Terri (tymfos) continues her 2017 reading: 3rd thread

Hi, I'm Terri. 2017 has turned into a very busy year, so I'm not having much time for reading or posting or keeping up with threads. But I'm making this third thread (probably my last) and trying to read as much as I can. As I close in on the end of the year, reading is going better than I expected. However, I'm tending toward a lot of "light" reading to balance the more technical readings for my studies.

currently reading



For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
Shadow Men by Jonathon King e-book
Sanibel Flats by Randy Wayne White AUDIO

abandoned/suspended books:
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix AUDIO Probably permanent abandonment
Paranormal State by Ryan Buell e-book My moody reading habits continue where e-books are concerned. I may go back to this one eventually.
In Plain Sight by C.J. Box AUDIO
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan AUDIO
The Gunslinger by Stephen King AUDIO

This year I'm trying the format with most recent books at the TOP of the list. It's quicker to post them that way!

Books completed in DECEMBER
82. Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen e-book (12-28-17)
81. A Visible Darkness by Jonathon King AUDIO (12-25-17)
80. Firestorm by Nevada Barr e-book (12-24-17)
79. Bones are Forever by Kathy Reichs e-book (12-21-17)
78. Ill Wind by Nevada Barr e-book (12-16-17)
77. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (12-15-17)
76. Metadata for Digital Collections by Stephen J. Miller (12-13-17)
75. Really Important Stuff My Cat Has Taught Me by Cynthia Copeland (12-9-17)
74. Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason e-book (12-8-17)
73. In a Dark House by Deborah Crombie e-book (12-2-17)
72. Hush, Hush by Laura Lippman AUDIO (12-2-17)

Books completed in NOVEMBER
71. The Christmas Scrapbook by Philip Gulley (11-28-17)
70. Bloodline by Fiona Mountain (11-26-17)
69. Hidden Scars by Mark de Castrique (11-24-17)
68. Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas (11-24-17)
67. The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman AUDIO (11-23-17)
66. Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman AUDIO (11-22-17)
65. Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs e-book (11-19-17)
64. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger (11-17-17)
63. Out of Range by C.J. Box AUDIO (11-14-17)
62. Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell AUDIO and paper copy
61. Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon e-book
60. The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman AUDIO (11-3-17)

Books completed in OCTOBER
59. Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (10-31-17)
58. Revival by Stephen King AUDIO (10-30-17)
57. Sulfur Springs by William Kent Krueger (10-29-17)
56. The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and took over the world by Abigail Tucker e-book (10-22-17)
55. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson book and (AUDIO) (10-20-17)
54. The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumb AUDIO (10-19-17)
53. Skeleton Man (mostly AUDIO (10-8-17)
52. Fundamentals of Library Supervision, Third Edition by Beth McNeil (10-7-17)
51. Swallow the Hook by S.W. Hubbard (10-02-17)

Books completed in September:
50. Almost Friends by Philip Gulley (9-25-17)
49. Glass Houses by Louise Penny (9-19-17)
48. The Western Star by Craig Johnson AUDIO (9-17-17)
47. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (AUDIO, paperback, & e-book ) (9-16-17)
46. Supernatural Lore of Pennsylvania ed. by Thomas White (9-12-17)e-book
45. The Treasure Hunt by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (9-7-17)
44. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (9-5-17)e-book
43. The Trespasser by Tana French (9-4-17)

Books completed in August
42. In a Dry Season by Peter Robinson (8-25-17)
41. Take the Bait by S.W. Hubbard (8-18-17)
40. The Angel's Game AUDIO (8-12-17)
39. Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James e-book (8-11-17)
38. Dead Right by Peter Robinson (8-11-17)
37. Reference and Information Services: An Introduction by Richard E. Bopp (8-6-17)

A book I forgot to count in May:
36. Strengths-Based Leadership by Tom Rath

Books completed in JULY
35. Innocent Graves by Peter Robinson (7-28-17)
34. A Change of Heart by Philip Gulley AUDIO (7-25-17)
33. Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman AUDIO (7-19-17)
32. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (7-14-17)
31. The Sinister Pig by Tony Hillerman AUDIO (7-11-17)
30. Ten-Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler AUDIO (7-5-17)

Books completed in JUNE
29. Foundations of Library and Information Science by Richard Rubin (6-30-17)
28. The Wailing Wind by Tony Hillerman AUDIO (6-24-17)
27. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi e-book (6-22-17)
26. Darkness Visible:A Memoir of Madness by William Styron e-book (6-18-17)
25. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (6-16-17) REREAD
24. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie e-book (6-9-17)
23. Gratitude by Oliver Sacks e-book (6-1-17)

Books completed in MAY
22. My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood (5-30-17)
21. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
20. The Black Ice by Michael Connelly (5-25-17)
19. Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough AUDIO (5-18-17)
18b. Blackwater Lake by Maggie James e-book novella (5-13-17)
18a. The Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafon short story ebook (5-9-17)
17. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (5-10-17) REREAD
16. Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman (5/7/17)
15. Now May You Weep by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (5-3-17)

Books completed in APRIL

14. Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott (4-30-17)
13. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit by Henri J. M. Nouwen (4-29-17)
12. The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin AUDIO (4-24-16)
11. The Confessions of Nat Turner by Willian Styron (4-22-17)
10. Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell-Hochschild (4-15-17)
9. The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman (4-4-17)
8. Never Kissed Goodnight by Edie Claire (4/1/17)

Books completed in MARCH

7. Remember Me Like This by Bret Anthony Johnston AUDIO (3/23/17)
Short Story: Never Neck at Niagara by Edie Claire (3/19/17)
6. The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer (3-18-17)
5. The Dead of Winter by Paula Gosling (3-10-17)

Books completed in February

Big fat ZERO. This is the first month since I joined LT in 2009 that I didn't finish one book. Blame the new job.

Books completed in JANUARY

4. Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen e-book (1-28-17)
3. The Soloist by Steve Lopez AUDIO (1-27-17)
2. One Coffee With by Margaret Maron (1-8-17)
1. The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (1-6-17)

I'm also doing the 2017 Category Challenge.

I'm keeping it simple this year, with only 7 categories for 2017. As shiny library books have been monopolizing much of my reading time, I need gain some balance in my reading material sources. I don't want to give up on library materials altogether, but I need to read more of my own books. I need to be mindful of the balance and . . .

Consider the source:

1. Books off my shelves -- paper variety acquired pre-2017: (trying to make this category as large as possible)

2. E-books acquired pre-2017:

3. Paper books borrowed from my hometown library:

4. E-books downloaded from library:

5. Audios downloaded from the library:

6. Inter-library loans:

7. Newly acquired -- any format: (trying to keep this category as small as possible)

I'm also doing the remaining books of Tony Hillerman's series, as that group read winds up this year:

January - The First Eagle COMPLETE
February -
March - Hunting Badger COMPLETE
April -
May - The Wailing Wind COMPLETE
June -
July - The Sinister Pig COMPLETE
August -
September - Skeleton Man COMPLETE
October -
November - The Shape Shifter COMPLETE
December -

I'm also doing some of the American Author Challenge authors -- at least some that are readily available to me:

January- Octavia Butler
February- Stewart O' Nan The Names of the Dead or Songs for the Missing (shelf)
March- William Styron: The Confessions of Nat Turner (shelf) COMPLETE
April- Poetry Month: Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (Kindle) suspended reading
May- Zora Neale Hurston: Their Eyes were Watching God (library) suspended reading
June- Sherman Alexie: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (library)COMPLETE
July- James McBride
August- Patricia Highsmith: A collection of her short stories (library)
September- Short Story Month: short story A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell (single short story) COMPLETE
October- Ann Patchett: Commonwealth or State of Wonder (library)
November- Russell Banks
December- Ernest Hemingway: For Whome the Bell Tolls (shelf) Currently Reading

I'm also doing some of the group read Rachel (The_Hibernator) suggested based on a New York Times article listing 6 books to help understand what happened in the 2016 election.

January - February: THE UNWINDING: An Inner History of the New America, by George Packer COMPLETE

March - April: STRANGERS IN THEIR OWN LAND: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild -- COMPLETE

*May - June: HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance COMPLETE

July - August: LISTEN, LIBERAL: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People? by Thomas Frank didn't get through it before the ILL had to go back to its home library

September - October: THE POPULIST EXPLOSION: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics by John B. Judis

*November - December: WHITE TRASH: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg book checked out from library

I know our library has the May and November books.

I've been very consciously trying to purchase fewer books this year, as I already have so many unread volumes on my real and virtual shelves. Considering that two of these are ER books, one was presented to me as part of a seminar, and five are required for coursework, I'm counting only eleven of the books actually purchased for my own pleasure . . . ??? Surely I've missed a few!

BOOKS ACQUIRED 2017
November
23. Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek (from seminar)
22. Expect More: demanding better libraries for today's complex world by R. David Lankes (from seminar)
21. The Five Most Important Questions you will ever ask about your organization by Peter F. Drucker (from seminar)
20. Start With Why: How Great Leaders inspire everyone to take action by Simon Sinek (from seminar)
August
19. Death and Shadows by Paula Gosling (paperback)
18. Underneath Every Stone by Paul Gosling (paperback)
17. Swallow the Hook by S.W. Hubbard (paperback)
16. Blood Knot by S.W. Hubbard (paperback)
15. Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas (ARC -- LT ER program)
14. Katrina: After the Flood by Gary Rivlin (hard cover)
13. Fundamentals of Library Supervision by Beth McNeil (textbook)
July
12. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (required style guide for research papers)
11. Metadata for Digital Collections by Steven J. Miller (textbook)
June
10. Reference and Information Services: An Introduction by Richard E. Bopp (textbook)
9. Foundations of Library and Information Science by Richard Rubin (textbook)
May
8. Strengths-Based Leadership by Tom Rath (for seminar)
7. Sidewinder by Daniel Foster (e-book)
6. Foreign Eclairs by Julie Hyzy (e-book)
April
5. My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood (ARC -- LT ER program)
March
4. Here and Now by Henri Nouwen (paperback)
3. Never Tease a Siamese by Edie Claire (e-book)
2. Never Kissed Goodnight by Edie Claire (e-book)
1. Never Neck at Niagara by Edie Claire (e-book)

(Books 1,2, and 3 were purchased as an omnibus e-book edition.)

OK, I think this thread is ready for visitors! Welcome everyone!

Thanks Terri, so I shall be the first to wish you a happy new thread. xx

Happy new thread!

>11 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! You're first to visit! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend.

>12 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! I wish you a great Labor Day weekend.

Happy New Thread, Terri! And Happy Holiday Weekend! I am hope you are enjoying both The Trespasser & The Boys in the Boat. I liked the first one and loved the second one. Great audio too.

Happy new thread, Terri! I love covered bridges each one a treasure and window to the past but so few and far between. Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy new thread, Terri!
I am about to start my next DCI Banks: The Summer that Never Was.

Happy New Thread, Terri! Hope you're having a good holiday weekend.

I have the new Inspector Montalbano staring at me, but I've got to read a book of short stories first (Knockemstiff, for Mark's challeng). Hard to wait!

Happy new thread, Terri. I like the topper.

Happy new thread. I need to read the next DCI Banks. I've only read the first in the series, sometime in the past year, I think. There are so many yet to read, I'm probably safe tracking down #2.

Congrats on the new thread!! Love your topper. Interested to hear what you think of Prisoner of Heaven.

Happy new thread, Terri!

Happy new thread, tymfos!

>14 msf59: Hi, Mark! I enjoyed The Trespasser and and very much enjoying The Boys in the Boat. Unfortunately, my loan on the audio of Boys in the Boat expired and I couldn't renew, so I'm reading the rest of it the old-fashioned way.

>15 Carmenere: Lynda, I'm glad you like my thread topper! I'm fortunate to live in an area where there are a few covered bridges within reasonable driving distance. I think they are lovely.

>16 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita! You're way ahead of me in the Banks series.

>17 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! It was a good long weekend (especially since I had some time to read). My current Montalbano isn't my favorite of his, but I always enjoy listening to Grover Gardner's narration.

>18 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

>19 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! There are so many in that series -- I think this last one was #10, and I'm not even halfway caught up.

>20 Berly: Hi, Kim! Brief thoughts on The Prisoner of Heaven will be posted shortly!

>21 lkernagh: >22 brodiew2: Hi, Lori and Brodie! Thanks for stopping by.

Book #43 The Trespasser by Tana French

From her Dublin Murder Squad books.

This is not your typical police procedural. A death that starts out looking like a standard domestic case begins to look like something more complex -- but what, exactly? I love the writing in this one.

Book #44 The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Wedding bells are about to ring for Fermin Romero de Torres -- or so he hopes. But as the big day approaches, his friend Daniel sees worry clouding Fermin's countenance. Fermin has a secret -- dating back to his time in detention in an infamous prison. We learn more of his past -- and many connections with other Cemetery of Forgotten Books novels -- in this volume.

This most recent of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books novels, was wonderful. A bit below The Shadow of the Wind, perhaps, but much better than The Angel's Game. And details revealed in this one help The Angel's Game to make more sense -- placing it in a whole different light.

This has been described as a trilogy, but the ending of this certainly leaves room for another volume.

I loved The Shadow in the Wind but was a little let down by The Angel's Game. Lovely to see that this latest is better than The Angel's Game and even helps make that one a little clearer.

I read The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game so long ago I might need to re-read them before attempting this third one. : )

>25 tymfos: I'm halfway through Tana French's first one - it's great! She really brings a fresh approach to the police procedural.

I'm intrigued by your reaction to the 2nd and 3rd titles in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. I enjoyed Shadow of the Wind, and have Angel's Game on the TBR piles. I should not wait too long to read the rest of the trilogy, apparently!

I like Tana French and Carlos Ruíz Zafon. Glad to hear that you enjoy them too.

>26 lkernagh: Hi, Lori! Yes, Prisoner of Heaven was very enjoyable.

>27 Berly: Kim, it's worth noting that Ruiz Zafon says the books are meant to compliment each other, but also to stand alone, and designed to be read in any order.

>28 drneutron: Jim, French does have a fresh approach. Even more, each Dublin Murder Squad novel seems to have a fresh approach. They aren't a series in the traditional sense. There are some connections between them, but each stands alone.

>29 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, do go on with those novels!

>30 Ameise1: Barbara, they have definitely become favorites of mine; I'm glad you also enjoy them.

Book #45 Treasure Hunt by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO

Inspector Montalbano series, book 16

How to describe this one? Inspector Montalbano leads the arrest (or, more accurately, commitment) of a pair of eccentric hoarders who go on a sniper spree from their home's balcony. The press have a field day, both with footage of Montalbano leading the charge up a ladder; and then later film of an inflatable woman doll found on the premeses. Then, an unknown party engages the Inspector in a kind of "treasure hunt" as mysterious envelopes arrive for the Inspector. But what seems a bit of a lark eventually turns ugly.

This is one of my least favorite in this series. For one thing, it eventually becomes quite grisly. This series is always offbeat, but this was just too weird. But I still enjoy spending time with the Inspector, with Grover Gardner's wonderful narration on the audio.

I hold in my hands . . . the new Louise Penny novel . . . :)

>31 tymfos: - "Ruiz Zafon says the books are meant to compliment each other, but also to stand alone, and designed to be read in any order."

Well, that helps to explain my frustration over the "surprising-to-me" lack of the cemetery of forgotten books in The Angel's Game!

Are you on a break from classes now, Terri, or are you taking another one now? Your posts have reminded me that I want to start reading the Alan Banks books. I saw Peter Robinson at last year's Vancouver Writer's Festival and was interested in what he had to say about writing detective fiction and how the character has grown over the years.

>34 lkernagh: Well, they never spend a lot of time at the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, in any of the volumes. I thought David Martin did pay a visit to it in The Angel's Game -- didn't he hide a copy of his book there?

>35 Familyhistorian: I've just started another class. I'm still trying to find time to read. The Labor Day weekend helped. That's neat that you saw Peter Robinson. Do start the Alan Banks books! And know that the first few don't demonstrate how good later books are, though I've enjoyed them all. That character has, indeed, developed a great deal. In the first few books, I really didn't have much of a sense of who he really was, except as a detective. That has changed.

>36 tymfos: - That is right. I had forgotten about that.

Hi Terri. I read Shadow of the Wind a long time ago and loved it. I have Angel's Game in the TBR stacks but might need to at least skim through the first before I dig into that one. Although your comments don't make me anxious to get around to reading the second one! I don't think I had realized they are a series... or are they not so much a series as a related set of novels?

Have a great weekend!

>36 tymfos: I thought you must have started a new class with the start of the school year. Good luck finding some reading time between the classes and homework. Have a great weekend.

>38 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! Related set of novels is a way to put it.

>39 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

Book #46 Supernatural Lore of Pennsylvania ed. by Thomas White

If you're just looking for a book of spooky stories, you can pass on this one. But if you're interested in Pennsylvania folklore and its analysis, this is a good little volume.

Yay! Just got the new Longmire on audio via One Click.

Book #47 The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

Excellent! Fascinating! I knew nothing of the sport of crew, nothing about rowing. I learned a lot, and was inspired, albeit with some mixed feelings regarding the Olympics of that year and their political consdquences for the world.

I had read another book by this author years ago, Under a Flaming Sky, and thought that was excellent, too.

Book #48 The Western Star by Craig Johnson AUDIO

Longmire series, latest installment

I'm a big fan of the Longmire books, but I have mixed feelings about it. I'm a train buff, and love that he used a real historic steam engine in the story, and also the musical elements of the story, given my music background. And I enjoyed learning more of Longmire's past. However, he brought in some elements from previous installments without enough clarification, IMO. (Maybe I missed something.) Then there was the obvious cliffhanger ending.

And I was actually disappointed in elements of Guidall's narration, for once. I caught a few instances where I don't think he transitioned properly between the different voices used for different characters, at least based on the sense of what I heard in the dialogue.

Book #49 Glass Houses by Louise Penny

This one was really good, and really strange (which is typical of matters in Three Pines).

Penny's fondness of sentence fragments does drive me a little crazy. But overall her writing draws me in.

I actually am finding taking making time to read for pleasure, in spite of the demands of school, work, and family. It may not be wise for my academic success, but necessary for my sanity.

All in all, I've done some good reading lately.

>45 tymfos: Good for you. I know when my daughter was in grad school (for YEARS) she found recreational reading to be almost impossible. Not only was it hard to schedule, but she had to read so much, and so closely, that it stopped being fun. It took her a couple years after completing her PhD to get back to reading for pleasure.

Happy Friday, Terri. Hooray for The Boys in the Boat. Glad you loved this one. It is a favorite around here. Glad you enjoyed the latest Longmire. He is quite consistent.

Have a great weekend.

Hi, Linda and Mark! Thanks for stopping by and posting. Have a great weekend!

It's not October yet, and already there are assorted Things That Go Bump in the Night.

Hubby and I had dinner at a supposedly haunted restaurant this evening (great food). At one point we heard a crash, and then a waitress insisting that, whatever it was, it fell for no good reason.

Then, tonight at my desk, I heard a banging sound coming from the direction of the laundry room. I checked, and in the powder room off the laundry, my cat had discovered how to open and close the doors of the cabinet under the sink -- and was entertaining himself by doing so.

I heard strange sounds in the night last night---it sounded like someone was dragging heavy metal drums up the driveway behind our house (our neighbor's driveway). I woke up and went to look out---nothing, of course, and no other explanation for it. My husband says I was dreaming, but I have no recollection of anything other than the noise itself.

Molly likes to open the floor-level kitchen cabinet doors. She never closes them, though.

I woke up the other day and saw what I thought was a scary face in the bedclothes. No I am not going to make a dig at the expense of my dear wife as she was sitting on the toilet at the time!

Have a bumpless weekend, Terri.

>49 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, that's odd. It' doesn't seem like something you'd dream.

>50 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul. Weekend was . . . different.

Book #50
Almost Friends by Philip Gulley AUDIO

Another outing in Harmony, but this one had much more conflict and a lot less of the warmth.

Hello tymfos! I hope all is well with you.

>42 tymfos: I have a copy of The Boys in the Boat which is staring at me from my shelves. I really need to get to that one. Especially, that is also local history for me.

>43 tymfos: Ah, Logmire. I am enjoying the series on TV, but have yet to experience the literary character. Soon.

Hi, Brodie! All is well. Thanks for stopping by!

Book #51 Swallow the Hook by S.W. Hubbard (This book is also known as The Lure.)

This is the second in a series set in a small town in the Adirondacks. Chief Frank Bennett is dealing with an illegal adoption ring and the murder of an environmental activist.

It's a pretty good mystery. Some might be put off by attitudes expressed about some people, but I think it's pretty typical of how some people would talk in a small, rural town, especially over a decade ago when this was written. The book was re-issued as The Lure later. I wonder if any editing was done at that time? It would be good if some,ah, terms were altered a bit.

>10 tymfos: I made a thread since APPARENTLY YOU WILL NOT SAY HI ON FB.

*ahem*

How are you, sweetness?

Huh?

Hi, Richard.

>55 tymfos: Hi back.

Good to keep up your recreational reading for sanity, Terri. I know I did all the way through my program even though I was reading more academic stuff as well. That's where I picked up the habit of reading more than one book at a time.

>57 Familyhistorian: The recreational reading gets done in fits and spurts. I'm doing a lot of audio books, when my eyes are wiped out from class reading. It's not just the textbooks; we view a lot of things online for class. Sometimes I feel like, between work and school, I practically live in front of a computer screen. That's why my LT presence is so limited.

Book #52 Fundamentals of Library Supervision, Third Edition by Beth McNeil (10-7-17)

This is a basic graduate-level library management textbook. It was blessedly short and to the point.

Hi, Terri. I'm enjoying your reviews, and just a little sorry that the press of school prevents you from writing more of them.

The Shadow of the Wind is one of my all-time favorites. I have the other two, but I think I'll re-read Shadow first. On the other hand, I read Marina and loved it. I think it's aimed at a younger audience, but it has all of his signature weirdness.

I can't wait for you to continue the Inspector Banks series. It truly does get better as it goes along. Some volumes are quite moving.

I love Three Pines, but am in a minority in not liking the Dublin Murder Squad books. I liked the first one, read the second, true the third and decided that was enough for me. That's okay: I have too many other mystery series going anyway, some of them quite old.

I wish you a quiet and pleasant Sunday.

>60 Matke: Hi, Gail! Thanks for the kind words.

Shadow of the Wind is one of those books I can't get out of my mind -- it really stuck with me somehow. Marina is on my radar. I read another trilogy by Ruiz Zafon that he said was written for a YA audience -- I've seen it referred to as the "Trilogy of Fog."
The Prince of Mist
The Midnight Palace
The Watcher in the Shadows.
They also have "all of his signature weirdness" -- oh, what a great way to phrase it!

My reactions to Dublin Murder Squad books were a bit mixed. I disliked The Likeness, as I found it utterly implausible. I was less than thrilled by The Secret Place. But I absolutely loved Broken Harbor, and this last one was one of the better ones.

I want to keep going with the Inspector Banks series. I have the next one up on my shelf.

I've read (or failed to read) myself into a bit of a bind. My audio download of Sulfur Springs expired and couldn't be renewed. I've placed a hold on the paper copy at our library, but in the meantime I'm left hanging in the middle of it.

I'm in the middle of Skeleton Man, which I'm doing with hard copy and audio -- mostly audio, now that it's available to me.

My non-fiction and e-book read is The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the Worldby Abigail Tucker, since I just got to the top of the hold list for it.

I need to read a book for my RL book discussion group, and I have an ER book I should read, and I want to read something for the Halloween read. So I've abandoned Blood Knot for now -- not that I don't like it, but I've barely started it and have so many other things that take priority.

Book #53 Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman

Leaphorn/Chee series

Diamonds lost in a major plane crash are at the center of this story. (The plane crash in question really happened; the story of the diamonds is fiction.) It was very good.

>63 tymfos: I read a lot of Hillerman back in the 1980s. I've read one or two since. I believe that is one I did read, but it was probably back when it came out. The plane crash and diamonds struck a memory chord.

Book #54 The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumb AUDIO (10-19-17)

When Spencer Arrowood was a young deputy, his investigation and testimony helped to put a young man onto Death Row. Now the execution time has finally come, and Spencer has some doubts. He remembers doubts his old boss had, and his boss's story of another execution long ago -- that of Frankie Silver, a young woman convicted of killing her husband.

This story blends Spencer's modern-day story with the telling of Frankie's story. There was a great deal of research into the old story, which is a real 19th-century case.

I listened to this on audio, and it was very good.

Book #55 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

I really liked parts of this, and then some parts seemed too . . . I don't know. I never did quite understand what Mrs. Ali's family thought was the honorable thing for her nephew to do, or why.

>65 tymfos: Sharyn McCrumb is a favorite, and I enjoy Sheriff Arrowood. I don't think I have that one.

Hi, Linda! I've always enjoyed McCrumb, and Frankie Silver was no exception.

My feelings about Major Pettigrew were more complex. I liked a lot of it. Some parts made me laugh out loud. I thought it dragged in the middle with too much detailed description of the extravaganza they were putting on. Then a whole lot of things got summed up too abruptly in the three-page epilogue.

Book #56 The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and took over the world by Abigail Tucker e-book

This was an interesting look at cats. I love the title. It was thought-provoking, sometimes disturbing, often pleasantly humorous. The writer is herself a cat guardian.

>58 tymfos: I remember that feeling of living in front of a computer screen, Terri. It is somehow much better when you do it voluntarily not because you have to because of work and school. Looks like you have been able to sneak in a lot of good recreational reading. The cat book looks interesting.

>70 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! It's been challenging, being a student again at my age. There is a certain satisfaction in being able to meet the challenge successfully.

I've been grateful for audio books from the library, but lately I've been having trouble downloading audio books with the Overdrive app. I checked out Mary Doria Russell's Epitaph, but could not get it to download. I double-checked that my internet connection was good (not to be assumed at any given time). That wasn't the problem. I finally gave up and "returned" it. I think the age of my smart phone may be a factor. ?? I had downloaded a Stephen King book via Overdrive earlier in the week, and that one worked ok.

>69 tymfos: My husband expressed interest in that book, and I've squirreled a copy away for his Christmas present. (Pretty sure he doesn't read your thread!) I was tempted to sneak a read myself ahead of time, but I knew I couldn't keep things to myself if I did.

HI! Just getting caught up again here. Glad you are finding making time for reading in your busy life. Keep the reviews coming! Happy Friday. : )

>72 laytonwoman3rd: I understand about not reading it ahead of time, Linda. I was sharing nuggets from it with my hubby!

>73 Berly: Hi, Kim! Have a great week!

I have too many books going at once, especially for how little reading time I have these days. I'm doing a Stephen King audio book, Revival, for Halloween read (though it's so odd, I don't know how it fits the categories) but found that going to sleep listening to it was not a good idea, so I also downloaded one of the Inspector Montalbano series. I came up for a hold for Marina via Overdrive while in the middle of a Kindle book, Paranormal State. And I need to be reading one real paper book besides my textbook . . .

I have a long drive to an appointment this morning, and should make progress on one of the audiobooks.

Book #57 Sulfur Springs by William Kent Krueger

Cork is out of his comfort zone as he and Rainey head to the deserts of Arizona to respond to a call for help from Rainey's son, Peter. He finds himself in the midst of an apparent war involving drug cartels. There are also issues of illegal immigration.

A library patron complained that the book was a bit too "preachy," and I would tend to agree, though I'm sympathetic to the plight of refugees.

Book #58 Revival by Stephen King

This was a weird one. It was well done, but the POV of the character (and even more so of the villain) toward religion was tough to take -- as was the climactic scene, with its frightful view of the afterlife. After reading the Epilogue, the spectre of "unreliable narrator" comes into play. It's a sobering look at what happens when tragedy causes someone to lose his faith.

Book #59 Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO

This was a fun one, though once again Montalbano behaves quite foolishly. Investigating a string of odd burglaries, the good Inspector falls for a beautiful woman who reports one of the crimes.

>77 tymfos: You'd thing Montalbano would know better, right? LOL

Haven't read that King yet, might not be at the top of the list. What would you rate it?

>78 Berly: Kim, I deliberately avoided giving it a rating. The quality of the writing was great, it had its moments, but it left me with such a negative vibe . . . probably my least-favorite King, of all the ones I've read so far (and I've read quite a few).

Cool weather has come, and my feline friend is making use of his comfy bed in front of the radiator.



I love that I found him a bed that almost perfectly matches our living room furniture!
(It's actually a doggie bed, but Sig is a very big cat!)

Sig is looking very regal there, Terri! So handsome.

>81 Crazymamie: Thank you, Mamie! I rather thought so, too. (He ought to look regal -- he practically rules the house!)

*grin* Ours do, too! (Rule the house, that is)

That's cats for ya! ;)

>80 tymfos: Aww! My kitty becomes a lap cat as the weather gets cooler. She doesn't understand why I need to move around every now and then and gets pretty insulted about getting roused!

>85 Copperskye: Joanne, Sig will not sit on laps. He just doesn't. Maybe when he gets older and more settled . . .

Yay! I checked the audio of Epitaph out again today, and finally was able to download it. I don't know why I had trouble before, but this time it worked fine. It will be my next audio when I finish with my current Hillerman. I have another long drive tomorrow to a workshop, so I'll probably zip through a lot of audio book territory!

>82 tymfos: The kids have three cats and all of them in different ways have taken over our place. They are also smart enough to give the impression that they don't think I know!

>88 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul!

cats . . .taken over our place. They are also smart enough to give the impression that they don't think I know!

I can relate to that comment!

Book #60 The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman AUDIO

The last of the Leaphorn/Chee books written by Tony Hillerman, this one was primarily a Joe Leaphorn story. It involves a famous Navajo rug that supposedly was destroyed in a fire -- but maybe it wasn't. When the friend who calls this to Leaphorn's attendtion disappears, the need to investigate -- despite his retirement -- draws Leaphorn into the mystery.

This was a really good one.

I'm thinking of trying some of the books Anne Hillerman has written to continue this series.

Hi Terri! I just wanted to be sociable, and now I think it's a good thing. I have often liked the same books you like, and maybe I'll find some inspiration here. For a long time, I have wanted to read Tony Hillermans books, start to finish. I've enjoyed the ones that I have read. hmmmm

Happy Sunday, Terri. I have been wanting to read Revival since it came out, but he has been so prolific, that it keeps getting bumped. I have his latest, Sleeping Beauties on shelf, so that will be my next King and then his son, Joe Hill, has a collection out called Strange Weather, that has been getting terrific reviews. I also have that on shelf. Books sure keep us busy don't they?

Terri, I'm so glad you loved The Boys in the Boat. I can also recommend The Indifferent Stars Above by the same author. Now, we all know how the Donner Party turned out, but Brown tells the story from the viewpoint of a member of the group and makes it seem even more harrowing I had imagined. I know you enjoy a good survival story! We tend to forget that over half of the group survived the ordeal.

I have a few more Hillerman books on my shelf that I haven't read. I plan to finish up this year with those and be done with the series. It was a good one but I need to move on to others…like the Willian Kent Krueger books. He's been on my list since you first started reading them!

>91 mckait: Yay, a visit from Kath! I really enjoyed the Hillerrman books, and learning about the Navajo traditions along with good mysteries!

Speaking of books you might like, I am reading Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's YA, with a wonderfully Gothic atmosphere.

>92 msf59: Hi, Mark! I have my eye on both Sleeping Beauties and Strange Weather, which are both in our library's collection.

>93 Donna828: Hi, Donna! The Indifferent Stars Above is on my radar, as one of our library volunteers has highly recommended it. I can personally recommend Under a flaming Sky by the same author, about a terrible wildfire.

>80 tymfos: Aww.

Our new neighbors gave us a little cat bed that stays warm 24/7. It's less hot than a heating pad and also doesn't have the associated safety automatic shutoff. Abby spends her days in that little bed now that cool weather has arrived. She occasionally fusses at us, trying to convince us to turn on the sunbeams that came in the west-facing window a couple of months ago. It's too bad she doesn't understand the limits of our powers. Heh.

I just added the first in Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad Series to my amazon shopping cart (my library does not have a copy, which astounds me).

I hope you are doing well, Terri!

>96 EBT1002: LOL! Sometimes I wish we could turn those summer sunbeams back on . . .

Our library lacks the first Ballad novel, too! A previous director weeded our collection quite vigorously. (The weeding standards said to try to keep series together, but somehow she didn't in many cases.) Or maybe the copy just wore out. Or walked away . . . My personal copy, which I bought used, is not in a condition to donate to the library.

I've got too many books going again. Two audio book holds from Carnegie Library, Horrorstor and Out of Range, came available at once, while I was in the middle of another long audio, Epitaph. I have paper copy available from the local library for Epitaph, so I've shifted to Out of Range, which is a next-in-series for me and is NOT available at our library. I have 3 weeks to finish it and Horrorstor before they move on to the next person on the hold list.

Meanwhile, in addition to my class reading, I had started an e-book of Paranormal State until I came to the top of the hold list for Marina, so I have both of those. And I was reading an ER book, Local Girl Missing, until I had to shift Epitaph over to a paper-book read.

Oh, the tangled webs we obsessive readers weave!

>98 tymfos: "Oh, the tangled webs we obsessive readers weave!"

You are not alone. : )

What? Too many books to read? I've never heard of such a thing! Hi Terri. I hope all is well.

>99 Berly: LOL! I love the web, Kim!

>100 BLBera: Hi, Beth. I just finished my homework for the week (yay!). And I just realized I have only a week to read yet another book for our book discussion. Thankfully, it's a reread of a favorite, so not too tough a job.

Book #61 Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon e-book (11-12-17)

The prologue details the finding of a young man named Oscar, who had disappeared for seven days. But the story begins when, out for a walk after classes at his Barcelona boarding school, young Oscar trespasses on the property of an old mansion he thinks is deserted . . . There is spellbinding music, a mysterious engraved watch, a cat named Kafka, and a beautiful girl named Marina.

Then, after a trip to a graveyard and a mysterious wrecked greenhouse, the adventure really begins.

OK, I love the work of Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- or at least, I love reading the English translations by Lucia Graves. Some non-English authors I read in translation, I can't help but feel that they lose something -- there is a clunkiness in the text that I suspect is partly there due to the translation. But in these books, the work flows smoothly.

Marina is gothic YA. Zafon numbers it among his favorite works, according to the introduction to the e-book edition I read, as it was the last he wrote geared specifically to young adults. Yes, the horror aspects of the story are melodramatic, but there is something marvelous about the interpersonal aspects of this story.

Book #62. Epitaph: A Novel of the OK Corral by Mary Doria Russell e-book and print (11-13-17)

I loved the audio book of Doc. Epitaph had a different narrator, and while it was competently done, it lacked the something special that characterized the audio of Doc. I really enjoyed Epitaph more after I switched over to a print copy.

This is well-researched historical fiction about the events in Tombstone leading up to the famous gunfight at the OK corral, and the aftermath, following Wyatt Earp into old age. Very good reading.

Book #63. Out of Range by C.J. Box AUDIO (11-14-17)

Joe Pickett is temporarily assinged to the office in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, after his friend who was ranger there is found dead from an apparent suicide. He finds this district to be very different from his regular assignment. Haunted by the riddle of how his friend had come to the point of killing himself, he's forced to deal with a wily outfitter and an aggressive developer, along with strident animal rights activists. And then, with Joe vulnerable due to his wife Mary Beth's resentment of his absence, the developer's wife takes an interest in him . . . Joe has plenty of ways to get in trouble here. Did I mention that the Assistant Director hates him and is looking for an excuse to fire him?

This was pretty good. I listened to this on audio.

Book #64 Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger (reread)

I found the second reading of this book even more profound than the first time.

I've abandoned my audio of Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix. While the idea of a haunted Ikea-type store is original, and the book has a certain creativity to it, in the middle it just got too . . . stupid. I don't know, just not one that I wanted to continue. I dropped it in the middle of a long drive, with no other audio book as backup, which should tell you something.

One of the things I liked about Horrorstor was the illustrations and secondary material that made it into a parody of an IKEA catalog. Without that, yeah, it’s a pretty weak story. Sorry it was a bust!

>107 drneutron: Jim, I definitely got the IKEA parody, and that part was pretty funny . . . especially when the particular item advertised would show up in the following chapter, often in a very creative way. But that wasn't enough. And on audio -- no illustrations. . . I didn't particularly like the narration, either.

I have been a very moody reader lately, and especially with e-books. I've at least temporarily abandoned Paranormal State by Ryan Buell.

I've picked up Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs, and it's just what I want to be reading now. A few hours after checking it out and downloading it, I'm over a third of the way through it.

On the audio book front, I've moved on to the audio of Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman -- her continuation of her father Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn/Chee series. I'm not exactly enthralled yet, but listening when I get a chance.

Book #65 Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs e-book (11-19-17)

I really liked this installment of the "Bones" book series, which was set in and around Charlotte Motor Speedway, during NASCAR race weeks. I zipped through the book when I should have been doing other things . . .

I like those books, Terri, and I have only read the first five. I ned to get back to them - good to know they hold up as the series continues.

Hoping your week is full of fabulous!

Hi, Mamie. I hadn't read any of these for a while. Some I like better than others, but this felt like an especially good one! Maybe it was just the right book at the right time. And I do like NASCAR, and finished it during the Championship-deciding race.

Have a super-fabulous week!

>76 tymfos: I have mixed feelings about the writing of King. Basically, too often I come away bothered by his creepiness and his 200 pages too long books.

Linda! So nice to have a visit from you!

I had a scare this evening. I submitted an assignment for my class, then when I got the submission receipt in my university email, I looked at it and thought I'd submitted the wrong file! I eventually realized that I was looking at the submission folder name (very similar to a file I had containing notes). When I found the actual file name stated at the bottom of the receipt, I realized I'd turned in the right work.

Whew!

>105 tymfos: Thanks for the reminder about how much I enjoyed the only two Krueger books I read. I really intended to continue with the series and also read that one. 2018 is just around the corner. Maybe I'll finally get to those.

>116 thornton37814: I hope you do, Lori, and that you enjoy them!

Earlier in the year, when I took my current job and went back to school, I seriously questioned whether I'd manage to read 75 books this year, after I read ZERO books in February, and my numbers continued to be down. Well, I have a 4-day weekend free of work and schoolwork, starting right now. I get a longer break from school starting in the middle of next month. I've finished 65 books. I had to include textbooks, and 1/3 of the total are audio books, but it's a solid 65 (though a lot of it is light reading!) and I think I should be able to manage ten books of some kind (including the four I have in progress) between now and the end of the year. That makes me happy!

I know "it's not about the numbers," but I do like to reach goals.

Book #66 Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman AUDIO

Anne Hillerman continues her father's classic mystery series. I'm still trying to decide what I think of this. A major character is shot early on in the book. Bernie is a witness, and behaves pretty irrationally at first. I guess that's understandable. It gets better as it goes along. I'll try the next book.

>103 tymfos: Hooray for Epitaph! We never get enough MDR love around here.

Happy Thanksgiving, Terri. Have a great day with the family.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things, one of them being my



Thank you for being so wonderful! : )

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

Thank you, Mark, Kim, and Paul!

Book #67 The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman AUDIO

In this novella in the Tess Monaghan series, a tribute to the classic "Rear Window," a pregnant and bedridden Tess becomes a full-time people watcher from her window. A woman Tess has seen regularly walking her dog in the street outside seems to have disappeared, her dog running loose on its leash.

Book #68 Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas
This was an LT ER book -- full review to be posted soon on the work's page. The condensed version is that I mainly found this book aggravating and probably wouldn't have finished it if it hadn't been an ER book -- but the ending actually was kind of worth getting to.

Book #69 Hidden Scars by Mark de Castrique
Sam Blackman series -- another good outing in the series.

Book #70Bloodline by Fiona Mountain
A decent genealogical mystery

Only five more books to go, Terri!

>123 Crazymamie: :)

Hi, Mamie!

Book #71 The Christmas Scrapbook by Phillip Gulley (11-28-17)

I like this series, but this novella was really . . . silly. Not particularly good and silly.

Four more to go!! : )

>126 Berly: :-D

Kim, for a while I didn't think I'd make it ...

Book #72 Hush, Hush by Laura Lippman AUDIO (12-2-2017)

Tess Monaghan series #12

I have mixed feelings about this one. It's another one where I didn't like it much until nearer the end. The first half, I didn't feel motivated to listen at all. And while I usually don't mind profanity in books, there was one instance in this one that really bugged me. I liked the story better by the end, but it's still not one of my favorites.

I just realized, the last four books caught up four different series! Each was the only book I had left to read in its respective series.

I just posted something, but after several minutes, the post hasn't appeared. Yet when I hit the post message button again, the system tells me it's a duplicate post.

??????

I'm going to try that post again.

Book #73 In a Dark House by Deborah Crombie e-book (12-2-17)

#10 Duncan KIncaid/Gemma James series

This was very good. There is an arson at a Victorian warehouse, and a body is found. Is it a serial arsonist? The building owner's daughter is missing. A young girl goes missing, perhaps with her mother. Yet another woman is reported missing in the neighborhood. There are issues with the women's shelter next to the burned warehouse. Connections? Coincidence? Meanwhile, Duncan and Gemma are facing a custody hearing, as Kit's grandmother continues her battle them for custody of Kit.

So many threads, how do they tie together? Do they tie together?

This book is a reminder of the courage and selflessness of the men and women who battle fires. The book is dedicated to a firefighter who died in the line of duty

I, too, loved Ordinary Grace. I'd probably be further along with C.J. Box if more of his titles were in audio at my library. But the best line in my catch-up on your thread was >98 tymfos: : "Oh, the tangled webs we obsessive readers weave!" I understand that dilemma of juggling what books arrive whether it's a convenient time or not!

Hi, Cindy!

I've read several of the C.J. Box books, but am finding that they are pushing the wrong buttons for me these days -- I'm not sure why. I got through Out of Range OK, but starting In Plain Sight, I found I was just not enjoying it. I've decided to give the Joe Pickett series a rest. I returned In Plain Sight without finishing it, and moved on to an Inspector Montalbano audio. Maybe when I'm in a different frame of mind, I'll pick up the Box books again.

You are well on your way to 75! Enjoy your time off from school.

>134 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! I have one more assignment due, then the Final next week, and then a month of no classes. The class I'm finishing now gives me enough credits to actually be certified to do my current job. (I'm operating on a state extension at the moment.)

This has been a rough week at work. Next week looks to be really crazy. Then things will calm down a bit, I hope.

Book #74 Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason
Inspector Erlendur series #5

A young boy is found stabbed to death, frozen to the ground behind a block of flats. Was there an ethnic motive to the killing? The boy was the son of a Thai immigrant and her Icelandic ex-husband. The boy's brother is nowhere to be found -- then is found -- then disappears. Where is he?

This series, set in Iceland, is very much in the Nordic crime writing tradition. The writing is generally very spare, though the thoughts and descriptions are sometimes profound. I'm sure some of the style has to do with the translation from Icelandic to English. Two translators were listed, with the book dedicated to the memory of the first translator -- obviously, the original translator of the series died during work on this book.

>136 tymfos: Nice review, Terri! I have that series on my list, but I have not started it yet. And your next read hits the magic 75!

>137 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! It's a pretty good series.

And here is themagic #75!

Book #75 Really Important Stuff My Cat Has Taught Me by Cynthia L. Copeland (12-9-2017)

Oh, this was a fun book to have for #75! Not a lot of words, but full of humor and fabulous photographs of CATS! It includes quotes from some pretty impressive people.

BTW, the caption for that cover photo is "Life is more fun with a partner in crime." :)

Congrats on reaching 75, Terri!!!!

Thanks, Mamie! :)

Congrats on reaching 75, Terri!

I love the Joe Pickett series. Good to see a fellow fan.

>138 tymfos: Congratulations on reaching 75, Terri!

Congrats!

^Congrats on hitting the magic number, Terri. It is a very big deal around these parts.

I hope you had a nice weekend.

Congrats on hitting 75 -- and with a cat book!

Way to go, Terri!

Thank you, Joe, Anita, Jim, Mark, and Lori (and Joe again -- love the gif!)

My past few days could be written up as the screenplay for "Scenes from Technolgy Hell." LT is probably the only computer-or-internet-related thing that's gone well for me since last Thursday. . .

Thanks for brightening my day!

Congrats on reaching 75 books, Terri!!

>114 tymfos: Whew...What a scare! I found this image, and naturally thought of Sig. It just might be something he would try to do.

>148 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda!

>149 Whisper1: LOL! Oh, Linda, that does look like a spot Sig would get into . . . love it!

Our weather has turned extremely wintry, with the first measurable snow of the year, sub-zero wind chills tonight, and howling winds. Definitely weather to settle down with a book and a cup of hot tea.

I passed my final exam, and am done with school until mid-January! Work has been crazy recently, but so much easier to take now that school pressure is off for a while.

So now I'm done with this book, though at some point I'll certainly refer back to its contents.

Book #76 Metadata for Digital Collections by Steven J. Miller (textbook)

Well, I abandoned Joe Pickett a week or so ago, and now I think I'm going to abandon Inspector Montalbano. Both abandonments are temporary, of course. But right now, I think I need something new and different for my audiobook listening.

I've checked out the audio of Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. I have hard copy of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and an e-book of Ill Wind by Nevada Barr.

I need to decide on a non-fiction book, especially since I don't have any textbooks to deal with for the next month.

>152 tymfos: I've run out of Montalbanos offered by the Morristown library. I need to see which ones Knox County might have that I haven't listened to. I'm listening to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children at the moment. So far it seems very suited to audio format. I don't know if I would have made it through the print.

T--Congrats on passing the final exam!! School break!! Have you read Born a Crime? It's my favorite NF this year. : )

>138 tymfos: You did it! Congratulations!

>151 tymfos: OH! You did that too! Double congratulations! (I'm sorta glad you didn't use Metadata for Digital Collections as your 75th book of the year. Appropriate, I suppose, but not exactly a celebratory title!))

Congratulations on passing your final exam and reading 75, Terri. I am sure you are glad to be done with book #76 for a while.

Ooohhhh... lots to celebrate here! Congratulations on reaching 75, on passing your final exam and no school until mid-January!

>153 thornton37814: Lori, I haven't read Miss Peregrine's in any format, but my understanding is that the pictures really are central to the book. You'd miss that aspect on audio . . . of course, maybe you'd want to. I hear the photos are creepy. I really must take a look at that one, we just replaced the library copy that was lost.

>154 Berly: Thanks, Kim! Haven't read Born a Crime, but we do have it at the library.

>155 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you, Thank you, Linda. I contemplated the appropriateness of using the textbook for #75, and decided not to. All the Light We Cannot See was in the running, but I knew I'd finish the texbook before I finished that one. The cat book was a quick and satisfying #75.

>156 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I am truly glad to put #76 on the back burner for a while.

>157 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori!

Book #77 All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. (12-15-17)

The was an absolutely marvelous book. The stories of a French girl who is blind and a German boy who is gifted in understanding, repairing, using, and finding radio equipment -- and is tapped by the Nazis to use those skills for the Third Reich -- are woven together in a powerful way. The telling of the stories, from the different POVs and different time periods, is very effective. A thought-provoking book that challenges the simple categorizations we make of people.

I need to finish my Nevada Barr book by tomorrow when the loan expires. Fortunately, I'm close to the end.

I'm slow getting into Manhattan Beach, simply because it's on audio and I'm not having a lot of listening time. I'm actually having more time to read with my eyes -- for a change!

I have to figure out my next reads. I guess it's time to do my AAC book for December, For Whom the Bell Tolls. It's been waiting on my shelf for more than a quarter century! There is a story behind its acquisition, involving a choir tour and a visit to a used bookstore in Princeton, NJ that I think of as the beginning of my romance with the man I eventually married.

>158 tymfos: Actually, we got a photo supplement to download with the audio book.

Well done for getting beyond 75 Terri.

I am used to you reading double that total of course.

Have a splendid weekend.

>161 thornton37814: Great! I didn't know they did that.

Book #78 Ill Wind by Nevada Barr (12-16-17)

In this installment, Anna is assigned to Mesa Verde National Park. There are an unusual number of park patrons falling ill. A park employee is found dead.

I like Nevada Barr's writing -- not great literary art, but fun to read, with lots of personality. Anna is an interesting character, and I love that the books are set in different national parks.

>163 tymfos: I didn't either until I went to download it and had two buttons.

>162 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! I almost missed your post -- I was writing my last post as you were posting yours. Thanks, and I hope you have a great weekend.

>164 thornton37814: Ah, sometimes technology gives us pleasant surprises! (and sometimes not so pleasant . . .)

>159 tymfos: Oh, how I agree! Last year, I read All the Light We Cannot See. It is a book that I felt I had to tell everyone to read. All good wishes for you and your family for a wonderful holiday!

Hi, Linda! It is a wonderful book. Several of our library patrons have indicated it is a favorite of theirs, too. It won a Pulitzer.

Thanks for the good wishes and the pretty picture!

Happy Yule Book Flood!

>168 richardderus: I love that, Richard! Good tidings to you, too!

*smooch*

:)

Book #79 Bones are Forever by Kathy Reichs (12-21-17)

OK, this one starts off with a dead baby. But it winds up being about a lot more things. It starts in Quebec, but Tempe winds up in the Far North, in Yellowknife. Along the way, we learn a lot about the history of mining in northern Canada -- gold mining, and especially diamond mining. When I say a lot, I mean a lot more detail than I wanted in a foresnsic crime genre novel. There's quite a tally of dead bodies, of various ages, before we're done. I found the solution a little convoluted, but it's a story. Not my favorite Bones novel by a long shot.

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

Thanks, Barbara! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

I continue in my fickleness toward electronic media. While the bulk of my reading has been audio and e-books lately, I've also started and stopped a bunch of them. Latest: the audio of Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. Fine book, but not grabbing me right now, and with a shorter loan term than usual, I wasn't going to finish it. I think I may read hard-copy when demand for our library's copy dies down.

I've settled on the audio of A Visible Darkness by Jonathon King. It's second in the Max Freeman series, set in Florida -- a state I'm not going to get to visit in real life this holiday season, so I'm visiting it virtually

For my next e-book, I've settled into Firestorm by Nevada Barr -- this tale centered on a California wildfire during drought conditions seems way too timely despite being written in the 1990's

Congratulations on reaching and passing 75 for the year!



And happy holidays to you and yours, Terri!

Hi Terri, stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!

Merry Christmas, Terri!

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Merry Christmas, Terri!

^I hope you are having a wonderful holiday with the family, Terri and I hope you are getting some bookish gifts.

>179 laytonwoman3rd: LIKE!

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

Merry Christmas from Philadelphia, Terri!

A very Merry Christmas to you and your family, Terri!

Book #75 looks like a great one :-)

All the best for the Holiday Season to you and your family, Terri!

>174 EBT1002: Awwww.... cute! Thank you! Happy Holidays to you!

>175 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori, and holiday wishes to you!

>176 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

>177 rretzler: Thanks, and to you also! (I love that image!)

>178 ronincats: Lovely wishes! Thanks, and also to you!

>179 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda! I hope your holidays are a hoot! (Happy holidays!)

>180 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Much less family time than usual this year, and no bookish gifts except a dress made of book-patterned fabric that didn't fit -- but more reading time! Merry Christmas to you!

>181 PaulCranswick: Thanks, and Season's Greetings to you, too, Paul!

>182 kidzdoc: Merry Christmas to you, Darryl, and thanks! That photo brings back memories.

>183 -Cee-: Thanks! Merry Christmas, Cee! (#75 was a lot of fun!!)

eta to add

>184 Familyhistorian: Meg, I almost missed you! Thank you, and Happy Holidays!

Book #80 Firestorm by Nevada Barr e-book (12-24-2017)

Anna Pigeon series Book #5

Anna, a licensed EMT as well as Park Ranger/Security Officer, is sent to help tend to firefighters at the scene of a major wildfire in California. While there, a firestorm traps Anna with a small group of firefighters in an isolated position, and a murder is discovered.

Among other things, this is a reminder of the hardships and dangers faced by those fighting major wildfires, as many firefighters have done and continue to do this year, espceially in the West.

This book really pulled me in and, as I neared the end, I stayed up late to finish it.

Book #81 A Visible Darkness by Jonathon King AUDIO (12-25-2017)
Book #2, Max Freeman series

This is the second installment of the Max Freeman series. Max is a former Philadelphia police officer who took disability retirement after a disastrous incident and now lives in a shack in the Everglades. The first book in the series won an Edgar. This book received less enthusiastic reviews, but I liked it a lot.

This story draws Max back into civilization more as he investigates the deaths of a number of elderly African-American women in West Palm Springs at the request of his friend, attorney Billy Manchester.

I enjoy the Florida setting, and also the reminiscenses of Philadelphia. Actually, there's a lot I enjoy about these books. I like the characters of Max and especially attorney Billy Manchester. This story gives more background about their pasts while spinning a good detective story. We also learn a little history about the African-American community in the West Palm Springs area.

How's this for a trio of books to have going? Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, Carl Hiaasen's Sick Puppy, and Stephen King's The Gunslinger (Dark Tower #1).

The Hiaasen continues my virtual Florida road trip for the season, since I'm stuck here in the northern snow this holiday season.

>185 tymfos: I am glad I checked back, Terri. Sounds like you are enjoying your Christmas break and indulging in non-textbook reading.

Happy Boxing Day!!

Happy Holidays, Terri!

>189 Familyhistorian: I am, Meg.

>190 Berly: Thanks, Kim! Have a Happy New Year. See you on the 2018 group?

>191 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Happy holidays to you!

Book #82 Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen e-book (12-28-17)
Skink series #4

Lobbyist Stoat, trying to arrange deal for developer, draws ire of rabid outlaw environmentalist. There is an adorable Labrador Retriever. Craziness ensues. Current governor coerces Skink into getting involved to find the environmentalist, who has had a contract put out on him by the developer, before the hitman can get him and make a mess. The plot is way too complicated and bizarre to explain.

Typical Hiaasen, in many respects -- questionable anti-heroes going agains shady politicians and developers. But both sides seemed more violent than in previous installments. It felt grimmer, and I didn't enjoy it as much.

I am trying to finish For Whom the Bell Tolls before December ends, but I may need New Year's Day to finish it.

>186 tymfos: I've mostly given up on that series, but remember several of the early entries fondly. Firestorm is one of the good ones. Glad to hear you liked it too!

>194 swynn: Hi! That was a good one. I'm curious about you're having given up on the series. Did the quality go down, or are there just too many other books calling out for your attention? So far, I have enjoyed these books. Anna is a strong, smart female protagonist and she has a certain subtle snarkiness in her thinking that makes me smile just a bit.

I'm abandoning The Gunslinger. It just isn't for me, even with George Guidall doing the narration on the audiobook.

I'm heading to Florida again for my new audio read, with Randy Wayne White's Sanibel Flats, #1 in the Doc Ford series, with Dick Hill doing the narration. I've never read White, so I have no idea if I'll like it, or if it will be the next book I abandon . . .

>195 tymfos: A little of both. For me, the writing loses focus and she starts to use violence in place of plot rather than to advance it. Not terrible maybe, but there's enough good stuff out there that when I start rewriting the paragraph I'm currently reading it's time to move on. But many others still love it. I'll be interested to watch your response.

view from Zürich's landmark mountain Üetliberg

>198 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. That's very pretty!

>199 rretzler: Thank you!

I have officially given up on For Whom the Bell Tolls. I know Hemingway was a genius, and this was a masterpiece, but I'm not enjoying it. I neither like nor understand the characters very well. I didn't finish it in 2017, and one New Year's resolution for 2018 is to not spend time on books I'm not enjoying, unless they are required for a class, seminar, or generally to do my job.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I'll see you over on the 2018 group!

^Happy Reading in 2018, Terri! And good health to all!

Thanks, Mark!

OK, my thread is set up on the 2018 challenge:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/279803