Familyhistorian's Reads for 2023 - Part 5

Sunset from Temple Square, Salt Lake City

Welcome to my thread. My name is Meg. I am a bookaholic. Not that that’s a shameful thing but it might be catching as my fellow 75ers and enablers can attest to. There will be talk about books, reading, Wordling and travel in 2023. Come along and see where my reading and travel take me. Should be an interesting ride.

BLOG



I write about genealogy and history on my blog. Follow my blog posts as I embark on another year of exploring and writing about my ROOTs (the family kind). You can see my latest blog posts at: A Genealogist’s Path to History

Challenges
Reading Through Time

Quarterly

January-March 2023 – WWI (1914-1918) - The Somme Legacy by M J Lee - DONE
April-June 2023 – 20th Century: Between the Wars (1919-1938)
July-September 2023 – 20th Century: World War 2 (1939-1945)
October-December 2023 – Modern History: 1946 – the Present Day

Monthly

January: Our Feathered Friends - The Evening Chorus by Helen Humphreys - DONE
February: Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! - Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie - DONE
March: Notorious Women - Wild Romance: The True Story of a Victorian Scandal by Chloë Schama - DONE
April: April Fool - Son of a Trickster by Edin Robinson - DONE
May: The Big City – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
June: The Fabulous Fifties
July: Revolutions
August: Migration and Immigration
September: School Days
October: Traditions
November: Indigenous Peoples
December: Reader’s Choice

2023 Nonfiction Challenge

January: Prizewinners and Nominees
February: Hobbies & Pastimes. Gardening, Genealogy, Travel etc. - Trespassers in Time: Genealogists and Microhistorians by Anne Patterson Rodda - DONE
March: Empires - Condemned: The Transported Men, Women and Children Who Built Britain's Empire by Graham Seal - DONE
April: The Sea/Ocean
May: Literary Biography
June: Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples/First Nations
July: Explorations and Expeditions
August: The World of the Land, Trees and Plants
September: Family Ties
October: Crimes, Mysteries, Puzzles, Enigmas
November: Matters of Faith and Philosophy
December: As You Like It

List of books for challenges

Reading Through Time

Quarterly

January-March 2023 – WWI (1914-1918)
April-June 2023 – 20th Century: Between the Wars (1919-1938)
July-September 2023 – 20th Century: World War 2 (1939-1945) - An Unlikely Spy by Rebecca Starford
October-December 2023 – Modern History: 1946 – the Present Day - Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Monthly

January: Our Feathered Friends - The Evening Chorus by Helen Humphreys
February: Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
March: Notorious Women - Wild Romance by Chloe Schama
April: April Fool
May: The Big City – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow - Sweet Thames by Matthew Kneale and/or The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
June: The Fabulous Fifties - The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
July: Revolutions
August: Migration and Immigration
September: School Days
October: Traditions
November: Indigenous Peoples
December: Reader’s Choice

2023 Nonfiction challenge

January - prizewinners and nominees - Having it so Good: Britain in the Fifties by Peter Hennessy - 2007 winner of the Orwell prize for political writing
February: Hobbies & Pastimes. Gardening, Genealogy, Travel etc.
March: Empires
April: The Sea/Ocean
May: Literary Biography
June: Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples/First Nations
July: Explorations and Expeditions
August: The World of the Land, Trees and Plants
September: Family Ties
October: Crimes, Mysteries, Puzzles, Enigmas
November: Matters of Faith and Philosophy
December: As You Like It

Shared Reads

Peter Ackroyd's History of England series, a shared read of the series with Paul.

A History of England: Foundation
Tudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I
Civil War: Volume III: The History of England this was also published as Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution - I own both titles
Revolution: The History of England from the Battle of the Boyne to the Battle of Waterloo
Dominion: The History of England from the Battle of Waterloo to Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
Innovation: The History of England Volume VI

Group Reads

11/22/63 by Stephen King in May with Kim?
East of Eden by John Steinbeck in July with Mark, MDoris, Linda P, Lynda, Paul, Anita

Little Free Library

Books culled in 2023

January - 16

February - 0

March - 6

April - 0

May - 6



LT Your Library number starting 2023 - 2944

Books read in April 2023

1. Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
2. Color Capital of the World: Growing Up with the Legacy of a Crayon Company by John Whitworth Kropf
3. An Embarrassment of Witches by Sophie Goldstein & Jena Jordan
4. Sexton Blake on the Home Front stories by Anthony Parsons and John Drummond edited by Mark Hodder
5. A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes
6. Exiles by Jane Harper
7. Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
8. Wicked Redhead by Beatriz Williams
9. The Pirate’s Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos
10. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
11. Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks by Christopher Brookmeyer
12. Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector by Amit Katwala
13. A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall
14. Picasso’s War: How Modern Art Came to America by Hugh Eakin
15. Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas

Books read in 2023

Books acquired in 2023

Acquisitions in April 2023

A Pen Dipped in Poison by J.M. Hall
Two for the Road by Chantel Guertin
American Cult: A Graphic History of Religious Cults in America from the Colonial Era to Today by Robyn Chapman
A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins
When She Dreams by Amanda Quick
Zotero for Genealogy by Donna Cox Baker
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

Welcome!

Phew! That's done. Time to go for a walk.

Hi Meg my dear, Happy New Thread my dear friend.

Happy new one, Meg. Beautiful topper!

Happy New Thread , Meg! Gorgeous topper!

Happy new thread Meg!

New-thread orisons, Meg.

Happy New Thread, Meg. I love the sunset topper. I recommend Birding While Indian for your June-indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples/First Nations Challenge. I really liked that memoir.

Hi Meg and congrats on #5 already! Happy reading.

>14 johnsimpson: Hi John, you remind me I haven't visited you in a while. Thanks for the new thread wishes.

>15 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. I came out of the building and that sunset was just there glowing.

>16 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, thanks re the topper and for the new thread wishes.

>17 quondame: Thanks Susan!

>18 richardderus: Hi Richard and thanks!

>20 msf59: Hi Mark, thanks re the thread and topper. I'll have to have a look for the book you recommended for the June challenge

>21 mdoris: Thanks Mary!

75. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood



Another entry in the mystery genre with sleuths of a certain age was The Marlowe Murder Club. There was no club at the start but the main character, Judith, an eccentric 77 year old crossword designer came upon the body of her neighbour. The police didn’t want to listen to her. Thinking they were doing it all wrong she and a two other women started looking into the murder themselves.

It was an intriguing premise and the characters were wonderfully themselves. I’ve already put a hold on the next in the series at the library. It’s on order though so might take a while.

Happy new thread, Meg and congratulations on 75!

Congratulations on 75!

HAppy new one!

Congrats on reading 75 books!

Congratulations on 75 reads!

>24 Familyhistorian: Goooooaaaaaalllllll!

75 Wow!! Well done.

>25 PaulCranswick: >26 vancouverdeb: >27 figsfromthistle: >28 quondame: >29 richardderus: >30 mdoris: Thank you Paul, Deborah, Anita, Susan, Richard and Mary. I'm behind on my reviews so actually have read beyond 75. Not sure if I'll be able to keep up the pace though.

Another quick one
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76. Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson



Jared was barely making it through school but who could blame him. Not his mom with her tough love attitude and her love of altered states or the grannies who pull him one way and the other. Sometimes he has to bake cookies (the fun kind) just to make enough to pay the bills his mom left him with. Then there are the visions that don’t let him alone. Is that the result of overindulgence or because he’s The Son of a Trickster?

It was a relatable tale of a young man trying to find his way. It’s also the first book in a trilogy and I’m still wondering how Jared fares.

>24 Familyhistorian: another BB 🙈 and also you 75 book, congrats.
I love the sunset topper. Happy new one.

Happy new thread, Meg.

>24 Familyhistorian: Congratulations on reaching 75!

>33 Familyhistorian: I already got book-bulleted for that one but you've moved it up the queue.

>34 Ameise1: I hope you enjoy that one, Barbara. Thanks re the topper and reaching the reading goal.

>35 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, thanks for both.

>36 richardderus: Son of a Trickster is an interesting one and the first book in a trilogy. You've been warned!

More of a challenge today
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77. The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy



The Black Dahlia followed the pugnacious and conflicted Bucky Bleichert through his work in the LAPD in the late 1940s. While the initial case focused on the investigation of the girl of the night known as the Dahlia much of the narrative was about Bucky as his quest for the truth brought some unwelcome facts about his own associates and himself to light. It was gritty and dark and not really a read that I enjoyed.

Some Salt Lake City views. The following were from our hotel room window.



The lights had just come on for the evening in this one



The mountains seemed so close in this shot because of the grey sky

78. Smoke and Mirrors by Elly Griffiths



The second in the Magic Men series, Smoke and Mirrors, had DI Edgar Stephens and his sergeants searching for the killer of two young friends. There were clues, in the form of candies – not that easy to come by as rationing was still on. Edgar’s friend, Max Mephisto, the magician was there to advise him as he was playing the villain in a Panto. It was Max’s suggestion that perhaps the clues were distractions. But what was the solution? All of Brighton was on edge and Edgar and his team didn’t know where to look within the themes of gruesome fairytales complicated by ties to a former murder involving some of the Panto crew. It was a good mystery which revealed more about the main character’s lives.

>40 Familyhistorian: Love the pictures, Meg. I'm less in love with SLC, though. Mormons scare me.

Happy new one!

Oooh you're at 75 books already! A milestone for sure :) :) :)

>39 Familyhistorian: Sorry that you didn't like it. I was addicted to all four books.
>41 Familyhistorian: I've read the first four of this series and enjoyed it very much. I need to consult my library if they have got number 5 and six too.

>42 richardderus: As a person interested in family history, I've rubbed shoulders with a lot of Mormons over the past decades. Kind of have to as they hold so many records and we unbelievers are grateful that one of the aims of their religion is to find out about their ancestors. They are more than happy to share which is great and they don't proselytize which is even better. So not scary when familiar, I guess.

Thanks re the pictures, Richard.

>43 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>45 LovingLit: Hi Megan, the books are going down well this year. Part of it is so many library holds coming in at the same time with people waiting for them. What can I do but read as fast as I can!

>46 Ameise1: I'm not sure why I didn't get into The Black Dahlia. Gritty doesn't usually throw me off. I think it had something to do with not really liking the main character.

I like the Magic Men series and want to follow along with the adventures of the main characters. They're so interesting. I didn't realize there were so many books in the series. I hope you're able to get your hands on the fifth and sixth books soon, Barbara.

Four wasn’t bad considering I got nothing in the first two tries
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>47 Familyhistorian: I had Mormons as neighbors for years including a bishop of the area and found out that they keep all those records because there is a ceremony of conversion for all of a new convert's provable ancestry.

All of them.

That kind of hubris and imperialist thinking is scary as hell. I don't believe in any kind or sort of gods but the thought process behind such a belief is breathtaking in its arrogance.

79. Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind



The drive to be creative interests me. A few books about it grace my shelves so, of course, I chose to read a library book about it. Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind contained interesting information/theories about creativity, some of which I could agree with, some not so much. At one point a link between extraversion and openness to experience leading to exploration of new things which, as an introvert, I found slightly off-putting.

“…dopamine, which is indeed important to extraversion, also has projections in the brain that are strongly linked to numerous other aspects of cognition. Individuals who are high in the openness to experience domain get energized not through the possibility of appetitive rewards but through the possibility of discovering new information. It’s the thrill of the knowledge chase that most excites them.”

I can relate to the end of that quote but not the beginning.

There was also a chapter about distraction with our present addiction to screens coming in for some dire predictions. The conformity taught in our schools was also seen as a barrier to creativity with a recommendation to watch Sir Ken Robinson’s Ted talk. A Google search shows a few talks by him about schools and education.

The book was an interesting read which made me want to find out more about creativity and how the drive towards conformity dumbs it down.

>51 richardderus: Yup, the conversion of past ancestors is very strange and probably makes some of those family members roll over in their graves. Nonbelieving family historians kind of turn a deaf ear to that and look at all the filming of records that it lead to. As you say it is an arrogant belief and rather presumes that their progenitors had no free will.

Hi Meg. Great photos of Salt Lake City. Son of a Trickster sounds good.

>54 BLBera: Thanks Beth. Son of a Trickster was good. Also the first in a trilogy, just so you know.

Hi Meg my dear, congrats on reaching 75 books read for the year so far dear friend.

Beautiful picture of Salt Lake City, Meg. I have some distant cousins that are Mormon. Sadly, one of them did not believe in the vaccines for covid, and he succumbed to covid at the relatively young age of 65, no other co- morbids. His mom and sister had urged him to get a vaccine , but no. He left behind and wife and daughter and two grandchildren and sadly, his own mom and siblings. I don't think that is a particularly Mormon belief , not getting covid vaccines, since his ( also Mormon )mom got them and urged her son to do so too.

I've never appreciated having Mormon's knock on my door. I have two Mormon Temples with about a mile from me. Have not had any in long time. Once they knocked on my door, and I was hosting a Baptist Bible Study, and I invited them to join us. That made them move along. You have to admire their effort though.

>56 johnsimpson: Thanks for the congratulations, John. Part of the reason the reads are going down quickly are all the library holds with people waiting.

>57 vancouverdeb: Sorry to hear about your cousin, Deborah. No, I don't think Mormons are against vaccines but Salt Lake City strikes me as a place where anti-vax rhetoric could go down well.

I love the story of the Mormons not wanting to join your Baptist Bible Study. A little bit of turning the tables there that worked. I never had Mormons knock on the door, Jehovah's Witnesses knocked at times.

I thought I had everything all set so my library holds wouldn't come in while I was away or in bunches. I was wrong. All of a sudden there were 7 books for me to pick up and I chose to go in today because, for once, I didn't have anything on the agenda. Not a good day to take Skytrain. Three stations on the Expo line were closed due to a "police incident". Transit set up a bus bridge between the stations and announced that the Millennium line wasn't affected. You couldn't tell that by all the overcrowded trains as people who were usual Expo line riders went by that line instead. I got to Vancouver and back okay and even got a seat for most of the journeys so that was good. I only picked up 5 of the books to lighten my load and to cut down some on reading stress. That 11/22/63 is a doorstopper!

Took some time before the penny dropped
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My timing was almost right on today. The exhibit committee meeting was short this morning so I had plenty of time to do errands and fit in my walk. It was only drizzling when I started walking to the park and stayed that way until I was almost back to the grocery store where I had left my car. I still had a couple of blocks to go when the heavens opened. Changeable weather - yesterday I wore sandals for this first time this season. It was about 24 C, today about 10 C.

Fun to see the photos of Salt Lake City - i Haven't been there for years

Hi Meg. Sigh. Skippety-skip through threads. Happiest new one.

>3 Familyhistorian: From your blog: I use the online Familysearch.org resources, which are wondrous in and of themselves. 92 years for a Canadian census to be released? Was that decided upon mortality statistics? Some whim of a government official? Name spellings are notoriously dangerous to navigate when researching family, aren’t they? And your father was told he was spelling his name wrong. My paternal line has some strange spellings in censuses here in the US. And just a thought about Civil War era field medicine – it was probably considered leading edge.

>24 Familyhistorian: Congrats on 75!

>39 Familyhistorian: The mystery of the Black Dahlia has always fascinated me, especially since I’m from LA. I read this book before I joined LT in 2007. My hardcover copy is tucked upstairs in the Parlour.

>60 Familyhistorian: 11/22/63 is huge, but I loved every word of it. I hope you do, too.

>63 magicians_nephew: I'm glad you're enjoying the views of SLC, Jim. All is not as it was though as you can see by this shot of Temple Square. They're doing major seismic upgrades on the old buildings because of the earthquake they had in 2020 just about when everything closed down due to the pandemic.

>60 Familyhistorian: what >64 karenmarie: said about 11/22/63, Meg. There are a lot of books that are good until the ending, when suddenly they fall off a cliff. This one sticks the ending. So rare!

>64 karenmarie: I have no idea why 92 years was chosen for the time to release the Canadian Census, Karen. I'm just glad 100 years wasn't the date they settled on. It was for some vital records.

I found the Civil War Medicine displays I saw on my trip to Illinois very interesting. It was clear from the displays that it was leading edge. In many cases the war led to the furtherance of medicine. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear in my write up.

Your fascination with the Black Dahlia mystery makes total sense given your tie to the area. I have a similar interest in books about the Ripper, given that my family lived in the area at the time he was on the prowl.

Thanks re hitting 75. No way I can keep up with you, though. My fingers are crossed that 11/22/63 hits me the same way it did you.

>66 richardderus: Thanks Richard. The book is presently intimidating with its size as it sits on my dining room table. You are both encouraging me to pick it up.

Harder to get than it should have been
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I'm hoping that if I put my April book buys in two places in this thread it will make me think I brought home more so I'll buy fewer books this month. Hey, anything is worth a try!

I picked up:

A Pen Dipped in Poison by J.M. Hall
Two for the Road by Chantel Guertin
American Cult: A Graphic History of Religious Cults in America from the Colonial Era to Today by Robyn Chapman
A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins
When She Dreams by Amanda Quick
Zotero for Genealogy by Donna Cox Baker


And because I had 5 hours to kill at the Seattle airport both on the way to and back from Salt Lake City and found that there was actually a book store there:

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

Hi Meg - just peeking in. I'm so far behind!

>71 katiekrug: Hi Katie, good to see you here. I know that far behind feeling!

80. The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson



Identical twins Charlotte and Ginny went opposite ways after the death of their mother. Charlotte threw herself into her role as a school librarian and her more glamorous sister followed in their mother’s beauty queen footsteps. It was Ginny’s final attempt at winning the same crown as her mother that prompted her to invite her sister to share the event from the sidelines. Charlotte ended up in the spotlight when an allergic reaction sidelined her sister. Could she keep her twin in the contest by standing in for her in the prelims? What about the irresistible judge she’d met as her less put together self?

The Accidental Beauty Queen was a fun story highlighting the behind the scenes comradery of the beauty queen circuit.

A hard one
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>74 Familyhistorian: was a hard one for me too

>75 magicians_nephew: Not the right time of year, I think.

Happy New thread, Meg. Beautiful topper. SLC is such lovely.

Duplicate

>77 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda. SLC is a nice looking city but I noticed more people begging on the streets this time when I was there.

>73 Familyhistorian: Glad you enjoyed that one, Meg.

>80 MickyFine: It was a good one, Micky. No doubt I have you to thank for the BB.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a book I've been considering reading, Meg. Nice haul!

>82 vancouverdeb: The title stood out in the airport bookstore, Deborah. I hadn't heard of it before.

Hi Meg, I enjoyed your review of Son of a Trickster and I have that book waiting patiently on my shelf. Need to pull it down one of these days!

81. Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld



As always, there were some gems in the cartoons in Revenge of the Librarians and some went over my head. That was more because I wasn’t familiar with some of the cultural references or classic books that were the base of the cartoon than because the quip didn’t meet its mark.

>84 DeltaQueen50: Son of a Trickster was a different one, Judy, a coming of age story tied up with an indigenous view of small town northern BC.

82. All the Beggars Riding by Lucy Caldwell



Purportedly written by the main character trying to come to terms with her life as a child which was blighted by her family’s circumstances, there were lots of fits and starts in the story of All the Beggars Riding. That was deliberate on the writer’s part, as they wanted to show how the Lara was trapped by what had happened. It was a good way of showing how being one of the beggars in her father’s life was hard to overcome so that it felt a relief when she finally came to terms with her past.

Not one that came readily to mind
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>88 Familyhistorian: that is a weird one, Meg. Still and all, you weren't skunked, so it's all good.

>89 richardderus: The words have gotten weirder lately since they've ditch the original list of words. Today's wasn't easy either.

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83. Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb



I felt in need of a quick and fun read so I picked up the next in death mystery in my read through of the series. This time it was Kindred in Death. This one involved a young man targeting women for rape/murders because of the lies his father had fed him about his mother’s death. It was a good way to bring up the similarities and contrasts in the backgrounds and subsequent careers between the bad guy and Dallas herself.

There was also a lighter side to the read as this book included Louise and Charles’ wedding which Dallas and Roarke ended up hosting.

Not how I’m used to seeing it
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The day is flying by quickly. Started with my DNA study group, had to leave a bit early for a manicure, off to the grocery store after that. Need bread to make something quick to eat before the Zoom meeting of the BC Genealogy Society this evening.

84. Ancestry by Simon Mawer



Simon Mawer has other books to his credit and it shows in this novel based on two lines from his own ancestry. The title of the book appropriately was Ancestry. He took two contemporary lines of his family and brought them together eventually. In that he was helped by the fact that they both had commonalities – the male was called way from home, one as a sailor, the other as an army corporal. Their families also stayed in England which also made for a tidier narrative. It was a good example of how to bring a family history story to a wider audience.

A quick one
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One more word needed than yesterday
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It was a balmy (some would say hot) 31 C here today and we had a parade. It was the 100th anniversary of May Day celebrations in Port Coquitlam and a group from PoCo Heritage walked in the parade.



Waiting for the start

I don't get to see much of the parade as I'm in it but this float parked on a side street caught my eye as we were waiting. Port Coquitlam is a rail hub hence the CP Rail float.

Besides the floats, lots of people participate



Cyclists participated in races before the parade. I'm not sure if these are some of them



Colourful dancers



Too bad this wasn't audio, the young fighters were chanting at the time

Once Coquitlam Towing shows up with vehicles in tow that signals the end of the parade

PoCo Heritage has walkers and carries banners for the parade. Some of the walkers wear historic dress. In honour of the hundredth anniversary I dressed like a woman from the 1920s.

Great pictures Meg, thanks for sharing! The day looked perfect!

Thanks Mary, it was a fun parade, a bit warm but so much better than rain!

A quick one
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Great pictures, Meg. 31 C in your part of Greater Vancouver! That's hot, in my books. I think it was 23 C here and we had a nice breeze. No festivals here, but I had a lovely walk across from the airport on the dyke. Nice breeze, good view of the mountains , planes taking off, Canada geese, Great Blue herons and of course, seagulls. You look very cute in your stylish 1920's dress!

>101 Familyhistorian: What a wonderful photo. Thanks so much for sharing it. I wish you a lovely Sunday.

>101 Familyhistorian: I love seeing you all dressed up, Meg. The parade looks like it was good fun indeed. Your 31C is about 20C hotter than I think is reasonable, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Hi Meg, Looks like you had a wonderful day for a parade! How fun to be a participant and dress for the day! Hope your nice weather continues!

>105 vancouverdeb: It was a warm one, Deborah. I didn't see the beginning of the parade because we were behind that part but they showed a clip on CTV news and there were people dressed up in stuffed animal type costumes. At least we weren't wearing costumes that hot!

Your day walking on the dyke sounds like it was ideal for the day. My walk back home along the Coquitlam River Trail (I live across the river from Port Coquitlam) brought me back to nature although I didn't see as much wildlife as you but there were lots of dogs with walkers.

Thanks re the outfit.

>106 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. I hope your Sunday is a wonderful one!

>107 richardderus: We did have fun, Richard. It's a great event to be part of. 31C was a bit warm but 11C, that's too cold for me although we've had those temperatures a lot this spring with our unseasonable cold. The main draw back with the heat wave we're having now is snow melting on the mountains too fast.

>108 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda. We did have a great time. I was happy that I chose '20s dress given the heat! It was also the 100th anniversary of May Day celebrations in Port Coquitlam so I thought it would be appropriate to dress like someone from that era.

A trickier one today
Wordle 694 4/6

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Hi Meg my dear, i absolutely love the photos from the Parade, so many folks getting involved and you look stunning in your 1920's outfit. Today we took Amy and Elliott up to the main road through the village to see the Tractor Run, this is an annual event and raises funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. We thought Elliott would fall asleep as it was delayed getting to us but once they started rolling through, he loved it. There were Tractors from the 1950's up to the present day, about a hundred took part.

Sending love and hugs my dear friend from both of us.

>112 johnsimpson: Community events like the parade and the Tractor Run are fun especially when the weather is with you. There were lots of youngsters in the parade I was in and watching from the sidelines as well. I'm glad that Elliott found your event entertaining, John. All the best to you and your family.

This one took me a while
Wordle 695 5/6

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85. Lady Violet Enjoys a Frolic by Grace Burrowes



In the fourth book in the mystery series, Lady Violet Enjoys a Frolic, Violet and her paramour, Hugh St. Sevier, were guests at a house party. Hugh had been a medic with the men at the party during the war with Napoleon, but even as an uncomfortable outsider the other guests’ behaviour seemed over the top off to Violet. She was determined to find out what was behind it all.

Not a big surprise it took me a while to get this one
Wordle 696 6/6

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86. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan



We learn early on what Inspector Chopra’s inheritance was, a baby elephant. At first Chopra doesn’t know what to do with the small pachyderm. What does one feed an elephant? And the Inspector has other things on his mind, like his early reluctant retirement because of a heart attack. Still he can’t give up investigating and when a mystery comes his way he follows up the clues. When danger comes the little elephant helps him out and so a crime solving duo is born in The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra.

That could have gone the wrong way
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>117 Familyhistorian: I haven't read these for fear of overburdening my twee-tolerance bones. It doesn't sound like you hated the book... maybe it's safe...

>119 richardderus: It didn't strike me as twee, Richard. Try it, you just might like it.

>120 Familyhistorian: It struck me as too twee to repeat.

>121 quondame: Okay, not quite my definition of twee but I guess we all see things differently.

87. Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine by Olivia Campbell



Women in White Coats looked at the efforts of a number of women in the US and the UK to become doctors. The history of this effort in these countries was recounted from the early 1800s until a number of them were successful in obtaining degrees and practicing medicine. The main thing standing in their way was the men in the medical field who didn’t want to have any control wrested from them. I found a passage in the book particularly telling about the state of medicine concerning women at that time. It was when the admission of women medical practitioners into the Obstetrical Society was under debate. The Society decided to exclude women, a decision endorsed by most members.

The reaction of the press was on point:

The irony of their prejudice may have been lost on all those in the room, but it did not escape The Scotsman. The paper toasted them for “deciding that no woman could ever be allowed to join in discussion concerning the treatment and relief of those sufferings that women alone have to endure.”

The book contained an interesting history but, with the number of women who went to France and other countries to obtain medical training, I wonder if women outside of the UK and US faced the same kind of prejudice.

That was quick
Wordle 698 4/6

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Catching up after a busy week -- love the parade photos!

>125 RebaRelishesReading: I hope it was a fun busy week, Reba. Thanks re the photos. It was great to be in the parade and be able to take photos of the end of it.

88. 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King



Being in a time crunch wasn’t probably the best time to read 11/22/63 but I wasn’t going to take this weighty tome traveling with me. I had in my mind the shared read was in May and when my number on the library hold came up, I went for it.

I didn’t know how the story of Kennedy’s assassination would be covered. Turned out it was a time travel novel. A teacher, Jake, took over from his older time travelling friend whose aim was to stop the shooting of JFK with the idea that would stop the bad history that came after ie the American involvement in the Vietnam War. A good idea in theory, perhaps. But even time travelers have emotions and connect with people around them and changing history can have unintended consequences.

>123 Familyhistorian: The Scotsman got that one right! It's always struck me as weird that men think women can't do stuff that is complicated and difficult... they manage to raise children largely alone and have since forever, and that includes the men who can't get it through their heads that they learned every damned thing about survival from their mothers.

The stupid, it burrrnnns!

>127 Familyhistorian: I am glad the read didn't fail you, Meg, though I guess you weren't enraptured. It's far and away my favorite King book, and an overall solid time-travel novel. The time crunch no doubt played a role in your perception of it. Kudos for getting through the behemoth on time.

>128 richardderus: The prevailing thought at the time was that women (not poor women who had to work, of course) were not suited intellectually or emotionally for harder endeavours like the study of medicine. Although, as was mentioned in the book many of the men didn't attend classes but merely took the exams and became doctors that way. I wouldn't have wanted to have one of those doctors looking after my health!

>129 richardderus: I'm not a King fan and the only other book of his that I read was his On Writing which was excellent and to the point. It was a good time travel book and I particularly liked where he went back to the present after stopping the assassination to find that Maine was now a province of Canada. I understand why he wanted to lay the background so well but it was long. Perhaps if I was not as familiar with that era, I would have appreciated all the set up.

>117 Familyhistorian: This sounds like fun, Meg.

>127 Familyhistorian: I'll be reading this soon. It will be my first King. We'll see.

Hi Meg. Thanks for posting such a lovely opening image!

I hope your weekend will be a good one. It is sunny and beautiful in my area of Pennsylvania. My rose bushes are incredible. I hope to take some photos this weekend.

Shortly after publication, I strted to read 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King. I couldn't get through it and didn't complete it. Along the way, I've lost interest in King's writings. I know he is talented, and I read most of his initial books, but increasingly he isn't the author for me.

>131 BLBera: The Inspector Chopra mystery was a fun one, Beth. As for the King, it's a big one, thankfully the copy I read was a paperback.

>132 Whisper1: Hi Linda, thanks re the opening image. Sometimes the right shot just happens when I'm ready for it.

It's hot and sunny here too as we're in a heat wave. I noticed that some hedge roses were out and perfuming the air on the way home the other day. I hope you get some good pictures of your rose garden.

I don't usually read books by King as I don't like the genre he writes in. I found that 11/22/63 was more in my wheelhouse because it involved history and I like time travel books but it did take me a while to get into it. The fact that it was a library loan and people were waiting pushed me through the first part of it. One very good book I read by him was On Writing which was about the writing process and included some memoir as well.

Hard one today
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Hi Meg. I pretty much OD'd on Stephen King when I was much younger. I now can't even bear to think about reading anything by him. I did love all his earlier books with It and The Stand being favorites but for me, his work during the later 90's just wasn't up to what I expected. I have heard that his more recent books are very well done, but so far, I haven't felt the urge to pick him up again.

>136 DeltaQueen50: I never really got into Stephen King myself, Judy. Seeing the movie Carrie put his work on my no go list. I only picked up 11/22/63 because there was talk of a group read. Unfortunately, it seems the group rethought the date. The current book was well done but it's a biggie so not to be taken lightly.

Have a great weekend!

>123 Familyhistorian: You hit me with a BB for that one!

Happy weekend reading

>138 figsfromthistle: It was an interesting history to read about, Anita. Have a wonderful weekend. Do you get the long weekend off?

Hi Meg!

>67 Familyhistorian: Interesting that your family was in the area when the Ripper was on the prowl. *shudder* My reading has gone on a decided detour since last April, as you know, and I’m still just going with the flow. I usually hit around 100 books a year.

I always find it interesting that people not from the US are so fascinated with US-centric books. Is it because so many books are US-centric? Fascination with the US in general? I have strong ties to the US on my father’s side since the 1630s and my mother’s side since the 1850s-1860s, with no immigrants since then to my knowledge, so for me it’s always been my world view, from the strength/weakness of being a US citizen.

>97 Familyhistorian: and etc. Beautiful pics. Our little town, even though it’s the county seat, only has one parade each year, the Christmas Parade. The town does host First Sunday each month, which is a smorgasbord of food, drink, crafts, and other booths. Haven’t gone in forever, but it’s always nice to see as I drive around the traffic circle.

>101 Familyhistorian: Wow, Meg! You look great, and I love the dress.

>127 Familyhistorian: I'm sorry it didn't really grab you.

>129 richardderus: I think I agree with you about its being my favorite King novel, RD.

>130 Familyhistorian: I didn’t become a King fan until I was desperate for an audio book a very long time ago and checked out Duma Key from the Library. I have 51 King books on my shelves, some books, some audio books, and although I’ve backed off in recent years, still consider him a master writer. I don't like his very early stuff and the newest book I have by him on my shelves is from 2018, Elevation, and I didn't particularly like it.

It seems to me that a lot of King novels are big ones! I have it as an e-book.

>117 Familyhistorian: Sounds a little bit like Death and the Penguin where the writer guy gets a penguin from the zoo to take care of and teams up with th penguin for his adventures.

Very funny.

>127 Familyhistorian: I didn't think i would like 11/22/63 as i haven't liked anything from Stephen King, but i liked it a lot. As a historian Ive read many books about the Kennedy assassination and found that King got a lot of little things right. I enjoyed it for that anyway.

A lot of alt-history postulates killing Hitler in the middle 30's - sometimes the new timeline isn't much better than the Hitler one.

89. Scones and Scoundrels by Molly MacRae



The second of the Highland Bookshop series, Scones and Scoundrels, again featured the transplanted bookshop owners delving into a mystery. This time the narrative centred on Daphne, a featured author who come to give a talk. She was an ex-villager who followed a natural lifestyle in the wilds of Canada (no actual place given, so what type of wilds are hard to picture). There was a convoluted mystery with various people ending up dead. No one could figure out the culprit until things came to a head.

>140 karenmarie: Hi Karen, fascinated by US-centric books? Not really, I was looking at books about the US Civil War because my 2 x great uncle Alexander Matheson fought in that war. He happened to be living in Illinois in 1861 but a lot of men from Canada also fought in that war.

My ties to North America aren't as strong as yours although my family has been immigrating here since 1630. I have to laugh when I'm told to concentrate on my immigrant ancestors when thinking about stories in my family tree. There are so many of them, including me.

Thanks re the pics of the parade. It was the 100th anniversary so the dress was in honour of the 1920s when the first parade was held.

11/22/63 was an good story. I like time travel narratives but I thought it was too long. The Stephen King book that I really liked was On Writing.

>141 BLBera: Your wrists will thank you for having it as an e-book, Beth!

>139 Familyhistorian: Part of it. I have Monday off :)

>142 magicians_nephew: I'm not sure from the description that it is as satirical as Death and the Penguin. The Inspector Chopra book did point out some of the social ills in Mumbai though.

>143 magicians_nephew: I liked that 11/22/63 was a time travel book. I'm really into history, not so much the Kennedy assassination though as I kind of overdosed on that at the time it happened. It's interesting to read some of the lesser known details though.

An alt-history that I really liked was Farthing: A Story of a World That Could Have Been. It was a story about an England in which Hitler had been victorious.

>147 figsfromthistle: Oh good, Anita. I hope that you have a good day being off at the same time as other people.

>148 Familyhistorian: Len Deighton's SS-GB is a favorite of mine about England under Nazism.

And of course always Phillip K Dick and The Man in the High Castle

Do enjoy alt-history almost as much as i enjoy history

>150 magicians_nephew: I've only read Deighton's Blood, Tears and Folly and haven't read his fiction. I should check that out. Never read anything by Phillip K Dick. I'll have to have a look.

Len Deighton tried to interview my father for his WWII book. Wanted to get info from him on Burma in WWII. My dad wouldn't talk due to the official secrets act. Too bad, as the book was a bit thin on the war in the Middle East.

Scones and Scoundrels sounds like fun, Meg. I'll keep an eye out for that one. Enjoy the heat, Meg. As for Stephen King, horror is not my genre and I've not read any of his books. I did enjoy one of his movies, Dolores Claiborne, which I guess is also a book.

>152 vancouverdeb: Stephen King's latest wasn't horror, Deborah, but I agree most of the rest of his books are which is why I haven't read them. Have a great long weekend.

Appropriate for the weekend?
Wordle 700 4/6

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Not too bad
Wordle 701 4/6

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I’m currently in Nashville taking in the sights. Nail biter getting here with the West Jet pilot strike coming to a tentative settlement at the eleventh hour. The plane wasn’t very full.

It couldn’t be anything else
Wordle 702 4/6

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Enjoy Nashville, Meg! I'll bet flying West Jet was a nail biter! :-) Should have gone Air Canada ( my husband and two brothers work for Air Canada, as did my dad. ;-) But my dad and Dave started with Canadian Pacific Airlines back in the day and I'm really a CP person, but they were swallowed up by Air Canada. I hope you find lots to see in Nashville.

Hi, Meg. Have a great time in Nashville. I enjoyed my time there, especially all the music but I don't like dealing with all the crowds. Outside of the city, we really enjoyed our trip to Radnor Lake and our visit to Ann Patchett's bookstore.

I loved 11/22/63. I am surprised King pulled it off so successfully.

>157 Familyhistorian: Nashville should be about as good as it gets right now... the weather should be its best self, the heavy tourist season is still in the future...may it be a complete delight.

Picked up my puzzle last night too late to complete it. Brand new streak today.
Wordle 704 5/6

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>158 vancouverdeb: When I first moved to Vancouver I had job with CP for a short time. They liked to hire people with ties to Air Canada. My Dad worked for them for years. Started when they were TCA. They transferred him and us to Canada. I can remember when CP was swallowed up by Air Canada. Making the most of my time in Nashville. We move onto Memphis soon.

>159 msf59: I know what you mean about crowds in Nashville, Mark. Interesting place. I had hoped to get to Ann Patchett’s book store but it doesn’t look readily doable. We join up with our tour group tomorrow.

>160 richardderus: There a lots of tourists here now, Richard. You mean it gets more crowded later?

What brought you to Tennessee, Meg? I confess that other than a conference in Nashville several years ago, I've only ever driven through it!

>164 Familyhistorian: It can get so crowded during the Opry season that it looks like midtown Manhattan at rush hour.

A hard one for me
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>165 katiekrug: We’re picking up a tour that takes from Nashville to Memphis to New Orleans. All music highlights around this area. Sounded interesting.

>166 richardderus: I didn’t realize there was an Opry season. Thanks for the info, Richard.

Quick one today
Wordle 706 4/6

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Up earlier today as we leave for Memphis this morning. Yesterday we met up with our tour. That included a ticket to see the Country Music Hall of Fame and a tour of the RCA studio - the old part. Three of us also toured the Ryman Auditorium.

Just made it
Wordle 707 6/6

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Better luck today
Wordle 708 5/6

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Hey Meg!
>117 Familyhistorian: Mr Chopra sounds delightful. I'll put that one on my radar.
Enjoy your trip to Memphis. I've never been but it would be a good time for sure

Not bad for the end of the day
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>174 Carmenere: Hi Lynda, the trip included Nashville and Memphis. We’re going home from New Orleans tomorrow.

90. Guilt Trip by Ben Rehder



Looks like I started the Blanco County mysteries in the middle with Guilt Trip. The hero in these books is John Marlin, a game warden who lends his hand in solving crimes with the local police as well as enforcing the laws you’d expect of a game warden. In this case, they were investigating a body found after water rose. Did the man drown or was his death helped along. On top of that the local drug house burnt down and a couple of young people left town around the same time as the car being raffled off disappeared. There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle but the narrative came to a satisfying conclusion.

Maybe it was easier because I’m home
Wordle 711 3/6

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Took my inspiration from my travels for the final word
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Traveling is exciting but it isn't until I stop that I realize how tiring it is. On top of that there were various things to be caught up with when I got home. I'm still working on that.

As I was travelling at the end of April, then followed that with a trip at the end of May it's nice to be back for a while to sort myself out. Maybe I'll even be able to get semi-caught up with the threads - a pipe dream, I think.

This should have come to me quicker. I heard complaints about it enough lately.

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I just walked through my townhouse to make sure, but I only bought one book while I was travelling this month. That must be a first for me. While at Sun Studios I picked up Devil's Music, Holy Rollers and Hillbillies: How America Gave Birth to Rock and Roll by James A Cosby

My other acquisitions for May were:

Trust by Hernan Diaz
Mummy Darlings by Emily Hourican
The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Jane Aiken Hodge (I know this was a BB from Sandy)
The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory was picked up an an LFL

Another knockout

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So with that, I think it's time for a new thread