Roberta's (luvamystery65) Opposites Attract Challenge part 2

Opposites Attract Challenge



I'm Roberta from Houston, Texas USA. I love mysteries the most but I am open to new genres. 2015 had me reading Horror and loving it. 2014 got me started on Space Opera. Let's see what grabs my attention in 2016.

2016 my Challenge theme is opposites. I am open to suggestions in any of the categories.



Discovery Bay, Port Townsend WA

INDOORS/OUTDOORS

1. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin (The Bramford an old Gothic revival building plays a central role in this novel)
2. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (That house)
1. Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson (Walt is caught in snowstorm on the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area, AGAIN!)
2. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (Takes place in the Congo)

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE/SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

1. Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman (Takes place in the Navajo Nation, which is in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.)
2. The Whites by Richard Price/Harry Brandt (Takes place in New York)
1. The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vasquez (Takes place in Columbia.)
2. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (The latter part of the novel takes place in Australia)

PAST/PRESENT

1. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (Takes place in 1948 Watts, Los Angeles.)
2. Meditations by Marcus Aurelisu (Written approximately between 170-180 CE)
1. Police by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole's latest adventure)
2. That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms and What our English Says About Us by Erin Moore (How our language has evolved to it's current usage)

EARTH/BEYOND

1. Zer0es by Chuck Wendig (Takes place mainly in the US but the plot has consequences globally.)
2. World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters (the Earth is in big trouble from an asteroid named Maia)
1. Fairest by Marissa Meyer (Takes place on the moon colony Luna)
2. Bitch Planet: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue Deconnick (Takes place on an off Earth penal colony planet.)

MAN/WOMAN

1. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson (Walt Longmire, sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming is the main character in this series.)
2. The Fireman by Joe Hill (John Rookwood is the fireman.)
1. The Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik (It's about RBG a kick ass lady)
2. A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans. (Evans spends a calendar year trying to be a "biblical woman" in order to see if the evangelical call to biblical womanhood is indeed biblical.)

HOME/ABROAD

1. Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields by Kathryn Casey (Takes place around between Houston and Galveston, TX.)
2. The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth (search for a serial killer(s) that terrorized Austin, TX from 1895-1896)
1. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (Takes place in England.)
2. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Takes place in Nigeria)

HOT/COLD

1. The Devil's Star by Joe Nesbo (Yes this takes place in Oslo, Norway, but there is endless mention of the hottest summer on record. Sweltering, steamy, hellish, oven etc...)
2. Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill (Takes place in Laos)
1. White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones (takes place in Alaska in the Arctic Circle)
2. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing (Antarctica brrrr!!!)

YOUNG/OLD

1. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Twelve year old Oskar is central to the plot)
2. The Killing Lessons by Saul Black aka Glen Duncan (Features a 12 year old girl in the plot and the serial killer's childhood is central to the plot.)
1. Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman (Morpheus, Lord of the Dreaming is one of The Endless, older and greater than gods.)
2. Staked by Kevin Hearne (Atticus is a 2100 year old Druid)

HUMAN/OTHER

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (This is the story of Victor Frankenstein's ambition and the cost. What can be more human than that.)
2. Phantom by Jo Nesbo (Harry is the very definition of human foibles)
1. Fables, Vol 1.: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham (The Fables are fairytales living in the Mundy world.)
2. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat (Wolves!!!)

SHORT/LONG

1. Three Slices by Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson & Chuck Wendig (166 pages)
2. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (176 pages)
1. The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher (640 pages)
2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1440 pages)

Books in 2016 *owned by me prior to 2016, **newly owned by me

Books in 2016 *owned by me prior to 2016, **newly owned by me

January
1. * Three Slices by Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson & Chuck Wendig
2. Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
3. Fables, Vol. 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham
4. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
5. Fables, Vol. 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
6. Fables, Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers by Bill Willingham
7. *The Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik
8. Fables, Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham
9. Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman
10. Lumberjanes, Vol 1 Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson
11. Fables, Vol. 6: Homelands by Bill Willingham
12. The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vasquez
13. Fables, Vol. 7: Arabian Nights and Days by Bill Willingham
14. *Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
15. Fables, Vol 8: Wolves by Bill Willingham
16. **Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson
17. *Zer0es by Chuck Wendig
18. *Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
19. **Staked by Kevin Hearne
20. *Unbecoming by Rebecca Sherm
February
21. Jack of Fables, Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham
22. *A Bride's Story, Vol. 4 by Kaoru Mori
23. *A Bride's Story, Vol. 5 by Kaoru Mori
24. Jack of Fables, Vol. 2: Jack of Hearts by Bill Willingham
25. *A Bride's Story, Vol. 6 by Kaoru Mori
26. *The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
27. *Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
28. Jack of Fables, Vol. 3: The Bad Prince by Bill Willingham
29. *Fairest by Marissa Meyer
30. Jack of Fables, Vol. 4: Americana by Bill Willingham
31. Fables, 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham
32. Fables, Vol. 9: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham
33. Fables, Vol. 10: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham
34. *Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
35. **Working for Bigfoot by Jim Butcher
36. Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces by Bill Willingham
37. Fables, Vol. 12: The Dark Ages by Bill Willingham
38. Jack of Fables, Vol. 5: Turning Pages by Bill Willingham
39. Jack of Fables, Vol. 6: The Big Book of War by Bill Willingham
40. Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue Deconnick
41. *Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
42. *Sandman Overture by Neil Gaiman
43. Velvet, Vol. 2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men by Ed Brubaker
44. **Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig
March
45. *We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
46. *The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson
47. Fables, Vol. 13: The Great Crossover by Bill Willingham
48. Jack of Fables, Vol. 7: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack by Bill Willingham
49. Fables, Vol. 14: Witches by Bill Willingham
50. The Fade Out, Vol. 1 by Ed Brubaker
51. The Fade Out, Vol. 2 by Ed Brubaker
52. The Fade Out, Volume 3 by Ed Brubaker
53. *War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
54. Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love by Chris Roberson
55. Jack of Fables, Vol. 8: The Fulminate Blade by Bill Willingham
56. *Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
57. *The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo
58. Fables, Vol. 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham
59. **As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
60. **Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman
61. **The Killing Lessons by Saul Black aka Glen Duncan
62. Cinderella: Fables are Forever by Chris Roberson
63. Jack of Fables, Vol. 9: The End by Bill Willingham
64. **Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
65. Fables, Vol. 16: Super Team by Bill Willingham
66. *A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
67. A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman
68. Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
April
69. The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo
70. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
71. Fables, Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind by Bill Willingham
72. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
73. Fables, Vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham
74. **Postal, Vol. 1 by Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill
75. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat
76. **Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
77. World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters
78. *Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold
79. 17659939::Postal, Vol. 2 by Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill
80. White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones
81. **The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
82. **The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
May
83. *The Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill
84. Fables, Vol. 19: Snow White by Bill Willingham
85. Fables, Vol. 20: Camelot by Bill Willingham
86. Fables, Vol. 21: Happily Ever After by Bill Willingham
87. Talking God by Tony Hillerman
88. Shaman Pass by Stan Jones
89. Fables, Vol. 22: Farewell by Bill Willingham
90. *To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
91. **Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
92. Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
93. *Deliver Us by Kathryn Casey
94. *The Whites by Richard Price/Harry Brandt
June
95. **The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte
96. **The Fireman by Joe Hill
97. **A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
98. That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms and What our English Says About Us by Erin Moore
99. Apt Pupil by Stephen King
100. *A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
101. *Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
102. *Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives edited by Sarah Weinman
103. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
104. *Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achibe
105. *The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
July
106. Outcast, Vol. 1 by Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta
107. Outcast, Vol. 2 by Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta
108. **Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
109. 17362423::Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
110. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
111. Black Hole by Chuck Burns
112. *H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald
113. The Reluctant Matador by Mark Pryor
August
114. *Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik & Monica Murphy
115. Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
116. Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
117. Black Butler, Volume 1 by Yana Toboso
118. The Leopard by Jo Nesbo
September
119. **17999694::Postal, Vol. 3 by Bryan Hill & Betsy Gonia
120. Phantom by Jo Nesbo
121. **Sex Criminals, Vol. 3 by Matt Fractin & Chip Zdarsky
122. Police by Jo Nesbo
123. Lazarus, Vol. 1 by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
124. Lazarus, Vol. 2 by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
125. Lazarus, Vol. 3 by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
126. Lazarus, Vol. 4 by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
127. The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons
128. *Thirty Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill
129. *Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill
130. *Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman
131. The Shining by Stephen King
132. *Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman
October
133. Turn of the Screw by Henry James
134. *Bird Box by Josh Malerman
135. Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill
136. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
137. *The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
138. *The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
139. **Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne/J.K. Rowling
140. **Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
141. **Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
November
142. The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman
143. Lone Wolf and Cub, Volume 2 by Kazuo Koike

NEED TO FIX TOUCHSTONES BUT EVERYTHING IS TURNING UP HARRY POTTER!!!

Photos

Author signings

Kevin Hearne at Murder by the Book January 28, 2016



Lyndsay Faye at Murder by the Book March 25, 2016



Skip Hollandsworth at Murder by the Book April 5, 2016



Craig Johnson at Murder by the Book May 19, 2016



My late great old man Bruce

Happy new thread, Roberta! I'd forgotten you'd read Endurance. I recently borrowed it from the library and am looking forward to reading it!

>14 rabbitprincess: Endurance was so good. I know you'll enjoy it. It's incredible what they went through.

Happy new thread, Roberta!

Happy new thread, Ro!

Glad to see you carried Bruce's picture over to the new thread.

Congrats on your new thread! Here's to more good reading!

May Round Up

*The Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill
Fables, Vol. 19: Snow White by Bill Willingham
Fables, Vol. 20: Camelot by Bill Willingham
Fables, Vol. 21: Happily Ever After by Bill Willingham
Talking God by Tony Hillerman
Shaman Pass by Stan Jones This is a nice series. Will make a good replacement for Longmire when we are caught up.
Fables, Vol. 22: Farewell by Bill Willingham
*To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf LOVED this so much. I'm not a huge fan of stream of consciousness writing, but this worked for me. She writes beautifully. It's my first Woolf so I am looking forward to more from her and discover more about her.
**Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit GREAT essays!
Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
*Deliver Us by Kathryn Casey Creepy because this happened here.
*The Whites by Richard Price/Harry Brandt Excellent police procedural/psychological mystery

I feel like I'm missing something here, but I'll have to go back and look at my collections. Faves of the month are the Woolf and Solnit. As always, I enjoyed the Vorkosigan saga installment. I've finished the official Fables. It's a great series, but the ending was a bit anticlimactic. I still have a couple of spin offs to read in order to be completeist.

Deliver Us was well written. This happened here locally and one of the murders that was unsolved when the book came out last year was solved last month when the suspect William Reece confessed to killing Jessica Cain and Kelli Cox. Her body has been found and her parents were finally able to bury her. It's not all one murderer but the 50 miles of the I-45 corridor that these crimes have been committed has been a place of opportunity for young girls to be isolated and murdered.

I'm enjoying the Nathan Active series. I plan to continue.

June Possibles
The Fireman by Joe Hill
A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives edited by Sarah Weinman
A Town Like Alice by Neil Shute
The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte
That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms and What Our English Says About Us by Erin Moore

Will continue with the Harry Hole/Vorkosigan/Nathan Active....

>16 Chrischi_HH: >17 DeltaQueen50: >18 BookLizard: & >19 mamzel: Thank you!

>17 DeltaQueen50: LOVED The Queen of the South! I can see why they made it into a telenovela. So perfect. The last two chapters were rocking!

>18 BookLizard: I miss my old man.

Happy new thread! But, more importantly, a huge HUG - sorry to hear about Bruce. :(

Happy new thread, Roberta. Love the re-cap. I hope RL is treating your well and that you are having a lovely weekend.

>22 -Eva-: Thank you. Nice to have you back.

>23 lkernagh: Thank you.

June Roundup

I finished all my planned readings for June and my serendipitous reading as well. I ditched the Nathan Active #3 before I started because Mamie's review turned me right off of that one. I've started to dip into my July reading so I will give my monthly roundup now.

* owned before 2016 **new acquistions

**The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte I really enjoyed this book. I can see why it translated into a very popular telenovela. I haven't seen the USA show but it will be interesting to check it out. I was able to see Perez-Reverte this month and he is very interesting.
**The Fireman by Joe Hill My first Hill. Really good and there are shades of The Stand here. Look forward to more by Hill.
**A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms and What our English Says About Us by Erin Moore My only non-fiction. Fun read.
Apt Pupil by Stephen King Very disturbing, but that's King.
*A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute I absolutely loved this story and it would have stood out above the rest, but I could not shake off the racist language and thoughts throughout the book. It dates the book. However, the story is beautiful and there is hope in the end that times are a changing.
*Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Beautiful and disturbing. Will definitely reread or listen again.
*Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives edited by Sarah Weinman What a great anthology this was!
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers so fun!
*Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achibe I couldn't put this down. My heart broke in the end.
*The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald How did I not know how incredible this book was? I tried to read it before but I just could not. I listened to the audio narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal. So perfectly, lovely was his narration. He held back and delivered so precisely. This will go on my reread stack and since it is due to Mamie constantly praising it, I will count it as her book bullet. Well aimed Mamie, well aimed.

This month I read 7 books and listened to 4 audiobooks. No GNS this month. Not a bad one in the bunch.

My serendipitous reading was this. Two of my monthly reads, The Fireman and That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms and What Our English Says About Us both mentioned Mary Poppins so I just had to go and read Mary Poppins. I'm pretty sure I read this as a child. I know I saw the movie many times. Just loved it and plan to read or listen to the rest of the books. So many people were talking about Heart of Darkness and I have the audio so I listened and of course I have a copy of Things Fall Apart that I was planning to read in August for the Category Challenge Group Read. Last month, I was inspired to read Virginia Woolf due to an essay about her in Rebecca Solnit's Men Explain Things to Me. I found the Woolf so enjoyable after that inspiration. I think I'll do a little more of this serendipitous reading from now on.

July Possibles

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James audio, multiple narrators, started
Passed and Present by Allison Gilbert
Outcast by Kirkman and Azaceta
Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald audio, narrated by the author
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Reluctant Matador by Mark Pryor started

Happy new thread Roberta!

So glad you read and enjoyed The Great Gatsby - this is one of those I was forced to read in school, and I thought it was great anyway! (Actually, to be brutally honest, I enjoyed most of the stuff I was forced to read in school...).

I've got some Joe Hill to read, good to see you liked your first.

And also I didn't get to pass on my condolences about Bruce - very sorry for your loss.

I am going to have to use one of my audible credits to obtain The Great Gatsby. This is a book that I have been avoiding for years, but seeing so many others praise it, I think I may have overlooked a gem!

I don't know if Of Mice and Men is a re-read for you, Roberta, but it is one of my all-time favorites and a heart-breaker in it's own right. I hope you love it as well.

>27 LisaMorr: Lisa I enjoyed most of the stuff I read in school too. I don't know why I never had the urge to read Fitzgerald. I've tried to read him before but just never could get myself going. I'm glad I did.

Thank you about Bruce. He was my angel and I miss him so.

>28 DeltaQueen50: Judy, if you haven't used your credit yet then wait because The Great Gatsby has gone on sale at least twice. The Jake Gyllenhaal version that is. Although, if you do use your credit, then I think it will be well spent. The story and characters are so layered. I can't wait for my next Fitzgerald.

I haven't ever read it before Judy. I know my brother is a huge fan of it.

No home internet for a couple of weeks starting Thursday. I'll pop in but that's what's up.

>30 luvamystery65: Oh my! I would go into shock, LOL. Good luck!

>31 VictoriaPL: I know! I have a feeling my house is going to be a lot cleaner. LOL!

>30 luvamystery65: Ack! I think I would go crazy. It is sad how dependent I have become on ready access to Internet.

>33 rabbitprincess: I still have my mobile hotspot for emergencies and bills. Plus, I plan to go to the library and read from the Kindle there. It's half a mile from my house. so it's all good. I think my house will be a little more spiffy as a result. ;-)

Hi Ro, hope you are surviving your loss of the internet. If I lost my internet for awhile my house would be much cleaner as well!

>30 luvamystery65:
Yikes, a couple of weeks?! That feels long... Good luck! :)

Two weeks? That's crazy talk! Hope you achieve your spotless home dream.

Hi Ro, just dropping by to see if your internet access is back. Hope all is well.

Hope you're doing well Roberta!

>35 DeltaQueen50: & >38 DeltaQueen50: Loss of internet went by with a lot less pain than I realized. I've been having some health issues but I'm doing my best to deal with it one day at a time.

>36 -Eva-: I survived!

>37 LittleTaiko: Of course my house isn't spotless, but a lot more so than it was before.

>39 LisaMorr: I'm struggling with my RA Lisa, but I'm ok. Thanks for checking in on me.

July Roundup
Outcast, Vol. 1 by Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta This series is ok, but I'm not "in love"
Outcast, Vol. 2 by Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Loved this
Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples Back on track!
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
Black Hole by Chuck Burns Great artist, but this was a teenage wackadoo wet dream.
*H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald

Didn't read much this month even without internet. I've had a lot going on at home and I've been ill with an RA flare-up. It's trying to suck the life out of me, but I'm trying really hard not to let it. Back to books. It took me more than half the month to finish A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. It is going to make it to my favorites at the end of the year. It is a multi point of view book, with a lot of violence. It was hard to track at times, but it comes together in the end. Yes it does. I love Marlon James' voice. Lots of foul language so if you shy away from that, then this book is not for you. I look forward to reading what comes next from Mr. James and I will also look at what else he has written.

I loved H is for Hawk. She moved me with this story of her grief and how she decided to tackle it. I do think I would have enjoyed it before my mom died, but I don't think I would have understood her the way I do now. Grief makes us mad and she goes through her share of wild and unpredictable behavior. She doesn't go off the rails, but she has her moments where she just can't be with people. That I understand very well. I miss my mom more than ever. This book hit the spot.

August Possibles
Any Other Name by Craig Johnson COMPLETED
Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman
The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons

Not planning much this month. Still need to catch up on last month's Hillerman. I've also started Rabid by Bill Wasik & Monica Murphy on audio along with Black Butler Volume 1 by Yana Toboso.

I'm also ready for another adventure with Harry Hole so I'm waiting on The Leopard from Overdrive.

Sorry to hear you're having a flare-up and hope that you're feeling better soon!

>43 rabbitprincess: Thank you RP. It's slow goes right now, but I've incorporated some dietary changes starting 5 weeks ago and I'm seeing some improvement.

>44 luvamystery65: That's great to hear that the dietary changes are helping. Hope the improvement continues!

>41 luvamystery65:
Good to see you back! Hope the RA gets better soon.
I will be taking a BB for H is for Hawk - I've noticed it before because I thought the cover attractive, but I never actually found out what it was about. :)

Sorry you're having a flare. Chronic illness sucks. Hang in there.

>45 LisaMorr: Thanks Lisa. The flare is slowly ebbing away. I hope this trend continues.

>46 -Eva-: Thank you Eva. I hope you like H is for Hawk.

>47 BookLizard: Thank you and yes it does. I'll hang in by my claws if I have to. Will not be defeated! ;-)

August Roundup
*Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik & Monica Murphy
Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
Black Butler, Volume 1 by Yana Toboso
The Leopard by Jo Nesbo

This was an incredibly slow reading month for me. I stopped and started a few things. I am still in the middle of The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons. That was for my Horror! Group. I'm enjoying it but I have to read and stop to read notes. Still, it's good.

I loved the Walt Longmire installment for this month and I'm happy I got back to Harry Hole. These are a bit unbelievable, but Harry has become my brain candy.

I loved Monstress. The artwork is incredible and I can see this going somewhere. Lots of unanswered questions, but I'm hooked. I also enjoyed Black Butler, especially the ending.

September Possibles
Phantom & Police by Jo Nesbo
The Shining by Stephen King
Coyote Waits & Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman
Finish The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons
Postal, Volume 3 by Bryan Hill
Sex Criminals, Volume 3 by Matt Fraction

>49 luvamystery65: Ooh! The Shining! If that's a first-time read for you, I envy you! I can still remember when I first read it - I was actually in Colorado, in the winter... Enjoy!

Nice to see you are continuing to enjoy Harry Hole; I need to read more - have only read two so far.

>49 luvamystery65: I'd read The Shining for the first time very recently, and it was very creepy and absorbing. I'm one of the few people I know who haven't seen the movie yet.

I returned to college a day early and was the only person in the dorm when I read The Shining. Scariest book reading ever!

Hi Roberta, It was wonderful to have the opportunity to get to met you in person! I had a lovely time this evening visiting with you and Judy (DeltaQueen50), her sister and your aunts. I love the book!

Hi Ro, it was so great to meet up with you, Lori, and your aunts. I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip and are able to come back again sometime! I am looking forward to all those GN's, I don't know where to start!

I am so behind all! I've done a lot of little trips in September and then my big trip I just got back from. More on that soon.

>50 LisaMorr: Lisa The Shining was so good! >51 mathgirl40: I agree it was very creepy and absorbing. It took me most of the month to finish because I would only listen during the day and not when I went out of town. >52 mamzel: I don't think I would have been able to do that!

>53 lkernagh: Lori it was so very nice to meet you in person. Thank you so much for all the organizing you did for our meet up. It was a perfect evening. I'm already planning my next trip so let us definitely meet up again. I really didn't get to see much of Victoria as my Aunt Patricia was unwell and we were pressed for time. I do hope to return in the Spring of 2018. I can only imagine how lovely the city is during that time of year.

>54 DeltaQueen50: Judy I was so happy to meet you. Your sister Liz was so fun. I'm glad she joined us. I really enjoyed Pretty Deadly. It's got that western twist. I don't know when Volume 2 will be out but I am waiting on it. I LOVED the Postal series. It's pretty dark, but I know you won't mind that at all. ;) As I told Lori above, I did not get to enjoy the city as much as I wanted so I plan to return again and stay a bit longer. I will let you know when my trip is scheduled and I hope we will be able to meet up again.

September Roundup
Postal, Vol. 3 by Bryan Hill & Betsy Gonia
Phantom by Jo Nesbo
Sex Criminals, Vol. 3 by Matt Fractin & Chip Zdarsky
Police by Jo Nesbo Really got a kick out of this one. Nesbo is twisted.
Lazarus, Vol. 1 by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark Fun kick ass series
Lazarus, Vol. 2 by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
Lazarus, Vol. 3 by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
Lazarus, Vol. 4 by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons
Thirty Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill I love Dr. Siri
Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill
Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman This series gets better and better.
The Shining by Stephen King WOW! Very creepy
Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman

October possibles

Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill
Still reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
20th Century Ghost by Joe Hill
Danse Macabe by Stephen King if time permits

I have one slot left open in my Category Challenge. I've kept the challenge brief and open ended. My only remaining slot is for HOME and I am going to read a book that takes place in Texas. I'll likely read it next month. I'm still trying to plan my challenge for next year. I know what I want to read but not how to set up my challenge.

57> Next year already? I haven't even been able to keep up with my challenge from this year.

Glad you enjoyed your outing. Looking forward to hearing about your big trip.

>58 BookLizard: I like setting it up in October so I can just enjoy the holidays and it's ready for January. How have you been?

Is it really October?

I just posted an update of sorts in my thread.

Thrilled to hear that you are planning a return trip to Victoria! If you need a tour guide to drive you around to the sights, just let me know. Since I can't resist Westerns I have decided to start with Pretty Deadly, it looks intriguing.

>61 DeltaQueen50: Judy I am planning to return to Seattle/Victoria in Spring 2018 so any tips to what time is best to see the city blooming, but avoid high tourist traffic would be greatly appreciated. Of course I want to see you again and perhaps we can get into shenanigans. BTW I loved meeting your sister. I hope to see her again as well.

I think Pretty Deadly is the perfect place to start on your stack of GNs.

October Reading Roundup
Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne/J.K. Rowling
Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

November Plans
Continue with Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
The Midnight Assassin by Skip Hollandsworth
The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman COMPLETED
Pretty Deadly, Vol 2 by Kelly Sue Connick COMPLETED
Velvet, Vol. 3 by Ed Brubaker COMPLETED
Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 2 by Kazuo Koike COMPLETED
Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill COMPLETED
White trash : the 400-year untold history of class in America by Nancy Isenberg

Here is some photos from my recent vacation.

With Mark (75 Group) at George Bush International Airport. He was flying in town as I was leaving.


With my aunts headed to Bainbridge Island and the peninsula


View of Discovery Bay from the back of our rental


Meeting up with Ellen (75 Group) at the UW Bookstore


With our pilot Greg from Rite Bros Aviation. He took us out to the national forest and over the water to the San Juan Islands. Favorite part of the trip for me.


My aunts are a blast to travel with


At Pike's Market with my aunts.


At the Space Needle. Also went to Chihuly but I don't have any of the group photos. Need to ask my aunt for these. Chihuly is amazing!


Sorry but no photos of the meetup with Lori and Judy. I do plan to head back out that way in Spring of 2018. Perhaps we can snap a photo then.

I am temporarily fostering a puppy. She leaves to her forever home in two weeks but I am having to walk her a lot. She is sweet girl named Poppy. She's gonna be big. My dogs are still a bit miffed at having her around.

For my health update I am still in a flare up with my RA, but I am headed in the right direction. In early July I started the Autoimmune Protocol which includes a very strict elimination diet that is Paleo based. My inflammation has decreased to the point where my rheumatologist does not feel any in my hands and fingers anymore but the rest of my joints are still inflamed. I am decreasing though! I've lost about 20 pounds and still losing so that has helped my pain tremendously. I am at the point where I have been able to start walking again.

Very good news all around! Glad to see you've been having some fun travels and that your RA is doing better. Cuddles to Poppy!

Great pics and great news with your RA and with weight loss and walking!

Let me know when you want to start White is for Witching; I can start anytime.

>67 rabbitprincess: Thank you RP!

>68 LisaMorr: I'm ready to go Lisa!

>69 luvamystery65: Great, I'll start!

Great pictures, Ro. I never even thought of pictures when we were all together, but we will have make sure to take some when we meet again. Although our spring blossoms are probably at their best in late March/early April, I would think June would be a good time to visit as the weather by then is warming up and the roses are coming out. Butchart Gardens has a fantastic rose garden. It's pretty hard to avoid tourists at any time in Victoria, but in June at least the kids are still in school.

Take care of yourself and keep doing what you are doing as you sure looked great when we saw you! Enjoy your time with Poppy.

>66 luvamystery65:
That is great news!

>65 luvamystery65:
What a wonderful nose! :)

Great pictures! And congratulations on your RA progress.

>70 LisaMorr: It's very very strange this book.

>71 DeltaQueen50: It's hard for me to travel June through August so I would probably head out earlier. My coworkers are all from overseas and they use the summer months to go home and see their loved ones. They are usually gone 3-4 weeks at a stretch. I don't mind because I really don't like traveling during those months unless it's close by short trips.

>72 -Eva-: Thank you and Poppy is a doll!

>73 VivienneR: Thank you so much.

>66 luvamystery65: Glad to hear the good news!

>75 mathgirl40: Thanks!

Current reads/audios

Great Expectations


White Trash: The 400 Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg


White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

>74 luvamystery65: Yes, it is. I'm not too far in yet (only ~ 25 pages...) - have had a busy work week - but I'll make more progress tomorrow.

Actually travelling a little earlier will assure that you will be in the PNW during the spring bloom which is one of the lovliest times of the year here. March and early April are when the flowering trees bloom and then April and on into May are when the bulbs, Azelas and Rhodos are on display. Spring weather can be a little damp, but coming from Texas, maybe you would like some spring rain!

Glad to hear you're doing better with the RA. Keep up the good work!

>78 LisaMorr: No hurries Lisa.

>79 DeltaQueen50: Judy it does rain a lot in the spring here in the Houston area, but where I'm originally from on the border with Mexico, it can go months without rain. I think I am going to plan my trip around April. It's much cooler than I'm used to but I think I can manage. I'm still researching my trip so I'll definitely let you know my plans once they are set.

>80 BookLizard: Thanks BL! I've been batch cooking all afternoon so I can stay track with my plan when I'm at work.

>81 luvamystery65: OK, I'm about 85 pages in now, and I'm following it a bit better - there's a little more structure and I can tell who the narrator is most of the time. It's getting interesting. How far along are you - or have you finished it already? ;)

>82 LisaMorr: I left off at p 168 yesterday. It does get easier once you get further in.

>83 luvamystery65: OK, I finished it last night, finally! I haven't been in a great reading mood for the last week, but I don't think that's the main reason this took me so long. It did speed up for me once Miranda went to Cambridge and met Ore, and I get it all now, I suppose. Here's something I may have missed - why didn't Eliot go to Cambridge?

What did you think?

>84 LisaMorr: I just finished it last night. Eliot didn't get into Cambridge or so I thought. Just when it was making sense the ending makes you question everything. It was bizarre but really good at the same time. I read The Haunting of Hill House last year and I can see why this book is compared to it. I will have to read something else by Helen Oyeyemi but I'm not sure I want to meet her in person. ;-)

>85 luvamystery65: Ha-ha!

About Eliot, there was a section in there where she saw his grades and they were perfect and she thought they were hers. I read it over again, and it just didn't make sense. Ah well.

I also have The Icarus Girl, which sounds pretty interesting.

I've finished the three books I was "currently reading" and whew! All were good. More on that at the end of the month.

Now reading The Midnight Assassin by Skip Hollandsworth and listening to An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson

>87 luvamystery65: The Icarus Girl sounds interesting.

Hi Roberta, I just wanted to come by your thread and wish you and your family a lovely Thanksgiving holiday.

>88 DeltaQueen50: Thank you so much Judy! My Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing.

I AM OFFICIALLY DONE WITH MY 2016 CATEGORY CHALLENGE!



I completed four choices for each category, but so far my total reading is 151 books/audios/GNs. I have my Longmire, An Obvious Fact to finish for 2016 75 Group (almost done), my short stories The Doll-Master by Joyce Carol Oates for my Horror! Group and of course saving the best for last, my Christmas mystery, Silent Nights edited by Martin Edwards for Rabbitprinces' annual Christmas read here in our Category Challenge. I may also squeeze in a couple of novellas. Once those are completed, I will head on over to my 2017 thread and commence.

Year end totals and favorites when I'm done with above!

Woo hoo! Congratulations!!!

Congrats. Ro!

Congratulations on finishing!!

Yay, congrats!

Great job!

>91 rabbitprincess: >92 DeltaQueen50: >93 -Eva-: >94 MissWatson: & >95 LisaMorr: THANKS!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge! It was a great year of reading.

Congrats on completing your challenge Roberta!

>97 VivienneR: & >98 AHS-Wolfy: Thank you so much!

Tres bien! Have fun next year too!

>100 mamzel: Thanks Mamzel!

Taking the morning afternoon playing catch-up on all the threads in the group and have enjoyed getting caught up with all of your reading and super happy you are planning a return visit to the Pacific Northwest in 2018! I highly recommend late March - April if you want to see cherry blossoms in bloom. Otherwise, anytime from mid-March to early-June will enable you to avoid the crush of the tourist season.

Belated congratulations on completing your category challenge!

Have a great Christmas, Roberta!

>102 lkernagh: Thank you and safe travels Lori!

>103 DeltaQueen50: Thank you Judy.

What a treat to meet you both this year.

I finished A Strangeness in my Mind by Orhan Pamuk. While it was good, it wasn't great. It's a 50 year history of Instanbul that got lost in the battle between a life's story and a city's history. Neither won. There were some brilliant moments, like in the first half if Part IV. The story of Riyaha and Melvut's early life togethger was brilliant. You still got a sense of time and place but the story took center stage. I wish the whole novel had kept that tone. You can see that Pamuk is a wonderful writer. I am definitely going to read more by him, but this is not a shining star on his resume. It's not a total disaster either, so if it is in your TBR pile don't despair. It is worth reading.

With this selection, I close out my year. My faves coming up next.

Thoughts on my 2016 reading. I read 161 books/audios/GNs

GNs

I read through the whole Fables series and was able to get to Cinderella's side stories and Jack's too. The series started out with a bang. It ended well enough but lost a bit of steam for me. Good series but I read some really great ones this year including:

Velvet Vol. 2 and Vol 3. I love this series by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting because it features an older female in the lead. Colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser really does capture the past.

The Fade Out Vol 1-3. The whole trio by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips was incredibly well done. The story, the artwork and kudos to the colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser. She knocked it out of the park once again. Hollywood Noir done up to perfection.

I love the series Postal by Bryant Hill and Matt Hawkins. Three volumes so far. The 3rd volume is taken over by Bryant Hill although Isaac Goodhart continues the artwork. This series is dark and incredibly violent but there is sense of community and Mark (the postman LOL!) has his own sense of right and wrong. The series isn't perfect, but it has so much going for it. I hope it continues in the direction it has so far.

I started Lone Wolf and Cub later in the year. I really like it. I'll talk more about it in 2017 because I intend to tackle it next year. Consider this a nudge and a recommendation.

I'll say the Fade Out series will make my final cut for favorite GN! Have to count the whole series because it is meant to be read together.

ETA: I forgot to discuss Monstress and Bitch Planet. Those are female written and driven GNs too keep an eye out for.

Non-Fiction

I didn't read as much non-fiction as I would have like this year, but what I did read was really good. These are what stood out.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Incredibly uncomfortable and brilliant at the same time. I cried when he mentioned Malcolm X as an inspiration. When I read his first words, I thought of Malcolm X who I have been reading for years. The anger, and the passion spoke to me. I had a light bulb moment when he mentioned Malcolm because I could "feel" it in his writing. Think Coates is too angry? Think he is too narrow minded? Read the last speeches of Malcolm X, which were spoken in early 1965 three weeks before he was assassinated. So prophetic those speeches were. It is so sad that they were prophetic. As much as things have changed, Malcolm predicted how things would turn out. Coates anger saddens me but I don't think it is out of place. The fact that he had to write this for his son is heartbreaking.

Endurance by Alfred Lansing What a great adventure.

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit This was my introduction to Solnit. She is a warrior. This volume is not completely solid, but there are gems in here, including the title essay and the essay dealing with Virginia's Woolf's darkness, Explaining the Inexplicable. This year I have dealt with chronic illness and depression. This essay spoke deeply to me.

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald In all honesty, and it's not nice to admit this but prior to experiencing my own grief, I would not have enjoyed this book at all. I would have thought that Macdonald was too much. I get it. Sadly, I do.

White Trash: the 400-year untold history of class in America by Nancy Isenberg READ this book! I knew some of this history, but I learned so very much. This book is timely.

Mediations by Marcus Aurelius Wow! I this is one I can read yearly. Top book for life.

For me and this is on feeling alone, The Coates book gets my top non-fiction of the year. The world needed Martin Luther King and we need our Van Jones and Cory Bookers but we also needed Malcolm X and the world needs the voice of Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Fiction

Standouts included

The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vasquez This book didn't knock me out of the park and make me run and tell everyone about it, but it has haunted me all year. I read this in January and not a month goes by without me thinking about Antonio's story. It's not my story, but I too wish for the Laredo and Nuevo Laredo of my past like Antonio's Columbia of his past, the past not marred by violence. This one hit home softly and slowly.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe I cried so much

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James Mad, crazy, beautiful and brilliant.

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter Again, the thing about grief applies here too.

The Shining by Stephen King SK scared the crap out of me!

Kudos to Jo Nesbo for keeping me guessing on Police the 10th Harry Hole book. The series sags in the middle and yes, it does get unbelievable at times but this book makes the journey worth it. I cussed and cheered Nesbo throughout this book. At number 10 in a series, I'd say you deserve a spot at the top for me.

The Vasquez book is the one for me this year. Salud!

There you go. I had to talk it out but it's down to The Fade Out, Between The World and Me and The Sound of Things Falling.

I'm headed over to my new 2017 thread. Join me.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/238018