Familyhistorian's Reads for 2022 - Part 1

Welcome to my thread. My name is Meg and I live on the west coast of Canada in a land of soaring trees and rugged mountains. This place feels like home now because I miss the sight of abundant foliage when I travel elsewhere. But I’d really like to travel elsewhere. I was just getting into the swing of having more time to travel when everything shut down. Still there were things to keep me busy, like writing and reading. I must have been doing a lot of that in the last year because keeping up with the threads was more of a challenge than usual. I’d like to say that I’ll do better this year but, who knows. We’ll see what this year brings.

BLOG



I write about genealogy and history on my blog. You can see my latest blog posts at: A Genealogist’s Path to History

Challenges
Reading Through Time

Quarterly

January-March 2022 – 19th Century Europe (& rest of the world, excluding Northern America)
April-June 2021 – 19th Century Northern America (includes Civil War; excluding the Old West)
July-September 2021 – The Old West
October-December 2021 – 20th Century: Before WW1 (1900-1913)

Monthly

January: Eastern Philosophies & Religion
February: Rural Life
March:
April: Technology
May: Beginnings
June: The Golden State
July: Mental Health – Then and Now
August:
September: Harvest Moon
October: Musically Speaking
November: Ends and Endings
December: Reader’s Choice

2021 Nonfiction Challenge

January: Prizewinners and Nominees
February: Welcome to the Anthropocene
March: Espionage (and Counter-Espionage)
April: Armchair Traveling
May: From Wars to Peace
June: Science & Medicine
July: Cross-Genres
August: Books by Journalists
September: Biography
October: From the ‘Middle Ages’ to the Renaissance
November: Books About Books
December: As You Like It

Little Free Library

Books culled in 2022

January - 7

Books read in December 2021

Into the Blue: Family Secrets and the Search for a Great Lakes Shipwreck by Andrea Curtis
And Now I Spill the Family Secrets by Margaret Kimball
Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb
The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale
One London Day by CC Humphreys
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
Hell's Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men by Harold Schechter
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb
The Blood Doctor by Barbara Vine
The Missing Sapphire of Zangrabar by Steve Higgs

Books read in 2022

books acquired in 2021



Books acquired in 2022

Acquisitions for December 2021

A Short History of Ireland, 1500-2000 by John Gibney
Nuts and Bolts: Family History Problem Solving through Family Reconstitution Techniques by Andrew Todd
Murder Book: a graphic memoir of a true crime obsession by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell
Vancouver Vice: Crime and Spectacle in the City's West End by Aaron Chapman
The Positive Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
The Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

Let the posting begin!

Happy new thread, Meg!

Happy new year! I hope your 2022 is a wonderful reading year.

Happy New Year, Meg.

>11 richardderus: Thanks Richard, you were quick on the draw! I haven't even gotten to your 2022 thread yet.

>12 drneutron: Thanks for setting us up again, Jim! Have a great New Year and lots of good reads ahead.

>13 ffortsa: Same to you, Judy. Fingers crossed it is better than 2021!

Dropping a star, Meg, and looking forward to following you in the New Year. Hopefully I will do a better job of it.

Happy new thread, Meg! Starred!

>17 Crazymamie: You and me both, Mamie. I fell way behind in the threads in 2021.

>18 jessibud2: Hi Shelley, looks like we're all ready for 2022. May it be a better year!

Hi, Meg! All the best in 2022! Your challenges are really interesting. I gather you're going to do them separately? (Although that would be a challenge, to use all the prompts for the month at once.)
Where did you find all those ideas, if you don't mind me asking?

Hi zusaer, the challenges are ones I follow. You can find the Reading Through Time challenges if you go onto Groups. The Non-fiction challenges are on the 75 Books Challenge or will be once the 2022 thread for the challenge is started. You will be able to find that on the Threadbook for the 75ers once it is posted.

Happy new thread! May the new year bring lots of good reading materials your way!

>22 Familyhistorian: Thank you, that explains a lot :) It's great that in the case of having nothing to read (ha, ha) we can always get inspired by these challenges.

Hi Meg! Happy New Year!

I found a bunch of old pictures and genealogy stuff last week. Such things always make me think of you, lol. I'm giving the genealogy stuff to my MIL, who wants to trace IL3's lineage. She'll scan in the pictures and send them back. They are very interesting! It makes me wish I had the time, but alas....

This group always helps me to read; welcome back, Meg.

I've placed my star, Meg, and I am hoping to be better at keeping up in 2022, but I suspect it will be a struggle.

Psst... back in your >2 Familyhistorian: I think you misplaced a vowel - unless you did mean that our trees are sour not soaring! ;)

>23 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, thanks for the New Year's wishes. I hope you have a Happy New Year!

>24 zuzaer: The challenges are fun to follow but just wait for all the BBs (Book Bullets) you get when you follow other reader's threads! Being on LT has definitely broadened my reading.

>25 The_Hibernator: I can see why time for genealogy eludes you, Rachel. It is fascinating stuff. I hope that your MIL shares what she finds with you that way, in the future when you have time, you can add on to what she finds.

>26 PaulCranswick: Some good advice there, Paul. Although if there wasn't this group do you think you wouldn't be reading? I know I was a goner even before I joined, now I read just the same but much more widely.

>27 DeltaQueen50: Thanks re the typo, Judy. I was probably distracted by the snow when I typed that!

I know what you mean about keeping up. I really lagged behind in 2021. I'm hoping to keep up better in 2022.

>29 Familyhistorian: Yes, I get the feeling my To Read/Buy/Borrow list (that I don't have, to be honest, unless we include Handy Library app, a really useful tool when in a bookshop) will be expanding quickly...

Happy New Year Meg!

Hi Meg my dear, starred you again, looking forward to posting on here.

Happy New Year, Meg! Have a healthy and safe one. Looking forward to following your bookish life for another year.

Happy reading in 2022, Meg!

Happy 2022, Meg! I look forward to seeing what goodies you are reading in the new year.

Hanging my star and wishing you a great year of reading!

Happy New Year and happy first thread of 2022, Meg!

>3 Familyhistorian: All caught up on your blog. I love the angel, admire but can’t quite get up the energy for the traditional cleaning to prepare for Hogmanay. Bill’s been keeping the dishes under control, we each keep our own laundry under control, and we share kitty duties and occasional housekeeping.

>4 Familyhistorian: Love your challenges. Welcome to the Anthropocene reminds me of one of my favorite podcasts, The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green. I only have two other podcasts that I regularly listen to, but this one’s the best.

Happy new year, Meg! I look forward to reading through another year with you.

Happy New Year, Meg! I hope it's filled with great reading!

>33 zuzaer: It depends on how many threads you follow and how many books you can find to meet the challenges. There are so many interesting possibilities and, frustratingly, you have to remember some as they aren't out in your market yet.

>34 SandDune: Hi Rhian, hope that your New Year's is off to a good start!

>35 johnsimpson: Good to see you here John!

>36 msf59: Hi Mark, I hope to be around more on the threads this year and see more of your Jackson pics!

>37 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, I hope 2022 is a wonderful reading year for you!

>38 quondame: Hope your New Year is a good one, Susan!

>39 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, I finished my first book for the year but have to set up my ROOTs thread before I post about that one. So there will be books to post about soon.

Happy New Year, Meg. I hope 2022 is a good year for you.

>40 thornton37814: Hi Lori, may we both get to 200 in 2022!

>41 karenmarie: Hi Karen, good to see you sharing the chores. I'm not much of a one for cleaning the house for Hogmany myself, at least not on a regular basis. Do you follow the non-fiction challenge? I find it helps me get through my shelves full of nonfiction tomes.

>42 Carmenere: Hi Lynda, I hope to be a more frequent visitor on the threads, including yours, this year.

>43 cbl_tn: Hi hope you have a wonderful reading year too, Carrie!

>47 BLBera: Hi Beth, almost missed you. You snuck in while I was posting my last response. Good to see you here and all the best for the New Year. Will this be your retirement year?

I'd love to stick around and play on LT but the forecast calls for more snow this afternoon so I better get out there while I can. Then it's rain tomorrow, probably a sloppy mess. My topper is just to remind me of how things usually are. My home parking lot now looks like this:

Good luck with the snow! We got a lot this week; not sure how long it will last.

Happy New Year, Meg! Best wishes for a wonderful year of reading.

>51 Berly: We're supposed to get more snow, Kim, but it looks like it's on the cusp because there's some rain in the mix. Might be just rain by the time it gets to you. Happy New Year!

>52 jnwelch: Hi Joe, good to see you here. I hope you have a year of great reads in 2022!

Hi Meg, I will be following your new thread for 2022. The wind is howling like crazy here tonight. Good thing I'm not the 3 little pigs but maybe I am after all the Christmas treats!

>54 mdoris: Hi Mary, I hope that everything survived intact in the wind. I notice it was picking up here last night too. Now we have rain. Hope it washes all the snow away!

I'm having problems with the tags for the books I have catalogued on LT. The first label in my list of tags shows there are 23 books listed under Anthropology/Archaeology but when I click on the tag it says there are no books listed under the title tag. I've done some preliminary looking on the help page but nothing shows up on this issue. Anyone have any suggestions?

>50 Familyhistorian: I want some snow! We hardly ever get any.

>56 Familyhistorian: I wish I could help, but I have no ideas.

>56 Familyhistorian: I think I've had the same problem with some tag yesterday... I just assumed it's some server problem. If you need to search by tags, I can only suggest to search by tags in the top right corner of the "Your Books" page.
Edit: oh, right, my case was the book subject tags (imported from the library's records) not working.

>56 Familyhistorian: I have had trouble with non-characters in tags like &, -, /.
Haven't looked at the bug collectors thread yet, as I was in no hurry exploring my LT library.

Star dropped and wishing you a happy new year, Meg.

Hi Meg. I return to another year of seeing what you read. Thanks for the lovely opening image! Did you take this photo?

It is incredible! I hope you have another year of reading good books, and have the time to read them.

>57 alcottacre: I'd gladly send you some snow, Stasia. All that's here in fact. I am not a fan.

>58 zuzaer: Thanks but this was a whole category of tags. The books themselves still had the tag on them but I could not search them up using the tag.

>59 FAMeulstee: I forgot about bug collectors. I'll check that out, Anita.

>60 RebaRelishesReading: Good to see you here, Reba. I hope you made it home safe and sound and had a Happy New Year!

>61 Whisper1: Hi Linda, I did take the topper shot. I love taking photos when the light is different like that. Thanks re the year of books. Time to read them would be good to have!

>64 Familyhistorian: We're still on the road, I'm afraid. Baring unexpected problems we will be home tomorrow late afternoon. It's been a good trip but we are both really ready to be home for a while.

Has your searching-by-tag issue cleared up?

And happy week-ahead's reads!

>65 RebaRelishesReading: Fingers crossed that all goes well with your journey, Reba. It will feel so good to be in your own space again!

>66 richardderus: Hi Richard, no the first tag in my library still doesn't go to the list of books when I click on it. It's a good thing that I know which shelf my cataloguing starts with.

Thanks re the reads. I have been getting through some but I'm now trying to finish The Rose Code before the library wants it back. It's a long one!

HI Meg, I liked The Rose Code. I thought the friendships between the women were interesting! I thought it was interesting too that no one seems fussed about an American woman author from California telling such an English story.

Snow almost gone after biblical wind and rain yesterday. There was so much snow that i'm surprised it vanished so easily.

>69 mdoris: From reading the notes in the back of the book, it looks as though the author has a track record of writing about historical episodes in places she has never lived so maybe that's why no one was fussed about an American author writing such an English story. She seems to have done a lot of research to lend the story authenticity.

We still have snow even though much of it was washed away in the rain today and more snow is predicted.

>70 Familyhistorian: I was really just poking the bear as the "rules" for the cultural appropriation vary so vastly. I personally think it is silly when it is a work of fiction to put limits on creativity..

>69 mdoris: >70 Familyhistorian: It never worries me if an American writer is writing about British things unless they get the details wrong. And even then, it doesn’t annoy me, it just becomes a book that doesn’t work for me if too many of the details are wrong.

Funnily enough, one of my son’s essay questions in his history degree made me start thinking about cultural appropriation in a different way. We think certain elements of history are ‘our’ history, because they took place in the geographical area in which we live or to the people from who we are descended. But (depending on how far back in time you go) to what extent can we truly claim ownership of these events when we have changed so much culturally? A modern British person is culturally much more similar to many more people alive today than they would have been to their own ancestors of the Middle Ages.

1. A Turn for the Bad by Sheila Connolly



I eased my way into the new year with a cozy mystery, one of the County Cork mysteries. A Turn for the Bad introduced Maura to a darker side of Ireland, smuggling and it all started with a farmer going missing in odd circumstances leaving his young son behind to fend for himself. There were many things happening that embedded Maura more firmly into her new life. It was also an interesting mystery.

>71 mdoris: Cultural appropriation is a real bugbear, Mary. But no one seems to blink if anyone of a different background writes about the UK or the US so it is a very one sided bugbear.

Hello, Meg! Happy Tuesday. Congrats on your first read of the year - I just finished my first one, too - Hench, which was fun.

>72 SandDune: That's another facet of "cultural appropriation" that I hadn't thought of, Rhian. It's true in a way but hard for me to subscribe to as I do try to relate to the culture of the people I descended from but then again, when I write about their stories I have to put them in the context of their times. The culture then was very different than it is now but is constantly evolving so that it is difficult for even one generation removed to be on the same wave length.

>75 Crazymamie: Good to see that you enjoyed Hench, Mamie. I really liked that one.

>73 Familyhistorian: I thought that installment was a little better than the two before it.

>78 thornton37814: It did hold together better than the first two, Lori. Held my attention more as well. Almost makes me think I should try another but then I look at the stacks of books I have to read and don't think I'll go out of my way to find the next one.

We are still in the depths of winter weather. Not usual for around here. It's gotten uglier too, icy now so that new snowfall can't be brushed off the car. It would be nice to have an indoor spot to park in these cold days! I barely made it to my dentist appointment in time this morning with all the scraping and defrosting I had to do this morning.

Hi Meg, Oh how it is piling up outside again. Probably first thing tomorrow I will be shoveling. Ugh! It does look gorgeous though.

Meg, sorry about all the extra work the weather is causing you. I do not miss that part of snow and ice and the cold.

>80 Familyhistorian:, Hi Meg my dear, so far i have only had to scrape snow or ice off the car three times so far, it has dropped cold here but compared to what you get, it probably feels warm. Light snow is forecast for tomorrow but we are unlikely to see any, it more for the Pennines up around Settle and the Dales. From Monday we go from minus one or two to the heady heights of plus 12C and then it cools down again.

2. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn



The story of The Rose Code centred around three women from very different backgrounds who ended up becoming close friends at Bletchley Park during WWII. They were so close and the times so overwhelming that they ended up hating each other. But time and circumstances brought them together again in shortly after the war to hunt down someone who had been a traitor in their midst.

The historical details and the off the wall characters made this a good read but, in common with many books these days, it just seemed to go on too long. Maybe that was just because I had to get through it in a short time to get it back to the library when so many other books were calling my name.

>81 mdoris: We got our snow later than you did, Mary. It was there when I woke up. The forecast kept promising rain which I hoped would wash it all away but it's a long time coming so I'll have to get out there and shift some of the snow off my car and around it where the plow didn't reach. It will probably start raining when I'm out there with my luck.

>82 Crazymamie: The extra work is the main thing I remember about snow, Mamie. I used to live in Montreal and my job was to shovel the snow in the winter. The snowbanks beside the driveway were over my head for a good part of the time so there was a lot of shovelling involved.

>83 johnsimpson: Our climate is actually similar to England most of the time, John. You know, spring at the end of February. Very little snow. Not at all like the rest of Canada. We don't even have in door spaces to park our cars. I've had to scrape about 5 or 6 times so far and I don't like it! Our average temperature at this time of the year is usually about 6 C.

I chose to get my Santa Thing books through Powell's this time and I received them yesterday. That's much faster than usual. I'll have to chose the same supplier next time. The books are:

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Lovely War by Julie Berry

Happy Friday, Meg. Sorry to hear about your continuing snow issues. Bummer. A Gentleman in Moscow should warm your heart though. Have a good weekend.

Hi Meg. Snow is pretty when viewed from the inside. I’m not a fan of shoveling or digging cars out. Hopefully you got it taken care of before the rain came.

I look forward to following your reading this year. I liked but didn’t love the two books I’ve read by Kate Quinn so I might take a pass on The Rose Code.

Happy weekend. Stay warm and dry!

>84 Familyhistorian: Oh dear. That does not inspire me to dash out and procure it, I must admit; not as though I was in the starting blocks anyway, though. The Alice Network was fun but not earth-shaking. I think the right mood will dawn for her books and there are plenty of them so their time will come.

Enjoy the weekend ahead's reads.

>73 Familyhistorian: No, I must resist starting another series! I already have too many to keep up with, right? Right?

>84 Familyhistorian: I had an issue with the length of that one too, but I enjoyed my time with it.

>88 Familyhistorian: I loved A Gentleman in Moscow, so I am hoping that you do too!

Happy Friday, Meg!

>89 msf59: Thanks Mark. It rained and a lot of the snow disappeared so there's hope yet. I saw a lot of LT love for A Gentleman in Moscow. Will see how it goes.

>90 Donna828: Hi Donna, I'm not a fan of snow and it's hard to see the prettiness when it gets in your way. It's good to see you back. I don't think I've read anything else by Kate Quinn. The Rose Code was good but oh so long!

>91 richardderus: You just reminded me that I have The Alice Network in the stacks, Richard. It's a long one too so I'll leave that for a while. I feel a need for shorter reads now. Hope your weekend reads treat you well.

>92 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, yes too many series already. That one's a slow starter as I didn't find the first two in the series as good as A Turn for the Bad. My problem with The Rose Code was that I couldn't take it slow. It was a library book that I was unable to renew. That made it feel a bit like homework. I know that a lot of people on LT really like A Gentleman in Moscow. Will see how it strikes me.

3. The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick



A woman escapes a mental institution where she has been locked up while her “husband” helps himself to her inheritance. It was the ‘30s, a time when troublesome relatives could be warehoused forever with no redress. She holes up in a California town and gets a job as a waitress but the reader knows that won’t last. There’s plenty here to show that there are evil forces at work and a man with a murky past and an interest in the waitress to help her get to the bottom of what is going on because the evil deeds extend beyond the madhouse and they need to be stopped.

The Other Lady Vanishes was a fun fast moving adventure in 1930s California in a town close to Hollywood where the stars came to play. So did the people who had their own fortunes to make any way they could.

Happy Weekend!

>84 Familyhistorian: Quinn's books usually never disappoint. Glad you enjoyed that one.

>98 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Well, another Cornelia Funke read and it did not disappoint. I enjoy the Mirrorworld series, catching all the easter eggs for the fairy-tale worlds!

Hoping for a good new week for us all.

>100 richardderus: Good to see that you enjoyed that read, Richard. I've never read anything by Cornelia Funke. Sending you good reading wishes for the week ahead.

4. Whispers at Midnight by Karen Robards



Another fast reading romantic mystery, Whispers at Midnight was done in next to no time. Maybe I’ll get a handle on the over flowing shelves this year. (I wish).

Carly Linton inherited her grandmother’s house in the small town she grew up in. She moved back to town with the idea of opening up at bed and breakfast. It seemed like a good idea since there were no hotels in town. The idea was good enough to talk her friend, the to-be cook into accompanying her. The problem was Carly’s history in the town. It was bad enough that the man who’d loved and left her teenage self was now the town sheriff but there was also a murderer in town and it looked like Carly was on his target list.

>9 Familyhistorian: The Positive Trait Thesaurus and The Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi seem like such specific topics! It never occurred to me that there would be writing guides for such niche areas. (Look at that, I learned something new!)

>84 Familyhistorian: The Rose Code seems to have such a good premise, what a shame it didn't sing for you.

>103 LovingLit: There are quite a few of those thesaurus books, all of them very specific. It's probably due to how many aspiring writers there are that the market for books about writing is so niche.

The Rose Code was actually very good, Megan, it was just that it was a library hold with someone waiting for it which made it seem more of a chore to read such a long book.

>97 Familyhistorian: I will have to look for that one when I am in the mood for a historical romance. I am surprised to see that Krentz published it under her Quick pseudonym though.

>102 Familyhistorian: I have read Robards in the past, but i do not think I ever read that one, so I will have to give it a try.

Have a great week, Meg!

HI Meg, Coming over for a visit! Have you got any more info about a potential move? Windy and rainy here and lots of snow is disappearing but still some high snow banks. Winter!

5. The Performance by Claire Thomas



A performance of Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days was being performed on stage in Melbourne as fires raged in areas outside the city. It would have been a distracting night for most theatre goers but it was even more so for the three points of view that guided the narrative. They were all female and had different perspectives to bring to The Performance they are viewing as well as concerns from their own lives that occupy their minds. The portrayal of female thought tracks rang true and left me with an unsettled feeling when all was said and done. Some of that feeling may have come from the fact that I live in a part of the world that also tends to burn in unsettling ways.

>107 Familyhistorian: Any part of the world prone to burning is unsettling to me. I'm by the ocean for a reason!

>105 alcottacre: I haven't read much by Krentz as Krentz, Stasia. She had come forward to a time between the wars with her Quick books. So there are a series of them set in that time period. Are the ones she writes as Krentz also historic? Maybe I should give them a try. The Robards was fairly old at least my copy looked that way.

>106 mdoris: Yes, winter is ugly and icy. I can't wait until all the cold white stuff is gone. There have been some updates about the move but just that the buyers are doing stuff, nothing really concrete yet.

>108 richardderus: What does being by the ocean have to do with not burning, Richard? We are next to the Pacific Ocean over here but that doesn't stop wildfire season.

My building's got asphalt on one side and sand on the other...neither combusts at temps likely to be achieved by any event that wouldn't mean a mere fire was the least of my worries! And, unlike that building in the Bronx, mine has rows and rows of sprinklers in my room, those around and above me, and the (tiled) hallways.

It was sunny yesterday. I took these pictures down by the lake. The fountain kept part of the lake from being frozen which meant all the ducks had to crowd into a small space.

>112 richardderus: That sounds optimal for fire prevention, Richard. Whereas I live in a wood framed building with trees that tower right behind my unit. Not great for fire prevention.

>114 Familyhistorian: The State feels that anything fire-y that happens in assisted living is going to end very, very badly for the politicians so the regs are *stringent* and enforced.

6. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman



The second book in the Thursday Murder Club Mystery, The Man Who Died Twice, was as un-put-downable as the first. This time Elizabeth’s past came back to haunt her in the person of an ex-husband and fellow spy. He was still working for MI5 but there was an issue about some missing diamonds he was mixed up in. Problem was they were the mafia’s diamonds and there were a whole bunch of people after them. Also in this episode Ibrahim had been mugged by a young thug and his mates. So, there was that to deal with as well and deal the crew did in their own inimitable style.

>115 richardderus: That's good, Richard. A lot of our seniors homes are in private hands but I have a feeling that the rules will become more stringent after the past few years.

7. Loyalists and Layabouts: The Rapid Rise and Faster Fall of Shelburne, Nova Scotia: 1783-1792 by Stephen Kimber



In the aftermath of the American Revolution, one of the places that the Loyalists settled when they removed from New York when the British were defeated was Port Roseway, Nova Scotia. This place later became known at Shelburne. The Loyalists had grandiose plans for their new settlement and began putting up grand houses so they could carry on their social whirl, after they had put the black Loyalists in their place, of course, in the neighbouring and much more poorly situated Birchtown. Was it government red tape or the Loyalist’s elitist natures that led to the downfall of Shelburne?

Loyalists and Layabouts: The Rapid Rise and Faster Fall of Shelburne, Nova Scotia: 1783-1792 was a well-researched account of the rise and fall of the new settlement which outlined the outside forces which were in play. I had some idea of the social dynamics at play having read about the black settlement in The Book of Negroes but hadn’t realized how ill prepared the people who settled Shelburne were when they set up the town.

>107 Familyhistorian: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

>109 Familyhistorian: No, under the Krentz name she writes contemporary romances.

>116 Familyhistorian: I just got my copy of that one at the end of last week. I am going to have to get to it sooner rather than letter!

Have a great week, Meg!

>119 alcottacre: Ah, that's probably why I like the ones she writes as Amanda Quick. My preference is for historic settings. The Thursday Murder Club book is very good so it goes down easy, Stasia.

>120 Familyhistorian: She also writes as Jayne Castle and those books are paranormal and sometimes futuristic. Good to hear about the Osman book!

>121 alcottacre: She sounds a prolific as Nora Roberts. How do those writers do it?

>122 Familyhistorian: I have no idea, but I wish I did - and that i had the talent to do it!

>123 alcottacre: Me too!

Me three! Beautiful pictures in >113 Familyhistorian:, amazing blue sky.

Me four! (Is it possible to say that?) >118 Familyhistorian: sounds like interesting read, I know only the basics about America's history so I didn't even know about Shelburne.

>113 Familyhistorian: Nice pictures. It looks like you don't have a lot of snow. Glad you were able to enjoy the sunny day :)

>118 Familyhistorian: That one sounds very interesting!

>118 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg,
Rainy days ahead for you but that will hopefully rid you of the snow and ice. Poor folks out Abbotsford-Chilliwack way, though.
Kimber's book surprised me (the reviews and synopsis, haven't actually read it). What a messy dynamic. Kind of sadly-arrogant, too, weren't they (those particular immigrant Loyalists)?

In CK, the book looks like fiction. It is listed in Awards, as Atlantic Book Awards Shortlist (Dartmouth Book Award | Fiction).
I can see (on LT "Work Details") no publication date, so is it my settings on LT or simply the way that page displays for everyone? Drives me crazy that there's all the library catalogue numbers but no details like 'original date of publication'.
I guess looking at 'Editions' shows dates, but if the editions listed there are later ones, that doesn't indicate the original pub.

Just small niggles, of course. Perhaps I could annotate CK and be helpful.

>129 SandyAMcPherson: I can see info: 2008, first edition, so maybe that's it? I'm still not sure about how to search for the original date of publication, since it looks to me that when I add some book to my list I can see only this edition's details, and no data (to which we know LT has access to) about the work as a whole. But, for me, also the number of ISBNs when there's no list of, say, languages, apart from those of the reviews, is a bit surprising.

>125 mdoris: It's so amazing to see blue sky here, isn't it Mary? Makes it almost look like it isn't BC!

>126 zuzaer: It's a Canadian story rather than an American story although Shelburne was settled in the aftermath of the American Revolution. The story became more international as many of the black loyalists didn't fare well in Nova Scotia and ended up going to Sierra Leone.

>127 figsfromthistle: Not much snow there as the city workers cleared the pathways in the park, Anita. There was more elsewhere at that point. The rest of the snow is fast disappearing and probably won't be around after our latest deluge hits any minute now.

>128 drneutron: It was a good one that got down to the nitty gritty of what actually happened in the founding of the town by focusing on some of the people involved. I hope you are able to find it, Jim.

Happy Tuesday, Meg!

>132 Familyhistorian: I forgot Nova Scotia is in Canada. (Me, Anne Shirley fan?!) But I thought this stemmed from American Revolution and regarded Americans -- probably that's why I confused it all.

Sierra Leone! I knew there was a touchpoint between Colonial America and Africa but couldn't call it up. *sigh of relief*

>129 SandyAMcPherson: The prediction is for another atmospheric river, so not good with all the melting snow, Sandy.

The book was originally published in 2008 according to the publishing page. I'm not sure what about the CK you are referencing. What is that?

>130 zuzaer: According to the blurb on the inside of the book cover: "Published to mark the 225th anniversary of the arrival of the Loyalist to Shelburne," When you do the math adding 225 to 1783 that makes the publishing date 2008.

>135 alcottacre: Happy Tuesday back at you, Stasia!

>136 zuzaer: No problem. It did start in the 13 colonies and the Loyalists among the colonists had to flee and, as Nova Scotia was very close, many of them went there.

>137 richardderus: Yes, well the British may have freed the slaves who fought for them but they weren't treated well. Abolitionists from Britain came up with the scheme of settling them in Sierra Leone and Nova Scotia was a prime recruiting ground for immigrants.

>142 Familyhistorian: Somehow that tidbit was lodged in a corner of my mind's card catalog. Retrieved now!

And the "CK" herein referenced is "Common Knowledge" about the books/authors/etc that we can earn helper badges for getting/keeping updated.

>143 richardderus: That info also came up in The Book of Negroes or whatever US publishers called that book. Might be where you remember it from. I think that is where I remember it from but who knows. I've reached the age where there is a lot of information in my brain but the origin tags are often missing.

Thanks for the info on "CK". It seems to be the same info I access about the books as I add them. I just didn't know what it was called.

>113 Familyhistorian: Nice shots, Meg. It is a popular time here for migrating waterfowl, as long as there is open water. Things are frozen now. Can you identify any other ducks? Most of these look like mallards.

>139 Familyhistorian: I've seen that! I remember thinking that will be a helpful information. And thankfully the record indicated that 2008 was the first edition, so no problems there.

>145 msf59: I didn't look closely at the ducks, Mark, but I believe that most of them were mallards. I believe the city left the fountain running on purpose to give the ducks somewhere to be although there are other places. I've seen them in the creek behind my townhouse and sometimes in the river although that can be problematic when the river is running high like now.

>146 zuzaer: Nice that all the dates tallied.

Hi Meg! You're off to a great start for the year! The loyalist book sounds really interesting and would be a good follow-up to Someone Knows My Name (which is the US title for The Book of Negroes).

>118 Familyhistorian: I'm pretty sure that one is on a TBR list for me. My Thorntons went to Nova Scotia but returned to South Carolina.

>149 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie, it was easier to understand the goings on in the loyalist book having read The Book of Negroes. There were a lot of behind the scenes wrangling and underhanded dealings. No wonder the town didn't thrive.

>150 thornton37814: Were your Thorntons part of the wave of Loyalists who moved to Nova Scotia, Lori? Did they end up in Shelburne or another part of the province?

>152 Familyhistorian: They spent Winter 1782 in Halifax, then went to Newport, Nova Scotia for a short time before getting a land grant in Rawdon (August 1784). They weren't in Shelburne--just in Nova Scotia.

>153 thornton37814: Rawdon sounds like a good place to be granted land, Lori. It's in the Annapolis Valley which is good farmland, much better than the land in Shelburne.

8. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher



Mona was a young baker whose limited magic worked on dough. But wizards and their ilk were treated as second class citizens in the kingdom. After she stumbled on a dead girl in her aunt’s bakery she found out that the Inquisitor Oberon was willing to brand her as the murderer. That was how the story began which drew Mona and young Spindle, the brother of the dead girl, into a fight to save their city.

The story of A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking was action packed and that wasn’t limited to the human elements, dough and baked goods also got in on the action. It was a feel good story that also questioned why it took heroes to save the people in power who supposedly knew what to do.

Sounds really interesting! (Not only because I'm from the Harry Potter generation.) I wonder why wizards were second class citizens, and what it means exactly that Mona had only a bit of magic, how it could differenciate between the people.

>153 thornton37814: They didn't really stay there that long. I'm guessing they preferred the warmer climate of the Carolinas. After they returned part of them went north to Ohio and then Indiana, others went to Alabama with a brief stop in Georgia on the way.

>155 Familyhistorian: WHat an interesting sounding book!

>155 Familyhistorian: >158 mdoris: That one's a treasure!

>155 Familyhistorian: I was enchanted by that tale as well, Meg. A genuine delight.

>156 zuzaer: It's a good one, you should check it out. Wizards were second class citizens because they were different which sounds familiar.

>157 thornton37814: They probably found out how short the growing season is there, Lori. I remember spring coming late (Mayish) and winter coming early. They were no alone in leaving, many of the Loyalists went back.

>158 mdoris: It's a fun one, Mary and I got it from the Vancouver Public Library. Had to wait for the hold and get through it quickly. It's popular but a fast read.

Oooh yours is the second review of A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking I've seen today. It's already on the TBR list, I'll really have to try to get to it this year.

>159 quondame: I agree, so well done!

>160 richardderus: I picked it up as a BB from someone's thread, Richard. Did you write a review of it?

>164 bell7: You really should Mary. I found it a very quick read (couldn't put it down) so maybe you should get to it soon.

>161 Familyhistorian: I'm trying to work out the best possible way of acquiring this book... I'll need to do the research about some kind of e-book library, or maybe just a good e-book website. (I've seen a lot of records here on LT show the work on that form, although maybe that was because of my searching tools.)

Happy Friday!

>155 Familyhistorian: This books has been popping up everywhere. I shall put it on my WL.

>168 zuzaer: I got my copy from the library as a regular book. Good luck with your search for a copy of the e-book.

>169 figsfromthistle: When I borrowed it from the library there was a double digit list of holds on it. It's popular. Have a great weekend, Anita!

>166 Familyhistorian: I did indeed: https://www.librarything.com/topic/333258#7540601

Hi Meg!

Behind again…

>48 Familyhistorian: I do not follow the non-fiction challenge, alas. And right now I’m having a hard time concentrating on the book I want to continue, The Code Breakers, and am reading a light-fluffy memoir, How to be Champion instead. I’m on page 114 of The Code Breaker and can’t seem to muster the energy for it.

>113 Familyhistorian: Great pics, thanks for sharing. Heh. Bunched up ducks.

>116 Familyhistorian: I liked this one even better than the first. Looks like book 3 in the series will be published in the US on September 13th, and I just pre-ordered it.

>172 richardderus: Oh yes, that is familiar and most likely why A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking ended on my library holds list.

>173 karenmarie: I can understand your difficulties with The Code Breaker, Karen. I assume you are reading the one about gene editing (the touchstones in your post are to two different books). I'm currently on page 363 of The Code Breaker but it has taken me a while to get there. It is such a tome but I like the short chapters and the stories of the intrigue about the forces behind the various factions. I have the added incentive to get through the book as it is a library hold and due on Wednesday.

The Man Who Died Twice was a really fun read. Good to know that the next in the series is due out soon.

9. Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb



I have a whole bunch of library holds that are breathing down my neck but once I started Conspiracy in Death I couldn’t put it down. This time Dallas was stripped of her badge and gun as powerful forces ranged against her. Politics and power had been subverted by a clique of doctors specializing in organ replacement. Their high place in society gave them an edge that made them seem an overwhelming foe for a time. But the crew around Dallas, including new members drawn in for this story, pulled her through. It’s interesting how the recurring characters develop as the series grows.

>155 Familyhistorian: Already on my list - i THINK from Richard? You're thumbing made me want to bump it up a few notches on the pile

Yes The Code Breakers seems to go down better in small bites - I am enjoying though

One of the things that happened in our deep freeze as I negotiated the semi-plowed roads was that I picked up a piece of tree from a pine that had fallen onto the roadway. It lodged in the undercarriage of my car and made dragging noises over speed bumps. I couldn't shift it with a broom and finally took it in to the dealer yesterday. I told them it needed to go on a hoist but what do I know? The technician got under the car and tried to dislodge the tree limb but couldn't. He said they'd need to put it on the hoist. (surprise, surprise) So that was done and my car went through the car wash so it is ready now to take on the roads that are now clear. The snow has all gone away and the grass is green again!

>177 magicians_nephew: The defensive baking story is a fun way that I think you will enjoy when you get to it, Jim.

As for your current read I assume you're reading the gene editing one, The Code Breaker, which is indeed one to digest in small bites. Good thing the chapters are short.

Hi, Meg. Good review of The Rose Code. The subject intrigues me, but going on too long just doesn’t appeal to me right now.

I love the in Death books! I’ve read them all so far, and I’m giving thought to a bit of re-reading.

Our daughter and I got a kick out of The Man Who Lived Twice. The Thursday Murder Club is such fun to spend time with.

>130 zuzaer: Thanks so much for confirming. I find it strange (compared to our Public Library for instance) that the CK or the editions page isn't more informative.

>181 SandyAMcPherson: No problem. Maybe there's a page somewhere to suggest changes on LT...

>178 Familyhistorian: Interestingly I got a flat this last Friday too, Meg. My fault as I tried to squeeze between a back-hoe and a stationary car and when I had to back up tore the tire against the outriding arm of the back-hoe. Had to replace the whole thing. One of the occupational hazards of working on construction sites.

Have a lovely weekend.

>180 jnwelch: Hi Joe, the in death books are a treat the second time around. It's interesting to see where some of the characters were introduced knowing how their roles changed over time in the series.

The Thursday Murder Club series is a fun one, especially as the characters are seniors with their surprising traits and interesting foibles, just like regular oldsters.

>181 SandyAMcPherson: >182 zuzaer: I'm not aware of a page for suggesting changes but then I haven't done much exploring on LT.

>183 PaulCranswick: Sorry to hear about your flat, Paul. I didn't get one myself, just ended up with a piece of treetop to drag around under my car. Large pieces of foliage on the road after strong winds are a hazard of living in BC where there are huge trees everywhere.

10. The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson



I was a bit daunted by the size of the book when I picked up The Code Breaker at my local library. I knew I had to start reading it right away when I checked my library site to find out there were many more holds waiting. That said, the short chapters and style of writing helped to speed the pages along.

The author told the story of the scientific discoveries relating to gene editing through the personalities involved. That led an interesting tale of rivalries and the monetization of scientific discoveries. In some cases, it read almost like a thriller. It was also a wonderful build up to show the contrast with the sharing philosophy scientists and governments adopted when there was a common emergency due to the Covid pandemic.

Meg, I recently read the first In Death book and wasn't sure if I wanted to continue. Others in the group have assured me that the characters continue to evolve as the series continues. I think they will make perfect "in between" books. In other words, a refreshing change of pace.

>187 Familyhistorian: The cover looks more like a novel of some sort (maybe sci-fi?) than an actual non-fiction.

>188 Donna828: Hi Donna, that's what I'm doing with my reread of the in death series. I use them as a change of pace when I've read too many books that made me think too hard or tugged at my emotions. The series will probably grow on you after the first couple.

>189 zuzaer: It does, doesn't it? That's probably the vibe the cover designer was going for as the science involved is something that was once more in the science fiction realm.

I'm always hunting around for books to fit challenges at the last minute. I'm going to put this list here so maybe for once I'll be ahead of the game.

List of books for challenges

Non-fiction:

February: The Making of the British Landscape (start early, close to 700 pages)
March: Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II
April: Original Highways: Travelling the Great Rivers of Canada
May: Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power
June: The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, Disease
July:
August: Britain 1940: The Decisive Year on the Home Front
September: Chanel
October:
November:
December:

Reading Through Time

Monthly

January: Jade Dragon Mountain
February: The Black Country
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:

Quarterly
January-March:
April-June:
July-September:
October-December:

There's a new book I have been eyeing Aftermath about Germany after World War II.

Certainly between the Americans and The Russians Germany had been bombed to rubble. But the Americans also stepped in with mucho dinero in the shape of the Marshall Plan.

Jahner's provocative thesis seems to be that the Germans, confronted with evidence of the horrors of Nazi-ism, tended to see themselves as victims after the war. When asked about the suffering of the Jews and other peoples, Germans quickly changed the subject to their own suffering under air raids.

Haven't read it yet myself, just seem some reviews and write-ups.

If you were looking for a World War II book

>193 magicians_nephew: Aftermath sounds like an interesting book, Jim, definitely a different take on how things fell out after WWII. The fact that the Americans stepped in with mucho dinero while not doing the same for their allies is a bit of a sore point though.

Hi Meg. Well, I seem to do be doing a lackluster job of staying on top of everyone's threads. Your year seems to have gotten off to a good start reading-wise. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking seems to be popular with everyone who picks it up and I am going to add it to my library list.

>195 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, I'm not doing a good job of keeping up either. I think you'll like A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. It's very popular, I had to wait a while for my library hold to become available.

Last night my writing cohort and I met on Zoom. It was great to catch up after taking a break over December and part of January. Today it's back to the library again as one of my holds has come due and there are a couple more books to pick up. Honestly, this is coming to be a weekly thing.

I'm still working on catching up on all the 2021 Rootstech presentations which I put on my playlist. When there is a year to view them its funny how most of them are seen in a rush towards the end of that year. In between those I'm watching some writing interviews on how to write a bestseller (I wish).

Dropping in to wish you a happy weekend :)

Quiet over here, Meg.

Hope all is ok and you'll be by to update shortly. x

>198 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

>199 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I've been busy watching some interviews about the writing process and also trying to catch up on genealogy presentations from Rootstech 2021 before the 2022 sessions come up in March. Then there are all those library holds I have to work my way through. So, keeping busy and falling behind on LT again!

11. Written Off by E.J. Copperman



I pulled several books off my shelves when I was rearranging them. One of these was Written Off a promising looking mystery with a cover blurb that said it was the first in a new series. The story centred on a writer, Rachel, with a murder mystery series about a consultant to the prosecutor’s office, Duffy Madison. When Rachel became the target of a serial killer focusing on crime writers she became spooked that the consultant to the prosecutor’s office she came in contact with was also named Duffy Madison. Moreover, this Duffy didn’t remember anything about his life before four years previous when the first book in her series had been written. Should she trust this guy or would she end up as the next dead crime writer?