Lori (thornton37814) reads and stitches in 2024 - thread 2

Welcome to my second thread of the year.

I'm Lori Thornton, a librarian, genealogist, and cross-stitcher, residing in beautiful East Tennessee. My favorite genre is the mystery. I also enjoy historical fiction, although I'm not a huge fan of dual timelines which seem to be overused. I sing in my church choir. I usually manage to read over 100 books/year. I'm a little behind at the moment, but I'm hoping I can make up for lost ground.

I also participate in the category challenge so you may see the categories listed in my posts. I always include them in the opening thread for your reference. My categories are cross stitch design companies.

My 2024 categories are:

1. Country Cottage Needleworks - Cozy mysteries
2. Plum Street Samplers - Police & Detective mysteries
3. Rosewood Manor - History & Genealogy (or historical fiction)
4. Shakespeare's Peddler - Classics
5. Prairie Schooler - Children's Literature
6. Shepherd's Bush - Christmas books
7. Heartstring Samplery - Amish & Christian Fiction
8. Praiseworthy Stitches - Christian Non-Fiction
9. Blue Flower - Food & Garden
10. Sweet Wing Studio - Needle Arts
11. Blackbird Designs - Other fiction & literature
12. Ink Circles - Other non-fiction

Abandoned reads will go in the "My Big Toe" category.

Books 1-10

1. The Girls Who Fought Crime: The Untold True Story of the Country's First Female Investigator and Crime-Fighting Squads by Mari K. Eder - completed 6 January 2024
2. Penny for Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber - completed 12 January 2024
3. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny - completed 14 January 2024
4. The English Village: History and Traditions by Martin Wainwright - completed 14 January 2024
5. Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout - completed 17 January 2024
6. A Sampler View of Colonial Life by Mary Cobb; illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis - completed 23 January 2024
7. The Quilting Bee by Gail Gibbons - completed 23 January 2024
8. Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini - completed 25 January 2024
9. Vanishing Cornwall by Daphne DuMaurier - completed 26 January 2024
10. Praying God's Will for Your Life by Stormie Omartian - completed 28 January 2024

Books 11-20

11. Cold Threat by Nancy Mehl - completed 30 January 2024
12. Painful Passage, Joyful Journey: A Memoir, the Story of God and Me by Susan A. Cooper - completed 1 February 2024
13. Murder at Half Moon Gate by Andrea Penrose - completed 3 February 2024
14. A Love Discovered by Tracie Peterson - completed 8 February 2024
15. The Forgotten Recipe by Amy Clipston - completed 13 February 2024
16. Cat's Paw by Roger Scarlett - completed 13 February 2024
17. Hidden Scars by Mark De Castrique - completed 21 February 2024
18. Balladz by Sharon Olds - completed 26 February 2024
19. The Great Disappearance: 31 Ways to Be Rapture Ready by David Jeremiah - completed 28 February 2024
20. Murder, Simply Stitched by Isabella Alan - completed 29 February 2024

Books 21-30

21. Chenneville by Paulette Jiles - completed 5 March 2024
22. Borderline by Nevada Barr - completed 9 March 2024
23. Murder on Mustang Beach by Alicia Bessette - completed 13 March 2024
24. The Battle Plan for Prayer: Bible Study by Stephen Kendrick, Alex Kendrick, with Travis Agnew - completed 12 March 2024
25. Bramton Wick by Elizabeth Fair - completed 18 March 2024
26. Skirts: Fashioning Modern Femininity in the Twentieth Century by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell - completed 19 March 2024
27. 5-Ingredient Air Fryer Recipes: 200 Delicious & Easy Meal Ideas Including Gluten-Free & Vegan by Camilla V. Saulsbury - completed 30 March 2024
28. The School at the Chalet by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer - completed 31 March 2024
29. Cold Is the Grave by Peter Robinson - completed 2 April 2024
30. Woman, Captain, Rebel: The Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Icelandic Sea Captain by Margaret Willson - completed 13 April 2024

Book 31. Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney - completed 15 April 2024

Book 32. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Date Completed: 30 April 2024 (It may have been a few days earlier; I don't remember.)

Rating: 4 stars

Category: Country Cottage Needleworks

Source: Knox County Public Library audiobook

Review: This is perhaps the most fun mystery I've read in a long time. Vera Wong, proprietor of "Vera Wang's World Famous Teahouse" in Chinatown, only has one regular customer these days. The place is run-down and a bit grimy. She's lonley, and her son doesn't seem to spend much time with her. She's surprised when she goes down one morning and finds a corpse in her tea room. Before the police arrive, she very helpful outlines the corpse's body in Sharpie and takes the only piece of evidence that might make the police think it is murder. She has watched this on TV. How hard can it be? The perpetrator is likely to revisit the scene of the crime. She immediately comes up with suspects--a man saying he is a reporter, a woman saying she has a true crime podcast, the man's brother, and the man's widow who was accompanied by their small daughter. She begins her process of elimination. Readers (and listeners) will be amused by the story as it unfolds. As Vera gets to know her suspects, she doesn't really want it to be any of them. I figured it out early on even though I knew the solution might be a bit of a stretch. Turns out that was exactly what happened. I even figured out she broke into her own teashop when that happened. Even though the mystery itself may fall a little shorter than the rating I'm giving, the enjoyment pushed it up. It's one I'm unlikely to forget in the future.

Book 33. Song of the Closing Doors: Poems by Patrick Phillips

Date Completed: 30 April 2024

Rating: 3.5 stars

Category: Blackbird Designs

Source: University library book

Review: I enjoyed many of the author's poems, but several featured a little more booze, cigarettes, and cursing than my comfort level tolerates.

Happy new thread, Lori!

Happy new thread, Lori. Must be the latest in the year that you have gotten to before renewing your thread.

Happy new thread Lori!

HAppy new one!

>8 drneutron: Thanks.

>9 PaulCranswick: It's the latest in a long time! I'm behind on things because life is just busy right now. I started a chunkster in April, and I'm about halfway through it, I suspect, if that far. (It's over 1000 pages.) I have a few others in progress so I may have some completions soon.

>10 quondame: Thanks.

>11 figsfromthistle: Thank you.

>6 thornton37814: I am going to have to see if I can find a copy of that one! It sounds fun! Thanks for the review and recommendation, Lori.

Happy new thread! Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Lori!

Happy new thread, Lori. Good to see that you enjoyed Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders. That caught my eye in an airport bookshop and came home with me but I haven't cracked the covers yet.

Happy new thread, Lori!

>13 alcottacre: I hope you locate a copy and that you enjoy it as much as I did. Vera amused me. I listened to the audiobook, and I often found myself laughing out loud at her.

>14 SilverWolf28: >15 atozgrl: >17 FAMeulstee: Thanks everyone!

>16 Familyhistorian: I hope you get to it soon. It's not your typical mystery, but it is fun! I was telling a colleague about it, and she decided she wants to read it too.

Happy new thread, Lori! Have a wonderful Sunday!

>6 thornton37814: This does sound fun, Lori.

Happy new thread.

Happy new thread! Glad you enjoyed Vera Wong -- like you, I enjoyed it more for the characters than the mystery.

>19 SirThomas: Thanks

>20 BLBera: Several people who've already read it commented that they liked it!

>21 foggidawn: It was just a refreshing change from so many.

Book 34. The Coffee Corner by Amy Clipston

Date completed: 7 May 2024

Category: Heartstring Samplery

Source: Tennessee Reads digital audiobook

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Bethany operates the coffee corner in Bird-in-Hand's marketplace. Each Saturday morning Micah Zook and his grandfather Enos pay her a visit to sample her flavors. Two of her cousins married. One is temporarily on leave from the market; the other who just had a small child will be setting up her baking business at a stand at her home when the child is old enough for her to do so. Bethany's feeling that all the guys like her cousins but that she's just not the type they choose to wed. She's attracted to Micah, but Micah's running from his past--a bad relationship with his father and an engagement that ended with his beloved dying. Can he open up his heart to Bethany? I enjoyed this story. Clipston is quickly becoming one of my favorite Amish fiction authors because of her interesting stories.

>6 thornton37814: That one sounds fun!

>24 cbl_tn: I think you'll like it. It's different enough to make it entertaining.

Book 35. The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear

Date Completed: 8 May 2024

Category: Rosewood Manor

Source: Morristown-Hamblen library book

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Elinor DeWitt, aka MIss White, lives in a village in Kent. When her neighbor experiences threats from his family which is involved in organized crime, she wants to take action for his small daughter's sake. Although Dutch, she assisted in the English in espionage during the war, receiving a special "grace and favor" property for her assistance. She has the connections to provide help and the skills to help the family. This is one of those dual timeline stories, and it really doesn't work very well. The ending fell flat for me. This is not Winspear's best work.

Back on April 1, I reported the first few books of my Thingaversary haul. It was my 17th Thingaversary, so I am entitled to 18 titles. The first six were:

1. Bramton Wick by Elizabeth Fair (Kindle) - I read it last month.
2. Amish Houses and Barns by Stephen Scott - Library sale
3. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - Kindle
4. Above the Fire by Michael O'Donnell- Kindle
5. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore - Library craft exchange
6. All the Women of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer - Kindle

I've added a few since that time.

7. Edinburgh: A Traveller's Reader by David Daiches - Kindle
8. 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude: Beware of the Religious Impostors by Warren W. Wiersbe- Amazon purchase for upcoming Bible study
9. 2 John, 3 John and Jude by J. Vernon McGee - Amazon purchase for upcoming Bible study
10. 1, 2, 3 John & Jude: The Battle for Love and Truth by David Jeremiah - Amazon purchase for upcoming Bible study
11. Commentary on 1 & 2 Peter and Jude by Charles Spurgeon - Kindle purchase for upcoming Bible study

I didn't add touchstones for some of these because there are combination problems or problems with the way titles have been entered. Sometimes LT can be a headache, and this is one of them. As a cataloger, I want to follow the cataloging rules and not the way someone who doesn't know what they are doing combined something or decided to enter a title. I just didn't have time to do all the work right now.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/360644

>27 thornton37814: When I don't agree with LibraryThings version of the title or author I edit my own copy's entry to what I like. It doesn't change the title on the work, of course, but it makes me feel better.

>28 SilverWolf28: Thanks

>29 quondame: I know how to separate them, but it will take some time to do. Someone carelessly combined the Wiersbe book with his "Be series" book, Be Alert, just because the subtitle was what this one is. The Be Series book is more of a commentary. This is more of a study guide that one works through on their own. Two completely different works. I just can't live with it that way. There were problems with the next one too. I'll have more time next week to deal with that type of problem. My title imported properly from the library catalog I used in adding it to my collection. It's just that someone else's carelessness earlier made it frustrating. I could post the problem in the combining/separating group/thread (or whatever it is). I'm sure someone would do it for me if I asked.

Book 36. The Polite Penguin by Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by H. A. Rey

Date Completed: 9 May 2024

Category: Prairie Schooler

Source: donated collection of books at the library (one we are not keeping because of poor condition)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: A well-known children's author and well-known illustrator team up to tell and illustrate the story of Little Penguin's education in manners and politeness taught to him by Raccoon with the help of an ostrich, cat, and skunk. It's a cute book. The illustrations are mostly black and white with a few of the older type of color illustrations thrown in. The artwork is very reminiscent of the illustrator's style in the Curious George books.

Book 37. The Fiddler of High Lonesome by Brinton Turkle

Date Completed: 10 May 2024

Category: Prairie Schooler

Source: donate collection of books at the library (undetermined fate)

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The Fogle family lives atop High Lonesome. They make moonshine and like to hunt. One day a young distant relative whose parents died comes calling and is greeted by having his hat shot off. Because the boy doesn't know how to make moonshine and dislikes hunting, they declare he's no kin of theirs until they spot the fiddle he brought along. They decide he can stay. His music entertains crowds at the Saturday dances. Then one Saturday rumors that a neighboring still was busted up cause concern. The boy is left alone to find his way back up the mountain. He hears something in the woods and soon he has all the forest animals dancing. The Fogles make fun of him. What will happen next? I'm not giving away the rest of the plot. I loved this little picture book that has a very Appalachian flavor. The black and white illustrations are well done. It has aged well.

Too far behind here! LOL. Dropping a quick "Hello" and I'll try to keep up (if RL permits). Happy Wednesday!!

>33 Berly: I understand. I'm behind too.

Book 38. Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig

Date Completed: 15 May 2024

Category: Rosewood Manor

Source: University library book

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes aspires to be an archaeologist. She travels to Greece but discovers the men in charge of the digs do not want to allow women to do actual excavation work. They want her to perform a role more like a librarian or such. She fails the Red Cross course to become a nurse in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, but they need people so badly that she is able to work anyway. Her best friend now wants to enlist in the Spanish-American War as a Red Cross nurse to Cuba, but Betsy tries to take her place. She travels from Greece to Tampa, Florida where she talks her way into a Red Cross unit about to depart for Cuba. She finds the conditions deplorable and the treatment of injured soldiers abominable. There's a little romance thrown in. We see what a difference Betsy was able to make. I'll let you read the novel to see if she is able to achiever her dream of becoming an archaeologist. Willig's book is based on a true story, but she does take liberties which she outlines at the end. I've come to love Willig's books because she does a good bit of research about the topic.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/360905

Congrats on your Thingaversary, Lori. I find it harder to fill the additional books requirement as the numbers grow.

>35 thornton37814: I don't think I've ever read anything by Lauren Willig. Two Wars and a Wedding looks interesting.

Thingaversary? Congratulations!! How many? : )

>36 SilverWolf28: Thanks!

>37 Familyhistorian: It is hard to fill them. It gets pretty expensive too. I suspect you'll see a few more on Jude for that Bible study coming up. I've got to purchase the book we'll actually be using as well as the others I want. I would like to see if I can find them at McKays or Mr. K's before purchasing elsewhere.

>38 Berly: The Thingaversary was at the end of March--almost 2 months ago. I still haven't managed to purchase the requisite 17 + 1 for it. (17 years)

Book 39. Murder in a Teacup by Vicki Delany

Date Completed: 20 May 2024

Category: Country Cottage Needleworks

Source: Tennessee Reads audiobook

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Lily Roberts operates a tea shop on her grandmother Rose's bed and breakfast grounds. Rose's old friend Sandra and the entire family comes for a family reunion, mostly at the expense of Heather who has the money in the family. It's clear some family members don't get along that well with one another. One man (Ed) brings his own tea, purchased from a health store. He drinks some after an outside disturbance, and it become clear that someone tampered with his tea. With family dynamics as they are, almost any member of the family could be responsible. I enjoy the regular cast of characters--Lily, Rose, Bernie (Bernadette), and Simon (the gardener). There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested in the outcome. The audiobook's narrator did an AWFUL job. If I could have made it to the library to get a copy of the book soon enough, I would not have kept listening and read it instead.

Book 40. Blackberry Beach by Irene Hannon

Date Completed: 20 May 2024

Category: Heartstring Samplery

Source: Morristown-Hamblen Library book

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Katherine needs a break from the fame and lack of privacy her rising stardom brought with it. She goes to Hope Harbor along the Oregon Coast to re-evaluate her career options. Zach quit his corporate job and now owns and operates a coffee shop in Hope Harbor with two part-time employees. Zach's father's criticism of his son's decision hurts. Zach instantly feels an attraction to Katherine, but she just withdraws more when he tries to approach her. Zach's aunt Stephanie, recently retired, comes for a visit and is attracted to Frank, one of Zach's employees. Will she be willing to give up her New York City life to make it work? This was my first time reading this author. I look forward to reading others in the Hope Harbor series.

Book 41. The Adventures of the Missing Sock by Lizzie Lange; illustrated by Sally Elford

Date Completed: 21 May 2024

Category: Prairie Schooler

Source: University library book

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Did you ever wonder happened to all your missing socks? They are just enjoying their own adventures. This is a cute and nicely illustrated picture book.

Hi Lori my dear, a belated Happy New Thread dear friend.