Betty (dudes22) 2021 Challenge - I'm Reading with a Great Group - Part 2

Welcome to my 2nd thread. My name is Betty and I’ve been part of LT since 2008 and doing the category challenge since 2010. I live in Rhode Island which is the smallest state in the US. My husband and I moved to a retirement community about 4 years ago. We’ve made some great friends here and now that the clubhouse is open, we expect those new people who are moving in will enhance our core group.

I’ve made a lot of friends over the years here on LT and gotten A LOT of great book recommendations. My book bullets every year are usually more than the books I’ve read, so I’m always behind. I love some of the challenges we do here and have to contain myself not to add more. Some of them have really expanded my reading, especially some of the genre ones that I thought I really wouldn’t like reading (I’m looking at you SFF challenge from 2015).

This year, I’ve based my challenge on animal groups. I remember a discussion on this years ago, and it’s been a thought for a while now. It seems that an English woman named Juliana Berners is the person who named many of the animal groups around the 15th century.

Last year my little sub-challenge was Nobel prize winners. This year I’m going to try and read a few biography/autobiography books. They’re not usually a favorite of mine, but I’ve seen a few lately that have me interested. Here at thread 2, I realize I'm not making much progress on this so I'll need to see if I can improve over the next few months.

I also keep a thread over in the Needlearts Group where I keep track of my quilting adventures if you’d like to visit: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327722

Tickers:





Currently Reading:

Recently Read:

A Kindle of Kittens – Ebooks

A kindle is a lesser-know way to describe a family of kittens born to one cat. This will be the category for any e-books that I read.

1. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome
2. Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich
3. Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson
4. The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
5. Still Waters by Viveca Sten
6. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
7. Closed Circles by Viveca Sten
8. Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books by Cathy Rentzenbrink
9. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
10. Christmas in Absaroka County by Craig Johnson

A Parliament of Owls – Non-Fiction

Used because owls are considered wise, this goes back to ancient Greece when a little owl was depicted accompanying the goddess of wisdom Athena. I’ll be using this category for any non-fiction books I read.

1. A Life by Design by Siobhan Broadhurst
2. World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
3. The Dig by John Preston
4. Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story by Erin French
5. It's Not About the Tapas by Polly Evans
6. An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo
7. One-Woman Farm by Jenna Woginrich

A Murder of Crows – Murder Mysteries

There are a few explanations for this term. One is a folktale that crows will gather to decide the capital fate of another crow. More usual is that crows are an omen of death because they are scavengers around battlefields and cemeteries. I will use this group for my mysteries.

1. Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen
2. The Affair by Lee Child
3. Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver

A School of Fish – Children/YA

A group of the same species of fish that swim together is known as a school. They appear bigger when in a school which may confuse predators. I’ll use this group to track any children or young adult books I may read.

1. Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
2. The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
3. The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse by Alan Bradley
4. The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
5. Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket by Chris Grabenstein

A Caravan of Camels – Foreign Authors or Places

The word caravan comes from the Persian word “karwan” which means “a group of desert travelers”. I suppose since camels were used a lot that’s where this phrase comes from. I’ll use this group for books by authors from other countries or books set outside the USA

1. Glass Houses by Louise Penny (Canada - author & novel)
2. The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Elia MacNeal (Great Britain)
3. The Game by Laurie R. King (India)
4. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (England)
5. Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear (England)
6. The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo (Norway)
7. The Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi (Greece)
8. The Death of a Red Heroine by Qui Xiaolong (China)
9. Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton (Australia)
10. Home by Nightfall by Charles Finch (London)

An Ambush of Tigers – Book Bullets

It’s easy to understand why a group of tigers is called an ambush. When a group of tigers get together to take down prey, they can be vicious and “ambush” they animal they are stalking. I’ll be using this to track some of the book bullets I’ve been “ambushed” with over the years.

1. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (Mary Ann)
2. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (Lori)

A Tower of Giraffes – Award Winning Books and Nominees

I think this is one of the more obvious group names as a giraffe’s long neck helps him “tower” over other animals. I’ll put award-winning books and nominees in this group – those books which “tower” above the others.

1. Interior Chinatown by Charles Wu (National Book Award 2020)
2. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (Booker Prize 2020)
3. Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy (Anthony Awards 2004)
4. Love by Toni Morrison (Nobel Laureate -1993)
5. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Nobel Laureate - 2017)
6. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (Pulitzer 1992)

A Parade of Elephants – Series Books

Elephants usually travel in a single line rather like a parade. As my series books follow one after another, this is where I’ll put most of my series reading if it doesn’t fit elsewhere.

1. The Courbet Connection by Estelle Ryan
2. The Quiet Game by Greg Iles
3. A Drunkard's Path by Clare O'Donohue
4. Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson
5. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
6. Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon
7. In Big Trouble by Laura Lippman
8. Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich
9. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
10. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
11. Eventide by Kent Haruf
12. Benediction by Kent Haruf
13. Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu
14. Eleven Pipers Piping by C.C. Benison
15. The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn

A Troop of Kangaroos – Book Club Reads

Kangaroos are social animals and live in groups know as troops. I belong to two book clubs and will post my book club reads here.

1. The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
2. White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
3. Relativity by Antonia Hayes
4. The Round House by Louise Erdrich
5. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

A Congregation of Plovers – General Fiction

A group of plovers is called a congregation because they sit in pews…no, no that’s not right. I couldn’t find a reason why. I’ll use this group for any general fiction that I can’t find a reason to put in another group.

1. What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster
2. The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay
3. The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg
4. The Seal Wife by Kathryn Harrison
5. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
6. The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay
7. Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas
8. Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
9. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Alpha Kit: This year, I’ve decided that I’m going to concentrate on my series reading for this Kit. I’ll be reading the next in each series or starting a new one based on the last letter of the author’s name. There have been a number of series I’ve thought sounded interesting and this will give me a chance to test some of them out.

A. Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen
B. Eleven Pipers Piping by C.C. Benison
C. The Affair by Lee Child
D. Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver
E. Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich
F. Home by Nightfall by Charles Finch
G. Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket by Chris Grabenstein
H. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
I. The Quiet Game by Greg Iles
J. Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson
As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
K. The Game by Laurie R. King
L. In Big Trouble by Laura Lippman
M. The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Elia MacNeal
N. The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo
O. A Drunkard's Path by Clare O'Donohue
P. Glass Houses by Louise Penny
Q. The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn
R. The Courbet Connection by Estelle Ryan
S. Still Waters by Viveca Sten
T. Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy
U. Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson
V. Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon
W. Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear
X. Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Y. Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu
Z. The Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi

Random Cat – I’ve done this since it first made an appearance in 2013 and even hosted a month now and then. It’s one of my favorite as the ideas people come up with are very inventive.

Jan – LOL - Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome
Feb – Fruits and Veggies - Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich
Mar – Surprises - World of Wonders by Aimee Nexhukumatathil
Apr – Let's Go to the Library Without Leaving Home - Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen
May – Let's Play Monopoly - The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay
Jun – Everything Old is New Again - A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Jul – Summertime - The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Aug – On the Road Again - It's Not About the Tapas by Polly Evans
Sep – Winner, Winner - The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Oct – Kindness - Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Nov – Fortune & Glory - One-Woman Farm by Jenna Woginrich
Dec – Seasonal Reading - Christmas in Absaroka County by Craig Johnson

2021 Bingo Card:



1. One-word title - Love by Toni Morrison
2. By or about a marginalized group - The Courbet Connection by Estelle Ryan
3. Dark or Light in the title Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson
4. Book with a character you’d like to have as a friend - Glass Houses by Louise Penny
5. Arts and Recreation - It's Not About the Tapas by Polly Evans
6. Book with a title that describes you - The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay
7. Book you heartily recommend - White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
8. A book about nature or the environment - One-Woman Farm by Jenna Woginrich
9. With a classical element in the title - Still Waters by Viveca Sten
10. Book by two or more authors - Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy
11. Impulse read The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
12. Book with a love story in it - Plainsong by Kent Haruf
13. Read a Cat/Kit -A Thousand Acres -by Jane Smiley
14. Set in or author from Southern Hemisphere - The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
15. Book that made you laugh - Harcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich
16. Suggested by a person from another generation - Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
17. New-to-you author - What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster
18. Set somewhere you’d like to visit - The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
19. Book about history or alternate history - The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
20. Book you share with 20 or less people - The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
21. Book with less than 200 pages - World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
22. Senior citizen as protagonist - Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
23. Book with a building name in title - The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay
24. Time word in title or time is the subject - The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg
25. Book with or about magic - Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

Other Cats and Kits:

I’m not sure how many other books I can fit in so I’ll just keep any books I happen to read for other Cats or Kits here.

Genre Cat:
Jan: Non-Fiction: The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
Feb: Biography: A Life by Design by Siobhan O'Brien
Mar: Adventure: The Dig by John Preston
Apr: Literary Fiction: What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster
May: Essays & Short Stories: The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Jun: Historical Fiction: White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
Jul: Romance: The Seal Wife by Kathryn Harrison
Aug: Poetry/Drama/Graphic Novels: An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo
Sep: YA/Children: Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
Oct: Horror/Supernatural/Paranormal: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Nov: SFF: The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Dec: Mystery: The Dogg Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn

Geo Kit:
Africa: The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony (South Africa)
Asia: The Game by Laurie R. King (India)
Oceania: A Life by Design by Siobhan O'Brien (Australia)
Europe: The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo (Norway)
North America: Finding Freedom by Erin French (Maine)
Polar: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (Artic/Antartica)
Central & South America:

DNF:
Letters From a Nut by Ted L Nancy

While moving over to a new thread, I realized that there are a couple of categories where I haven't read too much so far this year. I'll need to see if I can fix that. I can't believe we're so far into the year and I think today might be a good day to start thinking about next year while I sit watching the rain from the hurricane.

Welcome to my second thread!

>17 dudes22: It is very tempting to start planning for 2022 already! I must admit, I am planning my new categories when there is still plenty of reading to go for this year.

Happy new thread!

I keep the same categories every year, so don't need to do very much planning, but I've already hit on my theme for 2022. The only planning I do is once I know what the various CATs and KITs are.

Happy new thread! I'm definitely at the point in the year where I'm trying to figure out which of my stockpiled category challenge themes to use next year ;)

>20 rabbitprincess: Glad I'm not the only one who 'stockpiles' categories! I always have too many to use for each year!

Oh - me too. Like this year's idea has been on my list for a few years. And usually someone with mention something during the year that will cause a little lightbulb to go off.

Happy new thread! I'm definitely due for a category reboot for next year!

Wow, Betty. I love new threads because I scroll through from the top and see all of the great reading happening. I love your categories; it's very inspiring, but it looks like a TON of work.

I see you are reading The Round House; Louise Erdrich is one of my favorites.

>23 NinieB: - Like other, I seem to gravitate toward the same categories, just find another theme.

>24 BLBera: - I love reading the new threads too and reviewing what people have read. I just started reading Erdrich last year (probably a BB from someone), but I really enjoy her writing and was planning to read more of her this year anyway. (Although I would probably have read them in the order they were published.)

Happy new thread, Betty. I, too, enjoyed scrolling through your categories, they are very inventive and I feel inspired to do a little planning for 2022. I usually end up with the same categories every year but like to add at least one that is a little different.

Happy new thread! I love new threads because I get to have another look at how the year is progressing for others. Your category titles match perfectly with your reading.

Happy new thread. I love your category names and images.

Book 47: The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Category: A Troop of Kangaroos - Book Club Reads
September Random Cat: Winner, Winner - National Book Award 2012



At the beginning of The Round House, Joe, a 13-year old Ojibwe youth, is working in the yard with his father and waiting for his mother to return from the tribal offices where she has gone to retrieve a file. When she reaches home, she has been hurt and (no spoiler here) it turns out she has been raped. she retreats into herself and Joe and his father (who is a tribal judge) believe it has something to do with one of the cases he has judged.

In the course of learning how Joe and his friends set out to unravel who was responsible, the author includes so much more. It's part coming-of-age and the mysterious ways and thoughts of 13-year old boys (including their obsession with girls and sex). There's also some history of the Native Americans and white treaties and how unfairly Native Americans were treated and how much was lost when they were forced onto reservations. And there's information on how difficult it is to get justice as the rules change depending on where the crime takes place and by whom. In book club yesterday, we also discussed how seldom you read about a stable marriage in books these days and how devoted Joe's parents were to each other.

I haven't read much by this author but have a few more of her books on my TBR and hope to get to them soon. There's just something about how she writes...

>29 dudes22: I see we are of one mind about The Round House, Betty. I've become quite the Louise Erdrich fan in the past couple of years. Which of her books do you think you'll read next?

>30 lauralkeet: - I tend to like to read in order and I had only read her first one so The Beet Queen will be the next one. Although I do have 5 on my TBR so that's not cut in stone. The lady that was leading the discussion this year said that The Master Butcher's Singing Club was one of her favorites. How about you?

I'm planning to read The Painted Drum this month, at which point I will have read all of the Love Medicine novels. I've also read The Round House and The Night Watchman.

I may have to rethink how I'm going to tackle the rest of her books. I hadn't realized that some were considered "series". At some point, I'd like to read some of her non-fiction too.

Book 48: Home by Nightfall by Charles Finch
Category: A Caravan of Camels - Foreign Authors or Places (London)
Alpha Kit: "F"



This Victorian mystery series is one of my favorites. Taking place in the 1870s, none of the detecting uses modern methods. And communications are mostly by telegram.

A pianist named Mueller has been missing for a few weeks and all London is speculating on how he disappeared. He was seen entering his dressing room but never leaving and now Lenox is thinking of trying his hand at finding out what happened.

But, before he can start, he decides to return to his childhood home when his brother mentions that he is going to go there for a couple of weeks. Because his brother has recently lost his wife, Lenox doesn't want him to go alone. Once they get there, they find that there have been some strange events lately in town and Lenox is asked to help figure out what is going on.

>34 dudes22: I just read a few days ago the next one comes out in November. This is a series that I'm up to date on and there aren't many of those!

>35 clue: - I applaud you being up to date on any. I am woefully behind on almost everything. I need to go through some of the series I have and decide what to keep going on and what just doesn't really interest me as much and give up on a few.

BTW - Are you disappointed that they changed the covers? I thought they were so wonderful and in looking ahead, I can see that they've changed.

>36 dudes22: Very disappointed the covers changed. I wonder if they ran out of ideas for the three objects? I have noticed in the last couple of years that group of three has been used for other books jacket design and I felt quite violated. We do have an attachment to jacket art don't we?

>37 clue: - Sometimes. I always thought that as an overriding theme (if you will), it was an easy way to notice the books.

I just started a book Across the River: Life, Death, and Football in an American City and I already have a complaint. Whatever happened to putting footnotes/notes at the bottom of the page so you can view them easily? One again, all the notes are at the end of the book with no indication on the page that there even is one. I find myself reading a page and then flipping to the back to see if there are any notes for that page. Which makes for some choppy reading and I feel I'm going to lose any rhythm in the reading of the story. Or I guess I could read each chapter and then look at the notes - still a pain.

My local library had their FOL sale today (outside) and I went a little bit overboard. Some are from BBs I've taken, some from series I'm reading, a few authors I wanted to read, a few I have the ebook and wanted a hard copy, some that just looked interesting. I did by 2 that I already had, but I'll donate them back for the next sale. The FOL are raising funds for the new library that will be built. The bond was recently approved so hopefully it will be soon. They're buying a building and rehabbing it. Actually they had bought the building a few years ago but then a town council was elected that did everything they could to reverse the sale. BIG!! controversy. The current library doesn't meet ADA requirements especially regarding fire codes.

ETA: These are the new books.

Looks like a great haul, Betty!

>39 dudes22: Great haul! Did you enjoy yourself? I was so happy to have a booksale to go to after so long without one.

>39 dudes22: That looks like an excellent haul! It's still blowing my mind how big and important the FOL groups are to libraries in the US. Libraries are seriously underfunded here in the UK, and it's getting worse, but for the most part are still funded from the public purse and are a core service of our local councils.

>40 DeltaQueen50: - I'm pleased with what I got.

>41 RidgewayGirl: - I did have a good time. It was under tents and somewhat crowded, but I had my mask on and did hand sanitizing as soon as I got back tot he car.

>42 Jackie_K: - Our libraries are public funded for the most part. The state has some kind of formula they use to match town funds. When the last town council was in, they were very anti-library. The cut the library funding in half by about $400,000.00 (around 291,000 Pound Sterling - your currency?) so the state cut their funds in a proportionate manner. My sister has worked there almost 50 years so I get a lot of the "inside scoop" from her. I think a large portion of what the FOL raises goes to helping with special programs (summer reading, festival of lights, author programs, etc).

>39 dudes22: Nice haul - and it's for a good cause.

I'm happy to see Erdrich love here. The order in which you read them doesn't really matter; Erdrich moves back and forth in time, so there's no chronological order. I loved The Round House as well. My favorites are Tracks and The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse.

Nice haul!

>44 BLBera: - Thanks. I know there are a lot of authors that you don't have to read in order. I think I mostly do it to keep track of what I've read. Or at least I used to. I guess with LT I really don't need to do that any more.

>45 VictoriaPL: - Thanks

Nice book sale haul, Betty! I'm still waiting & hoping for book sales to resume here.

>39 dudes22: Nice haul. I see the The Gustav Sonata in there, I just found that at my charity shop and hope to get to it soon...

>47 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. I hope you get to see a book sale soon. My husband thought there were an awful lot of books so I had to explain to him that I hadn't been to one in two years so you need to split the pile in half. :)

>48 MissWatson: - The title piqued my interest although I don't know when I'll get to it.

>39 dudes22: Nice haul!

Book 49: In Big Trouble by Laura Lippman
Category: A Parade of Elephants - Series Books
Alpha Kit: "L"



Next in the Tess Managhan series, Tess receives an envelope postmarked Texas that includes only a newspaper article showing her ex-boyfriend with a title that reads "In Big Trouble". Once she contacts Crows parents, they hire her to go look for him. Usual detective story with lots of twists to the story. I really do dislike it though when the only way the author can get to the final scene they want is by having the main character do something relatively stupid.

>29 dudes22: Excellent review. I have read only one of her books, but I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down - Shadow Tag.

>34 dudes22: I am not familiar with this series, so I will have to check out the first one - thanks!

>39 dudes22: Nice haul!! I love Joshilyn Jackson.

>52 Crazymamie: - I've been meaning to get to Joshilyn Jackson for a while and even had one of hers already on the TBR pile.

Book 50: Echoby Pam Munoz Ryan
Category: A School of Fish - YA/Children's Books
Bingo Block: Suggested by another generation
September Genre: YA/Children's



I really loved this YA novel. There are 4 stories of young people where a harmonica is the star of the story. Written for middle-schoolers, it’s part fairy tale, some historical fiction of events taking place, emotional topics, and a great conclusion which brings all the stories together.

The story starts in the 1800s when Otto gets lost in a forest and meets three sisters. He has a book which a gypsy gave him and the sisters have him read it as it seems to tell their story. When the story ends abruptly, he shows them the harmonica that the gypsy also gave him. They convince him to let them try it and as they each blow into it, it becomes more harmonious. Then they tell him to leave and he finds his way out of the forest.

The next three parts of the book take place around the time just prior to and during WW II. Each part is about a different child who has the harmonica. Friedrich lives in Germany in 1933 just at the beginning of WW II and works in a harmonica factory and has a harmonica which the reader knows is the same one from the prologue. What is happening in Germany at this time is very much a part of the story.

Mike and his brother Freddie live in an orphanage in Pennsylvania in 1935. They came to the orphanage when their grandmother died. She brought them to this orphanage because the director promised to keep the brothers together and because there was a piano. She and Mike used to play with their windows open so the neighbors could hear. One day two gentlemen show up and Mike and Freddie get adopted.

Ivy lives in California in 1942. Her father is a Mexican laborer (at least that’s the implication from names and his job) and Ivy’s brother has gone to fight in the war. This part of the story deals with the prejudice against Mexicans and also the Japanese during the war.

The conclusion brings all these stories together in a wonderful way. This is our book club read for next week and I’m excited about talking about this book. When I was about halfway through and I was researching questions for discussion, I read about how the audio book also includes some of the music in the background of the story. So I downloaded the audio from the library and listened to it in the car while I was out and it was wonderful. I don’t “do” audio books, but this might change my mind. Might be the best book I’ve read this year.

ETA: I'm trying to decide who is going to get this for Christmas.

My reading has really slowed. I think part is because It's cooler in the mornings and my coffee and book on the porch after my morning walk isn't happening. And I'm sure as the end of year approaches, things will become more hectic and there will be even less time for reading. It's almost time to start holiday cookie baking, after all. So it's unlikely that I'll reach my goals this year, but that's ok.

>54 dudes22: This sounds wonderful, and you sold me on the audiobook. I love audiobooks - when you get the right narrator, it elevates the story.

My favorite Joshilyn Jackson is Between, Georgia. I have not yet read the one you have in the stacks, but I do have a copy of it. If I am remembering correctly, Backseat Saints features one of the secondary characters from Gods in Alabama, which I also enjoyed.

>51 dudes22: I agree 100% - I really do dislike it though when the only way the author can get to the final scene they want is by having the main character do something relatively stupid.

I have a copy of Echo I've been meaning to read. It will be my granddaughter's eventually.

>39 dudes22: Congratulations on a great haul from your FOL book sale. I miss book sales.

>56 Crazymamie: - I had tried an audio book once before and couldn't tell which of the two main characters (both women) were talking and so I gave up. I'll always be a visual reader first, but I'm more open to trying another audio. Good to know about Gods in Alabama. Maybe I'll try to read that one first.

>57 BLBera: - I usually find that happens most in cozy mysteries. I hope you enjoy Echo when you get to it. I have a couple of great-nieces/nephews who I think are in the right age group for this, but I'm going to check with my sister who is a children's librarian to see what she thinks.

>58 VivienneR: - It was so nice to finally have one. And outside so I felt a little better about the crowd. But I still wore a mask.

Book 51: Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich
Category: A Parade of Elephants - Series
Alpha Kit: "E"
Bingo Block: A book that made you laugh



Some would say that this series has become somewhat predictable with all the same characters and all the same things happening, but I still enjoy this series. This time Stephanie Plum's bail bond adventures include a large boa constrictor and zombies. And it's one of the few series where I actually laugh out loud.

Book 51: The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay
Category: A Congregation of Plovers - General Fiction
BINGO Block - Book with a title that describes you



Linden has come home to France after many years in the USA to celebrate his father's 70th birthday. His mother has arranged for his sister to join them without children or spouses for a weekend in Paris. Only it's raining in Paris, so bad that the streets are flooding and people are having to evacuate. "Their hidden fears and secrets slowly unravel..."

This is not an action-packed book and I can see where some people would have trouble connecting with the characters. I loved the slow way the characters' pasts and secrets/feelings were revealed. My complaints were small and did not detract from my enjoyment. There were lots of descriptions of streets and areas in Paris that I'm not familiar with so, for people who are, it might be more enjoyable. And each chapter started with a quote in French which I don't speak so I have no idea what they said. But really - minor.

>61 dudes22: I read Tatiana's first book several years ago and really enjoyed it. I'm not really sure why I haven't read others by her. Maybe one day!

>62 thornton37814: - I've read a couple and have some others in my TBR pile. I do like her writing.

Hi Betty. It's a long time since I've been around, and now I'm caught up again. Even though you might not meet your goals - you read some really great books! (quite a few book bullets hit their target...)

>64 Chrischi_HH: - Yes, I've read some good ones and I'm ok with not finishing.

Book 52: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Category: A Parade of Elephants - Series
October Genre: Horror



First in the series, I picked this up after hearing about the TV series. Dexter is a person who has no feelings and he's a serial killer but he only kills bad people. He has a daytime job and tries to exhibit those traits and emotions that normal humans have. I don't usually read horror so this was good for me - kind of a "horror-lite".

Book 53: Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Category: A Parade of Elephants - Series
Alpha Kit: "H"
Random Cat: October - Kindness
Bingo Block: Book contains a love story



I decided that I should reread this before continuing with the trilogy. Life with some of the residents of Holt, Co. The writing is somewhat spare/plain but still deeply satisfying to me. There are two main story lines - one of two young boys whose mother is probably leaving their father and the other of two old bachelors who take in a young pregnant girl. I'm hoping some of these characters show up in the next book.

>67 dudes22: Given your review and that you've given it a high rating, I'll keep this one in mind for when I want a quiet novel. I liked Our Souls at Night.

>68 RidgewayGirl: - I liked Our Souls at Night too. He does have a way of writing. I think you'll like it.

>67 dudes22: I loved this trilogy so much and was really sad when Haruf passed away.

>67 dudes22: I have this one in the stacks - you make me want to get to it.

>60 dudes22: I agree the Stephanie Plum series has become a bit predictable, but still good for a laugh and some light entertainment. I've been listening to them, and they are great in that format.

>70 lauralkeet: - I think that's why I was procrastinating to continue. Because I know once I finish there won't be any more.

>71 Crazymamie: - Well then - my job is done.

>72 BLBera: - Maybe I'll try the next one as an audio.

Book 54: An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo
Category - A Parliament of Owls - Non-Fiction
August Genre: Poetry



An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo was recommended to me a couple of years ago. Joy Harjo is a Native American poet and has been the Poet Laureate of the US since 2019. (I think she still is.) When I saw that the Genre theme for August was Poetry, I thought this would be a good time to read it.

I had trouble finding the author’s “voice” or “cadence”. Not that I expected it to rhyme in one of the rhyming schemes we learned about in school, but I couldn’t find a rhythm. Having heard Amanda Gorman and her poem for the inauguration, I feel I could read her poetry and would still hear her voice. I thought that maybe that was the problem. So I put it aside. When I listened to Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan for my RL book club, I thought that maybe if I listened to the audio of the book, I might be more successful. But I still couldn’t get the “poetry”. I found it more like short essays and snippets of thoughts than I did poetry. More like she was just telling you a story. Still, I gave it 4* because I liked the writing even if I didn’t get the poetry. A case of “it’s not you – it’s me”, I’m sure.

>74 dudes22: Yes, Harjo is still Poet Laureate, the only person to have been Poet Laureate 3 times.

I like her writing but read her memoir this year and was disappointed in it.

>75 clue: - I sent my copy of the book off to a friend who is more into poetry than I am. Sorry the memoir didn't make it.

>74 dudes22: Great comments. It's been a while since I read American Sunrise, but if I remember correctly, there are a bunch of prose poems in the collection, which would explain why you don't see the "poetry." Her most recent memoir Poet Warrior also defies expectations; LOTS of poetry when I was expecting prose. :)

>77 BLBera: - I guess I just don't understand the concept of prose poems.

Book 55: Eventide by Kent Haruf
Category: A Parade of Elephants - Series



This second book in the Kent Haruf trilogy about Holt, Co continues to introduce more characters that intersect in one way or another. A couple of characters from first book are still part of the story. The McPherson brothers and the girl Victoria that they took in continue in this book. I found myself with tears a time or two which is not usual for me. I think I liked book 1 a little bit more but came around to this after a while. Planning to continue with book 3 immediately.

Book 56: Benediction by Kent Haruf
Category: A Parade of Elephants - Series



This is the third book in the Plainsong trilogy about people in the town of Holt, Co. It's one of those books where nothing much happens but is rich with words. Only one of the people from book 2 is mentioned in this book and then only briefly. It takes place some years after the second book.

The main story is about Dad Lewis who receives a diagnosis of cancer with not much time to live. A new minister arrives in town and his story is a second story line. People interacting with each other in a small town where not much happens. But wonderfully written.

I've decided to try another audio book. I read the book that is the book club pick for next week a few years ago so I decided that I would listen to the audio and get in as much as I can before next Wed by listening in the car while I'm going places.

>81 dudes22: - I gave up as soon as I remembered that I found the characters annoying. Then I couldn't make book club anyway so it didn't really matter.

I've finally finished a book for November. I can't believe that I have 6 going right now - an unusually high number for me. Most were so close to being done that I decided to start a new book when my husband and I had to take a quick trip to New York. I managed to get about half done with the 600+ pages of Distant Hours by Kate Morton on the trip so now that's one more to finish.

Book 57: The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Category: A School of Fish - Children/YA Books



This is the story of a year in the life of Omakayas, a seven-year-old girl of the Ojibwa tribe and the first in a series. In the way that young readers were/are introduced to pioneer life in the book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, Erdrich has written of life in a Native American tribe and what life was like for a young girl there.

I listened to this as an audio which helped greatly with the language.

Book 58: Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu
Category: A Parade of Elephants - Series
Alpha Kit: November - "Y"



This series originally came to my attention when another book in the series was offered in the Early Review program back in 2016. And look how long it's taken me to get to it.

Aunty Lee runs a cafe/restaurant in Singapore. Her son is trying to get into the wine business and has been having wine tastings at Aunty's restaurant. This time his helper doesn't show up and eventually it's discovered that she has been murdered. There are lots of interesting characters who attend the dinner and Aunty Lee starts to show an interest in finding out what's going on. Similar to other older sleuths, she asks plenty of seemingly innocent questions to get at the truth.

I enjoyed this and now I have another series to try and catch up on. (at least I'll have a letter "Y" for the Alpha Kit for a few years)

Book 59: One-Woman Farm by Jenna Woginrich
Category: A Parliament of Owls - Non-Fiction
November Random: Fame and Glory
Bingo Block: About Nature or the Environment



I took a BB from JayneCm last year for this book and it's been on my TBR pile since then. I love reading books about farms and farming. This one is a journal type book following the months of the year with observations about what she does on the farm.

Following is from my post on the November Random thread:

I can't say I was a kid, but at some point I really wanted to be a farmer. I bought this really large book (I think through Mother Earth News) that had a green cardboard cover and the pages were tan and it included information on all kinds of things about farming. The usual how to make jam and put up food, but also how to get a stump out of the ground and kill a pig. I kept that book for a really long time but I've never had a farm.

Book 61: Whiter Than Snowby Sandra Dallas
Category: A Congregation of Plovers - General fiction



I can always depend on Sandra Dallas for a book that's an entertaining, good story. So when I needed a book for our plane flight across country yesterday, I grabbed this off the shelf.

In April 1920, an avalanche comes down the mountain at a small Colorado mining town just as school is letting out and nine children are buried. The author then takes the reader back to the stories of the parents of the children and the lives they led and how they ended up in Colorado. Then back to the present and which children survive. I think one of the reasons I like Ms Dallas's stories is how she is able to write diverse characters who don't all seem to be the same.

>86 dudes22: That books has been on my TBR list for a long time. I'm glad to read that you enjoyed it. Perhaps 2022 will be the year I read it.

>87 thornton37814: - Sometimes I'm tempted to binge read her books but I like to save them too for when I need just her type of writing.

Book 62: Eleven Pipers Piping by C.C. Benison
Category: A Parade of Elephants - series
November Alpha: "B"



The second book in the Rev Tom Christmas series finds Rev Tom attending an annual dinner for the local bagpiping band being held at Thorn Court in the middle of a raging snow storm. After a break in the dinner, the owner of Thorn Court is found dead and it appears he's been poisoned with berries from the yew tree.

There is still a large cast of characters and multiple story lines to lead the reader astray. And at over 600 pages rather long but I enjoyed the story and although I figured out a version of the ending there was still a twist at the end.

Book 63: The Curious Case of the Copper Corpseby Alan Bradley
Category: A School of Fish - Children's/YA



This is one of those ".5" books which is more of a short story. Flavia's presence is requested by one of the boys at the local boy's school to determine who murdered the copper corpse in the bathtub.

To those of you who celebrate:

>90 dudes22: I was sad when I reached the end of the Flavia books. I keep hoping Bradley will write of her adult adventures.

>92 thornton37814: - I still have a few to go, luckily. I didn't realize that the series was ended because often there can be a bit of time between books.

ETA: Oh - I didn't realize how old he was.

>93 dudes22: I didn't either. Wow! 83!

>94 thornton37814: - And he started writing later in life which will fit one of the challenges next year.

Book 64: The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Category: A Kindle of Kittens - Ebooks
November Genre: SFF



This dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel takes place in the mid-2020s. It's never revealed what caused the breakdown of society, but anarchy and violence are very prevalent. The narrator of the novel is a young girl who has hyper-empathy which causes her to feel others pain to an abnormal degree - supposedly because of some drug her mother took.

When the compound she lives in is overrun and her family killed, she is forced to flee and try to find a where she can live.

The writing is wonderful and I'm sure there were levels that I didn't even understand to the degree they could have been. I'll probably read the dequel next year.

Book 65: The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
Category - A School of Fish - Children/YA Books
BINGO Block: Book shared with 20 or fewer people



Lex has lived at the zoo ever since she was deposited there during a tornedo and rescued by one of the elephants. There is a bit of magical realism to this book as she can hear the wind and see images when Nyah (the elephant who protected her during the tornedo) looks into her eyes. She tried to go to school but the other children called her "elephant girl" and now she stays in the zoo where she feels safe. Her friend Franklin is off to baseball camp this summer and she wonders how she will occupy her time.

One day she ventures out of the zoo, into the woods across the street and meets a ghost who has something to do with the images she sees from Nyah, although she's not sure what.

I'm not sure where I heard about this, but I suspect it was from LadyoftheLodge since I see she also read it and there are only a few of us that have. There are a few themes in this book that couldopen up discussions - bullying, friendship, trying new things. It's for an age group of 8-12 and I think I'll be buying it for a birthday gift for someone next year.

Book 66: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Category: An Ambush of Tigers - Book Bullets
Geo Kit: Polar



Franny Stone manages to wrangle her way onto a fishing vessel in order to follow what may be the last migration of the Artic tern from the Artic to Antartica. The world is losing animals to extinction and the terns may be one of the few species left. From the beginning, you can tell that Franny is a deeply trouble person and her past is gradually revealed. Although the writing was wonderful, I found myself frustrated by Franny's character. But that's what makes the book too.

Book 67: Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
Category - A Congregation of Plovers - General Fiction



I'm finding that Charles Martin is one of my favorite authors. He writes of difficult subjects but not in a depressing way. (although sometimes there is sadness). Although tagged as Christian fiction, there's not a lot of proselytizing or sermonizing.

A woman is killed by a train. A young, mute, obviously abused boy is found near the train tracks, a reporter wants to try and find out who the young boy is. It's about fathers and sons and brothers and what works and what doesn't. There's great writing and thoughts to mull over.

>99 dudes22: I really enjoyed the one Charles Martin book that I read and plan on reading more of his - just need to fit them into the schedule!

>100 DeltaQueen50: - I know - always the problem, isn't it?

Book 68: Christmas in Absaroka County by Craig Johnson
Category - A Kindle of Kittens - E-Books
December Random: Seasonal Reading



A set of 4 short stories featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire set during the Christmas season.

Book 69: The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn
Category: A Parade of Elephants - Series Books
December Genre: Mysteries



Next book in the series about a dog and a PI told from the dog's point of view. There's a lot of filler in these books with the dog's observations, but it's a good read when you want some fluff. This time Bernie and Chet are hired in what turns out to be a kidnapping.

Book 70: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yolo Ogawa
Category: A Troop OF Kangaroos - Book Club Books



This is the story of a woman who is hired as a housekeeper (I don't think we ever know her name) to take care of a Professor who was in an automobile accident many years ago and can only remember things for 90 minutes. Except for the things that happened before the accident. He spends most of his time solving mathematical equations.

The housekeeper's son comes after school one day and the Professor decides to call him Root - like the square root sign in math. They share an interest in baseball even though the Professor thinks it's still only 1975 and talks about a player who doesn't play anymore.

This is one of those small, quiet books where not much happens but is very enjoyable. I started off listening to it and I really enjoyed it that way because all the equations had to be read. My library loan ran out while we were away and i couldn't get it as an audio without waiting so I got the physical book to finish it. And I think I would have enjoyed the audio book better.

Book 71: Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket by Chris Grabenstein
Category; A School of Fish - Children's/YA Books
December Alpha Kit: G



I like this series of middle school books. This one is about different board games and Mr. Lemoncello's factory. The author must be a kid at heart - he's got a really good imagination.

I have to take a 3-4 hour drive tomorrow to pick up my sister-in-law and bring her back here for Christmas. I decided since I like Louse Erdrich's first book in the series The Birchbark House that I would borrow the second from the library to listen to in the car on my way there. Should be able to make it about 1/2 way through.

To all here on LT:

Safe travels.

>108 Helenliz: - Thanks - Things went well, the dog was good in the car, and no traffic jams. And I'll be doing it again on Mon to take her back.

Book 72: The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Category: A Congregation of Plovers - General Fiction
Bingo Block: Set in or author from a Southern Hemisphere



At its heart, I guess you would say this book is about how Edie Burchill goes searching to find out about her mother’s past. But most of it is about the house and the sisters where she spent a little time during WWII. At almost 700 pages, there’s a lot of detailed descriptions – of the castle, the sisters and I think this detracted from setting a decent pace in the book. Sometimes I felt like I was going round and round a rotary (roundabout) trying to get to the right exit.

I had somewhat ambivalent feelings about this book. It was a good enough story but at times I found it rather annoying and the narrator dense. For example: When Edie was a child and home sick, her mother brought her a book home from the library. When it was time to take it back, it couldn’t be found and Edie was made to go to the library and explain to the librarian that it was lost. Yet when she finds the book in a box of her mother’s things, she never stops to wonder why her mother hid it, although I think it’s fairly obvious to the reader.

I wrote the above before we went away for 2 weeks at Thanksgiving so I wouldn’t forget my first impressions. Now that I’ve finished the book, I find that I like it a lot more than I thought I would at the beginning. There are many twists and turns and back and forth in time and place and stories, but, eventually, it’s all brought together. But at almost 700 pages, it’s really long.

So that's my last book for the year and the last block on my Bingo card. I picked up some books from the library yesterday and those will start my new year off. I'll be posting my year-end stats later today or tomorrow.

>111 dudes22: Woo hoo, congrats on blacking out your bingo card in the nick of time!

Thanks, rp. I was worried I wouldn't get there.

Congratulations on getting your Bingo Card completed, Betty.

Thanks, Judy.

I've finished my reading for this year, so here are the stats on how I did this year.

Books Read: 72 ( 27 male, 45 female)

Books from TBR: 37 (51%) I like reading from the library, but it doesn’t help my TBR pile go down.)

Best Books:
Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
Glass Houses by Louise Penny
Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Least Liked:
Letters From a Nut by Ted L. Nancy
The Seal Wife by Kathryn Harrison

Book Bullets: 105
I took a lot of BBs this year from my LT friends. I also took recommendations from friends and the monthly pamphlet from the library. Even a few from Pintrest and Amazon. I’m hoping to concentrate on reading a lot of BBs next year. And Now - the Annie Oakley Awards -



Annie Oakley Award:

To the following fellow readers who hit me with the most BBs this year:

1st place: Laura - 11 (Lauralkeet, a friend from the NeedleArts group who posts in the 75 Group Challenge)

2nd place: Jayne (JayneCM) – 10

3rd Place: Kay (RidgewayGirl) – 9

And a special honorable mention this year to Katie (katiekrug) who provided the book for my husband's Christmas gift this year – Island of the Lost which he says is quite good.

Happy new year to you too!

Haha, I love the Annie Oakley Award!

>116 dudes22: Thank you for my award, I will treasure it. And more than half your books came from your tbr, which is a great success. As for the others, well, you didn't go out and buy a copy, did you?

Looking forward to seeing what you're reading in 2022.