.S. Guthrie. First up: Blood Land, #1 (Kindle book)
Jeff Resnick series by L.L. Bartlett. First up: Murder on the Mind, #1 of 6 (own e-book)
Julie O'Hara series by Lee Hanson. First up: Castle Cay, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Lacey Flint series by S. J. Bolton. First up: Now you See Me, #1 of 2 (owned)
Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn. First up: Silent in the Grave, #1 of 7 (borrowed)
Lake Champlain mysteries by William Kritlow. First up: Crimson Snow, #1 of 3 (owned)
Laszlo Kreizler series by Caleb Carr. First up: The Alienist, #1 of 2 (owned)
Loon Lake fishing mysteries, by Victoria Houston. First up: Dead Angler, #1 of 13 (owned)
Madeline Dare series by Cornelia Read. First Up: Field of Darkness, #1 of 3 (owned)
Mark Tartaglia series by Elena Forbes. First up: Die With Me, #1 of 3 (owned)
Missing Pieces mysteries by Joyce & Jim Laverne. First up: A Timely Vision, #1 of 5 (owned)
Quirke series by Benjamin Black. First up: Christine Falls, #1 of 6 (owned)
Rebecka Martinsson series by Asa Larsson. First up: Sun Storm, #1 of 4 (CLP library download; own 4th book in series)
Rosa Thorn series by Vena Cork. First up: Thorn, #1 of 3 (owned)
Shadows series by Cege Smith. First up: Edge of Shadows, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Sister Agnes series by Alison Joseph. First up: Sacred Hearts, #1 of 9 (own)
Tony Boudreaux Mysteries by Kent Conwell. First up: Galveston (no touchstone), #1 of ? (own 6th in series)
Underhill/Maiden series by Will Kingdom. The Cold Calling (owned)

B. Series I'm eager to start; none owned, but at least first book available at library:
Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd. First up: A Duty to the Dead, #1 of 4 (library)
Cemetery of Forgotton Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind, #1 of 3 (FLP downloads)
Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron. First up: Bootlegger's Daughter, #1 of 18 (library)
DS Alex Morrow by Denise Mina. First up: Still Midnight
Guido Guerrieri series by Gianrico Carfiglio. Involuntary Witness, #1 of 4 (CLP download)
Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. First up: The Black Echo, #1 of 18 (library, library downhload)
Homer Kelley series by Jane Langton. First up: The Transcendental Murder, #1 of 18 (FLP download)
Inspector Silva series by Leighton Gage. First up: Blood of the Wicked, #1 of 4 (CLP download)
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. First up: Killing Floor
Jack Sawyer series by Stephen King. First up: The Talisman (library, downloads)
Kathryn Dance series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Sleeping Doll
Lynley/Havers series by Elizabeth George. First up: A Great Deliverance (library paperback)
Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Samson. First up: Dissolution, #1 of 5 (FLP download)
Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larsson. First up: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, #1 of 3
Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. First up: Odd Thomas, #1 of 6 + novellas
Rizolli/Isles by Tess Gerritsen. First up: The Surgeon
Shakespeare Secret series by Jennifer Lee Carrell. First up: Interred With Their Bones
Steve Vail series by Noah Boyd. First up: The Bricklayer, #1 of 2
Strange & Quinn series by George Pelicanos. First up: Right as Rain
Tea Shop mysteries by Laura Childs. First up: Death by Darjeeling
The Sparrow series by Mary Doria Russell. First up: The Sparrow
Thora Gudmundsdottier series by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. First up: Last Rituals
Tradd Street series by Karen White. First up: The House on Tradd Street, #1 of 3
Women's Murder Club by James Patterson. First up: First to Die

G. Series to start where first book is at county library
Anna Travis series by Lynda LaPlante. First up: Above Suspicion, #1 of 7
Barker & Llewellyn series by Will Thomas. First up: Some Danger Involved, #1 of 5 (county library)
Cackleberry Club by Laura Childs. First up: Eggs in purgatory
Duncan Kincade series by Deborah Crombie. First up: A Share in Death
Evelyn James series by Elizabeth Becca. First up: Trace Evidence
Gregor Demarkian mystery by Jane Haddam. First up: Not a Creature was Stirring
Harrison Investigation series by Heather Graham. First up: Haunted (county library)
Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin. First up: Knots & Crosses, #1 of 17
Jack Daniels series by Joe Konrath. First up: Whiskey Sour
Jason Kolarich series by David Ellis. First up: The Hidden Man
Jemima Shore series by Antonia Fraser. First up: Quiet as a Nun
Joona Linna sereis by Lars Kepler. First up: The Hypnotist, #1 (only one in English so far)
LA Quartet by James Elroy. First up: The Black Dahlia
Leaphorn series by Tony Hillerman. First up: The Blessing Way
Lincoln Ryme series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Bone Collector
Nobody Nowhere series by Donna Williams. First up: Nobody Nowhere
Nora Gavin series by Erin Hart. First up: Haunted Ground
Ray Dudgeon series by Sean Chercover. First up: Big City, Bad Blood
Sister Agatha mysteries by Aimee Thurlo. First up: Bad Faith
Virgil Tibbs series by John Ball. First up: In the Heat of the Night, #1 of 7

C. Recommended series, not readily available:
Antique Print Mysteries by Lea Wait. Shadows at the Fair
Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams. First up: A Killer Plot
Chief Inspecter Adamsburg by Fred Vargas. The Chalk Circle Man
Donut Shop mysteries by Jessica Beck. Glazed Murder
Emily Tempest series by Adrian Hyland. Moonlight downs
Inspector Challis by Hal Disher. The Dragon Man
Jack Frost by R.D. Wingfield. Frost at Christmas
Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen. The Guards
Joe Faraday series by Graham Hurley. Turnstone
Joe Plantagenet by Kate Ellis. Seeking the Dead
Kyle Murchison Booth by Sarah Monette The Bone Key
Logan McRae by Stuart MacBride. Cold Granite
Matthew Bartholomew series by Susanna Gregory. A Plague on Both Your Houses
Max Tudor by G.M. Malliet. Wicked Autumn
Mike Bowditch by Paul Doiron. The Poacher's Son
Nathan Active series by Stan Jones. White sky, Black ice
Novel Ideas series by Lucy Arlington. Buried in a Book
Sam Turner mysteries by John F. Baker. Poet in the Gutter
Sigrid Harald by Margaret Maron. One Coffee With
Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. Sleepyhead

9tymfos
Modificato: Dic 31, 2013, 11:26 am



THE STATS: for as long as I can keep them adding up properly

total books READ 2013: 133

ROOT books -- off my (real or virtual) TBR shelf: 71
("SuperROOTS" (pre-2013 hard copy or ER): 40

Paper books: 60
E-books: 37 1/2
Audio books: 33 1/2

Fiction: 98
Non-Fiction: 35

male author(s): 87
female author: 43
male/female team author: 1

US authors: 100
authors from other countries: 29
NO IDEA: 3

living author (as far as I know): 125
deceased author: 5
unsure:2

Somehow I missed getting a book properly accounted in these stats, as the totals in some of the categories don't add up to the total number of books read. Oh, well.

10tymfos
Modificato: Dic 30, 2013, 4:04 am

COVERS OF BOOKS CURRENTLY READING:
FICTION

and

THE POSTING FORMAT:

Title:
Author:

Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series:
Date finished:
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?:
Category for 13 in 13 challenge:
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating:
Notes:

11tymfos
Modificato: Nov 19, 2013, 9:01 am


glitter-graphics.com

Come join in discussing the magic of books!

12msf59
Nov 19, 2013, 9:05 am

Morning Terri- Congrats on Lucky #7. I love the topper. As usual, I always enjoy your book selections. I am glad you enjoyed both Housekeeping & NOS4A2. Wasn't Kate Mulgrew excellent on the audio? I've been watching her on the Netflix show, "Orange is the New Black".
I hope you are as crazy about Montana 1948 as I was.

13jnwelch
Nov 19, 2013, 9:28 am

Love the little girl reading with her dog, Terri. Congrats on the new thread.

You should have a breathless good time with How the Light Gets In. Be somewhere where you can keep reading when you hit the last 100 pages or so.

I want to get to Five Days at Memorial, but with holiday books coming up, it may have to wait until next year. We'll see.

14Morphidae
Nov 19, 2013, 9:43 am

*whines* Did you have to start with snow? We don't have snow pack yet. I don't want to see it yet. It lasts until April. *whines more*

:D

15-Cee-
Nov 19, 2013, 11:09 am

Hi Terri!
Yay! Snow! Come on down! (sorry, Morphy)

Beautiful new thread. Great 2013 year of reading :)
Series (tbr) - overwhelming! yikes
Good luck.

16tymfos
Modificato: Nov 19, 2013, 11:17 am

Good morning, Mark! Glad to have you here as my first visitor. Thanks for the compliment on the thread topper. Mulgrew was a terrific narrator for NOS4A2. I'll have to look for other audio books she's done. I stalled on reading Montana 1948 simply because I get the feeling that I'll want a straight-through sit-down with a functioning brain to finish the book. Lately my reading has been in bits and pieces except for audio books.

Hi, Joe! Thanks! I was planning to read How the Light Gets In next month. But December is generally not a good time for uninterrupted reading, so maybe I should wait until January . . .

Sorry, Morphy! Snow generally makes me whine, too . . .

Hi, Cee! I like snow to look at, but not to drive in. Thanks for kind words. And that series list is overwhelming to me, too. I'll never even put a dent in it, as every time I start to catch up one series, another series catches me! ;)

17tymfos
Nov 19, 2013, 11:18 am

I got a call this morning from the Library. They need me to come in to work from 4-7 p.m. And here I thought I might actually have the day off . . . oh, well.

18tymfos
Nov 19, 2013, 12:30 pm

I've edited my post #6 to add my plans for the American Author Challenge next year.

19tymfos
Nov 19, 2013, 1:50 pm

I keep jumping onto LT and puttering around. I really must STOP and get some real work done around the house before I have to go to work . . .

20DeltaQueen50
Nov 19, 2013, 5:30 pm

Hi Terri, lovely new thread and I enjoy seeing snow - as long as it stays in the picture!

I am pretty much where you are with all the 2013 challenges and it's quite nice to be doing some free reading, although really I don't chose many books that are that different from what I read for the challenges.

21lkernagh
Nov 19, 2013, 7:33 pm

^ What Judy said about the new thread and the snow pic! ;-)

22brenzi
Nov 19, 2013, 7:42 pm

Congratulations on losing weight Terri even if the styles today are made for younger bombshells (I guess) LOL. Lovely last thread too. I see you are listening to Catch 22 one of my all-time favorites. I hope you're enjoying it.

23tymfos
Nov 19, 2013, 11:27 pm

Hi, Judy, Lori, and Bonnie! Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you like the thread.

I'm enjoying being freed from my categories -- but then I went and started focusing on monthly themes, and am boxing myself in worse than with the categories. Oh, well. The numbers theme got me reading Catch-22, which is amazing. I did find it a bit disconcerting at first, doing it on audio. I had to repeat a few sections to get sort out some of the characters in my mind.

24mckait
Nov 20, 2013, 7:50 pm

Hi there Terri! Nice new thread :)

25tloeffler
Nov 20, 2013, 8:25 pm

Popping in while I have the chance--Hi Terri!

26tymfos
Nov 20, 2013, 11:06 pm

Hi there, Kath! Thanks!

Hi, Terri! Thanks for popping in!

27markon
Nov 22, 2013, 7:03 pm

Messy looks interesting, and Catch-22 is on Mt. TBR for me. Have a Happy Thanksgiving Terri!

28tymfos
Modificato: Nov 24, 2013, 8:36 pm


glitter-graphics.com

RIP, JFK. (almost an hour late for the 50th anniversary of his death -- at least in this Eastern time zone -- but wanted to commemorate it.)

Thanks, Ardene! I'm liking both of those books!

Today (well, yesterday, actually) was a LOOONG day, with lots of rushing and lots of waiting, and no time to get on the computer. Rushing around before work to get the garbage out & tend to housekeeping items. Work. Rush home, eat late lunch, a few errands. An appointment waiting for car repair. (Thank heavens for e-book apps on iPhone! I was reading 1968: The Year that Rocked the World) Then a dinner and board meeting at our church camp. Two close calls with deer in the road (while listening to audio book of Catch 22). Home after 10 p.m., thoroughly caffeinated and wound up. A glass of Chocolate Lab wine to unwind.

I'd really like to finish Montana, 1948 if I could just find a nice, uninterrupted block of time to read, but I'm a little too tired now.

ETA to add I've got it! I'll read it Tuesday while I'm waiting for my new washer to be delivered! That will ensure that they'll get here with it early in the day and interrupt my reading. ;)

29PaulCranswick
Nov 23, 2013, 1:45 am

Terri - I find your series lists fascinating (not too surprising I suppose given my obvious listomania). I have started 20 of the series you are interested in and especially love the Stuart MacBride, Mark Billingham, Lee Child and Giles Blunt, plus the Scandis.

Have a lovely weekend.

30tymfos
Modificato: Nov 24, 2013, 8:36 pm

Paul, I'm glad you mentioned the Giles Blunt series. I was looking at the first in that series as possibly my next novel to read.

And a lovely weekend to you, too, Paul!

31tloeffler
Nov 23, 2013, 2:08 pm

I am SO with you on "Thank heavens for e-book apps on iPhone!" As much as I love my paper books, I hated carrying them around in my purse for "just in case." It's a perfect substitute, and I ALWAYS have something to read!

32tymfos
Modificato: Nov 24, 2013, 8:35 pm

Isn't it great, Terri? I often pull out the phone to read when I'm eating lunch at work if there's no one else at the table; and it's the perfect waiting room buddy.

Have a great weekend!

33Familyhistorian
Nov 24, 2013, 2:10 am

Great new thread. Hope you get an early delivery on Tuesday to interrupt your reading. Somehow it seems that deliveries only come early if they interfere with your day somehow!

34tymfos
Modificato: Nov 24, 2013, 8:36 pm

Exactly, Meg! If you've been just waiting around for them, they don't arrive until you're trying to get supper ready.

It has been a very cold, windy, day -- and the wind is blowing the snow we received overnight and in squalls throughout the day. It is just too early in the season to be seeing wind chills around zero here. And when I left for church this morning, our hill had not been touched by a road crew -- not so much as a thimble full of anti-skid or salt had been applied. I just put the car in first gear and prayed all the way down. To add insult to injury, I needed to return home for something between church services. I had to wait down on the flat below the hill for a car that hadn't made it up the hill to manage to get itself righted and out of the way before I could make the run up toward my house. I can't say the sight filled me with confidence. Thank heavens I had the snow tires installed on Friday!

This is a perfect evening for fish chowder. I'm using the Baked Fish Chowder recipe on page 129 of the Mystic Seaport Cookbook (copright 1988).

MY CATALOGING HAS FAILED ME! My husband wanted a particular book of prayers to use for a community Thanksgiving service. My catalog says that the book is at home, but I could not find it on any of the relevant bookshelves. So either we no longer have it, or it is at church and not here, or it is misfiled in some odd place.

35DeltaQueen50
Nov 24, 2013, 8:11 pm

Oh, Baked Fish Chowder sounds yummy, Terri. Enjoy!

I usually cook a proper meal on Sundays but since we were out most of the day, we are simply having warmed up left-overs.

36tymfos
Modificato: Nov 24, 2013, 8:34 pm

I think the chowder was a hit, Judy. My son actually ate the whole bowl before he touched his french fries or coleslaw. Our Sunday meal practices vary widely, as it tends to be a busy day for us. I just really wanted chowder today. Tomorrow we will probably have leftovers, as it is a big recipe!

Re: my missing prayer book, my husband found it at the church office this evening. So I will adjust my catalog accordingly.

37tymfos
Nov 25, 2013, 10:20 pm

Tomorrow is the scheduled delivery of my new washer & dryer. I spent part of the evening cleaning out the laundry room and sort of saying goodbye to my good old 20-year-old Maytags. They have been very dependable -- the dryer has had only one repair, to replace a belt, and the washer has never needed repair. Alas, issues of water and energy efficiency are pressing -- our water & sewer rates have risen, and are expected to rise much more in the next few years as our town needs a new sewer plant. Also, with 20-year-old machines, I kind of feel like I'm washing on borrowed time . . . ;) They are showing signs of crankiness and age (aren't we all?), and I don't want to get stuck with one of them quitting at a bad time. (Is there a good time for a washer or dryer to quit in the middle of a load of laundry?)

We are expecting an ice storm tomorrow. So, will they really bring the new appliances? We shall see . . .

38mckait
Nov 26, 2013, 7:38 am

I hope your appliances arrive in a timely fashion. I hate waiting for deliveries... in fact, waiting is not my best thing in any case. You had me off looking for fish chowder recipes.....not gonna make it right now, though... I might try it sometime soon.

Weather is similar here.. snow down now, ice predicted then a mix and then who knows. It's days like this that make me regret the hills of Pennsylvania a bit.

39tymfos
Modificato: Nov 26, 2013, 10:10 am

It's days like this that make me regret the hills of Pennsylvania a bit.

You can say that again, Kath!

I considered posting the fish chowder recipe here, but it is long and my patience is short right now.

I'm still waiting for the delivery. Weather is only slightly icky so far. The worst is yet to come.

40tymfos
Nov 26, 2013, 12:04 pm

They're here! They're installing the washer and dryer now. I hadn't realized how high the control panel would be on the dryer with the units stacked. I'm going to need a step stool!

And perfect timing. I finished my book! :)

School is closing early today due to weather.

41tymfos
Modificato: Nov 28, 2013, 9:54 am

OK, after much studying of the instruction manual, the first load is underway in the new washer, and I can take a few minutes to write about my latest completed book.

75 Challenge Book #119
Title: Montana, 1948
Author:
Larry Watson
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1993
Series: n/a
Date finished: 11/26/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: No, No, Inter-Library Loan
My Rating: 4.7 stars
Notes:

Wow! This little book is one gem of a story. Set (obviously) in a small town in Montana in 1948, this story is straightforward and profound. The narrator recalls a season of his youth when his sheriff father was torn between the demands of justice and family loyalties. A marvelous coming-of-age story filled with memorable characters and a sense of place, time, and emotion.

42markon
Nov 26, 2013, 2:33 pm

Congratulations on the new washer & dryer! Sounds like your strategy worked!

43tymfos
Modificato: Nov 26, 2013, 4:19 pm

Thanks, Ardene! Now I just have to get used to using the new machines. My old ones were strictly mechanical, no electronics. These have all kinds of confusing bells and whistles, but seem to lack the option to do some very basic (IMO) things.

This washer, a front-loader, seems to demand these short, fast bursts of water intake throughout the cycle, rattling our old plumbing each time. It's very, VERY, VERY annoying.

Current reads:
Just starting Frozen in Time: Unlocking the Secrets of the Franklin Expedition by Owen Beattie
and Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt.
Continuing with e-book 1968: The Year that Rocked the World by Mark Kurlansky
and audio Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
and almost done with Messy: God Likes it That Way by A.J. Swoboda

44tymfos
Nov 26, 2013, 6:03 pm

OK, the LT ER program has awarded me a copy of The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh.

45mckait
Nov 26, 2013, 7:31 pm

I absolutely hate my front load washer with a seething red hot hatred. It's a good one, a Bosch. It is a huge pain in the behind, and spinning certain things is almost impossible. I literally keep clean throw rugs down there to help weigh certain things like blankets and comforters? Forget it. I sincerely hope yours is better.

We closed the library early today. Suited me just fine.

I am getting something from LTER, too.The Secret of Magic

46tymfos
Nov 26, 2013, 9:00 pm

I wasn't scheduled to work today, Kath, but I see that our library closed early, too.

My new washer is an LG. So far, I've done 2 clothing loads and a load of sheets, and it has worked OK. I'm just upset that there's no provision for soaking clothes, or for using certain laundry aids that I like. I like to use OxyClean powder, but there seems to be no manufacturer-approved way to do that. The bleach dispenser is only for chlorine bleach. They say that all-fabric bleach has to go in with the detergent, but you can't add it so that the total goes above the max line for detergent use, so you can't put enough in. And if you use liquid detergent, you have to use liquid all-fabric bleach. I just don't think they thought through how people like to use washers.

47LizzieD
Modificato: Nov 26, 2013, 10:31 pm

Hope you're warm and dry. Good grief!
Congratulations on the new washer and dryer, but I'm sorry it's not perfect. I also have been promised an ER: Egyptomania. I hope it comes; I'm still waiting for September and October.

48tymfos
Nov 27, 2013, 7:53 am

Peggy, nothing in this world is perfect. But after spending so much money on the thing, of course I'm going to find fault with something! :) I actually like the dryer. It works so much quicker than my old one! And I like that I can have these stacked, even though I need a step stool to reach the controls on the dryer (and our ceiling fan will really need to be moved for next summer). It frees up space in our tiny laundry room.

I hope you are warm and dry, too. The storm didn't do much in our local area. Schools are open. I'll be headed out to work shortly.

49Morphidae
Nov 27, 2013, 9:32 am

It's the pits that the washer isn't everything you wanted it to be. Give it a kick for me!

50DeltaQueen50
Nov 27, 2013, 9:17 pm

Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. Terri.

51tymfos
Modificato: Nov 27, 2013, 9:42 pm

49 Nah, Morphy! Thanks for the sentiment, but since it's Thanksgiving, I'm just going to try to be grateful for what I have. I hope you have a good Thanksgiving!

50 Thanks so much, Judy! I'd say likewise to you, but I believe you folks in Canada already had your national Thanksgiving holiday, so I'll just wish you a good weekend ahead!

We had a surprisingly good turnout at our church Thanksgiving service, especially given the weather. We got there and home safely, and treated ourselves to some hot cocoa.


glitter-graphics.com

52LizzieD
Nov 27, 2013, 10:54 pm

Happy Thanksgiving, Terri! Hope you get to stay home and enjoy it.

53lkernagh
Nov 28, 2013, 12:25 am

Happy Thanksgiving, Terri1

54tymfos
Modificato: Nov 28, 2013, 9:55 am

Thanks, Peggy and Lori! Happy Thanksgiving, Peggy! Best wishes, Lori!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! As I begin to write this, it's around 2:45 a.m. and I'm still awake. I'm awake because of a book. It's been a while since I've had a crime novel that I just couldn't put down and compulsively read well into the wee hours of the morning. I read the majority of this book in the time since I got home from the Thanksgiving Eve church service. How helpful that this book kept me up the night before a holiday, when I don't have to get up early in the morning! I can even go on and post it now!

75 Challenge Book #120
Title: Forty Words for Sorrow
Author:
Giles Blunt
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001
Series: John Cardinal #1
Date finished: 11-28-13 2:35 a.m.
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes, Yes, used bookstore
My Rating: 4.4 stars
Notes:

John Cardinal is a detective in Algonquin Bay, Ontario, Canada. He was temporarily booted off of Homicide cases because of an obsession with the case of a missing girl that his boss thought was a runaway; now that her body has been found, he's been called back onto the case. There may be other victims of the killer, too. Cardinal is partnered with a female francophone detective, Lise Delorme, who is moving from Special Investigations (white collar crime, including police corruption) to Homicide, but may still have a foot in "Special" -- and aimed at Cardinal, who may not be totally clean. Cardinal is dealing with personal stresses, including the hospitalization of his wife Catherine for mental illness, and the high tuition of his daughter in grad school at Yale.

We also meet a pair of sadistic psychopaths -- a pair of losers from dysfunctional backgrounds who seem to be made for each other. Blunt lets us see enough of their violence to know just how horribly sick they are, but doesn't, IMO, give too much excessive detail.

This is one of the best crime novels I've read in a long time. It had complex characters, a gripping plot, a compelling sense of place (and cold!), and a lot of depth. It is very well written, on many levels; I was especially touched by this passage from which the book title was drawn, as Cardinal brings confirmation of death to the murdered girl's tearful mother:

Cardinal took Katie's high-school photograph out of his pocket, the photograph they'd used to print all those fliers that had asked of bus stations and emergency wards, of shopping malls and gas stations, Have You Seen This Girl? Now the killer had answered, oh yes he had seen this girl all right, and Cardinal slipped the photograph on top of the television.

"Do you mind if I looke at her room again?"

A shake of the dark head, a shudder in the shoulders. Another tiny splash on the linoleum floor. Husband murdered, and now her daughter, too. Eskimos, it is said, have forty different words for snow. Never mind about snow, Cardinal mused, what people really need is forty words for sorrow.
Grief. Heartbreak. Desolation. There were not enough, not for this childless mother in her empty house.

This book just kept me turning pages, wondering how it would all turn out. I will definitely look for more of this series!

55msf59
Nov 28, 2013, 8:09 am

Happy Thanksgiving, Terri! Hope you have a wonderful day. I read "Forty Words" a few years ago and liked it, but for some reason not enough to continue the series.
I am so glad you loved Montana 1948. It is one of my favorites. Now, you can be ready for another Watson, Dec 2014. Ha!
Frozen in Time sounds really good. I am not as familiar with the Franklin Expedition.

56-Cee-
Nov 28, 2013, 1:18 pm

Yay! Thanks for so many wonderful things - incl new washer and dryer. (Better than rocks in a brook. lol)

Happy Turkey Day, Terri!

57kidzdoc
Nov 28, 2013, 1:43 pm

Happy Thanksgiving, Terri!

58jnwelch
Nov 28, 2013, 3:35 pm



Happy Thanksgiving, Terri!

59tymfos
Modificato: Nov 28, 2013, 9:52 pm

Happy Thanksgiving, Mark! Well, we all like different books more or less as a matter of personal preference. I found after sleeping on it, I lowered the rating on Forty Words for Sorrow a couple of tenths. (I've also raised the rating of Montana 1948 even a couple of tenths more, based on further reflection.) I think part of the appeal of the Forty Words is that I encountered a reference to the forty words for snow in another book I read recently. I love those kinds of coincidences. I will definitely do a Watson next December -- I'm not sure I can wait that long to read the much-heralded Let Him Go, but I know there are others by him I can add to my reading. As for the Franklin Expedition, my interest was piqued by the novel The Terror, and I wanted to find out what was really known about their fate.

Cee, Yay! Happy Thanksgiving to you!. I have lots for me to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving, Joe! Thanks for the festive graphic!

The meal is done, the food is put away, the dishwasher is running, and the turkey carcass is boiling up into stock for homemade soup. The Steelers are playing the Ravens on TV (and losing so far, and they were already fighting 2 minutes into the game). Thus is Thanksgiving in my household.

And I learned that the "steam fresh" setting on my new dryer is perfect for getting the folds & wrinkles out of my holiday tablecloth without having to pull out the ironing board. Fun stuff!

60tymfos
Modificato: Nov 28, 2013, 10:08 pm

75 Challenge Book #121
Title: Messy: God Likes it That Way
Author:
A.J. Swoboda
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2012
Series: n/a
Date finished: 11-28-13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes, Yes, Christmas gift last year
My Rating: 3.u
Notes:

I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. There were parts that were outstanding. There were parts that left me scratching my head. There were parts with which I agreed, and parts with which I didn't. There were things that made me laugh, and things that made me mad, and things that made me ponder. Sometimes all of the above were all in the same chapter, or even on the same page.

And that's very appropriate, because Swoboda's whole point is that the Christian faith is somewhat messy -- that there are questions that can't be answered (in this life, anyway) and ideas about God that Christians will disagree about. It's impossible to put God in a box, wrapped up with a neat bow and fully explained, because God is greater than we mortals can fully understand. He notes that while God doesn't change, our understanding of God may change all the time as we wrestle with questions of faith -- and that's fully to be expected. And none of this is really new, and yet the way he said it was often (though not always) fresh and witty and helpful.

There was enough material with which I resonated, enough that made me think, that I'm glad I read this book and I suggested that my husband take a look at it and see what he thinks.

61tymfos
Nov 28, 2013, 10:10 pm

I'm struggling to decide whether to finish the book 1968: The Year that Rocked the World. It's a library e-book download that is due in 5 or 6 days, and I'm not quite halfway through. There is some interesting material, but it's feeling like a bit of a slog, and I have other books in progress on which I'd much rather focus.

62tymfos
Nov 28, 2013, 10:34 pm

Oops, Darryl, I missed your post! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!!

63Whisper1
Nov 28, 2013, 10:56 pm

Terri

The image at the top of your thread is beautiful.

Your review of 40 Shades of Sorrow convinced me to put it on the tbr pile.

I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one.

64tymfos
Nov 28, 2013, 10:58 pm

Hi, Linda! Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you are having a good Thanksgiving, and that healing is progressing well.

65kidzdoc
Nov 29, 2013, 9:38 am

Thanks, Terri. I read 1968: The Year That Rocked the World several years ago, and I also found it to be tough going despite my interest in its topic.

66mckait
Nov 29, 2013, 10:07 am

Good morning to you! What sorts of shenanigans are you planning today? Anything fun? Dan mentioned decorating for Christmas.. and.. um.. no. I just can't do it.

I am doing a reread for myownself today.. so not even thinking about other books..

I hope you land on something good and fun to read :)

67tymfos
Nov 29, 2013, 2:11 pm

Darryl, I'm glad to know I'm not alone on that one. I just remembered that I picked up another book about 1968 at the library sale a while back, and I think I'll abandon this one and try that one sometime.

Good morning, Kath! I slept in today. (Yesterday, was awakened early by a phone call.) Having boiled the turkey carcass and made stock last night, I'm actually making the turkey vegetable soup today. My son and I plan a trip to the gym, and I need to stop at the medical supply to pay my monthly bill and get a new filter for my C-PAP device. (Sleep apnea is the pits.) I may visit a few local stores to check out their sales.

I don't intend to go anywhere near any of the major stores, malls, or shopping centers today! I was really offended that some stores started their Black Friday sales last night on the Thanksgiving holiday itself -- I don't like that trend at all -- and I was appalled to see on the Today show Wednesday morning that people were already in line for Black Friday sales at that point in time. IMO, it's just another sign of the skewed values of our society today.

68DeltaQueen50
Nov 29, 2013, 4:40 pm

Terri, I am glad that you enjoyed Forty Words For Sorrow, the Delorme-Cardinal series is one of my favorites. I also have found a new favorite author with Larry Watson and I don't know if I will be able to wait until next December to read Montana 1948!

69PaulCranswick
Nov 29, 2013, 7:29 pm

Terri - growing up in Yorkshire, England the holiday and only holiday we all looked forward to was Christmas. We do not have the Thanksgiving tradition. What a great idea it is though to give thanks for all the things you appreciate. You are much appreciated in my small part of the world. Have a lovely Thanksgiving weekend.

70qebo
Nov 29, 2013, 9:12 pm

Hmm, not such a new thread any more, is it? I’ve been casually clicking and somehow days have gone by... Skimming from the top, what catches my eye is Chocolate Lab wine.

71tymfos
Modificato: Nov 29, 2013, 9:43 pm

Judy, I do plan to read more of that series -- and Larry Watson's work, too.

Paul, thanks for the words of appreciation! And Christmas is right around the corner now for you to look forward to . . .

Katherine, I've been very hit-or-miss with my thread clicking, and even more so with actual posting. Chocolate Lab wine is worth noting. It is a sweet Concord wine with natural chocolate flavor --yum -- and the label is adorable:



72tymfos
Modificato: Dic 1, 2013, 9:25 pm

Today was a kind of manic day. I led worship at two congregations, headed to a third church for a luncheon, then made a grocery store stop, went home and put together a fruit salad for yet another church's dinner which my husband was attending this evening, and baked cookies for a Merchant's Assn. luncheon which will be held tomorrow. Then I went back to the first church I preached at this morning for a pizza party. (Is that clear as mud?)

Now I'm trying to decide what my reading focus should be for December. I have two books still in progress from my November themes that I need to finish: Catch-22 (November by the Numbers) and Frozen in Time (Non-fiction Follow-up), with both also fitting my "new to me author" November theme. For December, I'm inclined to favor the familiar (authors and series) -- "Christmas with friends," perhaps?

73Donna828
Dic 1, 2013, 9:54 pm

Terri, I hope you are getting used to the new way of washing and drying clothes. I hope my old faithful ones never need to be replaced. I have trouble with change the older I get! So glad you loved Montana1948. Watson's newest book is excellent as well.

74Familyhistorian
Dic 2, 2013, 9:04 pm

Just catching up on some LT threads. Good to hear that your washer and dryer came at just the right time! I know what you mean about getting new stuff that doesn't quite do the same thing as the old stand by that you were used to. I think even worse than new appliances is new computer hardware or software. The mystery that you reviewed, Forty Words for Sorrow, looks interesting. I will have to look for a copy.

75tymfos
Dic 3, 2013, 11:34 am

Hi, Donna! I'm getting used to it. I do wish I'd realized how high up the dryer controls would be when I decided to buy these models and stack them! I was so focused on the width and depth to fit them in my little laundry space, I didn't think about height!

Hi, Meg! I agree that new computer stuff is the hardest to adapt to. I was just talking with someone at church the other day about that very subject!

I think most of us have more trouble with change as we age. The young people can just pick up the new stuff and run with it. It's amazing what a preschooler can do with a computer these days. When people say "It's so simple a child could do it," I laugh if it's something to do with technology, because that's no guarantee an adult can!

76tymfos
Dic 3, 2013, 11:50 am

I just realized I think I owe a formal review (on the work page) for Five Days at Memorial. I'm not sure what I can say that hasn't already been said in triplicate, but I'd better get on it.

I worked a long shift yesterday, until closing. Last night I stayed up late, finally getting (or making) some time to read. (Today is my day off so I could sleep in a bit.) I'm about halfway through Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition by Owen Beattie. The book is really more about the process of Beattie's scientific expedition to investigate the Franklin expedition's fate, rather than a summary of what has been determined about the expedition -- though there's certainly much data about what has been found and where. I'm glad that I'm reading this one in hard copy, where I can easily flip back to the maps at the front of the book -- I highly recommend that anyone reading this book do so in hard copy for that reason.

This is my son's last day of Thanksgiving break, and I think he's ready to go back to school. He slept in today, too, and has been on and off the computer this morning. We're going to the gym later. I think he's really bored.

77tymfos
Modificato: Dic 7, 2013, 3:07 pm

75 challenge book #122
Title: A Land More Kind Than Home
Author:
Wiley Cash
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2012
Series: n/a
Date finished: 12/7/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: no, no, library download
My Rating: 4.7 stars
Notes:

Wow! This is another short but powerful book. I started listening to this via audio -- which was wonderful! -- but available listening time was too limited; I quickly downloaded the e-book so I could sit and read at times when it wouldn't be appropriate to shut out my family with headphones! I put all my other reading on hold because I needed to see how this one would turn out.

This story takes place in the mountains of North Carolina, and is told via three different narrators. At the time of the tragedy, Jess was a 9-year-old boy; Adelaide was an older woman who had delivered most of the children in the community, serving as a midwife; Clem was the sheriff.

Other significant characters are the pastor Chambliss, and Jess's family: his brother "Stump" (Christopher), his parents, and his paternal grandfather -- who happens to come into the family's life after a long absence just as tragedy strikes.

I don't want to spoil the plot. Suffice it to say, from the very first chapter, you know that there will be a child killed, and that a church -- and in particular, its pastor -- will be involved. And we quickly sense that the pastor, Chambliss, is not a very nice man.

Cash tells the tale in his own way, via the three narrators and their memories of what happened. The story often drifts for a time into the memories of even earlier times, which let us get to know the characters and their back stories. Occasionally these trips down memory lane would momentarily make me almost lose my bearings in the narrative; but the details recalled greatly contribute to the overall arc of the story.

Bad things happen in the church but, in the end, this is not an anti-church kind of book; it's really not particularly about church at all. Rather, it's about people in general: good and bad people, ordinary and extraordinary people, and how sometimes it's hard to tell them apart; indeed, the same person may be all of the above in the same lifetime. It's about how people with their own agendas can lead well-meaning people in dangerous directions. And it's about relationships: loyalties & infidelities, lies & truths & secrets, and the nature of community and family.

78Matke
Dic 7, 2013, 12:51 pm

Terri, hi. Just drifting a few LT threads to try to catch up with what's doing on with all my friends. You've been a very busy lady!

Montana 1948 was one of the best books I haver read in several years. And naturally I've been struck by a book bullet with Forty Words for Sorrow. Great title and sounds like a good book.

79tymfos
Modificato: Dic 8, 2013, 12:03 am

Isn't it a great title, Gail? I enjoyed it. Montana 1948 was superb. I must say the last book I read, A Land More Kind Than Home, had some of the same type of impact for me. It wasn't as brilliantly straightforward in the telling -- the multiple viewpoints and the way the tale unfolded was a little more complex, but it had some of the same sense of conflicting loyalties and the difficulty of speaking up against what's wrong. The really good books are the ones that keep you thinking after you close the cover (real or virtual), and it's amazing to have read two books in the space of less than a month that affect me so much in that way.

I think part of the draw of A Land More Kind Than Home, for me, was
VERY MINOR POSSIBLE SPOILER, FOUND IN MOST REVIEWS, SUMMARIES, ETC., of the book)
that the dead child was autistic and died in a supposed "healing" attempt. They never use the word autism in the book, but the symptoms are there and the author on his webpage (which I immediately visited when I finished the book) describes the child as autistic. As the parent of a son with autism, I vividly remember the case, I think it was in Texas, where an autistic child really was asphyxiated in a misguided "exorcism" attempt by some fanatical church group that didn't believe in neurology and thought he was demon-possessed. That event horrified me, and I wonder if Wiley Cash was aware of the case and it inspired his work here.

I guess when I look up info on the author after finishing a book, it usually means the book hit home. Most of Wiley Cash's appearances seem to be in the South for this book, but he's scheduled to do a book signing in Sewickley, PA in March. Not close to me, but not totally out of the question, either. Point of interest: he actually lives part of the year in Morgantown, WV, which is not so far away either.

ETA to add Cash's next book is available in the LT Early Reviewer batch for this month! I have just requested it.

80tymfos
Dic 7, 2013, 3:44 pm

This morning, hubby made a loaf of Rosemary Bread; this afternoon he put up the Christmas tree. That's two more things than I've gotten done today.

81brenzi
Dic 7, 2013, 9:14 pm

>80 tymfos: Don't you mean two more things he's gotten done Terri?? LOL.

A Land More Kind than Home sounds irresistible and it's available as a Kindle download for $2.99. Yay for me;-)

82tymfos
Modificato: Dic 8, 2013, 12:00 am

>80 tymfos:, 81 ???? No, I meant that those two things were two more things than I'd done, as I'd accomplished nothing of note when I wrote that. (Maybe you misread the word "than" as the word "that"? Or were you counting my review as an accomplishment, and felt that I shouldn't consider my morning a zero in comparison?)

Yay for you, Bonnie! I hope you like it as much as I did. I'm glad you pointed out the sale.

83alcottacre
Dic 7, 2013, 11:54 pm

#77: That book sounds terrific. Thanks for the recommendation, Terri!

84tymfos
Dic 7, 2013, 11:56 pm

Hi there, Stasia! I really think it is one you would like.

85alcottacre
Dic 7, 2013, 11:56 pm

#84: I am in luck because the local library actually has a copy, so maybe I can get it read when I am off for Christmas break.

86tymfos
Dic 7, 2013, 11:58 pm

Oh, good!

87mckait
Dic 8, 2013, 7:18 am

Terri... if you go to Sewickley, do let me know as much ahead of time as you can, and I will be there.
It is 8 miles away from me. So he will go to the Penguin Bookshop, I imagine? I would love to meet up...Also, the book sounds good.

88msf59
Dic 8, 2013, 8:39 am

Morning Terri! Great review of A Land More Kind Than Home. I've had that one on my To-Read list since it came out and just never got to it. That needs to change. His new book also looks very good.

89tymfos
Dic 8, 2013, 2:55 pm

Kath, at this early date I'm tentatively thinking of planning on going, weather permitting . . . and yes it's the Penguin Bookshop. That's still snow season here in the mountains especially, so we shall see, but I'll keep you informed. It would be awesome to meet up!

Hi, Mark! Thanks! I hope you get to that book soon. I really thought it was good.

90tymfos
Modificato: Dic 8, 2013, 3:01 pm

We were supposed to be part of a church Christmas caroling expedition today, but Mother Nature has intervened with more snow than expected, and ice anticipated for later. This morning, we first planned to go anyway, but then thought better of it. I am glad, as I had a close call on the road, and my husband did too. Driving between the churches that I preached at this morning, I rounded a curve to find a tanker truck sliding down the hill toward me on my side of the road! He managed to regain control and get back on his side of the yellow line, but I just about had kittens! Hubby had issues with his car not getting traction going up and over the mountain on his way home from preaching this morning. It was good to get home and stay home this afternoon.

We are switching between watching the Eagles game and the Steelers game. Is anybody watching the Eagles game this afternoon? The Pittsburgh game is snowy, but the Philadelphia game is super-snowy! They said they have about 5 or 6 inches of snow on the field now -- interesting game conditions.

91qebo
Dic 8, 2013, 3:07 pm

90: Yikes. I once had an incident with ice on the highway, and it is super freaky trying to control a car that is sliding around. Much less someone else's truck.

92tymfos
Dic 8, 2013, 4:42 pm

Yikes is right, Katherine! It can seem well nigh impossible to control one's vehicle in the ice, but one is truly at the mercy of other drivers and their sliding vehicles! It actually wasn't too close a call from where I was -- but then I can't help thinking that if I'd been just a few seconds further down the road when he slid across, I would have been toast!

The football games were very entertaining today, though only the Eagles game had the outcome that I wanted. The Minnesota/Baltimore game (which the network switched to when the Eagles game was finished) had 4 touchdowns back and forth in about the last two minutes. My favorite moment of the afternoon was when the officials in Philadelphia called for the snow shovels and snow blowers because they couldn't see where the goal line was.

93phebj
Dic 8, 2013, 6:00 pm

Hi Terri! Just catching up. I'm glad you liked Montana 1848 so much. I loved it and would never have heard of it if not for LT. I'm eager to read Let Him Go after all the LT love too. And I just put A Land More Kind Than Home on my library list so thanks for the recommendation.

Sounds like you're slowly getting used to your new washer and dryer. When we moved into our house six years ago we got a Fisher & Paykel washer and dryer, mainly because I loved that both of them were top loading. Unfortunately, the washer now often sounds like a jet taking off. When we had it serviced recently I asked the repairman what his recommendation for the best washer and dryer were and he said the front loading LG.

You're experiences on the icy and hilly roads near you are harrowing to read about much less live through. I hate ice with a passion.

94tymfos
Modificato: Dic 8, 2013, 9:15 pm

Pat, I likely would not have read Montana, 1948 nor A Land More Kind Than Home (nor many other books that I've enjoyed) if not for LT! I have Richard's (richardderus) very strong recommendation to thank for my reading Montana, 1948, and Tina's (tututhefirst) fine review to thank for introducing me to A Land More Kind than Home. If I can pass it forward and encourage others to check out these fine books, that's good.

Yes, I'm slowly getting used to the new laundry equipment. They seem to get the job done, and I've heard that the LG brand is supposed to be reliable.

95Familyhistorian
Dic 8, 2013, 11:23 pm

Hi Terri, I only started actively participating in the 75 book challenge part way through this year but the recommendations and reviews have definitely changed my reading habits! I know what you mean about finding more books to enjoy because of LT.

96tymfos
Modificato: Dic 10, 2013, 10:09 am

Meg, this group has most definitely changed my reading habits! I've learned about so many great books here.

On the other hand, this is one I'd always heard about, and never read until now:

75 Challenge Book #123
Title: Catch-22
Author:
Joseph Heller
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1961
Series: n/a
Date finished: 12/8/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: No, library -- started with audio download, but grabbed our library's hard-copy edition to finish the book when my audio loan was running out.
Notes:

Youssarian looked at him soberly and tried another approach. "Is Orr crazy?"
"He sure is," Doc Daneeka said.
"Can you ground him?"
"I sure can. But first he has to ask me to. That's part of the rule."
"Then why doesn't he ask you to?"
"Because he's crazy," Doc Daneeka said. "He has to be crazy to keep flying combat missions after all the close calls he's had. Sure, I can ground Orr. But first he has to ask me to."
"That's all he has to do to be grounded?"
That's all. Let him ask me."
"And then you can ground him?" Youssarian asked.
"No. Then I can't ground him."
"You mean there's a catch?"
"Sure there's a catch," Doc Daneeka replied. "Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy."

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to.


This is the essential nature of Catch-22, a term originating with this novel that has entered the common lexicon referring to a bureaucratic no-win situation. (It's even in Webster's dictionary!)

Catch-22 is the story of a fictional US air squadron on the Mediterranean island of Pianosa during WWII. As a note at the front of the book comments, the actual island is too small for all the activity described in this book; but, then, the characters of Catch-22 are larger than life, so it's not so odd that their abode would be larger than in reality.

Among the oddballs populating the strike force on the island are Youssarian, who is determined to avoid danger at all costs; Milo, the commissary genius and king of the black market; Major Major Major Major, promoted so that his rank matches his name; Chief White Halfoat, who drives out his roommate with death threats and is waiting to die of pnumonia; the enigmatic Major -- de Coverly, of whom everyone is terrified, but whose exact identity and responsibility no one seems to know; and a host of other military misfits.

I can recognize the genius of the biting satire and dark humor Heller employs in this book. And there were times when it was laugh-out-loud funny, and other times when it really made me think about the insanity that passes for normalcy during times of war. But there were some sections where I found it tediously over-the-top. The sections about Milo and his black market dealings especially left me cold. But just when I was considering giving up, it got more interesting when Youssarian got new tent mates and they evicted the dead man who lived in the tent but had never reached the squadron. (OK, you have to read it to understand it.)

What's especially notable is the way he approaches certain pivotal incidents (and some small oddities, too) from multiple angles and viewpoints. He hints at an event at one point, mentions it at another, remembers it somewhere else from another character's POV, and eventually you get the full impact.

I'm not going to rate this, because I know, intellectually, that the writing is far better than my appreciation of it.

ETA to add I changed my mind a rated it -- 4 stars.

97jnwelch
Dic 9, 2013, 3:33 pm

Good review of Catch-22, Terri. I had forgotten how well done that explanation of the term is; I'm glad you excerpted it. I remember liking this book when reading it as a young guy. I'm not sure how it would stand up now, but that excerpt and your comments make me think it probably would stand up quite well.

98tymfos
Dic 9, 2013, 7:49 pm

Thanks, Joe. I love that explanation, too -- it's worth reading the book just for that! And it really is artful, how the little oddities Heller created would relate to each other and keep popping up at different parts of the book.

99countrylife
Dic 10, 2013, 7:39 am

Two great reviews! But you didn't post your Catch-22 in reviews!

100tymfos
Modificato: Dic 10, 2013, 10:08 am

Thanks, Cindy! Do you really think I should post it? There seems to be no shortage of reviews for that book.

ETA to add OK, Cindy, I posted it. It's a good thing I did, because I had forgotten to take it out of my "currently reading" collection, and going to the book page for the review reminded me! I even rated it -- 4 stars. I did tweak the review a bit, after discussing the book with my hubby and thinking of another aspect of the book I found especially impressive.

101tymfos
Modificato: Dic 10, 2013, 3:21 pm

OK, Catch-22 is another of those books that's staying with me after reading. The longer I think about it, the more clever, even brilliant, aspects of it seem.

I am having a hard time deciding what novel to read next. I brought home two books from the library -- one of them being the latest Louise Penny -- but neither is quite what I want right now. I'm inclined to want to read something off my own TBR shelves. Maybe something a little lighter, but not quite cozy. Hmmm . . .

My son had Keystone Exams today at school, and came home rather subdued. I hate the current mania for standardized testing!

102tymfos
Modificato: Dic 11, 2013, 6:58 pm

75 Challenge Book #124
Title: Frozen in Time: Unlocking the Secrets of the Franklin Expedition
Author:
Owen Beattie & John Geiger
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1987
Series: n/a
Date finished: 12/10/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: No, No, Inter-Library Loan
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

After reading Dan Simmons' novel The Terror, a horror novel which is based (in part) on what's known of the lost Franklin Expedition to the Arctic, which disappeared during their search for the Northwest Passage, I wanted to read a non-fiction book on the subject to see just how rooted in reality the back-story was and to generally learn more about this interesting subject. (I must say, Simmons used a lot of the known information in setting up the story line of his novel.)

This book, Frozen in Time, is not really about the Franklin Expedition per se -- it's about the work of Owen Beattie and the expeditions he led in the 1980s to try and gain more knowledge about what happened to the lost expedition. The real focus is on the summers of 1984 and 1986, when three known graves of Franklin Expedition members on Beechy Island were opened, and the amazingly permafrost-preserved bodies of the crewmen were exhumed and given modern autopsies before careful reburial.

Those of you who are faint of heart, be warned -- there are photos of the dead men. The bodies are, indeed, amazingly well-preserved after over a century in their icy graves, but still not too pleasant to look at. There are other illustrations, too, including a Daguerrotype of Sir John Franklin, and one of Captain Francis Crozier, and also one of Dr. Goodsir (a surgeon of the Franklin Expedition), as well as color photos of sites the Beattie expeditions visited and explored and of some of their work set-ups. Some of the more interesting photos were of the hand-lettered metal plates that were made by the shipmates of the dead sailors and placed on their coffins.The exhumations and examinations, especially the lab tests done, did yield results.

The book is not long -- 163 pages plus illustrations, appendices, sources, and index. It was reasonably well-written and held my interest reasonably well. The authorship of this book is credited to expedition leader Beattie and John Geiger, a journalist who won awards for his coverage of the Beattie expedition. While Beattie gets the lead writing credit, he is referred to in the third person throughout the book. I think perhaps the book makes more of Beattie's findings than can legitimately be claimed; but certainly he has confirmed one issue which probably at least contributed to the dismal outcome of the Franklin expedition.

103msf59
Dic 11, 2013, 8:21 pm

Terri- Great review of Catch-22. I read that one way back in my school days and remember loving it. Like Joe, I am curious to see how it holds up today. How was the audio or at least the sections you listened to?
Frozen in Time sounds really good too! There is a new NF book out, by Mitchell Zuckoff with that same title and that one also sounds fantastic.

104tymfos
Dic 12, 2013, 12:07 am

Mark, I thought the audio was pretty good, but not outstanding, IMO. The narrator seemed to fit the tone of the book, if you know what I mean.

I've started another non-fiction book that is really good. Annie's Ghosts is NOT a ghost story; it's about family secrets. A journalist learns that his mother had a sister that she pretended didn't exist: the sister, Annie, was in a mental institution. The journalist sets out to learn about the aunt he never knew, and try to understand why the family kept her a secret all those years. I pulled it off the shelf just to look at it, and now I'm on page 75.

105mckait
Dic 12, 2013, 8:42 am

Frozen.. looks like a good read.

You might enjoy the one I just finished, it does have ghosts, a murder mystery , and a warning ... it is total fluff. I liked it :)

106tymfos
Modificato: Dic 12, 2013, 11:55 am

Good morning, Kath! Are you talking about the Heather Graham one? I've tried several of hers that sounded good, but always wind up not particularly enjoying them. There's always some silly romance, and I don't really read romances. I kind of gave up on her.

The book about the family secret, Annie's Ghosts, is really engrossing. As it goes along, it delves a bit into subjects like the laws for committing mental patients in the 1940's, the history of mental asylums, and how privacy laws affect genealogical research. There is also a Holocaust survivor in the family tree -- a fascinating story right there. And another possible family secret has been shaken loose from the family tree. Do the records exist to confirm it? I'll have to keep reading. I just wish the print wasn't so small -- it's rare to see a book from a major publisher set in such a small font. I have the paperback edition -- I wonder, was the hard cover first edition set in this font? I'm half tempted to buy the e-book so I can enlarge it, but I'll just keep resting my eyes every so often.

I'm about halfway through, and neglecting things I should be doing in order to keep reading. Despite the font issues, this may be a rare (for me) 5-star read. It will certainly make my list of most memorable books for the year.

107cbl_tn
Dic 12, 2013, 12:42 pm

I really liked Annie's Ghosts when I read it a few years ago. I found it hard to put down, too. A friend loaned me her ARC, and I don't remember any font issues with it. It was probably laid out like the hardcover edition.

108Familyhistorian
Dic 14, 2013, 1:57 am

Both Annie's Ghost and Frozen in Time sound interesting. You have hit on two topics that I am very interested in - real genealogical mysteries and the Franklin Expedition.

109alcottacre
Dic 14, 2013, 8:25 am

Adding Frozen in Time to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Terri!

110tymfos
Modificato: Dic 14, 2013, 10:30 pm

Carrie, I'm finding it very hard to put down. I do wish I had a hard-cover edition, if the print was bigger in that format. However, this paperback was a bargain at $1 from the AAUW used book sale, so I can't really complain. Maybe it's not really that extraordinarily small; perhaps my eyes are just getting old.

Meg, it's fun to touch on two subjects in a row that are of interest to a fellow LTer! I'd still like to read something else about the Franklin expedition. This one really does focus mostly on Beattie's work, though he does give some background of the findings of earlier search efforts.

Stasia, my rating of 3.7 may be a little on the high side -- influenced by my interest in the topic -- but it is a fairly quick read, as I said, and if you're not squeamish, the photos are fascinating. It is extremely rare to find bodies preserved in such a state after a century, and I get the feeling that Beattie and his crew were quite awed by the experience.

ETA to add Actually, my rating of 3.7 stars (which rounds to 3.5 stars) is actually lower than the average rating for Frozen in Time!

111tymfos
Modificato: Dic 14, 2013, 2:34 pm

Woo, hoo! After reaching my initial goal of 75 books, I set my sights on a new goal of 125 books. It was great to reach that level with this fine volume:

75 Challenge book #125
Title: Annie's Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret
Author:
Steve Luxenberg
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2009
Series: n/a
Date finished: 12/14/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes, Yes, 2011 AAUW used book sale for $1
Category for 13 in 13 challenge: If I hadn't finished the challenge already, this would definitely fit into "All in the Family"
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): family history / genealogy
Alternate category
My Rating: 4.8 stars
Notes:

As noted earlier in my thread, this book really drew me in. It's rare for me to get drawn so deeply into a non-fiction book that I temporarily abandon my novels until it is done; but with the exception of my audio book novel (at times when regular reading wasn't an option) and my e-book (read from my phone on lunch break at work), I focused only on this book until it was finished.

As I said earlier, it's about family secrets. A journalist learns that his mother had a sister that she pretended didn't exist: the sister, Annie, was in a mental institution. Why did his mother keep her a complete secret from him and his siblings? Did his father know about Annie? What was Annie's story? What was she like? Why was she committed for so many years, and what might her treatment have been like? How did she manage to remain a secret for so many years? Are there people left alive who remember her?

Steve Luxenberg utilizes all his investigative journalism skills in trying to find information: seeking records (and bumping up against privacy laws), interviewing relatives and tracking down folks from the old neighborhood who might have known -- or at least known about -- Annie. One of the relatives is a Holocaust survivor, with an amazing story of her own to tell. He's drawn to learn still more about his family and its history.

The book not only deals with the secret of Annie, but a number of other family secrets unearthed in the search. It ponders the question of the secrets families keep -- their nature and the reasons for keeping them. It's also a thoughtful look at changing attitudes toward people with disabilities and/or mental illness, and how society has dealt with them through the years.

One of the review blurbs quoted at the front of the book is from the president of the National Genealogical Society, and I can see why this book would be popular with those in that field.

This was a really solid, thought-provoking book.

112tymfos
Modificato: Dic 14, 2013, 2:20 pm

The snow is now coming down very heavily now. I hear sirens, and our scanner app is buzzing with activity. There are multiple vehicle accidents all at once, springing up all over the county. I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere right now.

113mckait
Dic 14, 2013, 6:57 pm

Same here. WE actually closed the library 30 minutes early... we couldn't get permission and so we just left.. Oops.

114tymfos
Dic 14, 2013, 7:49 pm

I imagine our library may have closed early, but (thankfully) I didn't have to work today, so I don't know.

115mckait
Dic 14, 2013, 7:50 pm

I will be interested to see of there are issues when they find out....

116tymfos
Modificato: Dic 14, 2013, 8:08 pm

Well . . . if nobody tried to go to the library during that 30 minutes (which is possible, given the weather), maybe they won't find out? Even if someone found it closed, they might not comment, as people expect closures when the weather is bad. Or do you plan to just 'fess up?

I noticed closure notices on the TV for a number of things in our area, including a library or two.

117mckait
Dic 14, 2013, 8:24 pm

Ha! I put a note on the door.. I actually texted Laura to ask if we could close half an hour early, she never responded. So.. Executive decision. Besides, I always just fess up...

118tymfos
Modificato: Dic 14, 2013, 8:44 pm

I would probably 'fess up, too. But our librarian is pretty reasonable about closing in bad weather.

119brenzi
Dic 14, 2013, 8:47 pm

Our library has been closed since last Wednesday. I'm sure the 3-4' of snow we got has a lot to do with it LOL. Those two books look really good Terri.

120PaulCranswick
Dic 14, 2013, 9:03 pm

It would be really nice to have a lending library over here because snow would not be a reason for closure!

Have a lovely weekend Terri.

121DeltaQueen50
Dic 15, 2013, 6:44 pm

Hi Terri, I've taken a major BB with A Land More Kind Than Home, it looks to be a powerful read.

122tymfos
Modificato: Dic 16, 2013, 9:58 am

I hope you like it, Judy. I was really impressed. I'm now reading novel that I think I learned about from you: Slay Ride by Chris Grabenstein.

75 Challenge Book #126
Title: The Collapse of Richmond's Church Hill Tunnel
Author:
Walter S. Griggs, Jr.
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series: n/a
Date finished:12/15/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes, Yes, purchased at the C&O heritage center gift shop
My Rating: 3.4 stars
Notes:

Deep within Church Hill in Richmond, Virginia, underneath a city park, C&O Railroad steam locomotive #231 and two workers are entombed -- victims of the collapse of the Church Hill Tunnel. This slender volume is the fruit of a 50-year fascination by the author, who learned about the disaster from his grandfather and who did his college graduation thesis on the subject many years ago.

It's a subject about which I knew nothing until I visited the C&O Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Virginia last Thanksgiving weekend. I was sufficiently intrigued by what I learned that I purchased this little book published by the History Press. It's a quick read -- 120 pages plus a bibliography. It tells a little about the history of Virginia railroading in general and the C & O (Chesapeake & Ohio) Railroad in particular. It talks about the construction of the tunnel, its relatively brief time of usage, and the disaster which finished it off. It gives a day-by-day account of the rescue/recovery efforts. We also learn a bit about the state of race relations in Virginia both at the time of construction and the time of the disaster. And it provides many interesting photos.

The book included much discussion of the railroad routes relating to why the tunnel was needed, how it served during its lifetime, why it was largely abandoned for a number of years, and why the railroad was trying to re-open the tunnel when it finally collapsed for good. I have to agree with another reviewer that maps would have been most helpful in understanding what the author was talking about. Without giving the reader a view of the specific geography, all that talk was pretty meaningless. The book contains one tiny and virtually unreadable diagram on page 100, but nothing else to help the reader understand the many geographical references.

In all, the book was reasonably informative regarding what happened and why. I think I would have liked a little more info about the construction techniques discussed, since they relate so directly to the disaster. This is another area where some basic diagramming would help the reader understand what happened. I wish the author had shown me a diagram of block arching, and compared it with a diagram of another construction technique that might have been more appropriate.

I did like how each chapter began with an epigraph -- some of those little readings from various literary sources were very interesting, and I may look up some of the sources to read them in their entirety!

123thornton37814
Dic 16, 2013, 10:32 am

I'll be heading to Richmond in May. Maybe I should read this one before I go.

124Morphidae
Dic 17, 2013, 9:16 am

So are you all shoveled out? Keeping warm?

125tymfos
Modificato: Dic 17, 2013, 2:13 pm

124 I just came in from shoveling, Morphy My feet are cold, but otherwise I'm sufficiently warmed.

123 Lori, I just told my husband after reading the book that we need to go back to Richmond now! :)

126tymfos
Modificato: Dic 17, 2013, 2:15 pm

Today is my day off. The last two days were so busy, it's nice to have a break -- such as it is, with housecleaning and snow shoveling and laundry keeping me pretty busy. Now I need to wrap some gifts for my son before he gets home from school -- this is probably the last chance I'll have to be home when he's not here.

127mckait
Dic 18, 2013, 8:43 am

Terri... I was talking to my friend Bernie just now.. and we were talking about what systems libraries use ( I know, lame... ) and I wondered what system it is that you changed to not long ago? Or am I making that up? Did you change systems ?

128tymfos
Modificato: Dic 18, 2013, 3:39 pm

Kath, in May 2012 we went to the Evergreen system. The Pennsylvania consortium we belong to for Evergreen is known as SPARK. (I don't understand all the technicalities of that.)

In September of this year, the system changed again in that it's now hosted with different servers -- it was hosted by HSLC, but now Evergreen/SPARK is hosted on different servers. (I forget the name of the company.) Also, we got an updated version of Evergreen, which is somewhat improved, especially for handling hold requests. I think there was some change of administration in that server change, because there was some alteration of some of the rules/processes that had previously been imposed by HSLC, though I haven't seen much change from where I sit. Supposedly our catalogers can do some things themselves that couldn't be done at our local level before. And I think it's been somewhat more reliable -- I don't believe we've had any major system downtime since the service migrated from the HSLC servers. (For some reason, I love that they call that change "migration." :-)

I'm not sure I've got all the terminology right as far as the organizational relationships go, but that's the best I can do.

Does that answer help?

ETA to try to make answer more complete / comprehensible

129mckait
Dic 18, 2013, 4:10 pm

Thanks Terri.. it does, very much!

130Berly
Dic 18, 2013, 11:41 pm

Hi Terri--All this talk of snow and there is not a flake to be seen here. Well, at least not the H2O 32F kind!! You have been reading tons this year! I am sure I mentioned it before, but I will mention it again here. One of my small editing claims-to-fame was that I was an intern at Milkweed Editions and helped to edit Montana 1948. Didn't I go a great job?! : )

131richardderus
Dic 20, 2013, 4:18 pm

In happy hopes that 2014 will bring ever greater pleasures to your reading world, Terri:



Celebrate the return of the light with feasts, merriment, and gratitude for all the wonders of this wide green earth.

RMD

132tymfos
Modificato: Dic 22, 2013, 11:58 pm

129 You're welcome, Kath!. Glad to help.

130 Wow, Kim, that is awesome that you helped edit Montana, 1948! As for flakes, ours have all melted in unusually warm weather -- which is now coming to an end.

131. Thank you, Richard Best wishes to you, too!

I am so far behind on so many threads, and I don't see me catching up before the end of the year when the 2014 challenge starts. I may just do some random drive-by holiday greetings, and I'll try to at least post all my books here.

133tymfos
Dic 23, 2013, 12:07 am

I finished my audio book today.

75 Challenge Book #127
Title: One Step Behind AUDIO
Author:
Henning Mankell
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1997
Series: Kurt Wallander #7
Date finished: 12/22/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: no, library download
My Rating:3.7 stars
Notes:

Inspector Wallander and crew struggle to apprehend another mass murderer. This was a pretty good installment in the series, though I do get impatient with Wallander sometimes.

134Whisper1
Dic 23, 2013, 12:21 am

Just a note to say I'm thinking of you and send all good wishes for a wonderful holiday.


135tymfos
Dic 23, 2013, 12:53 am

Thanks, Linda! Best wishes to you for the Christmas season!

136DeltaQueen50
Dic 23, 2013, 7:50 pm

Terri, I am also dropping by to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years as well.

137tymfos
Dic 24, 2013, 3:13 am

Thanks, Judy! Merry Christmas to you, and all the best for the New Year!

138tymfos
Dic 24, 2013, 2:31 pm

I've gotten around to a lot of folks in the group with holiday wishes, but I'm sure I've missed more than I've greeted.

So here on the thread, I want to wish everyone a very Joyous Christmas, or happiness in whatever event or holiday they celebrate in this time of year. And best wishes for a great 2014.


glitter-graphics.com

139Donna828
Dic 24, 2013, 3:50 pm

Christmas Blessings for you and your family, Terri. I'm glad I don't have snow to shovel. Take it easy out there!

140qebo
Dic 24, 2013, 4:46 pm

141cal8769
Dic 24, 2013, 8:32 pm

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours! Much love and laughter.

142PaulCranswick
Dic 24, 2013, 10:18 pm



Terri, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to follow your thread this year. Happy Christmas. xx

143tymfos
Modificato: Dic 24, 2013, 11:50 pm

Thanks, Donna, Katherine, Carrie, and Paul!

I am home after leading two Christmas Eve church services. Arriving home safely to a warm house on a very chilly night. we relaxed with a glass of port and opened presents. (Actually, hubby and I had the port; our teenage son had NO port but the vast majority of the presents ;-)

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

144Familyhistorian
Dic 25, 2013, 12:52 am

That sounds like a great evening, Terri. I hope that the rest of your holiday season continues in the same vein.

145-Cee-
Dic 25, 2013, 8:00 am

A Very Merry Christmas and abundant blessings to you and your family, Terri!

146msf59
Dic 25, 2013, 12:36 pm



Hope you are having a great Christmas, Terri! Looking forward to following you around in the New Year.

147Morphidae
Dic 25, 2013, 1:19 pm

Have yourself a merry little book-filled Christmas!

148brenzi
Dic 25, 2013, 6:11 pm



Merry Christmas Terri!

149phebj
Dic 25, 2013, 9:29 pm

Hi Terri. I hope you and your family had a very Merry Christmas. I will have to see if my library has Annie's Ghosts. Great review.

150Crazymamie
Dic 25, 2013, 9:49 pm



Merry Christmas, Terri! Hope it was full of fabulous!

151lkernagh
Dic 26, 2013, 5:31 pm

Hi Terri - Stopping by with belated Christmas wishes and a

152Whisper1
Dic 26, 2013, 5:47 pm

Dear Friend

I hope yesterday was delightful and spirit filled. All good wishes for a wonderful new year filled with lots and lots of books..and placed to store them...

153dk_phoenix
Dic 26, 2013, 7:42 pm

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Terri!

154tymfos
Modificato: Dic 27, 2013, 10:55 am

Oh, my! So many visitors!

Thank you to Meg, Cee, Mark, Morphy, Bonnie, Pat, Mamie, Lori, Linda, and Faith! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a very Happy New Year!

155tymfos
Modificato: Dic 28, 2013, 10:56 pm

75 Challenge Book #128
Title: Slay Ride
Author:
Chris Grabenstein
Copyright/Year of original publication:2006 (I think)
Series: Christopher Miller Holiday Thriller #1
Date finished: 12/25/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes, yes, used bookstore
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

A very dark holiday mystery involving an angry limo driver, a harried businessman, an FBI agent, and the Russian mob. Moral of the story -- don't get your limo driver mad at you!

75 Challenge Book #129
Title: Superior Deception (e-book)
Author:
Matthew Williams
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Series: Lake Superior Mysteries / Vince Marshall #2
Date finished: 12/26/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes, (virtual), NO, Kindle store
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

A quick read of a mystery with a bit of UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) flavor. A judge's body is found hanging in a park; the judge had been fighting to save the park from being destroyed to make way for a development.

75 Challenge Book #130
Title: The Hunting Wind(e-book)
Author:
Steve Hamilton
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001
Series: Alex McKnight
Date finished: 12/25/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: NO. Library download
My Rating: 3.6 stars
Notes:

A fast-moving mystery with a great deal of atmosphere -- another one set in the UP of Michigan. An old friend from Alex McNight's minor-league baseball years shows up asking for help tracking down an old flame. The story twists and turns away from that start. In the end it all seems a bit pointless, but I think that's the point: some things are far more complex than they seem, and hot trails can sometimes lead to nowhere but trouble. It was fun to get some more of Alex's background, and also (at least to a baseball fan) for the recollections of old Tiger Stadium.

156thornton37814
Dic 27, 2013, 9:45 pm

I've read two of Nevada Barr's mysteries set at Isle Royale National Park in the UP of Michigan. I enjoyed both of them and found myself wanting to visit that park sometime. I might need to find this series so I can revisit the setting.

157tymfos
Modificato: Dic 28, 2013, 10:57 pm

Those two series set on the UP are very different types of mysteries. The series by Williams is sort of a moderately cozy type of mystery; the protagonist is a reporter with a wife and young child who figure prominently in the stories. The series by Hamilton is more of a noir mystery series; the protagonist is more of a hard-boiled ex-cop lone-wolf PI. I think Hamilton is the far better writer, but I'm not sure how much you'd like aspects of his style, Lori.

They're also set in different parts of the UP. The Hamilton series is up around Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois and also include excursions off the UP back to McKnight's old stomping grounds of Detroit; the Williams is set in a small town in the Marquette area, I think.

I need to try reading a Nevada Barr mystery sometime.

158tymfos
Modificato: Dic 28, 2013, 7:32 pm

75 Challenge Book #131
Title: Curse of the Narrows: The Halifax Explosion 1917
Author:
Laura M. Mac Donald
Copyright/Year of original publication:2005
Series: n/a
Date finished: 12/28/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes, Yes, gift
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

This is a comprehensive and well-written account of the Halifax Explosion of 1917, when the collision of a Belgian Relief ship and a ship carrying high explosives for WWI collided, setting off the explosives and decimating the town of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It carefully documented what happened leading up to, at the time of, and in the aftermath of the explosion (and acknowledging those areas where testimony/documentation differed).

I was surprised to see some editing errors toward the end of the book, with occasional wrong word usage & sentence fragments, but these were the exception rather than the rule. Overall, the quality of the writing was great and really made me see what a terrible disaster this was.

There were lots of interesting aspects to this story, including the relationship between Boston, Mass and Halifax, and how the disaster played a role in the creation of the specialty of pediatric surgery and development of the first pediatric surgical ward in Boston.

159Familyhistorian
Dic 28, 2013, 7:50 pm

The Halifax Explosion is a topic that I have read a lot about. The Curse of the Narrows is one of the books in my collection that I have actually read and I believe it is one of the better books about the explosion.

I used to live in the North End of Halifax, the area that was devastated in the explosion. The housing in the area is old but not as old as it would have been if the houses that were lost in the explosion had remained. Many of those homes were burned down as the wood stoves toppled with the force of the explosion. Perhaps it is their ashes that nourish the lilacs that bloom in the spring and perfume the air throughout the North End.

160cal8769
Dic 29, 2013, 1:53 am

That was one of my favorite books last year. The human spirit is amazing!

161tymfos
Dic 30, 2013, 3:34 am

Meg, I'm sure the book had even more meaning for you, having lived in Halifax for a time. Nice thought about the lilacs. Things do rise up out of the ashes!

Carrie, the human spirit is amazing! I was impressed how well they handled that disaster, compared to some more modern ones (Katrina comes to mind) given the limited transportation and communication technology in that era. There were flaws in the aftermath -- how the authorities handled the children, and racial bias in the compensation process, and the original tribunal was a farce; but the actual emergency response was remarkable, especially given the weather that hit.

162tymfos
Modificato: Dic 30, 2013, 3:54 am

INSOMNIA. AGAIN.

I got worked up over the football games today. The Steelers needed a string of things to happen in order to get into the playoffs, and they all happened except for the very . . . last . . . one. They needed for the Chargers to lose to the Chiefs, but the Chargers came back and tied late in the 4th quarter, and won in overtime.

But my Eagles won!

75 Challenge Book #132
Title: Superior Dilemma
Author:
Matthew Williams
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series: Vince Marshall #3
Date finished: 12-30-13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes (virtual), No, Kindle store
My Rating: 3.3 stars
Notes:

This was a decent mystery, and had lots of northern flavor from its Upper Peninsula of Michigan setting. It involves an old "unsolved" bank robbery where everyone thinks they know "whodunit" but can't get past the suspect's alibi; it also involves the theft of the trophy for a dog sled race. And there's a side story involving the sabotage of snowmobile trails.

I like the main character, Vince, and his wife and daughter. Some of the peripheral characters in this series are kind of inconsistent. And I can't believe the wife could have been out cross-country skiing for miles within a day or so of one medical issue that arose. (I won't elaborate to avoid spoilers.) I took off points for the very ending. He wrapped up how things turned out for various characters in a few paragraphs in a very amateurish way, IMO. I'm thinking maybe he's not planning more in this series?

163Whisper1
Dic 30, 2013, 11:04 pm



May 2014 be filled with wonderful books!

164Morphidae
Dic 31, 2013, 10:51 am

I've never even heard of that explosion. It sounds like an interesting book though it sounds like it has quite a bit of children being hurt?

165tymfos
Dic 31, 2013, 11:20 am

Thank you so much, Linda! I have the same wish for you!

Morphy, as I recall there were like 2000 people killed, and 6000 injured and, yes, many of them were children. Also, the bureaucrats that insisted on taking over care of the children from the emergency committees put the surviving children through needless stress and grief with the process they employed. Very sad all around.

But there were also some very inspiring stories of children, survivors of the blast, and the efforts they went to in helping others, finding lost family members, and standing up for themselves.

166tymfos
Modificato: Dic 31, 2013, 11:35 am

This will most certainly be the last book I finish in 2013, and I'm sorry to end with such a loser.

75 Challenge Book #133
Title: A Bone to Pick
Author:
Charlaine Harris
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1992
Series: Aurora Teagarden #2
Date finished:12/31/13
Off the Shelf? Pre-2013 owned and/or ER? Source?: Yes, Yes, don't remember
My Rating: 2 1/2 stars
Notes:

This is a silly little book with an implausible plot and a protagonist who does, says, and thinks a number of foolish things for no good reason. Some aspects of the book were rather entertaining, but overall I wouldn't have bothered to finish it if it wasn't a short, quick read. I suppose I did want to see how it turned out, but only vaguely.

The main reason I started this series is because Roe was a librarian, but the library barely figures in these books, and now Roe has up and quit the library job. I won't be reading any more.

167lkernagh
Dic 31, 2013, 6:24 pm

Sad to end your great year of reading with silly read that didn't work for you but on the plus side, you have a whole new year of great reading to look forward to!

Happy New Year, Terri!

168tymfos
Modificato: Dic 31, 2013, 11:16 pm

Thanks, Lori!
I'm borrowing the meme that was on your thread that the other Lori also did.

Year end meme - (borrowed from Lori(thornton 37814), who borrowed it from Lori (lkernagh), who got it courtesy of Stephen (Ape)): Answering using books read in 2013.

Describe yourself: The Terror

Describe how you feel: One Step Behind

Describe where you currently live: Full Dark House

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Tamarack County

Your favorite form of transportation:Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes

Your best friend is: The Fifth Woman

You and your friends are: The Pure in Heart

What’s the weather like: A Cold Day for Murder

You fear: Death Without Company

What is the best advice you have to give: Come Thirsty

Thought for the day: Let the Devil Sleep

How I would like to die: Superior Death

My soul’s present condition: Ordinary Grace

I think this is it for this year. I'll be doing a thread in next year's 75 Challenge, but it will probably be a few days until I get to it.


glitter-graphics.com

169Familyhistorian
Gen 1, 2014, 12:16 am

A further fact about the Halifax Explosion is that it lead to the founding of the CNIB - the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. When the initial explosion in the harbour happened people looked out the window and many were blinded when the windows shattered.

Hope your New Year is/was happy. Ours is still almost 3 hours away.

170thornton37814
Gen 1, 2014, 12:20 am

Love your meme answers.

171tymfos
Gen 4, 2014, 7:23 pm

Fascinating facts, Meg! I was rather haunted by the thought of those folks looking out their windows as the blast occurred. Horrible situation.

Thanks, Lori! I'm glad I saw the meme on your thread; it was a nice way to wrap up the year.

My thread for next year is here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/163778