Anita's (Figs) Reading in 2021! Fourth thread.

I chose this ticker image because perhaps by the time I reach my reading goal,
the world will be normal again and I will be able to travel. A girl can dream, can't she?

My rating system is as follows:

1 = Very Very bad. Either I could not finish the novel, or the plot was ill-conceived

2= Still bad. I managed to finish the book. It was probably boring, unoriginal or poorly written

3= Solid. There was character development, the pace was probably slow or parts of the book were well thought out. Still had the ability to make me think or at the very least want to continue reading, however, something was missing or could have been further developed. Slightly better than average.

4= Excellent read. I probably couldn't put the book down till it was finished. The Pace was spot on, complex characters, made me think in a different way and so on

5= Absolutely perfect.

Books read in January



Best of the month: The Colditz legacy

Books Read In February


Best of the month: A gentleman in Moscow.

Books read in April

Books read May-October

Books Read In November

Books read in December

Favourites of the past

Books I should have read a long time ago

1. Aleksandr I. Solzenitsyn: The Gulag Archipelago

Welcome!

81. Louise Penny: The Madness of Crowds

Book # 17 in the series. Many may say that it was more political than other books she has written. This fact did not bother me. I was left disappointed for the so called motive of the murder.

It did not hold my interest as much as the previous instalment but was still nice to read. It just veered in many directions not to mention the repetitiveness. I also learned something about Canada's dark past in medicine and will definitely be reading more about it later.

3/5

>13 figsfromthistle: That's a sad statement for a mystery.

I'm not all the way sure I'd like reading any of the books she's written since #8.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>1 figsfromthistle: Winter is coming! Lovely.

Happy new thread, Anita!
Winter can be beautiful.

Happy new thread, Anita.

Thomas is right. There is an ethereal beauty to winter that I miss living in the tropics.

>14 richardderus: Hi Richard! The series can be addicting. Perhaps I was not as enthusiastic about this one because I recently read book #16. It's always better if I wait a bit in-between.

Also, Congrat's on being first :)

>15 quondame: Thanks, Susan

>16 weird_O: Hi Bill! Nice to see you.

>17 SirThomas: Thanks. I think that winter is nice. It's just a matter of perspective

>18 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. Thanks!

Happy new thread, Anita!

Happy new one!

>20 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>21 drneutron: Hi Jim! Thanks :)

Happy new thread, Anita, and happy weekend!

Happy new thread, Anita!

>23 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Thanks. I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead.

>24 FAMeulstee: Thank you :)

82. Glynis Peters: The Forgotten Orphan

A coming of age story about an orphan named Masie who overcomes her circumstances and becomes a nurses assistant to aid wounded English soldiers during WW2. She also finds out about her family, and falls in love.

As a historical romance, this was great and engaging. As just a historical fiction not as much. Her other books such as The secret orphan and the orphan train are better suited. Some plot lines in this one seem to have promise and quickly come to fruition. Masie seems to have horseshoes coming out of her..well you know what. She seems to find luck at every turn. However she is also able to stay positive in a difficult environment. The author does well portraying this.

If you read it as a historical romance, you will enjoy this tale of love, survival and family. If you read it as historical fiction, you will not find it " gripping" in the least.

Oh and beware, Masie is also a budding poet and includes a full poem or two of hers in every letter she writes. So if you are not a fan of poetry it won't be your cuppa

3.3/5 ( If you read it as a romance)

>26 figsfromthistle: FLEE FLEE RUNRUNRUN FLEE!

>27 richardderus: Ha! It would not be one for you, Richard ;)

>26 figsfromthistle: It does not sound like one for me either, Anita. I am not a fan of poetry at the best of times. The historical fiction being lacking also is a turn off for me.

I hope your next read is better for you!

>29 alcottacre: I am going to stay away from historical fiction for a bit. I think that I have been reading to much of it hence why I am getting picky.

Happy Saturday, Figs! Happy New Thread! Have you got any more snow? We are enjoying a warm weekend here in the Midwest.

>31 msf59: Howdy, bird man ;)

No snow yet. All of it melted and this weeks weather looks to be 10-16 degrees celsius. Then the cold weather will settle in. I will have to make sure to get all the yard work done and perhaps have a BBQ as well. Sadly, the hummingbirds left in September and the Robin's are gone as well.

Enjoy the warm weekend!

>30 figsfromthistle: I am reading a good historical fiction novel right now, As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner. If you have not read it, I would recommend it to you. I am about 3/4 of the way through and thus far, it has been very good.

Hi Anita, Happy new thread. Loving the snow photos! Snow was quite low down on our local mountains this morning.

>33 alcottacre: I will have to read your review about that one once you have finished :)

>34 mdoris: Thanks! it must be a wonderful sight for you to have the mountains around :)

Reading update: I am currently reading The Sweetness of Water. So far it's excellent. I hope to finish it before the weekend but it may prove difficult as I am working.

Hi Anita, and a somewhat tardy happy new thread!

>26 figsfromthistle: Hmmm. I think I’ll pass.

>32 figsfromthistle: Our hummingbirds left in early October and will come back in April. That feeder’s been put up and the suet feeder’s on that hook now.

>36 figsfromthistle: I have heard good things about The Sweetness of Water, so it is already in the BlackHole. I hope it continues to be a good read for you.

Happy Sunday, Anita!

>37 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Thanks!

I have the suet feeder up now as well. I also have some bird feed in the feeders. Lots of Cardinals, Bluejays, Woodpeckers, Canadian finches and of course, squirrels.

>38 alcottacre: I have a good feeling about this one :)

83. Nathan Harris: The Sweetness of Water

When George becomes lost on is own land, he comes across two brothers who appear to be living in the woods of his land for some time. George decides to do something with his land and in turn hires Prentiss and Landry to start a peanut farm. However, those in town are nervous and uncomfortable with Georges arrangement with the brothers. Tensions after the civil war are at an all time high and George finds out that his son has secrets of his own.

This was very well written. Extremely smooth. I felt that the story had room to breathe and build but yet did not feel drawn out. The protagonists were very well written and lively. There was quite a lot going on in these short pages.

4/5

Thank you for the recommendation of Midnight At The Bright Ideas Bookstore in your previous thread, Anita. Another BB I loved!

Happy new one! So nice to see your snowy topper!

>40 figsfromthistle: Luckily, it's already on my TBRalaya. Your description makes reading it sooner not later sound like the right course.

Happy newish thread, Anita. I love your book covers!

>41 SirThomas: Glad you enjoyed it, Thomas.

>42 mstrust: Hi Jennifer! Right now the snow is gone however, next week there may be more on the way.

>43 richardderus: Although not perfect, I think you will not be disappointed.

>44 BLBera: Hi Beth! Nice to see you here :)

Happy Wednesday!

>46 figsfromthistle: It is happier now. *deeeeep breath*

>47 richardderus: Wednesdays can be tricky. Hope it remained happy.

84. Terry Fallis: Operation Angus

Book number three in the Daniel Addison series puts Angus McLintock back on parliament hill as the Minister of state for International relations. After a meeting to discuss the upcoming G8 summit, he and his chief of staff Daniel, are busy preparing for Russia's presidential visit to Ottawa. They are approached by MI16 and are informed that it is during this visit, that separatists are planning the president's assassination. It is up to him and a selected handful of comrades to thwart the threat as everyone else refuses to believe them.

Definitely different than the first two in the series. This is more of a "spy"novel. Angus may be the Canadian version of James Bond- except with wackier hair and way more cool.

Unfortunately, I did not find is as humorous as the other two novels. In this instalment, Chief of staff Daniel is featured more. I would have preferred less of Daniel. Entertaining all the same

A solid 3/5

>40 figsfromthistle: Glad you enjoyed that one! I have high hopes for it when I get around to reading it.

Happy weekend, Anita!

>50 alcottacre: Thanks!

The weekend is quite cold and winter like. Luckily, when I get home from work, I am able to sit infront of the fireplace with some tea and read.

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

So yesterday, I attended a baby shower. I had a lot of fun shopping. The little clothes are beyond adorable. Lucky me, I am at that age where the majority of my friends are having children. So theres a lot more cute things to shop for. One thing I always manage to put in with the clothes are baby books. I hope one of my friends kids will grow up loving to read ;)

Books read but yet to be reviewed:

85. Janie Chang: The Library of Legends -3.7/5
86.Viola Ardone: The Children's Train 3.5/5
87.John Lescroart: The Rule of Law 2.5/5- I do not feel like reviewing or summarizing this one.

Hey, Figs. Glad to hear you enjoyed The Sweetness of Water. That one is on my rather long TBR list.

>51 figsfromthistle: That sounds like a really nice weekend. I have a small stack of firewood ready, just waiting for that day when it finally gets cold here.

>53 msf59: I hope you like it when you get around to it :)

>54 mstrust: Hope you enjoy the fire when it gets cold. I was just laughing internally when I read you had a small stack of firewood because a small stack here would not even get me through an hours worth of bone chilling cold ;)

Viola Ardone: The Children's Train

1946, after WW2, many southern Italians were struggling to feed their children. As a result, many of these children were put voluntarily on a train to live with "foster" parents in the North for the winter months. The idea behind this was organized by a women's communist party and was met with a lot of mistrust.

The children's train depicts the journey of the Speranza family. Amerigo, a seven year old boy is reluctant to leave his mother behind. He soon becomes accustomed to life in the North. He is able to attend school, play with other children, explore and is given emotional support. For the first time he is able to exist as a child without any worries or hunger pains. However, his newfound paradise is interrupted when he is expected to go home to his birth mother. Here he feels alienated, misunderstood and unwanted. He must find a way to bridge the gap between his new found paradise and his old personal hell.

I enjoyed the novel. Writing was good and I suspect it is even better in the original language. Sometimes the translation felt a little odd. I am not sure if the author really intended the young boy to speak the way he did. Given his age, it seemed a little unnatural. The novel is broken into two time frames. I was just getting into the story of his childhood and then all of a sudden the story of his adult life begins which took me by surprise.

Overall enjoyable 3.5/5

>56 figsfromthistle: My local library actually has a copy of that one. I enjoy historical fiction, so I will probably give The Children's Train a shot at some point.

Happy Wednesday!

>57 alcottacre: I think you will like that one. It is a good coming of age story as well.

>58 figsfromthistle: That's a lovely moment captured in that image.

Happy Wednesdaying!

>59 figsfromthistle: Thanks for the additional input, Anita. I look forward to whenever I can get my hands on it.

Happy Wednesday!

>60 richardderus: Hi Richard! Thanks :)

>61 alcottacre: Hope you had a great Wednesday as well.

Janie Chang: The Library Of Legends

China, 1937. Hu Lian and her classmates must abandon their university campus in Nanking and travel 1000 miles to Minghua on foot. Hu's group is tasked with bringing the library of legends with them. The students begin to understand the importance of protecting these legends and those who walk among them.

There is quite a bit going on in this book. I enjoyed it a lot ( perhaps not as much as Dragon Springs Road). Murder, betrayal, political tensions, social inequality, love, friendship and just a touch of magical realism makes this a more than pleasurable read.

3.7/5

Happy new thread Anita!

>63 figsfromthistle: Sold! My local library actually has a copy of that one too. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Anita.

Happy Thursday!

Happy new thread Anita!

>64 humouress: Thanks!

>65 alcottacre: No problem. I hope you enjoy it :)

>66 mdoris: Thanks!

>63 figsfromthistle: That sounds good and involving...but not *quite* enough to wedge itself onto my reading device. Maybe if it'd been four-plus....

>68 richardderus: I am quite tough with my ratings, Richard. Four stars are not easily given by me and was not quite enough to get there. It was a great read though :)

Liz Nugent: Little Cruelties

Ona cold day, the Drumm brothers attend one of their brothers funeral. Each brother tells his life story in the first person alternating between many timelines. It was interesting to see how each brother viewed the same situations.

The first 1/3 of the book, I thought I would have to stop reading. It did get more interesting after. My main problem was that I really did not care for any of the protagonists ( especially William). It was advertised as a psychological suspense. The only suspense was waiting around to see which brother is in the casket. The author does a great job showing how different perceptions, witness and interpretation of events can have lasting consequences on a child's physical and psychological well being. Good writing. It just was not for me but I'm sure many will enjoy it more than I did.

3/5

>51 figsfromthistle: I love that you included books in the baby shower presents. We have to encourage the next generation of readers! : )

>71 Berly: We certainly do! Baby books also encourage the use of different senses such as touch as well. These ones were "puffy". Have a super Friday!

Hi Anita: Both The Library of Legends and The Children's Train sound like books I would like. I'll look for them.

>73 BLBera: Hi! Nice to see you :) Hope you are having a wonderful weekend so far.

89. Anthony Horowitz: The Sentence is death

A notorious lawyer is bludgeoned to death with an expensive wine bottle. Hawthorne is hired to help solve the case and of course his sidekick, Horowitz is there to help-although just a few paces behind.

Second book in the series. Relaxed pace. This mystery/ murder was more obvious to me and I was able to figure it out early on. Still was a pleasant read.

3.5/5

>75 figsfromthistle: I wasn't impelled to pick up that series. I'm glad, now, reading that lukewarm assessment!

Happy week-ahead's reads.

>76 richardderus: Hi Richard! I am hoping to spend more time reading in the next few days now, that the weather has changed.

>72 figsfromthistle: Yes, I love baby books with soft, puffy things or holes in the page, flaps to open. Kids are always touching the pages of the books, so why not engage those other senses?

>70 figsfromthistle: That one gets a pass from me. . .

>75 figsfromthistle: And I have no interest in starting another series when I am trying to catch up on the ones I already have.

Happy Tuesday, Anita!

>78 Berly: Exactly! I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday :)

>79 alcottacre: Happy Tuesday to you as well. Mine will be extra nice as I was given a day off. The first Tuesday off in 4 months. Unfortunately, I have quite a bit to catch up on.

Happy Wednesday!

>81 figsfromthistle: Ooohhh, lovely image!

>82 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. It was one of those moments where all the colours fit together in a pleasing way.

Anita, I know you don't celebrate this holiday in Canada, but I still wanted to take this day to say how very grateful I am for you, my wonderful friend here on LT.

I wish you (and yours) happiness and health on today. And cookies. : )

>84 Berly: Thank you ! I am also quite grateful for you :)

I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving in October. Although, I could really go for some pumpkin pie and some of those wonderful cookies right now.

Happy Friday, Anita!

Thanks! It's going to be a stressful one at work today but at least I will be busy :)

Hi Anita!

Skippety-skip-skip, line drawn in the sand. I'll try to visit more often.

>88 karenmarie: hi Karen!

The welcome mat is always rolled out for you :)

90. Alex Marwood: the Poison Garden

When the majority of a survivalist group is found dead, the few survivors must find a way to live on the "outside". Two of the survivors, Ilo and Eden are placed in aunt Sara's care. However, there is another survivor who is itching to go back and will do anything to ensure that she is given a rightful spot in the new domain.

Novel idea was interesting and the writing was good. It was easy to get "hooked ". I enjoyed the alternating timelines and perspectives and thought that it worked well. The problem was that the beginning was strong, the middle was extremely uneventful and the last third of the book progressed in a different direction. Considering a mass murder/poisoning/suicide happened, there was no investigation by the "outside" police. No mayhem and such. Also the way Romy was portrayed at the beginning completely changed at the end. This threw me off but was an interesting turn. I also found Sara's choice at the end improbable considering how much she despised the way she grew up.

The ending leaves room for a strong sequel. Now that would be interesting to read

3/5

91. Lisa Jewell: The Night She Disappeared

One night, a young couple go out for a date night and never come home. Many speculate about what could have possibly possessed these young adults to leave their young son behind. However, nothing is ever as it seems.

Lisa Jewell's books never disappoint. I don't think it was her strongest though but it was enjoyable.

3.5/5

Well this weekend was supposed to be very snow filled. So far only 5 cm of so in total ( not that I'm complaining). I really don't enjoy driving in the snow. I'm off to work. Happy Sunday, everyone :)

Today there was a sale at a local used bookstore . Since I had the day off I really could not resist. Heres what I found.

1.Audrey Erskine Lindop: The Way To the lantern
2.Peter Mansbridge: Off the record
3.Douglas Stuart: Shuggie Bain
4. Pierre Berton: Prisoners of the North
5. Brunonia Barry: The Lace Reader
6.Sloane Crosley: The Clasp
7.Jenny Nordberg: The Underground Girls of Kabul
8.Julia Kelly: The last garden in England
9.Sue Grafton: A is for alibi
10.Madeleine Thien: Dogs at the perimeter
11. Maya Angelou: The Heart of a woman
12.Nicholas Sparks: The return

It's a good thing that there was a browsing time limit otherwise I would have found more :)

I have Shuggie Bain waiting for me and I know Nicholas Sparks and Maya Angelou. The rest I don't know! LOL. Enjoy!

Oh, nice haul! Sales at bookshops are pretty much irresistible, yeah?

>93 figsfromthistle: - Great haul! I am surprised the Mansbridge was at a used bookstore. It's rather new, isn't it? I've read a few by Pierre Burton but not that one, and I own but haven't read yet The Lace Reader and The last Garden in England. I have read the Maya Angelou and the Grafton.

Yep, those sales are irresistible! :-)

Nice haul Anita!

>94 Berly: Thanks! I heard great things about Shuggie Bain but I may wait a little.

>95 scaifea: They sure are! Part of the fun is the "hunt". My favourite used bookstore has everything stacked in different spots and there seems to be a weak organization system. It almost feels like a treasure hunt....you just need time.

>96 jessibud2: The Mansbridge one is quite new ( recently released) and I was surprised as well. The best part is that after the discount it only cost $3.00!

>97 mdoris: Hi Mary! Nice to see you :)

>93 figsfromthistle: Nice haul from the booksale, Anita.
The only familiar title is Shuggie Bain. I loved that book!

>99 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Hope you have a great Wednesday.

It's Wednesday again! it really feels like a slow moving week. These are photos I took a few years ago. I just puzzled them together into one. Luckily, we don't have that much snow yet.

>101 figsfromthistle: Now I want to know where you live Anita. The photos are gorgeous!

>101 figsfromthistle: >102 mdoris: The photos are gorgeous - but I'm happy to admire them from the tropics. (Sorry - got a drippy nose and am not in the best of moods. Especially not to be hankering after cold climes.)

>102 mdoris: Thanks! We have not seen snow like that in a while. It was a year where Canada was really cold. Even Niagara Falls froze that year.

>103 humouress: Hi Nina! No snow here today. Just ice rain ;) Perfect reading weather.

Enjoy your tropical climate

92. Michelle Gable: The Bookseller's secret

Two alternating timelines and protagonists. One is of Nancy Mitford working in a bookstore during WW2 while trying to write her memoirs. The other recent timeline focuses on Katherine and her writer's block and her search for a manuscript that may or may not exist.

I enjoyed the 1942 timeline more. Quite a bit of research went into writing about Nancy Mitford. I learned something that I did not know before.

The recent timeline was not for me. I found Katherines behaviour and speech annoying. So much so that it interfered with the story.

93. Brunonia Barry: The Lace Reader

Elisabeth Towner reluctantly decides to come home to Salem after she is notified that her Aunt Eva is missing. When she comes home, she is forced to confront past ghosts and finds her "breaking" point.

I enjoyed the read. The last 100 pages were suddenly packed with a lot of action. The narration was not always clear ( what is real, what is memory and what is fabricated). Strangely, this worked for me. The "chase" scene did not work for me though.

N.B: In case you want to pick up this book because of lace reading-there is virtually no lace reading that occurs

3.5/5

94. Suleika Jaouad: Between two Kingdoms

Suleika is 23 years old when she discovers that she has leukaemia. Her life consists of hospitals, complications, treatment and a whole lot of guilt and anger. Suleika is left to fight for her life and find a way to move forward while everything seems to stay still.

Quite a well written and candid memoir. Most of it is focused on her time as a patient. The last 1/3 of the book is about her road trip. I also appreciated how Suleika incorporated the plight of the caregiver as well.

4/5- An excellent BB from Mark ( Thanks)

>107 figsfromthistle: I loved that book! Glad you enjoyed it, too. Happy weekend.

>108 Berly: Cool! Hope you have a fantastic Sunday :)

Hi Anita!

>89 figsfromthistle: Thank you.

>93 figsfromthistle: Excellent choices.

>101 figsfromthistle: Pretty pics.

>106 figsfromthistle: I’ve had The Lace Reader on my shelves for almost 12 years, just waiting for the right time. I’ve tagged it 2022 read, but I'm notorious for ignoring what's on my shelves and reading all the shiny new books that find their way into the house.

>110 karenmarie: Hi Karen!

I always get distracted by new release books as well. I do find that if I do not have a steady influx of books, I am somehow unmotivated to read books that are already on my shelves. Weird, I know :)

Hope you are having a fantastic Monday!

95. Julia Kelly: The Last garden in England

Three different timelines and five POV's tell a story about the creation, destruction and restoration of Highbury House Estate's garden in Warwickshire, England. Of course there is plenty of romance and scandal as well.

I really enjoyed this one.

3.8/5

Some great reading happening here, Anita. The Bookseller's Secret sounds interesting, but the problem with alternating timelines is that all too often both are not equally compelling.

I also have had The Lace Reader on my shelf for a long time.

>113 BLBera: Hey Beth!

The three timelines seemed equally compelling to me. One thing though, is that each timeline has so much potential that they each could be a separate novel.

Have a great Tuesday!

Good reading going on here, I see...I was enamoured of The Lace Reader back in the day. I love the memory, but I don't know if I'd like it now.

Anyway. Onward, from here to infinity...and beyond!

>115 richardderus: Hi Richard!



It's great to see you back!

Happy Wednesday!

>107 figsfromthistle: You are more than welcome, Figs. I am glad you enjoyed Between two Kingdoms as much as I did.

Happy Wednesday!

>118 msf59: Thanks :) I am enjoying the action at the suet feeder. So far lots of blue jays and red bellied woodpeckers.

96. Tana French: The Searcher

When retired cop, Cal Hooper buys a fixer upper cottage in a small town, the last thing he wants is to get involved in a missing persons case. He finds that the townspeople know exactly what happened and he is warned a few times to back away.

Good writing. More of a slow burn. Nothing exciting per se however, I did enjoy the time Cal and "the kid" spent together.

3.3/5

Happy Wednesday everyone! With everything going on and Christmas not far away I am really starting to feel it.

Grab a bench, sit down and relax a while :)

>121 figsfromthistle: That bench was made by and/or for Fred Flintstone, wasn't it.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>121 figsfromthistle: good idea!

Well, I just got hit by book bullets galore! Your thread is a dangerous place for me, Anita!

>93 figsfromthistle: Nice haul! Shuggie Bain is excellent.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>122 richardderus: You yabba dabba know it ;)

>123 mdoris: Glad you think so :)

>124 alcottacre: Glad I am able to return the favour for once ;)

97. Ann Patchett: the Dutch House

The Conroy family move into a mansion like home that once was part of a larger estate. For brother and sister, Danny and Maeve it feels like a fairytale. Until it all unravels.

Told from Danny's point of view as an adult, the reader is shown different memories and experiences of these two siblings throughout their childhood and adult life. Memories can be unreliable and the emotion attached to them can often influence what is or never was there in the first place.

Patchett's writing is simply beautiful.

4/5

I"m reading Patchett's recently published essays and they are wonderful.

>126 figsfromthistle: I still need to get that one. I am a huge fan of Patchett.

>127 mdoris: Hi Mary! I did not know that she published essays as well. I will definitely have to look into that.

>128 alcottacre: Patchett's writing never disappoints. Hope you have a great Thursday.

98. The Beekeeper of Aleppo: Christy Lefteri

Husband and wife, Nuri and Afra reluctantly leave their home in Syria and travel through various countries to find their way to England.

This book was written based on the authors experiences and stories she heard while volunteering at a UNICEF supported refugee camp in Greece. The author states that one of the main questions for the reader to keep in mind is: "What does it mean to see?" This is not a novel to read through quickly. It demands patience to really get immersed.

Please note: There is very little about beekeeping in here. It is more about the beekeeper. Although I did learn a fact or two about bees :)

4/5

HI Anita, oh yes please you must look into her essays (non fiction)!
Truth and Beauty I do know about this one and will read it some day.
What Now? read but can't remember.......oh yes based on a commencement speech....
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage have read and it's good!
and her brand new one These Precious Days presently reading and very good too!

And I really liked The Dutch House, although I saw mixed reviews here on LT.

>131 mdoris: Thanks for the info :)

99. Kimberly Stuart: Sugar

Charlie Garett has worked years as a pastry chef for a high end restaurant in New York. The long hours, emotional abuse and physical strain is only bearable because of the potential to take over as head pastry chef. However, the current chef seems to have changed his mind about retiring. Charlie's former colleague offers her an opportunity she can't refuse. However, she soon finds out that perfection and success comes at a price.

Perfect beach read (which would be even better if I was actually reading this at a beach)

3.5/5

100. Darby Kane: Pretty Little Wife

Lila Ridgefield is waiting for a call from the police. Just when the police do call, it's to ask about her missing husband. Not dead in the car where she left him. She must quickly find him, before all her plans fall apart.

This was interesting. If you like Lisa Jewell and Paula Hawkins or even Ruth Ware, then you will enjoy this debut novel.

3.5/5

101. Kristy Cambron: The Paris Dressmaker

Two fierce and lovestruck women join the resistance in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Both are passionate about art and haute couture and try everything they can to save, preserve and record what they can while finding secret information to help the resistance.

The book has a little bit of action and romance. Very well written. Each protagonists narrative jumps back and forth between different years, which took a little to get used to.

Quick read

3.3/5

Hope it's great!

>136 mstrust: Thank you, Jennifer! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas as well.

Happy Wednesday!



May you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Morning, Figs. I think I am done with Tana French, although I did love her earlier books. Hooray for The Dutch House. She is one of my favorites. I plan on getting to her latest essay collection soon.

Merry Christmas to you! Have a lovely and safe holiday.

>139 msf59: Hi Mark!

Her earlier books do seem better to me. I keep on holding hope that the next one of her's that I read will be like those in the past.

Have a wonderful Holiday as well!

Recently read. I don't have the energy or the time to review these ( sorry)



102. Young-ha-Kim: Your Republic is calling

What is a spy to do when after 15 years, he is called to come back home?

Great story, excellent writing although there is little action

3.5/5



103. Madelein Thien : Dogs at the Perimeter

I enjoy Thien's writing. Because of the subject matter, it was not an easy read. Timelines weave from the present day, Montreal to 1970's Cambodia. The way information is presented to the reader it seems to come in snippet form. Like memories, they can be out of order and depending on how one remembers one set, it can lead to how the next set is viewed. This worked out fantastically for me.

4/5

>130 figsfromthistle: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the mention, Anita!

>141 figsfromthistle: I also added Dogs at the Perimeter to the BlackHole as well.

Merry Christmas, Anita!

>142 alcottacre: Thank you. May you have a wonderful Christmas as well!

>141 figsfromthistle: #103 is a book-bullet for me as well as >142 alcottacre:. I've heard of Thien and would've sworn I owned one of her books but it seems not.

I'm sure to change that now!

>126 figsfromthistle: I have The Dutch House around here somewhere. Sounds like a good one and I love Patchett. Have to find it to move it up the pile. ; )

Thank you for the holiday wishes!! I haven't sent mine out yet. Thank goodness they are virtual here and not snail mail--I'm not late yet.

>144 richardderus: Hi Richard! I hope you enjoy this one. Thien won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and received the Governor General's Award for another novel Do not say we have nothing Which I enjoyed as well. Definitely, Dogs at the perimeter was more constricting and distressing as it deals with the Cambodian genocide.

>145 Berly: Yes Patchett is a great writer.

I sent out my "snail mail" a few days ago. I keep on forgetting just how close Christmas really is. I asked my wonderful postal office lady if there would be any Christmas stamps to put on the envelopes instead of the generic kind. I got a rightful " HA! At this time of the year?" -Ooops ;)

https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/d5/a2/d5a2ada47f63cf66369376c7a674368422f7345_v5.jpg 3x">

Anita all the best in 2022 with fabulous reading too!

>147 johnsimpson: thank you John! I wish you and Karen a wonderful Christmas and a Happy new year!

>148 mdoris: Thank you Mary! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Love the book tree :)

104. Sue Grafton: A is for Alibi

Kinsey Millhone is a 32-year-old Private Investigator. Nikkie Fife hires her to find out who really killed her husband even though she was found guilty and served a six year sentence for it.

First in the alphabet series. It was ok. Quick read. I suspect the next ones in the series will be much better.

3/5

Happy Holidays Anita

I added The Paris Dressmaker to my TBR list.

You read many wonderful books this year! I hope 2022 is just as rewarding.



This image is by Gennady Spirin, one of my favorite illustrators.

>151 Whisper1: Thank you Linda! Quite a wonderful image!

Hi Anita!

>150 figsfromthistle: I loved the series and hope that you get drawn in quickly.

>153 karenmarie: Hi Karen!

Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas as well.

Glad you loved the series. I was wondering if I should continue. I will give it another shot.

Happily the Holidays are cold here, so I won't be grumbling all over your thread. I wonder if a Grafton re-read needs to happen...it's been five years since she died, how is that even possible!

Time, you utter bastid.

Have a lovely holiday, Anita.

Happy Holidays Anita!

"Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain."
Zig Ziglar

With you and the group life is like a dance class - thank you.
I wish you and yours all the best in theese days and Merry Christmas!

>155 richardderus: Hi Richard! Time does fly by. I remember in High school the year dragged out. It seemed there was all the time in the world. Now I turn around and it's time to start a new year. Hope you are having a wonderful Holiday.

>156 ronincats: >157 PaulCranswick: Thank you Roni and Paul. Hope your holidays are merry

>158 quondame: Hi Susan! Happy Christmas to you and yours as well.

>159 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas! Merry Christmas !

These were our family ornaments this year and, despite COVID, a merry time was had by all. I hope the same is true for your holiday and here's to next year!!

I'm late to the game for holiday wishes but I will say an early Happy New Year, Anita. Do you have any snow left? We don't; the rain washed it all away!

>161 Berly: Thanks, Kim! Those are some clever/cheeky ornaments. I love them!

Due to the rise in Covid cases, I spent my holidays with my parents only. It was nice and relaxing.

>162 jessibud2: Hi Shelley! We had a lot of snow that required a snowblower just before Christmas. Then the rain came, and it was all gone. This morning there is a light dusting of snow.

105. Elizabeth Gilbert: The Signature of All Things

Alma Whittaker was born into a peculiar family. She was encouraged to think, learn and present herself with confidence amongst adults. There is no obstacle that a Whittaker can't overcome. Alma soon finds her passion as a botanist. However, her dedication to the pursuit of knowledge leaves her lonely.

There is much more to this book. I do not want to spoil anything. It is divided into five parts.The first part is dedicated to Alma's fathers life leading up to Alma's birth.

It was an enjoyable read for me. I found one part of the five to be a little stagnant. I quite enjoyed all the detailed descriptions of the collection and preservation of plants, seeds and mosses. I also enjoyed the discussion Alma has regarding other botanist's work and how some were reluctant to publish their ideas.

I am not sure if this book is for everyone however, I quite enjoyed it. Quite a talented writer.

4/5

>164 figsfromthistle: - Oh, I really liked that book! I listened to it as an audio and though I can't remember now who narrated, it was really well done!

Hi Anita, Thanks for dropping by. Great book reviews here. I've enjoyed so many insights on stories I wouldn't have thought to consider.
Best wishes for a healthy, bookish year to come.

>164 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, I remember really liking Signature of All Things when I read it a number of years ago. It got me so interested in mosses that I read Kimmerer's book Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses and it was very good too! We have lots of different mosses in our climate with all our coastal rain (now snow surprisingly!!!) so it made me sure view and appreciate them more.

>164 figsfromthistle: That sounds really good and I certainly enjoyed Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. WLed!!

>165 jessibud2: It really was a good book!

>166 SandyAMcPherson: It is lovely to see you here :)

>167 mdoris: Hi Mary! It is quite interesting because before I read this book, I was thinking about creating a moss garden along a forest path that I want to make. I got all excited about moss again and was wondering what I should read to familiarize myself with planting, and care. I shall have to look up Kimmerer's book. I can only image the beautiful mosses in your area!

>168 Berly: She is definitely a great writer. This one is quite different from Eat, Pray, Love.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Happy Wednesday!! Oooh! That's cool.

>170 figsfromthistle: The Invisible Mo`ai?

>164 figsfromthistle: I already have that one in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

Happy Wednesday, Anita!

>171 Berly: Thanks! It's the last Wednesday of the year :)

>172 richardderus: Ha! This is one of the Hoodoo's at Windy point in Mt. Lemmon.

>173 alcottacre: Hope your Wednesday is fabulous. I have the day off. I mucked out the chicken house and was supposed to do some household chores but I did not feel like it. Instead, I made myself a ginger tea and relaxed at the picture window. I really should get going on dinner though. My parents are coming over. Homemade battered fish filets with homemade french fries and coleslaw. Quick and easy.

>174 figsfromthistle: Sounds like a perfectly lovely Wednesday to me, Anita!

BTW - I finished Between Two Kingdoms tonight, which was one of your recommendations. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Thanks!

>175 alcottacre: Cool! I am glad that my recommendation worked for you :) It was a great memoir.

Sweet Thursday, Figs. I have been wanting to read The Signature of All Things since it first came out. I am hoping I can finally get to it early next year.

>177 msf59: Hi Mark! Hope you are able to make room for that one next year :) Have a great weekend!

Here is my final read of the year!



106. Andrews: Dark Intercept

Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson is at his retirement party, when an estranged friend calls him and asks him to investigate the kidnapping of his daughter. Jedidiah soon discovers that the girl has a special gift given by God and the bad guys wish to take advantage of her gift. Jedidiah does not know it, but soon he will be working with one of the most powerful secret groups in the world.

Surprisingly, there was a lot of action, killing and blood. The first half of the book was fast paced and interesting. The second half did not work for me as much. If you enjoy Christian mystery ( with a lot of killing and gore) then you may enjoy this. A good/evil story that emphasizes the importance of faith in everyday life. First in the series.

3/5

Happy new year! Please join me at the 2022 group!

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Happy new year, Anita!

Forget your stresses and strains
As the old year wanes;
All that now remains
Is to bring you good cheer
With wine, liquor or beer
And wish you a special new year.

Happy New Year, Anita.

>182 johnsimpson: >183 FAMeulstee: >184 PaulCranswick: Thank you, John, Anita and Paul. Happy New Year!