bell7 (Mary) reads with only a little planning in 2015 - the final thread

Charlas75 Books Challenge for 2015

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bell7 (Mary) reads with only a little planning in 2015 - the final thread

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1bell7
Editado: Nov 25, 2015, 4:28 pm

Since it's mid-October and I've never gone over four threads in a year, it seems likely that this will be my last thread.

This will also be a somewhat stripped down version of my past introductions. See previous threads for more details.

2015 goals:
At this point, it's only likely that I will complete the countries/states and picture book goals. I'm pretty much reading whatever I want now. I will keep the maps for fun.

I rate the books I read kind of off-the-cuff after I've finished them. Loosely defined, here's my rating system:

1 star - Forced myself to finish it
2 stars - Dislike
2.5 stars - I really don't know if I liked it or not
3 stars - Liked it with reservations or didn't really like it but admired something about it
3.5 stars - The splitting hairs rating of less than my last 4 star book or better than my last 3
4 stars - I liked it and recommend it, but probably won't reread it except under special circumstances (ie., a book club or series reread)
4.5 stars - Excellent, ultimately a satisfying read, a title I would consider rereading
5 stars - A book that I absolutely loved, would absolutely reread, and just all-around floored me

I very rarely finish a book I would rate lower than a 3, so my ratings are skewed positively. I can generally scale how much I liked a book, but I'm less consistent about how much I didn't like it.

United States

visited 16 states (32%)
Create your own visited map of The United States
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas

Around the Globe

visited 11 states (4.88%)
Create your own visited map of The World
Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, UK, US - 12 with Samoa, not included on map

2bell7
Editado: Dic 15, 2015, 5:12 pm

My year of reading -

Picture books read:
1. The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak - 1/6
2. The Foggy Foggy Forest by Nick Sharratt - 1/6
3. Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley - 1/7
4. Is There a Dog in This Book? by Viviane Schwarz - 1/12
5. Blackout by John Rocco - 1/14
6. The Adventures of Beekle the Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat - 2/4
7. The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose - 2/10
8. Tiptop Cat by C. Roger Mader - 3/12
9. The Paper Bag Princess written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko - 3/28
10. Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall - 3/31
11. How to Grow a Friend by Sara Gillingham - 4/2?
12. How the Library (not the prince) Saved Rapunzel by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Rebecca Ashdown - 5/12
13. Goodnight Football by Michael Dahl, illustrated by Christina Forshay – 5/19
14. The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers - 8/13
15. A Home Run for Bunny by Richard Andersen, illustrated by Gerald Purnell - 9/18
16. Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera - 11/6
17. The Scarecrow's Dance by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

Work books

The book club list:

January - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
February - Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich
March - Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely
April - Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
May - The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel
June - Falconer by John Cheever
July - Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch
August - Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara
September - The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
October - The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan
November - The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
December - The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

The Genre Study Roundtable Books:
February - Literary Fiction
Everyone reads - That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo - DONE
Second book (my choice) – I counted Shadow Tag again for this - DONE

April - Adventure
Everyone reads - The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry - DONE
Second book - Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian - DONE (finished a little late)

June - Fantasy
Everyone reads - Mort - DONE - or The Wyrd Sisters - DONE - or Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
Second book - Uprooted by Naomi Novik - DONE

September - Science Fiction
Everyone reads - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - read two years ago, and not rereading
Second book - Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach - DONE

November - Mystery/Police Procedural
Everyone reads - A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie - DONE
Second book - I decided to count How the Light Gets In even though I haven't read it in awhile

3bell7
Editado: Oct 13, 2015, 6:46 pm

Graphic novels read:
1. An Age of License by Lucy Knisley
2. El Deafo by Cece Bell
3. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
4. French Milk by Lucy Knisley
5. Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley
6. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

January
1. The City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
2. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley - mine
3. Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
4. All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill - mine and audio
5. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - mine and a reread
6. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
7. Frostfire by Amanda Hocking
8. Steeple Bush by Robert Frost - mine
9. The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
10. The Boys of Winter by Wayne Coffey - borrowed
11. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
12. The Unhappening of Genesis Lee by Shallee McArthur - mine and e-book ARC

February
13. Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret C. Sullivan
14. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - mine
15. Honeydew: stories by Edith Pearlman
16. Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich
17. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
18. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
19. H2O by Virginia Bergin
20. Cress by Marissa Meyer

March
21. Bossypants by Tina Fey - audio
22. Marked by Sarah Fine
23. Nest by Esther Ehrlich
24. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
25. Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely
26. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
27. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - audio
28. Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell
29. Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
30. Prudence by Gail Carriger

4bell7
Editado: Oct 13, 2015, 6:46 pm

April
31. The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
32. Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou
33. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson - mine
34. How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell - audio
35. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
36. Born Standing Up by Steve Martin - audio
37. Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
38. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
39. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

May
40. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
41. About this Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory by Barry Lopez
42. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
43. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom - audio and mine
44. The Heir by Keira Cass
45. Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton
46. The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel
47. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
48. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
49. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
50. Mort by Terry Pratchett

June
51. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
52. Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan
53. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
54. The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birsdall - audio
55. Falconer by John Cheever
56. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
57. The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl
58. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
59. Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking
60. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
61. Got Money? by Jeff Wuorio

5bell7
Editado: Oct 13, 2015, 6:45 pm

July
62. Ashfall by Mike Mullin
63. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
64. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
65. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch
66. Isabel's Bed by Elinor Lipman - mine
67. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
68. Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons - mine
69. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

August
70. A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell - mine
71. Little Princes by Conor Grennan - mine (book) and audio and re-read
72. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - borrowed and a re-read
73. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare - e-book
74. Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara
75. Search by Stefan Weitz - mine and e-book ARC
76. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
77. Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger
78. Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock
79. Selected Stories by Nadine Gordimer - mine

September
80. Court of Fives by Kate Elliott mine and e-book ARC
81. The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
82. Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach
83. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
84. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
85. The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
86. Fairest: Levana's Story by Marissa Meyer
87. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day
88. Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer
89. The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

6bell7
Editado: Dic 31, 2015, 10:31 pm

October
90. Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie
91. The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
92. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
93. The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan - re-read
94. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie
95. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen - audio
96. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
97. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

November
98. Translation is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin
99. Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
100. Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton
101. River of Doubt by Candice Millard
102. Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger
103. The White Rose by Amy Ewing
104. Walk the Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
105. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - mine
106. Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner - audio
107. I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson - mine
108. Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
109. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett - e-book

December
110. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
111. What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst
112. The Martian by Andy Weir
113. The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
114. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
115. Winter by Marissa Meyer
116. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
117. Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon - mine and e-book ARC
118. The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser - e-book (mostly)
119. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman
120. The Millionaire and the Bard by Andrea Mays - mine and e-book ARC

Currently reading:
Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews
Collected Poems, Prose & Plays by Robert Frost - mine

7bell7
Editado: Dic 8, 2015, 6:35 pm

Original publication dates read (current through November):

2015 - 32
2014 - 19
2013 - 7
2012 - 5
2011 - 5
2010 - 2
2009 - 3
2007 - 3
2006 - 3
2005 - 3
2004 - 1
2003 - 2
2002 - 1
2001 - 1

1999 - 3
1998 - 2
1995 - 1
1993 - 1
1991 - 2
1988 - 1
1987 - 2
1986 - 1
1977 - 1
1975 - 1
1971 - 1
1969 - 2
1953 - 1
1947 - 1
1934 - 1

1861 - 1

8bell7
Editado: Dic 30, 2015, 11:37 am

TV/Movie List:
I started this out just to keep a list for the fun of it, but now a friend of mine, K. and his girlfriend S. and I have been trading off movie recommendations and watching them together weekly when we can. I've noted which one of us picked a title, and the ones that are new to me are marked with an *

1. Early Edition (season 1) - finished 1/8/15
2. Bowfinger - 1/9/15
3. Early Edition (season 2) - finished 2/4/15
4. An Idiot Abroad (series 1) - finished 2/14/15*
5. Letters to Juliet - 2/16/15
6. Boyhood - 2/26/15*
7. The Voice (Season 8) - finished 5/19/15*
8. Jaws - 5/25/15 (K.)*
9. The Princess Bride - 5/25/15 (me)
10. Welcome to Mooseport - 5/31/15 (S.)*
That's My Boy - 5/31/15 (K.)*
11. Singin' in the Rain - 6/8/15 (me)
12. Batman Begins - 6/10/15*
13. If I Stay - 6/12/15 (S.)*
14. The Dark Knight - 6/14/15*
15. We Were Soldiers - 6/14/15 (K.)*
16. The Truman Show - 6/14/15 (me)
17. The Stone of Destiny - 6/21/15 (S.)*
18. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 6/21/15 (K.)
19. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (extended edition) - 6/28/15
20. Lady in the Water - 6/29/15 (me)
21. Cold Mountain - 6/29/15 (S.)*
22. The Adventures of Tintin - 7/5/15*
23. Major League - 7/9/15 (K.)*
24. The Princess and the Frog - 7/12/15*
25. Woman in Gold - 7/24/15*
26. Pearl Harbor - 8/3/15 (K.)*
27. Sherlock, S1 E1 - 8/7/15 (me)
28. Fever Pitch - 8/10/15
29. Kingsmen: The Secret Service - 8/12/15*
30. Pride & Prejudice (Kiera Knightley version) - 8/16/15*
31. Supernatural (season 9) - finished 8/31/15
32. Ferris Buehler's Day Off - 9/4/15*
33. Supernatural (season 10) - finished 9/7/15*
34. Grantchester (season 1) - finished 9/14/15*
35. Eureka (season 1) - finished 10/3*
36. The Guild (season 1) - finished 10/3*
37. Eureka (season 2) - finished 10/24*
38. Eureka (season 3)*
39. X-men First Class - 11/23*
40. Insurgent* (sometime in spring)
41. Inside Out* - 11/25
42. Eureka (season 4) - finished 12/7
43. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 12/19

9bell7
Oct 13, 2015, 6:45 pm

Welcome to the new thread! Next one's yours!

10Ape
Oct 13, 2015, 6:46 pm

Hi Mary! *Waves and hugs*

11bell7
Oct 13, 2015, 6:49 pm

>10 Ape: Woohoo, you're first! Hi, Stephen!

12Ape
Oct 13, 2015, 6:53 pm

It's not because I'm a creepy stalker or anything, if that's what you're thinking. >_>

13bell7
Oct 13, 2015, 7:01 pm

>12 Ape: Nope, didn't even go there :P

14Ape
Oct 13, 2015, 7:03 pm

Fantastic! Then maybe you won't find it weird at all that I read your books in your bed while wearing your slippers when you are at work.

15bell7
Editado: Oct 13, 2015, 7:31 pm

>14 Ape: How'd you know I was still at work? *looks suspicious*

And no, actually, I have enough housemates that will guard my apartment with their... er, lives. Maybe?

16scaifea
Oct 14, 2015, 6:53 am

Happy new thread, Mary!

17weird_O
Oct 14, 2015, 10:37 am

Listmania. Weird.

18PaulCranswick
Oct 14, 2015, 11:40 am

Congratulations on your latest thread and quite possibly not the last one of yours in 2015 given the start to this one.

As you know Mary I do like my lists and statistics and always feel like your abode is a home from home. xx

19bell7
Oct 14, 2015, 12:34 pm

>16 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>17 weird_O: Well, not so much on LT though I guess I am one of the ones who tends to top their threads with lists instead of pictures :) Thanks for stopping by, Bill.

>18 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul, we'll see what happens! Glad you enjoy the lists and stats. I collect them then do (almost) nothing with them, but do like the potential opportunity to compare over the years.

20tymfos
Oct 14, 2015, 4:30 pm

Happy new thread, Mary!

I have cut down some on my own thread-topping lists (mainly due to laziness) but still enjoy studying other people's lists.

21ronincats
Oct 14, 2015, 8:23 pm

Lovely new thread, Mary!

22jnwelch
Oct 15, 2015, 11:28 am

Congratulations on the new thread, Mary!

We were big Eureka fans. That's a fun show.

23Donna828
Oct 15, 2015, 12:02 pm

Mary, I love how you are keeping track of TV shows and movies. It's good that you have someone to watch them with. I don't watch much TV but I'd like to keep better track of movies. I really don't go to that many but it would be nice to have a year-end list. I saw The Martian yesterday with several friends. I'm still thinking about it, but right now, I'd have to say that the movie was better than the book for me. Both were good, though!

24bell7
Oct 15, 2015, 12:10 pm

>20 tymfos: Copy and paste (and a quiet night at work) is my friend :) Thanks for stopping in, Terri!

>21 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! Glad to see you castless and on the threads.

>22 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I'm really enjoying Eureka. I started the second season and already put the third on hold so I wouldn't have to wait long (there are only a handful of copies in my library system, all checked out).

>23 Donna828: Thanks, Donna, it's been a fun list to keep. Mostly I still watch on my own, and K.'s been awfully busy so we haven't met up for a movie night in awhile. I'm actually kind of surprised how long the list is. I've heard that The Martian was good, but I'm holding out reading the book first (it's in a big stack on my nightstand), which probably means waiting til the DVD comes out.

25lkernagh
Oct 16, 2015, 9:08 am

Happy new thread, Mary!

26bell7
Oct 16, 2015, 3:09 pm

>25 lkernagh: Thank you, Lori, glad you stopped by!

27PaulCranswick
Oct 16, 2015, 9:40 pm

Have a lovely weekend Mary. xx

28bell7
Oct 20, 2015, 2:03 pm

>27 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! It was a busy one, as I went up to New Hampshire to visit a lifelong friend of mine that I hadn't seen in... well, seen in seven years actually visited with specifically, 14 years. But who's counting? It was lovely to catch up with her, even if I am still feeling a little not-relaxed partway through the week. How was your weekend?

29bell7
Oct 20, 2015, 2:13 pm

93. The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan
TIOLI: Title is ambiguous
2015 goal: no

I first read the e-ARC available through Edelweiss in July of last year; this latest reread is for a book discussion - tomorrow - in which the author herself will be joining us!

Here's what I wrote when I read it last year:
Illusionist Revelation Maskelyne and her husband Jeremy put on magic shows in Vegas, but when someone inserts a real bullet in the gun which they use for a trick, her beloved husband dies apparently by Reve's own hand. Reve - who has true magic that few people know about - realizes that she has to return to her family roots in Hawley Five Corners, Massachusetts for protection from the man who doesn't appear to be ready to stop with just killing her husband.

This debut novel from an author living in my hometown is a taut blend of suspense and fantasy that keeps you reading quickly. Though it's set in 2013 and very much its own story, the way fantastical elements were blended into the real world reminded me a little of The Night Circus. I really enjoyed references to people and places with which I am familiar and the way small-town life in the Berkshires is described. Reve's relationships with her family, especially mothering her three girls Grace, Fai, and Caleigh after their father's death, ring true. The Hawley Book of the Dead is the first in an intended series, but well done as a standalone story; there's no cutting off with a Major Cliffhanger meant to keep you reading. My one complaint was that the author had a habit of using too many commas to tack on clauses that really needed an "and" or other conjunction to make it a proper sentence. I found it jarring in an otherwise really intriguing book.


Not much to add, except maybe it doesn't work as well as a reread. It was hard to tell if it was because of my own timing/mood or if it was because I remembered some plot details too clearly, but it wasn't quite as enticing this time around. I'm still hoping she writes more, however, and it was really fun to read a book set at the exact same time I was reading it. Elements of it are quintessential New England, and the local aspect was a fun connection.

30bell7
Oct 20, 2015, 2:38 pm

Between work, a camping trip, and a visit to a friend in New Hampshire, my weekends have been incredibly busy and (you may have noticed) I haven't been finishing quite as many books as I usually do.

I've been reading Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates off and on. It's a fast read on the one hand - almost stream of consciousness - but it's slow on the other because it's thought-provoking and not easy reading. It's important to me to finish it, however, so I will keep going.

The Queen of the Tearling has been a fun read, and I'm blending audio and book on this one. I had two long drives this past weekend (New Hampshire) and the weekend before that (Vermont), and it's read by Katherine Kellgren, so you know it's good. Now I'm back to my regular work commute, so I'll probably be leaning more heavily on the book.

I will start A Share in Death next for my Reader's Advisory Genre Study Roundtable. That mouthful just means a bunch of librarians get together and discuss a particular genre - in this case police procedurals - all read the same book plus one of our own choosing and discuss the genre and how we can serve our patrons who like reading those books.

Speaking of work, anyone remember a couple of years back when I was on the 250th celebration committee for my hometown? Well, things are (finally!) just about wrapped up with that, but today we got a whole shipment in of three pallets' worth of boxes of books... the updated history of the town. It includes a chapter written by me on the construction of the library where I work, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the final product. There's a reception I have to go to Sunday afternoon (I'm half-dreading, half-looking forward to it). The library has several of the boxes here that we're going to be selling, and this afternoon my director and I squirreled away boxes all around my desk and in little corners here and there. I'll take a sneak peek when I pull out a couple of books we'll be adding to our own collection.

31ronincats
Oct 20, 2015, 3:47 pm

Exciting about the books!

32charl08
Oct 20, 2015, 3:53 pm

>30 bell7: That sounds really fun. Would love to see a picture.

33cbl_tn
Oct 20, 2015, 5:53 pm

Hi Mary! I'm trying to catch up on threads and I'm glad I caught this one relatively early. It helps me maintain the illusion that I'm not nearly so far behind!

I remember your committee/writing project. How exciting that the books have arrived! I hope it generates lots of local interest and excitement.

34bell7
Oct 20, 2015, 6:55 pm

>31 ronincats: Thanks, Roni, I am excited!

>32 charl08: Remind me, and I'll take a picture of my copy after I receive it Sunday. :)

>33 cbl_tn: I hear you about keeping caught up on threads (I'm dreadfully behind at the moment). I think there will be a lot of local interest. We started a "reserve" list at the front desk and we have a lot of people who have expressed interest, having seen in the paper that it would be delivered today.

35bell7
Oct 26, 2015, 11:46 am

94. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie
TIOLI: not sure
2015 goal: no; work book

Superintendent Duncan Kincaid of Scotland Yard is on holiday, taking his cousin's timeshare for a week and leaving work behind. Or so he thinks, until one of the people he meets is found murdered. The bumbling local Chief Inspector thinks it's suicide, but Duncan knows it's not, and he's rather reluctantly drawn in to this mystery. Which of the guests or employees could have killed the man, and why?

I was a little surprised by this police procedural in that it reads a lot like a cozy: small town setting, cast of characters and potential subject in the almost claustrophobic space of the timeshare, and not a lot of gory details. Barring a few details about police work and jurisdiction, I felt like there was more similarity between A Share in Death and, say, an Agatha Christie novel than Louise Penny. The story suffered a bit from being drawn out over a busy week and my having to start and stop every 10-20 pages in the beginning, but I was mostly interested. There were so many characters I had to write them down to keep them apart, and I was annoyed by the fact that just about every female gets charmed to some degree by Duncan. I did find the mystery itself solid, finding the solution both surprising and inevitable (I'd definitely pegged someone else as whodunit), so it's one I would recommend to the right reader. 3.5 stars.

Read for my reader's advisory genre study next week. I sadly won't have time for a new-to-me police procedural, so I decided the second choice I'll talk about is How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny as one of my favorites in the series and one that has multiple storylines & details about the police force.

36bell7
Oct 26, 2015, 7:10 pm

95. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
TIOLI: might count as a word with water ("tear")
2015 goal: no

Kelsea Raleigh has lived all her life in hiding with Barty and Carlin. In their cottage in the woods, this odd couple has taught her and groomed her to become Queen of the Tearling. Now, at the age of 19, Kelsea has come of age and it is time for her to go back to the Keep and rule her people - if she can survive. Internal and external threads surround her, and she must quickly learn how to deal with politics and the thread of the Red Queen of Mortmesne.

This is the first book by author Erika Johansen, and it shows a lot of inventiveness and promise. The idea of a good person thrown into a terrifying political situation reminded me of The Goblin Emperor, but the world created here, its politics and history is very different. I like Kelsea and some of the other characters I encountered; the violence was a little much for my taste. 4 stars.

I'm just a little leery of reading The Invasion of the Tearling since it's awfully hard for a book about war not to be violent. Anyone read it and want to jump in?

37lkernagh
Oct 26, 2015, 11:43 pm

I am waiting for the right moment to listen to the audio of The Queen of the Tearling. Game of Thrones kind of pushed my violence and overall sensibilities threshold - which is why I haven't dived into book two in that series just yet. Now I am wondering how the two series compare on the violence scale.

38bell7
Editado: Oct 27, 2015, 9:41 am

>37 lkernagh: Lori, I started Game of Thrones once and from the bit in the beginning I read, I would guess that its level of violence is greater than that of Queen of the Tearling (I do want to go back to GOT some day, as sometimes the worldbuilding and characters will trump violence level for me). There weren't many scenes in Queen, but because of her descriptive writing style (and probably because I was listening rather than reading), I was picturing in more detail than I wanted and there was one scene in particular that is a sensitive issue for the wimp that I am. I can't take anything having to do with eyes.

39bell7
Oct 27, 2015, 9:37 am

96. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
TIOLI: Author's last name has backwards 3-letter word ("set")
2015 goal: no

In the form of a letter to his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates tells of his own experiences as a black man dealing with institutionalized racism in the United States and "those who call themselves white."

Coates, a journalist who writes for the Atlantic is in-your-face and unapologetic in describing his experiences growing up in Baltimore, going to Howard College, and ultimately having a family. His experiences are so very different from my own growing up as a white middle-class woman in the suburbs of New England. I struggled with the book: struggled to find something to relate to, and struggled with how I felt Coates himself would see me. Perhaps my frustration was that, in some fundamental way, he was not writing to me. My experience is so far from his that I grasped at what I could relate to - his love of reading, and how he relates to the world through reading, writing, and asking questions, for example - and had to accept what I didn't get. One thing I finally did relate to was his feeling that his body was under assault and he needed to protect it. I don't have the same feeling of betrayal towards those in power such as policeman and juries. But I have experienced walking down the street and having guys whistle, and fairly recently learned not to make eye contact with people walking down the street in a city if I didn't want to be hit on, asked my name, asked where I was going.

I felt my toes stepped on many times, and had to remind myself that his purpose, I think, was neither to offend me or not offend me, just to tell his story to a generation of black people growing up in a world different and the same from his own. I am not his audience. But I do think that reading about it and thinking about it is important. Though a short book, it's a challenging read and one that I'm glad I read. 4 stars.

Very hard to rate... I would read it again just because it's the sort of book I could never take in on just one read through. But it's very difficult reading. I tried not to take his comments about "those who call themselves white" personally, but it was hard to do. I wondered if he would consider me part of that category or not.

40norabelle414
Oct 27, 2015, 1:25 pm

>38 bell7: I know I'm much more sensitive to violence and such when I'm listening to a book vs. reading it. Because my mind has more capacity to wander, and the narrators will use a more dramatic tone, and I can't skip over a sentence or paragraph like I might in a book.

41bell7
Oct 27, 2015, 2:31 pm

>40 norabelle414: Exactly! I can skim when need be. Though I've also had the opposite happen: with Unbroken I actually had a much stronger reaction to the POW parts than I had listening to it. So maybe it depends on the reader... and The Queen of the Tearling was Katherine Kellgren, so I was definitely paying better attention than for just your average audio.

42Ape
Oct 27, 2015, 5:55 pm

...but violence is the best part! ;)

43bell7
Oct 28, 2015, 7:19 pm

>42 Ape: Not in my book (pun intended) :P

44bell7
Oct 29, 2015, 10:04 am

97. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
TIOLI: Nope
2015 goal: set in Nebraska

Cath and Wren are twins and about to start college for the first time, living apart (Wren's choice) and meeting new people. Cath isn't sure what to make of all this: she's hurt by Wren's choices, worried about leaving her dad alone, and not sure she wants to deal with new people anyway. Isn't having a twin enough, like having an instant best friend and companion?

I've read two books by Rainbow Rowell now (the first was Eleanor & Park), and I've really enjoyed both of them. She writes about people in relationships - sort of romances, but sort of not. Her characters are real and flawed, and they deal with... well, life, and all the complications that throws their way. Cath reminds me of myself a lot: kind of a homebody, and not needing a ton of friends or to go out partying. She's also the eponymous fangirl, writing fanfiction about characters from a Harry-Potter-like book series that she (and her sister) adores. I loved watching how the relationships between Cath and her roommate Reagan, a guy named Levi, Nick, and even Wren herself developed over the course of their freshman year. 4.5 stars.

45bell7
Editado: Oct 29, 2015, 3:58 pm

And with that, I double my reading for the month just based on what I finished this week. Surprise!

It will probably take me a little awhile to put together the monthly run-down, as there's a few possibilities for what's going on this weekend but it's ALL busy. I found a few spare moments to post this month's summary, posted below.

46bell7
Oct 29, 2015, 3:58 pm

October in review -
90. Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie
91. The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
92. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
93. The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan - re-read
94. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie
95. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen - audio
96. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
97. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Books read: 7
Audiobooks listened to: 1
Graphic novels/Manga: 0
Picture books:
Adult/Teen/Children's: 5/3/0
Fiction/Nonfiction/Poetry/Plays: 7/1/0/0
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 8/0/0

Standouts: First one was the best - Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie which was thought-provoking and a good story.

Thoughts: None of my own books and only one nonfiction in this rather slow, average reading month. Average number of books, average reaction to most of them (3.5 to 4 stars). I read four books in the first three weeks and finished four in the last week of the month. It was a very busy and kind of odd month. I expect the next two months will be easy reading and fluff when it's not for work. I'm not really worried about my end-of-year numbers, I just know how crazy my life gets around this time of year and know I'll be traveling to my sister's for Thanksgiving (so, yes reading in the car, but probably no reading over Thanksgiving weekend)

Original publication dates read (year-to-date):

2015 - 28
2014 - 19
2013 - 7
2012 - 4
2011 - 5
2010 - 2
2009 - 2
2007 - 3
2006 - 1
2005 - 2
2004 - 1
2003 - 2
2002 - 1

1999 - 2
1998 - 2
1995 - 1
1993 - 1
1991 - 1
1988 - 1
1987 - 2
1986 - 1
1977 - 1
1975 - 1
1971 - 1
1969 - 2
1953 - 1
1947 - 1
1934 - 1

1861 - 1

47bell7
Oct 30, 2015, 8:17 am

You guys, you guys... Google is a game where you fly on a broomstick and collect candy!

(Yeah okay I may be wasting more time than strictly necessary trying to help the global blue team not look so shabby even though I stink at video games)

48norabelle414
Oct 30, 2015, 9:15 am

>47 bell7: Noooooo go Green Team! She's reading a book! How can you say no to that??

49bell7
Oct 30, 2015, 9:40 am

>48 norabelle414: I know, I didn't find out til after I got to work and the children's librarian pointed it out to me. But she is cute and blue and singing and I already picked her so I can't switch!

50Ape
Editado: Oct 30, 2015, 4:12 pm

I'm all team Green, but I think we should join forces and sabotage the yellow team somehow.

Does it keep track of high score at all? I've scored 481, and admit I'm only posting that so I can remember it in a few minutes when I forget. :P

51bell7
Oct 30, 2015, 4:17 pm

>50 Ape: No idea. I haven't played it signed in but maybe that would keep track?

And yes, sabotage yellow. :P

52bell7
Nov 2, 2015, 9:03 am

98. Translation is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin

Marine is a translator working and living on an island, where she translates for the Quebecois author, Monsieur Waterman. When a black cat suddenly comes into her life with a mysterious message on the collar, Marine decides to figure out where he came from and if she can help his former mistress.

At only 144 pages this slight, deceptively simple story could be read in an afternoon, but I guarantee you'll be thinking of it long after. It's an exploration of all sorts of human relationships, as well as language and finding just the right word for describing something. It's lush and lyrical (and it was an odd experience reading about translation in translation since it was originally French) and lovely. On a blurb in the back, Alberto Manguel describes it as "the essence of our human condition: giving and taking, teaching and learning, experiencing and sharing experience, a love affair with our fellow human beings." And I can't really say it better than that. 5 stars.

LOVED this book. Many thanks to Richard for recommending it.

53lkernagh
Nov 2, 2015, 2:30 pm

So excited to see that you also loved Translation is a Love Affair, Mary! Poulin in such a wonderful writer.

54bell7
Nov 4, 2015, 11:00 am

>53 lkernagh: I'd never heard of him before, but I'm thinking I should add the rest of the books I can get to my ever-growing list. :)

55bell7
Nov 4, 2015, 6:55 pm

99. Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
TIOLI: Fantasy
2015 goal: no

Celaena is an assassin surviving in the mines of a conquering king with the Crown Prince comes and offers to make her his Champion in a contest: if she wins, she becomes King's Champion for four years, and earns her freedom. Unable to pass up the chance to be free, Celaena agrees - but she soon finds more at stake than her life when some of the contestants are found brutally murdered.

Since the friend who recommended this to me primarily reads dystopias, I didn't expect to find a story so firmly in my comfort read zone of fantasies. I really enjoyed the world and glimpses into the politics - I really hope that gets developed more over the series - and I liked Celaena even if the requisite love triangle drove me slightly batty. A story I would easy recommend to fans of Graceling and Grave Mercy, and I can't wait to read more! 4.5 stars.

56bell7
Nov 6, 2015, 2:21 pm

Picture book #16 -
Polar Bear's Underwear by tupera tupera

This adorable picture book is perfect for young kids starting to potty train and translated from Japanese (the original came out in 2012). Polar Bear can't find his underwear, and with the help of his friend Mouse he starts looking for them. With cutouts, you see the underwear in all sorts of sizes and styles of various animals, until Polar Bear figures out where his are. The illustrations are really cute, too, and are simple with a collage feel to

57bell7
Editado: Nov 6, 2015, 4:56 pm

A little bit of what I'm reading now...

I've gotten a few chapters into An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. Unfortunately my library e-book copy ran out, so I have to pick up my own paper copy and can't read it at work :( But so far it's funny, has footnotes, and is about as different from The Fault in Our Stars (the only other book I've read by John Green) as could be. Unbelievable, but fun so far. We'll see.

I started Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton two days ago and am really enjoying it so far. I think I'm going to have to put both his books on my wishlist to be able to page through and dip into whenever I want. Oddly enough, I've read both right around the time a family member or friend died. I like that it gives such a wide variety of experience and people and glimpses into their stories.

Purgatory Ridge is the 3rd in a mystery/thriller series I've been reading set in Northern Minnesota. I forgot to bring a book to work yesterday so I started reading this one.

Starting this weekend I have to get going on The River of Doubt by Candice Millard for my book group. I'll probably finish up HONY first just so I don't get too annoyed by all the books I'm in the middle of.

58bell7
Nov 7, 2015, 9:15 am

100. Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton
TIOLI: related to visual arts
2015 goal: no, I already read a book set in New York

I was first introduced to the website Humans of New York through Brandon Stanton's first book. For anyone unfamiliar with his work, Stanton is a photographer who goes around in New York taking pictures of people - it started out with just pictures, but just around the time of the book, he started interviewing people and including more and more of their stories. So, this second book captures even more of those.

I don't have a Tumblr account and I haven't followed the website much even after reading the first book. But I absolutely love the concept. His photographs are really neat at capturing a variety of people, and the quotes he includes show such a variety of experiences. You can read the book in a day or just pick it up at random and read one or two stories at a time. As short as they are, they run the gamut from laugh-out-loud funny to break-your-heart sad. As you look at a person, too, sometimes you think "Wow, I never would've guessed that story just by appearances." And some of the kids are just adorable. It's just so... human, and that's what makes it fantastic. 5 stars.

59bell7
Editado: Nov 7, 2015, 1:43 pm

My book discussion doesn't know yet, but here's our lineup for 2016 (I get to be facilitator and see all the votes come in which is one of the most fun parts of my job):

January - Atonement by Ian McEwan
February - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
March - Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
April - Seek My Face by John Updike
May - A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
June - Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
July - The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
August - The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown
September - The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
October - Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
November - The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
December - San Miguel by T.C. Boyle

Of these, my suggestions had been Being Mortal, The Boys in the Boat and Men We Reaped. All the others were member suggestions. I have read Atonement and was very unhappy with it, so I'm a little reluctant (that's why it's first, to get it over with). I do think it will be interesting to reread it - since I know what happens, I'll be able to focus on other things. Bel Canto I tried once and couldn't get into it. This is why it's second. But I gave myself a treat in March to read Being Mortal, because that was one I really wanted to read and discuss. Most of my book discussion ladies are between my parents' and grandparents' generation, so it makes for an interesting mix of experiences when we discuss something like this and I really like hearing what others have to say.

60charl08
Nov 7, 2015, 2:43 pm

Sounds like a great selection to me. Be very interested to hear what your RL members say about Being Mortal as so many have been so enthusiastic here.

61lkernagh
Nov 7, 2015, 11:16 pm

>59 bell7: - Great selection! I have only read Bel Canto which I absolutely loved, so I will be looking forward to reading about the other books.

62PaulCranswick
Nov 8, 2015, 2:28 am

Hot on my heels to 100, Mary - well done.

I am reading Being Mortal at the moment : you made a jolly good choice for your book club.

63bell7
Nov 8, 2015, 10:02 am

>60 charl08: I am really looking forward to that discussion - I was thrilled it made the list!

>61 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! I do like that I'm often reading books I wouldn't have chosen otherwise, and it stretches me not only to finish them but also to facilitate the discussion! This will be my first John Updike and T.C. Boyle.

>62 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I daresay you'll get ahead of me soon, as it's been a busy weekend and I'm only on the beginning chapters of my three books. I can't wait to see what my book group makes of Being Mortal; we've discussed things like The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The End of Your Life Book Club before, so I think this will be another excellent one. I only hope that March is long enough away that the holds list goes down and we can all get a copy on time easily!

64bell7
Nov 11, 2015, 7:32 pm

I finally had a chance to talk to my friend about Americanah today. We kind of caught up on a lot of stuff and didn't exactly touch on the book as much as I thought about, but we managed to talk about a lot at the same time. Here's a little of what I can remember about our free-ranging conversation:

We talked about one scene in particular where one of Ifemelu's fellow college students brought up taking out the n-word in Roots and the class discussion it sparked, which led to us talking awhile about the way in which we dance around describing people by their race, even as a descriptor - I told her about an experience of mine where I thought someone probably thought I was racist because I described someone as black and was telling a co-worker of mine that he still had to pay for printing. I was telling her to inform her as I was leaving the desk, would've done that for anyone as just a "here's a loose end you'll need to tie up," and meant it only as a description but another patron in the library overhearing me responded by paying for the student's printing. We talked about this and the scene where the store employee did everything she could to not mention the race of the two sales clerks and Ifem and her friend left asking, "Why didn't she just ask if she was black or white?". She said that she doesn't mind the descriptor at all, but mentioned that in the media if a black person commits a crime he's a "thug" and if a white person does the same one he's a "troubled youth" and the double standard in those terms isn't right.

I also mentioned to her that I learned a lot about hair (at the very beginning of the story, Ifemelu is going in for a hair appointment, and there were a lot of details about relaxers vs. going natural), and she told me a lot about that, how someone can be judged just based on that - she used the example of an Italian friend with curly hair and how leaving it natural people think "fun-loving," but she has to straighten it to be thought "put together" or more formal. I said that it would have never occurred to me how much product and effort would have to go into having the "right" kind of hair - wouldn't a black woman having to do all that be the equivalent of me having to dye my hair blue to get a job? (She liked that comparison.) I said if I did something drastic like shave my head or "ethnic" like cornrows, I'd probably get some raised eyebrows but just having my natural hair be an issue never occurred to me. She also told me a bit about her experience going natural, and her mom's reaction when she chose to do that. It completely flummoxes me why natural hair would be problematic or "unprofessional." We both complained about other societal pressures and expectations, like shaving our legs.

We talked about labels in general, the fact that our brains like categories but how we need to treat people as individuals. In Americanah, I thought, she did a really good job of having a variety of experiences and presenting them in individuals in such a way that I could never say I read about the "Nigerian" or "Nigerian American" experience - just Ifemelu's, or Obinze's or Uju's. I mentioned that it did bother me that "liberal" and "conservative" was sprinkled throughout the blog posts in describing reactions you might get from people, and how much that bothered me. (We veered a little into a political discussion, which was interesting but not really on point here.) Anyway, she mentioned that her boss makes a point of saying that she (my friend) was a Harvard grad who majored in Neuroscience, which changes the boxes people can put her in when they meet her, and how adding her interest in cycling brings a whole new dimension. Having categories is useful to a point, but we need need need to see people as individuals and not put them in our convenient little boxes.

So that was our Americanah discussion (and I hope that wasn't too much).

We've decided that we'll read Being Mortal next, and since my book discussion is reading it for March anyways, she said she'd read it in late January and take really good notes so I can double up and we'll talk about it then.

65bell7
Nov 12, 2015, 10:58 am

Picture book #17:
The Scarecrow's Dance by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

I think I probably read this a few years ago, but I really enjoyed this seasonal story about a scarecrow who gets free with the wind and wanders the farm only to go back to his post and keep the fields safe. The story is told in rhyme and illustrated in a lot of warm colors (the verso of the title page says it's acryl gouache and watercolor, though other than saying that's a painting I couldn't really tell you what that means - but it's lovely). Cute story.

66charl08
Editado: Nov 12, 2015, 6:07 pm

>64 bell7: Considering you didn't think you talked about the book a lot, you covered a lot I think. My experience of (two places in) Nigeria was that people in general were a lot more direct about physical attributes (from colour to being 'fat'). I found that interesting in Americanah - that Ife asking for people to be direct who have learned from social cues to be very careful around the terms many Nigerians see as unproblematic. I found myself feeling quite angry about the comments about 'a certain kind of white woman' - which perhaps was her intention.

Having found my (curly) hair irritating my whole life it was very odd to be praised for it (often used as a social ice breaking comment - how genuine it was, I'm not sure, given that the humidity and dust were not conducive to looking smart). So much for 'good' hair.

67bell7
Nov 16, 2015, 10:28 am

>66 charl08: I always wanted curly hair, but mine is thick and has body (almost a wave) instead, and only curls at the bottom. When I was a pre-teen and teen of course, that meant curling irons and other such fun. Now, I really like it because I get my hair cut in a flippy, layered style and when my hair is being cooperative, it styles itself. When it's not it's in a ponytail - and it's still nowhere near the trouble I'd have if I needed to go to a specific salon for someone who knows how to deal with my hair, or deciding whether or not to use relaxers and hurt myself or go natural and maybe have people looking at me a certain way.

I can be pretty direct myself (I recently heard someone say that when they're in the East Cost of the U.S. "you know where you stand"), and I get really confused sometimes when people talk around something or have a softer way of putting a criticism. I've learned a little to be gentler with a friend of mine from the Midwest who will say "It's not my favorite" about a book he doesn't like. I'm pretty used to, well, saying what I like and don't like. So I do wonder how many times I've made him uncomfortable with my attitude. When I was in college I learned that the Deaf community can be pretty blunt about saying, "Hey, you've gained weight" or other things that we don't tend to talk about, too, so it's an interesting cultural distinction about what we talk about and what we don't, I think.

I found myself feeling quite angry about the comments about 'a certain kind of white woman' - which perhaps was her intention. I don't remember that exact quote, but there were a few spots where I felt a bit angry or uncomfortable with a statement, and I wondered the same thing. It would definitely be an interesting book to get a wide variety of opinions on (my friend when she suggested it told me she hadn't talked to a white woman about it), and I thought it was a really neat opportunity to get her input as well. We'll be meeting for lunch this Saturday and hopefully have a chance to discuss some more, whether about this book or life in general.

68bell7
Nov 17, 2015, 6:47 pm

I actually finished this Saturday and forgot to post a review -

101. River of Doubt by Candice Millard
TIOLI: I'll have to check
2015 goal: primarily set in Brazil

After his failed bid for re-election as a third party candidate in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt decided to go on a trip to South America. The cobbled together expedition changed from politics & pleasure (visiting his son Kermit, for example) to an expedition down what was then known as the Rio da Duvida - the River of Doubt. Previously only a portion of it was known, and this exploration would literally put it on the map - but at what cost to Roosevelt and his contingent?

Teddy Roosevelt is an interesting character, and a president with whom I should be more familiar, but I'm afraid before I read this book the only things I could remember about him was the Rough Riders and "Speak softly and carry a big stick." The book sets the stage deliberately with information about the Roosevelts, American politics and more, but once it moves into the expedition it's a rip-roaring survival story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The information about Brazilian Indian tribes, rainforest ecology and more was fascinating. 4 stars.

Read for book club, which is tomorrow, and I've already had two people give me widely differing opinions: one had a tough time getting through it and the other thoroughly enjoyed it.

69bell7
Nov 18, 2015, 9:18 am

102. Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger
TIOLI: Nope
2015 goal: No, I already read a book set in Minnesota

In this third book in the Cork O'Connor series, the former sheriff finds himself in the midst of town politics when someone bombs the lumber mill. The owner, Karl Lindstrom, had been in conflict with the Ojibwe over a stand of trees known as Our Grandfathers, so suspicion immediately is on the Iron Lake tribe. Meanwhile, Cork and his wife Jo are slowly feeling their way back into marriage and trying to make it work after their infidelities. What starts out as a seemingly straightforward case of environmentalists versus the logging company soon becomes complicated - and personal - as Cork's family is drawn in to the melee.

The first half of the book read as a police procedural, despite the fact that Cork is no longer in law enforcement (though there's some hint that he may be in the future); the second half reads as a twisty thriller whose ending left me reading late at night to find out what would happen. The relationships between the characters are my favorite parts, seeing how Cork and Jo are working out, their interactions with their kids, Jo's sister Rose, and secondary characters like the actual sheriff, Wally Schanno, and the Ojibwe healer, Henry Meloux. When the plot took center stage for the second half of the book, I was reading fast but I wasn't quite as invested in the story. When describing politics and groups in a small town, Krueger does a nice job of presenting various sides and conflicts. These stories have a great sense of place in northern Minnesota. I enjoy getting to know the characters and seeing them develop, and I look forward to seeing where they are headed next. 4 stars.

It wasn't quite as good for me as Boundary Waters. It could very well be that the feel of the book being split into two - police procedural and thriller - was because I read the first half very slowly and the second quickly, over a 12 day period total (which is very unusual for me).

70bell7
Nov 18, 2015, 10:01 am

I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by. Not too long ago, I started checking out library books that are due in December, and Thanksgiving is next week!

Of course, the most exciting part of Thanksgiving is going to be visiting my sister's family and seeing this cutie:

Mia is getting sooo big already - she'll be nearly four months old when we see her next week - and has started to play peekaboo when we Skype her. She also gets really excited and leans in to the phone, even trying to give me wide-mouthed baby kisses and getting annoyed when it's, well, just a phone.

And of course, there will be decisions about what books to bring as my dad, my youngest sister and I will be driving down. I'm still reading I'm a Stranger Here Myself and An Abundance of Katherines. The next book I'll be starting is The White Rose by Amy Ewing, the second in a teen dystopian series much like The Selection. I've got the e-book at work and the book at home and it's due... today. I'm cheating and keeping it longer. Depending on how much reading I get done before Thanksgiving, these may very well be the three books I bring with me, though I do hope to finish some of them within the next week so I can start on my library stack which also includes:

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
The Martian by Andy Weir and
Winter by Marissa Meyer

71bell7
Nov 19, 2015, 12:38 pm

103. The White Rose by Amy Ewing
TIOLI: no repeat vowels in author's name
2015 goal: series continuation is it

Just after the events of The Jewel, Violet finds herself needing to escape from the Duchess, the woman who wants her to be a surrogate mom for an heir. Ash is in the dungeon and she must trust Lucien, a lady-in-waiting who has big plans for Violet but has been awfully close-lipped about exactly what that entails.

I compared the first book in this trilogy to The Selection, but I found myself making that comparison less and less as this story went on. It's fast-paced brain candy: there were a few big reveals, but the cliffhanger didn't leave me shocked because I'd already figured it out. I had the sense that it could really have been a stronger story if all three books were merged into one and some of the extraneous dithering were cut out. I'll probably read the last book, but I feel no need to rush out and get it immediately when it comes out. 4 stars.

On the plus side, they're very fast reads. This one only took me two days and it was a nice break from some more serious reading.

72Ape
Nov 20, 2015, 10:27 am

Mary, I can be pretty direct myself (I recently heard someone say that when they're in the East Cost of the U.S. "you know where you stand"), and I get really confused sometimes when people talk around something or have a softer way of putting a criticism. I've learned a little to be gentler with a friend of mine from the Midwest who will say "It's not my favorite" about a book he doesn't like. I'm pretty used to, well, saying what I like and don't like. So I do wonder how many times I've made him uncomfortable with my attitude.

That's funny that you say that, because I use similar phrases when criticizing books in my reviews. I'll say things like "not my favorite" or "I'm not a fan." What is funny is I tend to think of myself as a harsh critic, in the sense that I'm not one of those people that likes everything the read and I tend to focus on negative things in my reviews, even if I like them. I'm a pessimist, and I'm okay with that, but I never considered that the phrasing sounds soft/gentle until you mentioned that. I don't feel like my intent is any different than someone who is more scathing, but certainly the phrases of choice can feel different to the person reading them, huh?

73bell7
Nov 23, 2015, 9:15 pm

>72 Ape: I don't feel like my intent is any different than someone who is more scathing, but certainly the phrases of choice can feel different to the person reading them, huh?. Definitely! I mean, it depends on the context too. In his case, we were mainly talking over text/social media, so sometimes "It's not my favorite" would be the only response I got, and I figured he liked a book but didn't love it. It took me a little while to realize it can be more negative than that. For example, I would read "It's not my favorite" more negatively if it had come after criticisms than after general praise and the caveat, "Not my favorite by this author, but still worth reading." I think I would tend to use it more the latter way. "Not a fan" sounds a little more negative to me (not sure why).

Your comments made me think about how I review. I think I try to put the good and bad - even of books that I loved - and generally I'm specific about my criticisms because I want to show my particular point of view and let others make their own decisions if the things that bothered me would be a sticking point for them or not.

74bell7
Nov 23, 2015, 9:21 pm

Well, I was really tired when I got home from work on Friday and through the weekend, and now I know why. I woke up with a terribly sore throat and beginnings of a cold. I stayed in and am trying to stave it off with lots of tea and OJ. I would really prefer not to be sick over Thanksgiving, not least because I'd like to visit with my family and I already know I'm going to lose sleep over the weekend due to leaving early for driving down to my sister's.

I managed to read all of Walk the Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson today, watched X-Men First Class (which will make my brother happy, as he gave it to me for my birthday - in March), and did venture out to get my oil changed (I had an appointment and fortunately just had to sit there). My throat and chest still do not feel great, but I'm drinking lots of hot liquids and hoping tomorrow is a better day not least because I get bored sitting around all day even when I'm reading excellent books.

75bell7
Nov 23, 2015, 9:49 pm

104. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
TIOLI: about pioneers
2015 goal: ? it was a journey through several states, so it's kinda hard for me to count it toward the setting

In 1849, Leah Westfall practically does the work of a man on her family's farm to keep everything running while her father is sick. But Leah also hides a secret: she can sense the pull of gold from anywhere - in the ground, in jewelry or household items. No one other than her parents know her ability, but when her parents are murdered and someone does find out, she has to get away and take the dangerous trip to California along with all the other gold-seekers.

Leah's tale is a little genrebending but mostly read to me like historical fiction, especially on a trip that had all the elements of Oregon Trail (sorry, but that game my frame of reference when it came to most of the landmarks and a few of the events on their trip). Leah especially was a really fleshed-out character, and I loved her for being complex and herself in a story where it would be easy to fall into tropes. The secondary characters were fun too, and despite the fact that there was a whole list of them at the beginning it really wasn't hard to follow along and keep them all straight. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. 4.5 stars.

My only... not complaint, really, just observation... is that Leah is surprisingly accepting of everyone for this time period. She was an abolitionist and her best friend is half-Cherokee and she meets others that she's quick to accept too and it's not that I want to read about someone who isn't like that, it's just that so many main characters are very progressive in this sort of historical fiction (not just in this way, but also in washing before medical procedures and such) and I find it somewhat jarring me out of the story sometimes.

76bell7
Editado: Nov 24, 2015, 9:14 am

105. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - mine
TIOLI: published in a year a war ended
2015 goal: set in Tennessee; my book

When his girlfriend - the 19th Katherine he has dated - breaks up with him, child prodigy Colin is devastated. To help him out, his best friend Hassan takes him on a road trip, where they find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee, to see the supposed grave of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and meet the lovely Lindsey Lee Wells - who is going out with another Colin and is most definitely not a Katherine. While they stay, Colin decides to plot out a theorem that will explain why his 19 relationships have ended, and whether future relationships will succeed.

If the gist of the plot of the book was hard for me to describe, how much harder to try to summarize my thoughts on it? It really doesn't help that, this being my own book and not a library book with a due date (let's face it, time pressure is a great motivator and I had a stack of library books on my nightstand calling my name at the same time), it took me over three weeks to complete it. That's not to say it wasn't a fun read. Colin and Hassan are pretty funny, there are footnotes and lots of random facts that Colin (child prodigy, remember) knows, and I felt pretty smart when I also knew his "not interesting" (Hassan's helpful hints for Colin, who's hopeless in social situations) facts. I didn't always connect with the story, probably because so many elements were so incredibly over-the-top. But it was fun reading and, similarly to The Fault in Our Stars dealt with real people just trying to matter in the real world (that's the only similarity I could come up with, which says a lot for the author, I think). For the mathematically inclined, there's an appendix which explains the theorem Colin comes up with. 4 stars.

77bell7
Editado: Nov 24, 2015, 12:54 pm

106. Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner - audio
TIOLI: subtitle more than twice as long as title
2015 goal: no

In their follow-up book to Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt (economist) and Stephen J. Dubner (journalist) explore the microeconomics behind such diverse topics as prostitution, the banking preferences of terrorists, and whether a simple, elegant solution can be found to global warming.

Like the first book, this takes on diverse topics, and gives lots of numbers but doesn't always have an ultimate solution. That being said, the conversation starters themselves are fascinating, and make you look at real life situations - like giving away money to charity or other potentially altruistic endeavors - in new ways. The audio is read by co-author Stephen Dubner; he does a good job for a non-actor (probably aided by the fact this is nonfiction), so it added to the experience to hear one of them, especially showing the dry sense of humor that doesn't always come out clearly in text. 4.5 stars.

I enjoyed listening to both of these, actually, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to reread them on paper to really remember some of the details.

78bell7
Nov 24, 2015, 1:11 pm

In case you can't tell from the slew of books read and reviews written, I stayed home from work sick again today. I have a little bit of a chest cold but mostly feel exceptionally tired (like, getting the mail out to the box and packing a few things for the Thanksgiving trip proved to be exhausting). I'm in that weird in-between state of wanting to finish books I've started (which you can see I've done) and wanting to start something new but not knowing what, exactly, I'm in the mood for. Maybe it's time for a nap.

79bell7
Nov 24, 2015, 5:51 pm

107. I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson
TIOLI: Red on the cover
2015 goal: well, in an odd way it's set in New Hampshire so we'll go with that

After living in Britain for some time, Bill Bryson and his family moved to the small town of Hanover, New Hampshire. While there, he wrote articles for a weekly column in a periodical back in England about living in America. About 70 of these articles are collected here, infused with Bryson's trademark wit and humor.

I enjoyed dipping into this collection from time to time, laughed aloud at some, scratched my head at others, and was gratified to find out that no less a personage than Bill Bryson is as absentminded as I am. The very nature of articles - being short and on a variety of topics - made me a little ambivalent. Not so much that I liked some better than others, which is always true in this type of collection, but because I'd just get a little tired of reading the same arc of storytelling too many times in a row. I probably would've loved it as a weekly column; for pleasure reading, I could only read a few at a time. Personally, I prefer Bryson's book length works, but for someone who's not sure where to start, it does give you a glimpse of his sense of humor and writing style. 4 stars.

80charl08
Nov 25, 2015, 3:21 pm

>79 bell7: I did love this as a weekly column, not sure that I'd get hold of the book.

Hope you are feeling recovered. Sounds like you were out of action for a bit.

81bell7
Nov 25, 2015, 4:23 pm

>80 charl08: Ultimately it wasn't a book I felt I'd reread again from cover to cover.

Thanks for the well-wishes. The last two days (and even before that, truly, off and on) I just felt so incredibly weary. Today I woke up, got my coffee, and could already tell it would be a better day. I'm still sniffling a little, but it's not bad. And a good thing too - we're leaving at 5 a.m. tomorrow for my sister's!

82tymfos
Nov 27, 2015, 12:54 am

Glad you're feeling a bit better. Wishing you safe travels and good family times!

83bell7
Nov 29, 2015, 6:36 pm

>82 tymfos: Thanks, Terry! I did keep fighting that cold, but everyone had a bit of one, including the baby (not too bad though), so we pressed on and still got a good visit in!

So I am back! We had a great time. Mia is four months old now, and getting so big. I read "Where's Elmo?" to her a couple of times through, and she got really excited about it. She doesn't have the motor skills to lift the flaps, but she flops her hand in the general direction and looks in the right places. Once, in the midst of the story she cried out "Aboo!" We aren't quite sure if she really meant "Peekaboo" or not, but it is a game she plays. She plays a lot of games, actually, and really loves smiling and laughing. Her laugh is so funny, because instead of a full on giggle, she tends to have a single "Heh!" exclamation burst out. My mom tells me, "She taught Grandma a game..." Mom was holding Mia and she started going "Ahhhhhh," grabbed my mom's hand and put it in front of her mouth!

My sister did a great job with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings. We had leftovers and snacks aplenty for the rest of the weekend. But, after a couple of days getting up at 5 and a couple of nights on an air mattress, I'm thrilled to be home and sleeping in my own bed tonight! The Giants game today was a disappointing one to come home to, but I guess we can't have everything.

84bell7
Editado: Nov 30, 2015, 10:20 am

108. Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
TIOLI: nope
2015 goal: nope

The sequel to Snow Like Ashes starts soon where the first book left off, with Meira and her allies rebuilding Winter and opening the mines in accordance with their agreement with Cordell. When the source of magic is discovered, Meira and Theron go on a journey to the other Season and Rhythm kingdoms to make alliances - but with opposing goals. Theron wants to free the magic for everyone to use equally, while Meira wants to lock it up and make sure no one can use it, and add to the Decay.

I have such mixed feelings about this series. The author weaves in details from the first book in a natural way that reminded me what had already happened. I enjoyed the worldbuilding in the first book, but in this one I felt like some of that was torn down or turned on its head in order to add twists to this story, and I'd really rather that the rules stayed the same, you know? Meira's indecision annoyed me at times, especially with the whole Theron (prince of Cordell) and Mather (Meira's oldest friend) triangle. But the main thing was having to read fast and turn my inner editor off. It was mostly word choice, if I had to put my finger on it, times when I read a sentence and thought to myself that there must be a better way to put it: "Summer's only redeemable trait is Ceridwen" (can a person be a trait? p. 248) or earlier on the same page when she said she "took it on herself" and I'd much rather she'd taken it upon herself. Some of this is, I'm sure, a stylistic choice and I'm definitely one to prefer a direct and short description over a wordy one. I did like Mather's story in this one, and thought it was interesting getting his perspective mixed in (though oddly it's third person while Meira's is first). Not without flaws, but definitely check it out if it interests you. 3 stars.

I haven't decided yet if I care to read the third book when it comes out, though knowing me - how much I've already read and the fact that it won't take me long - I probably will.

85Ape
Nov 29, 2015, 6:59 pm

I'm glad you had a great Thanksgiving, Mary, and presumably didn't run out of books to read (this time.)

Also, don't worry about the Giants, they are still tied for first in their division! My Falcons are 6-5 but with the undefeated Panthers in the same division... *grumble* Oh, and my mom is a Browns fan, so you see, things could always be worse. :P

86bell7
Editado: Nov 30, 2015, 10:24 am

Speaking of editorial fun, I came across this sentence in Crown of Midnight today: "Sprawled on the well-worn red carpet in front of her, Chaol's glass pen flickered with firelight as he scanned through documents and signed things and scribbled notes" (36).

Nonononono, that means that his pen is sprawled on the floor. What you mean is "Sprawled on the well-worn red carpet in front of her, Chaol scanned through documents and signed things and scribbled notes, his glass pen flickering with firelight." Or "in the firelight," which would grate on my personal ear a little less.

End editorial rant (honest).
Though I've about had it with questionable grammar and love triangles. I may need a break from YA fantasy and dystopia once I finish this and Winter.

87bell7
Nov 29, 2015, 7:06 pm

>85 Ape: Thanks, Stephen, hope you had a good holiday too! And no, I forgot to mention I brought waaaay too many books, actually, and I'm definitely either going to cut down next time or go primarily with the Kindle! I only had time to finish Ice Like Fire, start Crown of Midnight, and read Witches Abroad on the Kindle when we were driving in the dark.

And true, the Giants are still tied for first in the division but the Redskins definitely have the edge and the Eagles still have a shot. Definitely an exciting end to the season! And yeah, it could be worse. I knew a guy who was a Lions and a Chicago Cubs fan, and anytime my teams were doing poorly I just thought of him...

88scaifea
Nov 30, 2015, 6:42 am

It sounds like you had a lovely Thanksgiving, Mary - it doesn't get much better than reading to wee ones. I'm with you, though, on the joys of returning to one's own bed...

89The_Hibernator
Nov 30, 2015, 6:59 am

>87 bell7: When I travel, I try to focus on ebooks. It's for the best in so many ways.

90bell7
Nov 30, 2015, 10:20 am

>88 scaifea: Yep, Amber, it was a good trip but it's one I'm happy to be home from as well. I slept beautifully last night.

>89 The_Hibernator: I think I'm going to be leaning more and more in that direction, Rachel. Bringing along five books and my Kindle when I really only had time to read in the car was a bit much.

91bell7
Nov 30, 2015, 10:31 am

109. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett
TIOLI: More that 11th in a series (12th in Discworld)
2015 goal: nope, just whittling away at a series I've been and will be reading off and on for years

A fairy godmother dies, leaving her wand to Magrat Garlick, with strict instructions to tell Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg not to come along for a trip to save her goddaughter from having to marry the prince like the evil godmother wants her to.

This is the third book in the Witches miniseries, and the 12th in the complete Discworld series. I am usually a "must read it in order" stickler, but Discworld is one that I approach at random. The Witches is one of my favorites, though, and this one was no exception. Pratchett includes references to several fairy tales and classic fantasy tales from the Lord of the Rings to Narnia and probably a few that I missed. But because this is also a hilarious travel story in its own right - and who wouldn't want to see the nutty witches in foreign parts wreaking havoc? - it didn't really matter if I "got" it or not. Pure (well, okay, fairly impure because Nanny Ogg's along) fun. 4.5 stars.

92rosylibrarian
Nov 30, 2015, 10:36 am

>79 bell7: Are you excited for Bryson's new book? I am!

93bell7
Nov 30, 2015, 10:41 am

>92 rosylibrarian: OOooh... that's the first I'd heard of it, thanks Marie! I see I'll have to move Notes from a Small Island up my TBR list.

94rosylibrarian
Nov 30, 2015, 10:44 am

>93 bell7: I am excited to see him get back into travel writing. I enjoyed One Summer, and felt ambivalent about Home, but to me he is at his best when he's traveling.

95bell7
Nov 30, 2015, 11:00 am

>94 rosylibrarian: A Walk in the Woods was the first book I read by him and still one of my favorites (as I look back on what I've read by him, this is the only of his travel-themed books).

I did really like At Home. We did it for my book discussion, though, and it was a really difficult book to talk about because it was all over the place. We ended up mostly talking about "What was your favorite new piece of information?" There was no overarching theme, where even something like A Short History of Nearly Everything had a bit of a focus.

96rosylibrarian
Nov 30, 2015, 11:05 am

>95 bell7: It was chock-full of interesting information. Even my least favorite Bryson is still Bill Bryson. :)

A Short History of Nearly Everything is probably my favorite non-travel book of his... although his memoir was really funny too... and I've always wanted to read Seeing Further... ahhh, how will we wait until January?

97bell7
Nov 30, 2015, 11:28 am

>96 rosylibrarian: His books on language were really fun too: The Mother Tongue and Made in America were both pretty entertaining!

98bell7
Nov 30, 2015, 1:38 pm

So my plan for this afternoon - after I get home from work and do a minor food shopping - is to put up my Christmas tree. I also have a bit of cooking to do, but we'll see how much energy I have when it comes to that. I may just stick a quiche in the oven and call it a day.

I did want to share one of my current knitting projects:


A Christmas stocking for Mia, using one of the patterns from the '80s that my great-grandmother had. I've been getting help because I didn't know how to change colors mid-row, and I've actually finished a few rows of white below what I'd finished when I took the picture. I'm going to need a little more help to turn the heel. Then, sewing the seam and details like button wheels and her name in white on the red line have to be finished up. It's blurry because I took it on my phone, but it's just stockinette stitch.

99norabelle414
Nov 30, 2015, 1:40 pm

>98 bell7: Gorgeous stocking! I knit stockings for a couple of my family members the year before last and it was very fun. That's when I learned a lot about colorwork, as well.

100Ape
Nov 30, 2015, 6:36 pm

95, Mary: I still haven't read one of Bryson's books but I own a copy of A Walk in the Woods and was about to read it a few days ago, but opted for another book instead literally at the last minute. It's still on my bedside table though, so maybe soon?

101bell7
Nov 30, 2015, 9:07 pm

>99 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora! I am having fun with it, though I'm also cutting it a little close for finishing up before Christmas...

>100 Ape: I think you'd enjoy A Walk in the Woods, Stephen. Just out of curiosity, what book did you choose instead?

102Ape
Dic 1, 2015, 4:13 am

Well, I wanted to read a large book and I wanted to read something by a female author since I noticed I read exclusively male ones last month, so after narrowing my choice down to 400+ page books by female authors, I settled on a (hardcover) book I bought at a dollar store: The Orphanmaster. It narrowly beat out The Mistress of the Art of Death, since that one is part of a series.

The average rating is unimpressive, but after about 170 pages I'm pleased with my choice. :)

103charl08
Dic 1, 2015, 8:00 am

>98 bell7: Cute stocking. What a lovely idea.

104bell7
Dic 1, 2015, 8:13 am

>102 Ape: Oh good, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I confess, I pay little to no attention to the sex or gender of the author when I pick up a book. I'd have to count them up to check for the year, but my total authors in LT stats generally hover right around half and half or slightly more female.

I did read Mistress of the Art of Death and while it is the first in the series, from what I remember it's a pretty good story in its own right and you could let it stand alone if you wanted to, I think. It's been a few years though...

105bell7
Dic 1, 2015, 8:18 am

>103 charl08: Thanks! My great-grandmother knit stockings for all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, right up until my youngest sister who was born the year she died. So it's a tradition I'm very proud to be carrying on.

106rosylibrarian
Dic 1, 2015, 9:27 am

>105 bell7: What a beautiful thing to do. I wish I were a knitter. I have lots of nieces and nephews.

107bell7
Dic 1, 2015, 6:14 pm

>106 rosylibrarian: Thank you! Mia is my first & only so far, but I'm certainly hoping to be kept busy with projects as more of us get married and have kids of our own (I have four siblings). I'm not the only one who kept the tradition alive either - I got copies of the patterns from one of my mom's cousins, and one of my cousins also knits them for her nieces & nephews (which reminds me, I've been promising her copies...).

And knitting is fun! I was able to teach myself the basics with online videos and I get help from experienced knitters when I get stuck.

108bell7
Editado: Dic 4, 2015, 3:09 pm

November in review -

98. Translation is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin
99. Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
100. Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton
101. River of Doubt by Candice Millard
102. Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger
103. The White Rose by Amy Ewing
104. Walk the Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
105. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - mine
106. Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner - audio
107. I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson - mine
108. Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
109. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett - e-book

Books read: 11
Audiobooks listened to: 1
Graphic novels/Manga: 0
Picture books: 2
Adult/Teen/Children's: 7/5/0
Fiction/Nonfiction/Poetry/Plays: 9/3/0/0
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 10/2/0

Standouts: Oh man. This was a really good reading month, but I'm going to have to go with the first three of the month: Translation is a Love Affair, Throne of Glass and Humans of New York: Stories each very different but all fabulous in their own ways.

Thoughts: I tied the highest number of books read this month - 12 - a number I reached in January. Getting sick helped up those, I'm sure, and reading in the car while traveling for Thanksgiving. And... woah, almost a third of my reading was published this year! I may have read more adult than teen books last month, but I started getting so annoyed with a love triangle in Ice Like Fire that once I finish Crown of Midnight and Winter, I'm swearing off YA books for a little while (don't worry, I say that now but it won't last long) - unless you can promise me NO love triangles! (No love interest at all would be even better, but I won't hold my breath.)

Original publication dates read (year-to-date):
Note: When I read books in translation, I try to give the original publication date, not the English translation date.

2015 - 32
2014 - 19
2013 - 7
2012 - 5
2011 - 5
2010 - 2
2009 - 3
2007 - 3
2006 - 3
2005 - 3
2004 - 1
2003 - 2
2002 - 1
2001 - 1

1999 - 3
1998 - 2
1995 - 1
1993 - 1
1991 - 2
1988 - 1
1987 - 2
1986 - 1
1977 - 1
1975 - 1
1971 - 1
1969 - 2
1953 - 1
1947 - 1
1934 - 1

1861 - 1

109bell7
Dic 2, 2015, 8:26 pm

110. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
TIOLI: book I started before Dec. 1
2015 goal: no

Celaena is now officially King's Champion, and the twisted King of Adarlan has been sending her out to kill his enemies. Her latest assignment: Archer, a young man from her past. Will Celaena do the king's bidding, even if it costs her? And what about the latest assignment she gets from Elena, a past queen whose tomb Celaena can access through a secret passage from her room?

I really liked Throne of Glass: this sequel had a lot to live up to, and it delivered in spades. Celaena is a complicated character who definitely has a dark side. I enjoyed getting to know a little more about her back story, even though some of the developments didn't take me entirely by surprise. The whole love triangle thing got on my nerves off and on, but if I have to have one, I guess I'd take it like this with Chaol, Captain of the Guard, and Prince Dorian each loving her in his own way and each having a really good reason why a relationship with her is a bad idea. Despite that minor complaint, I'm looking forward to seeing how the story continues to develop. 4.5 stars.

Next up: The Martian, which is due back at the library in a couple of weeks and Winter, which shouldn't take me long to read. Also The Art Forger for book group. I read that one about a year ago and may end up skimming if I run out of time.

110bell7
Dic 2, 2015, 8:31 pm

111. What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst
TIOLI: no
2015 goal: no

If I end up remembering to put this in my library: started 10/6/15 and finished 12/2/15

Read for my Bible study. The basic premise is - well, essentially what the title says - if you follow God in radical obedience, your life will change dramatically. Our group had some good discussions about it, and the book itself was decent. A little too heavy on the anecdotal stories and light on the "study" part for my taste, but there were some challenging thoughts.

111bell7
Dic 3, 2015, 10:48 am

I'm only about 10 pages into The Martian, but finding it incredibly compelling so far. We'll see if I manage to read it as much as I'd like, since I have a very busy weekend coming up...

112bell7
Dic 3, 2015, 1:52 pm

Picture Book #18:
Too Many Toys! written and illustrated by Heidi Deedman

Lulu has always had her special bear Jupiter, but lately her collection of toys has gotten out of control. What's a girl to do? Give them all away of course! Cute story that encourages generosity & not letting your (toy) collection get out of control. The illustrations were ink and watercolor, rendered digitally (couldn't tell you what that means, exactly), aren't extremely bright but they are quite fun and entertaining if a child likes to look through what all the toys are doing in addition to reading the story.

113Ape
Dic 3, 2015, 7:52 pm

104, Mary: I don't keep track of such things on a book-by-book basis, it was just something that stood out to me when I was doing my November summary. I also read exclusively fiction, which is why I was considering A Walk in the Woods in the first place. :)

Congrats on the spectacular reading month! Also, the love triangles (and romance in general) is why I have such a hard time with YA books. I want to like them because the covers are gorgeous and plots sound so unique, but then 3/4ths of the text is romance. *sigh*

114bell7
Dic 4, 2015, 3:40 pm

>113 Ape: Yeah, I hear you about too much romance (even if not love triangles) in YA fiction. I've really enjoyed a lot as both a teen and an adult, but I do get tired of the need to always have one or more love interests. (And it's not just my age showing; this annoyed me as a teen too.)

I definitely read mostly fiction, but I think I usually get at least one nonfiction a month in there somewhere (I'd have to look at my months in review and add 'em up to be sure). A Walk in the Woods reads pretty fast for nonfiction, though, from what I remember.

115Ape
Dic 4, 2015, 4:22 pm

I guess if you are writing books for hormonal teens, romance is a good way to establish a fan base. :)

Yeah, I assumed A Walk in the Woods would read quickly, I have a paperback edition too so that would also help. I'll get around to reading it...eventually...

116bell7
Dic 5, 2015, 9:49 am

>115 Ape: I'll get around to reading it...eventually...
Every book lover's problem ;)

117bell7
Dic 5, 2015, 9:54 am

DNF: The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O'Connor. I read only 12 pages, and I will not base any comments on that short amount of space. I do want to read this eventually, I just decided with the holidays, my current to-do list and some books I need to read for work, I didn't have time for this one right now.

118Ape
Dic 5, 2015, 5:38 pm

116: Absolutely. I absolutely will read it eventually, and that goes over 248 more times for each of the other unread books I own. Plus all the ones I'll purchase in the future, at a pace faster than I can read them....

117: Sometimes it just isn't the right time for a book. I've even actively disliked a book in the first few pages, but still put it down with the desire to pick it back up again sometime in the future.

119souloftherose
Dic 6, 2015, 12:02 pm

Hi Mary. The Sarah Maas series sounds intriguing but I am really averse to love triangles so still undecided about whether to try them or not.

120tymfos
Dic 6, 2015, 2:18 pm

>98 bell7: I love the stocking!

121bell7
Dic 7, 2015, 10:05 am

>118 Ape: Definitely a case of it wasn't the right time. Thanksgiving-New Year's is usually a pretty busy time for me and I just didn't have the energy to pick it up when I thought of it.

On the plus side, The Martian is EXCELLENT.

>119 souloftherose: The Sarah Maas series is really good, and generally I can overlook a love triangle if I'm loving something else. Ice Like Fire annoyed me so much that I was judging the next book even more harshly because of that. I've also been promised by the friend who recommended the series to me that the love triangle is over in the next book (3 out of 4).

>20 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! Glad you stopped by!

122drneutron
Dic 7, 2015, 10:24 pm

I'm glad you're diggin' The Martian!

123ronincats
Dic 7, 2015, 10:51 pm

Ditto!

124bell7
Dic 8, 2015, 12:06 pm

>122 drneutron: and >123 ronincats: LOVED it! I just finished it this morning and I'll shortly be working on my review.

125bell7
Dic 8, 2015, 12:44 pm

112. The Martian by Andy Weir
TIOLI: first name is a nickname/diminutive
2015 goal: nah, Mars doesn't count as a state or other country, unfortunately

Astronaut Mark Watney is left behind on Mars and has to use all his wits and ingenuity to survive.

You know those books that have been on your to-read list forever, and you finally get a kick in the pants (like the movie coming out) to read the dang book already? And then it's so good that you a.) can't believe you haven't read it before and b.) are wishing it lasts forever because you're just enjoying it that much. The Martian is like that. The bulk of the narrative is the log that Mark has while he's on the red planet, detailing his science and survival experiments. There's some technical details, but I just took it as adding to the believability of the story and didn't really worry if I understood all the details or not. The plot is pitch-perfect in ratcheting up tension here and making me laugh there, holding my breath in all the right places. Even if you think you don't like science fiction, give this book a try. 5 stars.

I was originally thinking of giving it 4.5 stars, but then I was like... why?

126ronincats
Dic 8, 2015, 1:34 pm

Wasn't that fun?!?

127bell7
Dic 8, 2015, 1:55 pm

>126 ronincats: Ohmygoodness yes, if I hadn't had such a busy weekend I would've finished it Saturday!

128scaifea
Dic 9, 2015, 6:48 am

>125 bell7: WOOT! Love that one so much!

129bell7
Dic 9, 2015, 6:48 pm

>128 scaifea: hurray, another fan! Honestly, with you and Mark (II think) and others warbling about it, I feel like I'm the last one to get to it!

130bell7
Dic 9, 2015, 6:52 pm

Here's a quick show and tell update on the stocking:



I still have to finish the gusset shaping (essentially the foot of the stocking ) and toe, but I've read through the directions and I can do it myself. After that, there's little things like weaving in ends and sewing it up and adding her name and the year, but I'm feeling confident now about having it done in time for Christmas!

131scaifea
Dic 10, 2015, 6:37 am

Ohmygosh, I love the little puffs of smoke!! Adorable! Well done, lady!

132bell7
Dic 10, 2015, 11:53 am

>131 scaifea: Thank you, Amber! Those are my almost-first (2-4 - the very first one got thrown out) pom-poms so I was pretty proud. :)

I worked on the foot a bit last night, but I won't really have time to devote to knitting until Friday night. I'm hoping to finish over the weekend, despite giving a training on our Ancestry database and reading The Art Forger for book group Wednesday...

133bell7
Editado: Dic 11, 2015, 3:07 pm

113. The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
TIOLI: Rolling "Santa Claus" challenge
2015 goal: no, it's set in a state I've already read - for my book club

Here's my original review from reading it in July 2014:

Claire Roth, an aspiring artist in Boston, has been a bit of an outcast in the art world lately and is working making copies for Reproductions.com to make ends meet. She is approached by Aiden Markel, the owner of well-known gallery Markel G, with a proposition she's unsure she can take: make a copy of one of the Degas paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the notorious 1990 heist, and he'll return to the original to the museum as well as make her name by offering her a show.

The level of detail about art and forgery included as Claire researches the painting and talks about what she does for her job at "Repro" lend a credibility to this thriller about an unsolved mystery. I simultaneously learned a lot and was left wanting to read and learn more about the Gardner heist and art forgery. I read fast, as the narrative moves along and I found myself unsure to the last about the "goodness" of some of the characters. Claire impressed me and irritated me by turns, as she was clearly smart about art but not about some of her relationships, and her naivete was grating. Flashbacks to events of three years earlier and insertions of (fictitious) letters from Isabella to her niece Amelia rounded out the story nicely.


I will add that it doesn't hold up extremely well to rereading when you remember plot details, which kind of takes away from the tension. A few things were pretty unbelievable, including the love story out of nowhere and the solution to the mystery of the original Degas. Shapiro's writing is best when she's describing art and the process of making a good copy/forgery, though it's awkward in other places. It definitely added to the story to have seen the Gardner Museum - which I hadn't until this summer. I gave The Art Forger four stars last year and docked half a star this time around.

Oddly enough, mixed feelings bode well for a discussion. There's usually different things that stand out to each of us, and if we absolutely loved (or hated) a book, there seems to be a more analytical part of my brain that has trouble talking about it. Where if I'm mixed, I'm analyzing why I feel that way and I tend to stand a little more apart from the narrative in a... well, for lack of a better term, English major-y way.

134Donna828
Dic 12, 2015, 5:28 pm

Wow, I sure got behind here, Mary. I'm glad to be caught up now.

>69 bell7: Great plans for next year's book group. I've read and liked many of them and am reminded that I need/want to read The Boys in the Boat which is hiding on my Kindle.

>98 bell7:, >130 bell7: Good start on Mia's stocking. She is such a cutie! I think she will appreciate the history behind the knitting pattern when she gets older.

Thank you for all the wonderful book reviews. I'm glad you loved the Martian. You got me with a book bullet for Humans of New York.

135The_Hibernator
Dic 13, 2015, 8:05 pm

>130 bell7: Adorable! And I loved The Martian too. I just donated a copy of it to the Children's Hospital through my local Barnes and Noble. I'm hoping a nice teen boy or girl will want to read it. Teens don't get as many books donated to them as the younger kids do.

136bell7
Dic 14, 2015, 10:34 am

>134 Donna828: Hi, Donna, glad you were able to catch up! I'm looking forward to next year's book club selections, though there are some pretty serious books on there, that I'm sure I'll be balancing out with lighter fare. One of my friends and I want to discuss Being Mortal for our book club of two (she's the one with whom I talked about Americanah last month), so she's going to read it in January and I'll probably try to read it a little early to talk in Februaryish. So that should be a fun read.

Oh, I hope you love the Humans of New York books! I thought the photography was neat and recommended them to my mom on that front, and I really loved the stories that went with them.

I finished the stocking this weekend! I'll have a few more pics to post soon so you can get an idea of what it looks like in total. As I was finishing up on Saturday and Sunday, I had the bittersweet thought that my grandmother and great-grandmother would be awfully proud of my progress and keeping the tradition alive.

>135 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel! You remind me that I haven't made my donation yet as well - I love that Barnes & Noble makes it so easy to buy an extra book and donate it. One year I chose The Giver. I like choosing a book I loved and hoping someone else will enjoy it just as much.

137bell7
Dic 14, 2015, 10:45 am

Nothing to report as far as books finished. I had a full weekend finishing up the Christmas stocking and giving an Ancestry program at the library, so while I made some progress in Winter, (about 130 or so pages into an 800+ page book) I'm not even close to finishing it.

I've just barely started The Gardner Heist, which I figured I'd read while The Art Forger is still fresh in my mind, and I also decided I wanted a gander at an e-book ARC version of Flight of Dreams, about the Hindenberg, and started that on Friday, I think. Not very far in that either, but it's a heck of a lot easier putting my Kindle next to me before I go to bed than holding up Winter over my head (not to mention much less chance of injury!).

Oh, and speaking of the Ancestry program at the library... had a bit of a surprise when the police showed up. See, I do it after hours and have my co-workers lock the doors but leave the lights on and I close up when we leave. So we're using the library computers just for the program, and people can't just waltz in. Well, I forgot to say anything about the lights or the alarm, and when I said "Oh yeah, just lock up," my co-workers interpreted that as, well, closing up as normal. Thus, I discovered that the alarm does not make a lot of noise when you come in the main door instead of the back staff room door (where it's blaring 'til you turn it off). When the police officer came to the door I let him in and just said, "Hi, I'm just running a program - is everything okay?" "Yeah, I can see that," he replied, "The alarm's going off." "Oh... is it too late for me to turn it off?" "No, turning it off would be good."

I went in the back room and put the code in. He left after that, though a little while later the trustee that gets the call when the alarm goes off arrived to check things out too. I told him what happened, and he checked out the upstairs just to make sure that someone else wasn't in the library but left after that. Fun on a Saturday afternoon! Fortunately it didn't really disturb the program, as they were pretty easy going about everything, and I walk around a lot to check how searches are going on the computers anyway. It was more embarrassing than anything else, and I gave one of my co-workers (the wife of a policeman in town!) a pretty good ribbing this morning for setting the alarm on me.

138tymfos
Dic 14, 2015, 11:21 am

>137 bell7: Oops! Don't feel bad. We've had our share of mishaps and miscommunications with the alarm system at our library, too. I always have to be careful to remember when the library board or Historical Society board is meeting when I close up. So far, I've managed to avoid sending the police in on them. . .

139bell7
Dic 14, 2015, 11:56 am

>138 tymfos: Nah, it's just one of those stories we'll laugh about over a staff party in a year or so. A little disconcerting, but nothing to get too hung up about! I just hope that it's not like the alarm at my church, where every time the police respond they get charged for it...

140norabelle414
Dic 14, 2015, 1:24 pm

>137 bell7: A few weeks ago I was at a late meeting at the zoo, and after the meeting was over I stopped at the bathroom before leaving. When I got out of the bathroom, everyone had left already and the front gate was locked! I had to call the zoo police to come from the other side of the zoo to let me out. So embarrassing.

141Whisper1
Dic 14, 2015, 1:28 pm

>65 bell7: Jane Yolen and Bagram Ibatoulline together! This is a combination of one of my favorite authors, and my favorite illustrator. I'll be on the look out for this book.

142Whisper1
Dic 14, 2015, 1:34 pm

>140 norabelle414: I had a similar experience at Lehigh University. When I first started here, 32 years ago, I had to deliver a written proposal to someone in one of the obscure buildings. Lehigh is a large campus with many older buildings scattered prominently and also in nooks and crannies.

At the end of the day on a Friday, I found Seeley Mudd building (what a weird name), and walked throughout the darkened building looking for the specific office. It was so eerie to not find a single soul after 30 minutes of wandering. I tried to get out when I found doors, but none would allow access to the outside. I was in a panic, ready to break the glass on a fire box rather than be stranded in the building all weekend.

After the final "hello, hello, is ANYBODY in here?", a student squirreled in the back of a room hunched over some bubbling concoction responded and helped me locate the door that got me out.

Spending the night at the zoo would prove very interesting, but I imagine it would be rather spooky.

143bell7
Dic 15, 2015, 1:58 pm

>140 norabelle414: Oh no! That would've been slightly mortifying, even if I were sure it weren't the first time it happened.

>141 Whisper1: I hope you enjoy it, Linda! I did love the illustrations; I'll have to be on the lookout for more of Bagram Ibatoulline's work.

>142 Whisper1: Oh yikes! I'd much rather be stranded in the library overnight (though our doors are set up in such a way that once locked you can get out, just not IN) than a dusty corner of campus. I'm glad a student was kind enough to help you out!

144bell7
Dic 15, 2015, 5:47 pm

114. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
TIOLI: campus/academia
2015 goal: no, it's set in the Midwest, but I'm not sure a state is ever mentioned

Dear Committee Members begins with a Letter of Recommendation (LOR) from Jay Fitger - cantankerous curmudgeon and English & Creative Writing professor at Payne University - for a promising student of his, one Darren Browles, who is writing a novel based on Bartleby the Scrivener. The following letters, including more LORs and letters to faculty and former flames, tell more of the story of Fitger, his past, and the limping English department at the university (overlooked for other, more exciting departments such as Economics), in sometimes hilarious prose.

This was a truly delightful read, both humorous and making a point. I kind of liked Fitger despite his bristly demeanor, terrible romantic history, and complaining. I came across a few words I didn't know, but once I looked them up I was pleased with the precise use of vocabulary and sometimes biting wit in both his complaints and pleas. Bittersweet but uplifting, and a book I'd definitely recommend. 4.5 stars.

145tymfos
Dic 16, 2015, 4:16 pm

>144 bell7: That one sounds like a fun read! Great review.

146bell7
Dic 16, 2015, 5:11 pm

>145 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! I really enjoyed it, and wouldn't have come across it if it hadn't been for an earlier TIOLI challenge to "Read a book that was nominated for the Thurber Award for American Humor."

147bell7
Dic 18, 2015, 8:50 am

Well, no books finished to report, but i did complete Mia's stocking!



It's a little hard to see, but there's a loop to hang it and little jingle bells at the top. The back, with the red reason car, is visible in one of the earlier photos from before I sewed it up. The snow is pompoms I made, and the wheels are buttons.

Detail on the name and year :




Those were the very last parts completed, basically sewn over the knit stitches. I deviated a bit from my own stocking in the letter "font", primarily because I needed to make the 1 the same size to center it easily, but I'm incredibly pleased with it.

148scaifea
Dic 19, 2015, 7:27 am

Oh, well done, Mary!! You should be *very* proud of that one!

149kidzdoc
Dic 19, 2015, 10:35 pm

Well done, Mary!

150ronincats
Dic 20, 2015, 1:35 pm

Impressive!

151The_Hibernator
Dic 20, 2015, 11:33 pm

I love the stocking! I should knit some for my nephews and niece, but I'm not very good at knitting. I wish I were as crafty as some of you gals here on LT.

152bell7
Dic 21, 2015, 9:39 am

>148 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I am very proud of how it came out, and I'm really excited to know that I could probably follow the pattern now for just about any stocking and have it come out just as good!

>149 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl!

>150 ronincats: :) Thanks, Roni

>151 The_Hibernator: Fortunately I had help from more experienced knitters when I got to parts I didn't know how to do, Rachel. I've had a few years of knitting scarves and baby blankets almost exclusively before trying that one! I kind of feel like I should be making Mia sweaters, I'm terrified of having to do a project where I need a size to turn out right!

153bell7
Dic 21, 2015, 9:44 am

So, I'm still reading Winter. The dang book is over 800 pages long, and it's starting to feel like a marathon of reading 5 books instead of just one. Can I get extra credit?

The frustrating thing is I've read long books before and, given the time to focus on them for a few days especially, I usually don't mind if I find myself interested in the characters and the situations. But now I just feel bogged down by all the pages and all the characters going every which way (I mean, it's called Winter, but we're focused on her and on Cinder and Cress and all over the place) and waaayyy to many threads to keep track of (what happened at the very beginning so I can give a non-spoiler summary again?) that I find myself just wishing for it to have been edited to half its size so I could be finished the book already. I'm not sure if it's me or the book eliciting that reaction.

154streamsong
Dic 21, 2015, 10:05 am

Uh oh, on Winter. I had no idea it was so long, although I've been looking forward to reading it. Sometime after the new year, I'll I'll try it on audio.

155bell7
Dic 21, 2015, 10:19 am

>154 streamsong: I would definitely recommend reading it when you knew you'd be able to spend a lot of time with it. I get frustrated with books when they take me a long time to read (I started it on the 9th), so it's not entirely the book's fault. Though I did look back, and it's over 200 pages longer than Cress (552) and almost twice as long as Scarlet (434).

156streamsong
Dic 21, 2015, 10:45 am

>155 bell7: I'll be watching to see how satisfying you think it is in the end!

157Ape
Dic 21, 2015, 7:17 pm

You can just read the shortest book you can find next, and it won't hurt your average because the two books combined will still be over 400 pages. :)

158bell7
Dic 22, 2015, 10:01 am

>156 streamsong: I finished it this morning so will post a review soon!

>157 Ape: Ha! I'm not really worried about my overall numbers, just complaining that for the time spent (and page numbers) on the book, I should've finished more than one. But I keep count of the short ones, anyway, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

159bell7
Editado: Dic 23, 2015, 12:46 pm

115. Winter by Marissa Meyer
TIOLI: blue on the cover (though now that I look at it, it's really mostly purple - I may have to find a different place for this)
2015 goal: nah, just finishing a series

Winter is the stepdaughter of Queen Levana of Luna, known to be crazy, but beautiful and beloved by the people. When her friend and guard, Jacin, is brought before Levana for treachery, she fears for his life. Meanwhile, Cinder - actually Princess Selene and heir to the throne of Luna - and her friends Thorne, Wolf, Kai, and Cress come up with a plot to overthrow Levana on her own turf, starting a revolution, and hopefully rescuing Scarlet while they're at it.

I've really enjoyed these fractured fairy tales set in a science fiction future, the premise of all the Lunar Chronicles. In this fourth and final book, we see all those threads come together for a final showdown... the only problem is how very long it takes to get there. There are many, many threads to wrap up and at over 800 pages this is no easy book to be reading in bed, so my reading this book suffered from being stretched over nearly two weeks, making it feel even longer. I do really enjoy the characters and their interactions, and the ending was extremely satisfying, but I definitely wished the book was about half as long. Though it's not the strongest in the series, I recommend it to fans of teen fantasy and dystopias - it's got the best of both worlds in those genres. 4 stars.

160bell7
Dic 22, 2015, 12:50 pm

I see a few people have already found their way over, but to make it official, here's my 2016 thread.

I'll still be posting reviews here through the 31st.

161ronincats
Dic 22, 2015, 12:59 pm

Mary, I also just finished Winter and it definitely was enjoyable and LONG. I too could not read it at a sitting or two and ended up taking over a week to get through it. Loved how Meyers wove those fairytale elements into a thoroughly modern story.

162bell7
Dic 22, 2015, 1:02 pm

>161 ronincats: Yeah, I usually have the opportunity of a good chunk of reading time for those chunksters, but this month just hasn't had that opportunity (I suppose it's not all that surprising for December). Reading multiple titles at the same time doesn't help, either. But it was definitely enjoyable, and I love that each book was its own story while nodding (or more) to the original tales.

163ronincats
Dic 23, 2015, 3:38 pm



For my Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Holiday image this year (we are so diverse!), I've chosen this photograph by local photographer Mark Lenoce of the pier at Pacific Beach to express my holiday wishes to you: Peace on Earth and Good Will toward All!

164lkernagh
Dic 24, 2015, 9:49 am

Getting caught up here. Sorry to read that you were feeling under the weather during Thanksgiving. Great batch of reading. Love the stocking you knitted for Mia! You are very talented!

165bell7
Dic 24, 2015, 11:12 am

>163 ronincats: Roni, that's a lovely photograph - thanks for sharing! A wonderful holiday season to you as well.

>164 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! I gave it to my sister last night, and she was very pleased. I started with a cold this week, too, but fortunately just have a bit of a sniffle left - I refuse to be sick for Christmas too!

166bell7
Dic 24, 2015, 11:16 am

A merry Christmas to all - and the best of holiday seasons for whatever you may celebrate over the next week and into the coming New Year!

I'm working until noon today and heading over to my parents to get as much time with family as possible, so will most likely not be checking in again until after my sister's left for home.

A short reading update in the meantime: I've just started A Man Called Ove, which I'm enjoying very much; late last night I started my annual reread of A Christmas Carol - we'll see if I actually finish it for Christmas!; I'm halfway through The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser and am thoroughly engrossed, especially reading it so soon after The Art Forger; and finally, I'm nearly finished with my e-book ARC of Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon. Whew!

167lkernagh
Dic 24, 2015, 11:20 am

Forgot to add:


168PaulCranswick
Dic 24, 2015, 12:51 pm



Have a lovely holiday, Mary

169The_Hibernator
Dic 24, 2015, 2:30 pm



Merry Christmas Mary!

170streamsong
Editado: Dic 25, 2015, 10:50 am



And may you have a lovely New Year Mary, filled with wonderful books and all your favorite things!

171bell7
Dic 26, 2015, 8:45 am

Thanks to Lori, Paul, Rachel and Janet for the holiday wishes & lovely pictures.

After the busy-ness of the last few days, I'm letting myself relax, sleep in a little and catch up on reviews (yes, I managed to finish some books!). I'll be heading over to my parents again later today, as my sister and her family are only staying through tomorrow.

116. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I managed to bookhorn this one in for my yearly reread (ten years running, at least), though I finished it late Christmas Eve/early Christmas morning to do it. When Mia was asleep in my arms I started reading it at my parents, and she kind of woke up but I decided to read aloud and see how long she'd stay settled for me. For a five-month-old baby and a book with no pictures, I was amazed when she not only stayed still for about seven pages total, she kept looking up at me, entranced, seemingly listening but probably just enjoying the sound and the flow of the words and my voice. Eventually she did get restless, but she already seems to enjoy having me read to her, which is an amazing feeling I tell you.

172bell7
Dic 26, 2015, 9:02 am

117. Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon
TIOLI:
2015 goal: no, set on the Hindenburg

*E-ARC provided through Edelweiss/Above the Treeline in exchange for an honest review.* Book comes out February 23, 2016.

On Thursday, May 6, 1937 the world watched in horror at the footage of the Hindenberg, a massive hydrogen German airship, caught fire on its decent to Lakehurst, New Jersey. All inquiries came back inconclusive as to what could have gone wrong. Ariel Lawhon imagines that fateful journey through the eyes of crew and passengers, from Emilie, the first woman to work on an airship; Max, the man who loves her; Gertrud, a journalist who just wants to get home to her son; Werner, the cabin boy; the mysterious American who is on a secretive mission and many more.

Lawhon weaves facts about the Hindenburg and Germany 1937 seamlessly while telling a story of the possible events and relationships between people that could have unfolded on what most testimony termed an "uneventful" flight. She paints a believable picture of "what could have been" where some of the most surprising events in the story were, in fact, historical record. The countdown to the explosion is given at the heading of every chapter, ratcheting up tension, and the narrative moves quickly between several points of view allowing the reader to know much more than the players. I was carried along to the very end wondering what was going to happen next. 4.5 stars.

173bell7
Dic 26, 2015, 9:16 am

118. The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser
TIOLI: nonfiction book
2015 goal: not really

In 1990, two thieves dressed as policemen gained access to the Isabella Stewart Garnder Museum, trussed up the night guards, and made off with impressive loot, including works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and a Chinese ku. Since then, the heist has never been solved, though many - such as Harold Smith - have pursued leads for decades that takes them from the Boston mob to the IRA. Ulrich Boser finds himself fascinated and starts pursuing leads both promising and fantastical, taking him into the seedy underbelly of art and museum theft.

This is a fascinating tale - not only of an unsolved mystery but also how we can become obsessed. Would art be as beautiful if it were not so valuable? When does collecting become almost like an addiction, and why does possessing art make us feel a connection with the creator? The book was almost as fascinating for Boser's eventual obsession with the case as it was for the mystery of what could have happened in March 1990. It actually becomes a bit repetitive as lead after lead becomes a dead end and he has to swing back around to the beginning all over again. I also wondered what may have changed: for example, it was written before Whitey Bulger's apprehension, and I have to think that aspects that dealt with him need an update. Still, for anyone interested in art and true crime, this story of the investigation has a lot to offer. 4 stars.

174Ape
Dic 26, 2015, 3:23 pm

*Hugs*

175tymfos
Dic 26, 2015, 8:23 pm



Hope your Christmas was great!

176Whisper1
Dic 27, 2015, 9:52 am

Hi Mary. I also like to learn about the Gardner heist. What a crying shame that so many leads came to nothing in the end. Lo these years later, these incredible paintings are still missing. In particular, Rembrandt 's Christ in the Sea of Galilee may be forever gone from public view. It literally is a crying shame.

177Whisper1
Dic 27, 2015, 9:53 am

Opps. I forgot to mention how impressed I am with the lovely stocking you made. It is quite a labor of love.

178bell7
Dic 28, 2015, 9:35 am

>174 Ape: *hugs* back. Hope you had a good weekend, Stephen.

>175 tymfos: Thanks, Terri, it was lovely! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well.

>176 Whisper1: I believe it was your review of The Gardner Heist that first put it on my radar, Linda. I was really surprised when I went to see the museum this summer that it was right next to a place I was very familiar with a few years back - Simmons College, where I would go once a week to class when I was working on my library degree! And thanks for your words on the stocking. It was indeed a labor of love, and I couldn't help but think how proud my grandmother and great-grandmother would be to see me carrying on the tradition.

179Donna828
Editado: Dic 28, 2015, 11:39 am

The stocking turned out beautifully, Mary. That is a wonderful accomplishment. I'm going to hold off a few more days before I head over to the 2016 group. It is sooo tempting...

180jnwelch
Dic 28, 2015, 2:32 pm

Happy Holidays, Mary!

Love your story in >171 bell7: of reading A Christmas Carol to little Mia.

181bell7
Dic 28, 2015, 8:03 pm

>179 Donna828: thank you, Donna! I hear you in waiting till closer to the new year. I normally do too, but couldn't resist this time around, especially knowing how busy I'll be this week.

>180 jnwelch: thank you, Joe, hair holidays to you and yours as well! I read her a couple of board books, too, which seems to be something we both enjoy. She sits up and leans into the books she's really into. It'll be so much fun going her build her own library and discovering what she likes to read!

182richardderus
Dic 28, 2015, 9:26 pm

Hi Mary! Betcha can guess what package *I* opened today! The Némirovsky books are particularly welcome. I read DAVID GOLDER a few years back, and while I enjoyed Némirovsky's way with words, that book was very anti-Semitic and that made me squirm. DIMANCHE AND OTHER STORIES is particularly drool-worthy. Thank you so very kindly, my friend!

The BookPages are welcome too, of course...but back seat they take to the stories! xoxo

183bell7
Dic 28, 2015, 10:04 pm

>182 richardderus: wonderful! And exceptionally fast, too, as I just sent it on Saturday. Considering Nemirovsky's own Jewish origins, I'm surprised to hear that about David Golder, but hope you'll find something to like in these stories. I've been meaning to get back to Suite Francaise for years now...

184bell7
Dic 30, 2015, 11:48 am

119. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
TIOLI: All I want for Christmas is...
2015 goal: set in Sweden

Ove, age fifty-nine recently widowed and let go from his job, just wants to die in peace but life keeps getting in the way: namely, the new family that just moved in and others in the neighborhood keep needing his help and interrupting his suicide attempts. Can't a man die in peace? But as Ove's late wife, Sonja, would have said we have things we're destined to do and just maybe Ove has something to live for yet.

Starting off the book - especially with the suicide attempt - I wasn't quite sure what I was going to make of the story. It's a quirky little book, almost episodic with chapters that bring you along for one story and sometimes delving into the past so you eventually learn quite a bit about this man called Ove, who is curmudgeonly but good-hearted. His neighbors include Parvaneh, Patrick and family; Anita and her husband Rune, Ove's one-time friend now enemy; Jimmy the computer geek; and others. I kept thinking it was set in England because of the use of "bloody" as a swear, but they all live in a housing development in Sweden where one must assuredly - as Ove would say - follow the rules. It's a truly delightful tale that wound its way around my heart, and before I knew it I was crying over the characters. Recommended for readers of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. 4.5 stars.

And that, folks, in my 900th review in LibraryThing.

185bell7
Dic 30, 2015, 4:58 pm

I don't anticipate finishing any books in the next two days that will topple any of these, so here's my completely subjective "best books" of 2015 (loosely in order read):

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - lovely writing and wonderful characters in this WW2 story
Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell - really excellent storytelling from someone who's fast becoming one of my favorite writers
Annihilation/Authority/Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer - I think of this trilogy as one story in all (and they're short), and their creepy atmosphere still brings me back whenever I see one of the titles on the library shelf
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - good fun story about a family of special sisters
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - really excellent YA fantasy that I was soo excited to send to a friend for Christmas
Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch - nonfiction read for my book club and I was surprised how much I loved it
A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell - ripped my heart out but so very, very good; historical fiction about villages in Italy and a tale I knew nothing about
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker - heartwarming and so glad I read it
Translation is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin - Richard's recommendation and a lovely story
The Martian by Andy Weir - good geeky/sf fun; I still have to see the movie

186bell7
Ene 1, 2016, 11:30 am

120. The Millionaire and the Bard by Andrea Mays - mine and e-book ARC
TIOLI: dedicated to her parents
2015 goal: book I own

Tells the story of Henry Clay Folger and his collection of Shakespeare's First Folios, which eventually became the Folger Shakespeare Library.

I enjoy books about books and I love Shakespeare in play and film, so I was interested in the story as soon as I saw it as an Advanced Reading Copy possibility to download. Mays breaks it down in incredible detail, starting with several chapters that explain the creation of the First Folio and the downward popularity of Shakespeare's plays after his death, long before Folger ever comes onto the scene. There are moments of interesting tidbits, such as Folger's stint at Amherst College (about 45 minutes from my hometown), his wife Emily's scholarship and pursuit of a graduate degree, and Folger's sometimes very American businessman approach to buying First Folios from English gentlemen and the reactions that ensued. Unfortunately, it gets rather bogged down in the details and I felt like the more interesting story of his obsessive collecting was overshadowed by a litany of lists: the Folios he bought, what condition they were in, how much he paid. The footnotes were really confusing - I actually got the book out of the library because I feared much of it was the e-book ARC I was reading (and it was, to some extent, because the numbers didn't match up). There were times I wasn't sure if I wasn't too dense to get the connection, but others where the content of the footnote was repeated in the text, and one chapter where it looked like about twenty more footnotes were planned than were actually in the text, leaving a lot of quotes with no citation. If I hadn't been so interested in the topic, I might not have pursued it to the end. 3 stars.

Guardedly recommended at Stasia would say.

187bell7
Ene 1, 2016, 11:50 am

December in review -

110. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
111. What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst - mine
112. The Martian by Andy Weir
113. The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
114. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher - e-book
115. Winter by Marissa Meyer
116. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
117. Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon - mine and e-book ARC
118. The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser - e-book (mostly)
119. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman
120. The Millionaire and the Bard by Andrea Mays - mine and e-book ARC

Books read: 11
Audiobooks listened to: 0
Graphic novels/Manga: 0
Picture books: Oh, sheesh... yeah, at least three to Mia but I forgot to count them. I actually did meet my average of two picture books a month
Adult/Teen/Children's: 9/2/0
Fiction/Nonfiction/Poetry/Plays: 8/3/0/0
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 8/3/0

Standouts: Several really good ones this month: The Martian, Dear Committee Members, Flight of Dreams and A Man Called Ove will all stay with me for a bit.

Thoughts: The only goals for the year I managed were picture books read and reading books set in 12 different countries, but I did enjoy myself for the most part. The only "seasonal" book I read this month was A Christmas Carol, and I fit that in just under the wire finishing it late Christmas Eve/early Christmas morning. I've started incorporating more e-books into my reading, mainly because I have gotten behind on ARCs on my Kindle and I can read online when I'm at work (not a paper book 'cause it looks bad... I think it's silly and people think I'm playing games on the computer instead, but whatever). I discovered I rather like reading my work books at work, so I expect this trend to continue next year.

Original publication dates read (year-to-date):
Note: When I read books in translation, I try to give the original publication date, not the English translation date.

2016 - 1
2015 - 34
2014 - 21
2013 - 8
2012 - 6
2011 - 6
2010 - 2
2009 - 4
2007 - 4
2006 - 3
2005 - 3
2004 - 1
2003 - 2
2002 - 1
2001 - 1

1999 - 3
1998 - 2
1995 - 1
1993 - 1
1991 - 2
1988 - 1
1987 - 2
1986 - 1
1977 - 1
1975 - 1
1971 - 1
1969 - 2
1953 - 1
1947 - 1
1934 - 1

1861 - 1
1843 - 1

188bell7
Editado: Ene 2, 2016, 4:53 pm

And that wraps up my 2015 reading... if you haven't already, feel free to follow along to the 2016 thread.

189Ape
Editado: Ene 1, 2016, 11:59 am

Pssst, the 2016 link in the above post links back to this thread.
(This should link to the new one)

190scaifea
Ene 1, 2016, 2:07 pm

>186 bell7: Adding that one to my wishlist...

191bell7
Ene 1, 2016, 5:02 pm

>189 Ape: haha thanks i must've copied the wrong tab. I'll fix it from a computer.tomorrow.

192bell7
Ene 2, 2016, 4:54 pm

>190 scaifea: I hope you enjoy it, Amber!

>189 Ape:, 191 - the link should be fixed now! Happy 2016 :)