thornton37814's travels across the USA

I will only be counting only those books read in 2009 forward for this challenge. Here's a record of my progress to date.

Alabama: The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips; Murder Boogies with Elvis by Anne George
Alaska: Murder at Five Finger Light by Sue Henry
Arizona: Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay
Arkansas: Arkansas Traveler by Earlene Fowler; A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit by Mike Huckabee
California: Murder Uncorked by Michele Scott; This Pen for Hire by Laura Levine; Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman; Family Affair by Debbie Macomber; Murder by the Glass by Michele Scott
Colorado: Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson
Connecticut: The Big Dirt Nap by Rosemary Harris; Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan; A Miracle for St. Cecelia's by Katherine Valentine; A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick
Delaware: A Light in the Storm by Karen Hesse
District of Columbia: The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu; Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott; State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy
Florida: Damaged by Alex Kava
Georgia: Frankly My Dear, I'm Dead by Livia J. Washburn; Sins of the Fathers by Patricia Sprinkle
Hawaii: Burned by Carol Higgins Clark
Idaho: Blue Heaven by C. J. Box
Illinois: Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin
Indiana: Killing Cassidy by Jeanne M. Dams; Buried in Quilts by Sara Hoskinson Frommer; Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library by Eth Clifford
Iowa: Dewey by Vicky Myron
Kansas: The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
Kentucky: A Deadly Shaker Spring by Deborah Woodworth
Louisiana: The Meriwether Murder by Malcolm Shuman
Maine: The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline; The Body in the Sleigh by Katherine Hall Page; Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout; Site Unseen by Dana Cameron; Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier; The Corpse Wore Tartan by Kaitlyn Dunnett; Town in a Blueberry Jam by B. B. Haywood; Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney; Saint's Gate by Carla Neggers
Maryland: The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl; Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely
Massachusetts: The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent; Under Copp's Hill by Katherine Ayres; Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum; Wrecked: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Higgins Clark; C. B. Greenfield: The Tanglewood Murder by Lucille Kallen; Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger; Emily Dickinson Is Dead by Jane Langton; Quieter Than Sleep by Joanne Dobson; Patterns in the Sand by Sally Goldenbaum; The Cemetery Yew by Cynthia Riggs; The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block; Divine Inspiration by Jane Langton; The Body in the Moonlight by Katherine Hall Page; Here and Nowhere Else by Jane Brox; The Cupid Chronicles by Coleen Murtagh Paratore; The Body in the Gazebo by Katherine Hall Page; The Technologists by Matthew Pearl; Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Michigan: Annie's Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg
Minnesota: Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs; Thai Die by Monica Ferris; Knitting Bones by Monica Ferris; Jelly's Gold by David Housewright; Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke; Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
Mississippi: A Fit Representation of Pandemonium: East Tennessee Confederate Soldiers in the Campaign for Vicksburg by William D. Taylor; Reflections of a Mississippi magnolia: a life in poems by Patricia Neely-Dorsey; Ford County: stories by John Grisham; Native American Place Names in Mississippi by Keith A. Baca; Vanished Mississippi Gulf Coast by Jim Fraiser; Murder Past Due by Miranda James
Missouri: The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton; Invisible by Lorena McCourtney
Montana: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson; Tempting Evil by Allison Brennan; The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
Nebraska: Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman; Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
Nevada: The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark
New Hampshire: Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett
New Jersey: A Rare Murder in Princeton by Ann Waldron
New Mexico: The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook; Dissonance by Lisa Lenard-Cook
New York: Murder in Little Italy and Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson; Brooklyn: a novel by Colm Toibin; Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle; My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store by Ben Ryder Howe; Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson; In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving; A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith; A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett
North Carolina: North Carolinians in the Era of the Civil War and Reconstruction by Paul D. Escott; Down River by John Hart; The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver; Knit in Comfort by Isabel Sharpe; Murder on the Candlelight Tour by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter; The Piano Teacher by Lynn York; Murder Checks Inn by Tim Myers
North Dakota: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Ohio: Let There Be Suspects by Emilie Richards; The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames; The Cincinnati Red Stalkings by Troy Soos
Oklahoma: The Legacy by Katherine Webb
Oregon: The Quick and the Thread by Amanda Lee
Pennsylvania: The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini; Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini; Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Rhode Island: The Secret Ingredient Murders by Nancy Pickard
South Carolina: Oolong Dead by Laura Childs; The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs; Island in the Storm: Sullivan's Island and Hurricane Hugo by Jamie W. Moore and Dorothy Perrin Moore; The Sands of Time: A History of Hilton Head Island by Margaret Greer; Murder on Pawley's by Margaret Haswell; Return to Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank; Skyward by Mary Alice Monroe; Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe; Lowcountry Summer by Dorothea Benton Frank
South Dakota: Black-Eyed Susan by Jennifer Armstrong
Tennessee: The Highly Effective Detective by Richard Yancey; Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams; Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll; Remembering Knoxville by William E. Hardy
Texas: Spanish Dagger by Susan Wittig Albert
Utah: Desert Sojourn by Debi Holmes-Binney
Vermont: Lyndon: Gem in the Green by Venila Lovina Shores; Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton
Virginia: Civil Blood by Ann McMillan; The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb; The Christmas Garden Affair by Ann Ripley; Middling Folk: Three Seas, Three Centuries, One Scots-Irish Family by Linda H. Matthews; At Home on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball; The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews
Washington: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford; The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber; The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck; Scent to Her Grave by India Ink (touchstone shows her real name); Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy; Farewell, Miss Zukas by Jo Dereske
West Virginia: Lick Creek by Brad Kessler
Wisconsin: Blood Country by Mary Logue; Uncommon Grounds by Sandra Balzo
Wyoming: Free Fire by C. J. Box

Updated list to include my Alaska title.

Just read my Louisiana title and added it to my list. Malcolm Shuman's The Meriwether Murder had action set in Louisiana and Tennessee. The majority was set in Louisiana, and that is the state for which I counted it. It's a very interesting take on the mystery surrounding famed explorer Meriwether Lewis' death and the possibility that he might have actually survived the bullet which is said to have killed him.

Updated my list to include Christina Baker Kline's The Way Life Should Be. I used this for Maine although parts of the action are set in New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. The majority of the book is set in Maine.

I updated my list to include The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent for my Massachusetts book. This is the best book I've read this year. My 8th great grandaunt was one of those convicted and sentenced to be hanged in Salem, although she was able to escape death. This fictionalized account was well-researched, well-written, and very readable.

I updated my list to include The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton as my Missouri title. This was a well-written book, but I never really identified with any of the characters in the book, making it difficult for me to say that I enjoyed it. The book relied quite a bit on conversation to tell the story in places. That's not something I really enjoy either. I'm sure that others who read the book will enjoy it. My mild dislike of the book had more to do with my personal reading preferences than with the quality of the book.

I have added A Fit Representation of Pandemonium: East Tennessee Confederate Soldiers in the Campaign for Vicksburg by William D. Taylor as a Mississippi book. Although the book concerns soldiers who were from Tennessee, the book's action was about 98% in the state of Mississippi. I needed to review this for a library publication. I included a very brief review here. The author ("Doug" as we knew him) was a colleague before he died from injuries in an automobile accident. The book was published posthumously.

Due to your mention, I've added The Heretic's Daughter to my wishlist. Enjoyed and thumbed-up your review of it, too. I always appreciate the 'personal' point of view in a review. Great review. Ditto The Meriwether Murder on all points.

Conversely, I knew that I wouldn't be interested in The Way Life Should Be because of your succint review. Also thumbed up. Thanks for the info!

Thanks. I take a bit of a different approach to LibraryThing reviews than I do to reviews for publication. I tend to write shorter reviews, but cover what I perceive as strengths and weaknesses or things that I enjoyed or did not enjoy about the books.

Added Arkansas Traveler by Earlene Fowler as my Arkansas title. I found the book to be heavy on conversation and light on mystery with a predictable plot. Some people who enjoy books that get bogged down in conversation might enjoy this more than I did.

I forced myself to finish reading The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl as my Maryland selection. The book did not hold my attention and is at least 100 pages longer than it needs to be. Most of the book's action is set in Baltimore although there is a small section set in Paris.

Just updated my list to include The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook as my New Mexico selection. I enjoyed the second part of the book much more than the first part. Small parts of the book were set in Texas and Mexico, but the vast majority of the approximately 450 page novel were in New Mexico.

I just read a second Massachusetts book. This one was really of the young adult category: Under Copp's Hill by Katherine Ayres. Even though there was no doubt that the setting of this book was Boston and frequent mentions of Boston and locations in Boston were made, the author did not seem to use the setting as much as she could have aside from the fact that we had early smuggler's tunnels playing into an event surrounding the Chelsea fire of 1908. I was a bit disappointed in the mystery itself, although many middle school girls would probably enjoy it. I enjoyed the historical notes at the conclusion of the book far better.

I updated my list to include my Hawaii selection. It was Burned by Carol Higgins Clark. I'm sure I've probably read books by her in the past, but it's been a long time ago. It's not a great work of literature, but it would make a nice quick beach read. There are a too many subplots. The ending was not quite as satisfying as I would have liked although she seemed to address most of the subplots.

Enjoyed your reviews for The Night Journal and Under Copp's Hill. You mentioned that you enjoy books set in Boston. Do you have any recommendations for favorites? (I especially love historical fiction.) And after just returning from a quick visit to that area, I would love to make a visit back via a great book.

I discovered Sarah Stewart Taylor awhile back. Her books are not historical fiction, but her "sleuth" studies gravestone art. I read a lot of colonial history books from New England, and I've read some things about different communities there. A couple of years ago I discovered a wonderful annotated bibliography on the Internet of fiction set in Boston: http://webcas.cas.suffolk.edu/richman/Boston/bosbib.htm It is updated regularly. Of course, some of my favorite books with Boston (or Boston area) settings are some of the classics such as some of Hawthorne's books. I also enjoyed The Heretic's Daughter recently which of course was historical fiction set on the North Shore.

Thank you for the recommendations! They are now on my wishlist. I tried the other link you provided, but get a "page cannot be found" notice. I'll try it again tomorrow; I'm really interested. Thanks!

I think I fixed the link, countrylife! I left an end quote off in the HTML and it messed things up!

WOW! What a resource! Thank you EVER so much for sharing it with me!

I just added A Rare Murder in Princeton by Ann Waldron as my New Jersey selection. I found it to be an enjoyable academic cozy set primarily in the university library's special collections department.

I just made another visit to New York with Colm Toibin's beautiful novel Brooklyn: A Novel. I was a little disappointed in the last 50 pages, but I loved the rest of the novel! I'll be looking for other books by this Irish author.

Brooklyn was one of my favorite books this year. Her choice was agonizing though, mainly because I knew what the better choice was, but she didn't.

Great review of Brooklyn!

I just re-visited New Mexico with Dissonance by Lisa Lenard-Cook. This book deserves a much wider audience than it has. I think those with musical backgrounds will be those who appreciate it the most. Those who enjoy reading Holocaust survivor's stories may also enjoy it. Needless to say, a person with a musical background who enjoys reading Holocaust survival stories needs to find a copy and read it!

Wow, you're really making progress here! Do you have a time frame for this challenge?

>26 GingerbreadMan: No. Just when I get it done. I'm sure I'll slow down at times. I always do. Of course, the last two books didn't add any new states for me so I made a dent in my to-be-read pile, but that was about it. The book I'm reading now is set in a location that I've already completed for another challenge so it won't count either!

I finally added another state! I've just visited Indiana with Dorothy Martin in Killing Cassidy by Jeanne M. Dams. Dams is one of my favorite cozy writers. This book did not disappoint. I did, however, miss her usual setting in Sherebury.

I liked that review!

Don't believe I've ever read a cozy mystery. Might you have an off-the-top-of-your-head recommendation for a conservative-leaning reader whose preferred genre is historical fiction?

> 29 Most cozy mysteries really don't get too much into politics at all, and most (although not all) are modern settings. The first series that came to me that you might enjoy would be Laura Childs' Tea Shop mysteries. They are set in Charleston, SC. Many have plots that revolve around the Heritage Society there. They feature amateur detectives. The first in the series is Death by Darjeeling. Let me think some more. There are a few that are set in times past, but they aren't coming to me at the moment.

>29 countrylife: Margaret Frazer writes historical cozies. She has two series set in the medieval period. The Brother Caedfel mysteries by Ellis Peters would also fit the historical cozy category. Rett Macpherson has a series that features Tori O'Shea, a genealogist. She just "delves" into the past.

#29 You might pose this question over on the "Crime, Thriller & Mystery" group - they'll be able to give you dozens of suggestions.

>29 countrylife:

I enjoy the Robin Paige series with Sir Charles and Lady Kathryn Sheridan. These books are set in the late Victorian era, and most of the books involve real historical figures like Winston Churchill and Rudyard Kipling.

Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries are some of my favorites. Each book is set where Jane was known to be living or visiting during the time period of the book.

I also enjoy the Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson. The books are set in New York City. Her featured characters are Sarah Brandt, a young widow who works as a midwife, and policeman Frank Malloy. In a typical book in the series, Sarah discovers a crime in the course of her work and calls on Malloy to help investigate. Teddy Roosevelt has a small role as the New York police comissioner.

Thank you for the recommendations! They ALL sound good. I've added a note to my profile for a memory aid to check during my next trip to the library.

30/thornton37814 - I wondered why you mentioned politics, til I re-read my description at #29. I actually meant that I don't like way-out-there contorted stories, bodice-rippers, sexually explicit, or gorey stuff. Can't you read my mind?! ;)

>34 countrylife: I don't really care for that type of stuff either! If I ran across that stuff, I'd probably mention it in the review. I enjoy Victoria Thompson's gaslight mysteries that were mentioned in #33 also.

I just completed a third trip to Massachusetts with Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum. Not a perfect mystery, but an enjoyable cast of characters and pleasant setting. I hope to return to Sea Harbor with the second in the series.

I keep visiting states I've already visited. Just finished a second tour of Connecticut with Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan. (Sorry, his hyperlink is showing up red.) I suspect that persons who have worked in restaurants as cooks, wait staff, etc. will enjoy this short little novel. The entire action is set on a single day -- about 4 days before Christmas -- the last day that this particular restaurant will be in business. A snowstorm makes their turnout a bit light.

I love the way Stewart O'Nan makes prosaic locations like shopping malls and decaying American suburbs so vivid and worth describing.

Yes, Ridgeway Girl. He does a good job of that. He had done some pretty good research on the workings of the Darden Restaurants too.

I finally made it to another state. I just got back from an armchair trip to Yellowstone National Park and the state of Wyoming with C. J. Box's Free Fire. (The touchstones are not loading at the moment so I'll try to get them to work later.) I loved this book. It was reminiscent of a cross between a Tony Hillerman and a Nevada Barr novel. When the author was describing the area around his father-in-law's ranch, I immediately thought of the area around Sheridan, where my nephew lives. Then he made a comment about the "foothills of the Bighorns." I knew I was on target. Then when he started giving the route Joe would travel in getting to Yellowstone, I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that this was the area he was describing! The descriptions of the park itself, the buildings in the park, etc. all ring true. Even though the murders were committed in the section of the park which is in Idaho, most of the action is in Wyoming since that is where the bulk of the park is. This was my first C. J. Box novel, but it will not be my last. I had trouble putting the book down, even when I knew I needed to get some sleep.

I had trouble putting the book down, even when I knew I needed to get some sleep.

I love it when I get a book like that. I read my first CJ Box a few weeks ago, and plan to read more.

I can't count this as any state, but I just took an Amtrek from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles with David Baldacci's The Christmas Train.

I've been in the mood for Christmas books. I just read Katherine Hall Page's The Body in the Sleigh. Page is one of the better cozy mystery writers; however, I wasn't that thrilled with the drug trafficking in the plot for a Christmas read. The book is set on Sanpere Island, Maine which is where her amateur sleuth Faith Fairchild often spends her summers. I already had a Maine book so this didn't add a new state for me in the challenge.

Still in my Christmas book mode, I checked out Debbie Macomber's The Perfect Christmas from our library. I did not like it as well as her previous Christmas novels. This book was set in Seattle, but it could have been set almost anywhere as there was little sense of place. Fortunately, I already had a Washington book.

I usually hunt around for a Christmas mystery this time of year, but have not had much luck the last few years finding one that I really liked. I enjoyed Advent of Dying by Sister Carol Anne O'Marie, about two nuns in San Francisco with a talent for solving murders; Mistletoe Man by Susan Wittig Albert, set in Texas; and A Stillness in Bethlehem by Jane Hadam, set in Vermont. They all have a pretty good sense of place.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to look for these sometime. I've been just checking things out from the college library where I work for the most part to fulfill my Christmas reading bug this year. However, I can look for these when I get to the used bookstore!

I seem to be stuck in Washington state. I just visited Mount Vernon, Washington with Glenn Beck in The Christmas Sweater. It's a tear jerker.

I finally managed to finish reading Leif Enger's Peace Like a River. It's a well-written book with prose that many will appreciate, but the plot never really grabbed me. The book could count for either Minnesota or North Dakota. I'm choosing to count it for North Dakota.

I received a review copy of Reflections of a Mississippi magnolia: a life in poems from the author Patricia Neely-Dorsey. I've included it as a second Mississippi book because it has such a wonderful sense of place. The touchstone for the title just keeps saying "loading" but never seems to load. I've tried it with and without the subtitle.

That sounds like a LOVELY book!

I was starting to think I was the only one who wasn't blown away by Peace Like a River. I just couldn't seem to connect with it.

>51 Copperskye: I am glad that there are a few of us who feel that way. As I was reading it, I kept saying that "everyone else likes this" but it really didn't improve it. I really struggled to get through it because I just didn't like the plot. I did appreciate the book's literary merit, but that's about it.

I just read another Mississippi book, Ford County: stories by John Grisham.

#53 Did you like it? I had it home from the library last month, because I normally enjoy Grisham's books - lightweight though they usually are. But I managed to avoid it until it was due back and returned it without ever opening the cover.

>54 sjmccreary: I'm not a huge Grisham fan, and I suspect that the book would appeal more to persons who do really enjoy legal stories. I did not like it that much because I felt it perpetuated some negative stereotypes of Mississippians. I don't think I'd want to meet very many of the persons in the stories except maybe Miss Emporia in the final story.

Although the sense of place is not as strong as I would have liked, I was able to identify Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs as a Minnesota book by using a map to find the intersection of Highway 65 and Interstate 90. There's also a reference to Minneapolis later in the book. I'm adding it, but I'm sure that I will have another book with a stronger sense of place for this state as well because I have another in my to be read soon pile!

It's not really a state, but since I just read a book set in the District of Columbia, I added it to my list. Dinaw Mengestu's The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears is the story of a Ethiopian immigrant to the United States who after working a few years as a bellhop in a D.C. hotel opens his own corner grocery in a declining neighborhood in the district. I had seen reviews of this book when it was first published and wanted to see if the book lived up to its hype. It was a New York Times Book Review notable book of the year.

I read that other Minnesota book with a stronger sense of place than the earlier one. Monica Ferris' Thai Die actually visited several locations in Minnesota throughout the course of the book! There's even a snowstorm in the midst of it. I gave it 3 stars because I didn't feel that it is as strong as others in the series.

I just finished The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. I didn't really need another North Carolina book, but about half of this 507 page book was set in North Carolina during the "Red Scare" era. The other half is set in Mexico. There is one chapter set in Washington, D.C. where the main character attended a military school for one year. This is a beautifully written book. Kingsolver's descriptions are absolutely wonderful, particularly in the Mexican portion of the book, but there is definitely a feel for what life was like in Asheville, North Carolina during the McCarthy era. This is one of the best books I've read in a long while.

I don't live very far from Asheville (but over in SC) -- I will take a look at The Lacuna, although I am feeling a little burned out on Barbara Kingsolver.

>60 RidgewayGirl: I'm on the Tennessee side of Asheville! It just takes a longer now to get there since the road (I-40) is closed due to the mudslide!

We had relatives caught in the traffic behind that mudslide. They decided to take the scenic route from AL, instead of the boring one through Atlanta. My brother-in-law is not known for preparing for things by, like, checking weather forecasts.

Just re-visited California with Laura Levine's This Pen for Hire. It's a quick read and a cross between chick lit and a cozy mystery. I probably will not read further novels in the series. I loved the humor in the book, but the sleuth was disappointing.

I added Colorado with Diane Mott Davidson's Sweet Revenge in the Goldy Schulz catering series. The series is becoming very much like a soap opera, bringing back supposedly dead characters. You need to read the previous novels in this series to avoid spoilers in this installment.

Back in Maine again with Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout in the town of Crosby. I didn't really care for Olive or most of the other characters in the book. It was well-written, but I just didn't connect with them.

Still stuck in Maine. Site Unseen by Dana Cameron was a welcome addition to the cozy genre featuring archaeologist/amateur sleuth Emma Fielding who is in the tenure process at a New England college. She's hoping her dig work at Fort Providence will earn her tenure. For once, the local sheriff in a cozy mystery was not depicted as someone who was incompetent! I really enjoyed this book and hope to read others in the series. I'd read the 5th book a few years ago and don't remember it making much of an impression, but this 1st book is a real winner. Of course that lack of impression may have been due to the fact that I'd not read the first four!

Another California book - Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman. This one's been in my to-be-read pile for a couple of years. I have a category for needlework in the 1010 Challenge so I decided it was time to get this one out. I can't say that it was a truly great mystery, but I liked it well enough to try the second in the series. I didn't immediately love the characters, and it took me awhile to begin to like some of them.

Just revisited the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina for this year's installment in the Tea Shop Mysteries. I love my annual visits with Theodosia, Drayton, and Haley and wish that I didn't have to wait so long between books! The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs is one of the better cozy mysteries that I've read in awhile -- probably since last year's installment!

Just added Rhode Island to my list of visited states with The Secret Ingredient Murders by Nancy Pickard. I wasn't overly impressed with the mystery, but I've been very distracted because of a family situation. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/340516/reviews/18024146

I just revisited Minnesota. I discovered that I'd somehow failed to read Knitting Bones by Monica Ferris before reading Thai Die. I decided that I'd better go back and correct that before my visit to the Twin Cities area this summer. Here's the review I posted: After taking a tumble from a horse, Betsy is laid up with a broken leg. When a VIP from the Heart Coalition disappears along with a large donation to the organization from the EGA, the man's wife calls on Betsy to help clear his name. Betsy must rely on Godwin to do much of the questioning and legwork. The solution to this mystery was pretty obvious and I even anticipated the manner in which the guilty party would meet his fate, but it was still an enjoyable read. The officer from the Minneapolis Police Dept. was an interesting character. I'd like to see him in future installments of the series.

I added Tennessee to my list with The Highly Effective Detective by Richard Yancey. I live about 45 miles from Knoxville and was looking forward to the Knoxville location, but this book was a huge disappointment. I won't be wasting my time on future novels in the series.

Back in North Carolina again with Knit in Comfort by Isabel Sharpe. I gave it 2.5 stars. Here is my review:

This is a book with many stories. There is Elizabeth who escapes her chef boyfriend in New York to try to find herself. There is Megan who is tolerating being married to a man practicing bigamy. There are other friends with other relationship problems. Then there is a string that knits this story with Megan's Shetland Islands ancestry . . . the knitting of Shetland lace. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the book overall. I'd like to say that the characters are not very believable, but the story of the bigamous relationship reminds me of one I heard about in a collateral line when I began researching my own ancestry. I think it's more accurate to state that I really did not feel a strong connection with any of the characters. Their experiences were so far removed from my own and from what I would expect in the location in which the book is set in western North Carolina. I did enjoy the information on the knitting of this most delicate lace, and I would love to see an exhibit of it. It's not a book I would recommend to others, but I'm not really sorry that I read it. This book was received as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program with the expectation that it would be reviewed.

I added Vermont to my list with Lyndon: Gem in the Green by Venila Lovina Shores. I gave it 4 stars. Here is my review:

As far as town histories go, this one is fairly well done. I purchased it for a summer trip that our choir was taking to this town. The trip has now been cancelled, but since I had nearly finished reading the book, I decided to complete it. It will be more meaningful to those who have lived there, but I enjoyed seeing some of the New England surnames that are in my own family history listed in the book. I'm fairly sure that they are probably distantly related to me, although I have not done research to verify it. There are some things that could have used a bit more documentation. There were other things that really seemed of marginal importance that could have probably been eliminated, cutting down on the overall number of pages. Those things may or may not have interested even those living there. My biggest criticism came during the part discussing the town's military involvement. There was a single sentence describing the Korean and Vietnam wars: "Although men from Lyndon served in both the above wars, few records exist telling of Lyndon's involvement." This book was completed in 1986. I have difficulty believing that there were not living veterans who could have supplied oral histories. I have difficulty believing that there were no newspaper accounts reporting servicemen leaving for those conflicts. I'm happy that I read this book, and I hope that I can visit the area sometime in the future.

I can't believe that I'm just now adding an Illinois book, but it appears that is the case. I just completed Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin. I gave it 2.5 stars. The author will be speaking at a conference I'm attending in a couple of weeks. This is a Christian fiction novel. It's a story of three orphaned Swedish girls who immigrate to the United States, arriving first at Ellis Island, and then moving to Chicago. The story line is very predictable but somewhat engaging. The writing style is more on a YA level with more adult themes involved. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/6320985/reviews/60192476.

Arizona has been added. I read Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay. It's the first in a new cozy series set in a cupcake bakery in Scottsdale. I think I'm beginning to tire of the endless string of new cozy series that are too similar and that have sleuths with whom I don't seem to make a connection. This book makes for a light summer read. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/9267065/reviews/60257596.

I read a lot of cozy mysteries also, and I find that I also need a break from them after a while. I'll read other stuff for awhile, and then when I come back to a cozy, I remember why I like them so much.

I just read Jelly's Gold by David Housewright. I'll be at a conference in St. Paul soon so I wanted to read something with a St. Paul setting. This one is a modern mystery with a tie to the gangster ear of the 1930s. An interesting read. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/8154703/reviews/60523107.

I just experienced a night filled with tornadoes in Grand Island, Nebraska with the young adult book, Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman.

Montana: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson - This is a wonderful young adult book about a 16-year-old orphaned girl who sets out to settle her uncle's claim in Montana. It was a Newbery Honor book.

I just visited Civil War era Richmond, Virginia where Narcissa Powers and Judah Daniel are racing to save others from becoming contaminated with small pox through the careless and/or deliberate efforts of someone. You'll have to read the book to find out (but since it is a mystery that should give you a clue). Book is Civil Blood by Ann McMillan.

I've now added Alabama. I read The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips. I was delighted to find one set in northern Alabama, not that far from where I grew up in Mississippi. In fact, I had ancestors who lived near Carbon Hill (and some of their descendants did live there). I thought the author did a great job depicting the area. At one point in the story, the characters had a reason to visit Birmingham, and the author included a mention of the historic Sloss Furnaces, which are no longer operating but are open as a tourist attraction. I gave it 4 stars. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/4893066/reviews/60805778.

Another Virginia book thanks to Early Reviewers: The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb. I gave it 3 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/9475434/reviews/61314413

I honestly didn't need another Mississippi book, but I read one anyway. It was Native American Place Names in Mississippi by Keith A. Baca. I gave it 3.5 stars. Here's my review: http://www.librarything.com/work/4172768/reviews/61560656.

You are making amazing progress with this challenge. If I counted correctly, you've only got 16 states left to go. I just posted my 17th state completed - I still have a ways to go.

I'm making far better progress on my U.S. challenge than on my European or Canadian one. I tend to read fiction set in the same European countries over and over -- I think I could stay forever in England, Italy, and France!

I'm having the same problems in the European challenge. That one is going even more slowly than this one! And Canada is a problem - I really have to dig to find Canadian books here.

I've added Idaho. Blue Heaven by C. J. Box kept me on the edge of my seat. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/3504288/reviews/62058029.

I didn't need another Mississippi book, but on a recent trip to Mississippi, I picked up a copy of Vanished Mississippi Gulf Coast by Jim Fraiser. I needed another book that fit my "Weather Channel" category for the 1010 Challenge, so I used it. It's a book that includes information about the history and culture of the region as well as before and after photos of many homes and other buildings along the Mississippi Gulf Coast that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Comments in the book's narrative or accompanying the photos often indicate the fate of the home in the storm. There are far more "before" photos than "after" ones, but since the "after" ones are so depressing, that's probably a good thing.

#87 What did you think of the ending? I loved the book (it was my Idaho book, too), but thought the ending was pretty lame. Some of the reviewers said they loved it, though, and one even said they were moved to tears!

>89 sjmccreary: I wouldn't say that it brought me to tears. I really wasn't completely satisfied with it, but I accepted it. It's probably a tad more realistic than I wished it had been.

Another revisit to Massachusetts. Wrecked: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Higgins Clark. A storm is brewing when Jack & Regan Reilly arrive on Cape Cod to celebrate their first anniversary. The handyman discovers the neighbor has fallen and is bleeding (and possibly dead) on the steps leading to where her rowboat is tied. He goes for help, but by the time Jack & Regan arrive, the body is gone, apparently washed out to sea by the rapidly rising waters. Jack & Regan try to find out more about the woman so that they can contact the next of kin. Most of the action occurs on a single day, but the last few chapters are devoted to a couple of days where the actions comes to a head and resolves. I had a strong feeling when I first began this book that I'd read this book before, even though the book was first published in 2010. I definitely felt a similarity in the scenario to something I'd read before, but I could not place the book that I felt was similar. I do believe that as the plot developed that there was a deviation from the book I felt I remembered. This is an enjoyable, light read. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Although in the greater Washington DC area, the main action and crime in The Christmas Garden Affair by Ann Ripley seems to take place in Virginia. It's a very flawed gardening mystery. In fact with only a few extremely minor edits, this book could easily take place at any time of the year. It would just be a matter of changing a word here or there. I gave the book a generous 2 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/1833671/reviews/62785892.

Another visit to South Carolina: Island in the Storm: Sullivan's Island and Hurricane Hugo by Jamie W. Moore and Dorothy Perrin Moore. The authors, professors emeritus from the Citadel, provide detailed information on Hurricane Hugo and its interruption of life on Sullivan's Island. This is a lesson on hurricane preparedness. It shows the challenges in responding to the disaster faced by various government agencies, the difficulties encountered by residents in getting insurance claims and FEMA settlements, and the stress caused by the disruptions. It also outlines changes made by government and by residents to deal with future disasters. This book has a decidedly more academic tone than many books on disasters. I gave it 4 stars.

Another Tennessee book: Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams. A scout for the Cooking Channel turns up dead at the Peabody Hotel with a huge number of persons as viable suspects, most of them family members or regular customers at Aunt Pat's Bar-B-Q. As a former Memphian, I eagerly awaited the release of this mystery. Unfortunately, it did not quite live up to my hopes. In the first few pages, readers were introduced to so many characters that it was difficult to keep them straight. The characters all had stereotypical names like "Lulu," "Peggy Sue," and "Flo." By the way, I'm not really sure what ever happened to Peggy Sue, but she disappeared later in the story. While Lulu, the main character, was likeable enough, I can't say the same for most of the rest of her family or friends. As the story progressed, I was able to more easily identify the characters who were too quickly introduced earlier in the story, but I was probably over 100 pages into the book before I had them sorted out sufficiently. I'm not sure if I'll read future installments in the series or not. I gave it 3 stars.

Another Indiana book: Buried in Quilts by Sara Hoskinson Frommer. Joan Spencer is the manager for the symphony where she also plays the viola. They are playing at a quilt show in the small town of Oliver. The quilt show's organizer turns up dead under one of the quilts on display. While she wasn't the easiest person with whom to get along, who wanted her gone badly enough to kill her? Joan, with access to the building and observations from her fellow orchestra members, helps the detective Fred unravel the case by supplying information she learns. I very much liked the character of Joan and the manner in which she provided information that she learned without really interfering with the investigation. It's an older series, but it's new to me, and I hope to read other installments. I gave it 4 stars.

Adding another state--Kansas: The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard.

Jody Linder was just a small child on that rainy and stormy Kansas night when her father was murdered and her mother missing and presumed dead. She's been reared by her father's close-knit family. Now the man who was convicted of killing her father is being released from prison after having his sentence commuted by the governor due to flaws in the original investigation. Jody and the man's son Collin had known each other growing up and had admired each other, always knowing that a relationship with the other was out of the question. In the small town of Rose, there are several persons who believe Billy Crosby was too drunk on the night of the murder to have committed it, but there is really no one who doesn't believe he didn't belong in prison. Jody begins to question her long-held beliefs about Billy Crosby's guilt.

This book got off to a slow start for me, but as I kept reading, I found myself drawn into the story by the author's vivid depictions of the area and her wonderfully drawn characters. One chapter with its vivid depictions of rain and lightning was especially poignant.

I gave it 3.5 stars.

How is that book being marketed? I got it as an ER book because the description said that it was more literary fiction than a straight mystery novel. I might have liked it for what it was--a very nice, somewhat cozy novel of romantic suspense, but because I was waiting for something deeper to be said or to happen, I was bitterly disappointed.

I honestly don't know how they are marketing it. It's more of a regional literary (dialect, etc.) than a true literary fiction title IMHO. I do understand what you are saying. I borrowed this copy from a friend who had won it through LTER. In the beginning the only thing that kept me going was that I needed a Kansas book in 50 states and another weather book in the 1010 challenge, and this would meet both. I'm glad it picked up somewhat for me.

Repeating Massachusetts again: C. B. Greenfield: The Tanglewood Murder by kallenlucille::Lucille Kallen. Reporter Maggie Rome and her boss Charlie Greenfield head to the Tanglewood Music Center to enjoy some of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer offerings. When one of the performers dies during a rehearsal, it becomes obvious that he did not die of natural causes. The pair sets out to investigate. Lots of motives; lots of suspects. I enjoyed the description of Tanglewood and some of the characterization. In the end, however, the revelation of the murderer was not very satisfying. I gave it 3 stars.

Adding Florida: Damaged by Alex Kava. FBI agent Maggie O'Dell heads to Florida with a strong hurricane approaching Pensacola Beach. A cooler with body parts has been found. Several story lines merge to form the plot, but it's clear far too early in the plot who the bad guy is and unfortunately events toward the end are fairly predictable. The first 2/3 of the book is better than the remaining 1/3. I gave it 3 stars.

New York books are so easy to come by. I'm adding yet another: Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson. Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy once again team up to solve a crime in Victorian era New York City. This time a young girl of Chinese and Irish parentage has been murdered. While I had determined who the murderer was about half-way through the book, there were enough red herrings to keep it interesting. One of the more interesting things that I learned in this book centered on the laws that limited Chinese immigration to the United States during this period, especially those barring women. I have already read a few short non-fiction pieces describing these laws and their impact on Chinese immigration. I gave it 3.5 stars.

When I began Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger, I had no idea where the setting would be. Turns out that it was another Massachusetts book. Ariadne Evans owns Ariadne's Web, a knitting shop in the fictional town of Freeport in Bristol County, Massachusetts. One morning she discovers the body of a woman (Edith) who enjoyed browsing but rarely purchased any of her designs although she could afford them. Detective Josh Pierce is called in to investigate. Suspicion immediately falls to Ariadne and her closest friend's families. Of course Edith was not well-liked by most people in the town so suspects really do abound. Ariadne and Josh find themselves attracted to one another. The solution to the case was fairly obvious to me fairly early. I found many of the actions of the characters, particularly of the investigating officer, to be out of character and rather implausible. I also find it difficult to believe that even when this book came out in 2005 that dial-up Internet would still be in use by a shop owner (who is launching a web site for her business) at home and work. Broadband and DSL connections were in widespread use at that time. I will not be going out of my way to find future installments in this series. I gave it 2.5 stars.

I just can't stay away from Massachusetts. I saw that, in spite of all the New England books I've read, I'm coming up short in my New England category over in the 1010 Challenge so I read another book from Massachusetts, just to have another in that challenge. Emily Dickinson Is Dead by Jane Langton. A conference of Emily Dickinson experts is gathered in Amherst. Shortly before the conference, a fire breaks out in one of the dormitories, killing two young sophomore men. The local detectives have only a small lead on the case. The reader, however, is privileged and knows who set the fire and sees the potential for another deadly encounter during the conference. Among those in attendance are several professors from University of Massachusetts and Amherst College, a recently kicked out university graduate student who serves as a docent at the Dickinson house, a favored graduate student who will have the honor of wearing Emily's dress, a professor from the University of Central Arizona, Homer Kelly (retired detective and visiting professor), a doctor from Northampton, and an expert on Emily's family history. In spite of the reader's knowledge of whodunit, this is an enjoyable venture into the world of academia. The reader wonders how long it will take the persons with the bits and pieces of knowledge to put the puzzle together. I gave it 3 stars.

Massachusetts (again): Quieter Than Sleep by Joanne Dobson. Karen Pelletier is a non-tenured member of the English faculty at Enfield College. Randy Astin-Berger, the person most likely to become the new department head, turns up dead, and Karen is the last person to admit seeing him alive. He's not particularly popular, and the motives for wanting him out of the picture are as varied as the faculty in the department. Lt. Piotrowski is the officer in charge of the investigation, and he eventually enlists Karen's help to flesh out some of the more academic motives he suspects may be involved. The main characters were quite likable. There are some things that are less believable, such as the amount of fraternizing the faculty members seem to have with the college president and the willingness of the police to involve a civilian who is close to the case in the investigation as a consultant. The action did seem to stall in places, but overall it was an enjoyable read. I settled on 3.5 stars.

Another Virginia book: Middling Folk: Three Seas, Three Centuries, One Scots-Irish Family by Linda H. Matthews. Linda Matthews very ably demonstrates how we can give life to our ancestors by incorporating social history, diaries, and other materials into the narrative to offer a fuller and richer understanding of their lives. She takes her Hammill ancestors and moves them from Scotland to Ireland and then to America. While the family eventually settled in Prince William County, Virginia, she offers glimpses of their lives before in Maryland and afterwards in Washington state as well. This is a very readable family history. The author does a great job making it clear what is documented and what is possible or probable based on various factors. She does take liberty in some clearly identified "aside" chapters to fictionalize accounts based on what she has discovered. I did feel that the narrative bogged down a bit in places, particularly in the information she learned from Southern Claims Commission records, but overall this is a very well-done book. Anyone interested in genealogy should read this to see how a readable family history can be accomplished. I gave it 4 stars.

Another Maine book: Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier. An arsonist is destroying old buildings in Tinkers Cove, Maine. When he burns down one old home, the investigation turns to murder as the woman who owns the summer home has gone there after finding her husband has been cheating on her. Will they discover who the arsonist is before he destroys more historic buildings? I found this to be an enjoyable, but flawed, read. The biggest problem with it lies in the lack of resolution to some things introduced, and the way certain statements should have been further explained to the reader -- maybe not at the point they were made, but later in the book. Just a lot of loose ends that weren't tied up neatly in the end. However, I still found this to be a fun, escapist read. I gave it 3 stars.

Another Massachusetts book: Patterns in the Sand by Sally Goldenbaum. Willow Adams is first seen curled up in the window of Izzy's knitting shop in Sea Harbor, Massachusetts on Cape Ann after having broken and entered through a window. When a murder occurs and she is named the heir, suspicion naturally falls to her, but Ruth, Izzy, and others believe in her innocence. It is up to them to find the solution before Willow is arrested for a crime they are certain she didn't commit. The author has created a very fun knitting group in a great little artists colony community. I found myself enjoying the characters and the location. I was a bit surprised that they were ignoring one person as a suspect throughout most of the book. I did not solve the murder until almost the time that the murderer was revealed. This is one of the better cozies on the market. I gave it 3.5 stars.

If you are looking for a quick and humorous fun read, Murder Boogies with Elvis by Anne George might fill the bill. It has a strong sense of place. It is set in Birmingham, Alabama. I gave it 3.5 stars. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/87672/reviews/65558131.

I'm happy to have a fiction title now for Vermont: Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton. My full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/8737798/reviews/65323918. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Just had a nice little armchair visit to Martha's Vineyard with The Cemetery Yew by Cynthia Riggs. I didn't need another Massachusetts book. I have to confess that it's somewhat of a stretch to believe that a 92-year-old sleuth is as capable as Victoria Trumbull. I gave the book 3.5 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/296893/reviews/30155034.

My secondary challenge will be to see which state gets the most books posted by the time I finish all the states!

>111 Copperskye: I think Massachusetts is probably going to win. Maine is coming in with a strong second though!

Another New York book: Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle. I was in the mood for a cozy. This one fit the bill. I gave it 3.5 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/116760/reviews/54213456.

Another Georgia book: Sins of the Fathers by Patricia Sprinkle. Katharine Murray goes along with her friend Dr. Flo Gadney to Bayard Island when a developer plans to disinter a possible relative of Dr. Flo's. The novel explores some of Georgia's coastal history and shows racial prejudice. I loved the genealogical portions of the novel. There were some great quotes such as this one from page 5: "She hadn't started researching her own family, so she hadn't yet experienced the excitement of finding a sought-after piece in a genealogy puzzle." However, the author did not do a very good job of dealing with an 1880 census record early in the book. (The 1880 census was the first to list the relationship of each person to the head of the household, and the author neglected to mention this.) I feel that the novel bogged down in many places with things that really had little impact on the plot. I think the author could have done a better job in developing the characters on the island, particularly in respect to the murderer. I'm not sure I really understand the motivation that led to the murder. A superficial motive was given, but it left the reader with more questions than answers. As a genealogist, I really want to love this series, but I'm finding that I don't really feel connected with the main characters. I gave it 3 stars.

Those Massachusetts books just keep finding my way into my reading. The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block. This one is set primarily in the Berkshires rather than in New York City as most of the books in this series. I gave it 3.5 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/24626/reviews/51513807.

Adding another state - Pennsylvania: The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini. I was really surprised that I didn't already have a Pennsylvania book, but I'm glad that I was able to add another state and enjoy a the first book of a series which I should have begun reading years ago. I look forward to revisiting the characters. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Another Tennessee book: Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll. This is a Christian adventure novel set mostly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Knoxville, and surrounding areas. A key witness is a child-trafficking scheme is in need of a heart transplant. Bad weather forces down the helicopter transporting the donor heart. That's when the National Park Service rangers get involved in the case. This was one book where I didn't need a map to help me navigate since the action is set right in my own backyard. It took me about fifty pages to really get into the novel, but once I became engaged, it was a quick read. It's the type of novel that would be more appealing to Christians than to non-Christians as faith is an integral part of several characters. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Another Massachusetts book: Divine Inspiration by Jane Langton. I gave it 4 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/254599/reviews/67181523.

Another North Carolina book: Murder on the Candlelight Tour by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter. I gave it 2.5 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/1111607/reviews/60952902.

Another Montana book: Tempting Evil by Allison Brennan. Definitely has a sense of what Montana is like in blizzard conditions. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/5130069/reviews/35918573. I gave it 3 stars.

Another North Carolina book in a Mayberry-ish setting: The Piano Teacher by Lynn York. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/488095/reviews/18030382. I gave it 3 stars.

A non-fiction book which I'm counting in Arkansas although small portions were in Texas or other states: A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit by Mike Huckabee. I really enjoyed this collection of stories from Governor Huckabee's life that remind us that sometimes simple is better. They also show us the depth of his faith in Jesus Christ. They challenge us to remember the true meaning of Christmas. One of my favorite portions of the book was the introduction. I would have enjoyed hearing him preach that message! Throughout the book, the Governor made reference to many members of his family. As a genealogist, I wanted to go hunting for his ancestors as most of his information on the distant generations appears to have been passed down through oral tradition rather than having been properly documented. I still loved the stories of his family and of himself. One of the most touching stories involved the last days of a family member who died to cancer. Having lost my mother to cancer in the last year, I found myself in tears in that section. While I doubt liberal Democrats would enjoy the book, I do think there are many other classes of persons to whom this book would appeal. The stories are touching. It's a great Christmas read! I gave it 4 stars.

No shortage of Massachusetts books: The Body in the Moonlight by Katherine Hall Page. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/96121/reviews/18023911. I gave it 3.5 stars, but it was really more like 3.25.

Another Pennsylvania book: Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini. I enjoyed the first installment of the series so much that I decided to try the second. I'm glad I did because it was even better than the first. I absolutely loved this second installment of the Elm Creek Quilters series. Their quilters' retreat has been in operation for awhile, but they all suddenly realize they need a quilt on the wall where visitors are welcomed to the Manor. Secretly the Elm Creek Quilters begin work on a round robin quilt for Sylvia to put there. I loved this glimpse into the lives of each quilter and how their part of the quilt reflected what was happening in their lives. We are introduced to two new characters in this installment -- Sarah's mother Carol and Sylvia's old friend Andrew. Each of these play an important part in this installment. I gave it 4 stars.

I read another Washington book, but I can't say that I recommend it. Scent to Her Grave by India Ink (touchstone shows her real name rather than the pen name). I gave it 2 stars. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/356496/reviews/17221619.

Loved the visit to Moosetookalook, Maine with The Corpse Wore Tartan by Kaitlyn Dunnett courtesy of Early Reviewers.

Added another state - Oregon: The Quick and the Thread by Amanda Lee. Marcy Singer leaves the rat race of San Francisco to open her own needlework shop in Tallulah Falls, Oregon where her former college roommate and her husband own the coffee shop next door.. The morning after her open house, she discovers a body in the storage room. The deceased had begun engraving a message with an embroidery needle. It's up to the detectives (and Marcy, of course) to puzzle out the message and find out who the murderer is before another person becomes a victim. This was a good debut mystery. There were several viable suspects with enough red herrings to keep it entertaining. The author used a lot of references to older television programs in her narrative. They often provided just the right amount of humor or the exact picture or amount of descriptiveness to convey the point. I do hope that as Marcy's customer base grows in subsequent novels, that a more intimate group of stitchers is developed, such as the group in Monica Ferris' novels. There is still a little something lacking in the atmosphere of the needlework shop and even in the town's atmosphere. It was, however, a good beginning to the series, and I do plan to read the next installment. 3 stars.

I'm not sure if I ever realized just how many books take place in Massachusetts until I started this challenge!

Yes - I've added some Massachusetts ones that I haven't commented on down here just because I'm sure everyone is tired of seeing them. I really enjoy things with a Massachusetts setting anyway because I have ancestors who were in the Boston area and then on Cape Ann. I also had some who settled a little further north in the Hampton, New Hampshire area (and also some in the Plymouth, New Hampshire area by the White Mountains), but it's much harder to find books set in that area. I found a mystery one time that was set in New Hampshire. I was so hopeful about it, and it was one of the worst books I've ever encountered in my life.

Another SC non-fiction title: The Sands of Time: A History of Hilton Head Island by Margaret Greer - This is a very short (70 p.) illustrated history of Hilton Head. It gives the reader a good idea of the island's role during the Revolutionary and Civil War periods. It does, however, leave the reader wishing for a fuller treatment of the island's development since the 1950s. Although the author clearly did utilize resources, there are only a few internal citations and no footnotes. The sources quoted internally do not match up with the book's bibliography. It is unclear whether the author actually utilized the sources being cited or if she was relying on quotes in the secondary sources in her bibliography. The book is clearly aimed for the tourist market and succeeds in being a fairly interesting account for the general reader. 3 stars.

I didn't really enjoy my first Ohio read, and I just completed another. Unfortunately, I think it was as bad or worse than the first. The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames - I should have liked this book. It involved food -- cheese, to be specific -- and I love cheese shops. It was set near Ohio's Amish country which holds a special place in my heart because I had ancestors who were part of Ohio's Amish settlements in the 19th century and have enjoyed many vacations there. However, the book fell flat for me. I never connected with the characters. I didn't feel that I really knew any of them. Their development was weak. There were too many characters. I knew enough about some of the lesser characters, but I don't really feel that I ever got to know the main ones. Charlotte Bessette, the amateur sleuth in the series, is trying to exonerate her grandmère who has been accused of murdering the owner of the building they rent for the cheese shop. Her grandmère is the mayor of Providence, but she certainly doesn't act much like a mayor, and her character is not adequately developed. With as many characters as there are in the book, there are lots of suspects available, and Charlotte seems to suspect every one of them more than once as she's investigating on her grandmère's behalf. I held high hopes for this series, but this first in the series did not deliver. 2 stars.

My Ohio reads were also less than stellar. I'm on the search for one to take their place, because Ohio is my home state and it's too sad to have it be so mediocre.

I lived in Ohio a total of 12 years, so I've been surprised too. I probably just need to find something that isn't a "cozy." I remember really liking And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer years ago when I lived in Ohio. It was set in an area with which I was familiar.

Wow - is this really my 3rd Montana book? The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig - Paul Milliron, Superintendent of Montana's Department of Public Instruction, has the unpleasant task of announcing the closure of the state's one room schoolhouses. He was a product of the one in Marias Coulee himself. Much of the book is a recollection of his 7th grade year. His mother had died. His dad sees an advertisement for a woman living in Minneapolis who wishes to move west and become a housekeeper. They really believe that the part of the ad about her not knowing how to cook is a joke, but soon find out its truth. Accompanying her is Morrie who is practically a walking encyclopedia. Morrie had a great influence on Paul. When I first began reading this book, I was a bit distracted by life, and the book got off to a slow start even though I really could not fault anything. However, the more I read, the more I enjoyed the book. I'm really not quite sure how I feel about the ending of the historic portion of the book. It's probably realistic, especially for that period in Montana's history, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I think the one thing that bothered me most about the pending closure of the one-room schools in favor of the consolidated schools was the statement made in the book that no child would have to ride on a bus more than 1.5 hours each way. In today's schools, I'm not sure this could be justified because of the high cost of gasoline. It also makes for a very long day for the children. That's 3 hours in addition to a normal 7 hour school day. I also believe that the students in many of those one room schoolhouses learned far more in the first eight grades than today's students. Some would say that it's just a different type of learning, but having seen many college students unprepared for college, I believe that some of those students were better prepared for today's colleges than are many current students. It's definitely a thought-provoking literary work. 4 stars.

Marking off Kentucky with A Deadly Shaker Spring by Deborah Woodworth. A series of incidents makes it appear that someone is out to destroy the North Homage Shaker community. It becomes apparent that the person is intimately acquainted with the Shaker ways. Is it a current member or an apostate? It's up to Sister Rose Callahan who has recently been named eldress to determine the source of problems and to call in the police if necessary. This is my second venture into this series. I tried one several years ago, but I don't think I could even finish it. I managed to get through the book this time, but I don't think this will ever be a favorite series. I think my biggest problem with the series is probably the thing that makes it unique -- the Shaker Village setting. I just don't really care for it. The plot of this is somewhat plausible, and it's believable that the Shakers would want to keep the investigation within their own community as long as possible. I probably won't bother to read additional books in this Shaker series. 3 stars.

I just read a rather fascinating book set in Nebraska. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo - Our pastor used this book as an extended illustration in his Easter sermon yesterday. I wanted to read it for myself. Just shy of his 4th birthday, Colton Burpo suffers a near-death experience in which he visits heaven for a short period of time. He begins to slowly reveal his experiences to his parents over a period of time -- telling them things which he had no way of knowing based on his earthly experiences. It's a very inspirational story, and I don't want to give away too much of it in my review. It's a good reminder to us all that we should have the faith of a child and that "Jesus really loves the children." The book was co-written by Colton's father Todd, a Wesleyan pastor, and by the man who helped write Sarah Palin's book, Going Rogue.

I'm getting ready to head to the Charleston area for a weekend of R & R followed by a conference at which I'm speaking. To get me in the mood, I read another South Carolina book by a "comfort" author: Return to Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank. This book is a sequel to the author's earlier book, Sullivan's Island. The central character in this installment is Beth, Susan's daughter, who has graduated from Boston College and is returning to the family home on Sullivan's Island to keep a watchful eye on it while her mother is working in France for a year. She quickly finds employment as a hostess at a restaurant and as a special reporter for the local paper. Her first reporting assignment will change her life in ways in which she never imagined. This is a typical story where the reader wonders how long it will take the girl to realize she has fallen for the wrong man. We see Beth's character develop throughout the story, especially as the climax is approaching and afterwards. In spite of the plot's predictability, it's a great escape to one of my favorite regions to visit. I even discovered a restaurant or two that I want to try out on a trip that is coming up in about a week. 3.5 stars.

I've finally found a winner for my Ohio pick. Third time's a charm. The Cincinnati Red Stalkings by Troy Soos - Mickey Rawlings is now playing for the Cincinnati Red Stalkings in 1921. They are getting ready to host an exhibit honoring the 1869 team when the person responsible for the exhibit turns up dead. Rawlings realizes there is more to the death than meets the eye, setting out to investigate. I've had this book on my shelf for a long time and had hesitated to pick it up and read it, but I'm really glad that I did. Having lived in Cincinnati during the 1980s and 1990s, I recognized many of the names and locations. I'm not an expert on baseball history by any means, but I can tell that the author has done quite a bit of research to pull off this series with the period detail that he has. Perhaps the thing that struck me most is that there were players and team officials involved in betting on baseball long before Pete Rose. I wonder if this book's narrative was inspired by the Pete Rose controversy that took place shortly before its writing. It's a great read, even if you are not a huge baseball fan. 4 stars.

Another mostly Missouri book (although a small part of the action takes place in Arkansas): Invisible by Lorena McCourtney - Ivy Malone is an elderly woman whose best friend dies. Her best friend rents an apartment to a young woman going by the name of Kendra. When Kendra disappears and a body is found matching her description, Ivy comes forward to identify the body. The woman had been using the identity of someone deceased. Ivy is not satisfied that the police are being thorough and sets out to investigate. There were parts of this story I enjoyed. The opening chapter has Ivy and her best friend in a cemetery and appalled by the vandalism that had taken place there. Having seen cemeteries in this condition, I can completely identify with the outrage. Ivy, however, has some neighbors who are obsessed with genealogy. Unfortunately the author seems to be making fun of their avocation. Genealogical research is not pictured in a favorable light, and the author's unfamiliarity with professional genealogical standards is quite apparent. This is a minor plot line, but it marred my enjoyment of the book. There is a problem with believability. I really cannot picture an elderly woman such as Ivy crouching all night in a cemetery behind tombstones hiding out or being willing to do so. There are also other things that just do not seem that plausible. Ivy is a likable sleuth. This is a work of Christian fiction, and at times I felt that the author was being evangelistic rather than allowing testimonies to take a natural course. All this said, Ivy is likeable, as is one of the detectives, and I would probably read the second book if it is offered as a free Kindle download as this first one was. 2.5 stars.

Another mostly D.C. book, although the author starts in Boston and travels by train to Washington, D.C.: Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott - Alcott’s short book provides a glimpse into the life of a Civil War hospital in Washington, DC from the viewpoint of nurse Periwinkle (Alcott herself) who came from the Boston area. It shows a contrast between the way various hospitals were run. I loved her descriptions of the towns as she was traveling through them in the early chapters of the book. Very descriptive; good writing. 4 stars.

Marking off Wisconsin: Blood Country by Mary Logue - Former Minneapolis police officer has taken a job as deputy sheriff in Pepin County, Wisconsin after her husband was killed. Her daughter had seen the killer, but she did not discover that until after her daughter found the next-door neighbor dead. Suspecting her husband's killer was involved in drug trafficking, she knows she must be diligent in protecting her daughter. Unfortunately the person who committed the crime as well as the "plot twist" (in order not to create a spoiler) are so obvious, that it almost wasn't worth reading to the end. The crime involving the neighbor's death was a little better although it didn't take much to come up with the killer for that one as well. While it's not a terrible mystery, it's just one that is too obvious. There is also mild profanity, which could have been omitted in my opinion. I also spotted a couple of proofreading lapses on the part of the publishing company. 2.5 stars.

Oklahoma: The Legacy by Katherine Webb - After inheriting Storton Manor from their grandmother, sisters Erica and Beth Calcott go back to a place that has haunted them since the day of the disappearance of a friend years ago. In poking through some things, she finds a photo of her great grandmother Caroline with a baby -- one which surely must have been born before Caroline's known marriage.

In a parallel story covering the early part of the 20th century, we learn that Caroline, a woman from New York, married an Oklahoma rancher, and traveled west to meet him and live. We learn of the trials and tragedies of the short time she spent out west before she left the area and what prompted her to hide that part of her life from her descendants.

I really enjoyed the Oklahoma portion of the novel far more than the contemporary portion and would have liked to have seen it be the star of its own novel. The contemporary sections were not as engaging, and the manner in which they were presented sometimes made it hard to determine if it was 20 years ago or present-day since the characters involved were the same. It is also clear that there were repercussions of Caroline's past in the manner in which she treated those around her, including her own daughter. As a genealogist, I was also disappointed that Erica, as she began her search, did not try to research American records to determine if there had been a previous marriage and to see where this might have taken her. There were certainly enough clues interspersed throughout the narrative that would have led me to several sources which would likely have told more of Caroline's story for her descendants. I certainly appreciated Erica's consulting with a relative who had done some family history research, but it was clear that the author did not seem to understand genealogical problem solving.

Recommended for persons who can appreciate the historical aspects of the story without being too disappointed in the disjointed nature of the contemporary story. This review is based on an Advance Readers Copy of the book offered by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. 3 stars.

Texas: Spanish Dagger by Susan Wittig Albert - China Bayles and her guest Carole discover the corpse of Ruby's ex-boyfriend Colin among some yucca plants by the railroad. She calls her friend Sheila, the chief of police. At the same time her step-brother Miles wants to investigate the car accident that killer her father years earlier and hires her ex-cop (now PI) husband McQuaid to work on the case. Resolution for the investigation into her father's death is supposed to take place in the next installment Nightshade. It becomes apparent that Colin's death is somehow related to his past uncover work in drug enforcement. There's a lot of action in this one. China seems to get herself into a lot of situations that she should probably have avoided. The star of the show ends up being Colin's Rottweiler. 3 stars.

West Virginia: Lick Creek by Brad Kessler - Emily Jenkins lives in a home with her mother on Lick Creek in West Virginia. Her father and brother had died in the mines. Her mother was in the depths of despair. Now electricity is coming to the area. The surveyors mark the route the line is to take, but it comes too close to her home for Emily's taste. She altered the route. One day one of the workers falls from a pole near the house and is severely injured. Emily's mom Ada takes the man into her home, regaining a purpose in her life. It brings other changes as well. This is a beautiful novel with realistic characters and rich images of the landscape and events. 4 stars.

Iowa: Dewey by Vicky Myron - What an endearing story of Dewey Readmore Books, the library cat who put the town of Spencer, Iowa on the map! I enjoyed the story of his rescue from the book drop and adoption by the library. I saw a lot of similarities between my own cat and Dewey in some aspects, but Dewey is much more of a people cat than mine has ever been or will be. It's a great story of a cat who shared the love he had to give with a town in need of it. 3.5 stars.

Lick Creek is next in line for me. People I trust say good things about it, so I'm anxious to start it!

Hope you enjoy it, countrylife. It seemed like my best available option for West Virginia without doing a re-read. I'm glad I read it.

South Dakota: Black-Eyed Susan by Jennifer Armstrong - Ten-year-old Susie lives with her family on the Dakota prairie in a sod house. Her mother is very unhappy with life on the frontier and quite obviously misses her family and a more affluent life-style back East. Susie wants to find something to cheer up her mom when she and her dad go to town to purchase another quarter section of land. An encounter with a family moving further west proves to be the prescription for her mother's misery. This is a well-written children's novel that does a good job of describing the hardships faced by the pioneer settlers of the Dakota Territory. The author has done a good job with historical research to make the novel accurate in regards to homesteading and other period details. I do question if the target audience would appreciate this work as much as adults. It probably lacks the action younger readers require to hold interest. 4 stars.

Delaware: A Light in the Storm by Karen Hesse - ***SPOILER ALERT: This review will contain spoilers.*** Amelia Martin is the 15-year-old daughter of the assistant lighthouse keeper off the coast of Delaware as this diary begins in late 1860 and continues through 1861. She turns 16 in the book She keeps the first watch at the lighthouse.Delaware is a border state in the issue over slavery. Much of the Southern part of the state is aligned with the South, while the north tends to be more aligned with the Union. A group of runaway slaves makes Amelia realize the magnitude of the differences in her parents. Her mother believes the slaves should be sent back to their owners. Her father believes they should be helped to freedom. While Amelia has agreed with her mother in the past, something about her encounter with them makes her realize that her father is correct. It isn't long before South Carolina secedes from the Union--something that Amelia considers completely unacceptable. Other Southern States follow South Carolina's lead gradually. The tension at home begins to mount. Her mother becomes more withdrawn over time and has physical and medical problems. Her mother eventually moves in with Amelia's ailing grandmother. Her father serves divorce papers on her mother. I really enjoyed this look at the tensions in a divided community due to the war. In several places, Amelia referred to what was happening in Tennessee to Union supporters during this time. Since I live a section of Tennessee that had strong Union sympathies, these mentions were interesting. However, there was some unevenness to the writing. I felt that the author used a 20th century solution to the marriage problem. Divorce was not as commonplace in the 19th century as it is in 21st century America, and while it was not unheard of, they were more difficult to obtain. I felt the author made it too easy, even in the strained relations due to ideologies. I also felt that the diary ended rather abruptly and that its conclusion was in an awkward place and that it should have continued until one of the major events in 1862. I also felt that the Epilogue wrapped things up a little too tidily and left little room for the reader's imagination of what the future might have been for those persons mentioned in the diary. It's a good, but not a great, work of fiction. 3 stars,

Nevada: The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark - Art Croft and his sidekick Gil ride into a Nevada town, discovering that cattle rustlers have been at it. Art first attempts to help efforts to stop the formation of a lynch mob. Well, if you can't beat it, join it. He and Gil join the posse to pursue the rustlers, as much to prevent their becoming suspects as anything else. This western shows the forcefulness of mob psychology, particularly as some of the characters reflect in the closing chapter. Westerns are just not my thing. I do think this one is better written than most of this genre are. II have never seen the movie which was based upon the book, but I suspect that I would have enjoyed it more than the book itself, which is something I rarely say. The action just seems to lend itself to that format. 3 stars.

New Hampshire: Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett - Tricia Miles owns Haven't Got a Clue mystery bookstore in the book town of Stoneham, New Hampshire. At her booksigning event at the store, local author Zoe Carter turns up dead. Tricia doesn't have a lot of confidence in Sheriff Wendy Adams' ability to solve the case so she begins her own investigation. The subplot of a geese problem has a couple of great moments, but overall I think it detracts from the book. This is just a fun, cozy read. Most veteran cozy readers will be able to determine who the perpetrator was mid-book, but I don't think it will mar their enjoyment of the book as they see the plot unfold. With a cat named Miss Marple, what's not to like? 3.5 stars.

ETA: Only Utah left!

Utah: Desert Sojourn by Debi Holmes-Binney - After a failed marriage and a need to find herself, Debi Holmes-Binney decides to embark upon a 40-day desert experience to find herself. She barely gets there before she encounters a rainstorm and then a blizzard. She is aware of the threat of wild animals as well. In the early chapters of the book she expresses a need to draw closer to God, but then she takes along Thoreau, but not her Bible. I couldn't help but question whether or not she was serious about the spiritual aspect of her experience. As the narrative played out, she rarely revisited the spiritual side. She did reflect upon the words of the cashier who had told her to remember that she was not alone, but she felt that cashier was wrong, so she must not have believed in God's presence. The author has done a good job of telling of her adventures in the earliest days of her journey, but after she reaches the midway point, she rushes the narrative. The first 200 pages relate the first 20 days of her adventure. The next 40 tell of her last 20. I can't help but wonder what reflections she may have had during those days that were not recorded in this book. What is written is well-written, but the omissions during the time she was probably most reflective about her experience are too serious to be overlooked. 3 stars.

THIS COMPLETES MY 50 STATES CHALLENGE.

wow Good Job!!

so now what?

I still have my Europe Endless Challenge to complete. Here's that thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/71175

I post to the 75 books challenge group: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122387

to the 11 in 11 challenge group: http://www.librarything.com/topic/118727

and will be posting to the 12 in 12 challenge: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122988

Congrats on completing your challenge!

Congratulations!

Oh, you finished - congratulations! It looks like Massachusetts came out on top with the most books, didn't it?

Yes. I love New England settings. A friend of mine thinks it's because I have ancestors who were in New England very early -- not quite Mayflower, but not long afterward. I do like them the best of my ancestors when I'm researching because they had more interesting lives than my Southern farmers.