VivienneR targets the tbr list

I'm in this year for another 50 books!

My 2014 list of books read:

  1. The Absent One by Jussi Adler Olsen
  2. Runaway by Alice Munro
  3. The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
  4. Border Songs by Jim Lynch
  5. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
  6. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
  7. Something Fresh by P. G. Wodehouse
  8. Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
  9. Kitchener's Last Volunteer : the life of Henry Allingham the oldest surviving veteran of the Great War by Henry Allingham
  10. Ellery Queen's Japanese Dozen by Ellery Queen
  11. Old songs in a new café by Robert James Waller
  12. Love Among the Chickens by P.G. Wodehouse
  13. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
  14. One Good Turn : a jolly murder mystery by Kate Atkinson
  15. The Matisse Stories by A.S. Byatt
  16. The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
  17. The Dead in their Vaulted Arches by C. Alan Bradley
  18. Oscar Wilde and the Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth
  19, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro
  20. Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs
  21. Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
  22. The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews
  23. The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
  24. A Woman of My Age by Nina Bawden
  25. Raffles : The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung
  26. Miskeen the Dancing Horse by Judy Andrekson
  27. Last Friends by Jane Gardam
  28. Cats in May by Doreen Tovey
  29. The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
  30. Death of a Witch by M. C. Beaton
  31. Knole and the Sackvilles by Vita Sackville-West
  32. Memento Mori by Muriel Spark
  33. Mrs Ames by E. F. Benson
  34. Fer de Lance by Rex Stout
  35. Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin
  36. Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
  37. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
  38. And Justice there is None by Deborah Crombie
  39. Girl with a pearl earring by Tracy Chevalier
  40. The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom
  41. The Cheshire Cheese Cat : A Dickens of a tale by Carmen Agra Deedy
  42. The Disappeared by Kim Echlin
  43. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
  44. Why Orwell Matters by Christopher Hitchens
  45. Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark
  46. A Discovery of Strangers by Rudy Wiebe
  47. Lost Classics : Writers on books loved and lost edited by Michael Ondaatje
  48. Started early, took my dog by Kate Atkinson
  49. The Agony Column by Earl Derr Biggers
  50. Mystery Man by Colin Bateman
Target reached!

Past the target:
  51. The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
  52. Goodbye to all that by Robert Graves
  53. Mrs Pringle of Fairacre by Miss Read
  54. Paperboy by Tony Macaulay
  55. Persuasion by Jane Austen
  56. Dangerous Women edited by Otto Penzler
  57. Alms for Oblivion by Philip Gooden
  58. Murder in Montparnasse: a mystery of literary Paris by Howard Engel
  59. Tempest Tost by Robertson Davies
  60. Only time will tell by Jeffrey Archer
  61. The Blue Sky by Galsan Tchinag
  62. Watchman by Ian Rankin
  63. The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris
  64. Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer
  65. Mr Dixon Disappears : a mobile library mystery by Ian Sansom
  66. Blood, toil, tears and sweat : the dire warning by John Lukacs
  67. Carry On, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
  68. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
  69. Hidden Moon by James Church
  70. In the Shadow of the Glacier by Vicki Delany
  71. The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe
  72. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
  73. Silas Marner by George Eliot
  74. Little Tiny Teeth by Aaron Elkins
  75. The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters
  76. Classic Railway Murders
  77. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Chearing for you, Vivienne!

*waves hullo*

Glad you're joining in again!

Thanks all, it's great to start off a new year again!

Hi Vivienne. Good luck with your challenge.

  
The Absent One by Jussi Adler Olsen
Read in fits and starts because I've been ill, this book has taken much longer to finish than I thought it would. It was chosen because I enjoyed the author's first book so much that he made it to my favourite authors list. This one did not measure up: the storyline was nonsense and filled with gratuitous violence. Not my kind of mystery. Too bad. A really disappointing start to the year but at least it has been rooted out!

Yeah, I tried a couple of his and didn't think much of them.

Glad I'm not alone. I thought I might offend fans ;)

And they are legion!

Runaway by Alice Munro

What else can be said about Munro that hasn't already been said? Even though I don't consider this her best collection, her writing is always impeccable, the stories capture the personalities perfectly. Excellent.

The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

Delightful mystery stories published in 1911. Naturally some are better than others. I've given them an average rating of .

Favourite line: when the criminal called Fr Brown "You little celibate simpleton!". It was so unexpected it made me laugh out loud.

In "Queer Feet" Father Brown says "Yes, I caught him, with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the earth and still to bring him back with a twitch upon the thread."

I remember this line from the television series "Brideshead Revisited" when Lady Marchmain was reading to her family. Her perception was about maintaining complete control over her children. Father Brown's was more likely the ecclesiastic's view of moral control.

edited to correct Marchmain spelling

This sounds like something I'd enjoy reading. Nice review, and congratulations on finishing another ROOT!

  

Border Songs by Jim Lynch

This is a very entertaining tale set in the area of a Pacific Northwest unmanned border crossing between the U.S. and Canada. Brandon Vanderkool - one of a great lineup of characters - has been hired by the Border Patrol. He is 6 foot 8, severely dyslexic, but brilliant at catching smugglers - mostly by chance. He is also a talented but unrecognized artist. This is a quirky but believable story, thanks to the characters and the absorbing tale that can reveal real-life heartache as well as joy. I'll be looking for more by Jim Lynch. Highly recommended.

Those last two both sound good to me. They sound like books you can just kick back to & relax while reading. Sometimes the intensity of some of the books I read gets to me.

That's exactly right, Belva. Sheer enjoyment! The kind of reading when you are sorry you come to the last page.

I know, right? Every time I read Gone With the Wind I find myself holding my breath & waiting for Rhett to turn and come back to Scarlet. :-(

I've found myself thinking along those lines too. If only Mr Rochester had been single... Well, Jane Eyre would only have reduced to half a story.

The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne

This one has been on the shelf for a very long time.

Favourite quote: "There was indeed a frightful lot of books. The four walls of the library were plastered with them from floor to ceiling, save only where the door and the two windows insisted on living their own life, even though an illiterate one."

A mystery from the golden age, featuring amateur detective Antony Gillingham. Although not a bad story I found it a bit repetitive in parts. In 1922 when this was written the plot may have been unique, but the solution was pretty obvious to a reader of mystery stories nowadays. Still, it was a fun read.

Great job, Vivienne!

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

This was a re-read because it's been so long since the first reading that I'd forgotten most of the details. It was well worth the return. Richard III got a raw deal when he was accused of murdering his two nephews. Tey has presented details of the events of the time, not so much as a defence but as proof that he could not have committed the crime. It seems, like me, there are many people who agree with her. It's not an easy read unless you know the subjects concerned, but it is so well written and presented that I'm giving it five stars.

I have a number of books about the Wars of the Roses and the Princes in the Tower. It will be interesting to compare their theories.

I read The Daughter of Time for the first time last year. It is a very good read. I was very impressed by the device of having the main character confined to a hospital bed for most of the story.

I recall Colin Dexter used the same device with Inspector Morse in The Wench is Dead - not nearly so interesting though.

>20 VivienneR:, Hey, I've got that same book, with that same cover, with that same, 'it's been on the shelf a long time' thing. :) I really should ROOT mine also.

Go for it!

I have Daughter of Time on my TBR pile and am really pleased to see how much you enjoyed it (though it sounds like I may need to brush up a bit on my Princes in the Tower/Wars of the Roses prior to reading!).

Brushing up might add interest, but I think Tey explains it all pretty well in the story. I hope you enjoy it.

Something Fresh by P. G. Wodehouse

A classic farce from Wodehouse and the first that takes place in Blandings Castle. Delicious!

Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

The style of first-person plural is not an easy one to use in a novel. In this case it serves to remind the reader that the story describes the experience of a vast number of individuals. The text forms a rhythmic, steady pulse beating time to the inevitable conclusion. It is a heart-breaking reminder that for many immigrants, life in the new world was not what they expected. In this case the immigrants were Japanese "picture brides", carrying photos of their prospective husbands who in reality turned out to be quite different from their descriptions: the first of many disappointments.

This book is a little jewel: important to history and to our multi-cultural society. Highly recommended.

Wow, Vivienne. # 8 for you. Excellent!

Thanks Connie. I have high hopes for 2014 :))

I bought this book soon after it was released but didn't get around to reading it until now. I couldn't let it sit on the shelf any longer now that we have reached 2014, the 100th anniversary of the beginning WWI.



Kitchener's Last Volunteer : the life of Henry Allingham the oldest surviving veteran of the Great War by Henry Allingham

Henry Allingham was born June 6, 1896. In that year the first traffic fatality occurred, and the first speeding ticket was issued - to a car speeding along at 8mph in a 2mph zone! He volunteered for service in 1915 serving with the Royal Naval Air Service, the forerunner of the RAF. Allingham saw action at the Battle of Jutland and was at the front lines at Passchendaele. As he was in the RNAS he did not take part in the trench warfare. On numerous occasions he refers to the men in the trenches as having won the war, all the while suffering unspeakable conditions. Throughout his life Henry Allingham was talented, positive and charming. He was a gem. When he was 100 years old and his deteriorating vision meant he could no longer drive he got a bicycle. A photo of him on the bike on his 100th birthday, shows a man who looks like he was thirty years younger.

Henry Allingham became Britain's oldest living man March 29, 2009. As his counterpart veterans from other nations died, he became the sole survivor of the RNAS and the last founding member of the RAF. In 2007 he became the oldest known veteran of WWI. On the death of Tomoji Tanabe in Japan, June 19, 2009, Henry became the world's oldest man. He died July 18, 2009.

Allingham's memories are interspersed with passages by Dennis Goodwin, of the Veteran's Association, who elaborates on Henry's memories and describes events of the day. In the early years it was useful to have the memories of a child filled out, however, as the book progresses Goodwin's passages become more dominant and less interesting. I have to admit that towards the end of the book I speed-read them. Allingham's story was much more engaging.

http://www.theguardian.com/global/2009/jul/18/obituary-henry-allingham

Both The Buddha in the Attic and Kitchener's Last Volunteer sound very good to me!

Did you feel the 'disconnect' that some reviewers mentioned in the review of 'Buddha'? Were you disappointed that no one main character emerged?

No, I didn't feel a disconnect at all. What did come through for me was that the story was about a large group of people, each one individual. I think that was important because the internment involved all of them: men, women, children, born in Japan, born in America, farmers, maids, shopkeepers, hard working, lazy - all of them!. If one character had emerged, it wouldn't have been the same story, but just one person's experience as an immigrant. I also loved the lyrical prose.

I found both Buddha in the Attic and Kitchener's Last Volunteer to be excellent.

Ellery Queen's Japanese Dozen is a collection of short mystery stories by Japanese authors. At about the halfway point I decided it wasn't much to my liking so it is on the way to a new home. I don't think mysteries work well in short story form.

Old songs in a new café by Robert James Waller

A collection of autobiographical essays that were originally published in the Des Moines Register. They are gentle and reflective. My favourites were Excavating Rachel's Room, A Canticle for Roadcat and A Matter of Honor.

It looks like you've read some great books this month! I'm excited to look for Border Songs. I've been meaning to reading P.G. Wodehouse for a long time. Might have to get to some this year!

Yes, I seemed to have struck it lucky this month. January is just one of those dreary months when it is hard to resist a book that elicits a smile. I have a stack on Wodehouse on the shelf that I'll try to spread out :)

Buddha in the Attic is on its way to me. My first Official Definite Book Bullet. Thanks!

I'm so glad for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I wish I had kept count of my bullets - or maybe not, the result might be alarming. :)

Love Among the Chickens by P.G. Wodehouse

While Jerry Garnet is at a loose end, an old friend, Stanley Featherstonhaugh Ukridge talked him into a joining him in a sure-fire way to make pots of money by starting a chicken farm. All you need is a borrowed hen and the eggs, chickens and money will start rolling in. Of course, making money - or raising chickens - is never this easy and the reader is treated to all the planning malfunctions possible. To complicate matters, Garnet falls in love.

This wasn't as enjoyable as other Wodehouse stories. I felt like shaking some sense into Garnet, and found Ukridge a bit annoying, but it's a short, amusing read.

Great cover, too! :)

Yes, it's a great cover, very un-Penguin. I have to admit the cover had a lot to do with me choosing that title :))

I would look at a book with that cover too. Real nice.

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

In most mysteries, the characters and events can be far-fetched and hard to believe. Kate Atkinson weaves a story around convincing characters, plausible events, bringing them all to a satisfying conclusion. Jackson Brodie, police detective-turned-private detective is a very appealing character - the reader is immediately on his side. Atkinson will remain at the top of my list of favourite authors.

I feel a BB hitting me! And I have 4 Atkinsons in my ebook collection. So this book is moving higher up the digital TBR

And this is the first in a the Jackson Brodie serie, I understand?

Yes Connie, this is the first in the Jackson Brodie series. A good place to start.

Thanks, Vivienne!

The Buddha in the Attic was a wonderful book. Thank you so much for the recommendation. I started reading it and literally could not stop until the other people in my household stuck their faces in mine and forcibly broke my concentration.

And then I was glad I'd stopped because it was an intense book, one that needed the pauses after certain places to let everything settle.

I was astonished by the power the first person plural narration had on me. Rather than diminish the story, it seemed to bring it into sharper focus. A hugely satisfying read, and one in which the sadness was manageable, though no less painful for that.

This was a great book to be my first Book Bullet. Thanks. :)

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It is sort of worrying when someone acts on a bullet, there is no insurance that they will like it as much as I did. Actually, I can't stop thinking about the book since I finished. It's one of those books that are so thought-provoking that you can't forget.

I agree. It's been a while since I felt like I actually changed inside my own self a bit because of new information learned from a book but this one really made my brain stretch. Not just about the relocation of the Japanese, but the entire way of life of those women and the differences in the choices available to them and the choices available to me in 2014.

Again, thanks. :)

You're doing great!

I think I'm being hit by the ricochet of this book bullet! It's gone on to the wishlist now :)

Great! I hope you enjoy it as much as Merryann and I did.

I've thought so much about the story that now I'm wondering if I short-changed the rating by only giving it 4.5 stars!

>51 VivienneR:: I sometimes feel the same way. I feel a bit guilty if someone picks up a book on my recommendation and then ends up not liking it, as if I've caused them to waste time that could have been spent with a book more to their liking!

Yes, even when both readers have the same taste in reading to start with. There is no way to gauge the way another person will react to a book. I've seen some negative reviews on books that I enjoyed - and the opposite holds true too, of course.

Another one from one of my favourite authors:



One Good Turn : a jolly murder mystery by Kate Atkinson

Interlocking stories beginning with a good turn that eventually goes wrong. The analogy with the matryoshka doll is very cleverly accomplished, because that's exactly what this book is - a story within a story within a story... The events are fast moving and the characters are that peculiar mix that might be found anywhere. Jackson is a very appealing sleuth, even though his relationships usually match his favoured hurtin' country music. Atkinson is a genius at allowing the reader to have the unusual experience of a good hoot of laughter while reading a crime novel. Excellent.

Ooh, I like the cover on that one! Ah, Edinburgh :)

Ohh, and I have that one too as an ebook! 5 stars is definitely a recommendation!

>59 rabbitprincess: I've never been to Edinburgh, maybe someday. But I liked Glasgow when I was there a long time ago. According to much of my reading, it isn't cool to say that, but the part I visited was very nice and the people were super friendly.

>60 connie53: Atkinson definitely has my recommendation!

I work in Edinburgh, and lived in Glasgow until a couple of years ago (I now live in Stirling). I like them both, but am fonder of Glasgow :)

Jackie, it is still my dream to visit Edinburgh and if I do, of course I will include Glasgow as well as other parts of Scotland. It would be nice to see how much it has changed since I was last there.

I've 4 Atkinsons on my Kobo as of yesterday!

Lucky you! Lots of good reading ahead!

Thanks, but of course they are no ROOTS, so I will keep them for summer reading.

The Matisse Stories by A.S. Byatt

Three stories, each related to a Matisse painting. The first was my favourite, but all were excellent, with a hit of surprise that turns a good story into a gem. Byatt has a flair for accurately creating an image using few words.

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Parvana is an eleven-year-old girl in Afghanistan, whose disabled father is thrown in jail by the Taliban for no other reason than being educated. Without a male escort the family are not permitted to go outside so Parvana adopts the guise of a boy so that she may become the breadwinner. Although this was a charming story about a very appealing child, it shows how unbearable Taliban rule is, how difficult life is in Afghanistan particularly for women. This beautifully written story intended for a young audience is one I can heartily recommend.

The author spent time in Afghan refugee camps where she heard similar stories. All royalties from this book are donated to Women for Women in Afghanistan.

Apparently I missed entering this one in February.



The Dead in their Vaulted Arches by C. Alan Bradley

There is nothing I can say about Flavia de Luce that hasn't already been said. The scientist, wise beyond her eleven years, yet still having a childish innocence. This is one of those series that is pure joy. The sad part is there is an air of culmination here. I hope not.

Oscar Wilde and the Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth

I enjoy Brandreth's writing, I enjoy mystery fiction, and I'm glad I read this. However, it's not a good idea to use famous names as characters in fiction. Not that it was bad, just not as good as I thought it would be. A tad disappointing.

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro

Of all the Munro stories I have read, this collection is my favourite. Munro has an unrivaled gift for writing beautifully perceptive stories about ordinary people. Perfect.

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Reading this at the same time as an Alice Munro book made Reichs' lack of writing style more obvious. It's not that her mysteries are bad, or badly written, but her strength is in describing forensic methods in detail. Dialogue is the abrupt, rapid-fire, smart-ass approach, without grace or polish. Plots follow a formula involving Brennan: a) up to her eyes in some kind of gruesome gore (this time a septic tank); b) getting mad at authority; c) being in peril; and d) fancying the nearest hunk (there is always one handy). I have enjoyed the books read so far, but I'm over Reichs now.

I've had this on the shelf for years and kept putting it off. I was encouraged to read it for the 2014 Category Challenge group where the March GeoCat happened to be Central America.

Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende

I have been reading this at intervals over the last three weeks because it was impossible to read without a break for something lighter in spirit.

This impressive epic novel is set in the late 18th century surrounding the time of revolution in Saint-Domingue, now Haiti. It describes the colonization and slavery on the plantations. Although beautifully written, eloquent and flowing, in some parts the story is harrowing as it brings a cruel history to life. The saga is based on factual events, which makes it informative and interesting, while at the same time heartbreaking because of the brutal nature of many passages.

This passage describes the source of the title:

Many (infants) died of tenanus, paralyzed, their jaws frozen. That was one of the island's mysteries because whites did not suffer from that disease. The masters did not suspect that those symptoms could be provoked undetected by sticking a fine needle into a soft part of the baby's head before the cranial bones harden. In that way the baby went happily to the Island Beneath the Sea without ever experiencing slavery.

The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews

Toews is able to go to the heart of this appealing but dysfunctional family. She is genius at portraying quirky characters that are really quite normal when you come right down to it. In this case, 15 year-old Logan and 11 year-old Thebes tug at the heartstrings. They need help yet they are doing all they can to stay afloat in their own way. This story has all the elements at which Toews excels, oddball characters, a story that captures the imagination and tugs at the heartstrings, all held together with sparkling wit and optimism.

WOW, I looked at the blurb and it sounds really like my kind of book! So on the BB list it goes!

Connie, with all your experience with young people, I'm sure you would enjoy it.

And I've found the Dutch versio, so... Summer reading!

Good for you! I hope it translates well.

The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
A quick, enjoyable Italian mystery with plenty of twists and turns. The plot involved political corruption fuelled by sex. Fortunately we have Inspector Montalbano's suspicions, without which the crime would be regarded as suicide. This is the first in the series that I'll be continuing.

A Woman of My Age by Nina Bawden
Elizabeth reflects on her life and eighteen-year marriage over the course of a holiday in Morocco. Bawden captures the stifling heat of Morocco as well as portraying the wavering indecision of the introspective, somewhat over-indulged characters. Very enjoyable.

Raffles : The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung

This is one of those books that I felt I had to read because I've heard about it so much. It is a slim volume of short stories told in a continuous narrative. Bunny, the narrator, is a friend who was tricked into joining Raffles in crime. After the first time, future crimes naturally follow. The stories are simple, fun, old-fashioned ("It's a fair cop, guv'nor"), although Raffles is not as honourable as I was led to believe.

Coincidentally, the first chapter "The Ides of March", I started reading on March 15, the Ides of March.

Miskeen the Dancing Horse by Judy Andrekson
Miskeen is a little horse rescued in Bahrain from a Russian travelling circus. The story of his early life is based on speculation and memory. His treatment is said to be typical of many small circuses in eastern Europe and the Middle East. Miskeen's story after being rescued by an English woman, Vicky Malia, is true. Andrekson does not offer her opinion of how Miskeen was treated. The Russian circus workers were not accused of any wrongs, in their own way they looked after the animals. However, the message was clear. This YA book will have appeal with all young people who are interested in animal welfare.

Coincidentally, the first chapter "The Ides of March", I started reading on March 15, the Ides of March.

I love this coincidences! Just now I read a sentence in my e-book 'A kiss for a witch' and that is the title (in dutch) of another book I'm reading.

Connie, that's so odd to come across that particular phrase twice! Who kisses witches? :)

Well, when you are into fantasy it might happen!

Hmm, I guess I'm too much of a realist :)

>84 VivienneR:, Who kisses witches? Darin, of course, from the old t.v. show 'Bewitched'. :)

>87 Merryann: Of course! Mind you, not all witches look like Samantha!

Yes, that's a bit puzzling when I think about it. If --I-- had all sorts of magical power, I think I'd spare some to remove the warts and basically Samantha-ize myself.

More thinking about it though, and I realize, "No, I wouldn't. I'd be so busy with my magical powers that I'd not care a bit what I looked like on the outside."

And now I'm diving into deep philosophical questions like, "Why not try to live like a witch and stop caring now," and "Perhaps my own unique talents are like my magical powers." Oh my.

Hahaha! That's pretty deep thinking Merryann. Is your name Samantha by any chance?

Looks like you are creating magic in your library! I love your "plan".

>89 Merryann:. You certainly have a magical way with words, Mary 'Samantha' Ann.

>91 connie53: Yes, she certainly does have a way with words to say nothing of a fair bit of imagination.

Example: Merryann commented on one of my profile photos of a flowering shrub "As I look at this picture, I can imagine shimmering colorful fairies standing on each blossom, arms uplifted, singing." Isn't that just lovely?

>92 VivienneR: I'm loving it! And I will go and look at your photo's right now!

Are you talking about the one with all the pink leaves?

>93 connie53: Although waterlilies are kind of magical, I think it was the white hydrangea growing at the side of my house. Now I will always see shimmering fairies on it.

Connie and Vivienne, you both have the magical talent of making others feel special, and that's the best talent of all! Thank you!

Last Friends by Jane Gardam

This follows Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat a series that describe the same events from the viewpoint of different people. This is Veneering's story, and although not as captivating as the others, it fills in a lot of detail about this group of friends. Very clever writing and highly recommended. Gardam lives up to her position on my list of favourite authors.

Intriguing looking picture cover, with the body language and blank faces. To me, it says 'tension, less romance than one would expect, and a bit of shady goings on.' Am I right?

You're over halfway! I just noticed. Congratulations!

>97 Merryann: Hmm, but who goes with whom? Not so many shady goings on, not much romance either in this book, but definitely lots of secrets revealed.

>98 Merryann: Thanks, I'm determined this year to read a good number of the books I have instead of letting them languish on the shelves for months (years). Many of them will then go to a new home.

Hmmm..."in this book". I need to quit talking about this series before I get so interested my TBRs get pushed to the side for it!

Mary Ann, if it's any consolation the first two books were excellent Old Filth (Failed in London Try Hong Kong) and The Man in the Wooden Hat and both are short reads. Last Friends sort of completed the story from yet another perspective.

Two more down:

Cats in May by Doreen Tovey

I read this because I enjoyed Cats in the Belfry so much. However, this didn't quite live up to expectations. It seems all the best stories were in Cats in the Belfry. However, it was still a bit of fun on a rainy day.

and:

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

This is the way a thriller should be written: it has a clear presentation of meticulous details; the reader might favour either side or allegiance might change as the story proceeds; and finally, it builds to an exciting, resounding conclusion. Excellent.

>95 Merryann: How nice of you to say that, Mary Ann. I feel very honoured..

Death of a Witch by M.C. Beaton

A short time into this book I realized I'd read it a long time ago. This was an audiobook and I have to say I liked listening to a story featuring Hamish Macbeth even better. Very entertaining.

Knole and the Sackvilles by Vita Sackville-West

Vita Sackville-West wrote this very interesting book in 1923 about the history of her family and their home, Knole. The grand house dates from 1456 but changed hands several times until 1586 when Queen Elizabeth I gave Knole to her cousin, Thomas Sackville. It has remained in the possession of his family ever since.

The house claims seven courtyards said to correspond to the days of the week; fifty-two staircases, corresponding to the weeks in the year; and three hundred and sixty-five rooms although Sackville-West never verified those details. One of the galleries, ninety feet long, has an oak floor, not made from oak planks but solid tree trunks split in half, flat side uppermost.

Sackville-West's pleasure in the house is apparent. It was her responsibility to "show" the house when she lived there alone with her grandfather who like many in the family, was unsociable. Her descriptions are vivid: "the chapel smoulders with colour".

Family history has been preserved in great detail through diaries, accounts and other records covering everything from 17th century banquet menus to medical procedures, from gardening accounts to receipts for paintings by artists such as Gainsborough and Reynolds.

Since reading this fascinating account, I have added Robert Sackville-West's book Inheritance : the story of Knole and the Sackvilles to my library. It will be interesting to compare them but I doubt the younger Sackville-West can match Vita's eloquence.

>105 VivienneR:, And this is nonfiction, isn't it? The house sounds fascinating!

I believe I would have to count the rooms, and find some way to adjust them if there weren't 365...knock out a wall here...or put in another closet there...

I would have been tempted to count the rooms too - at least to give it a try. If you look at some photos of the place you realize you would probably get lost, never to be found again. Vita Sackville-West was always really disappointed that as a girl she couldn't inherit Knole. The place is now owned by the National Trust.

This is a link to the wikipedia entry Knole House

Wow, Vivienne, that's quite a house!!

Fascinating! And to learn that there are actually a category of houses built as calendar houses, not just this one (possibly). Thanks!

Memento Mori by Muriel Spark

Published in 1959 I can hardly believe this was my first book by Muriel Spark. I was won over entirely. At first I had a little concern because I am not that far from the age of the elderly characters, some quite dotty, and thought this might be just too close to home. This feeling wore off as the story and characters stirred up interest. Spark's writing is so perfectly balanced: a little bit of malice, a touch of compassion rounded off with humour. Wonderful.

Glad you liked Memento Mori! I have it on the TBR and am looking forward to it.

Mrs Ames by E. F. Benson

E. F. Benson is one of my favourite authors. Typical of his stories, there is a serious side to the entertaining lives of the village elite. Published in 1912, Mrs Ames may have been the forerunner to Mapp and Lucia, but she has a distinct character all her own. The reader cheers her on in her quest to be society's leading light. Very enjoyable and recommended strongly to Benson fans.

Nice classy looking cover, too. I'm judging the book by it.

>113 Merryann: However much I try to avoid it, I believe that might be the way I choose my books. Maybe I judge them that way too!

Fer de Lance by Rex Stout

Stout may not my favourite mystery writer but I understand why his stories have been popular all these years. However, I just can't develop a liking for Nero Wolfe. Still, for its time, not a bad mystery.

I don't know if this one exactly qualifies as a ROOT because I've read it a number of times, but I've decided to include it here anyway.

The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence

This was a re-read of one of my favourite books. What an outstanding writer Laurence was, my top-ranked Canadian writer. From the first words to the last, this book is magnificent. It overwhelms me every time I read it.

Yes, I remember The Stone Angel as being my favourite Laurence. I haven't read it in decades, or any of hers, so maybe it's time I did something about that!

It hasn't become dated, if anything more relevant. But I really must stop reading about old folks, it's a reminder of my own age.

I always include rereads of books I own, because to me that's also an important part of owning books. But I have to carve out a space for rereading in my Category Challenge, otherwise I might never do it.

Margaret Laurence has escaped my notice so far, but one of these days I will get around to reading her work.

Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin

Emma Larkin first went to Burma in 1995 in search of George Orwell. Not just a literary detective, Larkin writes about totalitarianism in Burma with an insight appropriate to an Orwell scholar. The analogy of three of Orwell's novels with the history of Burma is uncannily prophetic: Burmese Days tells of the country under British rule; in Animal Farm the pigs take over the running of the farm just as the military took over the running of Burma; and 1984 describes the current tyrannical regime. Although Larkin writes extensively about Burma and its people, she does not lose focus of the main topic, that of Orwell in Burma. The result is excellent.

For anyone interested in Orwell and his life this is essential reading. That it is fascinating and well-written is a bonus. Larkin accepts no credit for the bravery required in such an undertaking, but reflects all respect and admiration on the gentle Burmese people.

Like Larkin, I will reject the name Myanmar, a name made up by the current military oppressors.

Stone Diaries by Carol Shields

Daisy Goodwill's life story, from birth to death. It's a wonderfully frank account of what Daisy thought, what she experienced, much of which she kept to herself. This beautiful story, winner of a Pulitzer prize in 1995 and Governor General's Literary Award 1993, has been on my shelf for far too long. Now I'm anxious to read more by Carol Shields.

You are almost there, Vivienne!

# 120--I have added this to my TBR. I use Orwell's Animal Farm each year in class. I've also read 1984, which I didn't care for. This sounds really interesting!

>122 connie53: Thank you Connie, I'm keeping my goal in mind this year :)

>123 Tess_W: Emma Larkin's book was so interesting and well-written that I have ordered Everything is Broken : a tale of catastrophe in Burma by the same author. 1984 was probably my least favourite of Orwell's books but the relationship that Larkin describes is obvious.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Seattle satire, private school satire, people-with-too-much-money satire. It's clever in a wacky sort of way, striking a balance between annoying and amusing: there is a funny side to the first-world problems that pretty well constitutes the entire story, however, this is also where it gets annoying. Only two characters were likeable, Bernadette and Bee. Of those characters who underwent a big personality change, I just didn't buy it. Almost lost in the text was an interesting note about penguins: those who didn't have chicks to care for, spent their spare time picking fights with each other. A possible analogy with the vacuous lives of Semple's characters?

And Justice there is None by Deborah Crombie

A very good mystery with excellent characters. Crombie combines the plot with the personal lives of the characters very neatly. I enjoyed the snippets of information about Portobello Road that precede each chapter. The setting of London in the sixties is very effective, providing some social history of the area.

Girl with a pearl earring by Tracy Chevalier

Griet's impoverished family allow her to become a maid in the home of the artist Vermeer. Although fictional, Chevalier refers to many of the techniques used by the artist. I found it useful to refer often to an internet catalogue of his paintings that helped me visualize many points in the story. I enjoyed the details of a 17th century household and description of a maid's duties. Unfortunately character development was weak and they came across quite flat in an insipid, sometimes repellant story. Chevalier used several metaphors that are oddly discordant: when Griet arrived at the Vermeer house she was told to throw her belongings down into the cellar where she would sleep "I felt like an apple tree losing its fruit"; and her blind father struggling to voice his thoughts "like a beetle that has fallen on its back and cannot turn itself over". I expected more from this book, it was okay but not significant.

The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom

Stephen Sefton, a traumatized Spanish Civil War veteran is broke and in search of a job. He responded to an advertisement for a job where "intelligence is essential", which begins his association with Swanton Morley, an autodidactic columnist with a rapid-fire mind and a penchant for Latin. Morley is planning a series of books on the counties of England, beginning with Norfolk. Soon after they begin the journey they are drawn into the mysterious death of the vicar of Blakeney.

This most recent book of Sansom's is a charming trip into the past. The writing style, characters and even the layout of the book, with old black and white photos from Norfolk, set the tone perfectly for 1937. Funny and imaginative, I enjoyed this mild mystery.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat : A Dickens of a tale by Carmen Agra Deedy

This audiobook was a wonderful surprise. It is not only laugh-out-loud funny, but a very inventive, creative story about a cat who becomes a friend to a mouse named Pip. Both live in The Cheshire Cheese, an inn Dickens frequented. The story is interspersed with thoughts and notes of Dickens.

from the notebook of C. Dickens:
      Those were dire days, indeed
      The times were cruel
      ghastly
      appalling
      It was the worst of all the days the world has seen -

"Oh, why can't I write an opening for my new novel that stands out from all the rest?"

There were lots of clever references to Dickens' characters. Although intended for juvenile readers, the writing is enough to keep a grown-up charmed, and in fact may be a challenge for most young readers. Full of surprises, history, and fabulously entertaining!

Randall Wright's narration earned a good portion of the five stars I've awarded. I had a "look inside" the book at Amazon and it would be a toss up between Randall Wright's narration and Barry Moser's drawings. I might have to have both.

      

I've been poking around here a bit and I"m seeing lots of books and authors that I like. Andrea Camilleri (I've read the whole series - love it!) Kate Atkinson, Carol Shields (have you tried Unless?, it's my favorite of hers), Alan Bradley. I liked Old Filth, and your comments about the other books are reminding me I meant to read the partners. I enjoyed Where'd You Go Bernadette quite a bit more than you.

That Orwell in Burma looks fascinating! Lizard Cage, set in Burma is a favorite read of mine. It's a novel, but Karen Connelly has also written a non-fiction book about Burma; I haven't read it yet.

Do you read other than ROOT books? Or is this just your list of ROOTs read?

Unless is probably the next Carol Shields book that I will read. Having said that, I seem to pick up something else as soon as I've chosen a book.

I will look for Lizard Cage it sounds interesting.

I'm also on Club Read part 1, Club Read part 2 that lists everything I've read this year. And 2014 Category Challenge. Come on over and nose around.

The Disappeared by Kim Echlin

An unforgettable story of love, loyalty and dedication. Sixteen-year-old Anne Greves fell in love with a Cambodian student in Quebec. When the borders closed during the Pol Pot genocide, Serey was unable to contact his family. When he was eventually able to return to search for them Anne waited for years without news before going to Cambodia herself.

Through books, news, and movies we heard a lot about the Cambodian genocide in the 1970s when two million people died, and of the Vietnam occupation lasting until 1989. Echlin takes this catastrophic event and condenses it into a story about one couple without diminishing the impact on the millions who suffered and continue to suffer. This is a remarkable, vivid and haunting story.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

A great story encompassing humour, emotion, fun, sadness, prejudice, love, avarice, families in conflict, all tied together with wonderful characters. An excellent tale! Highly recommended.

Adding your last 2 to my list to read!

I LOVED Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, and I recommend it to everyone. It almost suffers from doing too much, but instead brings it all together. So glad you enjoyed it!

>134 Tess_W: Wise move! I had a nice little run of winners.

>135 raidergirl3: That's exactly right! It was pretty clever of the author not to get carried away with details, and then to tie it all together.

Why Orwell Matters by Christopher Hitchens

A short book, but one that requires attention while reading. On a number of occasions I found it necessary to refer to other material to help understand issues or to refresh my memory. Hitchens makes complex arguments in a sophisticated, intelligent way, providing rebuttals to detractors whose only aim apparently was to deny Orwell's insight and his uncanny ability to understand issues. This is an excellent book and one I can recommend for anyone interested in political issues, particularly of the Left.

Sounds like a great book! I use Orwell's Animal Farm in my teaching and there is no doubt in my mind that he knew the inner workings of communism well when he wrote this book.

Tess, it will definitely be one of the best of 2014 for me. In many respects Hitchens proved to be as knowledgable as Orwell on the topic.

Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark

Published when Spark was 64, the story draws on the author's experience as a young woman in post-war London. It is written in the first person and styled as a memoir, giving an element of authenticity in mirroring Spark's own youth as an aspiring writer. The characters are a diverse group of oddballs presented with Spark's typical acerbic humour in a neat plot. Very entertaining.

A Discovery of Strangers by Rudy Wiebe

The beautiful cover is a detail from a painting by Toni Onley, one of my favourite Canadian artists.

John Franklin led an expedition to chart the northern coast of Canada from Hudson Bay to the Coppermine River in 1819-22. He gained a lot of admiration for this feat of endurance, but this story tells of arrogant explorers, unwilling to adapt to conditions, or learn from natives. Wiebe's account is sensitive to the native people and is filled with their poetic dreamlike stories and imagery. The narrative revolves around the relationship of Robert Hood, seaman, and a fifteen-year-old Yellowknife girl known as Greenstockings. Wiebe has done an outstanding job of relating the events from the viewpoints of various people so that we can comprehend the whole. This tender, yet tragic story is hard to put down. It won Wiebe the Governor General's Award in 1994.

Wow, you've been doing some great reading! I am so glad to see that you enjoyed Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and The Cheshire Cheese Cat. They are both fairly recent acquisitions for me and I'm looking forward to enjoying them.

I saw where you mentioned your birthday on the main July thread. How cool - you get parades AND fireworks all across the United States, just for you, lol! I'm sorry this is a couple of days late, but I do hope you had a very happy birthday!

>142 Merryann: I've had a nice run of good books! I can't decide if it is better to read the stuff I want to get off my shelves or to choose my favourites first. Whatever I've been doing has worked out recently.

It sure is nice having a birthday on a special day. I used to live in Victoria and was able to see the fireworks over on the U.S. side of the Straits. Just for me! Thanks for the good wishes.

Lost Classics : Writers on books loved and lost edited by Michael Ondaatje

It's interesting to read what writers think of books by other authors. This is a collection of short essays about books that had meaning for the readers, who are themselves well-known authors. I started by reading the essays on books that I am familiar with, then those by authors that I have read, and so on. Naturally, with such variety, some were better or more interesting than others.

Started early, took my dog by Kate Atkinson

Another fabulous complex story from Atkinson. About 100 pages in I got very sick and spent a week in hospital. I made the mistake of picking it up where I left off and lost some of the continuity and impact. Still, I gave it and Atkinson remains high on my favourite authors list.

Now further behind than ever, I'm still trying to catch up with everyone else's threads...

Sorry to hear you were sick, hope you are recovering!

Oh no, hospital! Hope you're feeling better!

>146 Tess_W: & >147 rabbitprincess: Thanks, much better now!

The Agony Column by Earl Derr Biggers

What a wonderful story! Biggers, the creator of Charlie Chan, set this short novel in London just as The Great War is being declared. The protagonist uses the "agony column", a newspaper personal column, to communicate with a young woman he'd like to know better. This is a page turner with an amazing twist at the end. Highly recommended.

For the life of me I can't trace the source of the book bullet that inspired me to read this book. Wholehearted thanks goes out to you, whoever you are.

I thought this book sounded interesting so I went to Amazon to put it on my "Wish List", and it's a free Kindle book! Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

>150 Tess_W: Good for you! I got mine free from ManyBooks. It's short, possible to read in one sitting.

Mystery Man by Colin Bateman

This is a humourous yarn about a mystery bookshop owner in Belfast who took on some private detective jobs when the PI next door went missing. An occasional lost dog, or lampshade was one thing but murder was another. The sleuth, who remains unnamed, is a neurotic, paranoid, hypochondriac whose mother - or does he even have a mother? He is besotted with the girl from the jeweller's shop across the road who pushes in as his sidekick. The ribald humour is typical of Belfast, a city that can still laugh even through their "Troubles" - which, by the way, do not figure in this story. An unrealistic bit of fun that is hugely entertaining.

Yay! Goal reached!

Am adding that one to my wish list!

I hope you enjoy it Tess!

I wish I'd learned how to make those wonderful animated smiley faces! Pretend there's a great big one right here:

to Congratulate you for reaching your goal! Hurray!!!!!!

Congrats on reaching your goal! It feels good, eh?

>154 VivienneR: Thanks Mary Ann. I don't know how to make smileys either, I appreciate your pretend one.

>156 Tess_W: Thanks Tess. I'm pretty happy about it especially as last year I just crawled along and just made it by the skin of my teeth!

Congratulations on your success!

>158 MissWatson: Thank you. I have to say, my shelves don't look any less packed!

Maybe not, but your brain is ever-so-much more packed...with all that info and all those stories!

Hahaha! So that's what my brain is packed with!!

Earlier today when I suddenly remembered something else I needed from the store, I got out my shopping list and pencil - by the time I had done that I'd forgotten what I intended to add. Oh! the joys of senior moments!

The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty

A hard-boiled mystery from Northern Ireland that takes place during the "troubles". This audio version was ruined by a very poor narrator, Gerard Doyle. He may be of Irish origins, but tried so very hard to do a Belfast accent that it ended up monotone. The tough cop sounded feminine. Ridiculous analogies such as "Belfast was spread out before me like a great slab of meat in a butcher's yard" stood out with magnified importance. I may borrow the print version from the library some day, which I know will be better, but for now I'm done with McKinty.

This, THIS is why I don't fiddle around with poetry. I am colorblind when it comes to analogies. When I read a sentence like "Belfast was spread out before me like a great slab of meat in a butcher's yard" I honestly don't know whether that's really good writing or ridiculous analogy.

It makes things really bad when I write something like that. I don't know whether to show it off or rip it up and burn it before anyone else can see it.

Anyway, I'm sorry the book was lackluster, but give yourself a pat on the back for your good Analogy Vision.

"It makes things really bad when I write something like that."

Never!! You have a real talent with words Mary Ann. Do not speak of ripping up anything you write!

You are so kind. Thank you, Vivienne! :)

One last book for July:

Goodbye to all that by Robert Graves

Better known for his works on Greek mythology and history, this is a literate and frank chronicle of Graves' experience in WWI, concluding with a short account of post-war life until 1929 when he went to Spain. Very interesting, highly recommended.

Goodbye to all that...ha ha haha...Goodbye to July! Good one. :)

Nice one! I completely missed that! :)

For the "Back to school" August RandomCat in the 2014 Category Challenge:

Mrs Pringle of Fairacre by Miss Read

A lovely visit back in time to a village school in the 1950s. Mrs Pringle is the efficient school cleaner who scolds everyone including Miss Read, the head teacher. Nothing much happens, just a very pleasant, gentle story of the ebb and flow of village life.

Mrs Pringle of Fairacre sounds lovely!

The Fairacre books certainly give the reader a good idea of how schools used to be. I picked up Christmas at Fairacre too, which will provide a nice read over the holidays.

Paperboy by Tony Macaulay

A memoir of growing up in Belfast in the seventies from an eleven-year-old boy's perspective. It is filled with the pop culture of the time from fashion to music. He calls himself "the only pacifist paperboy" and he was determined that nothing would prevent him from delivering his newspapers on time. It is a story that might be more of local interest as it is filled with Belfast idiom and references, but the experiences of this likeable boy will generate many smiles. His thoughts on the concept of "goodies" and "baddies" is particularly poignant: Americans are mostly goodies because of Disney and the Osmonds but on the other hand there were goodies and baddies on Starsky & Hutch, while Russians, provos and Daleks were the worst baddies. His rationale has a childlike innocence and is clearly influenced by television. The events happen around the time when the two opposing religious groups started to consider integration in their combined quest for peace, which at that time was still a long way off. This is cheerful, funny, and optimistic, written in the unaffected frank words of a pre-teen.

I'm having a problem updating tickers. Clicking on the ticker takes me to the site but the only option is to create a new ticker, not update the current one. Is anyone else having this problem?

No, Vivienne. Must have been a momentary thing? I clicked on your ticker and it took me to page and one of the selections was update/edit information.

I've been trying all day, it takes me to the page but as soon as I put in my password all the fields go blank.

I tried to create a new ticker with a different password but as before, it just takes me to blank fields.

I've read on 2-3 other posts they are having problems, also. Hope it clears up!

Thanks Tess, I found other posts too. Glad it's not me doing something wacky :)

Persuasion by Jane Austen

It's been many years since I first read Persuasion and I enjoyed it just as much, maybe more, this time around. I have the Belknap Press illustrated and annotated edition that not only has beautiful illustrations but annotations that provide interesting reading on their own merit. An appendix provides the original two concluding chapters that her nephew said she thought "tame and flat". In any case, it was interesting to read and compare both, which provided some insight of her writing and revision style. Austen died soon after finishing Persuasion. The book was published posthumously together with Northanger Abbey. Also included as an appendix is a short biography written by her favourite brother Henry Austen.

A first for me, I read this while simultaneously listening to Nadia May's audiobook narration, a pairing that was particularly enjoyable. However it is Austen's captivating story in combination with this beautiful volume edited by Robert Morrison gets a solid five stars.

edited to correct touchstone

>179 VivienneR: That sounds wonderful.

>180 ipsoivan: That's it in a nutshell!

Congrats on reaching and exceeding your goal! I'm very jealous, but pleased for you.

Paperboy looks like a good read, but I'm noticing it as much for the fact that the author's last name is the same as my married name! Interesting also, because while my family heritage is Irish, my husband's is pure Scots.

Thank you! I really tried hard this year. However, there should be more empty space left on my shelves than what I see. New books come in at a faster rate than old books go out. :)

Isn't that interesting. Tony Macaulay mentions that many people in Northern Ireland have Scottish ancestry. Mine do, but that would be going back to the 1600s.

Dangerous Women edited by Otto Penzler

As usual in collections of short stories, the quality varied. Some were perfectly chilling, some creepy, some clever, and a few not to my taste. My favourite was Soft Spot by Ian Rankin followed closely by stories by Ed McBain, Joyce Carol Oates and Nelson Demille. The book rating is an average of the ratings given to each story.

Alms for Oblivion by Philip Gooden

It's been a few years since I bought this book that has been sitting on the shelf ever since. What a mistake! It turned out to be a very entertaining mystery, filled with twists and turns, but also fun. It was peopled with an interesting collection of characters who portrayed the times very nicely. There were many references to Shakespeare's words and works, some I probably missed, some I had to look up, but I think I recognized most of them. The good news is that I have another one in the series also waiting to be read.

Sounds like a great read!

Hi Vivienne. Happy reading!

Hi Connie! August has not been a good month for reading, too many other things going on. I feel like I've been in the middle of the same book all month!

>188 VivienneR: Same here! I managed only two ROOTs total and have been working on a third for most of the month.

At this rate it's going to be tough getting to all my September books for the 2014 Category Challenge. I had to skip one of the books I'd planned for All Virago/All August in the Virago Modern Classics group.

ETA: Of course I won't skip the RandomCAT choice ;) (I believe the host likes rabbits!)

August seems to be tough for many, Vivienne. I finished only one book and have been toying with another.

Yes, we are all usually too busy having summer fun, Tess. At least, that's what I've been doing!

That's the best reason of all to not read!

I hope September reading will be better, Vivienne!

Murder in Montparnasse: a mystery of literary Paris by Howard Engel

The crimes that Jack de Paris has been committing, similar to London's Jack the Ripper, form the background of this story set in 1925 Paris among the literary and artistic elite of the day. When Canadian journalist Mike Ward arrived in Paris he met Jason Waddington, the character based on the unnamed but recognizable Hemingway. Wilson and Georgia O'Donnell, based on F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, also feature in the story. Appearing under their real names are lesser characters such as James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, Alice Toklas and others. The reader can make a safe assumption that none of these famous names end up as suspects. Naturally, Hemingway's lost suitcase of manuscripts features strongly in the story. Engel portrays an evocative and captivating Paris, just as it might have been. The idea is a bit dated, and although not a brilliant mystery, it is reasonably entertaining.

Tempest Tost by Robertson Davies

A perfectly entertaining story liberally sprinkled with the gentle humour typical of Davies. Amateur theatre groups appear to be a common target for humour but Davies brings us a very believable group for whom the reader wishes success. But let's not forget the keywords: amateur theatre. The characters, filled with personality, elicit sympathy, pity, scorn or admiration as warranted. Davies has a particular way with words that can accurately pinpoint the meaning with a simple turn of phrase. I can't believe I missed the Salterton Trilogy when I was going through a Robertson Davies phase. I thoroughly enjoyed this, the first in the series, and look forward to the others. And then, on to reading or re-reading everything else. This was his first novel, and I know he gets even better.

Only time will tell by Jeffrey Archer

This is the first book of three in the Clifton Chronicles. This part of the epic tale follows Harry Clifton from his birth in 1920 to university days. Archer is a great storyteller and the story if filled with lots of twists and turns. Hugely entertaining! It ends with a cliffhanger, which is fine for me because I intend to continue with the series.

This was an audiobook read by Roger Allam, possibly better known as Inspector Thursday, Endeavour's boss (the young Morse). He is the best narrator I've heard. I'd listen to him read a telephone directory. I may decide on the print version for the second in the series because Hallam only did this one. There was also an interesting interview with the author at the end when he said the novel is autobiographical.


The Blue Sky by Galsan Tchinag

The author grew up in Mongolia, later was educated in Germany and chose the German language for his writing. This autobiography, the first in a trilogy, details his life until age eight. It has a touching innocence that is captured in the translation and which pairs well with the child's account of nomadic herders in Mongolia.

Watchman by Ian Rankin

One of Rankin's early books, it's not a bad spy novel that is set mostly in London and Belfast during the height of the action there. It is obvious that this is a writer with promise.

The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris

What a melodrama! The American anatomist Silkstone has been hired to investigate Lord Crick's untimely death - although some might wonder why he wasn't bumped off sooner. The story started with some promise but quickly went downhill as it filled with eye-rolling errors of both the factual and literary type. 18th century post mortem and forensic methods are gruesome, but if the reader is willing to put up with a few richly noisome descriptions, there is the reward of a mystery, leaning heavily toward the romantic as all melodramas should.

If I'd been reading the print version this would have been abandoned in pretty short order but Simon Vance's perfect narration of the audiobook kept me with it to the end.

Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer

An excellent, well-researched story about George Mallory. In 1999 Conrad Anker, one of a team in search of Mallory and team member Andrew Irvine, found Mallory's body at an altitude of 26,760 feet. Mallory had taken a photo of his wife Ruth to place on the summit. Because the photo was not on his person when the remains were found, it has been widely assumed, although not proven, that he had successfully reached the summit. This was a fascinating, well-written novel based on fact. A section at the end of the book described what happened to each of the individuals involved. The arrogance and snobbery of some, such as Brigadier General C.G. Bruce, president of the Alpine Club, was as annoying as I suspect Archer intended. This is a page-turner, especially if the reader is interested in climbing.

Mr Dixon Disappears : a mobile library mystery by Ian Sansom

Another fun yarn about Israel Armstrong, the Jewish vegetarian librarian transplanted from London to Northern Ireland to run the mobile library. Will the hapless, insecure Israel ever be able to live a normal life in Northern Ireland? I doubt it. This time he is arrested when the department store owner disappears with the contents of the safe. Even Israel's dithering protestations make him appear guilty. Maybe it's my mothering instinct, but I adore him.

Blood, toil, tears and sweat : the dire warning by John Lukacs

This is a short audiobook about Churchill and the effect his early speeches had on a nation at war. In most cases they rallied the people and, after a rough beginning, brought him the eventual support of parliament. It is interesting to hear his opinions in relationship with international events. Much is fairly well-known, but this provides more detail of the narrower topic. Not included here, but mentioned are the excellent speeches he continued to make after his party was voted out of office and after the war.

If any of his speeches are familiar to us it is only through reading them, not hearing them, as few were recorded. The title speech, his first as Prime Minister, was only recorded in Hansard, the parliamentary transcript. This is an interesting look at a specific of history and one of the great orators.

It looks like September was a good month, Vivienne!

Carry On, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse

The appeal of Jeeves and Wooster never declines. Plots vary little, yet fans - myself included - continue to read every book they can lay hands on. I immersed myself in Wodehouse when I was a teenager, then eagerly followed the television series with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. Again, my recent collection is growing by leaps and bounds.

Obviously Wodehouse re-used material in his prolific writings. In one story of this collection, Wooster's friend Bickerstaff (Bicky) had the same idea of starting a chicken farm, using the exact accounting rationale as Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge in Among the Chickens. Evidently Bicky was successful as I seem to recall a story titled Bicky's Chickens.

My favourite line is a description of Honoria Glossop: "She was one of those robust dynamic girls with muscles like a welterweight and a laugh like a squadron of cavalry charging over a tin bridge".

My sentiments for Wodehouse match Wooster's for Jeeves "You never let a chap down".

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

It is heart-wrenching and infuriating that the church should have such control over the lives of those it purports to nurture. I find it hard to rate this book because I have such mixed feelings. Beautiful writing, but the heartache for a life wasted to meet a priest's twisted motivaton is overwhelming. Yes, it's only a story, but I've no doubt that the control was frequently real. As far as the ending is concerned, I saw it coming from a long way off. There was really no other way to wrap it up.

Hidden Moon by James Church

Excellent illustration of the N.K. paranoia where everything is political. Inspector O must decide if he is supposed to investigate or solve the case. Some cases are expected to be investigated and solved if possible, some should look like they are being investigated but are not to be solved. The third category are those cases to be avoided, every stone left unturned, no records, no files. Church's writing style is not much to my liking. I didn't quite get the analogies used, such as the investigation being like bookshelves - not with books, just the shelves. Nor did I see the relevance of the many descriptions of wood: "there's a certain smugness to walnut"; mulberry "a wood with too much of a mind of its own". The depiction of North Korea and methods of investigation (even though I've no way of verifying the details) earned this book three stars.

Hi and hope you are doing well!

>207 Tess_W: Hi Tess, all is well. I've mostly been lurking and reading everybody's threads but not posting much. I think I may have to reduce the number of groups I'm in next year :)) I hope your new school term has settled down enough to let you get in some quality reading time too.

Hi Vivienne! Just waving and doing the same thing as you do. Lurking!

Hi Connie! *waves back*. I noticed your ROOT challenge is going very well. Keep it up.

In the Shadow of the Glacier by Vicki Delany

The plots are not exactly memorable, but I enjoy reading this series because they are set in the area where I live. Delany portrays the culture and atmosphere of the Kootenay region of British Columbia perfectly. There was even a plug for AC/BC, British Columbia's AC/DC tribute band.

The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe

Gruesome, bloody, creepy, disturbing, and yet I was transfixed. If real life hadn't got in the way, I would have finished this in one sitting.

Only one spot made me laugh out loud. That was when I came the bit about a weird group who were described two, maybe three times, as being vegan! Yes, we are a weird bunch.

Will you read more in the series? I keep meaning to but haven't yet. It was pretty gruesome, for sure, like an episode of Criminal Minds. I like that it was set in Canada.

I also have The Taken by Wolfe that I will read, maybe not for a while though. The gruesome-ness didn't bother me, although it might for some readers. It was just too far-fetched to be scary. I really enjoyed the tour of Canada too.

I must admit I am such a wimp that even if gruesomeness is far-fetched I don't dare read it! Anything scarier than Bambi and I'm a wreck! I think you're very brave to read that stuff! :)

Jackie, I have to admit that if a book involved creepy-crawlies I wouldn't be able to read a page of it. Not so brave. :(

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill

Communist since 1975, Laos, the setting of Cotterill's book, is a country of which I know little but hope to learn more through this series. I loved the beautifully developed characters, especially the kind, tender, considerate Dr Sirl Palboun and his gentle humour. I look forward to reading more of his "cases". This was an interesting mystery with characters, methods and even the crime, so different from the usual fare. Highly recommended.

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Set in the early 19th century, Eliot's narrative accurately features the lifestyle, values and traditions of the period. Ethics, religion and the industrial revolution all play a part in this beautiful story. I realize it is not to everyone's taste but I find the old-fashioned language is a delight, describing the actions and feelings of the characters so beautifully.

Little Tiny Teeth by Aaron Elkins

The action takes place on a small cruise ship sailing the Amazon and its tributaries. There is academic strife, drug smuggling and the tiny teeth of piranhas involved. Not an outstanding tale but quite enjoyable.

>218 VivienneR: I love Silas Marner!

>220 Tess_W: Isn't it a wonderful story? I was completely captivated.

Vivienne: I like everything about Silas Marner! It has been a tradition at my school that students in the 10th grade read Silas Marner each year. I'm so sad that the English department decided to drop the book this year as the students do nothing but complain about it and they rate it as the worst book they've ever read. Sigh.......

Tess, sometimes I'm shocked by the decisions of some educators. Of course, if the students complain vociferously I suppose they have to react. Better to have them read a book that will engage rather than put them off reading literature entirely. It's very sad though.

Two audiobooks:

The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters
This story uses Richard III's legendary history in a variation of the closed-room mystery coupled with an English country house setting. Keeping track of the characters and their corresponding historical roles was quite a job. I listened to an audio version that was spoiled by a narrator that I disliked. I may try the print version sometime, and then again, maybe not.

and

Classic Railway Murders

As might be expected with the nature of the stories, it is necessary to pay close attention to the timing and sequence of events to appreciate the intricacies of the plots. This was an audiobook narrated by Patrick Malahide whose outstanding reading improved the stories significantly. He captured the characters and all the melodrama to perfection.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Annie, a realtor who was abducted at an open house, describes events to her therapist, so we know up front that at some point she escaped or was rescued. Even with that knowledge this chilling story is filled with non-stop suspense. An excellent read but not for the faint of heart.

>225 VivienneR: That sounds good, Vivienne.

And guess what! I have the translation in a digital version! In the bookbullet folder it goes!

Connie, the story was based on a true life story that also happened in the same location as the story and has never been solved. This was my only concern, I hoped the real victim's family didn't read the book.

>227 VivienneR: I hope they were told that this was going to happen, otherwise it could be very painful.