lkernagh (Lori)'s 2016 Journey of Books, Food, Crafts and Walking - Part 6

Lake Ontario - Pixabay (CC0)

As we have started to turn the corner towards autumn and as my walking journey is about to cross over from Manitoba into Ontario, I thought the above image to be a very fitting open for my 6th thread of 2016.

Hello Everyone! 2016 will be my fifth year as part of the 75 group. This will be another fun-filled year of reading, cooking/baking and crafting. It will also include my on-going personal walking challenge to walk, in three calendar years, the distance it would take for me to walk across Canada. If you don't want to follow my walking journey, don't worry. Those posts will be easily identifiable. ;-)

Most of my 2016 reading will focus around reading books off my TBR bookcases and while I did start off the year with wonderful intentions of participating in the various mini author/award challenges like the AAC, BAC, CAC and Pulitzer, I threw in the towel back in June. I may dip back into the author challenges... time and family priorities taking precedence.

As in previous years, I have brought back my "Luck 'O the Irish" Race to see which horse will come in first in 2016. Will it be books read "Pot of Gold" or will pages read "Lucky Shamrock" command the track? It is anybody's guess!

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race

My 2016 Category Challenge (Steps theme):

1. Big Tomes (over 800 pages long - can include anthologies and omnibuses) - 2 books
2. Oooooh.... Shiney! (2016 acquisitions or books published in 2016) - 4 books
3. Dust Collectors (any books acquired prior to 2010 that are still unread) - 6 books
4. Books with One Word Titles - 8 books
5. Spending time with my furry friends (books that fit the various CATs, DOGs and KITs) - 10 books
6. Challenges, Challenges (for all my other challenge reading - Commonwealth, AAC, BAC, CAC, ROOT, etc) - 12 books
7. Blind Date (books chosen for me by other LT members) - 14 books
8. Catchall - 16 books

My 2016 Category Challenge discussion thread can be found here.

My 2016 Clarissa Read
Clarissa - adapted from the Wikipedia listing:

Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady is an epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, published in 1748. It tells the tragic story of a heroine whose quest for virtue is continually thwarted by her family, and it is regarded as the longest novel in the English language (based on estimated word count). It is generally regarded as Richardson's masterpiece.

The Doorstopper of all books. I intend to read the 9 volume story by following the dates the letters were written, but I am sure I will deviate from that plan as reading and time commitments warrant so let just say that my overall goal is to read from cover to cover all 9 volumes of Clarissa in 2016. I will report occasional status updates and, because I want to and this is my Clarissa challenge, I will count each volume as a separate book read towards my overall 2016 books read total.

1. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 1 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
2. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 2 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
3. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 3 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
4. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 4 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
5. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 5 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
6. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 6 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
7. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 7 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
8. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 8 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
9. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 9 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -

The various Author/Award mini-Challenges: AAC, BAC, CAC, Pulitzer

Books Read:

January
AAC - The Clock Winder by Anne Tyler -
BAC - The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill -
CAC - Fifth Business by Robertson Davies -

February
AAC - Elsewhere: A Memoir by Richard Russo -
BAC - The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie -
CAC - Afterimage by Helen Humphreys -

March
AAC - At Paradise Gate by Jane Smiley -
BAC - There but for the by Ali Smith -
CAC - Tell It to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami -

April
AAC - Double Shadow by Carl Phillips -
BAC - Silas Marner by George Eliot -

May
AAC - This House of Sky by Ivan Doig -
BAC - Flight of the Maidens by Jane Gardam -

June
AAC - Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx -
BAC - Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad -

Books Read:

January
1. The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill -
2. Uncle Bob's Red Flannel Bible Camp: From Eden to the Ark by Steve Vernon -
3. The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia by Andrew Lih -
4. The Storyteller by Mario Vargas Llosa -
5. The Clock Winder by Anne Tyler -
6. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies -

February
7. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy -
8. N is for Noose by Sue Grafton -
9. In the Woods by Tana French -
10. Driftmetal by J.C. Staudt -
11. God's Debris: A Thought Experiment by Scott Adams -
12. Elsewhere: A Memoir by Richard Russo -
13. The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie -
14. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini -

Books Read:

March
15. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly -
16. Afterimage by Helen Humphreys -
17. Spies, Sadists and Sorcerers by Dominic Selwood -
18. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch -
19. At Paradise Gate by Jane Smiley -
20. There but for the by Ali Smith -
21. St. Peter's Bones: How the Relics of the First Pope Were Lost and Found . . . and Then Lost and Found Again by Thomas J. Craughwell -
22. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 1 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
23. Tell It to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami -
24. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 2 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -

April

25. The Curious Profession of Dr. Craven by R. Harrison -
26. Racism Explained to My Daughter by Tahar Ben Jelloun -
27. Silas Marner by George Eliot -
28. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides -
29. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 3 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
30. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden -
31. Double Shadow by Carl Phillips -
32. O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton -

Books Read:

May
33. This House of Sky by Ivan Doig -
34. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller -
35. Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz -
36. The Woman in White by Wilki Collins -
37. The Falconer by Elizabeth May -
38. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver -
39. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 4 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
40. Wicked by Gregory Maguire -

June
41. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky -
42. The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May -
43. Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx -
44. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 5 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
45. World War Women: Canadian Women and Total War Stacey Barker -
46. Lost in Translation An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World by Ella Frances Sanders -
47. Flight of the Maidens by Jane Gardam -
48. Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad -
49. P is for Peril by Sue Grafton -
50. A Town Called Forget by C.P. Hoff -
51. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry -
52. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt -

Books Read:

July
53. Little Ways to Keep Calm and Carry On by Mark Reinecke, PhD -
54. Uncommon Will: The Death and Life of Sue Rodriguez by Lisa Hobbs Birnie and Sue Rodriguez -
55. His Brother's Keeper: A Story from the Edge of Medicine by Jonathan Weiner -
56. Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri -
57. A Beam of Light by Andrea Camilleri -
58. Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom -
59. Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton -
60. R is for Richochet by Sue Grafton -
61. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 6 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
62. I Remember Running by Darcy Wakefield -
63. Morrie: In His Own Words by Morrie Schwartz -
64. S is for Silence by Sue Grafton -

August
65. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 7 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
66. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton -
67. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean -
68. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell -
69. Enduring Love by Ian McEwan -
70. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende -
71. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith -
72. A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr -

Books Read:

September
73. Tulipomania by Mike Dash -
74. The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh -
75. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 8 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -
76. The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb -
77. Annabel by Kathleen Winter -
78. Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco -
79. Home by Marilynne Robinson -
80. Lila by Marilynne Robinson -
81. Antoni Gaudi: Visionary Architect of the Sacred and the Profane by Judith Carmel-Arthur -

October
82. U Is For Undertow by Sue Grafton -
83. City of Thieves by David Benioff -
84. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster -
85. Forever Gentleman by Roland Colton -
86. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni -
87. The Many Deaths of The FireFly Brothers by Thomas Mullen -
88. Like A River From Its Course by Kelli Stuart -
89. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry -
90. Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 9 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson -

Books Read:

November
91. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather -
92. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley -
93. The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner -

December
94. Poseidon & Cleito by Andrew J. Peters -
95. Orcas Intrigue by Laura Gayle -
96. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts -
97. Plainsong by Kent Haruf -

Next one's yours! Welcome to my 2016 thread - Part 6 -the Autumn edition, which is now open for business!

Book #73 - Tulipomania by Mike Dash
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Books with One Word Titles
CAT(s): DeweyCAT
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 1999
Acquisition date: May 15, 2011
Page count: 273 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

In the 1630s, visitors to the prosperous trading cities of the Netherlands couldn't help but notice that thousands of normally sober, hardworking Dutch citizens from every walk of life were caught up in an extraordinary frenzy of buying and selling. The object of this unprecedented speculation was the tulip, a delicate and exotic Eastern import that had bewitched horticulturists, noblemen, and tavern owners alike. For almost a year rare bulbs changed hands for incredible and ever-increasing sums, until single flowers were being sold for more than the cost of a house. Historians would come to call it tulipomania. It was the first futures market in history, and like so many of the ones that would follow, it crashed spectacularly, plunging speculators and investors into economic ruin and despair. This is the history of the tulip, from its origins on the barren, windswept steppes of central Asia to its place of honor in the lush imperial gardens of Constantinople, to its starring moment as the most coveted--and beautiful--commodity in Europe. Historian Mike Dash vividly narrates the story of this amazing flower and the colorful cast of characters--Turkish sultans, Yugoslav soldiers, French botanists, and Dutch tavern keepers--who were centuries apart historically and worlds apart culturally, but who all had one thing in common: tulipomania.

Review:
An excellent read... better than I was expecting. While the book is focused on the tulip mania that overtook the United Provinces - which now comprise modern day Netherlands - from 1635 to the first half of 1636, it is the amazing similarities of that mania to other more recent sharp boom/bust market scenarios, like the amazing climb and spectacular crash of the price of bitcoins, that caught my attention. The trading of tulips was outside of the regulated stock and futures markets of the time period, and its frenzy was in part fueled by the fact that any one from the wealthy to the common artisans and workers could get involved, even in a small way, in the hopes of cashing in a profit. The lure of making cash in such a simple way must have been too good for many to pass up. With that information in mind, I was only somewhat surprised to learn that the Dutch artist Jan van Guyen had invested, and lost almost everything but the shirt off his back, in the tulip crash. He had given up painting during the tulip mania and it was only because of the financial straights he found himself and his family in that he returned to painting, leaving behind a legacy of brilliant landscapes that, in the words of the author, "many of which would have probably never have been painted had he made his fortune in the tulip trade".

I was saddened to learn that some of the rarer tulips that helped fuel the tulip mania, are lost to us forever, except in preserved paintings, like this one of Semper Augusta:



Interestingly, the vivid colorful markings of the highly sought after tulips like the Semper Augustus, were not a product of cultivated hybrid breeding. They were a product of a broken tulip infected with the mosaic virus. While the bulb industry has managed to wipe out the mosaic virus, as the author notes, " The infinite variety that each broken tulip could display is gone, and with it much of the flower's capacity to fascinate and astound."

Overall, a wonderful blending of "horticulture meets financial markets" kind of read.

Book #74 - The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Spending Time with My Furry Friends
CAT(s): September GeoCAT - Souther Asia (Burma)
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2000
Acquisition date: December 10, 2010
Page count: 560 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from multiple sources:

1885 Burma: Rajkumar is a young stateless orphan helping out in a market stall in the dusty square outside the royal palace in Mandalay, when the British force the Burmese King, Queen and court into exile. Haunted by his vision of the Royal Family and Dolly, a child attendant of the royal entourage Rajkumar encountered being escorted under armed guard into exile in India - and with the help of an itinerant merchant from Malacca - Rajkumar will make his fortune deep in the teak forests of upper Burma. Now and adult and wealthy, Rajkumar travels to the obscure town where the Royal Family has been exiled, and his family and friends become inexorably linked with theirs.

Review:
This is one of those sweeping saga stories that has appealed to a number of readers here on LT. Sadly, while there were sections that I found made for excellent story telling, for the most part, I think it is a book filled with too much: Too much time span coverage (the story spans 100 years and three generations), too many topics (the story covers everything from cultural differences, colonialism, war, political ideology, lumber enterprises, photography), too many characters (the story jumps around between immediate family, friends, neighbours, in laws), too much attention to minute details (I don't really need to know the make and model of every single vehicle and camera used in the story).

Maybe I am going through a bit of historical fiction burn out, but I found this story jumped around too much, tried to be too grand and over the top and as such, became a chore to read, even as I enjoyed the wonderful descriptive details of Burma and India.

Hi Lori. New thread looks great.

Happy New Thread, Lori! Love the Lake Ontario topper. Sorry, The Glass Palace didn't work for you. I have this on my T.R. list.

Happy new thread, Lori. What a lovely thread topper photo!

Happy new one, Lori!

>12 lkernagh: Tulipomania
I read this a few years ago after it had been sitting around on my shelves for ages, and it exceeded my expectations too.

Gorgeous autumn topper. Happy new thread, Lori.

Happy new thread, Lori! I've always found the sudden mania in trading tulips such a fascinating bit of history. I might have to track down that book at some point.

Happy New Thread, Lori!

Happy new thread! I have >13 lkernagh: unread on the shelves but not calling to me just now.

Happy new thread, Lori!

Happy new thread, Lori. I love the topper. Lots of good books, too.

Happy New Thread, Lori!

Beautiful pic of Lake Ontario up top.

Camilleri is coming out with a new Montalbano mystery in the U.S. in November - Voice in the Night.

Love the photo sitting atop your new thread! The tulip book sounds interesting, but I'm going to be realistic and not add it to my cavernous "black hole" (as Stasia used to call it).

Happy new thread, Lori. I thought that the picture topper looked familiar and very striking!

Wow, you are already heading to Ontario. Amazing!

Happy new thread, Lori!

Happy new thread, Lori! What a pretty topper pic of Lake Ontario.

Happy new thread, lkernagh! As previously stated, that topper is beautiful!

Happiest of new threads, Lori! Your topper is stunning and I can hardly believe I was absent for your entire journey through Manitoba! Since Ontario is a neighbor to the north, I'll look forward to your travels through the province we've visited many times.

Happy new one, Lori. I'll have a look for Tulipomania. Sounds intetesting.

Happy new thread Lori!

I am late to wish you happy on your newest thread, Lori. I have The Glass Palace in the stacks, but feel after reading your review that I don't need to rush to get to it. The tulip book sounds interesting - tulips are my favorite flower. I might check to see if the library has that one.

Happy new thread Lori.

Happy Sunday, everyone! It has been a busy but good week and weekend. On Saturday, I went venturing downtown. Came across a new Italian bakery in the lower Johnson area (near Fan Tan Alley) that I will probably be frequenting on a regular basis. Had the most amazing shiitake mushroom quiche in a very thin crusttata crust that was wonderful! I also was downtown as I had read a news report that the last Christmas store in Victoria, The Original Christmas Village, will be closing on September 15th after 27 years of business on one of the tourist attraction streets of downtown Victoria:



I came away with some wonderful additions to my Christmas ornament collection and the following story to relate:

While I was standing just inside the doorway to the shop, a mother and two daughters - roughly 8-10 years of age - entered the store, all carrying drinks from the Starbucks just up the block. Mom lead the girls in and I was amused when one of the daughters read the "No Food or Drink" sign at the entrance and informed her mom that they cannot bring drinks into the store. I noticed the mom ignored the girl, and wasn't surprised when the girl said again, in a louder voice, "Mom, drinks are not allowed in the store," while continuing to stand in the doorway, not following their mom into the store. Imagine my surprise when the mom's response, while continuing to browse the store offerings, was that her daughters can stay outside. Remember, mom is carrying a drink in her hand! Daughter did not forget that fact and said in a really loud voice this time, "Mom, you have a drink in your hand!" Mom ignored the daughter's comments and continued to browse the store offerings, even though the daughters were staying outside in observance of the sign. I am usually a "live and let live" kind of person, but seriously, I was ready to take the mother to task myself, if anything to chastise her as to what kind of role model are you for your kids, but the very harassed store clerk had managed to raise her head from the chaos at the till and pointed to the sign. Would you believe the transgressor gave a expression of disgust and loudly informed her daughters while exiting that they were walking on? All I can say, is I pity those poor girls, having to put up with a mother like that.

On the good news front, my mom is scheduled for a minor surgical procedure to have a feeding tube inserted next Friday. Trust me when I say, the family is over the moon with this news, as mom has been struggling (and has been more than a bit difficult) when it comes to what she is able and willing (the emphasis on the willing) to eat orally. She was originally scheduled for Sept 2nd for the 30-minute procedure that involved a 48 hours stay in hospital but as that was a long weekend, apparently the health system wasn't up for the doing the procedure on the Friday and keeping mom in until the Tuesday (after the holiday Monday) which rolled the procedure to two weeks out. I promise not to get frustrated with the health system's procedures but it just blows my mind that it really comes down to a fixed 48 hours in and they have no wiggle room for holidays. Brings me back to my belief that health care in Canada should be federal - just like the NHS in the UK - and not a provincial matter. At least she is getting it done and we have our fingers crossed that a more regimented feeding schedule that isn't dictated by what she can inject orally will be positive, for how ever long it can be.

On the reading front, books continue to be read. Having a bit of a frustrating experience with my read of Annabel by Kathleen Winter. I own a trade paperback copy but I also borrowed the CD-version from the public library. The audio read was good for the first 1/3 of the book but then it became a garbled mess - kept skipping and going back to the start of the disk - so I will be finishing my read of Annabel as a physical read.

Comments and book reviews of completed books to follow.

>14 weird_O:, >15 msf59:, >16 tymfos:, >17 katiekrug:, >19 lit_chick:, >20 MickyFine:, >21 ronincats:, >22 charl08:, >23 scaifea:, >24 BLBera:, >25 jnwelch:, >26 thornton37814:, >27 Familyhistorian:, >29 kidzdoc:, >30 mstrust:, >31 brodiew2:, >32 Carmenere:, >33 Ameise1:, >34 The_Hibernator:, >35 Crazymamie:, and >36 Kassilem: - Thank you for the wonderful new thread welcomes - and comments on the thread topper pic - Bill, Mark, Terri, Katie, Nancy, Micky, Roni, Charlotte, Amber, Beth, Joe, Lori, Meg, Darryl, Jennifer, Brodie, Lynda, Barbara, Rachel, Mamie and Melissa! I am ready for autumn and all of its colour palette glory!

>15 msf59: - I wonder if The Glass Palace works better as a physical read, Mark. As an audioread it just became a blur of information. Possibly, I wasn't asa focused as I could have been while listening to it. ;-)

>18 qebo: - I was fascinated that a horticultural commodity like I tulip would be trading on par with precious metals like gold, etc. Shows what I know about what people value! ;-) Excellent read and my other half - who usually snuffs his nose at the books I read - has asked that I retain my copy and add it to his "shelf" of books. Yes, he has a shelf of books and I have bookcases of books. ;-)

>20 MickyFine: - I have to admit that I really knew nothing about the tulip mania before reading the book. Very interesting times and kind of an interesting glimpse into our current market system!

>22 charl08: - Well, don't let my review be a deterrent, Charlotte. Like I mentioned, it is possible I am going through historical fiction burn out and my review could have been impacted by it.

Love the idea of a Christmas Village store, Lori, so am sad to hear it is closing. Cannot believe the mother you write about, carrying her drink into the store in spite of her daughters' having spoken up several times. What a role model, indeed! Disgraceful behaviour.

Good that your mom will have her feeding tube installed soon, sounds like this will help get the nutrition into her that she requires. I couldn't agree more that our health care should be federal.

>25 jnwelch: - WHOOT! A new Inspector Montalbano! I am soo happy to see that news! I can wait until November for my next Montalbano fix. ;-)

>26 thornton37814: - I hear you Lori. The book piles are large enough without adding more books!

>27 Familyhistorian: - Glad to see you found the thread topper familar. I have never been to Lake Ontario but as soon as I saw that picture, I knew it screamed "Autumn" to me. ;-)

>28 mdoris: - I have to admit that I am also stunned that I am within reach of the Ontario border! Something tells me I will be at least 6 months - if not more - in that province so I guess I better get ready for that.

>32 Carmenere: - Totally understand the absence. I have no time to visit threads - which makes me feel super guilty as I don't have the time to reciprocate the visit - but there is only so much time in the day and when not work I am distracted with things happening over in Alberta. Always glad when anyone has the time to stop by and say hi!

>33 Ameise1: - I hope you are able to lay your hands on a copy of Tulipomania, Barbara. It is quite the fascinating read!

>35 Crazymamie: - I would totally recommend the tulip book over The Glass Palace, but that is personal preference. Happy the see you stopping by!

>39 lit_chick: - What is really sad, Nancy, is that 12 years ago, Victoria actually had three Christmas stores - one was on Government St (and is now the Bard and Banker Pub) and I cannot remember where the second one was. Maybe the internet shopping world we now live in doesn't see the attraction being able to walk into a store and "experience" Christmas anytime of the year. Things are changing, that is for sure. The good news is that the Christmas store is closing because the proprietors want the retire, not for lack of business. They were just unable to sell the business as a going concern so the new owners of the property are planning a furniture store. Not sure how a furniture store will work in those cramped spaces - better for ornaments, etc - but we shall see.

That woman was just unreal.

I did have a good conversation with Mom today, although I cannot help but think how timely my call was considering Mom was very upfront that she was experiencing the start of a panic attack (she suffers from anxiety) so the call was focused on talking her through her panic attack - another reason why I wish I lived locally but that is not in the books anytime soon - so just happy I was able to address the situation over the phone.

As for mom's feeding tube, if something goes sideways between now and Friday - delaying mom's procedure again - I will be taking Alberta Health to task.

Book #75 - Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 8 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: My 2016 Clarissa Read
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 1748
Acquisition date: October 27, 2015
Page count: 286 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the LT book summary:

Based on the 18th century novel by Samuel Richardson, this is the original tale of fatal attraction and dangerous liaisons. A wealthy young heiress, famed for her virtue, is sought by a man wishing to seduce her and destroy her reputation. For the first time in his life he becomes genuinely infatuated with his prey, and sows the seeds of his own fate.

Review:
Volume 8 Summary:
Humm….. I am starting to get rather tired of the whole posturing of Lovelace, moralizing of Belford and continued virtuous-expounding of Clarissa. As for her family, I agree 100% with Colonel Morden and his opinion of the lot of them. Best bit of eye-rolling entertainment was reading the over-the-top letters by Mr. Brand… a perfect example of someone who thinks waaaaay too highly of themselves, their literary knowledge and their writing prowess!

Good news, there is only one more volume to go. The end is in sight!

Having hit the 75 book mark, it is without a doubt, a clear win for "Pot of Gold":



This scale was based on a rough average of 333.33 pages per book read, not the 312,39 pages I have averaged so far this year. As each, "Pot of Gold" and "Shamrock", have won in previous years, who knows what next year will bring. ;-)

Book #76 - The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb - audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Catchall
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 9 hours, 52 minutes listening time; 328 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

When a mysterious letter lands in Hallie James's mailbox, her life is upended. Hallie was raised by her loving father, having been told her mother died in a fire decades earlier. But it turns out that her mother, Madlyn, was alive until very recently. Why would Hallie's father have taken her away from Madlyn? What really happened to her family thirty years ago? In search of answers, Hallie travels to the place where her mother lived, a remote island in the middle of the Great Lakes. The stiff islanders fix her first with icy stares and then unabashed amazement as they recognize why she looks so familiar, and Hallie quickly realizes her family's dark secrets are enmeshed in the history of this strange place. But not everyone greets her with such a chilly reception?a coffee-shop owner and the family's lawyer both warm to Hallie, and the possibility of romance blooms. And then there's the grand Victorian house bequeathed to her?maybe it's the eerie atmosphere or maybe it's the prim, elderly maid who used to work for her mother, but Hallie just can't shake the feeling that strange things are starting to happen . . .

Review:
When I am in the mood for a bit of escapism reading – like I was this past week – I sometimes gravitate towards mysteries with a touch of romance and saturated in gothic atmosphere. Having previously enjoyed The Fate of Mercy Alban, I decided to give this one, Webb’s debut novel, a read. While I found Hallie’s character to be a bit on the wide-eyed, naïve side, the gothic atmosphere is captured perfectly with a rambling house filled to the rafters with family secrets, unusual happenings, things that go “bump in the night” and a housekeeper that fits the “creepy” bill to a T. I really enjoyed the family history stories the housekeeper tells Hallie over a series of days, unveiling the secrets, one relative at a time. I also really like the whole Great Manitou Island setting – a fictitious island vacation spot where the locals all get around by horse and buggy (no cars allowed on the island). This, and the November time period, gives the setting a quaint effect, enhancing the feeling of isolation. The mystery – an unsolved murder case – was pretty easy to solve, IMO but as I was reading the book more for the gothic atmosphere, that didn’t bother me too much.

A enjoyable bit of escapism reading, especially if read during a stormy fall day.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 59-61 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 80.06
Kilometers walked in total:2692.49
Current province: (MB)
My current location on the map: East of Prawda, heading for East Braintree and Falcon Lake.
Points of interest along the way: Prawda - not to be confused with Prada (the shoe folks) - was originally settled by Ukrainian, Polish and Russian settlers in the early 1900's. I have never visited Prawda, but my Ukrainian heritage already has me salvating at the thought of cabbage rolls, perogies, Polish sausages and sauerkraut! YUM!

Roughly 50 KM to go to the Ontario border!

>42 lkernagh: Wow, you've really been racing through Clarissa! I haven't quite finished Vol. 7. I'm on track with my planned schedule, but you will definitely hit the finish line long before the end of the year!

Woo hoo! Congratulations on hitting the 75 book mark, Lori!

Congrats!

Congrats on rolling past 75.

WahHOO for you with hitting 75!! Congrats, Lori!

Woohoo on reaching 75 books!
I bow to your superior reading habits :)

Lori, congratulations on making your 75-book goal. I recently did so as well, but there is far less going on in my life. Best of luck to your mother and the feeding tube...hoping there are no delays. It was fortunate that you were on the line with her to talk her through the panic attack. When will you be able to visit again?

Congrats on hitting 75, Lori. Yah!

Congratulations on hitting 75 books, Lori! So sorry to hear about the delay in your mom's feeding tube. Best wishes with that going forward. I sure be furious about the delay. Hugs.

Huzzah for surpassing the magic number, Lori! Hope your week is great!

Congrats for hitting the 75 book target, Lori. Hadn't dropped by in too long, and I'm impressed with the progress you've made with Clarissa. Just one last volume to go, woot! Very clever treating each volume as a separate book. I'll do the same if/when I ever get to it. I've added your recommendation for Tulipomania. It sounds like a fascinating read. Best wishes for your mother's surgical intervention. Very much agree we should have federal health care. I've never understood why it's managed on a provincial basis.

Congrats for hitting 75! Isn't that a great feeling?

Well done on reaching 75. Very impressive.
Fingers crossed for your Mom getting the help she needs.

Congrats on hitting 75, Lori. Good news about your mom, too. I hope all goes as planned with the feeding tube.

I'm waving as you are passing out of Manitoba.

Congrats! for reaching your pot 'o gold, Lori!
Glad to see your mom is getting the procedure she needs, what a relief for all involved!

Yay for you!

Congrats!!

Congrats on 75!

Congrats on the 75. Hope you managed to get some of that lovely food mentioned in >45 lkernagh: too.

So many thumb-worthy reviews, Lori!
Glad your mom is holding her own, and willing for the feeding tube.

Hello everyone. Sorry I have been rather absent from LT and my threads for the past two weeks. Mom's feeding tube surgery on Sept 16 did not go according to plan. She was prepped for the surgical procedure and everything was a go until the 11th hour when the surgical team decided that Mom's bowels had not been voided enough in prep for the surgery, so they sent her home, with no mention of when she would be rescheduled for. Mom has been ready for the procedure since mid-August. As you may recall, the first date - Sept 2nd - was put off by the hospital because of the long weekend (apparently the procedure is usually done on a Friday, patient stays in hospital over the weekend and on the Monday, when the incision area has healed enough to allow the patient to resume food consumption - orally or through the feeding tube - they are sent home). Apparently, the hospital staff felt that keeping Mom in over the holiday Monday wasn't a good idea, which is why she got scheduled for the 16th. I was annoyed by the news, especially as Mom's prep sheet only mentioned that she was not allowed to eat anything after midnight Sept 15. There was no mention that efforts must be made to ensure that the bowels had been sufficiently voided, something that should have been included in the instructions since constipation is common in ALS patients because of the high fat/high calorie foods they need to consume to try and maintain their weight levels. Mom did call the neurosciences team late Friday about this new development but it was after hours so no response was expected before Monday. This made for a rather stressful weekend as Mom has been losing weight and has been finding it a lot of work to consume food orally.

The good news is that suddenly late Monday afternoon my parents received a call from the hospital where the feeding tube procedures are performed and were informed to bring Mom in at 8:30 that evening for re-admittance. They met with the senior doctor's resident who informed them that they were going to run a series of tests and make sure that Mom would be given the green light for the procedure. The green light was received Wednesday morning and the procedure was done early that afternoon. On Friday afternoon Mom was cleared to come off her fast and could now eat what she would like orally or be fed through the feeding tube. Mom has been kept in over the weekend and on Monday morning my dad and siblings will be present at the hospital for instruction on the use and cleaning of the feeding tube. The physiotherapist will also see Mom to make sure that she has sufficient mobility to be released from the hospital and return home.

Overall, things are looking good but one always wishes that drama like what happened the weekend of the 16th doesn't have to occur. Health care where my parents live has been very compartmentalized. The neurosciences department is located at a hospital in the south end of the city while feed tube procedures are done in a different hospital in the north end of town. Given that the procedure was suddenly scheduled for mid-week (and completely outside of that hospital's usual scheduling) I think the neurosciences team pushed the buttons to stop this "wait two weeks" scheduling insanity. I love Mom's neurosciences team of specialists. They are awesome!

Anyone who follows news about the British royal family or, if you are in Canada, just watch the nightly news, will know that William, Kate and the children are in BC for the next 7 days. While I am not a royalist, even I could not pass up the opportunity to get an in-person viewing of the Cambridges, Justin and his wife Sophie as well as David Johnson, the Governor General of Canada and his wife. You notice I didn't mention BC premier Christie Clark or the BC Lieutenant Governor.... that is because I have more than enough opportunities to see them. ;-)

Anyhow, I joined the throngs at the legislature yesterday afternoon and found a good spot on Government Street to watch the action:



I had no desire to join the crowds on the legislature lawn. For one thing, we have had rather damp weather and I am not a fan of standing on a "squishy" lawn (and possibly wrecking my shoes in the process), and I also did not want to be trapped in for the entire ceremony. If you were on the lawn, you were going to be corralled in and not allowed to leave until after the Cambridges and the various dignitaries had left. The spot proved to be ideal. I knew there was going to be a commemoration ceremony at the cenotaph, but I didn't expect to be at the location where the official "meet and greet" would occur:


From left to right: Governor General of Canada David Johnston and his wife, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie, Lieutenant Governor of BC Judith Guichon, BC Premier Christy Clark and her son Hamish.


Will and Kate being greeted by the Governor General and his wife


Will and Kate being greeted by Justin

Sorry the pics are a bit blurry. I forgot my camera at home so had to make do with my smart phone for pics. :-)

The crowd was in good spirits and had fun calling out to Justin and Sophie to turn and wave to the crowd while waiting for the Cambridges motorcade to arrive.

On the reading front, I continue to make progress with Clarissa and can now report that I am 120 pages away from the end to this behemoth of a read. I have plowed through some other books - Yes, I was on a bit of a "one word title" reading jag as I was working to finish one of my categories for the category challenge.

Continue to enjoy watching episodes of Midsomer Murders and almost finished Series 3.... yes, I have a lot of episodes still to watch!

I hope everyone has been having a lovely weekend. Now for those responses, reviews and walking update.....

----------------------------
>46 ursula: - I am happy to report that I have only 120 pages left to read in Clarissa. As you said, I will definitely reach the finish line before the year is out! As I mentioned over on my Category Challenge thread, I can understand why some readers find Clarissa to be such a fascinating read. There is an awful lot of content that lends itself to conversations, but it is a rather long-winded story!

>47 ronincats:, >48 drneutron:, >49 thornton37814:, >50 Crazymamie:, >51 LovingLit:, >52 Donna828:, >53 msf59:, >54 vancouverdeb:, >55 MickyFine:, >56 Smiler69:, >57 mstrust:, >58 mdoris:, >59 BLBera:, >60 Carmenere:, >61 The_Hibernator:, >62 Kassilem:, >63 banjo123: and >64 charl08:: Thank you Roni, Jim, Lori, Mamie, Megan, Donna, Mark, Deb, Micky, Ilana, Jennifer, Mary, Beth, Lynda, Rachel, Melissa and Rhonda for the congratulations! It feels good to reach the mark so early in the year. Audiobooks have made it so much easier for me to reach my reading challenge goals. I did a quick check at my reading stats and of the 81 books read so far this year, 39 have been read in audiobook format. Yay for audiobooks!

>52 Donna828: - Donna, as posted above, we had a bit of a snafu with Mom's feeding tube procedure but we are now back on solid footing and she is doing well, all things considered. I plan to use up the rest of my vacation time with a trip home for the holidays. By the holidays, I mean Christmas. Thanksgiving is an important holiday in Canada but not to the level that it is in the US. I am holding off on booking flights while we wait and see if the hospital gives Mom the green light to go home tomorrow. If need be, I can always change my plans and re-book my vacation time for earlier this fall but the plan is to have the whole family together this Christmas. Even my niece is planning on being in Calgary for Christmas this year with her husband and young children. I would love to make some weekend trips to see Mom but the problem with Calgary is the city planners did a bit of a bungle in that they never built - and have no plans in the near future - to connect the airport with the existing light rail transit system, making it a hassle and inconvenience for my family to always have to head to the airport to pick me up and drop me off again. If they had build the light rail transit to have a stop at the airport, it would be a no-brainer for me to fly home most weekends.

>54 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb, I was thinking of your yesterday afternoon as I was watching the Cambridges being welcomed at the legislature! I hope you have been getting your Will and Kate fix in while they are here in BC. ;-) I try not to get frustrated with the health care system but it isn't always easy. Thankfully, mom's procedure did go ahead - after the unexpected delay I reported on above - and we are all hoping that she gets the green light to go home tomorrow. If not, at least she is in the best place for them to take care of her if she isn't ready. The hugs sent have been gratefully received.

>56 Smiler69: - Thanks Ilana. Yup, separating Clarissa out into separate books based on volume has help me feel as though I am making progress as I read it. I had a conversation recently about the health care system with a work colleague and she reminded me that it is provincial and not federal because of our constitution. I tend to forget about that piece of paper. ;-) Of course, if constitutionally it is the responsibility of the provinces, it does make me wonder why we have a federal Department of Health. Something probably best left unasked.

>58 mdoris:, >59 BLBera:, >60 Carmenere: and >65 countrylife: - Thanks Mary, Beth, Lynda and Cindy. We are hoping the snafu of last week is the last one and that Mom will be able to come home tomorrow.

Book #77 - Annabel by Kathleen Winter
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Books with One Word Titles
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: Award Winner
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: May 5, 2013
Page count: 480 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

In 1968, into the devastating, spare atmosphere of the remote coastal town of Labrador, Canada, a child is born: a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor fully girl, but both at once. Only three people are privy to the secret—the baby’s parents, Jacinta and Treadway, and a trusted neighbor and midwife, Thomasina. Though Treadway makes the difficult decision to raise the child as a boy named Wayne, the women continue to quietly nurture the boy’s female side. And as Wayne grows into adulthood within the hyper-masculine hunting society of his father, his shadow-self, a girl he thinks of as “Annabel,” is never entirely extinguished.

Review:
This review is going to be more of a compare-contrast of Annabel and Jeffrey Eugenides's Middlesex, a book I read earlier this year. Both tackle the rather sensitive topic of intersexuality, which has also been called hermaphroditism. The two books couldn't be further apart, IMO, in their delivery of the topic. Eugenides tackles the topic by anchoring it in a sweeping family saga, with a dark humour perspective and a fair bit of detailed scientific facts thrown into the mix. Winter takes a very different approach. She softens the topic, tackling it from a more intimate point of view while bringing in the landscape of a small, hunting and trapping community in Labrador to help convey the sense of isolation Wayne/Annabel experiences as he embarks on a journey of self determination. I want to call the Eugenides and Winter books the epitome of American and Canadian story-telling. Eugenides sweeping immigrant family saga is a testament to what has created America. Winter takes a truly Canadian approach by presenting a more sedate, focused story, making both the intersexuality and the Canadian culture/geography simultaneous focuses of the story. Even the violence that occurs in the story is muted... providing glimpses, but not all the graphic details of the violence. I liked that approach. It provided for a consistent overall feel of the story. Some readers may not agree, but I think the larger theme in Annabel is how Winter displays the slowly developing awareness of Wayne - and the reactions of his family and close friends - as he embarks on this journey of self discovery. This was captured really well. I think it also speaks to why it is wrong for adults, both parents and medical professionals, to make decisions - even when they think they are doing so in the best interests of the child - without fully understanding how their decisions can have an impact on the child as they develop.

Overall, a beautifully written story. Some aspects of the story may be a little hard to accept from a realism perspective but for a debut novel, I feel that its strengths outweigh any deficits/deficiencies detected.

Book #78 - Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Books with One Word Titles
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: May 15, 2011
Page count: 256 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

It begins with a body. On a clear day in winter, the battered corpse of Crispin Salvador is pulled from the Hudson River. Gone, too, is the only manuscript of his final book, a work meant to rescue him from obscurity by exposing the crimes of the Filipino ruling families. Miguel, his student and only remaining friend, sets out for Manila to investigate.

Review:
I really struggled with this one. Probably because the story structure doesn’t lend itself to an audio read (the format I chose to try and get my trade paperback copy read and off my TBR pile). The narrative mechanisms used include everything from excerpted sections of fictionalized published works, transcribes of interviews, to reproducing emails and blog postings to communicate the story. Quite the jumbled mess that made listening to the story a bit of a challenge, kind of like listening to someone reading aloud a journal article and making a point of reading aloud each footnote in turn, disrupting the flow. This probably would have worked okay as a physical read, especially with the visual cues of section breaks and changes in font style to indicate the shifts in narration, but that wasn’t enough for Syjuco. He had to go and further complicate matters by free flowing the story backwards and forwards through time and place. One moment, we are in modern day New York, the next minute in the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation, and then suddenly in Canada in the 1960’s/1970’s. The premise itself is the reason I picked up a copy of this book and I really like Syjuco’s use of “Ilustrados” – the well-to-do Filipino intelligentsia, who have received European and Westernized educations – to be his "voice" but I should point out that this really isn’t much of a mystery as it has been billed to be. It is really more of a pseudo-autobiographical and sensationalized literary mouthpiece for what one reviewer has called “oblique manifestos” in the same highbrow, expansive style utilized by writers such as Roberto Bolano, with a similar noir undertone. This book does a wonderful job outlining 150 years of Philippine history, and communicating the country’s search for its identity, but I came away from this one with the same feeling I had after having read Bolano’s 2666: an overarching feeling that the story is an information dump of deeper messages layered one over top of the other, piled so high that I fail to work my way through to the core meaning.

Overall, one of the most ambitious debut novels I have ever read. I just wish I had the patience to try and understand the deeper meaning I am sure it contains.

Book #79 - Home by Marilynne Robinson
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Books with One Word Titles
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2009
Acquisition date: May 12, 2012
Page count: 336 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

The Reverend Boughton's hell-raising son, Jack, has come home after twenty years away. Artful and devious in his youth, now an alcoholic carrying two decades worth of secrets, he is perpetually at odds with his traditionalist father, though he remains his most beloved child. As Jack tries to make peace with his father, he begins to forge an intense bond with his sister Glory, herself returning home with a broken heart and turbulent past.

Review:
Having loved Gilead when I read it back in 2011, it will probably come as no surprise to Marilynne Robinson fans out there that Home was a perfect read for me, although you might be wondering why the heck it took me so long to get around to reading Robinson’s second book in her the loosely connected Gilead series – if it can be called a series, that is, given that the common thread is the setting (Gilead). Trust me, I am wondering the same thing! Like Gilead, Home is a rather sedate/reflective piece of work, written in a calming, contemplative tone, that seems perfectly fitting for the time period . The themes of judgement, salvation, redemption, grace as well as whether or not people can change, ripple through the pages. What I find fascinating is that both books – Gilead and Home – are set in the same place and time: small town Gilead, Iowa, in 1956, and yet I seem to recall a very different vibe/perspective when I read Gilead. I found Home to be a better read, for a number of reasons: the overall flow of the story, the omniscient narration, the strong sense of family and the evocative presentation of small town life so remotely removed (both mentally and figuratively) from big events like the civil rights movement. Having personally experienced the return of a wayward family member - wayward in the sense of distancing themselves from the family for a number of years - I found the conversations between Jack and Glory, and Jack and his father, was a poignantly moving experience for me. While there is a lot of sadness in Home, a lot of kindness and gentleness also shines through.

On the whole, I found Home to be an emotionally demanding and deeply satisfying read. Definitely one I know I will re-read at some point in the future.

Book #80 - Lila by Marilynne Robinson - audiobook narrated by Maggie Hoffman
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Books with One Word Titles
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2014
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 9 hours listening time / 272 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church-the only available shelter from the rain-and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life. She becomes the wife of a minister, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the life that preceded her newfound security. Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood. Together they crafted a life on the run, living hand to mouth with nothing but their sisterly bond and a ragged blade to protect them. Despite bouts of petty violence and moments of desperation, their shared life was laced with moments of joy and love. When Lila arrives in Gilead, she struggles to reconcile the life of her makeshift family and their days of hardship with the gentle Christian worldview of her husband which paradoxically judges those she loves.

Review:
This just didn't work for me. Maybe I was expecting too much after having loved both Gilead and Home, but Lila really came off as a huge letdown for me. Granted, Robinson continues to craft an entirely new story from a completely different point of view without leaving the small town of Gilead or her handful of familiar characters, but I found myself getting rather muddled while listening to this one. I never got comfortable with Lila as a character. She always seemed ready to bolt, like some wild animal that discovers too late that they have left their comfortable and familiar countryside and strayed into the heart of a community. Maybe that is the point Robinson is trying to convey, but I just never settled into this story like I did the other two, even though I did like getting glimpses of Ames and Reverend Boughton from a different point of view.

Book #81 - Antoni Gaudi: Visionary Architect of the Sacred and the Profane by Judith Carmel-Arthur
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Spending Time With My Furry Friends
CAT(s): DeweyCAT (720.92)
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 1999
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 80 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the library catalogue book listing page:

This book celebrates one of the most remarkable and idiosyncratic architects of modern times -- Antoni Gaudi's wonderfully bizzare yet romantic and intriguing buildings have imbued the Spanish city of Barcelona with a unique character and ensured his place in the pantheon of great architects. An introductory essay exploring Gaudi's life and career is followed by a selection of sumptuous images of his buildings including Casa Batllo and the church of the Sagrada Familia.

Review:
I love looking at architecture, especially when the design and materials push the boundaries of architecture and enter into the realm of art. This slim volume provides some good background information on Gaudi and some details about the Catalan influence in his visionary work. While I can appreciate the level of detail that went into the cathedrals he designed, my eyes will always stray towards Casa Batllo, Casa Mila and Casa Vicens as truly wondrous examples of what the author describes as "interpretation of architecture as organic structure which expresses the growth potential and evolutionary properties of nature."

A short read filled with wonderful images. Not enough to satisfy the Gaudi enthusiast in me, but enough to send me to the internet to look at more pictures. ;-)

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 62-63 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 70.58
Kilometers walked in total:2763.07
Current province: (ON)
My current location on the map: North of Granite Lake, heading for Clearwater Bay and Kenora.
Points of interest along the way: Yes, I have Finally crossed into Ontario! There is a good chance I will be in Ontario for close to 12 months - This is quite the large piece of land to cross! - so I will see if I can plan a 2017 "crossing into Quebec" party. ;-) One thing that has caught my eye looking at the map is the number of lakes displayed.

Now if you are like me, you are probably staring at that flag for Ontario and thinking that it looks an awful lot like the flag I have been displaying while working my way through Manitoba. You would be correct. Those two provinces have very similar flags:


Flag of Manitoba


Flag of Ontario

Hi Lori, very glad to hear that your mom at last, and in spite of several annoying delays, has had her feeding tube surgery. Thinking of you and your family.

Great reviews! Glad that you enjoyed Annabel so much; read this one when it was new and enjoyed it as well. You inspire me to read Home, if not Lila ... I read Gilead earlier this year and did not care much for it, given the wonderful applause it has received. So wasn't sure whether or not I'd continue with reading the next two. I'm tempted to go straight to Home and bypass Lila ... would this work, do you think?

>76 lit_chick: - Thanks Nancy. It is a relief that we seem to be making progress to make things easier for Mom. Annabel was a wonderful read. As for the Robinson books - Gilead, Home and the Lila is the publication order - the books don't have a chronological order, the focus is more on place and people than any linear progression so I think anyone can read the books in any order they want.

Hi Lori! How cool to see the Royals! And I'm sorry your mom's surgery didn't go as originally planned, but it's good to hear that things are being rescheduled sooner rather than later.

Also, good news on being near the end of Clarissa. Was it worth the read?

Congrats on reaching 75, Lori.

>40 lkernagh: Oh yeah, the walk through Ontario will take a long long time. Even driving through it takes a long long time. It seemed to take as long as going through all the Prairie provinces when we did it.

>68 lkernagh: I am still on the slow train - just now in Volume 8. :) My husband ran across something referencing Clarissa somewhere but can't talk to me about it until I finish, most likely, since the plot moves so slowly. He said he can't even tell me where he ran across it (which of course I'm dying to know because it doesn't seem like something he would normally stumble upon) because it will be a spoiler. So I've maybe picked up the pace a bit, but still am not rushing through.

Morning Lori! Health care can be so frustrating but when it works it works fairly well. I'm glad your mom finally had the procedure and hopefully will be released today.
LOL I guess I'm an American royalist in that I like the royals, but then again, I don't support them financially and there's just so many of them.
12 months to walk Ontario?! Is it the largest province in Canada or just the widest?

>73 lkernagh: Ah, too bad, Lori. I loved Lila. I was so glad to get her part of the story, and the writing, as always with MR, was stellar. Sorry it didn't grab you.

Lori--Whoohoo! Good news about your Mom finally getting in. I hope it helps boost her calorie intake. And further congratulations on reaching 75 AND the Clarissa marathon drawing to a close--wow!

Hi Lori - I loved your comments on Annabel. I loved Gilead but haven't read the others yet. Ilustrado sounds familiar. Did I read it? Off to check.

I'm glad your mom finally got her feeding tube. I hope that works for her.

>70 lkernagh: Oh, I just loved Annabel! Glad you enjoyed it.

Happy October Lori!

Can I just say that I am completely shocked that we are now into October?!? Where did the previous month(s) go?

Life continues to truck along. Mom has now been home for a week and things are going as good as can be expected. Still trying to get Mom to understand that her fear of developing an addiction to things like sleeping pills and her anti-anxiety drugs are really the bottom of the concern list, as both her family physician and the ALS specialists have confirmed that the doses prescribed to her are of no concern.

Work has snowballed into a bit of a flurry so always surprised when the week comes to an end. At least the to-do list for this week doesn't amount to attempting to climb Mt. Everest!

On the reading front, audio-books continue to be my salvation, but even then, I only have two two books finished with quick reviews for posting. Oh well, fall usually is a rather busy time so the reading may slow down just a tad.... that and the fact that I am behind with some Early Reviewer reads, that I won't be able to "cheat" and listen to the audio-books! At least, I am getting some level of work-life-home balance, and it does show in that I am now back to getting 7 hours of sleep each night. ;-)

...now for some responses, reviews and a walking journey update (understanding that I did 'something' to my left knee on Wednesday and have been taking it easy to help speed the healing process along).

>78 The_Hibernator: - Hi Rachel! I know... rather fun to see the Royals in person. ;-) Mom is doing well and we are relieved that the feeding tube surgery is done and Mom is back home. As happy as I am to see the end of Clarissa to be near at hand, I have to say I am still undecided as to whether or not the story warrants the attention it gets. Part of me leans towards an abridged version but there are so many nuances in the story I cringe at the thought of the story being 'butchered' to transform it into a shorter read. I will definitely be pondering that thought when I do a comprehensive review of Clarissa.... stay tuned!

>79 Familyhistorian: - Thanks Meg! Ontario is very deceptive when you look at the map of Canada. I keep forgetting that if one follows the Trans Canada Highway like I intend to do with my walking journey, it is a lot longer than if one were trans-versing the province "as the crow flies". :-)

>80 ursula: - OMG, now I am chomping at the bit to learn more about the reference to Clarissa your husband stumbled across!

>81 Carmenere: - Thanks Lynda. Things are going well with mom and I am thankful for that. It is hard to not like the Royals, or at least the most recent generations of Royals. I also a big fan of Harry. A young man with his priorities in order! As for Ontario, it is a rather long province to go from west to east. As the crow flies, it is a little over 1,100 KM long but because I am following the Trans Canada Highway for my walking journey - and the fact that the highway skirts around the great lakes - I am looking at roughly 2,000 KM to cross Ontario... definitely will take me 12 months to walk that distance!

>82 jnwelch: - Hi Joe. I love Lila as a character in Gilead and Home and I do understand why Robinson chose Lila to be her focus for the third book in the series, but I think the books are probably best read spaced out in line with timelines of their respective publications. I don't think the Robinson books lead themselves very well to a back-to-back reading. Too much to ponder and the stories are very different their "flavour". :-)

>83 Berly: - Thanks Kim! Very glad to have mom back home. We are encountering some minor difficulties.... Mom decided one day during a feeding that she wanted to get up and walk into the kitchen to get something.... not a good idea when connected to a feeding bag. Good news is that Dad was able to stop her before she potentially tugged on the feeding tube. Now resorting to visual cues so that Mom understands that she should not be getting up on her own when the feeding is in progress, she should be asking for assistance first. Like everything in live, there are some learning curves. ;-)

>84 BLBera: - Thanks Beth. So, did you discover if you have already read Ilustrado? One week home and the feeding tube continues to work well for mom. Interestingly, a "feeding" can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over 2 hours, depending upon how fast the feeding flow is set at, although I understand Mom has complained of some discomfort during the faster feeds so it usually takes 1.5 hours.

>85 lycomayflower: - Hi Laura! Annabel is one of those unique reads that really brought home the topic without getting preachy or judgemental. Definitely a wonderful read!

>86 The_Hibernator: - Thanks Rachel! I am still stunned that it is now October! Time flies!

Book #82 - U Is For Undertow by Sue Grafton - audiobook read by Judy Kaye
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Challenges, Challenges
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2009
Acquisition date: July 14, 2013
Page count: 14 hours listening time / 408 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. Even more so when Kinsey Millhone's only lead is a grown man dredging up a repressed childhood memory-of something that may never have happened...

Review:
Not Grafton's best read, IMO but still a decent bit of escapism. I like the idea of Michael Sutton - Kinsey's client - having a checkered past when it comes to reliability of information. This provides a nice level of complexity to the story. Grafton is now very comfortable with shifting timelines and narrators and while the "whodunit" crops up rather early in the story, it is the details like the "why" that are slowly revealed to the reader. I like how Rosie continues to provide a bit of comic relief to the stories and Kinsey's landlord Henry continues to be a reliable sounding board for the times when Kinsey finds the clues are just not adding up.

Book #83 - City of Thieves by David Benioff
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Blind Date
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2008
Acquisition date: February 19, 2011
Page count: 258 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible.

Review:
One doesn't usually expect to encounter wry humour in a book with such a bleak setting like the Siege of Leningrad during WWII, but there is some humour to be found within the pages of this excellent story. I guess one needs to see the humour in being assigned such an unusual task - secure a dozen eggs in a city and countryside where people will loot and kill for even a shriveled, moldy potato. A wonderful and horrifying coming of age story where 17 year-old Lev, surrounded by the dark and brutal side of humanity, learns the true strength of friendship, and the bonds that bring people together in times of struggle.

A worthy and quick read.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEK 64 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 19.22
Kilometers walked in total:2782.29
Current province: (ON)
My current location on the map: Still heading for Kenora.
Points of interest along the way: Nothing of interest to report.

>90 lkernagh: I started out reading those Sue Grafton novels when I lived in Cincinnati, but I didn't stick with them very long. I think I hit upon a couple that fell flat in a row.

Glad to hear you've started to settle into a balance, Lori. Any exciting plans for Thanksgiving?

>90 lkernagh: I wonder what Sue Grafton will do when she gets to the end of the alphabet. Commas for crime perhaps?

I'm another fan of City of Thieves, Lori. Really well done.

>91 lkernagh: I've meant to read City of Thieves since it came out. Now I see that that was 8 years ago. *sigh* And at that time it was because he had written The 25th Hour, which I'd seen the movie version of (in 2002). I move slower than molasses in a snowstorm.

And I'll let you know as soon as I find out what that Clarissa reference is about!

Hi, Lori. I've been enjoying catching up on your reading. I'm delighted to see that you loved Home and Gilead, also. They were both 4.5 star reads for me. I rated Lila a bit higher than you. Reading your review makes me wonder if maybe I rated high just because I was already in love with the characters from Gilead and just burrowed right into the "prequel". And City of Thieves - loved that one, too!

Hi, Lori. Finally I'm caught up with your thread after being away for 3 weeks. Glad to hear your mom's tube is finally installed, drat on the light rail system NOT hooking up to the airport, and hurrah for the walking.

>92 lkernagh: Points of interest along the way: Nothing of interest to report. LOL - there is a lot of that in Ontario.

Hi Lori - If I read Ilustrado, it was pre-LT days, so I'll have to look at my notebooks with my list of books read.

I am another fan of City of Thieves.

Keep walking! I can't believe how far you've gotten.

It sounds like you mom is doing as well as can be expected.

Paul has me wondering what Susan Grafton will do once she comes to the end of the alphabet! Good question. Maybe retire? Ontario - no points of interest! :) I like that! I am going to tell my brother , who currently lives in Barrie ON that and just rub it in just a little ! :) I love to tease my siblings and since he and his family moved to Barrie, he has become very Ontario- centric. I'll have to give him the gears. But in reality , he and his family are considering moving back in a few years, as his job allows. But what is the use of siblings if not to have a little bit of fun? :)

Take care, Lori. I often think of you and your family , most especially your mom. Hugs.

Happy Thanksgiving, Lori. I hope you will enjoy some quiet down time. Like Deb, I think of you and your family often.

All caught up! Glad to see your mum finally got her procedure done. That a hassle with all the postponements. Glad she seems to be on the up.

And some good books too! Love the reviews, you seem to be powering through them. Made all the more obfuscate to me as I seem to have stalled this half of the year. I need to make more time for the books in my life :)

Hi, Lori. I'm way, way behind, so rather late to congratulate you on zooming past 75!

I'm glad your Mom finally got her feeding tube.

Great reviews! Re: the Robinson books, I loved Gilead best, Home a little less, and haven't gotten to Lila yet, though I plan to soon.

Have a lovely weekend, Lori. xx

Hi Lori, I was absent several weeks on LT.
I wish you a wonderful start into the new week.

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian visitors!

Time flies when one is: a) having fun; or b) crazy busy. While I can only claim a partial stake in both scenarios - at different times over the past week and and bit - I wasn't ready for Tuesday morning to creep up like it did and remind me of the obligation to earn a pay cheque. I hope your long weekend was filled with food and friends like ours was and that you did not have the deluge of rain we had on the Saturday (although my family in Calgary had to settle for an unseasonably early snow storm - really, the first snow fall is supposed to happen at the end of October, to coincide with Halloween, not at the start and cause all sorts of travel havic for the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend!).

Last Wednesday was an exceptional one as I had the pleasure to meet for dinner two LT members - Roberta (luvamystery65) and Judy (DeltaQueen50). Before you ask, no there is no picture. You will just have to take our word for it that a meet up occurred. ;-)

The Thanksgiving long weekend was an interesting mix of weather - some good, some bad. In the process of running errands during a rather heavy rainfall on Saturday, I discovered that my trusty rain boots had developed a "leak" - more like developed a gash I was not aware of in in the months since I had last needed the boots - so the holiday Monday saw me at one of my favorite shoe stores, purchasing new rain boots (and good thing too as I understand the island is in for heavy rain and high winds starting tomorrow night).

For Thanksgiving my other half was all for a more "low key" dinner so I purchased a turkey breast roast as opposed to a whole turkey. OMG, I will never go back to buying a full turkey ever again! For the same price we managed to get the same amount of meat without the hassle of removing cooked meat from carcass, disposing of carcass or having my oven taken over by the cooking bird. We did full turkey dinner with all the trimmings on Sunday and Monday and tonight I managed to use up the remaining turkey in a curry over pan-fried cauliflower rice. YUM!

On the good news front, I was able to get in some solid reading time this weekend - didn't want to venture out in the weather more than I had to - so three book reviews are now ready for posting. I am trying to work through my backlog of LTER books so I am happy that I have one down, one on the go and one in the wings and one that was a "no show". ;-)

On the downside, I understand the weekend was not without some level of drama for my family in Calgary. The short version is it looks like the family has decided that Mom would be better off in an extended care facility. I did get to provide my two cents - given the information provided, I believe the problems they face right now have more to with Mom's on-going issues with anxiety than with the ALS - but I feel that they had already made their decision and informed me after the fact, especially given that my suggestion to bring in qualified home care assistance was not even acknowledged. I find the decision of an extended care facility to be a little premature giving that Mom is still mobile and only requires what I understand to be limited assistance with certain functions but I am also not there to witness the day-to-day activities that have lead up to this decision, so I guess I just have to trust that they have Mom's best interest's at heart, and will hopefully discuss this with her and not just spring it on her like they did with Dad's idea of moving them both out of the house and into a condo (which had its own disastrous consequences). Not something I am easy with considering that up to now, my 81 year old Dad has been doing the majority of the care giving with my siblings providing some level of routine visits. As you can probably guess, I am not doing well with this decision. Definitely not trusting them to take care of me if something were to happen to me.

.... any how. Enough of that. Thinking positive thoughts. Now for replies and those reviews.

>93 thornton37814: - Hi Lori, I do love the Grafton novels, the bit of 80/90's nostalgia and for the rather documented approach to the crimes. I am not surprised that some of them fell flat for you and probably a lot of other readers. The audiobooks work for me as I can half listen and still catch all the pertinent details to follow the story. I might have become bored with them if I had read them!

>94 MickyFine: - Hi Mickey! Thanksgiving was a stay at home on the island affair as I am saving all of my remaining vacation time for a trip home for Christmas. The weather sucked, the food was good, I now have a new pair of Kamik rain boots to get me through the next storm - which is predicted to start tomorrow evening! - and I managed to get in some good reading time. The long weekend was good in that perspective. ;-)

>95 PaulCranswick: - Good question, Paul! Given that, according to Wikipedia, Grafton is in her 70's, maybe she is timing her novels so that she will close out her writing career with the "Z" book. ;-) Who knows. I personally like the idea of the stories carrying on a punctuation themed... that does have potential! Maybe she could 'arrange' for Kinsey to marry once again and this time start a family.... just a thought. :-)

>96 jnwelch: - I agree, Joe, City of Thieves is an amazing read. My kind of war story...more about the personal impact and less about the actual mechanics of war.

>97 ursula: - I move slower than molasses in a snowstorm. I love that analogy...even though I doubt that you actually move at that slow a pace. ;-) Looking forward to the 'reveal' about the Clarissa reference!

>98 countrylife: - Hi Cindy! Always happy to see my reading strikes a reminder cord in others.... I cannot wait to re-read Gilead, although part of me wonders how I will appreciate it now that I have read the other two book.

>99 ronincats: - Hi Roni! Happy to see you stopping by. I have been terrible. I haven't found the time to visit any threads since June. I am afraid to think how far behind I am with the threads!

Like seriously... how can a city with a population of over 1 million and a huge visitor base, NOT have a transit link at the airport??? Blows my mind, and having my family state that just this year the airport authority allowed the city transit to have a bus stop at the airport just confirms my view that something is very wrong if the airport authority has that much autonomy and no interest in promoting ease of access for visitors to the city core.... tells me they make too much revenue off the taxi and car park fees. Something I seriously broken there. sighs

>100 Familyhistorian: - So true, Meg, but at only roughly 20 Kilometers across the Manitoba border - and a whack of space still to cross - I think I can safely make that statement. ;-)

>101 BLBera: - Hi Beth! I think Ilustrado would work much, much better as a physical read, so here is hoping that is how you read it. I admit the walking has taken a bit of a back burner over the past two months so I need to get back into the swing of things and get those 'clicks' up.

On the Mom front, I am reserving judgement right now regarding my family's immediate plans for her, after this past long weekend.

>102 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb, I can totally see Grafton retiring - if she wants to! - after she finishes the "Z" book. Why is it everyone in Ontario becomes so "centric" - notice I didn't say "egocentric", although the focus they give to Ontario does amount to pretty much the same thing. Good thing we live in the 3rd most populous province - gives us some kind of say, even if the majority of the population is "back East". ;-)

Thanks for the thoughts and hugs... they are greatly appreciated.

>103 lit_chick: - Happy belated Thanksgiving wished to you Nancy! I did get some good quiet time - rainstorms are fantastic for making me settle in on the couch with a book or two! Thank you so much for the thoughts.... there are days were I really need and appreciate them!

>104 LovingLit: - Hi Megan! Glad to see you are all caught up. All I can say about my continued reading is "Thank God for audiobooks". I am basically listening my way through my TBR pile with audioreads from the local library. It is amazing the chores and errands I can run will listening to audiobooks. ;-)

>105 tymfos: - Hi Terri! Don't worry about being behind.... I have been completely abysmal about visiting threads (I haven't visited any threads since June - and I don't even want to think about what that equates to!). Like you, Gilead is still my favorite. There is just something about Robinson's presentation of the Reverend's letter to his son that struck all the right chords with me.

>106 PaulCranswick: - Thanks Paul! The weekend had its ups and downs as per my post in >108 lkernagh: but life isn't life without its challenges. Damn the challenges....

>107 Ameise1: - Hi Barbara, I hope your absence was for wonderful reasons, like a vacation, etc. Thank you for the autumn image and the weekly wishes.

.
Book #84 - Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Challenges, Challenges
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 1905
Acquisition date: May 15, 2011
Page count: 208 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

A young Englishman journeys to Tuscany to rescue his late brother's wife from what appears to be an unsuitable romance with an Italian of little fortune. In the events surrounding that match and its fateful consequences, Forster weaves an exciting and eventful tale that intriguingly contrasts English and Italian lives and sensibilities.

Review:
I know I don't usually post up two cover images with my book reviews. I did this time because I absolutely love the cover on the right (the cover of the audio book I listened to) while the cover on the left is the rather 'blah" cover of the copy in my personal library.

I should start off this review by mentioning, for those who don’t know, that Where Angels Fear to Tread is E. M. Forster’s first novel. When it was published, Forster was only 26 years old. I find that to be an accomplishment in itself. What is more difficult for me to communicate are my thoughts regarding this one. I tend to be a fan of books that tackle meaty topics of divisions caused by class structure, societal norms and mannerisms under the guise of troublesome family scenarios. While I appreciate that Forster takes a lighter hand here – he does not over burden the story with deep philosophical ramblings – I found the lightness of touch gave the story a rather flippant feel, one that overshadows Forester’s attack at the narrow-minded snobbery and cultural insensitivity of the English middle class the story is to portray. I struggled a bit with some of the characters – in particular, Philip, Harriet and Mrs. Herriton. I found Philip’s attraction to Caroline Abbott to be lacking in substance, more like the youthful infatuation of a young collegiate man for an older, more worldly woman. This struck me as a bit odd as I got the impression that Caroline was the younger of the two. Harriet comes across as a little unhinged, even before the tragic events unfold and as for Mrs. Harriton, well, that woman has control issues. Lilia comes across as I would expect for one who faces life with an exuberance that defies being contained. As for the writing, while good, I felt that Forster was still coming into his own as a writer. Not surprising given his youth at the time of writing.

Overall, an decent read and I am now curious to watch the movie adaptation with Helen Mirren as Lilia Harriton.

.
Book #85 - Forever Gentleman by Roland Colton
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Oooooh... Shiny!
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: LTER
Format: e-book
Original publication date: July 11, 2016
Acquisition date: July 27, 2016
Page count: 408 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: personally drafted summary:

Nathan Sinclair is a struggling architect, a gifted pianist and a mysterious French past who lives in two vastly different worlds of Victorian England: mingling in high society with his pianist commisions while dwelling in suffocating debt and poverty as a stuggling architect. While performing at a gathering of London's elite, Nathan meets Jocelyn Charlesworth, a breathtakingly beauty but temperamental celebrity heiress of London high society. At the same event, Nathan discovers and becomes enamoured with a mysterious, dark-haired woman. Nathan pursues the discovery of the mysterious woman, unknowing that his connection to the famed Charlesworth family will become more than just a fleeting event. Nathan must grapple with his heart and the ruthless society of Victorian England as he struggles to face his debtor, a jealous suitor and an enraged brother while he struggles to establish his name as an architect of note in a city where reputation means everything.

Review:
I will start off my review by complementing Colton on his stunning focus on architecture and his meticulous research to create the 1896-70 Victorian setting for his book - from the music of the period, the plays being performed in London at the time, the existence of the fine French restaurant Verrey's, to the details of the creation of London's sewer system and the prison Coldbath Fields. For that reason, this book may appeal to readers seeking historical accuracy or lovers of music in general, given the wealth of information contained in this book. Sadly, I am more of a character/plot appreciator and that is where I found this story to have some shortcomings. I found it difficult to appreciate any of the characters at their face values: Jocelyn is too perfect, Regina to humble, the Duke of Wilmont too driven - seriously, the man's actions are of an obsessive - compulsive nature second to none! - and Nathan, just a little to pat for my tastes. Yes, there is a rather interesting twist to the plot that I was not expecting but it only slightly elevated my thoughts on this one.

As an additional concern - that I hope is merely a technical glitch associated with the early reviewer e-book copy I received - Jocelyn and Nathan tend to revert to the French language for some of their dialogue. The e-book copy provided hyperlinks to what I hoped were English translations of the French but the links were not operable in the e-book copy I had and did not take me to the English references stored at the back of the book (as I discovered once I reached the end of the story) so there are about 100+ French phrases that I was not able to understand while reading the story.

Lastly, the book could have used with a ruthless editor. The story could have been succinctly captured in half to the space and with less repetition of how wondrous Jocelyn is as a beauty and how "odorous" London as a city was a that time.

A story that has a lot of promise, but didn't really follow through on the execution for me as, under the direction of a good editor, this book could have been a tantalizing story in half the page count and as a more tightly woven story.

Book #86 - The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Challenges, Challenges
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2008
Acquisition date: October 23, 2010
Page count: 384 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 5.00 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

Taking us back to a time that is half history, half myth and wholly magical, The Palace of Illusions gives new voice to Panchaali, the fire-born heroine of the Mahabharat, as she weaves a vibrant interpretation of an ancient tale. Married to five royal husbands who have been cheated out of their father's kingdom, Panchaali aids their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war. But she cannot deny her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna—or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy—as she is caught up in the ever-manipulating hands of fate.

Review:
Spin me a story that pulls its foundation from an ancient epic tale and I will either be completely enraptured or bored out of my mind. The good news is that Divakaruni’s recasting of the Mahabharata – the epic Indian Sanskrit story – caught my attention right from the start and never let go. This mystical tale is a rich tapestry of all things that make a story spellbinding: emotions of unrequited love, deception, greed and envy; peopled with sages and other semi-divine beings, wise kings and righteous warriors; a prophesy that foretells a major change, heroic deeds and magical weapons, all told in true epic proportions. I have never read the Mahabharata so this review does not provide any kind of “compare/contrast” but I have to say that Divakaruni’s has a wonderful way of taking fantasy characters and making them appear as real, flesh and blood individuals. The setting is beautifully depicted, making it possible for me to glimpse the “Palace of Illusions” in all its wonder. Of course, I am also a fan of epic tales where the lead is a strong female. Draupadi is a dynamic character, even if she does have her moments of self-serving pride and arrogance. The story never lets up, racing the reader along at a steady clip as Draupadi journeys towards her destiny.

A truly epic tale and a very worthy read!

FOOTNOTE: I note that the Wikipedia article about Mahabharata states that the Mahabharata is the longest known epic poem and has been described as "the longest poem ever written". Given that I am about to complete my read of what is considered to be the longest novel in the English language based on word count, maybe I should add the Mahabharata to my 2017 planned reading. ;-)

>112 lkernagh: My absence was more work and family related, Lori. I feel with you about your siblings decision. My FIL is suffering from dementia and it gets worser every few days. We are looking for a good place together with him and my MIL. She still can't let go, what I fully understand, but the work with him 24/24 is getting too tough for her and I fear for her health now. At the moment there is a lady coming to their house for a few hours so that my MIL gets some breath. On the other hand my husband and I are dropping in as much as we can, but we are both working full time.

Hi Lori! I picked up In the Woods last night. Thanks so much for your encouragement to read it. I'm looking forward to this.

I'm glad you had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, Lori. I hear your concerns with the decision your family in Calgary have made regarding moving your mom into an extended care facility. I, too, hope she will have time to consider the decision with her loved ones before it becomes a reality.

Glad you had such a lovely Thanksgiving, Lori. We also got a decent dose of snow over the weekend in Edmonton (although not as bad as my old stomping grounds in Lethbridge where they ended up with a heavy snowfall warning that came true :P). The snow has mostly disappeared now but they're forecasting 5-10 cm of white stuff on Friday. Good thing I've got my appointment to switch to winter tires scheduled for Sunday.

Hope your shift back into work mode has smoothed out since yesterday. :)

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I somehow missed the Canadian celebration since our American one is later. Dealing with aging parents is never easy, but it's even more difficult when family members disagree on the course of action.

I think that this is one of the more stormy Octobers that I remember, Lori. Good timing on getting new boots! I hope that things work out well on the family front, have a great weekend.

Use the boots and come back to us soon Lori. Have a splendid weekend. xx

I'm sporadically catching up on threads, and realizing that in some cases it's been months since I dropped by. I suppose the bad and the good of your mom's condition and treatment will continue, and I imagine it's frustrating and worrying to be at a distance. I've had my eye on Gilead et al for awhile, and even your letdown with the third installment is intriguing.

Just de-lurking to say hi, Lori!

I see you are just about as absent from LT as I am right now. Too many irons in the fire!

Hi everyone - Just poking my head in to report that I haven't fallen off a cliff or anything like that. The last couple of weeks have been a roller-coaster ride. I am saddened to report that my mom passed away in the early hours of last Saturday morning. She had been admitted to hospital the previous weekend with symptoms of pneumonia, and thankfully I was able to fly home and spend mom's last 4 days with her, along with my dad and siblings. Mom experienced a more rapid decline in her health than any of us were able to stay on top of, so my thanks go out to the unit staff at the hospital for doing all they could to make Mom's final days as comfortable as possible. Even sedated during her last 24 hours, I believe Mom had a better handle on what was going on than the medical staff expected. She caught them out with a couple of good zingers when they thought she wasn't registering comments being made in her presence. Even to the end she was on top of things! I am home in Victoria for the week and will be flying back next week for the service. Life is now a jumbled mix of work and helping the family with planning the necessary arrangements so I will continue to be absent from LT for the next couple of weeks.

I'm so sorry. My condolences to you and your family. I'm glad you had those last days with her.

Oh I am so sorry,Lori. What roller coaster indeed. My condolences to you and your family. I am so glad you were able to fly back and spend the last days with your mom. That will always be a very special memory for you, and your mom will have cherished her time with you and your family at her side. Please take care - we will keep your thread warm for you. Take your time. Big hugs.

I'm very sorry to hear about your mother's passing, Lori. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.

Sorry to hear about your mom, Lori. *Hugs*

So sorry to hear about your Mom, Lori. Life throws tough stuff at us sometimes. ((Hugs)) and may you all remember the good times.

Oh Lori, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. My heartfelt condolences to you and yours. Sending the biggest of virtual hugs.

So sorry for your loss.

>126 lkernagh: I'm sorry. Good that you could be there, and have positive memories of zingers until the end.

My condolences to you and your family, Lori.

Very sorry for your loss, Lori.

So sorry to hear about your mom, Lori, but I'm very glad you were able to spend her last several days with her. Thinking of you and your family.

My condolences :(

Oh, I'm so sorry, Lori. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and in my heart.

Lori, your mom sounded like a very special and amazing person. Greatly sorry for your loss.

So sorry for your loss, Lori! Hope you are doing ok!

My condolences to you and your family, Lori. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

My heart hurts for you, Lori. How good it must have been to be able to be there for her in her last days. Hugs.

Oh, my, what a shock! I'm so glad you were able to be there. I am so sorry for the abruptness of your loss. You all were dealing with so much already. Hugs for you and your family.

My sincere condolences, Lori. My thoughts are with you.

So sorry to hear about your mother, Lori.

Lori, it is so difficult to lose your mother. My heart goes out to you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your mother, Lori. I'll be thinking of you.

Lori, I'm very sorry to learn about your mother's sudden passing. I'm glad that you were able to be with her. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Lori, I'm so sorry to hear about your mother.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Lori.

I'm so sorry to hear about your Mother. I send you Hugs!

Oh my, Lori, my sympathy regarding the passing of your mother. That must be tough for it to happen so unexpectedly fast. Our thoughts are with you.

Lori, I'm sorry for your loss, but glad you and your family were able to be there for the last few days. I'll be thinking of you.

I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. I thought your mother might have been improving. I feel for you, I hope that you are doing Ok.

You remain in my thoughts, Lori. Sincere condolences on your mother's passing and plenty of hugs for you dear lady.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Lori. My thoughts are with you. We are struggling ourself with my FIL who is dying. We all hope that he is able to let go in peace.

>127 mstrust:, >128 vancouverdeb:, >129 kidzdoc:, >130 Ape:, >131 Familyhistorian:, >132 MickyFine:, >133 drneutron:, >134 qebo:, 139, >140 mdoris:, >141 ChelleBearss:, >142 BLBera:, >143 countrylife:, >144 ronincats:, 146, >147 Donna828:, >148 The_Hibernator:, >149 cbl_tn:, >150 susanj67:, >151 DianaNL:, >152 BBGirl55:, >153 jnwelch:, >154 bell7:, >155 LovingLit:, >156 PaulCranswick: and >157 Ameise1: Jennifer, Deb, Darryl, Stephen, Meg, Micky, Jim, Katherine, Rachel, Katie, Nancy, Melissa, Amber, Mary, Chelle, Beth, Cindy, Roni, JustJoey4, Rhian, Donna, Rachel, Carrie, Susan, Diana, Bryony, Joe, Mary, Megan, Paul and Barb.

Love you all. Thank you so much for the condolences. It is still a struggle to get back to the previous normal routine. I tend to find myself distracted by images and sounds, with reading kind of on the back burner. A lot of going over memorabilia, including a lot of images of Mom that only recently came to light as I was cleaning her sewing room. A lot still being digested but the over all effect is one of happiness and gratitude that Mom did not suffer, trapped in a body unable to communicate by vocal or physical gestation. That was a HUGE fear of mine, after reading the literature and other patient's stories, so as hard as it may be for someone who has not directly experienced the evils of ALS, I am so, SO thankful my Mom passed naturally, before she was trapped in a body that no longer responded to her, even if it meant that she left us sooner than expected. Yes, Canada now has assisted suicide legislation but there was no way that we, as a family, could have broached the subject to my mom... her decline was so sudden. Would she have gone for it.... no clue, but I am happy she was not trapped in a vegetative state like Margot Bentley. That is a truly horrifying story and I pray that no one ever has to experience the final days that poor Margot had to suffered through. That is so, so wrong!

On the reading front, I have been reading, although the reviews about to be posted below are reviews that were written prior to my mother's demise. I actually found solace in reading Willa Cather's Death Comes to For the Archbishop the week of my mother's service, even though I acknowledge that the book was chosen for me back in 2015 before my mom's health issues became known. A wonderful book, and I do hope to find the time to write a review.

I have also managed to finish my read of Clarissa and will at some point post my collective thoughts on that one.

Walking has been a gong show in that I haven't been walking (except for ventures out of the hospital during my mom's final days) so I guess it is best to say that things are slowly (and I do mean slowly) getting back to some semblance of normal but it not easy. Reading is not a priority with me these days. It probably will be again at some point, but not right now.

Now onward to those previously written reviews.

Book #87 - The Many Deaths of The FireFly Brothers by Thomas Mullen
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Challenges, Challenges
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Hard Cover
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: December 25, 2011
Page count: 416 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from multiple sources:

Late one night in August 1934, following a yearlong spree of bank robberies across the Midwest, Jason and Whit Fireson - bank robbers known as the Firefly Brothers by an adoring public that worships their acts as heroic counterpunches thrown at a broken system - are forced into a police shoothout and die in a hail of bullets. Or do they? Jason and Whit’s girlfriends—Darcy, a smart-talking socialite, and Veronica, a hardened survivor—struggle between grief and an unyielding belief that the Firesons have survived. While they and the Firesons's stunned mother and straight-arrow third son wade through conflicting police reports and press accounts, wild rumors spread that the bandits are still at large.

Review:
When the colder, darker weather of autumn comes along, I seem to gravitate towards stories with a slightly darker feel to them, be it Gothic, noir or something a bit on the gritty side. Mullen’s Depression-era story is the perfect read to go along with rainy, wind-swept days. The title is an apt one, and provides the reader with a bit of insight into the story considering the story starts out with the Fireson brothers resurrection. One may throw their hands up in frustration at this but Mullen uses this “spoiler” of his own disclosure to build a wonderful story around the fact that the Fireson brothers have no memories of the events that lead to them “waking up” in the police morgue with their bodies altered by what looks like bullet holes. The story takes the reader on a Depression-era crime adventure in keeping with the myth, legend and lore of outlaw celebrities the likes of the Dillinger Gang and Bonny and Clyde. The story has everything – bank heists, bumbling cops, fedora-wearing Tommy-gun toting men, shoot-outs, a car chase, an intrepid young Bureau of Investigation agent, crooked business men and even a “damsel in distress”. While reading this one, I was able to see the story play out, like watching a flickering old black and white gangster movie.

The story has a decidedly noir feel to it, in part due to the gloomy Depression setting. Even with that gloom, the story provides glimpses of Robin Hood style flair as the Firefly Brothers become folk heroes of the destitute populous. There is a noticeable divide between the hard-core villains and the “charming gentlemen” criminals (hence that Robin Hood angle I mentioned earlier). Yes, the story has a phantasmagorical aspect to it in the resurrection of the Firefly Brothers and some of the story comes across as a bit of a cliché but, the heart of the story is really about a family (the Firesons) and the lies that people tell themselves and the people they love. The deep dive Mullen does into the past lives of his characters makes it stand out, for me anyways, from other bank heist-styled stories I have read to date. Outside of that core family piece, The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers is a wonderful escapism read where even the criminals are not “cut and dry” characters. As one reviewer has mentioned, “the story wonderfully illuminates why 1930’s America spawned so many dark heroes”. Everyone needs an idea or an individual to look up to, even if the attention is focused on an antihero. Under Mullen’s pen, one can easily see why antiheros can be so popular.

.
Book #88 - Like A River From Its Course by Kelli Stuart
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Oooooh... Shiny!
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: LTER
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2016
Acquisition date: July 12, 2016
Page count: 352 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

The city of Kiev was bombed in Hitler's blitzkrieg across the Soviet Union, but the constant siege was only the beginning for her citizens. Ukraine's WWII tragedies are told through the eyes of four compelling characters who experience the same story from different perspectives:
- Maria Ivanovna is only fourteen when the bombing begins and not much older when she is forced into work at a German labor camp. She must fight to survive and to make her way back to her beloved Ukraine.
- Ivan Kyrilovich is falsely mistaken for a Jew and lined up with 34,000 other men, women, and children who are to be shot at the edge of Babi Yar, the "killing ditch". He survives, but not without devastating consequences.
- Luda is sixteen when German soldiers rape her. Now pregnant with the child of the enemy, she is abandoned by her father, alone, and in pain. She must learn to trust family and friends again and find her own strength in order to discover the redemption that awaits.
- Frederick Hermann is sure in his knowledge that the Führer's plans for domination are right and just. He is driven to succeed by a desire to please a demanding father and by his own blind faith in the ideals of Nazism.

Based on true stories gathered from fifteen years of research and interviews with Ukrainian World War II survivors, Like a River from Its Course is a story of love, war, heartache, forgiveness, and redemption.

Review:
Written with an intimate perspective and strong imagery, Stuart brings the horrors and tragedies of the German occupation of Kiev squarely in the reader's cross-hairs. Written from the perspective of the four narrators, I was able to really appreciate the conflicting emotions, divided loyalties and the hardship that such a devastating event can have on both the innocent populous and the individuals that comprise what is typically referred to in inhuman terms as the "war machine". I have always felt that fiction, used correctly, can convey our history in a way that ensures that the passage of time does not dim the raw emotional effects of certain horrors and atrocities that we should ensure are retained by future generations. Stuart has done a fantastic job of transporting this reader back in time with a vivid portrayal of the Babi Yar massacre, the self serving interests of certain Russian liberators and the overall message that the human cost of any war is one that comes with such insurmountable costs. As written by Stuart, the following quote explains the choice for the title and the overall effect of the story:

"I think of our life before the bombs, the river of our days flowing so calmly in a direction that I thought would last forever. In a flash, that river was turned, unexpected and quick, dragging us along this unforeseen path. Like a river from its course, life has swirled away from all I expected or planned. Sluggish and slow, this river carves a new path. There are calmer waters that wait."

Under Stuart's pen, one is able to see the light of day beyond the horrors of war with the realization that life can and does go on.

Book #89 - The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Challenges, Challenges
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: May 12, 2012
Page count: 288 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

Charles Unwin toils as a clerk at a huge, imperious detective agency located in an unnamed city always slick with rain. When Travis Sivart, the agency's most illustrious detective, is murdered, Unwin is suddenly promoted and must embark on an utterly bizarre quest for the missing investigator that leads him into the darkest corners of his soaking, somnolent city.

Review:
If you enjoyed reading detective fantasy stories like China Mieville's The City and The City, then I think you will really like Berry's The Manual of Detection. There is a wonderful noir feel to this story, and I really enjoy how atmospheric the story is, given that nighttime, dreams and perpetual rain run through this wonderful fantasy fiction read. The subtle nuances of the story are captured in fine detail, what with the dream detection, the historic case of the theft of November 12th, shady characters, and various aptly named locals like the Forty Winks (the bar and gaming hall below the morgue), the Travels-No-More Carnival that has remained in town and my personal favorite, the casino nightclub aptly named, the "Cat & Tonic" as a play on words for the catatonic nature of its clientele. As with other stories in the noir genre, Berry has created balanced characters and leaves the reader in suspense as he unfolds earlier unknown information in a "dream detection" sequence. I did love the way he handled that!

Overall, a very smartly presented fantasy noir detective story that has me hoping this is the start of a possible series.

>161 lkernagh: The Manual of Detection sounds interesting, Lori. I don't think we need much imagination to picture the perpetual rain!

>159 lkernagh: ooooh this one sounds interesting! Maybe a nomination for my book club!
Glad to see you are doing ok and getting back into normal life a tad. The reading will come back in time!

Hi Lori, wonderful to read your post and know that you are back home and slowly resuming normalcy. The reading will come, and so will the walking.

Enticing reviews! Like a River From Its Course appeals.

Just sending hugs and good thoughts. Keep on keeping on.

>161 lkernagh: I think that's a good comparison to Mieville. Weird book (in a good way).

>159 lkernagh: Sounds like my cup of tea. Wishlisted.

Adding my thoughts to the pile of LTers. Lovely that you are finding -reminded of those good memories as you go through the old pictures.

>162 Familyhistorian: - Good point about understanding perpetual rain, Meg!

>163 ChelleBearss: - Thanks Chelle and I am super happy to see you back and posting in the land of LT! "Normal" is coming back, but is taking its time.

>164 lit_chick: - Thanks Nancy. Always happy to send a book bullet around and your are correc, reading, walking and all of the normal day-to-day activities will return with time.

>165 MickyFine: - Thank you so much Micky for the hugs and good thoughts! The trip down memory lane has been a good one and one that will continue when I fly home for Christmas. We will keep keeping on... one foot in front of the other, right? ;-)

>166 charl08: - I was wondering if Mieville and Berry were friends or had conversed at all, while I was reading The Manual of Detection. ;-) mybe it was just Berry channelling a bit of Mieville as he was writing. The memories are wonderful and I am so happy to continue to experience them.

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

Today has been a day off from work for me - seriously, I don't know how I will manage a full 5-day work week, it has been that long since I last worked one! - so I found the time to pull together my thoughts about Clarissa and Death Comes for the Archbishop. Reviews to follow.

Digging through mom's sewing room was like engaging on a treasure hunt. None of us had any idea what we would encounter, as it was very much her domain, like dad's study is his domain. One very happy discovery - tucked in between piles of quilting fabric - is a favorite portrait of mom that was taken back in 1954 when she was a mere 20 years old, the year before she married my dad:



Mom was a big fan of bright red lipstick and high heels when she was a young lady, as my second cousins who grew up down the street from mom, recall. I can definitely see the love for the red lipstick in the portrait picture and I probably got my love for high heels from her! ;-) I have always loved this portrait so you can imagine how over the moon I was when we found it! The portrait is now displayed on the mantle alongside mom's urn. I do love the technology age we live in. I was able to take a picture of the portrait with my smartphone, edit it using software (sadly, the portrait has seem a bit of damage over the years) and save a digital copy, which is now wallpaper on my smartphone, along with the following image:



This is a favorite photo of mom and I taken when I was only 16 years old, during a trip into the mountain regions of Sumatra near Lake Maninjau in Indonesia. Another photo "discovered" that is now wallpaper on my smartphone.

Mom was always very into gardening - in particular, flowers - so I think mom would approve of the living Calla Lily plant my supervisor and work colleagues gave to me as a condolences gift:



I love the soft pink color of the lilies!

As you can imagine, this is a sample of the memories that have been occupying what would normally be reading time. Great memories and I hope to discuss with the family this Christmas when I fly home about digitizing all the photo albums full of family memories. I would love to take on the project myself but of course, I am the one that would have the hardest time getting all of the photo albums home to work on. ;-)

Anyhow... wanted to share some of the great memories I have been experiencing.

... now for those further reviews.

Book #90 - Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - Volume 9 (of 9) by Samuel Richardson
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: My 2016 Clarissa Read
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 1748
Acquisition date: October 27, 2015
Page count: 233 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the LT book summary:

Based on the 18th century novel by Samuel Richardson, this is the original tale of fatal attraction and dangerous liaisons. A wealthy young heiress, famed for her virtue, is sought by a man wishing to seduce her and destroy her reputation. For the first time in his life he becomes genuinely infatuated with his prey, and sows the seeds of his own fate.

Review:
Volume 9 Summary: Love how Richardson wraps up this overly long story of his by recapping the various characters and their just rewards and providing the reader with a more fulsome explanation of a couple of the ladies of ill repute employed by Lovelace to corrupt Clarissa. Very happy to see some of the characters experiencing first hand what karma is all about.

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


Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady - by Samuel Richarson
Average Decimal/ Star Rating: 3.49 out of 5 /
Overall Decimal/ Star Rating: 4.10 out of 5 / .
Overall Summary: I have to say that the story has its ups and downs when it comes to capturing my attention. Some sections dragged - especially when Clarissa was in London trying to find a way out of her situation - while other sections - when Clarissa befriends Belford and the arrival of Colonel Morden - brought some wonderful clarity and a bit of excitement to the story. On one level, this story is a fascinating exploration of 18th century morals and values as it relates to sexual dominance, manipulation and control. Richardson has created an amazingly strong personality in Clarissa, which strikes me as being at odds with that particular society's expectations of how one like Clarissa is to act and behave. I have to admit that as long as this book is, I would actually read it again. Richardson's characters are such independent personalities. The epistolary format allows each character to bring forth their own personalities, opinions and beliefs to the forefront without impacting the overall flow of the story. If Clarissa were a play, each character would, in turn, take center stage and monologue to the audience, pressing their case. A wonderful way to tell a story! This truly is a novel about characters and the study of morals, manners, motives and sentiments.

So why the two different ratings? Because it is only as the story winds up that I really came to appreciate the skill with which Richardson presents the story. The some of the volumes did get rather lower ratings, dragging down the average rating.

Now, for those of you who don't feel quite up to the task of reading this ginormous tome of a book, here is a spoiler-filled fantastic summary of Clarissa, written with a teenaged reader in mind.

Book #91 - Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Blind Date
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 1927
Acquisition date: May 10, 2014
Page count: 303 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing:

In 1851 Father Jean Marie Latour comes to serve as the Apostolic Vicar to New Mexico. What he finds is a vast territory of red hills and tortuous arroyos, American by law but Mexican and Indian in custom and belief. In the almost forty years that follow, Latour spreads his faith in the only way he knows--gently, all the while contending with an unforgiving landscape, derelict and sometimes openly rebellious priests, and his own loneliness.

Review:
Definitely one of those "right book, right time" kind of reads. Cather brings to life a time and place that I feel is irrevocably lost to us. It is a deeply spiritual read, and not just because the focus of the story is on two French missionaries that have come to bring the word to the Southwestern United States. Cather presents the plains of New Mexico and Arizona as stunning vistas peopled by nations Navajo and Hopi nations, influencing how the missionaries approach their seemingly impossible task to tame renegade priests and bring both the new Americans and the older aboriginal nations to embrace the Catholic faith. Cather has a wonderful way with prose and presentation: The story is soft, muted, and reflective in tone while still conveying the strong vibrance of life and communicating that each individual has their own way of embracing religion and a calling. Favorite quote from the book:

"He did not know just when it had become so necessary to him, but he had come back to die in exile for the sake of it. Something soft and wild and free, something that whispered to the ear on the pillow, lightened the heart, softly, softly picked the lock, slid the bolts, and released the prisoned spirit of man into the wind, into the blue and the gold, into the morning, into the morning!"

An absolutely beautiful read.

>168 lkernagh: I commented on your other thread, but I'll say it here too. Congrats on completing Clarissa.

What lovely photos and how lucky you were to find them, Lori. Wonderful reviews, too. Like a River From Its Course looks great.

And congrats on finishing Clarissa.

Take care.

Beautiful photo of your mom, Lori. Glad your discoveries are bringing back happy memories.

Thanks for sharing that beautiful portrait of your mom , as well as you and your mom. Give yourself time to heal and be patient with yourself. Congratulations on finishing Clarissa.

Great photos, Lori. I'm sure it helps to have found them. She looks like someone it would be good to talk to.

I loved Death Comes to the Archbishop, too. Beautiful quote you picked.

Beautiful photos of your mother! Glad you found something to make you smile :)

>167 lkernagh: What a glamorous girl! Thanks for sharing your pictures.

>167 lkernagh: gorgeous pictures! Ones you will now be able to treasure forever. Technology is so amazing.

Glad to hear you are getting out and about, and out of that awful fog that overtakes after a shocking and sad event like you have experienced.

>169 lkernagh: I really want to read that!

Lovely photos, Lori. I felt that way when I heard about your mom, too, but didn't want to say anything as a peaceful, natural death is limited consolation for your sudden loss. I, too, am very happy she did not have to live trapped inside an unresponsive body.

And I suspect that your plant is a pink anthurium rather than a calla lily. The good news is that anthuriums are much easier to keep alive. Red is the most common color but it also comes in white and pink--your pinks are lovely.

Lori, thanks for sharing your memories and pictures of your beautiful mother. You are wise to take your time to remember and grieve. As you know, books are patient things and will be there for you when you need them.

Wow, finishing Clarissa is a big accomplishment. Thanks for all the reviews. I am a fan of everything Cather. I look forward to a reread of the archbishop someday.

Take care and stay in touch as much as you can.

>167 lkernagh: Lovely tribute to your mother, Lori. Thank you; it is a privilege to have you share that with us all.

Hi Lori, you remind me that I must get to Willa Cather. Well done, you, on finishing Clarissa. That's a fine accomplishment!

Just catching up on your thread Lori and so sorry to hear the news about your mother and lovely to read your memories in >167 lkernagh:. Thinking of you and your family.

And congratulations on finishing Clarissa! And I agree 'Richardson's characters are such independent personalities.' - it's one I would like to reread one day....

>170 thornton37814: - Thanks again Lori. It is a nice feeling of accomplishment to get the Richardson book finished!

>171 BLBera: - Thanks Beth on both counts. Some LTER books can be a bit of a "Hit and Miss" but happily, the Stuart book was very much a "Hit" for me! ;-)

>172 MickyFine: - Thanks Micky. The memories are great and it is wonderful to "rediscover" these lost pictures.

>173 vancouverdeb: - Thanks Deb. The healing is good. I still need to work on the patience bit but I have to say, I have a whole new appreciation for "not sweating the small stuff" that used to irk me. That alone is helping my stress levels, especially at work. Life is just too darn short to let stupid stuff consume the precious time we have.

>174 jnwelch: - Thanks Joe. Mom loved traveling the world - there are very few places mom and dad did not travel to in the past 25 years - and she did a good job of staying on top of current affairs so yes, she was someone that was really good to talk to. Having now experienced my first dip into Willa Cather's writing, I can see why so many people love her books! Thankfully, I still have unread copies of Oh, Pioneers and My Antonia waiting on my bookshelves.

>175 ChelleBearss: - Thanks Chelle. Yes, I have been luckily to encounter a lot of memorabilia that has brought a smile to my face. Mom keep a lot of things that we had thought had gone into the skip along time ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a batik wall-hanging that I had made back in high school in among her various other things she kept in her sewing room. A lot of wonderful memories were happening in that room!

>176 mstrust: - Thanks Jennifer. While mom never cared very much about her wardrobe on a day to day basis - too busy doing things to worry about appearances! - she did appreciate dressing up when the occasion called for it. Mom always curled her hair and I know in her final months she found it particularly irksome that her hands would not cooperate enough for her to curl her hair after a bath. She was never a fan of the straight hair look. ;-)

>177 LovingLit: - Thanks Meg. Love that technology enables us to carry these mementos around with us, without worrying about the photo in the wallet becoming too creased or worn from how frequently it is handled.

>178 ronincats: - Thanks Roni. You have hit on the very sentiments that have helped me through this. Good to know about the plant! I had assumed it was a calla lily and my sister thought the same so I never bothered to do any research (and, of course, the plant did not come with the usual identification flag stuck in the dirt).

>179 Donna828: - Thanks Donna. I am enjoying a lot of great memories and allowing life to resume at its own pace.

>180 PaulCranswick: - Thanks Paul. Mom was a pretty special individual and sharing memories is helping a lot.

>181 lit_chick: - Thanks Nancy and yes, you really must get around to reading Willa Cather. ;-)

>182 souloftherose: - Thanks Heather. Very happy to see that you would also re-read Clarissa at some point.

Happy Sunday everyone. Life continues to truck along. I see everywhere I look that places are ramping up for the Christmas season. The past couple of weekends have involved spending some time at some of the various Christmas craft fairs that abound at this time of year. Lovely to see what other craft folks have been making! I know, I usually posts pictures of my homemade Christmas cards about this time of year. This year, I am just not in the mood to do any crafting of my own so no homemade cards or new homemade ornaments for "show and tell" here on LT. I will probably be back in the swing of things next year.

On the reading front, I did manage to read one book this past week, Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd, the latest Flavia de Luce book by Alan Bradley. Review to follow.

On the walking front, I am getting back into the swing of things so I do have an update to cover my last 7 weeks of walking.

Lastly, I don't know how things are weather wise in other parts of the world but Victoria has been experiencing some unseasonable weather of late... so much so, I noticed a number of plants back in bloom (as can be seen by the following pictures taken during a lunch-hour walk mid-week):

..

Mid-November and the plants are acting as though we are back in Spring. ;-)

Book #92 - Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Oooooh... Shiny!
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: September 20, 2016
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 336 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website book listing:

In spite of being ejected from Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy in Canada, twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is excited to be sailing home to England. But instead of a joyous homecoming, she is greeted on the docks with unfortunate news: Her father has fallen ill, and a hospital visit will have to wait while he rests. But with Flavia’s blasted sisters and insufferable cousin underfoot, Buckshaw now seems both too empty—and not empty enough. Only too eager to run an errand for the vicar’s wife, Flavia hops on her trusty bicycle, Gladys, to deliver a message to a reclusive wood-carver. Finding the front door ajar, Flavia enters and stumbles upon the poor man’s body hanging upside down on the back of his bedroom door. The only living creature in the house is a feline that shows little interest in the disturbing scene. Curiosity may not kill this cat, but Flavia is energized at the prospect of a new investigation. It’s amazing what the discovery of a corpse can do for one’s spirits. But what awaits Flavia will shake her to the very core.

Review:
I know that the precocious Flavia is not every reader's cup of tea but she does appeal to my impish side. Very happy to see Flavia back in the usual surroundings of Bishop's Lacey with the familiar cast of characters - including her trusted bike affectionately called Galdys - , but I must say that the darker tone of the more recent stories in the series have been a bit of a downer for me. I miss the breezier feel to the earlier stories in the series. Even though Flavia is supposed to be 12-years-old, she tends to fluctuate between being wise "beyond her years" and yet still very young and naive about certain things. Even still, I do enjoy the way Bradley captures various turn of phrases, and I do feel that "A veritable UXB (bomb) in pigtails" is an apt description for Flavia. Bradley continues to bring interesting points of science to the story, and imagine my happy surprise to discover the following advice about a household fern I have that has been ailing of late:

"The Maidenhairs, as you know, require coddling. Otherwise they have a tendency to sulk."

"Sulk" is a good term to describe the current condition of my maidenhair fern! ;-)

Overall, another decent installment in the Flavia de Luce series but I do wish Bradley would lift the veil of the doom and gloom that has shrouded the last three books in the series.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 65 to 71 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 132.90
Kilometers walked in total:2,915.19
Current province: (ON)
My current location on the map: Just north of Caliper Lake.
Points of interest along the way: First off, I should mention that since I started off this walking journey on the southern Trans Canada Highway (starting in Victoria instead of in Prince Rupert), I have decided that every time the highway branches into both northern and southern routes, I will stick with the southern route. Taking the southern route has involved skirting the southern part of Eagle Dogtooth Provincial Park, around Gibi Lake (and passed a lot of other smaller lakes!) through Sioux Narrows, teh community of Crow Lake and Nestor Falls before stopping at the northern end of Caliper Lake Provincial Park. As far as points of interest go, I would be remiss if I did not mention "Huskie the Muskie" which is the nickname for a 40-foot-tall outdoor sculpture depicting a muskellunge in Kenora's McLeod Park:



Yes... it is a statue of a fish. ;-)

>185 lkernagh: My parents were just in Victoria for the Remembrance Day weekend and they had fabulous weather the entire time they were there.

Meanwhile, we got a skiff of snow around these parts on the weekend and as the weather is heading towards the normal-ish temperature ranges for this time of year, I don't think we'll lose it. Winter is coming! :)

*virtual hugs*

>197 charl08: I want to go see that Muskie. That is great.

Hi Lori, delighted you are enjoying Flavia. I read the first one and discovered she is not my cuppa, but Bradley has won wide appeal with her character. A statue of a fish, how very prairie, LOL! And you've walked past Crow Lake ... have you read it? 5* read.

>187 lkernagh: gah! That looks scarily familiar we have a giant trout at a town near here, Rakaia. Every time we drive past it we rev the kids up with talking about it. For no apparent reason.

>186 lkernagh: I'm a little behind in that series because I have to be in the right mood for Flavia. Hopefully I can catch up next year and get to that one. I love its title and the cover art!

I found myself a copy of Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd the moment I could find in the stores. Glad you enjoyed. Take your time healing. ((((hugs)))))

Edited to add - earned my " Serengeti Badge" today from my fitbit for 500 miles! ;) Don't ask how long it took me to earn that badge.

Hi Lori! Huskie the Muskie is pretty darned awesome.

Hi Lori--I have been MIA from LT for while. So sorry to hear about your Mother's passing. I am glad that so many things remind you of her. Love the late blooming flowers!! Take care. : )

Hi, Lori! I, too, have been mostly off the threads lately. I'm very sorry to read of your mother's passing, and think the portrait of her is lovely.

>187 lkernagh: Love the fish. Congrats on walking so far!

I am so sorry about your mother's passing. I hope that it's a comfort to you knowing that she was herself to the end, and surrounded by loving family.

When my mom died (she also died in October), I felt just raw for several months, but with spring, I was able to look at the flowers that she loved, and feel that she was still with me. (a great comfort, which she would have laughed at, she was not a believer in life after death.)

>188 MickyFine: - I am so happy to read that your parents had wonderful weather during they stay in Victoria! It is so hard to predict what the weather will do this time of year and Victoria doesn't exactly shine at its best when socked in with grey skies, rain and wind! I will be back in Alberta for the holidays next month and part of me is hoping that a white Christmas will be had. ;-)

Thank you for the virtual hugs. They do help,... a lot!

>189 Oberon: - It is quite the eye-catching piece of artwork, isn't it Eric!

>190 lit_chick: - I would love it if Bradley just 'bonzied' Flavia and left her forever as the precocious 11-year old she was. As for Crow Lake - how did I even miss the connection between the geographic area and the novel?!? Yes, I have read Crow Lake and like you, I also gave it high praise! Which reminds me.... I still need to get around to reading her book The Other Side of The Bridge.

>191 LovingLit: - LOL Megan! I agree, why is it these "weird" landmarks become such a focal point when we travel? Glad to see the talk manages to rev the kids up.

>192 thornton37814: - I agree, the cover art is one of the better ones so far this series. I can totally understand why you need to be in the right mood for Flavia.... she is a bit of a handful, isn't she? ;-)

>193 vancouverdeb: - Thanks for the virtual hugs Deb and yes, Flavia is wonderful escapism for me. Congrats on earning your Serengeti Fitbit Badge! *WHOOT!*

>194 The_Hibernator: - I have to say that as far as monument artwork goes, Huskie the Muskie isn't all the bad. In Victoria we have worse:



Yes, the public art is concrete made to look like an old, moldy mattress and padded bench. Apparently, along with the sign that reads "Day is For Resting, Night is For Sleeping" it is supposed to represent a joke of what one might be able to do with a mattress in the daytime. At least with Huskie the Muskie, one doesn't have to try and analyze what the artists intended. ;-)

>195 Berly: - Lovely to see you stopping by Kim and thanks. Mom was pretty special so I have a lot of great memories of her.

>196 tymfos: - Thanks Terri! I am still not sure why my mom had that portrait of her tucked away between quilting fabric. I am just glad that we are able to add it to our wonderful memories of mom.

>197 charl08: - Glad to see the love for the fish, Charlotte and I am happy to report that the walking continues to return to normal levels (except when the weather sucks and decide to stay indoors).

>198 banjo123: - Thanks Rhonda. We are all missing mom in our own ways. I am really thankful that my parents loved to document so much with photographs so we have a lot of wonderful images of mom to enjoy viewing. I am glad that you were able to gain comfort after your mom's death through flowers and things that she loved. The memories and the feelings that come with the memories have also helped me feel as though I am still connected with my mom.

Sundays seem to be my days for checking in on LT and getting caught up with my threads. Happy belated Thanksgiving wishes to my American visitors. Retailers in Canada, like in the U.S., offer shoppers with some pre-Christmas sales to lure one in to part with their hard earned cash. In this household, I think we did rather well with the Black Friday sales. My other half was in the need of a new cell phone. He has been on a "pay-as-you-go" plan with a phone that he just wasn't happy with. He wanted to make the switch to an iPhone and was checking out the deals on offer for the past two weeks. He wanted to get an iPhone 6s but those are still considered to be too 'new' to be offered for free as part of a two-year plan so imagine our surprise when London Drugs offered as a Black Friday sale the iPhone 6s for $0, with the plan of your choice AND a $100 London Drugs gift card. As my western Canada visitors will probably agree, ANYONE can find a way to make use of a $100 London Drugs gift card. He got the phone he wanted with a plan he loves and I got the gift card, but that is not all. I have been in the market for a convection toaster oven as I am sick and tired of turning on the main oven just to roast veggies for the evening dinner (and other things as well). I was able to pick up a convection toaster oven 50% off and have spend the past 24 hours testing it out. So far we have roasted the mushrooms, bell peppers and zucchini that went into last night's pasta, baked muffins and bread and roasted asparagus tips for tonight's dinner. I love my new convection oven although I do have to say I cannot help but think that a convection toaster oven is the adult version of my childhood Easy Bake Oven:



Now, does that bring back memories or what?!?

Yes, I am oversimplifying the experience, just a bit. My recent acquisition is the same one as seen in the image below:



Yup, we are both very happy with our Black Friday purchases.

On the reading front, I did finish another book so book review to follow as well as my weekly walking update (which isn't much of an update except for the fact that I have been walking).

Book #93 - The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Blind Date
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 2011
Acquisition date: February 28, 2015
Page count: 319 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website book listing:

London, 1816 Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic Wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is piqued when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey's search for the girl leads to the discovery of murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld. At the same time, he faces his own disorientation transitioning from a soldier's life to the civilian world, redefining his role with his former commanding officer, and making new friends--from the top of society to the street girls of Covent Garden.

Review:
Gabriel Lacey is such a wonderful character. I love the time period and having as a lead character someone who sticks out in London society like a sore thumb and makes no bones about alienating certain members of society is a refreshing change from the usual "hero". Even though Lacey is a gentleman, he really is more a man of the people, more down to earth and holds to his strong convictions about morality and integrity, even when it is at odds with high ranking members of the military and society. Regency England is wonderfully presented as the cut-throat environment it was to live in where "who" you know is more important than what you "own" (although having assets is still considered a good thing). The mystery is well written and even I was surprised when the "who done it" for one of the crimes was revealed. I found Lacey's friend Grenville to be an excellent choice as Grenville's status and popularity in London society is a kin to Brummell's as an authority all society would bow to, providing a wonderful contrast to Lacey's poorer, post-military lifestyle. With past and potential future love interests for Lacey as secondary characters, the story has everything I want in a mystery/romance/historical fiction read.

Great first book in a series that I intend to continue reading.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEK 72 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 36.58
Kilometers walked in total:2,951.77
Current province: (ON)
My current location on the map: Due south of Caliper Lake, heading for Rainy River and the Canadian/U.S. border.
Points of interest along the way: Not much to report except to note that the Rainy River Mine is an active gold mine. Not what I was expecting to learn. ;-)

Oh my goodness, an Easy Bake Oven! There's a blast from the past, Lori! Delighted you and your other half had such a successful weekend between iPhone, gift card, and convection toasted oven. Well done!

I was never allowed an easy-bake oven. My mom thought they were potentially dangerous, and just an excuse for a mess. Besides, she baked all the time -- we didn't need more baking. Good thing I never really wanted one.

Ohhhh an Easy Bake Oven! I got one for Christmas just before my seventh birthday. I had to get my tonsils out just prior to Christmas and that entailed a 3 day stay in the hospital and my parents and doctor sprang the whole thing on me about 2 days before the hideous event. So, that year I got my Easy Bake oven and oh what heaven it was for me! Of course my mom felt it was too expensive to purchase replacement cake mixes for the easy bake over, but it was PRETTY COOL! Baked a cake with a light-bulb! :) Oh the memories! My mom was not into baking much, except for chocolate cakes from mix - but not the same as an Easy Bake Oven!

Glad you had a good weekend! My other half is celebrating a " milestone birthday' so we had a party this evening - like about 3 hours ago. So old, I cannot reveal his age ( 60! ) What! He has a few days left at 59. :) Child - bride here.

Oh, yes! I had an Easy-Bake Oven, too! Love it!

>201 lkernagh: That is an amazing deal on the iPhone for your husband and yay for new toaster oven for you. I love open-faced grilled cheese so my toaster oven is one of my favourite appliances.

>202 lkernagh: Dangnabbit! You hit me with that BB.

Easy bake ovens sound like fun - i have always thought ovens must be difficult to bake.

Have a great weekend, Lori.

>204 lit_chick: - Is that not the best "blast from the past", Nancy! We did score rather well and even better, the pressure is off both of us to come up with gifts for each other. We will still do smaller gifts - I have told my other half that I want lavender bubble bath - and I have already bought him his favorite cologne so aiming for a stress-free Christmas this year.

... that Easy Bake Oven really does bring back fun memories for me! ;-)

>205 Nickelini: - Oh Joyce, I am saddened to read that you never got to experience the fun of baking awful cakes in a oven that "bakes" using the heat generated by a light bulb! I have to say, looking at what we were allowed to play with as kids and what is considered dangerous and unsafe today makes me surprised that none of us ever suffered any injuries. My personal favorite "blast from the past" toy that is a banned product today was lawn darts:



Yup, those darts have a rather dangerous spiked end to them - how else are they supposed to stick in the lawn? - and like I said, we had hours of entertainment and never an injury. Of course, I come from a family where we had a full on chemistry set (the type that would never be sold in ToysRUs today!) my sister had a BB gun, one of my brothers rolled off the garage roof in a tire and even my mom, in her youth, was known to run along the tops of train cars, with the focus being on seeing how many train cars you can cross before you have to jump off as the train is leaving the train yard. I am happy to report that the only injuries sustained as children when we were growing up had nothing to do with "dangerous toys". One sibling broke their arm falling out of a tree and one lost two front teeth by running into the drop shelf of the phone cabinet in the house we lived in back in the late 1960's. ;-)

I am looking forward to seeing if the lawn darts are still in the basement of my family home. Pretty sure they are still there!

>206 vancouverdeb: - Glad to see you got the have fun with an Easy Bake Oven, Deb, even if it was an offering to offset experience of the tonsillectomy. Sounds like you and your hubby celebrated his milestone birthday the best way possible - with a party!

>207 scaifea: - Yay for another happy Easy Bake Oven owner! Such fun!

>208 MickyFine: - Open faced grilled cheese sandwiches are a personal favorite in this household too! Sorry about the BB.... *bwwaaahhaaahaaa* ;-)

>209 PaulCranswick: - LOL, love the play on words, Paul! Reminds me of the initial confusion I had as I was reading through the instructions/warnings for the new convection toaster oven, which states:

"Do not place on or near a hot gas or electric burner, or in a heated oven>"

I struggle to imagine putting the convection oven inside of another oven but obviously, someone must have done that at some point to have it show up in the warnings! ;-)

Another week down and not much new to report. The weather has been crappy all week, except today when we saw wonderful sunshine. We woke up this morning to a rather unusual sound. After a minute, I was able to figure out what we were hearing: the noise of frost being scrapped off the windscreen of a car. Guess it dipped below freezing last night. Weather prediction is for colder temps over the next couple of days with possible snow flurries so I am very happy that on Friday I went coat shopping during my lunch hour and purchased a new winter coat. I will be heading to Calgary for Christmas this year (something that was planned while Mom was still with us) and I suddenly realized that I don't (or didn't until now) have a decent jacket for snowy weather that can dip down into the -20'C. I have all of the other gear - boots, hat, gloves, scarfs, etc - but the jacket is kind of an important part of the winter survival wardrobe ensemble. Anyways, I managed to get an awesome deal on the following coat (picture taken from the web - that is a model, not me posing in the jacket):



My jacket is the same, except in a lovely burgundy colour. My first puffer jacket! ;-)

On the reading front, I am currently reading Poseidon & Cleito by Andrew J. Peters, an LT early reviewer book I received from the September batch. I am a little behind with my LTER reading. I still have a book from the October batch so imagine my chagrin when I got the notice this week that I won not 1 but 2 books from the November batch. I hope to find time tonight to sit back and finish the last 35 pages in Poseidon & Cleito. So far, I have really enjoyed this one and look forward to providing my thoughts in a couple of days, unless work hijacks me like last week, in which case, you would see hid nor hair of me before next Sunday.

I have been walking - not as much as I would have liked but the weather wasn't exactly cooperative this past week. Looking forward to ramping up the kilometers next week. Walking update to follow.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEK 73 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 29.70
Kilometers walked in total:2,981.47
Current province: (ON)
My current location on the map: Due east of Emo and heading for Fort Frances.
Points of interest along the way: The only stop along the way this week was the cute and tiny township of Emo (population of approximately 1,300). Point of interest is Emo is the home of the tiny Norland Chapel:



According to a blurp written by Snuffy on Flickr, the original church was crowned with the 12 meter steeple you see in the picture, but the church itself was destroyed by lightning in 1971. The church was rebuilt as a chapel around the surviving steeple and is considered to be one of the smallest churches in the world. Can only sit an estimated 8 people. Talk about a small congregation!

Hoping to get in more walking this week so that I can pass the 3,000 KM mark of my walking journey. Wish me luck the weather cooperates!

>202 lkernagh: Thought that looked familiar, and checked. I read this one a while ago, but haven't ever continued with the series. I should check it out.

>210 lkernagh: Lawn darts! I've never heard that they were banned in Canada--are they?, I didn't think so. Anyway, my parents had a set and we have great family pictures of us playing in the mid-90s. My brother and his wife from California were there and she pointed out that they are illegal in the States, although guns are all good. Endless hours of laughter on that point. Every time we look at those pictures we laugh about how the US bans lawn darts but promotes everyone having a gun always and everywhere.

>212 lkernagh: Ah, yes I remember flying into Calgary from Vancouver in March one year. Our jackets weren't quite up to the task - I think we spent a lot of time indoors on that visit.

Isn't it hard to get motivated on the walking. Early darkness and constant rain don't make heading out for a walk very enticing.

>215 Nickelini: Yes, lawn darts are banned in Canada. It just took them a while to get around to doing it. (1989 according to Wikipedia)

>216 Familyhistorian: Okay, then . . . at least we are consistent with our gun laws.

Hi Lori, oh, I can so relate to your point about how we grew up, and about what is considered "dangerous" today. Not only did we love our Easy Bake Oven, but we played Lawn Darts endlessly! Family tournaments ... we'd play all weekend. No one was ever injured, nor was there angst amongst parents that we would be ... they were playing with us. Don't even get me started on the fact that the darts were banned! (my dad would say, some lawyer's kid somewhere got hit with a GD dart because its parents weren't watching him, and now everybody pays) *steps down off soap box*

Love your new coat! I just bought a new knee-length puffer myself for the season, too. Last year, I wore my lined raincoat all winter, but I really needed something between raincoat and Hudson Bay parka (great for Eastern winters but not so much here).

eta: just reading posts above about the lawn darts. >215 Nickelini: made me chuckle: let's ban lawn darts, but we'll allow assault rifles! Yep, 'cause that makes sense.

>212 lkernagh: You might need that coat depending on how long this cold snap lasts. I pulled out the full MEC snowsuit for my walk in to work this morning. Wind chill near -30C means I choose warmth over fashion and the big parka comes out. It definitely looks and feels like winter around here now, though as it got a bit blizzard-y late yesterday afternoon.

Lori - so I take it you missed our snowfall today. My daughter in Victoria was disappointed as I'd snapchat her updates. It's stopped now at 15 cm -- a few blocks down the hill it's half that. I've been walking lots because I'm between cars, so using it as transportation and logging those kms. As soon as the weather clears I pick up my new (used) car. More snow forecast at the end of the week -- maybe you'll get some then.

>210 lkernagh: My older sister had an Easy Bake. I remember being mystified as to how anything could "cook" in there, and I knew the packet of mix wasn't like Mom made her cakes, but that didn't stop me from horking down anything Julie made.
Here was one of my favorite toys, clackers. Every kid on my street had these. They were just glass balls on a string that you got going with momentum so they slammed against each other. They held up pretty well, but they were glass, so sometimes a kid could hit them so hard one would shatter.

>221 mstrust: I clacked too hard on my arm more than once. Those things could bruise you!

>221 mstrust: loved those!
>222 thornton37814: Oops, yes I remember some bruises too

I have to admit that sometimes we swung them at each other. I guess there are a lot of reasons why these disappeared.

Santa brought an Easy Bake Oven for daughter #4 when she was about 5. It has made her a fabulous and life long baker. She used to take these tiny cakes to an elderly couple down the street from us and then always welcomed her in with her 'goodies". When we moved recently we came across it and sent it down to her in Denver where it will wait until she has little ones to send into the baking world. Fun to think of these memories.

OHH! Clackers! I remember those too! I'm pretty sure my family had lawn darts, but maybe only the neighbours. I had no idea that they are now banned. I suppose I can see why, given that a friend of mine has three sons who used to shoot nails from nail guns at each other for fun. I don't think anyone was ever injured and I'm not entirely sure what a nail gun is, but my friend was a pretty easygoing mom. Would not be happening with my sons in their teens - nail gun shooting fun.

>226 vancouverdeb: How funny! We were just discussing lawn darts at our table at the Wednesday night meal at church last night.

>214 ronincats: - I am rather excited that the author decided to capitalize on the whole "self-publishing" angle to re-release her stories after the original print publications went, well, out-of-print. ;-)

>215 Nickelini: - I love reading about toys and games from my childhood now being considered "banned items". I wonder sometimes if we as a society have been "coddling" the last two generations of children. As you mention, guns are still okay (in the U.S.) but lawn darts are not.... something very wrong with that line of reasoning, IMO.

>216 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg, having the right "gear" for Calgary weather is one of those tricky things, especially given the rather random nature of weather in that city! When I was back there in November, the temps never really dipped below minus 2-3'C as a nighttime low... an anomaly in itself.

>217 Nickelini: - *snickers*

>218 lit_chick: - Lovely to see another family experience of endless fun with lawn darts and not an injury incurred! You dad probably nailed (sorry, pun not intended!) the reasoning for the ban on it head. Puffers are the coats for this winter, I think. Glad to see you have also acquired one!

>219 MickyFine: - Its the darn wind chill that might just do me in, Micky. I have become a bit of a wimp with this mild west coast climate. Good thing my family all know that I am a wimp about cold and doubly happy that there is a wonderful large fireplace at the house. Curling up with a book and a glass of peppermint Schnapps hot chocolate in front of the fireplace... now, that is my way to enjoy an Alberta cold snap!

>220 Nickelini: - Hi Joyce, we didn't quite escape the snowfall but where I live it was more freezing rain than snow, which made the roads and sidewalks rather treacherous. Curious to see if the next wave of snow forecast for later tonight materializes. I came home with my laptop tonight so that I came work from home tomorrow, should the "white stuff" make a repeat appearance.

Congratulations on the new (used) car!

>221 mstrust: - Love your Easy Bake Oven story and clackers! I soooo remember those, and the damage they would do to my arms. ;-)

>222 thornton37814: - And it hurt like the "you know what" when the hit body parts!

>223 Nickelini: - Yup!

>224 mstrust: - Well, that did tend to happen (accidentally swinging clackers at one another). Oh, wait.... you mean clackers have also gone the way of "banned toys"? Well, darn it all....

>225 mdoris: - Mary, what an absolutely lovely story! I think every kid should have a lovely elderly couple that lives down the street that the child can visit, and brings offerings of Easy Bake oven treats! While I never took any baking offerings, we did have an elderly couple in our neighbourhood, the Easts, and they were wonderful. We were allowed to stop by and visit anytime (cookies were always on offer) and they didn't mind the neighbourhood kids playing "kick the can" and including their yard and the playing zone. Sounds like your daughter has some wonderful memories to cherish!

>226 vancouverdeb: - Clackers, lawn darts, all fun stuff, although I have to admit that the idea of boys using nail guns to shoot nails at one another is a bit worrisome, only because I have seen a construction worker being admitted to hospital with an "on the job" nail gun injury. He was surprising really calm about the whole thing, but then, I don't do well with blood or pain of any kind.

>227 thornton37814: - Nice to see lawn darts may be banned but not forgotten!

Love all the talk about "banned toys". I just have to mention my favorite banned product, only because it is only banned in the US (we can still freely purchase this product in Canada):


Kinder Surprise eggs

These are a family favorite! Not so much for the toys inside the chocolate eggs, but because my adult siblings have discovered that the plastic inner egg the toys come in make great shooting toys on their own (if you put the two plastic parts together and then "flip" the smaller lid with your thumbs, they can really fly some distance!) So sad that Americans don't get to enjoy these (apparently the toys have been deemed a "swallowing hazard"). Mom always made sure that there were plenty of Kinder Surprise eggs in the house for Easter so that us "adults" could have fun. Another wonderful memory.

This past week has been one of those "fun" ones as Victoria is experiencing an interesting cold snap (with snow thrown in). We received just a small dusting on Monday night and we are getting for potential "Round 2" of the white stuff tonight. A number of you are probably wondering what all the fuss is about (it is December after all). One of my favorite local newspaper columnist's capture the "OMG" tension that grips Victorians when these "weather anomalies" occur. I invite you to enjoy his take on it all:

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/jack-knox-snow-in-victoria-heaven-help-u...

This week has also been one of those annoying "body ache/injury" kind of weeks. Working out of a heritage building, one tries to get used to and tries to dress for unusual events like lack of heating. Monday morning there was no heat at the office - boiler had been turned off during the weekend to do some necessary repairs and for some reason was not back in business on Monday - and in the process I think I managed to get a chill. My back has been a bit of a problem all week. Monday night I developed a very stiff/sore back localized to my upper left shoulder area. Hot baths and warm clothing have helped somewhat in that the original area is now fine, the problem now seems to be localized in my upper right shoulder area. Anyhow, hot baths have been helping so I am looking forward to working from home tomorrow (Hint: bring on the snow!)

On the reading front, I have managed to read two of my outstanding LibraryThing Early Reviewer books and have reviews ready for posting for both books. Reviews to follow.

.... will finish updating threads and then make bake some mincemeat tarts, one of my holiday favorites!

.

Book #94 - Poseidon & Cleito by Andrew J. Peters
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Oooooh... Shiny!
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: LTER
Format: eBook
Original publication date: August 29, 2016
Acquisition date: October 10, 2016
Page count: 251 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website book listing:

He became a god. Her story was forgotten. From the shore of a frozen steppe, an outcast hunter embarks for the otherworld to ask his ancestors how to bring the mammoth back to the fields of sedge. In a shining, island kingdom of wonders, the daughter of a high priest fights for her claim to wealth and power after her father is assassinated by the king. Together they will build an empire recalled as an ancient legend and a cautionary tale. But how did he become a god while she became a mere footnote in history?

Review:
While I am more of a Celtic / Norse mythology type of reader, I do find the classic Greek and Roman stories make for interesting reading, especially as they are usually filled with all the good stuff that can make George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones seem like a walk in the park. Peters has taken the story of the god Poseidon and his human wife Cleito and re-imagined it as a wonderfully grounded, human story. I love the approach of having Donnogen (our Poseidon) portrayed as a tribal hunter from a northern steppes country who embarks, with his band of raiders, on a voyage to find the fabled land across the sea where the mammoths his tribe had relied on for survival are thought to roam. The world build is well done and the characters have all the depth and complexity I have come to expect from a solid, well written story. The plot has enough going on to keep my interest although I have to admit I struggled a little bit with one or two developments that I won’t go into in this review, as that would involve revealing spoilers. The shifting narrative works well to communicate the different points of view of our various characters, and worked wonders in bringing Cleito forward as a primary character of importance in her own right, and not just the wife role she plays in the classic Poseidon stories.

Overall, a well written and original take classic mythology tales, turning what I used to think of as being nothing more than a classic mythology story into a story that captured my imagination and interest. A wonderful first book in what appears to be a planned trilogy.

.

Book #95 - Orcas Intrigue by Laura Gayle
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category
Category: Oooooh... Shiny!
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: LTER
Format: eBook
Original publication date: October 18, 2016
Acquisition date: November 11, 2016
Page count: 214 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website book listing:

Camille Tate has always run away…but vanishing whenever life gets too frightening has never solved anything. When a broken heart sends Cam to remote Orcas Island to try her hand at caretaking and writing a screenplay, she finds quiet beaches and cozy bookstores, plus a host of intriguing folks, including a rugged boat-builder, a glamorous neighbor, and a reassuring sheriff's deputy. But an escalating nest of mysteries and the haunting sense of being watched soon leave Cam wondering if she can believe her own perceptions. As intrigue turns to danger, she must decide whether there is anyone she can trust, or if it’s time for her to vanish yet again.

Review:
This review is for all of you cozy mystery/ light romance fans out there. This is one of those light-weight reads that works so long as: you are not expecting the story to resolve itself at the end of the book; you don’t mind if the characters are just a little too good (or bad) to be true; you are okay if the lead character has a unique “talent” that dips the story (ever so slightly) into the realm of magical realism/paranormal; you don’t let it get to you if the dialogue tends to dip into the realm of low-brow (and is a bit repetitive) and you like to read stories that are set in the Pacific Northwest.

Laura Gayle – a pseudonym for two writers – has written one of those perfect lazy Sunday reads. Nothing taxing for the brain to analyze, wonderful presentation of the Orcas Island setting, a cast of off-beat islanders and well-to-do (financially rich) main-landers to chuckle over and enough talk about food and drink that you will probably want to have some nibbles at your side while reading. The mystery is nothing special and as I mentioned, if you don’t like reading stories that close off with a bunch of loose ends that haven’t been dealt with, you may not find this story to your liking. For me, I am okay with loose ends and I am also okay with the downplayed mystery angle as I enjoyed the story more from the perspective of "young main-lander from Seattle transplanting and trying to settle into island life" than for the mystery our heroine stumbles across and becomes mired in. I also like how the story manages to amp up the level of suspense, even though I did end up questioning some of the motives and actions that transpire.

Overall, a fun, lightweight cozy read and I am a tad curious to see what may occur in the next book in the series.

>231 lkernagh: The article is delightful and so true. I was tickled he mentioned the storm of '96 -- I had an appointment to be induced during that, and since I was 10 days overdue, I was not missing it! So much fun -- both getting to the hospital and labour. By so much fun I mean what a horrible experience.

>231 lkernagh: Snork. That column was delightful. :)

Meanwhile, wind chills in Edmonton have been flirting with the -30C range all week. Me and my snowsuit are getting to be super keen pals and I've given up wearing mascara (the frozen condensation from my breath on my eyelashes is a pain in the butt). It's starting to get close to this Rick Mercer sketch.

I love mythology based books. I'll keep an eye out for it.

>235 MickyFine: Okay, that whole mascara thing is something I can't even imagine. Yikes.

Love the Rick Mercer sketch. It's exactly how I feel right now because I bought a new car this week and I can't drive it -- and won't be able to drive it in the foreseeable future. Sigh.

>237 Nickelini: I hear you about the new car, mine is buried under about 10 cm of snow right now.

Wrap up warm and enjoy your weekend, Lori. xx

Hope the snowsuit continues to do good work. I should probably stop complaining about the miserable rain given how much weather there is in your neck of the woods!

Stay warm, Lori. I love the discussion of banned toys. It's amazing we all survived childhood! I hope your work gets its heating problems sorted.

Love the puffer coat.

>234 Nickelini: - I love revisiting the memories of the storm of '96! Sounds like you have memories that you will never forget anytime soon!

>235 MickyFine: - I have heard the Alberta weather has been a rather frigid one over the past week. Love the fact that you have a snowsuit and totally understand the lack of mascara-wearing in those icy cold temps. Don't want to help Mother Nature along with freezing your eye lashes together!

The Rick Mercer sketch is fantastic! I was chatting with my sister today and she talked about the "balmy" -11'C that is in the forecast. I guess she has decided to not expect the +1'C. ;-)

>236 The_Hibernator: - Hi Rachel, If you have an e-reader, you might want to request a copy of Poseidon & Cleito from the December LT Early Reviewers. I noticed the author/publisher has 25 copies up for grabs. ;-)

>237 Nickelini: - Sorry you can only "look" at your new car for now, Joyce, but at some point, the weather will change.... I am just not going to say by how much or if it will change for the better, or worse. ;-)

>238 Familyhistorian: - YIKES to 10cm of snow!

>239 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul, I am heeding your advice and staying warm curled with with a good book.

>240 charl08: - Luckily I don't need a snowsuit (it rarely ever gets that cold here in Victoria), but it does seem as though >235 MickyFine: Micky is making good use of her snowsuit. You can complain about your weather.... if one cannot complaint about the weather, what can one complain about, that won't delve into a really frustrating conversation? ;-)

>241 BLBera: - Thanks Beth. Staying warm is the watch word this weekend, as I appear to have developed a head cold. Glad to see you have been enjoying the banned toys discussion. Part of me thinks we coddle kids too much these days but, to each their own. I also hope work gets the heating issue figured out. I worked from home on Friday and learned from a colleague that they had heating problems (no heat) in the building again Friday morning. I am not looking forward to heading back into the office after the weekend. ;-(

I am very glad I took my laptop home from work Thursday night. The snow in my part of town Friday morning was passable - up to only 3 inches in some places - but my body aches (which I do believe were a result of a chill) were joined by a sore throat and sinus congestion (aka "head cold"). My other half has been suffering through a cold for the past 6 days and apparently has managed to "share" the bug with me (which in itself is strange in that usually I am the one that comes down with a cold first and then shares it with him). A lot of hot baths and enough vitamin C to choke a horse and I think I can safely say that I have managed to nip the cold (and the body aches) before I devolved into a whiny sick person. Taking it easy this weekend by not doing to much. Hoping to take advantage of the down time to make headway on the last two books I need to read to complete my category challenge:

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - book with over 800 pages, to complete my "Big Tomes" category
Plainsong by Kent Haruf - last book to complete my "Blind Date" category

Plainsong is deliberately being held as my airplane book for when I fly home for the holidays, so my focus right now is seeing if I can either finish or make good headway with Shantaram, because I don't feel like taking that big tome with me. Worst case, I can carry Shantaram over into the early parts of January.

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend and not letting the approaching holiday season become a stress-inducer.

Lori, I listened to Shantaram on audio and highly recommend it!

I haven't read Shantaram but I can wholeheartedly recommend Plainsong.

Have a great weekend, Lori.

>245 lit_chick: - Great minds think alike, I see! Because of the head cold I had last weekend, I stayed in bed for three days listening to the audiobook of Shantaram while following the story with my print copy. Shantaram is proving to be a very interesting read.... just not sure how I am going to rate it when I finish it.

>246 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul. The weekend is going good and happy to see you wholeheartedly recommend Plainsong! I like to end my reading year with a good book and Plainsong seems to fit the bill perfectly.

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

This month is just flying by! As mentioned above, I was unsuccessful in my attempts to hold the cold at bay. Good news is I was completely over the head cold by Day 5 and I managed to take advantage of being sick to spend three days in bed reading Shantaram - well, following the story in my print copy while listening to audiobook - and sleeping. I am currently 625 pages into the story and I have to say, the reader for the audiobook has done a fabulous job creating different accents for the various characters. The story is at times reflective/philosophical and other times rather intense. The only potential downside is I have discovered the story has a number of elements that tend to crop up in typical Jason Stratham movies - fight scenes, crime, mafia, people with mysterious pasts, etc. I am starting to visualize the story from that movie style point-of-view, and I don't think I am doing the book or the author any favours with this comparison running through my mind as I am reading.

I have been enjoying all of the Christmas lights and decorations around town, and really enjoying the continuing cold temps and continued dustings of snow, but I have to say, the following street decoration I noticed on my way to work one morning as I was heading to the library to drop of some returns struck me as being a bit odd:



Is it just me, or does anyone else think that it is just a bit on the creepy side? I think it is a fun idea to have the Kissletoe hanging over the sidewalk (to entice couples to smooch under it?) but the dude looks like a crochety character pulled directly from a Charles Dickens story!

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 74 and 75 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 37.18 (16.18 on Week 74; 21.00 on Week 75)
Kilometers walked in total:3,018.65
Current province: (ON)
My current location on the map: East of Fort Frances and northeast of Last Island.
Points of interest along the way: Fort Frances is located on the north bank of the Rainy River, with International Falls Minnesota located along the south bank of the river. Fort Frances has some interesting street names, like "Colonization Road" and "Idylwild Drive", which is where the La Place Rendez-vous Hotel can be found. I love the idea of a hotel having the name "Rendez-vous"!

>247 lkernagh: It was a perfect week to stay in bed, Lori. At least it was over here on the mainland where the snow is more than a dusting and has been down for almost 2 weeks now.

>247 lkernagh: Yeah that one is a bit creepy, I'd agree.

Looks like the cold snap will be over by the time you get to this side of the Rockies for Christmas.

Hope your cold has bit the dust and that your week ahead has some healthy doses of holiday cheer.

>247 lkernagh: Very cute sentiment of "kisseltoe", but yeah, the face would make you keep your eyes open.
Your city looks like they go all out for Christmas.

I immediately thought Dickens when I saw that picture.

>249 Familyhistorian: - I agree, Meg! Wish I could stay in bed for the winter, but one does need to earn one's keep. ;-) Still cold here on the island, which means I am now climatized for my trip home to Calgary this week.

>250 MickyFine:, >251 mstrust: and >252 Nickelini: - Oh good. So long as it isn't just me that thinks the guy is a little bit creepy, I feel better. To answer Jennifer's question, the city does go all out for the holidays, but the Kissletoe is a new street ornament. I never saw it last year. I think Dicken's would be proud that we are able to apply a certain 'image' to his works, Joyce. ;-0

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

I am struggling with whether or not to setup a 2017 thread in the 75 group. As many of you know, the family news I received in June pretty much consumed my life, with LT languishing as an afterthought at the best of times. Even though the family now has closure, my mind and my energy isn't into LT like it was in previous years. I love the 75 group for its very chatty nature, but for that very reason I feel that I am just not up to being able to meet those demands, as I feel visits should be reciprocated and I just don't have the time to be a full participant in the group. I have set up a 2017 thread over on the Category Challenge group which can be found at the following link: https://www.librarything.com/topic/240717. If I decide to not put up a 2017 thread in the 75 group, I will report back here, so it doesn't appear as though I have disappeared. I want 2017 to be a year where I get back into doing non-LT reading things like sewing, beading, probably joining a yoga group, etc and focusing more on my walking challenge.

If I do set up a 2017 thread, I intend to spend only minimal hours on LT, so my comments, and any visits to my visitors thread, will be strictly curtailed.

Many of us who found the 75 group too chatty are over at ClubRead. We have some good deep book discussion and not a lot of other chitchat. Some people on Kiddoc's thread said they thought they had to read serious books only to be on ClubRead, but I've been there sine the first year and I read fluff and silliness and no one has been snooty to me about it. Just an option. I don't know how much I'll be around in 2017 since I'm going back to work full time in January.

>254 Nickelini: - I will keep the ClubRead group open as an option, Joyce. Would I be socially correct to say congratulations on returning to work full time?! I never know sometimes, as I know so many people in my age group who are planning their "exit to retirement" in the next 5 years. Me, I won't be retiring in the next five years. Looks like my younger brother and I will be propping up part of the retiring group. I read a very disturbing opinion piece in the Vancouver Sun on Friday, in particular:

"Whereas 31 cents of every health care dollar went to Canadians age 65 and older in 1976, now nearly 50 cents of every medical care dollar goes to this age group. This meant fewer tax dollars had to be collected from those who were part of a generation when there were around six workers for every retiree. There are fewer than four workers today, and in the coming decades there will be only two workers. "

Not looking forward to the coming decades.

>255 lkernagh: Would I be socially correct to say congratulations on returning to work full time?! I never know sometimes, as I know so many people in my age group who are planning their "exit to retirement" in the next 5 years.

Good question! I'm pretty excited, although the thought of full time with only 3 weeks annual holidays is pretty daunting (it's a 9 day fortnight system, so I get every second Friday off). Last time I worked full time was 1997--I then stayed in the corporate world working part time until 2004. Then I ran a small freelance writing and editing business and went back to university to get my degree. My eldest is in her 3rd year at UVic and my other child is in grade 11, and I'm getting bored and I don't really feel like expanding my freelance business, so when this well-paying job came up and I qualified, I thought it seemed like a good gig. I'm pretty excited about the pay cheque end of things. I'm 53, so who knows how long I'll work, but I suspect I'll be one of those propping up our system. It's a bit weird though--I have friends and family who are planning their retirement in the next few years, and here I am going back to the corporate world after so many years away.

>210 lkernagh: We had a dart board in the basement. Those things were dangerous. :-)
>221 mstrust: OMG, clackers! They were a thing when I was in junior high school. The parking lot outside the school was a sea of clackers before they let us into the building each morning.
>253 lkernagh: I'm switching over to Club Read in 2017 for its quieter atmosphere. I'll star threads in other groups though.

>256 Nickelini: - Sounds like congratulations are in order, especially as you are looking forward to the rewards of going back to work (aka, pay cheque, etc). ;-)

>257 qebo: - LOL glad to see you joining in with the dangerous toys conversation. I agree, a dart board game is a dangerous toy. ;-) I think I will look into Club Read and I like your idea of staring threads in groups you don't actively join.

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

Going through some last minute packing in preparation for the flight home early tomorrow morning. I do have one more book review ready for posting - I managed to read through Shantaram in record time!

Book #96 - Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Big Tomes
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2003
Acquisition date: May 12, 2012
Page count: 944 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing:

Shantaram is narrated by Lin, an escaped convict with a false passport who flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of a city where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter Bombay's hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere. As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city's poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power.

Review:
As some other reviewers have already commented, this story is as much about a love for the city and the people of Bombay (now Mumbai) as it is about Lin, our Australian "on the lam" and the colourful individuals that come to comprise his inner circle of new friends. The story hits all the right notes from a semi-autobiographical perspective, but that is also part of the story's undoing. There is almost too much detail, and a little too much ego and self-importance our author attaches to Lin. I really enjoyed the sections of the story that delves into debates about philosophy, theology, literature, politics and a rather unique perspective of good versus evil in relation to the "Big Bang Theory" of evolution, but Lin as a character really started to grate on me. As for Karla... well... I finally just gave up on her as a character of any worth. Thank goodness the stories has characters like Prabaker, Didier and Vikram to drag us out of Lin's moralizing, remonstrating and self-victimizing (when he isn't pat himself on the back as the hero of Bombay, that is).

Overall, a good story with a solid 1980's perspective of Bombay and key events like the assassination of Indira Gandhi, but the story falters in that Roberts seemed to feel that all pieces of information were equally important, making for a story that could have been captured in a more condensed and precise manner.

I will be off-line during the holidays so I will close off this post by wishing all of my visitors a

I hope you enjoy your Christmas, Lori. Have a good time in Calgary - maybe it will be warm just for you!

Have a very Merry Christmas with your family!

Merry Christmas, Lori. Enjoy the holidays!

I'll be following you over on the Category Challenge thread. I understand the energy that goes into participating in all these conversations!

Merry Christmas and safe travels, Lori!

Merry Christmas, Lori. Enjoy memories of your mom and safe travels.

Wouldn't it be nice if 2017 was a year of peace and goodwill.
A year where people set aside their religious and racial differences.
A year where intolerance is given short shrift.
A year where hatred is replaced by, at the very least, respect.
A year where those in need are not looked upon as a burden but as a blessing.
A year where the commonality of man and woman rises up against those who would seek to subvert and divide.
A year without bombs, or shootings, or beheadings, or rape, or abuse, or spite.

2017.

Festive Greetings and a few wishes from Malaysia!

Merry Christmas, Lori, to you and yours ...

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas Lori! Have a great 2017!

This is the Christmas tree at the end of the Pacific Beach Pier here in San Diego, a Christmas tradition.

To all my friends here at Library Thing, I want you to know how much I value you and how much I wish you a very happy holiday, whatever one you celebrate, and the very best of New Years!

Merry Christmas, Lori.

>230 lkernagh:
Banned. Kinder surprises banned but AK47s no problem. Wow. This is some world we live in.

Merry Christmas? Have fun this holidays!

Wishing your another day of rest and relaxation, Lori!

Merry belated Christmas and a very happy New Year, Lori!

Hope you're having a good holiday. Will try and follow along with your reading wherever you decide to put up your flag.

Happy Holiday!!

Looking forward to your continued company in 2017.
Happy New Year, Lori

I wish you from my heart health, happiness, satisfaction and much exciting read in 2017. May all your wishes come true.


from my hometown Zürich, Switzerland

>261 Familyhistorian:, >262 mstrust:, >263 jnwelch:, >264 The_Hibernator:, >265 EBT1002:, >266 BLBera:, >267 EBT1002:, >268 PaulCranswick:, >269 lit_chick:, >270 ChelleBearss:, >271 SandDune:, >272 ronincats:, >273 Ameise1:, >274 Kassilem:, >275 LovingLit:, >276 Carmenere:, >277 Trifolia:, >278 charl08:, >278 charl08:, >280 PaulCranswick: and >281 Ameise1: - Thank you Meg, Jennifer, Joe, Rachel, Ellen, Beth, Paul, Nancy, Chelle, Rhian, Roni, Barbara, Melissa, Megan, Lynda, Monica, Charlotte and Kim for the wonderful safe travels, holiday wishes and best wishes for 2017!

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

I had a lovely trip home. Anyone who has flown in or out of the Victoria International Airport knows that it is really a rather small, quaint airport. Not the big hustle and bustle of airports for Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and the like. Even taking into account that it was going to be busy, I and a number of other travelers were stunned on the 21st to encounter a 45 minute lineup at security.... and it was only 5:30 in the morning! Usually I can breeze through security in under 10 minutes on a busy day. ;-)

I got my wish of a white Christmas. The snow started to fall on the morning of the 23rd. 36 hours later, I took the following picture of the snow on a bench in the back yard at my Dad's place:



The ruler registered the snow pile at being 8 and 1/2 inches. My family found it a bit strange that I was eager to be outdoors shoveling snow and playing with my Dad's leaf/snow blower. I was informed that I was starting to make the neighbors look bad, as I kept the sidewalks and driveway snow free. I did take a calculated risk and decided to leave my snow boots in Victoria, so all I had for foot gear was my pair of hiking shoes. No fear, because as I was to discover, my mom had kept my pair of Sorel Snowcat boots I owned back in my university days. Some of my visitors may recognize these old and yet very familiar Canadian winter footwear staple:

.

The thick felt liners really make it bearable to endure those deep freezes:



I have fond memories of trying to shift gears in my standard transmission Ford Mustang and not hit the wrong pedals while wearing these boots!

The week was spent enjoyably with family and making some headway in clearing out my Mom's sewing room. I came home with some wonderful treasures including an embroidery sampler that was started by my grandmother that I plan on finishing. I also have my Mom's quilting stencils so I may actually attempt a simple quilt project in the near future.

I didn't get in much reading time but I did manage to finish - earlier this afternoon! - Plainsong by Kent Haruf, my last book to complete my 2016 category challenge. Quick review and Year-end wrap up to follow.

Book #97 - Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2016 Category, ROOT
Category: Blind Date
CAT(s): N/A
BingoDOG: N/A
WomanBingoKIT: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2000
Acquisition date: May 5, 2013
Page count: 301 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing:

In the small town of Holt, Colorado, a high school teacher is confronted with raising his two boys alone after their mother retreats first to the bedroom, then altogether. A teenage girl—her father long since disappeared, her mother unwilling to have her in the house—is pregnant, alone herself, with nowhere to go. And out in the country, two brothers, elderly bachelors, work the family homestead, the only world they've ever known. From these unsettled lives emerges a vision of life, and of the town and landscape that bind them together—their fates somehow overcoming the powerful circumstances of place and station, their confusion, curiosity, dignity and humor intact and resonant.

Review:
A powerfully quiet story. One of those stories filled with purpose and meaning, tribulation and tenacity, hope and redemption. The small town of Holt, Colorado and its timeless quality is the perfect backdrop for the diverse characters that populate the pages of this book. Haruf conveys his story with spare, carefully chosen words, leaving spaces for the reader to fill in for themselves. What made this one such a wonderful read for me is the string sense of community and how Haruf's characters come together creating their own sense of family. The McPheron brothers, Raymond and Harold, are perfectly drawn as the crusty bachelor farmers while my heart just goes out to Ike and Bobby, the two boys trying to make sense of their world.

A wonderfully quiet story and I am looking forward to reading more books by Haruf.

2016 Year End RE-CAP:

# of Books Read: 97
. . . Largest book read: Clarissa Harlowe by Samuel Richardson at 2,466 pages (not a big surprise)
. . . Smallest book read: Double Shadow: Poems by Carl Phillips at 58 pages
. . . Male vs. Female Authors: 45 vs.44 - I have struck a nice balance to my Male/Female reading!
. . . Audiobooks / eBooks / Physical Books - 47 / 18 / 32 - Audiobooks remained the primary way I read books in 2016. Of the 47 audioreads, 25 were books I owned a physical copy of and was able to use audiobooks as a way to "read" more books from my TBR Pile.
. . . Fiction vs. Non-fiction - 79 vs. 18 - I don't deny it, I tend to lean towards fiction over non-fiction.

Star Ratings:
- 5
- 13
- 29
- 29
- 14
- 2
- 2
- 0
- 0
- 0

Original Publication Year Range: 1748 to 2016
. . . by century (and decade)
. . . . . . 1700 - 9 (volumes 1 -9) of Clarissa
. . . . . . 1800 - 4
. . . . . . 1900 - 21
. . . . . . . . . 1900 - 1
. . . . . . . . . 1920 - 1
. . . . . . . . . 1930 - 1
. . . . . . . . . 1970 - 3
. . . . . . . . . 1980 - 2
. . . . . . . . . 1990 - 13
. . . . . . 2000 - 63
. . . . . . . . . 2000 - 6
. . . . . . . . . 2001 - 2
. . . . . . . . . 2002 - 3
. . . . . . . . . 2003 - 2
. . . . . . . . . 2004 - 4
. . . . . . . . . 2005 - 2
. . . . . . . . . 2006 - 2
. . . . . . . . . 2007 - 2
. . . . . . . . . 2008 - 3
. . . . . . . . . 2009 - 4
. . . . . . . . . 2010 - 7
. . . . . . . . . 2011 - 5
. . . . . . . . . 2012 - 1
. . . . . . . . . 2013 - 2
. . . . . . . . . 2014 - 2
. . . . . . . . . 2015 - 7
. . . . . . . . . 2016 - 9

# of Pages Read: 31,231
Average pages read per day: 85.33
Best Reading Month: June (12 books finished / 3,537 pages read)
# of ROOTs Read: 55 - My best year so far for reading books off my TBR pile!

Top 5 Reads:
....

Racism Explained by Ben Jelloun Tahar - 5.00 /
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - 5.00 /
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky - 5.00 /
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - 5.00 /
Home by Marilynne Robinson - 4.90 /

Bottom 5 Reads:
....

Wicked by Gregory Maguire - 2.80 /
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller - 2.70 /
A Town Called Forget by C.P. Hoff - 2.70 /
There but for the by Ali Smith - 2.15 /
Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco - 2.10 /

Category Challenge - Completed December 31, 2016:
Big Tomes - 2/2
Ooooo.... Shiny! - 9/4
Dust Collectors - 6/6
Books with One Word Titles - 9/8
Spending Time with my Furry Friends - 11/10
Challenges, Challenges - 19/12
Blind Date - 14/14
Catchall - 18/16

Wishing everyone a safe time tonight and best wishes for 2017!

Happy New Year, Lori!

I'm so glad you got to Plainsong, and enjoyed it.

>286 jnwelch: - Thanks Joe! Plainsong is one of those slow, building stories. I wasn't all that keen on it at first but by the end I saw the beauty in what Haruf was writing about.

Glad to hear you had a wonderful visit home, Lori, and that we provided enough snow for you. :P

Wishing you all the best in the new year!

Hi Lori, can you put up a link to your new thread once you've created it? Want to follow along with you again this year and I know you'll be posting elsewhere.

Hi Nancy - Good news is I have decided to set up a 75 group thread after all. You and any one else can find me here.

>288 MickyFine: - The white Christmas was lovely, Micky. Exactly what I wanted! :-)

Lori, despite all the challenges, what a great reading year you accomplished in 2016! Well done, and so inspiring to the rest of us.

Love the boots--I've never seen anything like them. And how cool that you have craft projects from your mother and grandmother. Will be following your reading in 2017--I also hope to get to more Haruf in the future.

Thanks Kathy! Looking forward to seeing you over in the 2017 group!