Lisa's 2016 Reading Challenge

I'm back for my eighth year. I've opted for 9 books in 16 categories for a total of 144. I also liked the idea that 144 is divisible by 12 months.

No imaginative theme, just categories based on what I enjoy reading which happens to be mostly mysteries, but also general and historical fiction. I found that I also enjoy short stories and non fiction as well. I've been doing a good job of clearing my physical TBR in the last two years, this year I'd like to clear some electronic shelf space as well. I'm a moody reader, sometimes it takes me a while to decide on a book, but I enjoy the structure of the category challenge.

I'm going to try the Woman Bingo Pup this year, which I hope to complete with the reading in my categories, but we shall see.

It should be fun!

NOOK BOOKS READ : 65
ROOTS READ : 20
LIBRARY BOOKS READ: 75

From Page To Screen- Many of my favorite movies started with a book. Some people don't like reading a book after they've seen the movie, but I always like to compare both.

CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 Duel in The Sun January 3 1/2 stars
2 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane February 3 stars
3 Leave Her To Heaven May 4 stars
4 The Lady Vanishes June 3 1/2 stars
5 The Queen of the South June 4 stars
6 In This Our Life July 3 stars
7 Night of the Hunter July 4 stars
8 The Unsuspected August 4 stars
9 Dragonwyck September 4 stars

Crime Scene



CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 The Whites February 3 stars
2 Standing In Another Man's Grave February 4 stars
3 Saints of the Shadow Bible February 4 stars
4 Simisola March 3 stars
5 Missing You April 3 1/2 stars
6 Redemption Road May 4 1/2 stars
7 The Troubled Man June 4 stars
8 A Tap on the Window September 3 stars
9 It Happens In the Dark September 4 stars

American Authors


CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 January Saint Maybe 4 stars
2 February Nobody's Fool 4 stars
3 March Ordinary Love and Goodwill 3 stars
4 May The Bartender's Tale 4 stars
5 June Close Range 4 stars
6 July Tortilla Flat Of Mice and Men 4 stars
7 August The Falls 3 1/2 stars
8 August The Odds 4 stars
9 September A Prayer for Owen Meany 5 stars

Fiction



CATEGORY COMPLETE

1The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat January 4 stars
2 Native Son February 5 stars
3 The Girl Who Chased The Moon April 4 stars
4 Finders Keepers April 4 stars
5 LaRose May 5 stars
6 Jane Steele May 4 1/2:stars
7 A Little Life June 3 1/2 stars
8 The Green Road June
9 Homegoing July 5 stars

New Books- Books that are due to be released in 2016, but may also include library holds from December that I am on the waiting list for.

CATEGORY COMPLETE



1 Find Her February 4 stars
2 Everybody's Fool May 4 1/2 stars
3 My Name is Lucy Barton February 4 1/2 stars
4 What She Knew Februar y 3 1/2:stars
5 The Widow March 4 stars
6 Devonshire Scream March 4 stars
7 The Nest April 4 stars
8 15th Affair May 3 1/2 stars
9 Before The Fall June 4 1/2 stars

From My Shelf



CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 Death on The Nile January 4 stars ROOT
2 Promises in Death January 4 stars ROOT
3 Echo Burning March 4 stars
4 Tripwire April 4 stars
5 The Shape of Snakes June 3 1/2 stars
6 Songs For The Missing June 4 stars
7 T is for Trespass August 4 stars
8 24 Hours July 4 stars
9 Burial September 3 stars

Non Fiction

CATEGORY COMPLETE



1 The New Jim Crow March 4 stars
2 Just Kids March 4 stars
3 Dust Tracks on a Road May 3 stars
4 Evicted June 5 stars
5 Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations June 2 1/2 stars
6 The Other Wes Moore July 4 1/2 stars
7 Possessed August 3 1/2 stars
8 Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy September 4 stars
9 Zachary Scott September 3 1/2 stars

Series

CATEGORY COMPLETE



1 Salvation in Death January 4 stars
2 Princess Elizabeth's Spy January 4 stars BINGO
3 Ming Tea Murder February 3 1/2 stars
4 Even Dogs in the Wild March 4 stars
5 Murder Most Frothy March 3 1/2 stars
6 Mercy Falls April 4 stars
7 A Serpent's Tooth April 4 stars
8 Rose Gold July 4 stars
9 To Dwell in Darkness July 4 stars

Culinary Mysteries

CATEGORY COMPLETE



1 Foreign Eclairs January 4 stars
2 Wedding Cake Murder March 4 stars
3 Vanilla Beaned April 3 1/2 stars
4 Murder With Fried Chicken and Waffles March 3 1/2 stars
5 Old Fashioned Crooks March 3 stars
6 You Cannoli Die Once July 3 stars
7 Dangerous Dough August 3 stars
8 Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder September 3 stars
9 Killer Crab Cakes September 3 stars

CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 The Revenant February 3 1/2 stars
2 The Nightingale February 5 stars
3 Murder in Little Italy March 4 stars
4 Sweet Caress June 4 stars
5 I Shall Be Near To You May 3 stars
6 Birds of a Feather August 4 stars
7 Journey To Munich April 4 stars
8 Girl Waits With Gun June 4 stars
9 The Tilted World July

From My Electronic Shelf



CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 The Body in The Boudoir January 3 stars
2 The Distant Hours July 3 1/2 stars
3 Hurting Distance May 3 1/2 stars
4 The Burgess Boys April 3 1/2 stars
5 Pretty Baby August 3 1/2 stars
6 The Namesake August 3 1/2 stars
7 The Husband's Secret September 3 1/2 stars
8 The Underground Railroad September 5 stars
9 Copper River August 3 1/2 stars

CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 Let Him Go January 5 stars
2. The Past January 2 stars
3 Coffee At Luke's February 3 stars
4 Among The Missing March 4 stars
5 Any Other Name April 4 stars
6 The Passenger May 4 1/2 stars
7 That Night June 3 1/2 stars
8 End of Watch July 4 stars
9 You Will Know Me August 4 stars

Short Stories


CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 Sunstroke and Other Stories January 4 stars
2 In Love and Trouble February 3 1/2 stars
3 The Thing Around Your Neck February 4 stars
4 The Age of Grief March 3 stars
5 Dear Life May 4 stars
6 Fortune Smiles May 4 1/2 stars
7 Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage June 4 stars
8 Unaccustomed Earth August 5 stars
9 Knockemstiff July 4 stars

New To Me



CATEGORY COMPLETE

1 Instructions for a Heatwave February 4 stars
2 We Are Called to Rise April
3 Fates and Furies May 4 stars
4 A Little Death in Dixie June
5 Gods in Alabama June 4 stars
6 The Weight of Blood June 3 1/2 stars
7 The Death of Bees June 4 1/2 stars
8 Among the Ten Thousand Things June 2 stars
9 Truly Madly Guilty August 3 stars

Award Winners

CATEGORY COMPLETE



1 Keepers of The House January 3 1/2 stars Pulitzer 1965
2 Let The Great World Spin January 4 stars National Book Award 2009
3 The Good Earth January 4 1/2 stars Pulitzer 1932
4 Blood Hollow February 4 stars Anthony Award 2005
5 The Laughing Policeman March 4 stars Edgar Award 1971
6 Americanah National Book Critics Circle Award 2013 April 4 1/2 stars
7 A Crime in the Neighborhood March 3 1/2 stars Orange Prize 1999
8 The Sellout June 3 1/2 stars National Book Critics Circle Award
9 Small Island August 5 stars Orange Prize 2004

Vintage Mysteries

CATEGORY COMPLETE



1 One Two Buckle My Shoe March 3 1/2 stars
2 Why Didn't They Ask Evans March 3 1/2 stars
3 Strong Poison June 4 stars
4 The Bride Wore Black June 4 stars
5 They Found Him Dead June 3 1/2 stars
6 The Door Mary Roberts Rinehart June 4 stars
7 Crooked House July 4 stars
8 Final Curtain August 3 1/2 stars
9 The Blackbirder September 3 1/2 stars

BINGO PUP



1. Female Ruler:
2. Woman in Science:
3. Less than 10 Year Old Girl Who Chased The Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
4. Short Story Collection Sunstroke and Other Stories by Tessa Hadley
5. Women in Non-traditional Role Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
6. Published Before 2000 One Two Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
7. African-American Author The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
8. About A Spy Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia Macneal
9. Different Genre by Same Author
10. Award Winner Keepers of The House by Shirley Grau
11. Autobiography, Memoir, Correspondence Just Kids by Patti Smith
12. Women in Combat I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe
13. By or About a Woman My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
14. A New-To-You Author Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
15. Set in Latin America or Asia The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
16. African Author The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Adichie
17. Made Into A Movie The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White
18. Set in Europe, Australia or New Zealand The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
19. About a Female Critter
20. Author Over 60 years of Age Simisola by Ruth Rendell
21. 1920's - 30's Detective Fiction They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer
22. Author From the Middle East
23. From Your TBR Pile The Shape of Snakes by Minette Walters
24. Poetry or Plays
25. Male Pseudonym

I like your categories, and am glad that you will be doing the BingoPUP. I'm planning on following your reading.

Great setup! I also like that picture of Gregory Peck :D Enjoy your challenge!

Looks like some great reading!

Great categories! I'll be following along.

I see some categories with potential for book bullets from you. Got you starred.

Lisa, we have many categories in common and I am sure that I will be picking up more than a few book bullets from you next year!

I haven't seen Duel in the Sun in years but remember loving it. I particularly remember Jennifer Jones constantly declaring that "I'm a good girl!" Ha! As if anyone could be "good" around Gregory Peck!

Love the pictures you found for your categories!

I hope 2016 finds you lots of great books to read!

Lovely to see you back! Categories based on what you enjoy reading sounds like the perfect challenge setup to me. ;-)

Have you starred!

Great categories and illustrations!

Some great categories here! Starred so I can follow along.

8th year! I've lost track, but I don't think I've been on LT 8 years. The categories look good. I've got a short stories category too so it will be interesting to compare notes with you. I've designed my challenge to get some books off my shelf, and short stories are hard for me to actually complete a book. I have some collections that are thick enough to stun an ox. And I tend to read a couple shorts and then dive into a novel without finishing the collection. I may have to start reporting on stories in groups of ten or something. Maybe just individual stories from any collection - ten equal a "book".

>32 cammykitty: That's a great idea! :)

1 The Body in the Boudoir

I was reading The Body in The Big Apple during the holidays and decided I wanted to read another in the series , so I read The Body in The Boudoir, not realizing that it takes place a month or so after The Body in The Big Apple .

Both books are prequels, with the focus on Tom and Faith's whirlwind courtship and marriage in The Body in The Boudoir and Faith's New York catering days the focus in The Body in The Big Apple.

I enjoy this series and I like the fact that even though Faith is a foodie, she can still enjoy a good hot dog!

While I shy away from some of the recipes if I'm not in the mood for a lot of ingredients, I usually find something I may want to try one day.

2 Death On The Nile

Enjoyable as usual as Hercule P. is vacation in Egypt and solves the case of the murder of a young newlywed who stole her new husband from one of her friends .

There were the usual red herrings, then the obvious conclusion.

Sidenote: auto correct makes me cranky 😡

I've never been able to guess Agatha Christie! Maybe I should try reading her again, now that I know the villain in any mystery is usually the first possibility introduced.

3 The Keepers of The House

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 1965, this is an interesting story about several generations of a wealthy family in the South and the interaction between white and black family members. My only criticism is that some of the characters never really connected with each other.

I can only imagine how scary things were for this author as the book was published at the same time as the Civil Rights Act.

>34 lsh63: I also enjoy that series.

>34 lsh63: - that's interesting about when they take place because fantasticfiction.com lists the "Apple" one as #10 and the "Boudoir" as #20 in the series. I've only read the first 2 (or maybe 3) but I like to assume a series moves forward in time as the books progress.

Great categories! I look forward to following along. :)

>35 lsh63: auto correct makes me cranky

Me too! A simple post can take three times as long to type, retype, and retype.

4 Let Him Go

This book was sheer perfection! It started a little slow, then the story took off and I found myself turning pages in a frenzy to find out what happened .

George and Martha Blackledge embark on a quest to Montana in order to get their grandson. Their grandson is the child of their deceased son whose wife has remarried into a questionable family. The face off between the two families is riveting and heartbreaking.

The ending was one of those oh my god that really happened moments !

>42 lsh63: I went to the book page and looked at other reviews of it. It does seem to be well-regarded.

>42 lsh63: I want to try Larry Watson. I have a copy of Montana 1948, but the only Watson the library has is Orchard. So I will probably try one of those first before Let Him Go.

Well I can see my activity here dropped when I went back to work after the holidays !

Let's see after Let Him Go, I read

5 Sunstroke and Other Stories. I was curious about the author because I saw she had a new book at the library .

Sunstroke is a collection of stories about relationships. In the title story Sunstroke, two mothers are at the beach with their children and without their husbands. They think they know everything about each other but they are both keeping a secret from each other. In Mother's Son, a man admits to his mother that he is cheating on his girlfriend. And in Surrogate , a woman falls in love with her professor and embarks on an affair with a man who looks just like him.

6 Salvation in Death; these are brain candy for me, and I still have hope of getting reasonably caught up with this series.

7 Let The Great World Spin is a wonderful book which reads like a collection of connected short stories set in 1970's New York where the author captured the atmosphere of hope and despair perfectly.

The main characters of the stories are : An Irish monk struggles with personal problems while he tries to help mother and daughter prostitutes, and a group of grieving mothers get together to mourn their sons who were killed in Vietnam. The back story is a tightrope walker who is walking between the Twin Towers.

All in all, great character development and a very compelling read.

8 Saint Maybe - I think my favorite Anne Tyler book is Dinner at The Homesick Restaurant, however I have enjoyed all of her books that I have read. Ms. Tyler writes effortlessly about ordinary people with family struggles, while also getting a point across subtlety .

Saint Maybe is the story of young Ian Bedloe who blames himself for his brother and sister in law's death. He then becomes involved with the church and raising his brother's three children, along with his parents for the next twenty years. It made me really think about sin and redemption, particularly from the point of view of a teenager.

For some reason, and although I have loved the author's other books, Let the Great World Spin has never appealed to me. You've just changed my mind - I'll pick up a copy when I next run across it.

Hi Kay: I think you will like Let The Great World Spin, in addition, you've convinced me to try some of his other books.

9 Duel In The Sun In this case , the movie was slightly better than the book, or maybe I'm just saying that because of my huge love for Gregory Peck ! If you've never seen the movie you're in for a treat in addition to Mr.Peck, the movie also features Joseph Cotten, Herbert Marshall, Jennife Jones, Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore .

The basic plot is the trouble that ensues when young Pearl Chavez known as a half breed, is sent to the McCann less home after her father is scheduled to be executed for the death of Pearl 's mother. Laura McCann less is a second cousin to Pearl and tries to make a decent young lady out of her.

Pearl despite her trying to be a good girl, falls in love with the irresponsible , no good son Lewt, even though his brother Jesse also has feelings for Pearl.

The end of the book had a slightly different ending, a much more upbeat outcome, but the movie stayed pretty faithful to the book overall.

10 Princess Elizabeth's Spy

11 The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

12 The Past This was a very ho hum read about 4 siblings who are trying to decide what to do with their grandparents' property. Nothing noteworthy happened and it was a little bit tiring to get through. The fact that it was well written didn't help much. I suppose I was expecting some family tension or some sort of long hidden family secret to be revealed .

You are reading at a much faster pace than I am. Of course, most of our Challenge participants are.

Hi Victoria!

I think that's partly because I was off a little bit for the holidays and I do read on my train commute every day, it's the only thing that keeps me sane :) But let's see if I remember to visit my thread more than occassionally!

Hope you are making out ok with your surgery!

>52 lsh63: I tried to do audio books on the drive to work, but I find that I inevitably don't think about them until I'm almost there. Same thing for the return trip home. I really only manage them on longer drives.

>46 lsh63: - Loved that book! I also recommend Transatlantic by him.

re The Past - the fact that it was well written didn't help much. That was your undoing! If it had been syntactically flawed, you would've guessed it would be plot-flawed as well. Sorry you didn't no to pearl rule it till the end and wishing you a better book next.

Great batch of reading!

13 Foreign Eclairs I really enjoy the White House Chef series. I have faithfully pre ordered every book since State of The Onion. In this ninth book, someone is trying to kill Ollie as an act of revenge for her past actions . Unfortunately , this book is the last , but the ending was written in such a way that the series could be resurrected one day, possibly by another author. I know that the culinary mysteries are not great literature , but there are a few that are pretty well written and this is one of them.

14 Promises in Death These books are my brain candy, what can I say, they are mildly addictive.

15 The Good Earth I found myself engrossed in this story of the peasant farmer Wang Lung, and his family. Although he is not a likeable character, I found myself feeling sorry for him at times, Wang Lung is a multi layered character, particularly the relationships he has with his father, wife, and children. He is flawed , and allows his obsession with attaining wealth get in the way of his happiness. I had no idea that this book is the beginning of a trilogy, I may read them at some point .

>57 lsh63: Lisa, I still have not succumbed to J.D.Robb. Maybe some day....

>58 VictoriaPL: Hi Victoria! I'll be curious to see what you think should you ever decide to start the series, it's a long one. The romantic interludes may be a bit much for some people, but they usually don't take over the whole story. I've enjoyed the plot of some more than others. I was glad to read on your thread about your successful surgery. Now remember, the goal is to read, not notice things around the house that you want to clean lol.

>56 lkernagh: Hi Lori: I'll have to visit your thread and see what you've been reading.

>55 cammykitty: You are right Katie, that was my undoing, and I kept hoping I would enjoy the book more!

>54 LittleTaiko: Thank you for the BB, Stacy I will request it from the library soonish and get started! I have a feeling that I might like everything by this author.

>58 VictoriaPL: Thank you. LOL. I was just this morning in the bathroom and looked over at the shelf and thought: Oh my, look at the dust!

>59 lsh63: - Ha, I haven't been reading very many books so far this year.... kind of got drawn into the War and Peace group read and that is taking up a fair bit of my available reading time.

>57 lsh63: The White House Chef series looks like fun! And on to my list they go...

16 Nobody's Fool I loved this story full of vivid characters in an upstate New York town that doesn't have much going on and has seen better days. Sully, the main protagonist of the story is what some may describe as a rascal or a scamp, and even though he constantly makes questionable decisions, his heart is in the right place, no matter how many times he messes up. I didn't realize that this book was made into a movie. As I often mention, it's not like me to miss anything with Paul Newman in it!

I am curious to see what happens to Sully and the other characters when Everybody's Fool is released in May.

17 In Love and Trouble this is a small volume with thirteen early Alice Walker short stories. All of the stories feature a Woman in some sort of emotional turmoil.

In Strong Horse Tea a Woman tries to save her dying son with a home remedy instead of getting a doctor.

In Sweet Jerome a Woman becomes obsessed with finding out who her husband is cheating on her with only to find out he's become involved in the black revolution movement .

And in Roselily, a woman looks to her fiance to save her from her dead end life, even though she's not quite sure what the tenets of his religion are and how it will affect her.

I don't know why auto correct keeps capitalizing things 😡

18 The Revenant I haven't seen the movie yet, but I thought the book was pretty good overall. The description of the bear attack was very vivid.

19 Blood Hollow I love the Cork O'Connor series and I look forward to more good reading as I try to make more progress in getting caught up.

20 My Name is Lucy Barton is a powerful little book that packs a lot of emotions . The story takes place over a five to six week period when Lucy is recovering from a complication after an appendectomy. Lucy and her mother have a strained relationship but we never really find out exactly what took place . There is some background which reveals poverty and the emotional detachment of Lucy's mother. I wanted to know more, but it was a very good read.

21 The Nightingale I loved this book, it was a five star read for me. Vianne and her sister Isabelle have a difficult relationship because Isabelle felt as though Vianne abandoned her and no one really wants her around. Each sister has their own way of dealing with the effects of the impending war on their native France. I loved the fact that the reader is unaware of which sister is the elderly narrator ,

22 The Whites

23 Coffee at Luke's There was really no good reason for me to read this book , other than the fact that I love the Gilmore Girls! It was basically a collection of essays about the show . Ho hum.

24 Find Her
25 The Thing Around Your Neck

26 Instructions for a Heatwave

27 Standing in Another Man's Grave Rebus is supposed to be retired but he may just come back if he can stay out of trouble . I'm in the library queue for Even Dogs in the Wild, so I want to get current with this series.

28 What She Knew This was a pretty good thriller which I believe is the author's debut novel. A mother's worst nightmare occurs when she allows her 8 year old son to run ahead of her in the woods and he vanishes. The reader isn't sure who is responsible for the disapearance which makes for a fast paced read.

29 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane this book about two sisters , one delusional and dangerous , the other an invalid was just ok. In this instance, the movie was brought to life by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. I think Ms. Davis should have won an Oscar for her makeup , clothes and slippers alone. Or maybe the movie was better because of the on screen tension between the two actresses .

Also included on the book was a short story which was the basis for the movie Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte.

>68 lsh63:
The dynamics between Crawford and Davis was just astounding - I'll do a rewatch of the film soon.

30. Saints of the Shadow Bible- I wasn't sure how I would feel about Rebus coming back after a forced retirement and with the addition of Malcolm Fox, but it works.

31. Native Son Bigger Thomas committed desirable crimes , yet the reader can't help but feel just a little bit sorry for him. One murder was committed by accident, the other to cover up the first. Through it all, various people try to help him, to no avail. I found this book to be very well written, and I was surprised I hadn't read it before.

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it! I've been reading, frankly it continues to be the one thing that keeps me sane. I've been back and forth with my mom's health issues lately. It seems as though she developed a partial blockage due to previous abdominal surgeries and diverticulitis which were making her unable to eat and in a lot of pain. She had surgery last week and seems to be on the mend, although surgery on someone almost 86 was no easy decision to make. Unfortunately , that was just one hurdle, she is facing yet another possible surgery for a troublesome kidney. I'm not sure how much more her body will be able to endure, I'm hopefull but also realistic. I'm enjoying each moment with her taking one day at a time.

Here's what I read so far this month while waiting around in the hospital :

Ming Tea Murder
The New Jim Crow
Ordinary Love and Goodwill
Even Dogs in The Wild
Wedding Cake Murder
Murder Most Frothy
One Two Buckle My Shoe
The Widow
The Laughing Policeman
Just Kids
Why Didn't They Ask Evans
Simisola
A Crime in The Neighborhood
Among The Missing
Murder in Little Italy
Echo Burning
Old Fashioned Crooks

I'm currently working on Leave Her To Heaven , Mercy Falls and Hand in Glove.

Lisa, I am so sorry to hear about your Mom's health challenges. I know that must take so much out of her and you too! I hope you both find some joy this weekend and Happy Easter!

I am also so sorry to hear about your Mom, Lisa. Wishing you and your family all the best, enjoy your Easter weekend.

Enjoy every minute with your Mom, Lisa. I'm glad you have books to give you a break.

Sorry to hear your mom is having a difficult time. Sending all my best wishes!

Happy Easter, Lisa!

Thinking of you and your mom and hope that you'll get time to take care of yourself as well.

Sorry to learn about the health issues your mother is facing. Will keep you and your mom in my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you everyone for all of your well wishes and holiday greetings. Today has been a good day, my mom has an appetite for the first time in a long while, enjoying the grand and great grandchildren , and sharing fond funny memories of my dad.

Right now I am lining up my April reading and watching the television show, The Fugitive while I clean up.

Glad your Mother is showing an improvement and had a good day.

I can't believe it's been a whole month since I've been here. My mom is looking and sounding pretty good these days, I am so thankful. She turned 86 last week and had a great birthday!

So earlier this week I woke up with my right tendon swollen and some thumb weakness. I didn't like the way it looked and had it x-rayed and I'm waiting to hear. I felt kind of stupid running to the doctor for that, but since my medical adventures last October, I decided not to take any chances . I suspect carpal tunnel or tendonitis, or some other ailment , who knows ? If do notice that the more I use the hand, it's slightly uncomfortable . I suspect there will be less computer time in my future , not sure how that's going to work with my job, but we'll see. So I may post here even less than I already do, but I will visit when I can.

I had a pretty good reading month, my noteworthy reads included
Americanah, The Nest, Finders Keepers, and We Are Called to Rise.

I'll be back later, I should probably act like I want to go to work😕

Take care of yourself, Lisa. I'm glad you're taking care of your hand sooner rather than later. And I'm glad your mother's doing well. I feel like we get a little older every year.

Hope it's nothing serious, take care of yourself.

Great to hear your mom is doing better and hope that the x-ray shows nothing too bad.

Good morning :

I took the day off today just because, even though it's raining, We haven't seen the sun here in at least 10 days. I would like to do some shopping later on. I need shoes and hope to find a happy compromise between five inch stiletto heels and flats that will make me feel shorter than I already am😊

So my xray indicated a wrist mass which I will need to get an MRI for. Because of the location and the fact that it seems to be pressing on a nerve, I am preparing myself for the possibility that I will need surgery for it. I still don't understand how this popped up out of nowhere but such is life.
Is it crazy that I thought that we'll at least I can still read because I can use my left hand for my Nook?

So far this month I've read I Shall Be Near To You a good read about a young bride who joins her husband in the army during the Civil War. Hurting Distance a really good psychological thriller by Sophie Hannah . I plan on reading the rest of her books , but I will try to space it out.

Currently I am reading The Deep Blue Goodbye and Everybody's Fool.

I think I deserve some pancakes today, I'm off to put that in motion.

>85 lsh63: Enjoy those pancakes Lisa! And good luck with the shoe shopping.
Sending prayers your way for the wrist issue, whatever it turns out to be.

>85 lsh63: - Is it crazy that I thought that we'll at least I can still read because I can use my left hand for my Nook? Not at all - it shows that you have your priorities straight! Hopefully you won't need surgery after all.

Sending you get well wishes regarding the wrist issue and good luck shoe shopping!

I'm back to my thread
after many MRIs and blood tests and office visits. The wrist mass is most likely a "fatty " tumor which has reached about 8 cm and I will have it removed June 6th. I was starting to feel a little sorry for myself since I was also concerned about my follow up to last fall's fainting episodes.

I got it together quickly and realized that things could always be worse.

I did find shoes yeah!

I have been reading though, this month I've especially enjoyed Everybody's Fool, Redemption Road, The Passenger, Fortune Smiles and Fates and Furies, which I have been wanting to read for a while.

Thank you everyone for your good wishes.

Yeowch! Hope that the removal goes well and that you continue to have good reading mojo.

>89 lsh63: Hi Lisa. Glad that you've now got an action plan to move forward. I hope the procedure goes well and that you heal up quickly.

Hi Victoria : I'm glad to finally have a plan in place also. Thank you for your good wishes. Since I will be out of commission most of June, I've picked out a hefty reading list for the month.

I finished Jane Steele yesterday , and found it to be a lot of fun.

>90 rabbitprincess: Didn't mean to skip you RP, thank you. I have quite a hefty reading list planned for June, but usually when I am taking pain med or am under the weather, I watch a lot of tv. We're talking not what one would consider quality television, like soap operas and talk shows yikes! The Columbo and Murder She Wrote reruns I like to watch are very good though!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery - I find when I'm under the weather I turn to fairly mindless TV shows. Often it is hours and hours of home improvement shows.

So I've finished The Widow. Now I want to know what your friend was saying about it. I thought it was an ok debut crime novel. The ending was a lot weaker than it should have been; it's as though the author had planned a much more explosive ending, but decided to go with the expected instead. But it kept my attention well enough. I did picture the husband as being played by Martin Freeman.

>95 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay: my friend said that she kept getting the feeling that something big was going to take place and was kind of disappointed . The reader gets the sense early on of what takes place , so I guess she was kind of like is that it at the end. I felt like I kind of over hyped it for her lol!

I see that I rated it 4 stars at the time, looking back it's probably more of a 3 star rating.

>89 lsh63:
Wow, 8 cm! Hope surgery went well!

Thanks everyone, I'm getting there with the recovery, although it will be a little longer than I initially thought. Since its my dominant hand I want to get it right.

So with all of this time on my hands I'very read the following:

A Little Life - sent me on an emotional tailspin
Evicted- very thought provoking and made me think about how I take things for granted sometimes.
Sweet Caress - good but I didn't get the fake pictures that were included and meant to represent the various characters
The Troubled Man- I was sad to read the last Wallander book, also sad because the author has also passed away. This has been a solid series that I will miss.
Before The Fall - a pretty decent debut novel about the aftermath of a private plane crash .
Girl Waits With Gun- interesting premise about a woman who goes to great lengths to protect her family and doesn't intend on being ladylike about it.
Songs for The Missing- excellent story of the disappearance of a teenage girl and its effect on her family.
Close Range - good collection of short stories with Brokeback Mountain as the standout .
The Bride Wore Black - classic Woolrich where a bride sets out for revenge.
The Shape of Snakes - a decent psychological mystery about a woman who spends years trying to find out who killed her neighbor.
Strong Poison- this is the book where Lord Peter first meets Harriet Vane.
Gods in Alabama Hilarious, I will definitely read more by this author
That Night - another story of a young girl's disappearance, with her sister and the sister's boyfriend sent to jail for it.
Weight of Blood- A nicely written thriller told in alternating chapters of mother and daughter as the daughter tries to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance when she was a baby.
The Sellout I learned that satire may not be for me, although the writing was cleverly done
Hateship, Courtship, Friendship - typical short story collection where some stories are better than others. I will say that a so so story by Alice Munro is still worth reading
The Green Road Unlikable characters, I found this book to be just ok

Nice! Yes, do take good care of yourself!
I see you read The Weight of Blood, I was impressed with writing style of that one too.

Well, it looks like you have your hands full (of books!). Taking it slow and getting it right sounds like the best way to go with your recovery.

>99 VictoriaPL: Hi Victoria , I wouldn't mind reading more by this author.
>100 DeltaQueen50: Yes Judy my hands are full of books! I have about three more weeks to go before I go back to work and am considering my July reads.

I finished The Lady Vanishes. It was average, nothing spectacular. I haven't seen this movie, and I think I got it mixed up with another Hitchcock movie in my mind.

I'm a little giddy because I just found out that I will be getting an ebook settlement credit shortly. Whatever I buy will count toward my Thinga versa ry and birthday presents which is next month. With all this time on my hands I'be been sketching plans for retirement and hoping I live long enough read all the books I have ☺.

I think I'm up to book number 99.

Number 97 was The Death of Beeswhich was a BB from Judy (DeltaQueen50) that I promptly devoured in pretty much a whole day. Its a story of two girls who panic and bury their parents in their backyard so that they can stay together. Yes there are some grisly parts to the story, along with dark humor, but when their neighbor steps in to help care for them, it will tug at your heartstrings.

Number 98 was A Little Death in Dixie I'm pretty sure I picked this book up as either a Free Friday or at a reduced price quite a few years ago. It was a pretty good police/crime novel set in Memphs. Mercy (Mercedes) returns home after many years away to find her sister missing and her relationship with her mother just as strained as ever. Secrets, a Southern setting, and the background of the officers assigned to the disapearance make for a pretty good debut by the author. It took awhile to get to the point, but I think I would read another book by this author.

Speaking of books, I was flabbergasted to learn how much my ebook credit was. This is what happens when one loads hundreds of books on one's electronic device and forgets about them for years at a time..... I'll have to think about what to get, it would make sense to buy books that aren't available at the library. And here I thought I was clearing out my Nook! It's a vicious cycle. But a fun one!

Book 99 Ava Gardner :The Secret Conversations isn't really a book, it's more of a detailed account of the author's late night conversations with the Hollywood star about her marriages to Mikey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra. There is also brief mention of her relationships with Howard Hughes and George C. Scott. The actual book never got written because Ms.Gardner changed her mind and after her death when the author decided to write the book he had intended, he passed away. The best I can say is that is was mildly interesting.

>102 lsh63: - Yea for a large credit! I was happily surprised by mine, though I'll be using it for paper books most likely.

Also, happy to see another fan of Girl Waits With Gun.

Hope you continue to enjoy your reading and recover nicely.

That is exciting! Enjoy choosing the books. I try to only buy books that I can't get as ebooks from the library, but this isn't fool-proof. They often buy a copy right after I decide they aren't going to, or they do get a book, but after borrowing it I realize it's one I'd like to have on my shelf. What a lovely problem to have, isn't it?

>105 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay! You are so right, this has happened to me quite a few times.

Since my last post I closed out June with Among The Ten Thousand Things, a two star read for me. The author did something gimmicky which didn't really work for me. The book starts with an explosive storyline, next we get a glimpse of their future lives, then back again.

They Found Him Dead an entertaining Georgette Heyer mystery.

Queen of the South I got a little lost with the many characters to keep track of, but it was a great read.

I think this month I read more books than I ever have since tracking my reading here (24) which is due to my being home most of the month with my wrist surgery. I go back to work July 13th and I'm sure there will be many looks at my scar which still looks quite puffy and puckered as well as comments from people who have never had surgery such as wow 5 weeks just for that ? 😊

I'm looking forward to July after all my Thingaversa ry and birthday are this month and yes even with the snarky comments getting back to work!

Today is my Thingaversary number 9. I'll post the complete list of ten books soon, I'm trying to exercise a little restraint and think about what to buy that either I've been wanting to read for a while or a book that may take months for me to get at the library. It won't be long, I expect to complete my purchases before the month is over. Random question regarding Thingsversaries: wasn't there a list at one point on the home page that displayed other members?

So far this month I've read End of Watch a very satisfying end to the Bill Hodges trilogy . There was a bit more of the supernatural that Mr. King is known for which was nicely done.

Also Rose Gold, 13th or 14th ?in the Easy Rawlins series, these are always good.

I also read Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, both part of a Steinbeck collection of his short novels: Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, The Pearl, The Moon is Down, and Cannery Row.

Happy Thingaversary! I'm reading End of Watch now and enjoying it very much.

Happy thingaversary! Enjoy the book choosing!

Happy Thingaversary Lisa!! I'm so glad we became friends! Hope you are doing well and you continue to recover from your surgery.

>107 lsh63: Happy Thingaversary!.

Today's Thingaversaries used to be listed under the Folly heading but doesn't seem to be showing up at the moment. Heading is there, just no data so looks like may be a bug.

Woo hoo, happy Thingaversary! Enjoy your book haul!

Happy Thingaversary and happy shopping! :)

Happy Thingaversary, Lisa! Can't wait to see what books you chose.

Well I'm back to work as of yesterday and I was a little grumpy that my reading time is decreased. How dare work interfere with my reading enjoyment lol? I guess the paycheck is the prize right?

Anyway I'm glad I went back mid week to ease into things.

It didn't take long for me to buy 10 books, I didn't spend all of my credit so I think I'm making personal growth haha. Oh and thank you everyone for the Thingaversary wishes! Please excuse the lack of individual responses.

Here's what I got:

1Homegoing I read good things about this in a Sunday paper review.

2Wilde Lake because I like Laura Lippman

3Academy Street this was recommended to me because I read The Green Road I think?

4The Hanging Girl a book in the Department Q series that I've been waiting for the librady to purchase. They will probably do so now that I've bought it.

5 You Are Dead this is a book in the Roy Grace series, that I keep accumulating but haven't made much progress in.

6 The Husband's Secretrecommended to me by ?????

7Knockemstiff one of those recommendations that pop up "if you liked blank then you will also like blank .

8 Breath Eyes Memory at a reduced price and it looked interesting.

Lastly I pre ordered two books because I am a big fan of both series: The Kept Woman a Will Trent book, and Blind Sight a book in the Mallory series.

Victoria, if you are reading this both of these books come out September 20th. How will we choose what to read first?

>115 lsh63: oh my! Choices, choices!

>116 VictoriaPL: Well I think we are both big fan girls of Will Trent so it's a safe bet that might be read before Miss Mallory.

My reading has slowed just a bit, so catching up:

The Tilted World a very nicely written historical fiction novel set in 1927 involving an impending flood, bootleggers and federal agents who are trying to capture them.

The Distant Hours

In This Our Life I found this book to be quite trying at times, but the movie is great with Bette Davis stealing her sister Olivia D'Haviland's husband and the effect her reckless behavior has on her family.

The Door this is a very good 1930 mystery involving quite a few murders and a very unlikely killer. I was a little surprised at the book's length though.

The Night of The Hunter I've seen the movie adaptation of this book quite a few times and both are very good. I can think of no other actor besides Robert Mitchum who could play the sociopath preacher role and do it justice.

>117 lsh63: You are probably right, Lisa!

Good morning almost afternoon everyone :

I think it's pretty much hot and humid everywhere, so no complaining about it. I took today off because well it's Monday and I have a late afternoon eye appointment that I decided would be easier to get to from home. The convention is in town and work will be congested all week. I'll need my reading to keep me sane, although at the moment I'm having a hard time settling on a book.

Since my last post I've read:

24 Hours
You Cannoli Die Once
The Other Wes Moore
Crooked House
Knockemstiff
Homegoing

I enjoyed all of the above, however I highly recommend Homegoing, it was an excellent debut novel that I read in one day. It was an excellent story of the descendants of two Ghanaian half sisters and a five star read.

Hi Lisa! 24 Hours is one of my favorites by Iles. Have you seen the film? Good luck with your eye appointment. It's the dentist for me tomorrow.

Hi Victoria : I think so. It had a different title, but I seem to remember Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, and Kevin Bacon maybe?

Ah the dentist, never fun. I almost lost my mind last month when my crown fell off two days before my wrist surgery. Thank goodness it was intact, and the dentist was able to cement ii back on, but it was sensitive for about two weeks.

>121 lsh63: Yes, that's the one. And who could forget Courtney Love? They called it Trapped.

Yep, the heat and humidity have been uncomfortable here as well. But today wasn't too bad. A couple of downpours rumbled through town over the course of the day, and with the cloud covering up the sun it was actually pretty comfortable (or as comfortable as it has been).

Had to stifle a giggle at You Cannoli Die Once. I enjoy the punny titles of cozy mysteries.

>123 rabbitprincess: RP some of the titles of the cozy mysteries are kind of cute aren't they?

I'm home today, I took a long weekend to visit my sis in law in MD, who is retired and trying her best to keep busy after the passing of her husband and father last year within two months of each other.

We do not read the same type of books but we respect each other' s choices. She reads but isn't compulsive about it like me :)
It's kind of rude to read while visiting, so we watched television together. I'm all caught up with Scandal and would like to get further in House of Cards. What can I say, if given a choice I would always opt to read but there are a few binge worthy shows out there.

I've recently finished To Dwell in Darkness, which is always a good solid read in a series that has never disappointed me.

The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates, abut the effect Niagara Falls has on a family after a young bride's groom commits suicide while they are on their honeymoon.

I read two books by Jhumpa Lahiri, which were both very good, The Namesake and Unaccustomed Earth. The latter was a five star read for me.

Lastly I read two new books, You Will Know Me Megan Abbott's latest, features the scary world of competitive gymnastics, and a teenaged protagonist, Devon. Abbott is great as usual.

The other new book, Truly Madly Guilty is the story of what happens between six adults and three children at an impromptu barbecue. It was an decent book, but the author took a long long time getting there. This is my first time reading this author, I was curious about her after looking up her books at the library and noticing that every book had hundreds of holds on them. I'm pretty sure I first saw mention of her on Judy (DeltaQueen )'s thread.

And I got hooked on Liane Moriarty after reading about her books on Ro's (RoRo8) thread! I am also totally hooked on Scandal after starting it on Netflicks!

I've been eying Homegoing. I'll pick up a copy now. Thanks for the recommendation. And what did you think of Knockemstiff? That was extra-noir.

-Knockemstiff, you hit the nail on the head with "extra-noir". I am looking forward to reading The Devil All The Time at some point.

Since my last post, I've read Birds of a Feather, a Maisie Dobbs books that I somehow didn't read. Also , the very good Small Island , Stewart O'nan's The Odds, as well as The Unsuspected, which was made into a movie with the fabulous Claude Rains as the villian.

And this morning I finished Possessed a Joan Crawford biography. It's sad that her image will be forever tarnished due to Mommie Dearest. She was a great actress, perhaps a little over the top, but Mildred Pierce remains a favorite of mine and she certainly deserved the Oscar she received for her role in it.

I also read two books that were not a part of my official challenge : Another Brooklyn, and All The Missing Girls. Ms Woodson certainly knows how to write sparsely,but powerfully at the same time. I found myself wanting to know a bit more about the protagonist August and her friends.

All The Missing Girls was a decent thriller that held my interest and I thought it was a good read. The interesting hook here is that the story is told backwards. I made sure not to spend too much time away from it for fear I wouldn't remember where I was in the story.

Happy September !

I'm up with the birds, sipping ginger and lemon tea enjoying the quiet of the early morning. I have a long weekend where I plan to be somewhat productive, but we'll see.

I am closing in on the last dozen books for my challenge and I hope to complete it this month.

Right now I'm reading Don't You Cry it's drawing me in, I have to know what happens!

>128 lsh63: Happy September! Finishing the challenge this month? I hope you stick around afterwards!!

>129 VictoriaPL: Hi Victoria: I will absolutely stick around. If I read a book that fits one of my categories which is highly likely then I will add it as a bonus book.

My plan is to finish this month but you know what happens when those library holds all seem to come in at once!

Keep me posted when your copy of The Kept Woman shows up!

>130 lsh63: Yay!! You know I will be haunting the mailman once the 20th comes around!

Hi Lisa, Happy September! I am getting to the end of my challenge the same as you are, it must be time to start planning my next year's reading challenge!

Such excellent progress - have a great final stretch! :)

Good Morning:

I have finished my challenge as of last week and am currently enjoying The Kept Woman which I am reading with VictoriaPL, and The Risen.

I will hang out here for the rest of the year and concentrate on some of the series that I have accumulated over the years which are mocking me. I think they will fit into at least a few of the categores that I have here.

Some series I haven't read in years , like Lucas Davenport and have no idea where I am with them, because I started with the series (pre LT), others I have amassed because I thought they "might be something I would like after reading the first book" Alexandra Cooper and Roy Grace for example.

There are other series that after thinking about it, I probably won't continue, but I will read the books that I already purchased. And yes, my 2017 challenge will have a large focus on series reads.

My noteworthy reads this month were: A Prayer for Owen Meany- darn it I almost cried.... andThe Underground Railroad- sheer perfection!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge. I had hopes of finishing mine early this year, but RL has slowed my reading considerably the last couple of months and now I think I'll probably be limping in at the finish.

I'm the same way with some of my series. I've actually started Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series over because I had no clue where I was. Lucas is another one just like that. And there are a few more. Because we're moving next year, I think I'm going to do an open challenge next year so I can concentrate on series and do some binge reading.

I just read The Underground Railroad too and thought it was powerful. Probably one of my best 5 of the year.

Congratulations on finishing!

I'm reading The Risen now, too! I'm looking forward to comparing notes with you.

Yay! Congrats!

>135 dudes22: Hi Betty and thank you, Moving is stressful enough so a series/binge challenge seems like the way to go

>136 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay, I'm enjoying The Risen very much. I'll pop over to your thread to see how you liked it. Oh and thank you!

>137 VictoriaPL: Hi Victoria , sorry I had no willpower for the Slaughter book lol. I'll try to behave myself when we read Mallory. Thank you!

Congratulations on completing your 2016 Challenge, Lisa!

Congratulations on finishing, and enjoy bingeing on those series!

>138 lsh63: Ha! That's OK Lisa. I wasn't feeling well so after work I crawled into bed and polished it off.
Let me know when you're ready for Mallory. I have cleared the deck!

Good Morning everyone: I haven't visited my thread in a while. I've been having trouble with my wrist again after surgery
In June. I thought the darn thing was growing back, but in all likelihood I got a little over confident and lifted heavy things when I shouldn't have and probably should wear a brace or something when on the computer at work. I'll be getting an ultrasound just to make sure the swelling is just that and I will try to be more careful. It's a good thing there are no heavy books I want to read and not be able to lift them!

So since my last post I've read The Risen which I thought was good, but I think I was waiting for some sort of wow moment that didn't occur. The story switches between present day and the summer of 69 when brothers Eugene and Bill become bewitched, bothered and bewildered by teenage trouble maker Ligeia. She is what could be considered a hippy and leads both brothers into doing her bidding and supplying her with drugs and alcohol. She sleeps with both brothers but Eugene, the younger brother is easier for her to control. One day Ligeia abruptly disappears without ever being heard from again. In present day Eugene and Bill reflect back on what really happened to her, You can sense where the story is going, which is why I was thinking there would be a plot twist.

I am also a big Karin Slaughter fan, and especially the Will Trent series.

The Kept Woman is the eighth book in this series. I like how the author successfully combined this series with her Sara Linton series, which isn't always easy to do. This book was very centered around Will's wife Angie , but with good back story about her. This book was like a roller coaster ride that i didnt want to stop . As Victoria can attest to, I think I devoured this book in about a day and a half.

Angie and Sara will probably continue to have unfinished business for awhile which is ok by me. There's another character from Sara's past who I want to make a return soon.

In addition to the two books referenced above, I also read Doctor Sleep, which although good was not as good as The Shining.

I also finally got my hands on Everyone Brave is Forgiven. The storyline set in WWII in England and Malta was good, but the witty repartee got on my nerves just a bit

The Keepsake is an installment in the Rizzoli and Isles series, this one features mummification and shrunken heads which all stem from what is believed to be a well preserved artifact is in actuality a murder victim.

It seems as though every new book that is released in the mystery thriller genre is touted as the next Gone Girl or Girl on The Train. Since I ahem stalk the library, Behind Closed Doorswas featured on the new e shelf . It was an ok thriller, featuring what appears to be a model couple, Grace and Jack, who have a big secret in their home that no one knows about.

>142 lsh63: The Kept Woman... yes, you went off and left me, LOL. It was a good book.

Congrats on completing the challenge! Good to hear you'll be sticking around. Careful with the wrist, though, you need it to work!

Finally starting to catch up with threads...congrats on completing your challenge, and I hope your wrist is doing well! I really liked Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, so I'm glad you mostly enjoyed it as well!

>146 christina_reads: Thanks Christina.

Boy have I neglected my thread!

Let's see since my last post I read:

The Trespasser Tana French's sixth installment in the Dublin Murder Squad series. The detective featured in The Secret Place appear in this book, this time they are working together to solve the murder of Aislinn Murray, which appears to be a simple case of a lover's quarrel that escalated out of control or is it?

I'll be back, pesky work getting in the way of my LT time again lol :)

>147 lsh63: Awful how work intrudes like that! For me as well.... hope you're doing well Lisa!!

>147 lsh63:
Wha...? I must be completely out of the loop - I didn't even know that The Trespasser had been released.

ETA: Hold placed at library. Thank you @jonesli for the heads-up!

>149 -Eva-: Hi Eva: I hope you don't have to wait too long to get The Tresspasser.

So Happy Friday everyone : I have been very bad at keeping up with my thread, and here we are almost ready for next year. I hope to do better in the future, but we'll see what happens. Work has been wiping me out, so much so that when I get home, I'm wondering how much longer I can keep doing it. I keep seeing people who have retired and I swear they all for the most part look ten years younger! Nonetheless I will always make time for books! Even if I don't post that much I'll try to make an appearance more often than I have been.

Since my last post I've read :
Blind Sight
The Silent Girl
The Mothers
Nutshell
Christmas Caramel Murder
The Missing Year

Thunder Bay
Running Blind
Murder With Mirrors
This is your Life Harriet Chance
The Nix
Swing Time
Last to Die

And for some reason I can't stop reading the In Death series, I'm up to New York to Dallas.

I hope to get my 2017 thread together soon, I know one thing I want to do is work on my series. I need to make some decisions about whether to continue with them or just read through what I already have and stop there.

I was happy to finish Swing Time, I struggled a bit with it. The Nix also took a lon time to get there, it was ok.

Have a nice weekend enjoying your books!

I have The Mothers on hold with the library, and hope they tell me it's arrived soon.

I have mixed feelings about Swing Time. The parts about growing up were fantastic, but the parts in Africa skirted awfully close to the dreaded Westerner Goes To Backward Country And Learns Heartwarming Lessons From the Natives. And the ending felt underdeveloped, like a big chunk of the book were missing. I wanted more about Tracey.

Taking the morning to play catch-up on all the threads in the group.

I am rather later with congrats for completing your challenge. Sorry to learn that you have continued to have problems with your wrist, post-surgery. Glad to see the reading continues, even if work does cut into valuable reading time!

>152 RidgewayGirl: Kay you hit the nail on the head about Swing Time. I wanted more of Tracey's story also.

>153 lkernagh: Hi Lori, thank you! I will always make time for reading, work is a necessity, but I do need to get in the habit of doing a household chore each day so things don't get overwhelming and I try to do everything at once.

Snice my last post, I've finished New York to Dallas, Celebrity in Death, Egg Drop Dead, Red Knife, Heaven's Keep and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl.

I hope to finish another book or maybe two to close out the year but we'll see.

I wont be reading thie evening as I just went 10 rounds with my six year old granddaughter. I agreed to accompany my son to the mall, why did I do that? Anyway I took my granddaughter into the dressing room to try on clothes and she took one look at the mirror and decided to break out into song instead . Then when someone asked if she was helping mommy, meaning me, she got this look of disgust on her face and said very loudly, that's my grand mom and she's over 50 years old! Too funny!

Then last but not least I had to explain the concept of giving workplace Christmas gifts. She asked but don't they get paid?

So now my brain and body are beat!

Aww! Kids at that age are the best -- they say and do the funniest things! :)

Out of the mouths of babes! Sounds like your granddaughter definitely gave you a workout, but they are so much fun at that age. My granddaughter is twelve now and acts like quite the lady, it's hard to remember back when she used to wear me out!

>154 lsh63: Your granddaughter sounds like a real character. Imagine what she'll be like as a teenager!

"Then last but not least I had to explain the concept of giving workplace Christmas gifts. She asked but don't they get paid?

I once had an employer who thought that way too!

>155 rabbitprincess: I know right? Always entertaining that's for sure.

>156 DeltaQueen50: Judy I know , time flies doesn't it? It doesn't seem possible that she's six, it seems like only yesterday that she was born.

>157 VivienneR: Ah Vivienne, the teen years I shudder to think what those will be like, yikes!

So it seems those adorable grandchildren gave me a few germs so I'm struggling to bake and make the few side dishes that I planned. Oh well. My concentration is varying between Delusion in Death and Do Not Say We Have Nothing.

I'm enjoying some Meyer Lemon Tea and reading while watching twisted movies on Lifetime,

Happy Holidays Everyone !

Happy holidays, Lisa!

Good almost afternoon:

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season, however you celebrate. I am of course enjoying a nice break from work.

Since my last post I struggled to finish Do Not Say We Have Nothing, and am enjoying The End of the Wasp Season.

There's still a lot of time left for reading in 2016, but here are my favorite reads of the year:

Let Him Go
Homegoing
Black River
Underground Railroad
Unaccustomed Earth
Evicted
A Prayer for Owen Meany
LaRose
The Nightingale
Native Son

That's an excellent "best of" list! I should put together my own end of the year thingy.

>161 RidgewayGirl: Thank you Kay!

I'm pretty sure I won't finish any more books before Sunday, so I thought I would wrap up my 2016 thread.

I read 194 books in total, my challenge total was 144. I read 71 books from my Nook , 31 from my shelf, and 92 from the library.

I listed my favorite reads above in post #160. Two books that fell a little flat for me were Among the Ten Thousand Things and The Past.

In preparation for my 2017 reading, I've pulled a few books off my shelves, two are series that I will decide whether to continue reading or not. One is Likely to Die which is book number two in the Alexandra Cooper series and the other is Outrage which is maybe the seventh ?book in the Inspector Erlendur series. One thing I have decided, which I hope I can stick to, is to only continue with series that are readily available at the library or are offered at a low price. I found that I was spending way too much money! At the very least I am going to try to be more selective,
what can I say I'm weak!

I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2017 and I'll see you around on the brand new threads!

>162 lsh63: Wow, 194 books! Congrats on completing your challenge, and then some!