Dudes22 Sews Up Her 2014 Reading - Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of my 2014 reading and quilting challenge. I've been having a good year so far.
My goal is 7 books in each of 14 categories based on quilting blocks and making one block each month to have a quilt done at the end of the year.

Category 1: 4 of 7 read - Log Cabin
Category 2: 5 of 7 read - Chimneys & Cornerstones
Category 3: 5 of 7 read - Pineapple
Category 4: 4 of 7 read - Bow Tie
Category 5: 5 of 7 read - Sunbonnet Sue
Category 6: 6 of 7 read - New York Beauty
Category 7: 5 of 7 read - Dutchman's Puzzle
Category 8: 4 of 7 read - Mariner's Compass
Category 9: 5 of 7 read - Bear Tracks
Category 10: 5 of 7 read - Nine Patch
Category 11: 6 of 7 read - Weathervane
Category 12: 5 of 7 read - Grandmother's Flower Garden
Category 13: 4 of 7 read - Woven Ribbons
Category 14: 4 of 7 read - Tic Tac Toe

Paper: 48
E-Book: 7
Library: 10
Overdrive: 2

Pre-2014: 51
2014: 4
Library: 12
Pearl Ruled: 2

GEO CAT:
Jan
Feb - The Pyramid by Ismail Kadare
Mar - In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Apr - Briar Rose by Jane Youlden
May - The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman
Jun - Breadfruit by Celestine Vaite
The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson
Jul
Aug - An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

MYSTERY CAT:
Jan - (detective) Butcher's Hill by Laura Lippman
Feb - (series) Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
Mar - (YA) - The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
Apr - (Nordic) - The Bat by Jo Nesbo
May - (Golden Age) - Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers
Jun - (Police Procedural) - Heat Wave - Richard Castle
The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt
Jul - (Noir) - Dying Light by Stuart MacBride
Aug - (British) - Mr Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
Sep - (Book Themed) - Booked to Die by John Dunning
Oct
Nov
Dec

RANDOM CAT:
Jan - Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman - book with doorway/arch
Feb - children's literature
Mar - Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg - book w/bird on cover
Apr - poetry
May - Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor - mother/daughter theme
Jun - The Perfect Scent by Chandler Burr - roses
Jul - The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett - books about books
- Bookscout by John Dunning
- Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
Aug - Village School by Miss Read - back to school
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Category 1: Log Cabin Block – This block is representative of the home. I read somewhere that a red square was placed in the center to represent the hearth which was often the center of the home. Books chosen for this category will have titles that are family oriented – mother, father, sister, aunt, home, family, etc.

1. Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg (finished 3/14, TBR)
2. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult (finished 4/14, TBR)
3. Back Home Again by Melody Carlson (finished 5/14; TBR)
4. Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah (finished 6/14; TBR)
5.
6.
7.

Potential Reads:
The Headhunter's Daughter by Tamar Myers
The Doctor's Wife by Elizabeth Brundage

Category 2: Chimneys and Cornerstones - This is a variation on the log cabin block. Since chimneys and cornerstones are tactile/actual things, I’ll be using this for non-fiction books.

1. Shelf Life by Suzanne Strempek Shea (finished 1/14; library)
2. Rural Free by Rachel Peden (finished 5/14; library)
3. The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson (finished 6/14; TBR)
4. The Perfect Scent by Chandler Burr (finished 6/14; TBR)
5. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison. Hoover Bartlett (finished 7/14; TBR)
6.
7.

Potential Reads:
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Glass, Paper, Beans by Leah Hager

Category 3: Pineapple Block – This is another variation of the log cabin block. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and friendliness and nothing's friendlier than food shared. I’ll be using this category for books/titles about food.

1. Butcher's Hill by Laura Lippman (finished 1/14; TBR)
2. Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio (finished 3/14, nook)
3. Breadfruit by Celestine Vaite (finished 6/14; TBR)
4. Rosemary Remembered by Susan Wittig Albert (finished 6/14; TBR)
5. Fictitious Dishes by Dinah Fried (finished 7/14; library)
6.
7.

Potential Reads:

Category 4: Bow Tie Block - Since this block looks like a man’s bow tie, I’ll be choosing books by male authors for this category. One of my verrrry open categories.

1. The Pyramid by Ismail Kadare (finished 2/14; TBR)
2. The Wild Girl: The Notebooks of Ned Giles, 1932 by Jim Fergus (finished 3/14; TBR)
3. Bookscout by John Dunning (finished 7/14; Overdrive)
4.
5.
6.
7.

Category 5: Sun Bonnet Sue – This category will be used for female authors. My other verrrry open category.

1. Something Old, Something New by Beverly Jenkins (finished 1/14; library)
2. The Shortest Distance Between Two Women by Kris Radish (finished 3/14; TBR)
3. The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly (finished 5/14; TBR)
4. Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer (finished 6/16; Nook)
5. Village School by Miss Read (finished 8/14; TBR)
6.
7.

Category 6: New York Beauty – This is another block which can have many variations and produce many different looks. This category will be for New York authors as I find them using the author profiles in LT. If the profile mentions NY as a residence, that’s good enough for me.

1. Bee Season by Myla Goldberg (finished 4/14; TBR)
2. The Morning Show Murders by Al Roker (finished 4/14; TBR)
3. The Midnight Show Murders by Al Roker (finished 6/14; TBR)
4. The Late Starters Orchestra by Ari L. Goldman (finished 7/14; TBR)
5. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley (finished 7/14; library)
6. Mr Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal (finished 8/14; Nook)
7.

Category 7: Dutchman’s Puzzle – I’ll be using this category for mysteries.

1. In the Woods by Tana French (finished 2/14; TBR)
2. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (finished 3/14; Nook)
3. Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers (finished 5/14; Nook)
4. The Maze by Catherine Coulter (finished 6/14; TBR)
5. Shadows in the Vineyard by Maximillian Potter (finished 8/14; Library)
6.
7.

Category 8: Mariner’s Compass Block – A mariner’s compass is a navigational aid consisting of a pivoted compass card that rotates so 0 degrees north points toward magnetic north (or so it says in the dictionary if I read it right). I’ll be using this category for books with a place in the title that is not the USA or about traveling.

1. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith (finished 2/14; TBR)
2. China Trade by S.J. Rozan (finished 4/14; library)
3. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor (finished 5/14; TBR)
4. An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor (finished 8/14; TBR)
5.
6.
7.

Potential Reads:

Category 9: Bear Tracks – This is supposed to look like a bear paw. I’ll be using this category for books/titles about animals.

1. The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton (finished 3/14; TBR)
2. In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (finished 3/14; TBR)
3. The Bat by Jo Nesbo (finished 4/14; nook)
4. Dog On It by Spencer Quinn (finished 5/14; nook)
5. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (finished 7/14; library)
6.
7.

Potential Reads:

Category 10: Nine Patch & Variations – The nine patch block is a simple enough block; in its simplest form it is 3 rows of 3 blocks each but there are many, many variations which can give a quilt many different looks. I’ll be using this category for books with numbers in the title.

1. The Eight by Katherine Neville (finished 2/14, TBR)
2. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich (finished 3/14; TBR)
3. 7th Heaven by James Patterson (finished 3/14; TBR)
4. Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt (finished 5/14; TBR)
5. 8th Confession by James Patterson (finished 8/14; TBR)
6.
7.

Potential Reads:
The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais

Category 11: Weathervane Block – I'm going to use this for books with titles that have weather related words in the title (i.e. clouds, sky, rain, etc)

1. In This Rain by S. J. Rozan (finished 3/14, TBR)
2. The Girl Who Remembered Snow by Charles Mathes (finished 3/14; TBR)
3. A Brewing Storm by Richard Castle (finished 4/14; library overdrive)
4. Heat Wave by Richard Castle (finished 6/14; library)
5. The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt (finished 6/14; library)
6. Dying Light by Stuart MacBride (finished 7/14; TBR)
7.

Potential Reads:
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Category 12: Grandmother’s Flower Garden – This is made from many hexagons which are supposed to look like flowers. Books with flower words in the titles or about gardens, etc will be put here.

1. Dandelions in a Jelly Jar by Traci DePree (finished 3/14; TBR)
2. Briar Rose by Jan Yolen (finished 4/14, TBR)
3. Alices's Tulips by Sandra Dallas (finished 4/14; TBR)
4. The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies by Susan Wittig Albert (finished 7/14; TBR)
5. Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach (finished 8/14; TBR)
6.
7.

Potential Reads:

Category 13: Woven Ribbons – I'm going to use this category for books/titles about crafts.

1. The Runaway Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini (finished 2/14; TBR)
2. Quilt As Desired by Arlene Sachitano (finished 4/14; TBR)
3. The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary and Sewing Circle by Lois Battle (finished 6/14; TBR)
4. Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil (finished 8/14; TBR)
5.
6.
7.

Potential Reads:

Category 14: Tic Tac Toe Block – If you look at this a certain way, you could say this is a variation of a nine-patch block. I’ll be using this category for YA and children’s books.

1. Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman (finished 1/18; TBR)
2. The Mysterious Benedict Society & the Perilous Journey Trenton Lee Stewart (finished 3/14; TBR)
3. A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman (finished 5/14; TBR)
4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman (finished 8/14; TBR)
5.
6.
7.

Potential Reads:

And here are the blocks I've made so far for my quilt:

OK - thread 2 now open

ETA: Some of my links don't seem to have carried over. I'll be working on fixing them.

Happy new thread! I love the pattern on that last picture you posted on the previous thread - beautiful!

I love the explanations for the blocks. My grandmother made several quilts which we used as ordinary blankets for years. I recognize several of the patterns.

Your blocks look wonderful. I really admire the handiwork and your patience, somehow it has always failed me when it comes to sewing.

Thank you all. I've been thinking about making my monthly blocks a little bit ahead of time, so I can actually get them put together and reveal the quilt at the end of the year even if it's not quilted. But I'll still only reveal once a month.

With a little patience, all my book links are now working too!

Book 31: Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas
Category: Grandmother's Flower Garden - books with flowers in title

This book is written as a series of letters from Alice to her sister Liz during the Civil War. She is living in Iowa with her mother-in-law while her husband is fighting for the Union Army. Lots of details about quilting are included, especially about quilting before all the conveniences we have now.

Happy new thread! :) The blocks look great all lined up together -- the finished quilt will be lovely indeed!

It was a great to see all of the different patterns again. Keep up the good work!

Love the quilt blocks that you finished up in your last thread. I've got Alice's Tulips in my TBR pile.

Thanks - I thought putting them all in a separate message near the top would be a good idea. But doing that I realized that I need to work on getting better photos of them.

Book 32: The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly
Category: Sunbonnet Sue - women authors
CATS: May Geo

Although published in 2003, the author mentions that when she was concluding her writing in 2001, she wondered how familiar people would be with the North-West Frontier of India and the border with Afghanistan. Unfortunately, many of us are now too familiar with that area. But had I read it when it came out, I probably wouldn't have realized how desolate the area was despite the description by the author as part of the story.

This third book in her Detective Joe Sandilands mystery series, finds Joe in the North-West Frontier of India. The series takes place in the early 1920s and i enjoy reading about the society and British view of the politics at the time. This time he is charged with keeping track of a young American woman who is visiting and determined to see the "real" India. While visiting the fort, the son of a Pathan tribal leader is killed while also at the fort. Thus the mystery begins - who did it, and why? And what retribution might be expected?

I enjoy this series and may try to get to the next one later this month if I can find time.

>31 dudes22: That one is my favorite of the books I've read in that series.

>32 cbl_tn: - Carrie - I ended up enjoying it although I found Lily quite annoying at the beginning. I've been reading about 1 of these a year, but may try to fit the next one in later this month/year.

I'm just getting to your new thread, and it is a beauty!

I hope your weekend is going well. Wishing you a great day!

Nice new thread - and at least one new BB (the Cleary book).

What a wonderful idea! I am glad I came over here and looked. Your quilt blocks are lovely! :)

I'll have to look for the Joe Sandilands series. I love reading mystery series set in different countries.

I've enjoyed them, Paulina, and have learned a bit about that time period in Inida's history besides.

Book 33: Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
Category: Bear Tracks - books with animals in title

When mysterymax read this last month, I was reminded that it was on my electronic TBR and would fit into this year's challenge. The book is told from the point of view of the dog Chet who is Bernie the PI's side-kick. A girl is kidnapped and Betnie and Chet are hired to find her. These books will be good for that quick, easy read for entertainment only.

I know that I've seen here that some of you use Abe Books and I had a question maybe someone can help with since I've never used them before. I was looking for a book and noticed that it said "print on demand" for some of them. Does that mean that they print a "real" book, or is it spiral bound or something like that? I'm buying it for a gift so want to make sure it's nice. Which is why I'm not buying used unless I have to.

>40 dudes22: - Betty, I haven't used Abe Books but your post about 'print on demand' caught my eye so I did some on-line research. According to Abe Books, some books made available through their website by third party sellers are 'print on demand' in that the books are not printed until an order is placed.

Here is the link to Abe Books policies, which mention the print on demand books: http://www.abebooks.com/docs/BooksellerPolicies/2.shtml

I hope this limited information helps you!

Thanks Lori - I was just trying to make sure that they are still "gift worthy" and not (for example) 8 1/2 x 11 stapled pages.

>42 dudes22: It will also depend on the source of the book. I investigated having a hard-to-find public domain book printed-on-demand, but the source was a university library copy that was scanned, complete with some student's underlined passages, torn pages, etc.

Book 34: Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor
Category: Mariner's Compass - books about travel or with foreign places in titles.
CATS: May Random

Although this book was not published until 2009, the events took place between 1998 and 2000, before Sue Monk Kidd had written her two best sellers The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair. Between 1998 and 2000, Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor made a series of trips to Greece and France. Sue was turning 50 and struggling with aging and wondering if she could be a novelist. Meanwhile her daughter Ann is struggling with the fact that she has been rejected for the graduate program that she wanted to pursue and wondering what career path to take now. They each kept journals while they were traveling and this book was the result, told in alternating chapters by Sue and Ann.

On a personal level, I found that Sue's part of the story resonated with me deeply. Aging gracefully, finding enough to keep busy and interested, remaining healthy, all these things went through my mind as I read. There have been two significant events in my life this year which have left me somewhat numb. In Feb I left the workforce permanently (by choice), and in March my youngest sister died from melanoma cancer only 5 months after she was diagnosed. I haven't written of this on LT before now because, even though everyone on LT is so supportive, I tend to be one of those people who internalizes everything and don't like to bother others with my troubles. Adjusting to both of these events has had me questioning where to go and what to do with the future. Although the book didn't give me any answers, it helped me understand better the process can take as long as it takes. A very timely read for me.

>44 dudes22: First of all let me say how sorry I am for your loss. I'm glad that you were able to find the right book at the right time in your life.

Oh, Betty, I'm so sorry to hear about your sister. I understand what you mean about internalizing things and not bothering other people. Of course you would not have been a bother to any of us, but I hope the fact that you are sharing now means that you are beginning to recover a little. I'm glad you found a book that spoke to you when you needed it.

Betty, I am also very sorry to hear of your loss. My sister battled cancer all of last year and although her battle was successful, I do know the toil this takes on the family. Like Sandy, I hope your sharing this means that you are beginning to recover.

I'm sorry to read of your loss. Thoughts and prayers are with you. My first cousin was just diagnosed with cancer, and his surgery is Monday. Although both the oncologist and surgeon are optimistic, we won't really know the prognosis until after the surgery. His mom died of cancer; my mom died of cancer; my mom's sister died of cancer; my mom's paternal grandmother died of cancer. It runs in the family, so it's a scary thing.

Thinking of you.

I am very sorry to read of the loss of your sister. My deepest sympathies.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts. Having a close family, both physically and emotionally has helped all of us greatly.

Oh no! I am very sorry to hear about your sister. Sending good thoughts to you and your family.

Book 35: Rural Free by Rachel Peden
Category: Chimneys & Cornerstones - non-fiction

When casvelyn gave this 5 stars, her description of the book had me check out the library and go right over to pick it up. And I loved it too. Subtitled "A Farmerwife's Almanac of Country Living", it's a compilation of some of her newspaper columns which were written starting in 1946. Set through the months of the year, her descriptions of farmlife had me feeling like I was standing at her shoulder viewing the scenes with her. I'll be definitely trying to find her other two books. And I think I'm going to try and find a copy of this for my sister-in-law for her birthday as I know she will love it too.

On a different note - I was looking over my Bookmooch wishlist yesterday ( and my save-for-later list) and realized that if no more books were ever written, I'd still have enough on my TBR and those lists to last the rest of my life. (Even before LT recommendations from all of you guys) In particular, there are so many series out there that could suck me in (or already have) that I need to rethink what I really want to read. So I think I'm going to do a "review and purge" to try and bring my lists under control. This week is supposed to be rainy/showers all week, so it might be a good time to start.

Betty, I purge my BookMooch wish list every so often, and while I always manage to delete a few dozen titles, it's usually that those books were ones I found elsewhere or checked out of the library. So not really reducing the number of books, especially since I'm always adding to it.

That's what I was doing yesterday, Kay, because I had been to a small library sale and wanted to take those books off my lists. That's when I realized how many are on there that I do want to read.

And even though I only got 5 books at the sale, it brought the total of physical books in the TBR back to where it was at the beginning of the year. (Sigh)

Ha! I am so with you. I think that that is a great triumph -- to be already in May and have the same number of books on the TBR as you had in January. Well done! Clearly you should celebrate by buying a few books!

#54-57 LOL at both of you! I've culled my LT wishlist a time or 2 and gotten rid of a (very) few books that no longer had any appeal. No pressure or guilt since these aren't physical books - yet - so the list can get as long as, well, there is no limit to how long it can get! And speaking of which, it just got a little longer since I added Rural Free, which sounds wonderful.

Betty, so sorry about your sister.

that that is a great triumph -- to be already in May and have the same number of books on the TBR as you had in January. Well done!

Agreed! Impressive!

Well - in the interest of full disclosure - my total number of books is up because I added some e-books before we went on vacation back in Feb. But I've been concentrating on removing the physical books. And I looked through my "to be read" collection and decided that I'm definitely going to do a purge of a bunch of books. I have a tendency when someone mentions a book/series that sounds good to start collecting every book by that author before I even know if I'll like the way they write. I think on some series I've started to collect that I'll try to read a couple of chapters to see if I might like the way the author writes and maybe that will help me decide what to keep.

Book 36: Back Home Again by Melody Carlson
Category: Log Cabin - book titles related to home/family

Quick read about 3 sisters who want to turn the family home into a bed-and-breakfast after their father dies.

Book 37: Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers
Category: Dutchman's Puzzle - mysteries
CATS: May Mystery

Despite hearing good things about this Peter Wimsey series, I had a lot of trouble getting into this first one. Maybe my mood - who knows. But I decided to give it up. Maybe I'll try another one later.

Whose Body? definitely starts slow but it does get better. Not great, mind you, but an improvement. Like you, I'll probably read another later but it's not something I'm rushing to do.

>62 dudes22: The first in the series is probably not the best.

Book 38: A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatramen
Category: Tic Tac Toe - YA books
CATS: May Geo (India)

A little background first: in January I read Padma's first book Climbing the Stairs for the Random Cat and liked it quite a bit. I think I had probably grabbed it at a library sale and stuck it in the TBR pile, and that seemed a good time to read it. Then I was visiting my sister at the library where she works and saw a notice that Padma was going to be at the library for Library Week in Apr, signing her new book which was due out the first of May. I had not realized in Jan that she was a local author and teaches at the local university. Her talk was very interesting as she talked about the background of her books and also some of her writing process. Now about the book:

Veda loves to dance and wants to be a Bharatanatyam dancer. When she wins a dancing contest she can hardly contain her joy. But on the way back from the competition, the bus she is riding in is in an accident and Veda loses the lower part of her right leg. She meets Jim, an American who is working in India to collaborate with a team to make cost-effective prosthesis and is going to make Veda one which will allow her to dance again.

This book is written in verse form which I thought was a little odd at first for a YA book. But it works very well and the book is very readable. It contains subtle emphasis on topics which young girls can relate to - body imagery, perseverance after disappointment, and even a little bit of romance. A 5 star read for me.

here's my block for May. This one is for the category Nine Patch & Variations. The nine-patch block is 3 rows of three blocks and the variation in my block is that the middle block is also 3 rows of 3 blocks.

>65 dudes22: How fun to discover that an author you enjoy is also local! I read a GeoCAT book this month that is also a YA book written in free verse. Maybe that's a new trend in YA literature?

Book 39: Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt
Category: Nine Patch & Variations - books with numbers in title

I was planning to read this for the Jun mystery and thought I'd get started on it this weekend, never thinking that I'd be unable to put it down and read other books. I quite liked this and think I'll go to the library tomorrow and pick up the next one for the June mystery Cat.

Forty Words for Sorrow hit me the same way. What a great setting, eh?

Your quilt is going to be so gorgeous when it's all sewed together, can hardly wait to see it.

Glad you enjoyed Forty Words for Sorrow, I hope you enjoy the next one which if I remember correctly didn't grab me quite as quickly as the first one did.

>68 dudes22: That happened to me with the May RandomCAT! It's surprising how a book can sneak up on you like that. Glad you liked Forty Words. My favourite in the series is By the Time You Read This.

I also loved Forty Words for Sorrow, but still haven't read the second book. Looking forward to your reaction to that one.

The quilt is coming along nicely - can't wait to see your next block.

>69 RidgewayGirl: - Kay - I hope not all his books take place in the winter!

>70 DeltaQueen50: - Judi - Thanks - I hope it works out. Not knowing where each block will end up in the overall plan has me "stressing" over which fabrics to put in each block. I think once I finish June, I'll have a better idea. I picked up the second book by Blunt at the library yesterday and will be saving it til next week so I can use it for the mystery Cat.

>71 rabbitprincess: - rabbit - I saw that at the library but I'm going to read in order so it might be a year or two before I get to that one.

>72 sjmccreary: - Sandi - I did get #2 and will be reading it in June.

I loved Forty Words for Sorrow, too, and have bought the next in series.

Book 40: Heat Wave by Richard Castle
Category: Weathervane Block - books w/ weather in the title
CAT: June Mystery - Police Procedural

The author of this book is actually a fictional character. Richard Castle is the main character in the TV show "Castle" which is about an author who follows a NY police detective as research for a book series he is writing the first of which is Heat Wave which is about a journalist following a police detective for background for a story. And, as far as I know, no one has figured out who is writing these books yet.

With a story about as long as a TV show, this is not literature, but a fun read. The tone of the first few pages struck me like a Sam Spade or Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer speaking, fedora low over the brow. I'll probably read some more of these.

>75 dudes22: I've downloaded the audio of that one and I'll probably listen to it next weekend while I'm on the road. I'm a fan of the TV show and I'm looking forward to finally reading one of the books. I'm glad to know that you enjoyed it!

>76 cbl_tn: - Carrie - I'll be interested in how the audio is. I think someone in a review said that the reader even sounds like Nathan Fillon (Castle).

Book 41: The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt
Category: Weathervane Block - weather related titles
CAT: Jun Mystery - Police Procedurals

Since I finished the first book in this series before Jun started, I decided to continue with the second one for one of my books for the Cat this month. Although not quite as suspenseful as the first book, I still enjoyed this next book in the series. This time a murder relates to events from 30 years ago. As an American and not that familiar with Canadian history, I'm assuming that the events mentioned were actually part of the political events which took place and so I learned a little bit about Canadian history at the same time as I enjoyed this book. The ending was somewhat unsatisfactory and I can only wonder if it's related to future books. Guess I'll just have to wait and see. I'm tempted to press on with book 3, but will try and wait as I have many other books that need my attention.

Betty, I'm glad to hear you liked The Delicate Storm. I probably won't be reading it right away -- waiting for next year, when in will count as a ROOT. :)

Terri - I've been known to do that too :)

Book 42: Breadfruit by Celestine Vaite
Category: Pineapple Block - food related titles
CAT: June Geo - Islands and Bodies of Water

Taking a place in Tahiti, this story of Materena Mahi reminded me of the Ladies Detective Agency books. When Pito, the father of her children and with whom she has lived for 12 years, proposes while he's drunk, Materena begins to think about getting married. Fun, light read.

this story of Materena Mahi reminded me of the Ladies Detective Agency books Ooh! You've got me interested there!

adding - Ordered it for my Kindle - plane read! Did you know their description of the book also refers to Precious Ramotswe?

Yes - I think I did notice that. I think this one is supposed to be the middle one of a trilogy, but I don't think it matters in what order you read them. I read Frangipani last year but I can't say this one "follows" that one. Hope you enjoy it. Will be looking to see what you think.

Book 43: The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary and Sewing Circle by Lois Battle
Category: Woven Ribbons - books/titles about crafts

When a lingerie factory is shut down in a small town in Alabama, all the women are out of a job. They are placed in the Displaced Homemaker's program at a local small community college. The woman who is running the program is an Atlanta Society wife who has been through a divorce and needs a job. This was a good read for a day on the porch with a nice tea.

Book 44: The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson
Category: Chimneys & Cornerstones block - non-fiction books
CAT: June Geo - Islands and Bodies of Water

A very interesting look at lobster fishing off the coast of Maine. Subtitled "How Fishermen and Scientists Are Unraveling the Mysteries of Our Favorite Crustacean", it's actually a very readable book and not just scientific facts and figures about different studies that were done to determine not only the life cycle of lobsters, but also the various oceanic variables that determine how plentiful lobsters are and will be in the future.

>85 dudes22: - definitely adding this to my wishlist. I loved his sushi book and the lobster one sounds right up my alley.

I'm happy to see your positive reviews of Giles Blunt's books. I've had Forty Words for Sorrow on my shelf for a while and you're motivating me to pick it up sooner rather than later.

>86 LittleTaiko: - I don't realize he had a sushi book. I might need to check that out.

>87 mathgirl40: - the mystery cat this month has me wanting to indulge in just mysteries. Police procedurals are some of my favorite mysteries. Maybe after I get through the 3 books I'm reading now, I'll pick up a few more.

>84 dudes22: I have to be in the right mood to enjoy that type of book. I've recently read one so it will be just a little while before I manage to get back to one.

Book 45: Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah
Category: Log Cabin - books/titles about home/family

This is the story of 2 sisters who have been estranged for many years and are now trying to reconnect.

Book 46: The Midnight Show Murders by Al Roker
Category: New York Beauty Block - NY authors

The second book in the Billy Blessing series about a New York chef ( this time in LA to co-host a talk show) when a murder takes place and it seems like he was supposed to be the person murdered.

You're making me think I need to pick up a nice summer mystery soon!

Book 47: The Maze by Catherine Coulter
Category: Dutchman's Puzzle - mysteries

The second book in Catherine Coulter's FBI series. I read one of these a couple of years ago and liked it enough that I wanted to go back and start the series from the beginning. I had a couple of ideas as I was reading of how the story was going to be resolved which turned out to be WRONG! There was one thing that I didn't think was concluded satisfactorily, but maybe that's because it will appear in a future book.

This one has been in my TBR since I first started keeping track of my TBR in 2009, so YEAH! But who knows how long it was really there?

So I'm off this morning before it gets too warm to pick some strawberries and then make some jam. One of my favorite things to do in the summer.

>94 dudes22: YUM! Strawberries are gone here. Glad you all still have them.

They just opened up the picking places here last week. I made 2 batches of jam today, one plain strawberry and one strawberry rhubarb. I probably could have made one more batch but wasn't sure I had enough sugar. So strawberry shortcakes for dessert tonight ant lots of strawberries for cereal in the a.m. I LOVE strawberry season. I'll probably go pick one more time and freeze some for next winter.

Mmmmmm strawberries! We had some with whipped cream for dessert today. Have to get some more. Then it will be time for local cherries and blueberries and peaches!

Mmmm!!! Strawberry Shortcake! That was one of my mother's specialties! & my jam-making friend gave me a bunch of her jam and the strawberry-rhubarb jar is just too small! I'm halfway through it already! Last years season though. There's hope for more.

Good for you for moving stuff off your TBR! Mine is just as bad as yours. Some poor books have been languishing for years.

Strawberry rhubarb is my favorite filling for a stiffed croissant. I lived on those things during my Uni days. ;-)

I saw some reviews that said that strawberry rhubarb jam didn't taste a lot of rhubarb and they were right. I wanted to try it but I'm not overly impressed. Tastes mostly just like plain strawberry. I think it's all the sugar that masks the tartness of the rhubarb.

Book 48: Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer
Category: Sun Bonnet Sue Block - women authors

Rather than one of her romances, Envious Casca is one of Georgette Heyer's mysteries, the second one in the Inspector Hemingway series. This one is a "locked room" mystery. Jospeh Herriard has invited a group of people to Lexham Manor where he has lived off the largess of his brother Nathaniel for the past two years. Nathaniel is somewhat of a curmudgeon and isn't happy to have these people in his home. They include - nephew Steven with his fiancé, niece Paula and a play writer friend, distant cousin Mathilda, and Nathaniel's business partner. When Nathaniel is found dead in a locked room, Inspector Hemingway from Scotland Yard is brought in to find the killer. Lots of drama.

Just checking in to see if June's quilt block is finished yet.

Can you make jam using less sugar? My aunt gave us a few jars of the stuff she made because my uncle is supposed to watch how much sugar he eats. It was a lower proportion of sugar (half as much?) and while it wasn't as solid as usual, it was much more delicious. And we buy a commercial jam that promises to be 70% fruit.

>103 RidgewayGirl: I was taught in school that the sugar serves mostly for conservation, to make it keep longer. If you use only half the amount of sugar and add more pectin (by way of a little apple or lemon juice), it will be firm. In Germany they sell "Gelierzucker" for the sole purpose of making jam, it already has pectin in it. There's even a version for three parts fruit, one part sugar, but that should really be eaten soon.

>102 sjmccreary: - Sandi - it's done. I need to take a picture and post it. I'll probably get to that today or tomorrow.

>103 RidgewayGirl: - Kay - Sugar acts as a preservative in jam/jelly so they don't recommend reducing the sugar. There is a commercial pectin powder that uses less sugar, but it does make a softer jam/jelly. And I think it doesn't last as long so you need to use the jelly sooner.

>104 MissWatson: - Birgit - that's interesting. Is that for canned jams/jellies or for the ones for the freezer? I can see that if you're planning to use it right up the you could probably reduce the sugar, but I wonder what happens when you can them? I really would hate to poison someone if it deteriorated in the jar.

>105 dudes22: We use it for jams. Clean the fruit, cut it into small pieces, add the sugar, bring to the boil and cook for approximately three or four minutes, then ladle it into storage jars. They used to have rubber rings and lids with spring clips to ensure a vacuum, nowadays we recycle storebought twist-off glasses. I like the Bonne Maman jars, they're wide enough at the top for easy filling (and emptying). Freezing jams is new to me, however...

I've never tried freezer jam myself, but the directions with the pectin tells how to do it.

If you made the jam with less sugar, it would be softer, but that might be OK - it would taste very good. But as for losing the preservative aspect of the sugar, would you still need to do more than sealing the hot jars? How about storing them in the old fridge (you know - the one many of us have in the garage or the basement for overflow, or beer, or whatever)? Would the combination of a sealed jar and the cold storage make up for the reduced sugar enough to keep the jam safe to eat for an extended amount of time?

I'm not sure about the fridge. When I used the reduced sugar pectin, I thought the jelly was quite a bit softer than I liked. And I think you really have to pay attention to the limit on how soon you should use them. I usually give a lot of jars away since just hubby and I would never go through all the jelly I make and I try to mark a "use by" date on them. I guess I could email the pectin maker and ask them.

Got the picture taken of the quilt block for this month - then left the camera downstairs (basement sewing area). Will probably post later today or this evening. Also need to do it on the old laptop since I still don't think there is a way to do it from my iPad.

?? I'm no expert but my friend who gives me jam reduces the sugar some and I know she uses more pectin to make up for it. Hers last just fine until you open them. Once you open them, yup, you want to use them up quick, but I've had the previous season's jams and they've been fine. & yes, what's the point of rhubarb if it isn't tart!

I noticed a news item that the UT Agricultural extension is offering a series of 3 canning classes on our campus at a cost of $20 per class or $50 for the series. I've made preserves. I used the directions on either the jar or in my old cookbook that has such things with adaptations. I'll be out of town for the one in which I had the most interest so I probably won't go.

Just served hubby breakfast including the strawberry/rhubarb jam and I got high marks for color and taste. Bacon from my brothers pigs and eggs from his chickens. Left a jar of jam for my brother the other day when he asked me if I could go collect eggs, and he called to say it was good also.

>112 dudes22: Sounds like a good "local" breakfast!

Book 49: Rosemary Remembered by Susan Wittig Albert
Category: Pineapple Block - food titles

Another book in the China Bayles series. I figured out this one on about page 33 which meant I found it annoying that the characters didn't see what I did in the clues. But I've very rarely right when I think I've figured it out early in the book.

I'm still trying to finish my Random Cat book for this month but it's non-fiction and so a little slower to read. Only about 75 pages to go, so I should concentrate on this over the weekend and not start one of the books I brought home from the library yesterday.

ETA: Block picture - later today - I promise.

>112 dudes22: - What a wonderful breakfast! I agree, strawberry rhubarb should be slightly tart in taste. Otherwise, you might as well just make strawberry jam. Glad to see your most recent jam got the thumbs up. ;-)

I can see the jam lasting until opened. I grew up with all the vegetables my mom canned -- they lasted just fine, so jam should too. The advantage of the stuff made with less sugar is that is is tastier and you can spread it a little thicker.

I couldn't bring myself to add all the sugar asked for the first time I made Freezer Strawberry Jam. The jam was pretty runny but no one complained. We used it as a syrup on pancakes as well as jam, it had the consistency of honey and you had to be careful that it didn't run off your toast, but the flavor was wonderful and everyone gobbled it up. Now when I make freezer jam I try to add all the sugar that is called for, but it sure is a lot!

Well, here it is: The block for June is the Dutchman's Puzzle block



Sorry the picture isn't that great. Now that I've got six blocks done, I think it's time to start thinking about how I'll put it all together.

Book 50: The Perfect Scent by Chandler Burr
Category: Chimneys and Cornerstones Block - non-fiction
Cat: June Random - Roses

Chandler Burr is the T: The New York Times Style Magazine scent critic and between 2004 and 2006 he reported two stories, one for The New Yorker and one for the New York Times. One was a look at the creation of a perfume for the the legendary store Hermes, and the other the creation of a perfume by Coty for Sarah Jessica Parker. I am by no means a perfume obsessive person but I found the information in this book very interesting. How the perfumers create the formulae for the fragrances, synthetic vs. natural elements, packaging, selling, adding new elements to the line are all very fascinating. He also compares various perfumes, the ideas they are intended to convey and how successful or not they are/were.

The chapters alternate between the creation of both perfumes - one in Paris and one in New York and the people involved in each process. Some of it gets a little technical, but mostly very readable. One thing I would have liked would have been to have some of the scents available to smell as he was explaining the scents. Like how they added more of this to make it smell more that, etc. He talks about scents for both men and women and how they have evolved over the decades. The most successful perfume commercially, still on the top international lists after ninety-five years (at the time the book was written) is (drumroll) ...Chanel No. 5.

That sounds interesting. I'll look out for The Perfect Scent.

Yay, June block! Looks great! I will be interested to see how you decide to put all the blocks together.

What a fun block! I like the geometric pattern.

>120 RidgewayGirl: - Kay - I enjoyed it a lot

>121 rabbitprincess: & 122 - thanks. I might try one of the harder blocks this month.

And here's my Quarterly Summary:

I'm actually right where I should be for the half-way point of the year. I'm hoping to get a little ahead over the next couple of months; a fudge factor for the busy holiday season. And my categories are nicely spaced out. I'm leaving my wiggle room in my male and female author categories so I'll be sure to have a space for the Random Cats if I can't fit them in anywhere else.

Quarterly summary:

Log Cabin - 4of 7
Chimneys and Cornerstones - 4 of 7
Pineapple - 4 of 7
Bow Tie - 2 of 7
Sunbonnet Sue - 4 of 7
New York Beauty - 3 of 7
Dutchman's Puzzle - 4 of 7
Bear Tracks - 4 of 7
Mariner's Compass - 3 of 7
9 Patch - 4 of 7
Weathervane - 5 of 7
Grandmother's Flower Garden - 3 of 7
Woven Ribbons - 3 of 7
TicTacToe - 3 of 7

Total Read: 50 of 98
Total not finished they were so bad - 2

Best Reads of Quarter - Fiction
A Time to Dance - Padma Venkatrman
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Best Reads of the Quarter - Non Fiction
Rural Free by Rachel Pabon
The Perfect Scent by Chandler Burr
Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor

Worst Reads of Quarter:
When in Rome by Gemma Townley
Whose Body? By Dorothy Sayers

Book 51: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Category: Bear's Paw - animals in title

I saw this on the shelf at the library and decided I should pick it up and give it a try. I like the battered hero well enough, but I can't say the story was gripping such that I couldn't put it down. There are other PI series I like better. I do like the dynamics between him and his secretary and will read the next book just for that.

Book 52: The Late Starters Orchestra by Ari L. Goldman
Category: New York Beauty - NY Authors

A memoir by Ari Goldman, who was a journalist for the NY times and a teacher at Columbia, who wanted to take up the cello again and play for friends for his 60th birthday. He also gives a condensed history of the cello and some of the music which was written for the cello and also his son's journey with playing the cello. Although I enjoyed the story overall, I found some of it a little self-indulgent. I wanted to read this because I've always loved the cello and was wondering if it's too late to try and learn to play. Not having the opportunities available that he did living in NY, I'm still not sure.

>126 dudes22: It did bog down a bit in places. You probably put the finger on why with your word "self-indulgent." It wasn't a bad book, but it was far from being great.

At least it was a quick read.

Sorry the last two books were a bit disappointing, but at least I didn't get hit by any book bullets this time! Wishing you some better reading soon.

Katie - I saw a comment in a review of the Galbraith book that said if it hadn't come out that this was written by JK Rowling under a pseudonym, it wouldn't have gotten a lot of attention - and I think that's true. Glad I only got it from the library. I actually think that it was the secretary who was the best character in the book, so I'll read the next one to see what happens before I make a decision on whether to keep going or not.

>130 dudes22: The first Galbraith novel did not check out well here in spite of all the publicity that it was J. K. Rowling that wrote it. We haven't ordered the most recent one yet. In fact, the only person who inquired about it told us he was downloading it so we know that is one less check out. We're kind of waiting to see if anyone else in interested before ordering it. I think that the other person who read it the first time mentioned being disappointed in it.

That's interesting Lori. I guess I thought there was a lot more hoopla about it. Like I said - ok story, just nothing special as mysteries go.

I've become obsessed with sorbettos. Made from just liquified fruit, sugar, water and sometimes a little lemon juice and processed in my ice cream machine, they're a little sweeter and not as icy as granitas. I had some leftover strawberries from my picking/jam-making that I used. Then I found a cantaloupe at a local farmstand (although it's kind of early for local melons, so probably not local) so I did cantaloupe. And yesterday I liquified watermelon and I'll process that later today. I tried to go raspberry picking yesterday to make more jam, but couldn't get very many so I may need to try another place later this morning. There aren't very many places that have raspberry picking around here. And blueberry picking has started so next week will be blueberry jam making.

I also downloaded a short story by John Dunning for the mystery Cat and at only 25 pages, I'm planning to sit for a while this afternoon on the deck and get some reading done.

Book 53: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
Category: Chimneys and Cornerstones - non-fiction
CAT: Random - books about books

Filled with information about book dealers and book thieves and books, this book is a look at the world of rare books and their acquisition by both legal and illegal means. The author spent a lot of time with John Gilkey, book thief, and with Ken Sanders, rare book dealer and "bibliodick" who was obsessed with catching him. Lots of interesting information mixed in with the story.

You're moving right along, Betty!

Thanks Terri. So far I'm right where I should be to complete my challenge by the end of the year.

Book 54: Bookscout by John Dunning
Category: Bow Tie Block - male authors
Cat: Random - books about books

I hesitate to call this a book as it's only a short story, about a book scout in Denver. In the introduction, the author talks about short stories in general which was very interesting, so if you usually skip the intro - read this one.

Book 55: Fictitious Dishes by Dinah Fried
Category: Pineapple Block - Food

I happened to see this book in the new non-fiction section at the library yesterday and decided to pick it up because of the conversations that we've had over on Lori's (ikernagh) thread this year about food in books.

The author started the book as a design project while she was at The RI School of Design and then got so interested that she continued and this book is the result. On each set of facing pages, she has a literary passage on the left page and a photo she has cooked and composed on the right page. Under the passage from the book, she has included a few "footnote" facts - some about the book, some about the author, and some are interesting facts about the food. I quite enjoyed this book.

Food? We really discuss food on my thread? ;-)

Very interesting book concept!

Some of the footnotes were very interesting.

I just realized that it's getting toward the end of the month and I haven't started my quilt block yet for this month. My quilting area is in the basement and I hate to spend time there when the weather is good outside. Maybe tomorrow since they say it might rain.

Book 56: Dying Light by Stuart MacBride
Category: Weathervane Block - weather related titles
CATS: July Mystery - Hard Boiled & Noir

This second book is the DS Logan MacRae series is definitely dark and sometimes pretty gruesome. Even though it's 500+ pages, it seemed to take an awfully long time to read. I was almost bored with it at times and I'm not sure why. A very dysfunctional group of people. And - having said all that - I'll be continuing with the series - probably reading book 3 sometime next year.

Too hot to do much outside today, so I got my quilt block for this month done and will post the picture of it this weekend.

I am hoping to read the first book in the DS Logan MacRae series later this summer. What did you think of Cold Granite compared to Dying Light - better or kind of the same?

Better in that I don't remember it as being as gruesome. Since the first one in a series always needs to introduce all the characters and, at least, give them some backgrounds, I think the mysteries in the first of a series aren't as detailed usually. Be interesting to see what you think when you read it.

Book 57: The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies by Susan Wittig Albert
Category: Grandmother's Flower Garden - books with flowers in title

This is the second book in the Darling Dahlias series about a garden group in the 1930s who solve mysteries. I enjoy reading about these women in a small Alabama town during the depression. The prices of things, descriptions of the clothes, the mention of ladies wearing hats when they go out are all so different than what we see now make it a lot of fun to read about. As well as the support and friendship they have for each other.

Book 58: Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
Category: New York Beauty Block - New York Authors
CATS: July Random - books about books

Quick read about traveling bookseller.

>144 dudes22: Oh, I enjoyed that one when I read it a few years ago. I've still got The Haunted Bookshop waiting for me.

>143 dudes22: I like her series with Beatrix Potter as the sleuth.

My Block For July is the Chimney and Cornerstones Block:



I think that's just about all the easy blocks that I'm going to make. The rest are ones I've either never made berfore or that I know take more work and different shapes. No more waiting till the month is almost over.

>145 cbl_tn: - I have that one in my TBR too. Maybe next year?

>146 mysterymax: - I'm also reading her China Bayles series. Maybe I'll try one of the Beatrix Potter ones when I get a chance.

>147 dudes22:
That's very pretty!

Betty, I'm loving the quilt blocks! I look forward to the unveiling every month. They are wonderful!

Yay, quilt block! The whole thing is going to be beautiful!

Love the idea of fictitious dishes. I may have to look for that one! & yes, I love the quilt block too.

>149 -Eva-: >150 sjmccreary: >151 rabbitprincess: >152 cammykitty:. - thanks guys - this has been an interesting project so far.

I have a busy quilting month this month. I have a table runner that I need to finish for a bridal shower in a couple of weeks and a baby quilt that I need to make a lot of progress on. (I think the baby shower might be in Sept.)

Betty, baby quilts are the best. My aunt made each of my children one and they were in constant use for many years. My son, who is now ten, still keeps his on his bed. I loved how they were beautiful, unique and amazingly sturdy. Your quilt will be a big hit.

I was talking to a friend who was saying that she was hand quilting a quilt for her furture grandchild (I machine quilt baby quilts), and when I mentioned how much work that was, she mentioned that it was going to hang on a wall and not be used. I want mine to be used - beach, picnics, watching TV, throw it on the floor for them to play on. Then throw it in the washing machine.

#155 Absolutely! I hand quilted a baby quilt for a friend many years ago. I hand-pieced it, too. When I gave it to her, I also gave her machine washing instructions and insisted that she USE it, and offered to do repairs if any of the stitching came open. The most lovely of all quilts are the ones with frayed binding from years of being used and loved.

That was a big undertaking, Sandi. I admire people who hand piece and quilt, but I've decided it's not for me. I usually have too many things I want to get done, so machine piecing and quilting helps me finish faster.

Yeah, I don't do much hand work anymore, just for the reason you gave. But I always found hand sewing to be relaxing.

That's true - I did a lot of counted cross stitch until my eyes got so bad that I was making a lot of mistakes.

Yes, well, that's another reason I don't do so much anymore. My grandma used to have a magnifying glass that she kept next to her chair and used when she read or did anything small. It's getting close to the time for me to get one of my own, I think.

>159 dudes22: >160 sjmccreary: I've also had to cut down on cross-stitching because of my eyes. I love working with linen but the last project I did took me so long to finish as I kept putting my needle into the wrong holes. I might try a magnifier, though.

Anyhow, I enjoy seeing your latest quilt blocks, and I'll have to check out Fictitious Dishes. The members of my parent/child book club love bringing book-themed food to our meetings.

>161 mathgirl40: - Paulina - I have ad eyesight anyway and I went through using one of those magnifiers that can be attached to a table, one that hung around my neck, and then I used the higher magnification reading glasses, but eventually just decided that I had to quit. Even now I need extra help to sew the bindings on my quilts ( reading glasses at +3.5 magnification. My husband laughs to see 2 pairs of glasses on my nose at once.

As small as it was, I'm thinking that Fictitious Dishes might end up being one of my favorite books this year. I'd even consider giving it to someone as a gift if I could think of anyone who would enjoy it.

Book 59: An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor
Category: Mariner's Compass - books about travel or with foreign places in titles.
CATS: August Geo - Western Europe

Second book in Taylor's series about a young man who is apprenticing to be a general practitioner in Ballybucklebo, a small village in Ireland. In this book he's waiting for the autopsy results of a patient who he had initially misdiagnosed, and so he's concerned that it's his fault the man died. Meanwhile there are other patients to see and other village problems to solve. I'm a big fan of this series and have book 3 An Irish Country Christmas in my planned reads for December.

Book 60: Village School by Miss Read
Category: Sunbonnet Sue Block - Women Authors
CATS: August Random - back to school

Lovely story about a teacher in a small town in England.

>164 dudes22: Glad you enjoyed your venture with Miss Read.

An Irish Country Village sounds like a nice cozy read. Ballybucklebo? That's a funny name. Must be made up!

>165 thornton37814: - yes. I'm planning to continue and looked to see what they had at the library. Not sure I'll fit any more in this year, but definitely on my wishlist.

>166 cammykitty: - I'm guessing it is, but it's a great name.

Book 61: If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Category: TicTacToe - YA & children's book

I pulled this off my TBR pile after I saw a trailer for the movie which is coming out soon. Mia and her family are in a car accident and Mia is the only one who survives. It's an out-of-body experience where she has to decide whether to stay or go. Lots of flashbacks to her life and her boyfriend. The movie doesn't interest me, but I thought I might as well get it off my TBR since it fits into one of my categories.

Love the July quilt block, Betty. I am really looking forward to seeing the final result, I know it's going to be gorgeous.

I am also enjoying the irish Country Doctor series, I usually buy the book and pass it along to my Mom first as she loves this series. My next one will be the fifth in the series, An Irish Country Courtship. I also love Miss Read and find her books the ones I usually turn to when I need a comfort read.

Thanks Judy. I thought this year I'd try to read some Christmas themed books in Dec which is something I don't usually do, so I'll be reading the next Irish Doctor then since the third one is Irish Country Christmas.

Oh, Christmas books in December! I always think it's such a good idea when I see other people doing it, but never think of it in time to do the same. Do you have any other books in mind besides Irish Doctor?

Yes, Sandi - I got the idea from seeing it on other threads. Last year I read the first one in the Anne Perry Christmas novella series so I'll probably read the next one. And I've set aside 1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber, The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall, and The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg. Depends on where I am with my challenge and where I can fit things in. I was trying to finish by the end of Nov so there'd be no pressure in Dec, but so far I'm just on track for the end of year. Life's gotten kind of hectic lately and reading time reduced.

Life's gotten kind of hectic lately - boy, I know how that is! It's still only August, and there's plenty of time. I think I'll line up some Christmas theme books for December reading as well. One I know I'll do is a re-read of Christmas Carol - every year I intended to get this book from the library and read it aloud with the kids, but by the time I thought of it there were never any copies available. So now that the kids are all grown and moved away, I finally bought a copy of my own. (Perfect timing, huh?) No kids to read with, but I can still read it aloud myself.

Yay for Christmas books in December! I'm planning to read The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen and Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis (which will work perfectly for the Connie Willis author read in December!). I always try to work in a couple holiday reads if I can.

>173 sjmccreary: - >174 christina_reads: - when I realized that the next book in the Patrick Taylor series is An Irish Country Christmas, I decided that I'd see if I had some other "Christmas" books that I could fit into my challenge. I had read the first novella in the Anne Perry Christmas mysteries last year and wanted to fit at least one more into my reading this year and that seemed to fit in too. Depending on where I am in my challenge, I might only read a couple.

Book 62: Mr Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
Category: New York Beauty - NY authors
CATS: Aug Mystery - British mysteries

I really enjoyed this first book in the Maggie Hope series and am looking forward to reading more. It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks and my reading time has suffered. I'm even going to take a couple of books back to the library unread. I'll have to take them out again later.

I've taken so many books back unread recently! Haven't been managing my holds very well.

Knowing I can just take them out again when I'm more ready makes it easier to take them back. I was overly optimistic in taking them out anyway. The county 4H fair was last week, putting some food up for winter, doctor's appointments, yard work, finishing a quilted table mat for a bridal shower = less time for reading. I like to imagine that I'll spend the summer on the deck with a glass of ice tea and a book but the reality is that summer really is busier than winter. Speaking of which, I need to get going on my quilt block for this month too!

I'm taking a huge stack back tomorrow unread. We're moving back to our house after a lengthy remodel project and I just couldn't hand me having all those unread books around mocking me. :). Maybe some other time I'll be able to squeeze them in. As it is, moving 50 boxes of books back seemed more than enough without the library books added to the mix.

Books are one reason I have vowed never to move again!

Book 63: Shadows in the Vineyard by Maximillian Potter
Category: Dutchman's Puzzle - mysteries
CATs: None

Over the last couple of years, I've read a few books that were based on previous magazine articles. (Not intentionally). This was the least successful of the ones I've read. The story is about an attempt to extort money from one of the most famous vineyards of Burgundy wine in France. Wines which sell for hundreds (some thousands) of dollars per bottle. In 2010, the owner of the Domaine de la Romanee-Continue vineyard received a note which threatened to destroy his vineyard if a ransom was not paid. I had heard an interview with the author on a local public radio station and was intrigued because he made it sound so interesting.

Unfortunately I have to agree with mysterymax that there was just not enough story for a book, so the author spends pages and pages on background of all the people ( going back as far as the time of the French Revolution in the case of the owner of the vineyard) and other side stories to fill the pages. Although some of it was moderately intersting, there was just too much of that and not enough story about the mystery the book was supposed to be about.

>181 dudes22: - I heard the author interviewed on NPR and thought it sounded pretty intriguing. Too bad that it isn't as interesting as the premise suggests.

I don't want to give anything away, but it didn't seem that difficult or take a lot of time to solve which made the story thin.

Book 64: Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
Category: Grandmother's Flower Garden - books with flowers in title

This was not what I was expecting. I read the first 60 pages or so, skimmed the next 40, and then abandoned the book. I was expecting something similar to the David Liss book The Coffee Trader but about the tulip frenzy in the late 1600s. I think in the 100 pages I made it through, the tulip speculation was only mentioned once or twice, and then only in passing. This seemed to be mostly about a love affair between a painter and one of his subjects. The one thing I did like is that the author's descriptions did an excellent job of creating an atmosphere in the book. But that wasn't enough to keep me reading.

Book 65: 8th Confession by James Patterson
Category: Nine Patch - books with numbers in title

Another one in the "Women's Murder Club" series. I can already see these books getting thinner in plot as we get further into the series like most of his series books. I've given up on the Alex Cross series because of this and I wonder how long it will be before I give up on this one too. I still have a few more on my TBR pile, so for now I'll keep going.

For those who pop over to see my quilt block each month, this month's should be up by the weekend. I picked one of the more complicated ones for this month and it's taking me a little longer because the month has been so busy.

>181 dudes22: Glad to see you agree! I understand that he had written a magazine article and then it was suggested that he do a book. It seemed like he didn't expand on the crime at all, but filled in with all the other stuff to get up the word count. I was so disappointed.

Re your James Patterson series, it seems hard for writers to keep a long running series fresh. We all hate to see our favorite series end, but I am beginning to wonder if a clean end isn't better than this long, drawn out slide downwards.

>187 mysterymax: Give me the clean ending any time! I feel that way about TV shows too...nothing worse than seeing a show (or series) you love get more and more awful until it finally fizzles out with a whimper.

But good grief - she is nearly finished the alphabet! Someone must be still reading them.

>181 dudes22: That one had sounded interesting to me. Thanks for the heads up that it's not worthwhile.

>190 tymfos: - Terri - It wasn't that it was a bad book. There was lots of interesting information about wine and the history of that particular vineyard and the people who owned it. It's just that it wasn't as much about the mystery as it was purported to be.

Book 66: Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil
Category: Woven Ribbons Block - books/titles about crafts

This second book in a series takes place about 1 year after the last one. Jo and her boys are settling in in Broadgate. Her shop is doing well and her Gran and best friend are getting married. Then Jo discovers that she is pregnant from a fling she had at Christmas. What to do? How to handle it? I suppose you could call this chick lit, but I still enjoyed it for a quick, light read.

well - here is my block for August. It's one of the harder blocks that I've chosen for my quilt. This one is the Mariner's Compass Block. Sorry the image isn't that great. There's kind of a shadow on it because of the lighting. I'm not the greatest picture taker.

I love that pattern! It's very eye-catching.

That is really gorgeous and I bet it was tricky to sew all those pointy pieces together!

Betty, it looks great! The points are sharp, the curves lie flat - it's beautiful. I've never done a mariners compass quilt, but it's on my quilt pattern bucket list.

Love the quilt block (as usual).

I love the pattern you used for the quilt block! & yes, it does look quite tricky! I can't wait to see all the blocks put together.

Beautiful quilt block!

Wow! That is lovely!

Thank you everyone! The method I used for this block is called "paper piecing". The block is divided into sections and I copied the pattern on paper. The fabric is actually sewn to the paper, then the sections are attached to each other, and then the paper is removed from the back. It's quite a common way to achieve good sharp points and the fabric doesn't get distorted.

I was fortunate a number of years ago to take a class with Judy Mathieson who has won awards for her mariner's compass quilts. See if this link works to see a quilt she won an award for: http://www.judymathieson.com/Judy_Mathieson/Welcome.html. Then you see how much of a amateur I really am. The class was a lot of fun and I learned a lot which gave me some confidence in this method of quilt making. I have another block that I'll be using this method on before I finish.

I also notice that I probably need to start another thread which I'm going to try and get to tomorrow. Today is my husband's annual family clambake. Today is the 88th annual at his cousin's house. With family and friends, it's about 100 people and the men do the bake. It's a real New England bake. They go get rocks and seaweed. Put wood on top of the rocks and light a fire to get the rocks hot. After they've almost burned down, they pull the logs off. Then the seaweed goes over the rocks and they put wooden boxes (app 2ft x1ft) with mesh bottoms that hold the food on the seaweed. Then it gets covered with tarps and it steams until done. Steamers ( soft shelled clams), white and sweet potato, onion, pieces of white fish in paper bags, hot dogs, bockwurst (a veal sausage -texture and size like a hot dog), bread stuffing, and corn. The women all bring desserts and there is a loooonnng table with all kinds of desserts and coffee after. A few people bring some kind of appetizer, but that's not a big part of it. I make a corn salsa every year. Sitting in the fridge and ready. Just need to add the avocados.

The clambake sounds like fun! Wouldn't work here. Not only are we land-locked, but it's pouring with rain today.

Would you consider giving us the recipe for your corn salsa?

Sure - I'm not one of those people who feel the need to hoard a recipe. " oh, it's a secret, family recipe" or " I never give my recipes out". PLEAAAASE! I'll try to do it later tonight after we get back. The recipe was originally in a catalog from the Penzey spice catalog that I get, but it's not on their web site anymore, so I'll put it here later.

Corn Salsa

6-8 ears of cooked corn, kernels cut from cob
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut up
1 bunch of scallions
1 red pepper, roasted, skin removed, chopped (or use some from a jar of roasted peppers)
2 jalapeños, chopped fine

Optional: can of black beans, rinsed
Chopped pepperdews

Dressing:

1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
Dissolved in 2 TBls water for at least 5 min

Add:
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 Tbls chopped cilantro leaves
1-2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup corn or vegetable oil
1/4 cup lime juice ( I like a little more)

Mix with vegetables. I like to make it the day before and let it sit to soak up the dressing. Add 1-2 chopped avocados just before serving.

I found this recipe in a Penzey spice catalogue years ago.

I'll be making that! Thank you.

>193 dudes22: - What an amazing quilt square!

Corn salsa .... YUM! Recipe duly noted!

>193 dudes22:
That's beautiful!! And, such patience I could only wish for... :)

Corn salsa looks good. Penzeys! I have to make a run to Penzeys soon, just for the atmosphere. Your teacher's quilts are gorgeous!!! Loved her yakata flowers. Your quilting is very good, and I was going to say something like amateur spamateur, but if that's your competition...

>206 lkernagh: - Lori - thanks. The corn salsa has become a tradition now that I make it for the clambake.

>207 -Eva-: - Eva - I normally like to zip right along with my quilting, but you're right - this time I took my time so I wouldn't have to rip it out and start over.

>208 cammykitty: - Katie - you're lucky to live in Minniapolis. The closest Penzey to me is about 2 hrs away in Conn, so I usually do mail order. I love their stuff. Maybe someday I'll try a more complicated Mariner's Compass quilt. The book we got with the class has many other patterns and also a section on how to draft your own. But that's in the future.

I've only ever ordered spices from Penzey's online. I didn't even know there were actual stores. Those must smell amazing.

Book 67: Booked to Die by John Dunning
Category: Bow Tie Block - male authors
CAT: September book themed mystery

When VivienneR mentioned that she was going to read John Dunning, I decided to reread the first book in his Cliff Janeway series about an ex-cop who opens a bookstore specializing in collectable books. Since I didn't have it listed here in my library, I knew it had been years since I read it. And I enjoyed it just as much. I read a new short story he has written earlier this summer, so he was already on my radar for needing a reread. I'll probably continue reading the series next year. (Note to self: figure out a category to do this. :))

Quilts and food - what a great thread! Really love your August block - very eye-catching. The salsa recipe sounds quite tasty. I may have to give it a try sometime.

Thanks Stacy! The quilt blocks have been keeping me busy. The August one is probably one of the most difficult that I have planned. Hope you enjoy the salsa.