DeltaQueen's Random Miscellaneous Challenge - Part 3

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DeltaQueen's Random Miscellaneous Challenge - Part 3

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1DeltaQueen50
mar 21, 2019, 11:22 pm



Spring with it's sunshine, warmer temps. and flowers seems to have finally arrived! Welcome to my 2019 Category Challenge. My name is Judy and I live in the suburbs of Vancouver, B. C., Canada. I love to welcome visitors to my thread to discuss books and life. An assortment of random quotes gave me the idea of setting up some miscellaneous challenges to help me shrink my TBR pile this year. Some of these quotes are from famous people while others are credited to “anonymous’ and have been taken from advertisements and greeting cards. What they have in common is that they all paint a colourful picture of life and were easily molded into category subjects.

I have been doing the Category Challenge for a good number of years and I love the loose structure this challenge gives to my reading. As always I have a goal of removing books from my shelves, but also as usual, I expect that I will be crossing myself up by all the additions I add during the year. My top priority will be reading from my own shelves and Kindle but another 2019 book goal is to continue reading books from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List. I also love to participate in the various “Cats” that are established every year, hopefully my “Cat” reading will fit into my already set categories. Call me crazy but I’m going for 19 categories and have chosen 19 quotes fit my categories. I plan to read at least 8 books from most categories.

I enjoy the company of my husband, sipping a glass of wine, reading a good book, going for walks and, my family. But I also have a weird enjoyment of dark, twisted stories and I avidly watch “The Walking Dead” on TV.

Please feel free to join in on any conversations that are going on here, the welcome mat is always out.



2019 Reading Goals

1. My own books are my top priority, this includes my shelves, my two Kindles, my audio books and to a lesser extent my library list.
2. Read books from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List
3. Only participate in challenges where I already have a book that fits

2DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: mar 21, 2019, 11:26 pm

2019 Categories


A. Armchair Travel: “To those who can dream, there is no such place as faraway.”
Anonymous

I will read 8 books set in 8 different countries

B. Book Bullets: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Lennon-McCartney

So many of the books on my shelves and Kindle are there because of recommendations from friends here on Library Thing. I will read at least 8 books and hopefully more of these recommendations

C. One Word Titles: “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
Buddha

I will read at least 8 Books that have a one word title.

D. Love Stories: “Every love story is beautiful, but my favorite is ours.”
Anonymous

I will read 8 books that have a connection to love.

E. Reading From My Shelves: “Having too many books is not the problem. Not having enough shelving – That’s A Problem.”
Anonymous

This category will be for books that I pull from my shelves either to fulfill a challenge or simply just because I felt like reading it at this point in time.

F. Let’s Eat!: “People who love love food are always the best people.”
Julia Child

I will read at least 8 books that have an item of food or drink in the title.

G. Doing My ABCs: Okay everybody, line up in alphabetical order according to your height.”
Casey Stengel

Throughout the year I will randomly read alphabetically by author’s name. Will use these reads for the AlphaKit.

H. 1,001 Books List: “A Classic never goes out of style.”
Coca-Cola Ad

Because of a bet with my brother I have been reading on books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List, trying to catch up with his total. This is where I will list most of my reads from that list.

I. Series: “Happiness is finding the first good book of a series and knowing there are more to follow.”
Anonymous

In an effort to catch up in my series reading, I will read at least 8 series books.

J. Crime Stories: “Reading mysteries is recreation for intelligent minds.”
Donna Andrews

I will read at least one mystery or police procedural every month.

K. Vintage Crime: “I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest
Agatha Christie

I am a huge fan of the classic mysteries from the golden age of detective fiction and I will read at least 8 classic mysteries over the course of the year.

L. Out of the Past: “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Teddy Roosevelt

I will read at least one book a month that delves into history – as set by the Reading Through Time Group or to fit other challenges

M. Science Fiction: “If you take the shackles off your imagination, you can go anywhere with science fiction.
Lani Tupu

I will read at least 8 science fiction books over the course of the year.

N. Fantasy: “A Single Dream is More Powerful that a Thousand Realities”
J.R.R. Tolken

I will read at least 8 fantasy books over the course of the year.

O. Young At Heart: “Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”
Walt Disney

I will read 8 YA books during the year.

P. Non-Fiction: “Any truth is better than indefinite doubt”
Arthur Conan Doyle

I will read at least 8 non-fiction books during the year

Q. Library List: Libraries: “The medicine chest of the soul”
Inscribed over the door of the library at Thebes

It’s not just about my own shelves. I will also read the following from the library in an effort to reduce my very long library list.

R. Saddle Up!: Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway!
John Wayne

Books about the American West and the cowboy way will be make up this category.

S. Overflow: “Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.”
George R.R. Martin

Books that don’t fit any of the above challenges, will be placed here.

3DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: mar 21, 2019, 11:27 pm

Books Read



Pages Read



Read From My Shelves


4DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: mar 21, 2019, 11:28 pm

How I Rate Books:

I am not a professional book critic nor do I consider myself to be an expert on literary standards, my reviews are based on my reaction to the book and the opinions expressed are my own personald thoughts and feelings.

2.0 ★: I must have been dragged, kicking and screaming, to finish this one!

2.5 ★: Below Average but I finished the book for one reason or another.

3.0 ★: Average, a solid read that I finished but can't promise to remember

3.5 ★: Above Average, there's room for improvement but I liked this well enough to pick up another book by this author.


4.0 ★: A very good read and I enjoyed my time spent with this story

4.5 ★: An excellent read, a book I will remember and recommend

5.0 ★: Sheer perfection, the right book at the right time for me

I use decimal points to further clarify my thoughts about the book, therefore you will see books rated 3.8 to show it was better than a 3.5 but not quite a 4.0; etc. These small adjustments help me to remember how a book resonated with me.

5DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 23, 2019, 12:00 pm

2019 BingoDog



Books Read

1. Author Uses Middle Name or Initial: His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
3. About Siblings: The Profession of Violence by John Pearson
4. Book Bullet: Beartown by Fredrik Backman
5. Mentioned in another book that I have read: City by Clifford D. Simak (Among Others by Jo Walton)
7. Animal in Title: The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham
9. Eastern European Author: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
10. Children's Lit: The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
11. Alliterative Title: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
12. Part of a Series: The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
13. Read A Cat: Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read - SeriesCat
14. A prize winning book: Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman
15. Weather Word in title: The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles
16. Short Stories/Essays: Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
17. Made Into A Movie: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
18. A Fairy Tale: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
19. A Graphic Novel: Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu
20. Title Has 6 or More Words: At The Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper
21. Cover Has At Least 2 Human Figures: A New Day by Beryl Matthews
22. Translated Book: Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri
23. Food-Related Title: Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley
24. LT Rating of 4.0+: Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett
25. Title Contains a Homophone Word: The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

6DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 25, 2019, 12:47 pm

2019 PopSugar Challenge



01 - A book becoming a movie in 2019
02 - A book that makes you nostalgic: The Complete Beatles by Steve Turner
03 - A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
04 - A book you think should be turned into a movie: The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
05 - A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
06 - A book with a plant in the title or on the cover - Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor
07 - A reread of a favorite book
08 - A book about a hobby: Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
09 - A book you meant to read in 2018: The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham
10 - A book with "pop", "sugar" or "challenge" in the title: The Sugar Pavilion by Rosalind Laker
11 - A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover: The Dress Shop of Dreams by Meena Van Praag
12 - a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore: Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor
13 - A book published posthumously: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
14 - a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
15 - A retelling of a classic: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
16 - A book with a question in the title: When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
17 - A book set on a college or university campus
18 - a book about someone with a super power: Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines
19 - a book told from multiple POVs
20 - a book set in space
21 - a book by two female authors
22 - A book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter" or "spicy"
23 - A book set in Scandinavia: Beartown by Fredrik Backman
24 - a book that takes place in a single day
25 - a debut novel
26 - a book that's published in 2019
27 - a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creatures: The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien
28 - a book recommended by a celebrity you admire
29 - a book with "love" in the title - I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson
30 - a book featuring an amateur detective
31 - A book about a family
32 - A book written by an author from Asia, Africa or South America
33 - A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title
34 - a book that includes a wedding; Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
35 - A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter: Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer
36 - A ghost story
37 - a book with a two-word title: Deep Creek by Dana Hand
38 - A novel based on a true story: Sundance by David Fuller
39 - A book revolving around a puzzle or game
40 - Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Reading Challenge

Advanced:

41 - A "cli fi" book: American War by Omar El Akkad
42 - A "choose-your-own-adventure" book: My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran
43 - An "own voices" book: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
44 - Read a book during the season it is set in: Broken April by Ismail Kadare
45 - A LitRPG book: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
46 - A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters
47 & 48 - Two books that share the same title: Legend by Marie Lu & Legend by David Gemmell
49 - A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom: Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
50 - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent

7DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 10, 2019, 1:22 am

A. Armchair Travel: “To those who can dream, there is no such place as faraway.”
Anonymous

I will read 8 books set in 8 different countries



Books Read

1. When the Rainbow Goddess Wept by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard - Philippines - 4.0 ★
2. The Nose by Nikolai Gogol - Russia - 4.0 ★
3. Broken April by Ismail Kadare - 3.7 ★
4. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo - 2.8 ★

8DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 25, 2019, 11:50 pm

B. Book Bullets: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Lennon-McCartney

So many of the books on my shelves and Kindles are there because of recommendations from friends here on Library Thing. I will read at least 8 books and hopefully more of these recommendations.



Books Read

1. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin - Kerry (avatiakh) - 5.0 ★
2. Hell’s Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett - Katie - 5.0 ★
3. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan - Mamie - 3.6 ★

9DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 1, 2019, 11:42 am

C. One Word Titles: “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
Buddha

I will read at least 8 Books that have a one word title.



Books Read

1. Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon - 3.6 ★
2. You by Caroline Kepnes - 4.0 ★
3. Firmin by Sam Savage - 4.0 ★
4. Legend by David Gemmell - 5.0 ★
5. Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor - 3.6 ★

10DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 18, 2019, 11:37 am

D. Love Stories: “Every love story is beautiful, but my favorite is ours.”
Anonymous

I will read 8 books that have a connection to love.



Books Read

1. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn - 3.8 ★
2. I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson - 3.3 ★
3. Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber - 4.0 ★

11DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 7, 2019, 1:00 pm

E. Reading From My Shelves: “Having too many books is not the problem. Not having enough shelving – That’s A Problem.”
Anonoymous

This category will be for books that I pull from my shelves either to fulfill a challenge or simply just because I felt like reading it at this point in time.



Books Read

1. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - 5.0 ★
2. Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman - 4.2 ★
3. Celebrations At Thrush Green by Miss Read - 3.3 ★
4. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin - 4.5 ★
5. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman - 4.1 ★
6. The Moor by Sam Haysom - 3.7 ★

12DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 11, 2019, 11:24 am

F. Let’s Eat!: “People who love love food are always the best people.”
Julia Child

I will read at least 8 books that have an item of food or drink in the title.



Books Read

1. At The Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper - 3.6 ★
2. Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley - 3.7 ★
3. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See - 4.3 ★
4. The Sugar Pavilion by Rosalind Laker - 4.0 ★

13DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 23, 2019, 12:05 pm

G. Doing My ABCs: "Okay everybody, line up in alphabetical order according to your height.”
Casey Stengel

Throughout the year I will randomly read alphabetically by author’s name. Will match my reads to the AlphaKit monthly letters.



Books Read

1. A - American War by Omar El Akkad - 3.8 ★
2. B - His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet - 4.2 ★
3. C
4. D
5. E
6. F
7. G
8. H - Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer - 3.5 ★'
9. I
10. J
11. K - At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon - 4.0 ★
12. L - Legend by Marie Lu - 3.7 ★
13. M - The Delivery Man by Joe McGuinniss Jr. - 2.5 ★
14. N
15. O - Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor - 4.0 ★
16. P
17. Q - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - 3.7 ★
18. R
19. S
20. T
21. U - The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown - 3.6 ★
22. V - Oushata Massacre by Robert Vaughan - 3.2 ★
23. W
24. X - Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork - 4.2 ★
25. Y
26. Z

14DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 5, 2019, 3:58 pm

H. 1,001 Books List: “A Classic never goes out of style.”
Coca-Cola Ad

Due to an on-going bet with my brother I have been reading books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List, trying to catch up with his total. This is where I will list most of my reads from that list.



Books Read

1. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - 4.5 ★
2. The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien - 4.2 ★
3. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - 4.0 ★
4. The Double by Jose Saramago - 3.8 ★
5. Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes - 4.0 ★
6. Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro - 4.2 ★

15DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 8, 2019, 12:48 pm

I. Series: “Happiness is finding the first good book of a series and knowing there are more to follow.”
Anonymous

In an effort to catch up in my series reading, I will read at least 8 series books. I expect the SeriesCat will help me in making my reading choices.



Books Read

1. Excursion to Tindari (5) by Andrea Camilleri - 4.0 ★
2. Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer - 4.5 ★
3. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham - 4.3 ★
4. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson - 5.0 ★
5. The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey - 4.1 ★
6. The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo - 4.2 ★

16DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 12, 2019, 2:43 pm

J. Crime Stories: “Reading mysteries is recreation for intelligent minds.”
Donna Andrews

I will read at least one mystery or police procedural every month.



Crime Stories

1. See How Small by Scott Blackwood - 3.8 ★
2. The Yard Dog by Sheldon Russell - 3.4 ★
3. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler - 4.2 ★
4. Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie - 3.8 ★
5. Waltz Into Darkness by Cornell Woolrich - 4.2★

17DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 14, 2019, 11:52 pm

K. Vintage Crime: “I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest
Agatha Christie

I am a huge fan of the classic mysteries from the golden age of detective fiction and I will read at least 8 classic mysteries over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie - 3.8 ★
2. The Private Wound by Nicholas Blake - 3.4 ★
3. The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham - 3.8 ★
4. Towards Zero by Agatha Christie - 4.0 ★
5. The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh - 3.5 ★

18DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 27, 2019, 12:03 pm

L. Out of the Past: “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Teddy Roosevelt

I enjoy historical fiction and will use this category for my Reading Thru Time choices or any other historical stories that don't fit elsewhere.



Books Read

1. The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks - 4.2 ★
2. The Colour by Rose Tremain - 4.5 ★

19DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 5, 2019, 9:25 pm

M. Science Fiction: “If you take the shackles off your imagination, you can go anywhere with science fiction.
Lani Tupu

I will read at least 8 science fiction books over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. City by Clifford D. Simak - 3.4 ★
2. Mordacious by Sara Lyons Fleming - 4.3 ★
3. The Final Six by Alexandra Monir - 4.0 ★
4. Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines - 3.7 ★

20DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 23, 2019, 12:03 pm

N. Fantasy: “A Single Dream is More Powerful that a Thousand Realities”
J.R.R. Tolken

I will read at least 8 fantasy books over the course of the year.



Books Read

1. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner - 4.1 ★
2. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines - 4.2 ★
3. Half A War by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5 ★
4. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien - 4.2 ★
5. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien - 4.5 ★
6. Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski - 4.0 ★

21DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 25, 2019, 12:48 pm

O. Young At Heart: “Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”
Walt Disney

I will read 8 YA books during the year.



Books Read

1. The Other Side of Dawn by Jack Marsden - 4.0 ★
2. Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott - 3.7 ★
3. The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson - 4.0 ★
4. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan - 4.5 ★
5. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter - 3.6 ★

22DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 23, 2019, 12:06 pm

P. Non-Fiction: “Any truth is better than indefinite doubt”
Arthur Conan Doyle

I will read at least 8 non-fiction books during the year



Books Read

1. The Profession of Violence by John Pearson - 3.7 ★
2. Dove by Robin L. Graham - 3.0 ★
3. The Complete Beatles by Steve Turner - 5.0 ★
4. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara - 4.0 ★
5. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann - 4.0 ★
6. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence - 3.7 ★

23DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 3, 2019, 9:27 pm

Q. Library List: Libraries: “The medicine chest of the soul”
Inscribed over the door of the library at Thebes

It’s not just about my own shelves. I will also read the following from the library in an effort to reduce my very long library list.



Books Read

1. A New Day by Beryl Matthews - 3.3 ★
2. The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh - 4.0 ★
3. The Dress Shop of Dreams by Meena Van Praag - 3.6 ★
4. Buffalo Trail by Jeff Guinn - 4.2 ★

24DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 6, 2019, 11:45 am

R. Saddle Up! - “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway!”
John Wayne

Books about the American West and the cowboy way will be make up this category.



Books Read

1. Deep Creek by Dana Hand - 4.2 ★
2. Sundance by David Fuller - 4.0 ★
3. Glorious by Jeff Guinn - 4.5 ★
4. The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles - 4.5 ★

25DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 2, 2019, 11:41 am

S. Overflow: “Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.”
George R.R. Martin

Just in case I don't have enough books to read, any that don't fit the above categories will reside here.



Books Read

1. Three Graphic Novels: Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu, Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton, Sabrina by Nick Drnaso

26DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 15, 2019, 6:21 pm

2019 Reading Plans



January:

February:

March: Hosting the SeriesCat: A Series Book by a Favorite Author

April: Hosting the Reading Through Time Monthly Theme
Hosting the ScaredyKit: Modern Horror /Thrillers
Group Read: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

May: Hosting the CalendarCat
Group Read of Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers

June: Group Read of Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King

July: Starting the Group Read of Tom Jones

August: Group Read of Tom Jones

September: Group Read of Tom Jones

October: Hosting the TBRCat

November: Hosting the RandomCat

December: Hosting the SFFFKit: Reader's Choice

27DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: mar 21, 2019, 11:51 pm

My Random Miscellaneous thought for thread #3:



and:

28ronincats
mar 22, 2019, 12:26 am

Happy New Thread, Judy!!

29Nickelini
mar 22, 2019, 12:41 am

>1 DeltaQueen50: I enjoy the company of my husband, sipping a glass of wine, reading a good book, going for walks and, my family. But I also have a weird enjoyment of dark, twisted stories and I avidly watch “The Walking Dead” on TV

Okay, you had me nodding vigorously to everything there, until you got to the end about the Walking Dead. Also, when I agree about "I enjoy the company of my husband," I do indeed mean MY husband and not yours. I don't even know yours. He's probably very nice, but I'm good over here in my Vancouver suburb. Also, my husband loves the Walking Dead. So there you go.

Your page is lovely.

30MissWatson
mar 22, 2019, 4:15 am

Happy new thread, Judy. I notice your Bingo card is very well advanced!

31dudes22
mar 22, 2019, 6:38 am

Happy New Thread, Judy! You've been doing a great job on your TBR pile this year. And your Bingo card is looking good.

32msf59
mar 22, 2019, 6:40 am

Happy Friday, Judy! Happy New Thread. Have a great weekend.

33jnwelch
mar 22, 2019, 8:43 am

Happy New Thread, Judy!

Wow, that's an amazing number of challenges you've set yourself. That's a good way to get diversity in your reading. My favorite category is that books set in 8 countries one.

I salute you - my simple challenge was to read more books off my tbr shelf, and I'm pretty lousy at that one. Shiny new books keep grabbing my attention.

34BLBera
mar 22, 2019, 8:55 am

Happy new thread, Judy. I love all the quotes. And your topper -- I hope spring is coming.

35katiekrug
mar 22, 2019, 9:24 am

Happy new one, Judy!

36Jackie_K
mar 22, 2019, 10:57 am

Happy new thread!

37LittleTaiko
mar 22, 2019, 11:02 am

>27 DeltaQueen50: - The quote about marriage made me laugh. Yesterday was my husband's and mine 21 year anniversary so we've been happily annoying each other for a nice amount of time and are looking forward to many more years! To be fair he's rather sweet and not particularly annoying.

38mstrust
mar 22, 2019, 11:10 am

Happy new thread, Judy! Springtime in Canada must be beautiful.
So, the ninth season is almost over on The Walking Dead. Thoughts?

39DeltaQueen50
mar 22, 2019, 11:55 am

Good morning, today looks like it's going to be another lovely Spring day here. We are waiting for the junk man to come and take our living room furniture away this morning as we have new stuff arriving this afternoon. Our old furniture fit into this apartment perfectly, but it's getting a little worn and we decided to go ahead and change it out. I may have made a mistake with the new as I went for a totally different color palate not thinking about how this will mean changing all the accessories! Here is a picture of the new:



We have already ordered a blue chair and I am looking at an area rug for the dining room. Our old decor was in burgundy and greens so lots of things to change. I guess my shopping for the next year is set!

40katiekrug
mar 22, 2019, 12:05 pm

>39 DeltaQueen50: - Ooh, I like that couch a lot, Judy! In fantasizing about this house we might make an offer on, I was looking at couches for the family room and was taken with one very similar to yours. Great minds :)

41DeltaQueen50
mar 22, 2019, 12:18 pm

>28 ronincats: Hi Roni, thanks for dropping by.

>29 Nickelini: Unfortunately, The Walking Dead isn't quite as good as it used to be but I still enjoy the zombie violence. It's just the opposite at my place, I watch the Walking Dead and my husband doesn't understand my strange compulsion. I'd say we are pretty lucky no matter which part of the lower mainland we are located in, it's a great place to live. And yes, my hubby is pretty nice - most of the time!

>30 MissWatson: I haven't been paying a lot of attention to reading for the Bingo Card, just letting it happen naturally. I suspect sooner or later I will have to pay more attention in order to cover all the squares but overall I think the prompts are fairly easy this year.

>31 dudes22: I've come to realize Betty, that reading from my TBR isn't really a problem for me, non-stop buying of books - well, that's a different matter. But as long as I keep books flowing out, I can justify bringing them in as well.

>32 msf59: Thanks Mark, you have yourself a good one as well.

>33 jnwelch: Joe, my secret is out - I am actually rather indecisive so all these challenges help me choose my next read. Luckily I read a fairly wide variety of books so I usually have something to fit the challenge.

42DeltaQueen50
mar 22, 2019, 12:39 pm

>34 BLBera: Hi Beth, Spring has definitely taken a hold here in the west, hopefully we can push it along to the eastern half of the continent as well.

>35 katiekrug: & >36 Jackie_K: Thanks, Katie and Jackie.

>37 LittleTaiko: Congratulations on your 21 years together. We will be celebrating our 42nd later on this year - so we've had lots of time to annoy each other! But mostly we rattle along together very well. (But I think I may be the more annoying of two of us)

>38 mstrust: Jennifer, spring here is lovely, but I do miss the sound of the melting snow and the smell of the green grass coming up underneath. When I lived in Ottawa I remember you could stand still outside and hear the snow melting - of course flooding can always be a concern as well. The Walking Dead has definitely slipped in my favor, I think that losing and killing off so many familiar faces really changed the show. I think they are struggling to find their footing. I like the Whisperers, they are definitely creepy. My favorite new character is "Dog". I have always loved Daryl but I don't think he can carry the whole show, they need to develop another male main character, and I am wondering if they are planning on using Negan for that. I guess I still have a "wait and see" attitude about show. I'm still watching but hoping for improvement.

43DeltaQueen50
mar 22, 2019, 12:43 pm

>40 katiekrug: Katie, the minute I saw that sectional I fell in love with it. It's very comfortable - which is important as my husband spends lots of time on the couch "resting". Our version doesn't have the chaise lounge at one end, we thought that was a little bulky for the space, but there's plenty of room to stretch out and relax.

44katiekrug
mar 22, 2019, 12:52 pm

Ha! I really want a chaise :)

45DeltaQueen50
mar 22, 2019, 12:58 pm

Believe me, if we had the room, I would have kept the chaise - I've always wanted one.

46DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:20 pm

53. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan - 4.5 ★
Category: Young At Heart
2019 PopSugar Challenge: An "Own Voices" Book
March TIOLI #4: Rolling Challenge - Starts with a Quote




Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan is an award-winning YA work of historical fiction that chronicles the life a Mexican farmworker in the 1930s. In the book's beginning, Esperanza's wealthy father is killed by bandits in Mexico; then, a scheming uncle sets fire to her family’s ranch in order to pressure her mother into marriage. Esperanza & her mother escape to the United States with only their lives and life changes drastically for them. Former servants help them to find work as farm laborers and Esperanza finds out what life is like when one is no longer a member of the privileged class. Both the conditions of 1930’s farm workers and the status of Mexicans who came to America for a better life with more choices are examined in this story.

This is a beautifully written book that educates while it tells an engaging story. Capturing an era of California history, readers will sympathize with Esperanza, who must learn to work hard after living a life of luxury -- but more than that, they will be amazed by the strength she shows as she adjusts to the difficult life of a farmworker.

Esperanza Rising celebrates the Latino cultural experience in a realistic way and the author does not shirk away from exposing both the ethnic tensions that existed along with the plight of the Mexican-American workers during the Great Depression which included forced deportation, horrific living conditions and competition from the incoming “Okies. The author knows what she is writing about as she based this story on her own grandmother’s experience when she came from Mexico which gives the book a very authentic feel.

47mstrust
mar 22, 2019, 4:09 pm

>42 DeltaQueen50: Re: The Walking Dead. Exactly how I feel about this last season too. They've killed or lost too many characters too quickly. Something is going wrong when you have actors on the top rated show asking to be written out, which is what happened with Maggie, Jesus and Rick. I had high hopes for the new showrunner, that she would have learned from fans being so angry with Gimple constantly killing characters for a ratings bump, but she's killing 'em at an even higher rate. And I agree that Darryl can't carry the show on his own, even with Michonne and Carol. They aren't really a group anymore. And I find Judith super annoying, always chirping out lines that are way too grown up for her. I think they may be giving her the storyline that was originally meant for Carl, where he was growing up to be a sociopath.

48clue
mar 22, 2019, 5:41 pm

>44 katiekrug: >45 DeltaQueen50: I've had one on my mind for awhile now but I haven't figured out a place to put it. I'm not through thinking about it though!

49LisaMorr
mar 22, 2019, 7:29 pm

Happy New Thread! I only just caught up with your last thread, with about 5 BB's taken - I always come away with a several recommendations from you!

50DeltaQueen50
mar 22, 2019, 10:04 pm

>47 mstrust: I don't think we are through with the killing off of favorite characters - I saw a recent Talking Dead and someone there said there's going to be at least one more death that is going to shake up the viewers. On the positive side - at least if Judith is a sociopath, she may be more interesting!

>48 clue: I have always pictured myself lying on a chaise lounge, with book in hand and perhaps a glass of wine - but in this house, I would have to push my husband off first - he tends to be the person who lies down a lot.

>49 LisaMorr: Hi Lisa, glad you made it over here. :)

51Nickelini
mar 23, 2019, 1:43 am

>39 DeltaQueen50:

Nice new sofa!!

52BLBera
mar 23, 2019, 11:01 am

Hi Judy - I love the new couch.

Esperanza Rising sounds like a good one. Onto my WL it goes.

53mstrust
mar 23, 2019, 11:31 am

>50 DeltaQueen50: I stopped watching Talking Dead this season so I hadn't heard about another death coming up. Something that will shake viewers narrows it down to Darryl, Carol, Michonne, Eugene, Rosita, and maybe Judith, just because of her age. I don't think they'll kill Darryl because that would kill the show, but at this point who knows. Could be Michonne because Danai Gairira has had success in a movie and with her own plays. Could be Eugene because he's isn't being used much, which is why Jesus asked to be written out, he was tired of just standing around in the background. Could be Judith, as the show has a history of killing off her mother, who was also annoying. If it's implied that viewers will care, you know it won't be one of the new people.

54DeltaQueen50
mar 23, 2019, 12:00 pm

>51 Nickelini: Thanks, Joyce. It's been delivered so we are now enjoying it - it's amazing how it totally changes the look of the living room.

>52 BLBera: Beth, Esperanza Rising would make a great book to share with Scout in a few years, I believe it was written as a children's story, and would make an excellent read-aloud when she is ready to tackle some serious themes.

>53 mstrust: I am guessing that in order for the Whisperers to make a full impact they will sacrifice one of their regulars - I was wondering if it could be Michonne as well, since her acting career seems to be taking off. I hope it's not Eugene as he has grown on me and I would miss him. Personally, I wouldn't mind if it was Henry. Fingers crossed it isn't Dog!

55VivienneR
mar 23, 2019, 2:57 pm

>39 DeltaQueen50: Love your new furniture, Judy! I recently got something similar and it was a change in colour scheme for us too. It is pale grey and fine with the rest of the furniture but strangely clashes with the wall colour. Looks like I'll be painting soon.

I'm impressed with your almost completed Bingo card. Will you start another one?

56thornton37814
mar 23, 2019, 8:24 pm

Happy new thread!

57DeltaQueen50
mar 24, 2019, 11:27 am

>55 VivienneR: Vivienne, I always find that even the smallest decorating change seems to lead to more changes being needed. As for the Bingo Card, I don't think I will do another but instead give the PopSugar Challenge more attention.

>56 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori.

58DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:20 pm

54. I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson - 3.3 ★
Category: Love Stories
2019 PopSugar Challenge: The Word "Love" is in the Title
March TIOLI #14: Rolling Challenge Based on Peacan Pie




I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson captures the thoughts and feelings of insecure thirteen year old Petra, who, like millions of other teeny boppers in the 1970s, has a massive crush on pop star David Cassidy. The author made Petra’s struggles and angst of trying to fit in with the right crowd and bowing to the whims of the top girl very realistic. Petra’s escape was dreaming of what her life would be if only David Cassidy would show up and claim her for his own. Alternating with Petra’s story, is that of Bill, a recent college grad and aspiring writer who has the job of ghost-writing letters from David Cassidy to his fans. Bill hates his job, can’t stand David Cassidy and lives in fear that his girlfriend, Ruth, will discover that he isn’t the serious rock journalist that he pretends to be. Of course Petra’s source for all things David Cassidy happens to be the very magazine that Bill writes for.

It’s obvious that Petra and Bill are on a collision course and they do meet up at a David Cassidy concert in 1974 but it really isn’t until years later that they develop a relationship. When Petra is thirty-eight and her husband has left her for another woman and Bill is also recently divorced and doubtful that such a thing a true love exists these two once again connect.

Unfortunately I never really warmed up to this story and although I was never a fan of David Cassidy and didn’t really understand his appeal, my problem with I Think I Love You had more to do with its predictable plot and wordy delivery. I did enjoy the first half of the book much more than the second as I thought the author captured the essence of peer pressure and the nature of an adolescent girl’s crush on a teen idol.

59DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:20 pm

55. Half A War by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5 ★
Category: Fantasy
March SeriesCat: Series by a Favorite Author
March TIOLI #2: Read a Book for March's "Joe" Day




Joe Abercrombie concludes his Shattered Seas Trilogy with the book Half A War. This volume follows immediately in the wake of the previous book and most of the familiar characters are in place, although in this story he places a couple of new characters front and center. The young Princess Skara of Throvenland and her sword man and chosen warrior, Raife joins forces with the rulers of Gettland and Vansterland in order to finally break free of the chains that the High King and Mother Wexen binds them with. The story that started with Yarvi comes finally comes full circle but with this author you can be sure the ending is anything but predictable.

As with all Joe Abercrombie stories, there are betrayals, revenge, battles and drama aplenty. Basing his tale on Viking lore these larger than life characters that we have come to know prepare for the final battle and overcome enormous odds. There are plenty of twists and turns and as usual, Abercrombie doesn’t flinch from bloodshed and violence.

Half A War was exactly how I wished this trilogy to end with warrior showdowns, sieges, death for some of the characters and victory for others. As in life there isn’t a happy ending for everyone but the story was brought to a satisfactory conclusion although one is left with the impression that master storyteller Abercrombie could return to this world in the future.

60Carmenere
mar 25, 2019, 12:57 pm

Happy new thread, Judy and Happy Spring as well!

>39 DeltaQueen50: Ooooo, does that look cozy! My husband and I were talking about purchasing new furn for our family room but we're unable to get the bulky stuff out of our house. Currently, I'm checking area furniture stores to see if they'll take out the old when the new comes in. Ugh! We should have thought about that 20 years ago.

61Familyhistorian
mar 25, 2019, 5:27 pm

Happy new thread, Judy. Redecorating is something I need to do as well but not something I look forward to. Your new couch looks inviting.

62DeltaQueen50
mar 25, 2019, 11:44 pm

>60 Carmenere: & >61 Familyhistorian: I've just about had it with redecorating! Today we grabbed a cushion from the new couch and went shopping for an accent chair. We ordered one that we had put a hold on, but I wasn't totally thrilled with. Then we stopped at another store (Pier One) and they had a great sale on and I found the chair I was looking for. So we cancelled the first order and have now ordered the one I fell in love with. We also found an area rug at Pier One but we thought it was too small, but when we came home and double checked, it will fit under the dining room table just fine so now tomorrow back into Richmond (about 30 mins away) we go to get the rug. After that I can relax and actually enjoy the room.

63VivienneR
mar 26, 2019, 1:05 am

>62 DeltaQueen50: Isn't it wonderful when you find exactly the right thing? I love Pier One. The closest one to me is several hours drive, so when I do go, I am only able to buy things that will fit in the car.

64DeltaQueen50
mar 26, 2019, 11:23 am

>63 VivienneR: I do love Pier One, Vivienne. When I walked in yesterday and saw such a huge sale I was afraid they were going out of business like Bowrings and The Bombay Company have done. I was assured that they were simply having a sale to celebrate Spring.

65ChelleBearss
Redigerat: mar 27, 2019, 11:28 am

Happy new thread!
I still need to find something to fit the "own voices" prompt. I had to google that one when I saw it as I wasn't sure exactly what that meant. I think I may go with a LGTBQ theme as I don't read many like that.

66DeltaQueen50
mar 27, 2019, 12:36 pm

>65 ChelleBearss: Chelle, I had to find out what "own voices" meant as well and Esperanza Rising was listed as an example of "own voices" although I have seen since that some people don't think it totally fits. I am not going to be too picky about filling some of these more difficult prompts - I think it's close enough. My other problem prompt is the one about RPGLit, I really have no interest in this category so I am going to read the first book in "The Witcher" series which is based on a RPG game instead of a book that is considered real RPGLit. I think I will have gone far enough out of my comfort zone when I read the "Chose Your Own Adventure" book for that prompt!

67DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:19 pm

56. Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie - 3.8 ★
Category: Crime Stories
March TIOLI #5: Rolling Challenge Based on Countries of the United Kingdom




Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie is a hard-boiled, gritty crime story set in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is difficult to find a single likeable character in this book, it is full of bad guys, bad women and bad cops. The main character, Joe Hope earns his living by being the muscle for a loan shark. He has just spend the night breaking bones with a baseball bat when he learns that his daughter, Gemma, has committed suicide. After arguing with his wife, Ruth, and desperately wanting someone to blame Joe flies to the Orkney Islands to confront his wife’s cousin, Adam, with whom his daughter had been staying but once. But once there is he arrested and charged with the murder of his wife who had been beaten to death and left in the trunk of his car.

Joe and Adam actually become unlikely allies as it becomes obvious that someone close to the family is trying to frame Joe. When Adam places Gemma’s diary in Joe’s hands, he immediately knows who he is seeking. Dark secrets emerge from the past and lead to an inevitable and brutal showdown.

Kiss Her Goodbye pulls no punches, the book is populated by rough, violent people who live on the fringe. The story is grim but it moves along at a rapid pace and amid the swinging bats and thrown punches the reader finds themselves involved in a classic pulp fiction story. With it’s tight narrative and thug-like characters this story about treachery was a fun and satisfying crime read.

68Nickelini
mar 27, 2019, 8:51 pm

>56 thornton37814: Is this original pulp fiction, or is the cover ironic?

69DeltaQueen50
mar 28, 2019, 3:32 pm

>68 Nickelini: Not original, Joyce. The book is part of a published series called Hard Case Crime and they are putting out hard boiled and noir crime stories that are both reprints from that era as well as new books that would have fit into the golden era of pulp fiction.
The covers are a tribute to that original style. The cover for Kiss Her Goodbye actually is a scene from the story, but is a little misleading as the cover makes the female look like the major character and she is not. I love these covers - here are a couple more from their library:



70mstrust
mar 28, 2019, 3:33 pm

I love the Hard Case covers too, they do such a great job at looking really vintage. And I have Money Shot on my shelf!

71DeltaQueen50
mar 28, 2019, 3:35 pm

>70 mstrust: I am particularly taken by the imitation leopard skin bra and griddle!

72rabbitprincess
mar 28, 2019, 6:31 pm

>67 DeltaQueen50: Haha I would NEVER have guessed that that book was set in Scotland, based on the cover!

73DeltaQueen50
mar 28, 2019, 8:24 pm

>72 rabbitprincess: I know - I kept thinking that he should have been using a cricket bat for weapon instead of a baseball bat!

74BLBera
mar 29, 2019, 8:42 am

Hi Judy - Happy Friday. I hope all are well in your part of the world.

75Crazymamie
mar 29, 2019, 9:23 am

Morning, Judy! Happy Friday! I also love those Hard Case covers.

>46 DeltaQueen50: This was one of Rae's favorite books when she was younger - she read it over and over again. She still has her copy of it.

76DeltaQueen50
mar 29, 2019, 12:58 pm

>74 BLBera: Happy Friday to you too, Beth. Everything is great here on the west coast. The sun is shining and the temperature is rising. I have the sliding door open to the terrace and I can hear the birds singing outside.

>75 Crazymamie: Even though the days of the week make no difference to us retired folk, I still love that happy "here comes the weekend" feeling that Friday generates. I am definitely going to be picking up some more of those Hard Case books as I love noir and hard boiled crime stories.

77jnwelch
mar 29, 2019, 1:49 pm

Even though the days of the week make no difference to us retired folk, I still love that happy "here comes the weekend" feeling that Friday generates. Me, too, Judy. And I still feel the groaning-ness of that day after Sunday.

Now you've got me looking into Hard Case books!

78BLBera
mar 29, 2019, 4:39 pm

It's starting to feel like spring here as well. I think I'm going for a walk outside today.

79DeltaQueen50
mar 29, 2019, 9:37 pm

>77 jnwelch: Joe, you are so right - unfortunately Mondays still feel like Mondays! I'm glad to have some company with the Hard Case books, I went a little crazy with them today. I bought four, although two are pre-orders and I put a number of others on my wish list.

>78 BLBera: It was actually too warm for me to take my walk today, Beth, so I am going to go for an extra long one this evening. I did complain about the time change but I do love these longer evenings.

80DeltaQueen50
mar 29, 2019, 9:45 pm

57. Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork - 4.2 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
AlphaKit: X




Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork is a riveting story about a Mexican sister and a brother who have to face impossible choices in order to do the right thing and survive. Sara Zapata is a reporter in Juarez and four months ago her best friend disappeared, kidnapped like so many before her and most likely forced into prostitution by the local drug cartel. So many young girls have been snatched off the streets and so Sara writes a weekly column about the missing. She is sent a clue to finding her friend but she also receives death threats against her and her family if she proceeds in her investigation. Meanwhile her brother Emiliano is facing his own difficult choice, he has fallen in love with a girl from a rich family and he will never be allowed to be with her as long as he is poor. He is approached and put under pressure by a member of the cartel to use his folk art business to help smuggle drugs. This would earn him the kind of money he needs and even his girl friend’s father tells him that one often has to do things one doesn’t want to in order to get ahead in Mexico.

Things happen quickly and Sara does gather enough information to help her kidnapped friend but she and her family are told to hide quickly as they have become targets and gunmen are on the way to their home. Now this brave family must choose between the love they have for Mexico and their friends or a chance to survive by crossing the desert into the United States.

The author kept both tension and anxiety levels high in this story. You sense the web closing around these two, they do not know who to trust or who they should confide in. Disappeared is a tense, well written thriller that totally engaged me. His characters, even the villains were well rounded and the situation, although terrifying was totally believable. Although this book bears a YA label, it is exactly what I am looking for in a good thriller.

81BLBera
mar 30, 2019, 11:40 am

>80 DeltaQueen50: This one goes on the list, Judy. Great comments. As always.

82DeltaQueen50
mar 30, 2019, 12:51 pm

>81 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. This is the second book by Francisco X. Stork that I have read and I really liked both of them. The previous one, Marcelo in the Real World had more of a YA feel about it, but was an excellent portrayal of a boy with autism.

83DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 3, 2019, 11:56 am

58. Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes - 4.0 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
April TIOLI #5: Celebrating LP's Parent's 60th Wedding Anniversary




Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes is a book that has gained cult status with it’s precise, yet slangy language, and it’s sharp look at the youth culture in London in the late 1950’s. The novel unfolds through the words and thoughts of a teenage freelance photographer who rubs shoulders with a varied amount of people from debutantes to drug addicts. He is obsessed by fashion and jazz music but over all is driven by his love for his ex-girlfriend Crepe Suzette.

The story is told in four parts, each part covers one day in the four months of the summer of 1958. This was a summer of simmering racial tensions that the narrator observes, he also learns of his father’s illness and his promiscuous ex-girlfriend’s decision to enter a sexless marriage with her much older, gay fashion designer boss. With it’s coffee bars, modern jazz, rock n’roll, trendy clothes and life style this is obviously a chronicle of the emergence of upcoming mod culture.

I found Absolute Beginners to be a small window on a London that was soon to evolve into the epicentre of the “Swingin’ 60s” On the one hand it was a joyful celebration of being young but ingeniously contrasted by dark descriptions of junkies, prostitutes, race wars, and selling out in life. With it’s stylized language, colourful characters and pop culture atmosphere, this was an engaging read.

84Nickelini
apr 1, 2019, 10:14 pm

>83 DeltaQueen50:
Nice! I've owned that for years and never got to it . . . will have to put it to the top of the pile

85DeltaQueen50
apr 2, 2019, 11:34 am

>84 Nickelini: I hope you like it, Joyce, it appears to get rather mixed reviews.

86DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 6, 2019, 2:58 am

59. Graphic Novels: Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu
Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton
Sabrina by Nick Drnaso
Category: Overflow



Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World - 5.0 ★
Bingo Dog: Graphic Novel


29 stories about different real life women who both lived their truth and made a difference in some way. These women all overcame overwhelming adversity to change the course of history. The women portrayed were all very different from one another but all had to succeed against enormous odds and prejudice. Their chosen fields were many and varied from athletes to rulers, actresses to reporters. And if 29 women isn't enough, the author gives us a list of 30 more women at the end of the book.

Penelope Bagieu brings these witty and feisty women to life with her unique perspective and wonderful illustrations. Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World is a world class graphic novel that both entertains and informs. Highly recommended.



Step Aside, Pops – 4.3 ★

Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton is the 2nd volume that highlights her witty caricatures of history, pop culture and literature. Whether she tackles Spiderman, Wuthering Heights or Napoleon she brings her own sense of zany humor and irreverence to these comic strips.

Step Aside, Pops is another clever collection that she delivers with great style and a lot of sass. A delight to read.



Sabrina - 3.7 ★

Although Sabrina is a complex, multi-character story that strikes right at the gut, I had trouble with the artwork, finding it rather flat and also it was very difficult to differentiate between the characters, both men and women, so I often had to stop and figure out who was being pictured.

This is the story of the murder of a woman named Sabrina and how it affects her loved ones and then rippling out, the media and the general public. There are various conspiracy theories spawned on the internet and even with the murderer caught, fingers continued to point in different directions. It is a strange and difficult world we live in where people feel they have the right to barge into a family’s private grief and express their opinions or even address insults to the victim and the family. Personal interaction and intimacy have disappeared and have been replaced with the impersonal computer screen.

As an indictment of our era of “fake news” and personal attacks via the internet, this story is spot on, I just wish the artwork would have allowed for the characters to have been distinguishable from one another.

87christina_reads
apr 2, 2019, 5:04 pm

>86 DeltaQueen50: Oh, I do love Kate Beaton. Glad you enjoyed Step Aside, Pops!

88msf59
Redigerat: apr 2, 2019, 7:14 pm

Hi, Judy. Hooray for Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World! I loved it, as well. We had similar feelings about Sabrina, although I was very impressed by the themes of the book.

89SouthernKiwi
apr 3, 2019, 4:10 am

It's dangerous to drop by here Judy, BB's taken for Disappeared and Brazen.

90DeltaQueen50
apr 3, 2019, 11:38 am

>87 christina_reads: I love her take on things, Christina, her Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights spoofs are hilarious, and just her sassy, snarky take on life in general is refreshing.

>88 msf59: It certainly is one of the best graphic novels I've read, Mark. Another author whose mind work in a very interesting way.

>89 SouthernKiwi: Oh I enjoyed both those books a lot, I sure hope you do too.

91DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 4, 2019, 12:33 pm

60. Firmin by Sam Savage - 4.0 ★
Category: One Word Titles
April Random Cat: Easter Greetings From the Rooster
April TIOLI #14: Tournament of Books




This is the story of a literature loving rat called Firmin who is born in a bookstore among the shredded remains of Finnigan’s Wake, and while feeding on the pages of various books discovers that he is able to read and understand the words. This ability changes the direction his life takes, and when his mother, brothers and sisters abandon the nest, he remains in the bookstore and enviously watches the humans come and go.

He develops real feelings for the humans that he watches, in particular the owner of the bookstore, Norman Shine, and Jerry Magoon, a down and out science fiction author. Being a rat he sometimes finds that he is not wanted and has to avoid traps and poison, but at others times he is able to develop a relationship with mutual regard. Firmin also likes to visit the Rialto Theatre for various reasons, the scavenging there is good, he loves the old movies that he sees there, in particular Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and after midnight he loves to watch the porn films that they show.

The story is told from Firmin’s point of view, he has dreams, ambitions and opinions and seeing the world from his perspective gives this book an interesting angle. This is a clever story, at times quite funny while at others rather sad and depressing. Like the life cycle of a rat, it is a short book, but also like Firmin himself, it is very stylish.

92Jackie_K
apr 4, 2019, 3:55 am

>91 DeltaQueen50: That sounds delightful! Onto the wishlist it goes.

93Tess_W
apr 4, 2019, 8:59 am

>91 DeltaQueen50: Great review, a BB for me!

94DeltaQueen50
apr 4, 2019, 12:34 pm

>92 Jackie_K: & >93 Tess_W: It's a fun little book, especially for book lovers. :)

95DeltaQueen50
apr 4, 2019, 12:41 pm

61. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann - 4.0 ★
Category: Non-Fiction
April Reading Through Time: The Wonderful Emptiness
April TIOLI #12: The Words Flower, Water or Temple Appear in the Title




Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann is an exploration of a time between 1921 and 1925 when two dozen members of the Osage tribe in oil-rich Oklahoma were murdered. Some were shot, others were poisoned and one couple died when a bomb demolished their home in the middle of the night. Local authorities either didn’t care to investigate or were encouraged not to. With the death toll rising, the newly appointed director of the bureau of Investigations, J. Edgar Hoover assigned an agent, tough Texan Tom White, to lead a Task Force into investigating these deaths. Mr. White in turn put together a team that included a number of undercover agents and set to work sorting through the evidence and following up on any leads.

First of all it is important to know that the Osage tribe were living on oil rich land revenues. $30 million dollars were earned in 1923 alone. With this kind of money, both outlaws and businessmen flocked to Osage country to get a piece of the pie. As so often happens the Indians were being fleeced and no one really seemed to care. Then the killings began. With the obvious motive of money, Tom White followed the cold trail of rumors, lies and false clues. They eventually identified, convicted and sent to prison two men and the case was closed and considered a great success for the FBI. But author David Grann determined that there were many more murders and murderers that were never prosecuted.

Killers of the Flower Moon tells a truly interesting story about serial murder, racial injustice, and overwhelming greed as well as giving the readers an insight into the early days of the FBI.

96VivienneR
apr 4, 2019, 12:55 pm

>91 DeltaQueen50: Lovely review! I bought Firmin about a year ago but haven't got around to reading it yet - saving it for a special occasion. As I mentioned before, it was my plan to read it for April's RandomCAT but Circe is also calling to me.

97DeltaQueen50
apr 4, 2019, 1:23 pm

>96 VivienneR: Vivienne, I know that overwhelming feeling when a book calls to you and I also know that Firmin will patiently wait. The good news is that it is a very short book, less than 200 pages so will make an excellent "filler" for you at some point.

98mstrust
apr 4, 2019, 3:57 pm

Did you watch TWD season finale?

99Helenliz
apr 4, 2019, 4:02 pm

>91 DeltaQueen50: that looks intriguing. My library has one copy, but in Polish. humph.

100BLBera
apr 4, 2019, 4:34 pm

Sabrina sounds like a great idea, Judy, but I do have problems when the characters aren't clearly delineated in graphic novels. I might give it a try. My library has a copy.

I also loved Killers of the Flower Moon; it's so sad that people are still living with the effects of all those murders.

101DeltaQueen50
apr 4, 2019, 11:02 pm

>98 mstrust: I did watch TWD and I thought it was ok. They've taken a step away from the horror of the previous week and dealt with a story that just affected the characters that we have come to care about. I am a sucker for artificial snow so I really like the looks of the blizzard. I thought they have set things up nicely for Negan to become a member of the community, and it looks like Carol and Daryl are going to be spending more time together for awhile. Of course the Whisperers will be back and I expect a large part of the story next year - and then there's that woman's voice over the radio. I will continue to watch the next season of the show, but I don't have the same "can't wait to see what's going to happen next" feeling abut it. How about you?

>99 Helenliz: Oh that's too bad, I don't run into Polish in my library but occasionally the books I want only come in French.

>100 BLBera: It's rather disappointing when the artwork of a graphic novel doesn't live up to expectations. It definitely took away from the story.

102msf59
apr 5, 2019, 7:05 am

Hooray for Flower Moon, Judy! That one haunted me for awhile after reading it.

103Tess_W
apr 5, 2019, 7:54 am

>95 DeltaQueen50: What a great review! I have this one on my ereader and I'm going to move it up on the list!

104DeltaQueen50
apr 5, 2019, 11:58 am

>102 msf59: It does seem that the more one reads about the Native Americans or Canadian First Nation peoples, the more disheartening it is to be a member of the white race. It seems that we took every opportunity to degrade, disinherit, or distress these people.

>103 Tess_W: It is an excellent read, Tess, I will watch for your comments.

105mstrust
apr 5, 2019, 1:41 pm

>101 DeltaQueen50: I was glad to finally have a winter episode. For nine years it's been sweaty so this was a big change. I agree, this seems to be where they try to show that Negan is rehabilitated (he didn't mean to beat those two to death!), which, if the voice on the radio was Maggie and she's returning, that would be an interesting plot line to have her see Negan walking around.
There are a couple of things that didn't seem well explained. Like Carol leaving Ezekiel. I suppose it was meant to be the stress of losing Henry, but it seemed they were happy together. I guess Carol's an all or nothing type.
Also, why is Daryl doing everything possible to keep that useless Lydia with his group. She brings nothing. The lack of reason annoys me. He says it's what Henry wanted, but Henry was a teenage boy who wanted a girlfriend. I'm really hoping this isn't Beth Part II, where 50 year old Daryl falls for another teenage girl. And I don't see The Whisperers as being such a big threat, as they lack organization or even shelter. They dress as the things the survivors are shooting anyway, so it seems like a bad disguise. And it hasn't been explained how they got hold of Tara and Enid and the others.
I'm not filled with anticipation for the next season either. I wish they'd find a way to fix the mess they've made of the show. Yet, I've managed to write a couple of paragraphs about it anyway. :-)

106DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 5, 2019, 9:26 pm

>105 mstrust: I don't think I will ever find it believable that the Whisperers overcame Tara and her group. I think Carol is in the process of losing herself again and so just wants to remove herself from her loved ones, go out and kill. Her best chance at doing that is with Daryl. I think (or at least hope) that Daryl doesn't have any romantic inclinations toward Lydia. I think he sees a little of himself in her. He had a very bad upbringing and was damaged by it, so hopefully, he wants to help her find acceptance - in a fatherly way. I can never forgive Negan for killing Glen (my favorite character) & Abraham but at least I find him interesting. If they follow the comics, doesn't Negan go off and join with the Whisperers but then eventually does away with Alpha? I think I am behind with the comics so need to order a bunch from the library and catch up. As for Maggie, the actress has gone to another show which if successful probably means that Maggie won't be back. If her new show flops, she may return even if just to clean up her own story.

107DeltaQueen50
apr 5, 2019, 9:33 pm

62. Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines - 3.7 ★
Category: Science Fiction
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Character Has Super Powers
April TIOLI #1: A Word in the First Sentence Rhymes With "All"




Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines is the first book in a series about a group of super-heroes trying to survive and help others during the zombie apocalypse. I’ve always had a soft spot for zombie stories but who knew how much fun they would become by adding a few super heroes to the mix. This is a fun mash up of genres that is chock full of violence, action and zombies.

The setting is post-zombie apocalypse Los Angeles. The survivors take up residence in the large major movie studio which they call The Mount (Paramount). Having a group of super-heroes with them is exceeding helpful when it comes to chores like scavenging among the millions of zombies that wander the streets of LA. But like many zombie stories the real danger is from other living humans in particular a surviving gang called the Seventeens. Our group of superheroes consist of St. George who is super strong, can breath fire and is impervious to the bite of the zombie. There is also Cerberus, Lady Bee, Zzzap, Regenerator and Stealth all with their own special skills.

The story is told in two time-frames, both the current and the past so we get a good idea of how the zombies came into being, how the superheroes developed and how the current battle evolved. While I found the superheroes were fairly well rounded and interesting characters, the human characters were less so and eventually just seemed to be fodder for the action scenes. As this is the first book in a series, it serves more as a foundation for what is to come. I couldn’t help but feel that this would perhaps have been more riveting if it had been a graphic novel. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story with it’s different perspective on a zombie apocalypse.

108DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:18 pm

63. His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet - 4.2 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs - B
April AlphaKit: B
BingoDog: Author Uses Middle Name or Initial
April TIOLI #2: Author's Name Has a Scrabble Point Value of 22+




His Bloody Project: Documents relating to the case of Roderick Macrae by Graeme Macrae Burnet tells the fictional story of a 17 year old boy name Roddy Macrae who murders three members of a neighbouring family in a small, remote Scottish village in the mid 1800s. There is no question that he committed these crimes and as various documents and legal papers are brought forward, a story does emerge but many questions are left unanswered as well. These documents are witness statements, medical reports, psychological evaluations, Roddy’s own written account of the incident and finally the courtroom transcript. All accounts are in conflict, all bring into question both Macrae’s sanity and motive.

The dour and brooding atmosphere, the unreliable narration, the dark nature of the crime all combine into a spellbinding piece of historical fiction. The author has cleverly contrived to present this fictional story as a well researched actual case study and he is to be praised for his ability to make this story feel so real. I found myself totally absorbed in Roddy’s case to the point that each psychological detail and every small discrepancy was weighed and measured, and I found that for all the information that was included, what was left unsaid gave yet another meaning to the story.

His Bloody Project is an intricate story that encourages the reader to think. It is imaginative, engrossing and a very good read.

109Tess_W
apr 7, 2019, 1:32 am

>108 DeltaQueen50: I need to quit coming to your page as I'm collecting way too many BB's!

110rabbitprincess
apr 7, 2019, 8:47 am

>108 DeltaQueen50: His Bloody Project was quite a trip! Glad you found it engrossing.

111DeltaQueen50
apr 7, 2019, 5:49 pm

>109 Tess_W: Book Bullets - What a way to go! ;)

>110 rabbitprincess: RP, I can't say that I liked the main character, Roddy as he seemed so untrustworthy, but I found the story and how it unfolded as well as the setting fantastic.

112DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:18 pm

64. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien - 4.2 ★
Category: Fantasy
Category Challenge Group Read
2019 Pop Sugar Challenge: Over 1 million ratings on Goodreads
April TIOLI #11: A Book With a Fictional Setting




The Fellowship of the Ring is the first volume in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Saga. I decided that even though this was my first reading of this book, that I would go with an audio version. I knew enough of the story and characters that it was very easy to follow along and it wasn’t long before I was totally absorbed into Middle Earth. The rich voice of the reader, Rob Inglis, totally enhanced the story and added to it’s charm.

The foundation of the series is built in this issue, the characters have been introduced and we have been given a good idea of their purpose and ambitions. The theme of good versus evil has been set and the mission to keep the dark lord, Saron from obtaining the last ring and dominating all of Middle Earth is underway. The fellowship of Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and humans have been set on their path to save their world.

Since it was first published in 1954 the influence that this fantasy generates has been unrivaled. The Fellowship of the Ring is the beginning of an epic tale of friendship, heroism and adventure, and I am looking forward to continuing on with the second volume.

113mstrust
apr 8, 2019, 12:14 pm

>106 DeltaQueen50: If they follow the comics, doesn't Negan go off and join with the Whisperers but then eventually does away with Alpha? I've read the "heads on a pike" graphic, but I can't recall if I've read past that. I know that Negan does get out around this point but I'm a little hazy as I haven't read one of the graphics in two or three years. But all this is around #26-27, so really early in the canon.

114DeltaQueen50
apr 8, 2019, 1:18 pm

>113 mstrust: I realize that I have only read up to volume #25 and so I am going to order the next couple of so from the library next month and work towards catching up on the series of comics.

115jnwelch
apr 8, 2019, 6:24 pm

I thought His Bloody Project was really good, too. Nice review. I thought the author did a particularly good job at hinting at possibilities, while leaving it to the reader to put them together. Imaginative and engrossing - agreed.

116DeltaQueen50
apr 9, 2019, 7:39 pm

>115 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I was totally believing Roddy's account of the incident when I noticed that he had omitted certain things that were brought up either by other witnesses or the lawyers. Then I started to notice small discrepancies in many of the documents but mostly in Roddy's account and I knew I was dealing with an unreliable narrator. It added a whole different dimension to the book.

117DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 11, 2019, 11:34 am

I just realized that I didn't make note of my best reads from the first quarter of 2019. They were:

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett
Glorious by Jeff Guinn
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
Half A War by Joe Abercrombie

118DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 11, 2019, 2:22 pm

65. The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles - 4.5 ★
Category: Saddle Up!
BingoDog: Weather Word In Title
April TBRCat: Originally Got for a LT Challenge but Not Read At That Time
April Reading Through Time: The Wonderful Emptiness
April TIOLI #4: The First Paragraph Contains a Weather Description




The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles is set in frontier Texas, starting out in the closing days of the American Civil War. The war drew many soldiers to battle and away from patrolling the frontiers. The Indians took full advantage to use this time in attacks on the pioneers who tried to settle on the vast plains of Central America. Making war and carrying out raids was the way of life for these plains people and they continued to raid into Texas, murdering and kidnapping until they were stopped in the 1870’s.

In the author’s own words, this book is a novel with a backbone of reality. She tells the story of real life Britt Johnson, a freed slave who came to Texas with his family to start a new life. When he was away from home the Comanche came and murdered some and kidnapped others. Among the kidnapped were his wife, Mary, his son, Jube, and young daughter, Cherry. Against almost insurmountable odds, Britt sets out to rescue his family. The story unfolds from various viewpoints, including that of Britt, his wife Mary, and another captive, Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Along with these people, a Quaker, Samuel Johnson is added to the mix as he arrives to be the new Indian agent.

The story is exciting, based on real history, but with this author, the reader is also treated to some almost musical prose. Paulette Jiles is a poet and she is able to brighten her writing with the most inventive descriptions. Whether she is describing the wind moving over the prairie or the inside of a tepee, the language is rich and vibrant. The Color of Lightning was an excellent read and the author has elevated this “Western” to a much higher standard.

119mathgirl40
apr 10, 2019, 10:52 pm

>112 DeltaQueen50: I've reread The Fellowship of the Ring several times but I've never listened to an audiobook edition. Your post has made me think that I really ought to try this.I'm currently reading The Two Towers as an e-book, but I'm going to try to get the audio version of The Return of the King.

120msf59
apr 11, 2019, 6:41 am

Sweet Thursday, Judy. Great reading going on over here. I also enjoyed His Bloody Project & The Color of Lightning. You read News of the World, right?
Crossover characters. And I am glad you finally got to LOTR. Yah!

121katiekrug
apr 11, 2019, 10:10 am

>118 DeltaQueen50: - Oooh, sounds so good! And I have a copy :)

122DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 11, 2019, 2:21 pm

>119 mathgirl40: I thought the reader, Rob Inglis, did an excellent job with the reading. He was able to change his voice enough that I never questioned who was speaking, and if I had read the book I may very well have simply skimmed through the songs but as he sang each one, I actually listened and I think that added to my experience. I have the next two books lined up for May and June by the same reader and I am looking forward to both.

>120 msf59: I am reading some great books right now, Mark. I read News of the World last year and gave it 5 stars, I preferred it a tiny bit more than "The Color of Lightning" probably as the author was more restricted with TCOL as she was dealing with real people so her imagination was somewhat restricted.

>121 katiekrug: Oh, I think you will enjoy The Color of Lightning, Katie, when you get to it.

123DeltaQueen50
apr 11, 2019, 11:52 am

I thought that I was the only one who was having trouble with the touchstones but when I checked the "Bugs" thread, I see it has been a re-occurring issue over the last couple of days so hopefully the the powers-that-be will get this fixed soon.

124LittleTaiko
apr 11, 2019, 12:41 pm

>118 DeltaQueen50: - Definitely a book that is going on my wishlist! I loved News of the World so much.

125DeltaQueen50
apr 11, 2019, 2:23 pm

>124 LittleTaiko: I have also read Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles and found it to be a very good read as well. I sure hope she has more books to come!

126dudes22
apr 12, 2019, 7:36 am

>118 DeltaQueen50: - I'll be taking a BB for this. It seems to have the same feel as a couple of other books I've read that I've liked.

127clue
apr 12, 2019, 9:55 am

>125 DeltaQueen50: Judy, she has a new book on the way. The last I read it was finished but not titled so it will be awhile, maybe it will be released during the fall glut of new books.

128DeltaQueen50
apr 12, 2019, 12:25 pm

>126 dudes22: I think you will love this book, Betty.

>127 clue: That makes me so happy!

129DeltaQueen50
apr 13, 2019, 1:27 am

66. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson - 5.0 ★
Category: Series
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Question in the Title
April SeriesCat: A Series I've Been Meaning to Get Back To
April TIOLI #4: First Paragraph Contains a Weather Description




When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson is the third book in her Jackson Brodie series. This novel is so much more than a simple mystery; starting with the harrowing opening, the author weaves her intricate story slowly, allowing the characters to develop fully, the plot to evolve brilliantly, and the setting to be described in detailed prose. I settled in to enjoy the book as with this author, I know the journey is going to be well worth it.

The tension was slowly increased as it was soon apparent that the characters and plot lines were on a collision course. With the suspense being brought to an almost unbearable level I found it very difficult to put the book down. Even though the story had it’s share of brutal murders and violence, it is also a carefully crafted tale of fate, love and belonging, unfolding through Atkinson’s unique writing style.

When Will There Be Good News? revisits some of this author’s favorite themes of how the past can affect the future, and how the choices we make have long lasting implications. I found this book to be an excellent read and it’s left me both deeply satisfied and very excited to read the next Jackson Brodie story.

130Nickelini
apr 13, 2019, 1:46 am

When Will There Be Good News is my book club pick for June. I'll start it June 1st when I'm back from travelling.

131DeltaQueen50
apr 13, 2019, 12:07 pm

>130 Nickelini: I think you have an excellent read in your future! I guess it's pretty obvious that I am a huge fan of Kate Atkinson and her Jackson Brodie series, I still have one more on my shelves and I see there is a new one coming out this fall.

132RidgewayGirl
apr 13, 2019, 2:09 pm

>108 DeltaQueen50: I've had His Bloody Project on my stack of books to read next for an entire year now. I really need to just push the others aside and get reading!

>129 DeltaQueen50: You've only read the first three Jackson Brodie novels? What delights still lay in front of you! I broke down and pre-ordered the next one last week.

133DeltaQueen50
apr 13, 2019, 2:44 pm

>132 RidgewayGirl: I will be interested in your thoughts on His Bloody Project when you get to it, Kay. I've been eyeballing the pre-order button for the next Jackson Brodie and I think I will give in and consider it one of my Thingaversary purchases.

134BLBera
apr 13, 2019, 3:19 pm

Hi Judy. I have loved all of Jiles's books. I am anxiously waiting for Atkinson's new Jackson Brodie.

135clue
apr 13, 2019, 7:14 pm

>129 DeltaQueen50: I don't know how this happens but I read and very much enjoyed the first two, then let this one sit on the shelf for 3 years???

136SouthernKiwi
apr 13, 2019, 11:35 pm

The Color of Lightning is a BB for me as well. I'm always on the hunt for good colonial era historical fiction that is elevated to something more :-)

137thornton37814
apr 14, 2019, 1:05 pm

>132 RidgewayGirl: >133 DeltaQueen50: I also look forward to seeing Kay's reaction to His Bloody Project. I'm surprised Kay hasn't read it yet!

138DeltaQueen50
apr 14, 2019, 1:33 pm

>134 BLBera: And now we have both a new Paulette Jiles and a new Jackson Brodie book to look forward to! :)

>135 clue: I did the exact same thing - thank heavens for this month's Series Cat as it brought this book to my attention.

>136 SouthernKiwi: Alana, if you haven't read News of the World than I would recommend that you add that one to the list as well. Same author, same time period and a simply wonderful story.

>137 thornton37814: There are just so many books out there! It's hard to get to them, I feel that I'm always one of the last to read some of the more popular books.

139DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:17 pm

67. Legend by David Gemmell - 5.0 ★
Category: One Word Titles
2019 PopSugar Challenge: 2 Books - One Title - Part Two
April SFFFKit: Swords and Sorcery
1,001 Books To Read Before You Die List
April TIOLI #9: Meant to Read in March, 2019




From the Thermopylae to the Alamo there have been battles where the few have held back the mighty and Legend by David Gemmell is such a story. This fantasy novel, first published in 1984, tells the story of how the Empire of Drenai is under threat from the united tribes of the Nadir. An army of over 500,000 strong marches toward them and all that stands in their way is the fortress of Dros Delnoch, which is built in a narrow pass and guarded by six high walls and a great keep. Unfortunately years of peace have left the fortress under-manned and there are less than 10,000 defenders under the leadership of an unfit General. To give the country time to gather and train an efficient army they need to hold the fortress for three months.

Although there are a number of characters, each with their own reason for taking a stand at Dros Delnoch, the story focuses on two in particular, that of Regnak, an ex-army officer who has no desire to be there but follows the woman he loves. The other is the greatest hero of the empire, Druss the Legend. He is now in his sixties and much weaker than he was in his prime. Nevertheless he is still a great warrior and an inspiration to the troops. For him a death on the battlefield is much preferable to that of a quiet one.

Overall I loved this story of overcoming great obstacles and sacrificing for a cause. This heroic tale of honor, courage and duty is definitely one for the ages with it’s fast pace, gripping characters, and vivid violence but it is also a very telling tale of the carnage, waste and futility of war. Certainly not a perfect book, but one that touched my emotions and so deserves the 5 stars I am giving it.

140Nickelini
apr 15, 2019, 8:05 pm

>131 DeltaQueen50: I think you have an excellent read in your future! I guess it's pretty obvious that I am a huge fan of Kate Atkinson and her Jackson Brodie series, I still have one more on my shelves and I see there is a new one coming out this fall.

I too am a big Atkinson fan. I loved the first two Jacson Brodie books, and I don't know why I haven't read this one yet. In the meantime I read Life After Life and Human Croquet, both which I loved. If I wasn't reading for my upcoming trip, I'd be reading When Will There Be Good News now.

141AHS-Wolfy
apr 16, 2019, 8:45 am

>139 DeltaQueen50: I quite enjoyed the early Drenai books which I read a long time before joining LT so it's good to see they still hold up well. I did go back to the series a few years ago by picking up one of the later books but didn't enjoy it quite as much.

142DeltaQueen50
apr 16, 2019, 11:29 am

>140 Nickelini: I have a few other Kate Atkinson books on my shelves so at least I am in no danger of running out of her books. You must be leaving on your trip soon - travel safely and enjoy yourself. :)

>141 AHS-Wolfy: I know that Legend isn't the best written fantasy, in fact, I was rather surprised that it is included on the 1,001 Books List, but I am obviously the target audience for this type of fantasy, after all, I loved The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie just as much. I doubt that I will read any more Drenai books, this one touched my emotions and I would rather let it stand alone in my memory.

143mstrust
apr 16, 2019, 12:13 pm

>129 DeltaQueen50: I've had that on my shelf for a few years and had no idea it was part of a series. I'm glad you liked it so much, I'll have to make sure I get to it this year. I think I've only read Behind the Scenes at the Museum from her so far.

144Nickelini
apr 16, 2019, 7:11 pm

>142 DeltaQueen50: Still have 15 more sleeps, and we'll have wifi along the way, so you won't even notice I'm gone! But thanks for the good wishes.

145DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:17 pm

68. The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey - 4.1 ★
Category: Series
April CalendarCat: A Character Named "Diamond"
April TIOLI#10: Three Word Title That Goes The "adjective" 'noun"




The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey is actually the first in his series about DS Peter Diamond. Written in the early 1990’s and set in the 1980’s, Diamond is an old school policemen, he doesn’t like or understand the new computers that are emerging as an absolute necessity in law enforcement. He trusts his own judgment and relies on his hunches. He is just coming off being investigated from how he handled a previous case and although he is technically cleared from any wrong-doing, he doesn’t feel he’s been give the total exoneration that he feels he deserves.

When a nude body is found floating in a lake, there is trouble with identification and even with the cause of death. This turns into a very complex case and during the course of solving it, Peter Diamond once again feels like he is not being backed by the force and so he resigns. He is then reluctantly drawn back into the case when he finds he disagrees on the guilt of who was eventually charged. Being the first in the series, a lot of time in this book is spent introducing this character to the readers and I went from actively disliking him to an admiration for this irascible, opinionated man.

I found both the character of Peter Diamond and the mystery itself engaging and compelling enough that I will be continuing on in the series. I liked the way the story shifted from character to character, each one getting to tell their version of events. I also like the setting of Bath and the connection to Jane Austen that was a major plot point in this mystery.

146DeltaQueen50
apr 16, 2019, 10:07 pm

>143 mstrust: Kate Atkinson is a wonderful writer, Jennifer and the Jackson Brodie series is very, very good. Of course, I can't help but recommend that you read it in order. The first one is called Case Histories.

>144 Nickelini: I'd be counting how many "sleeps" as well. We have been toying with some travel ideas but my husband has mobility issues and I have a few issues of my own, so we are not too confident - we may just stick to road trips.

147msf59
apr 16, 2019, 10:13 pm

Hi, Judy. Hooray for Atkinson and Jackson Brodie. I am glad we are finally getting to see a new one in the series, sometime in June. Yah!!

148DeltaQueen50
apr 16, 2019, 10:21 pm

>147 msf59: Hi Mark, I couldn't resist and I have pre-ordered it for my Kindle!

149mstrust
apr 17, 2019, 9:54 am

>146 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for the suggestion. I went and looked, and I have Case Histories, along with three other unread Atkinsons. When Will There Be Good News?, Left Early, Took The Dog and Human Croquet. I do tend to collect an author I just know I'll like before I've read anything from them.

150DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 18, 2019, 3:25 am

>149 mstrust: Excellent, after you read the first one, you will probably want to track down the second - One Good Turn then you will be set with #3 When Will There Be Good News and #4 Left Early Took the Dog. Number 5 will be out apparently this June - Big Sky.

151DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:17 pm

69. Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber - 4.0 ★
Category: Love Stories
April TIOLI #2: Author's Name Has a Scrabble Point Value of 22+




Crescent by Diane Abu-Jaber is a warm, lyrical love story that has been infused with the scents of Middle Eastern food, and stories both of actual history and fables from the Middle East. Set in an Arab-American community in Los Angeles this is the story of the romance between Sirine, an Iraqi-American and Hanif, a haunted, handsome Eastern Literature professor who has come to America to escape his war torn country of Iraq.

Thirty nine year old Sirine has never married, lives with her uncle who is also a university professor, and born story teller along with their dog, King Babar. She works as a chef in a Lebanese restaurant. Her passion has been all about food and it’s preparation until she meets the handsome Arabic literature professor who comes to her restaurant originally for the food, but ultimately for her. Sirine struggles with the Arabic side of her identity and wonders if she is too American for Hanif, while Hanif struggles to feel grounded in America so far from Baghdad and the family he had to leave behind.

A good love story, peopled with lots of interesting secondary characters, with a backdrop of real history about Saddam Hussein and the atrocities that occurred under his reign made this book a very interesting read. The author captures the poignant contemplation of refugees while at the same time celebrates the food, poetry, politics and the daily life of the Arabic-American community and gives the reader a ringside seat.

152mstrust
apr 18, 2019, 11:45 am

>150 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for listing their order!

153The_Hibernator
apr 18, 2019, 2:33 pm

>139 DeltaQueen50: wow. Looks good

154DeltaQueen50
apr 18, 2019, 5:12 pm

>152 mstrust: That's me being anal retentive - can't bear the idea that someone would possibily read the series out of order!

>153 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel. I must have been a soldier in a previous life cause I love book that revolve around battles!

155VivienneR
apr 18, 2019, 10:14 pm

Judy, I know you were planning Something in the water by Catherine Steadman. Have you started it yet? I'm about halfway through and it's a page-turner.

156Tess_W
apr 19, 2019, 2:18 am

>155 VivienneR: Read Something in the Water just a few months ago and I really liked it!

157DeltaQueen50
apr 19, 2019, 11:15 am

>155 VivienneR: Good timing, Vivienne, I am currently reading Something in the Water and I am about 60% of the way through. It is a page turner, I am alternating between being frightened by the menacing atmosphere, wanting to shout "Don't do it" to the main characters or being angry at the same characters for keeping secrets from each other. Definitely one of the better thrillers that I have read recently!

>156 Tess_W: Something in the Water has totally grabbed me, and I can see why Reece Witherspoon wants to develop it into a film!

158VivienneR
apr 19, 2019, 2:50 pm

>156 Tess_W: Maybe your thread was where I heard about it. If so, thank you.

>157 DeltaQueen50: That's good news about the movie possibility. I hope it works out.

159DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:17 pm

70. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman - 4.1 ★
Category: Reading From My Shelves
April ScaredyKit: Thrills and Chills with Modern Horror/Thrillers
April TIOLI #12: The Words "Flower", "Water" or "Temple" Appear in the Title




Although Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman starts off with a chilling first chapter, I found it took a little too long to get to the meat of the story. But once it took off, the unreliable characters and the steamroller of a plot kept the excitement levels at high.

While on a scuba diving expedition in Bora Bora, Erin and Mark, a couple of honeymooners stumble upon a plane crash. They take a bag from the crash site that both rewards them unbelievably but also brings terror, stress and disillusionment into their lives. I spent most of the book shaking my head over the decisions that the main characters made. I could feel the greed levels rising and even though these two were in constant danger, they were perhaps their own worst enemies. Like many recent thrillers, it was obvious that the train wreak was coming.

I would have preferred a more pared down version of the story. I didn’t feel that I needed to know every detail of their lives, a good third of the book was taken up with setting the scene. Once Mark and Erin found the bag in the water, the pace picked up and the suspense levels rose. This is Catherine Steadman’s debut novel so it will be interesting to see what she will produce next.

160dudes22
apr 20, 2019, 7:03 am

>157 DeltaQueen50: - Surely a sign of a good book when you want to yell at the characters.

161BLBera
apr 20, 2019, 9:19 am

Hi Judy: Paulette Jiles has a new one coming? I didn't know. Hooray!

The Last Detective sounds like one I would enjoy. I also enjoyed Crescent.

162DeltaQueen50
apr 20, 2019, 1:37 pm

>160 dudes22: Yes, overall Something in the Water was a very good read even though the characters were rather unlikeable - much like Gone Girl.

>161 BLBera: Beth, I am very excited by a new Paulette Jiles!

163DeltaQueen50
apr 20, 2019, 1:40 pm

I hope everyone is having a great Easter weekend, our weather has taken a turn for the better and we have warm temps and sunshine.

164EBT1002
apr 20, 2019, 2:17 pm

Hi Judy. I thought I'd come by to see what you're up to. I've also been wondering what I'm going to read for the BingoDOG square "Fairy Tale." The Stepsister Scheme looks interesting. Did you enjoy it? The other square that has me a bit stumped is the medicine/health related one. I'm sure I'll find something.

The Color of Lightning looks really interesting and it will fit the bill for the weather-related word square. I absolutely loved her News of the World -- it was a 5-star read for me.

Such a helpful visit this was! Happy Easter, my friend.

165DeltaQueen50
apr 20, 2019, 4:00 pm

Hi Ellen, I did enjoy The Stepsister Scheme mostly for it's humor. Some other Fairytale based books that I have really liked have been Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Cinder by Marissa Meyer and, by far the best, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.

I struggle a little with the medicine/health prompt a bit as well, but I have been slowly reading the Irish Doctor series so I will most likely read one of those. I would recommend The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally if you haven't read it. It's about nurses during WW I.

166EBT1002
apr 20, 2019, 11:40 pm

>165 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for all those suggestions, Judy. I loved The Snow Child and wish I still had it "in front of" me. But I will check out the others as I try to fill that particular square.

167VivienneR
apr 21, 2019, 2:10 am

>159 DeltaQueen50: Great review! I was actually shouting out loud at Erin for being so stupid. Luckily there was only my husband to hear me but he thought I'd lost my sanity.

168DeltaQueen50
apr 21, 2019, 12:09 pm

>168 DeltaQueen50: You're welcome, Ellen. I know how tricky it can be trying to find something to enjoy in a genre that you don't normally read. I wish I still had Snow Child to read as well, that was a perfect book for me. :)

>167 VivienneR: I was doing the same, Vivienne! I actually started off the book feeling quite sympathic toward Erin but by the end of the book, I just wanted to shake her!

169DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 24, 2019, 10:16 pm

71. Broken April by Ismail Kadare - 3.7 ★
Category: Armchair Travel
April CalendarCat
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Read During the Same Season As The Book is Set
April 1,001 Group Challenge Read: A Country I Have Never Visited
April TIOLI #4: First Paragraph Contains a Weather Description




Broken April is by Albanian author Ismail Kadare and in this powerful story he tackles the subject of Albanian blood feuds. There are all kinds of rules and traditions surrounding blood feuds as set out by the Kanum, or mountain law. The murderer must confess his crime, must attend the funeral of the victim and then his family must apply for a 30 day truce and pay a blood tax to the government. The 30 day truce is for the murderer to settle his affairs before the other family hunts him down and kills him in return. In the meantime, the victim’s family hangs the bloodstained shirt out the window for all to see and as a reminder of the vengeance that is to come. Although sounding quite medieval, this story is set in the 1930’s.

The story opens with Gjorg , a mountaineer from Northern Albania, killing his prey, a revenge killing as his brother was the last victim. Although Gjorg had no great desire to murder anyone, he was following the rules dictated by his culture, and now, it is his turn to wait for death once the 30 day truce is over. Into this world arrives the honeymooning couple of Bessan and Diana Vorpsi. Bessan is a prominent author and they are from the modern city of Tirana. While Bessan sees romance and adventure in this mountain code, Diana sees the oppressive side, the waste and tragedy. By using these three to highlight his story, the author is able to portray all angles of the blood feud.

Although this was a very interesting book, I also found it incomprehensible that families would be willing for these blood vendettas to go on over generations. How anyone could sacrifice their own children for the sake of “honor” is beyond me. I know very little about Albania and Broken April was an excellent way to learn about one aspect of their tumultuous past. The story is simply told, without embellishments, although a dark sense of doom pervades each page. Although depressing, this was a thought-provoking read.

170BLBera
apr 22, 2019, 2:00 pm

The Kadare sounds good, Judy. Onto the list it goes.

171dudes22
Redigerat: apr 22, 2019, 4:53 pm

I have Ismail Kadare plugged in for one of my Bingo blocks this year, but I don't think this will be the book. Sounds a little too gruesome for me. So each family loses 6 members a year?

172DeltaQueen50
apr 22, 2019, 6:07 pm

>170 BLBera: It was certainly an interesting read, Beth. Apparently these practices are still in existence in the most remote areas.

>171 dudes22: In the case of Gjorg and his family, it was mentioned that this Blood Feud had already taken 44 people. I asume that would be 22 from each side. Not sure how quickly after the 30 day truce is over that the shooting starts. Also there were refuge towers mentioned where the men can go and live, but they can never come out or they risk being shot. Many of these men go blind, living without daylight or electricity.

173dudes22
apr 23, 2019, 7:01 am

>172 DeltaQueen50: - That's even more depressing.

174DeltaQueen50
apr 23, 2019, 12:12 pm

>173 dudes22: It is depressing - not exactly a book to cheer one up!

175ChelleBearss
apr 24, 2019, 2:27 am

Hope you had a good Easter!

176DeltaQueen50
apr 24, 2019, 9:46 pm

>175 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle, I did have a very nice Easter and I hope you did too. :)

177DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 3, 2019, 11:34 am

72. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See - 4.2 ★
Category: Let's Eat!
April TIOLI #7: A Book By a Woman About a Woman




I can always rely on author Lisa See to provide an interesting and engaging read and while The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane had a few flaws, it was a book that totally engrossed me. Although a little overly sentimental and relying on a huge coincidence to make her plot work, this story about a woman from the Akha tribe of China’s Yunnan province who becomes a tea entrepreneur while searching for the daughter that she had to give up for adoption was both a remarkable and immersive reading experience.

Lisa See is well known for how she explores various aspects of Chinese culture and traditions. Her research is extensive and her story telling is vivid. In this book she introduces us to an ethnic minority group in China who are governed by their beliefs in spirits, cleansing rituals, taboos and the dictates of village shamans. When Li-Yan discovers she is pregnant by her absent fiance, she has no choice but to hide the pregnancy, give birth in secret and with her mother’s help, place the child in an adoption centre. The child is adopted by an American couple and grows up in California as Haley. Li-Yan goes on to educate herself and, as her people are tea growers, she becomes a tea expert and eventually marries a wealthy Chinese businessman. But even with money and position behind her, finding her daughter is an impossible task. At the same time, Haley, now a grown young woman herself is also trying to find her birth mother with little success.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane celebrates the bonds of family, heritage and culture. I felt the plot suffered somewhat from the author’s extensive information on tea growing and producing as well as her research about the Akha people, but this was still a very satisfying read.

178DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: apr 25, 2019, 11:49 pm

73. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan - 3.6 ★
Category: Book Bullets - Mamie
TIOLI #6: Author's Last Name Has 2 or Less Vowels




Originally published in 1967, Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan is a classic science fiction story that has very little in common with the 1976 film of the same name. The setting is a 23rd century dystopian ageist society where, due to over-population, everyone is put to death at age 21. A person’s age is measured by his embedded palm crystal that changes color every seven years. When it turns black that person is required to turn himself in to be eliminated.

Logan, who is the main character, is a Sandman, an enforcer who hunts and kills anyone who tries to ‘run’ from the society ordered execution. When his hand starts to blink black, he decides to spend his last day trying to infiltrate an underground railroad that helps runners who are seeking Sanctuary. Travelling with a female runner, Jessica 6, the reader can sense that Logan is undergoing a change and that this ‘run’ is becoming very real.

Logan’s Run is not a very long book and with it’s non-stop action sequences, it was a very quick read. It’s very much a product of it’s time (1960’s) and there wasn’t a lot of plot or world building just various chase scenes through a decaying world but it was a fun action/adventure read. I am actually surprised that this book hasn’t been adapted into a graphic novel as I think it would work well in that format.

179Tess_W
apr 26, 2019, 11:03 am

>178 DeltaQueen50: was made into a movie in the 1970's starring Michael York--it was pretty popular.

180DeltaQueen50
apr 26, 2019, 11:39 am

>179 Tess_W: Hi Tess, I have seen the movie, but remember very little about it but I am pretty sure that the movie was very different from the book.

181mstrust
Redigerat: apr 26, 2019, 11:51 am

At least the movie gave them until the age of 30, as I remember. That was suppose to be a short enough life, but 21 is vicious. Until you realize that it means a bunch of eighteen year-olds would be chasing them and they would lose interest pretty fast ;-)

182DeltaQueen50
apr 26, 2019, 1:22 pm

>181 mstrust: I found the whole 21 years a little far fetched. We are supposed to believe that this world and all it's complex machinery and weaponry is being steered by youngsters. Of course the most vicious people in this book were the "Cubs" a group of 7 to 14 year olds who went after anyone who dared to enter their territory.

183DeltaQueen50
apr 26, 2019, 1:31 pm

74. The Delivery Man by Joe McGuinniss Jr. - 2.5 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
April AlphaKit: M
April TIOLI #2: Author's Name Has a Scrabble Point Value of 22+




I literally had to force myself to finish The Delivery Man by Joe McGinniss Jr.. This is a bleak, dark novel filled with loser characters who survive in the underbelly of Las Vegas and are on a one-way path to nowhere. One character spends most of the book declaring that he is leaving Vegas but neither the readers or any one else actually believes that he will go.

Chase is a 25 year old wannabe artist who has returned home to Las Vegas. He originally took a job as an art teacher but after being fired spends his time as a driver, delivering the local prostitutes to their appointments. Michelle, a prostitute dreams of making big money and buying herself the security and safety that she dreams of, but most of her money is spend on drugs and booze. She also begins recruiting and training teenage girls for the trade, including one of Chase’s former students, Rachel. Meanwhile Rachel’s teenage boyfriend, is not happy with her choices and he blames Chase for her bad decisions.

I did not enjoy this seedy story, in fact, it made me want to wash my hands every time I picked it up. The Delivery Man wasn’t particularly well written and the characters seemed flat and one dimensional. I was disappointed as I had higher expectations than this poorly written story. I probably wouldn’t have finished this book except that I was reading it for an alphabet challenge but the time spent reading this book was truly wasted.

184lkernagh
apr 28, 2019, 12:17 am

Hi Judy, happy to see the spring theme for your most recent thread and I see that you are getting close to finishing your Bingo Challenge.

>39 DeltaQueen50: - Love the new furniture, even without the chaise!

I see you have been going "great guns" on the reading front. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

185DeltaQueen50
apr 28, 2019, 9:48 pm

Hi Lori, I have been reading quite a lot these days and I even was able to take my book and read outside today. We are loving our new furniture although I hadn't really thought about how changing the accent color to my living room would mean so many changes had to be made. I am slowly getting rid of the burgandy and green and moving into blues, greys and turquoise.

186DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 1, 2019, 11:36 am

75. Towards Zero by Agatha Christie - 4.0 ★
Category: Vintage Crime
April TIOLI #1: A Word that Rhymes With "All" is in the First Sentence




After my last read, I needed a relaxing and delightful escape into one of my favorite genres and what better choice could I have than an Agatha Christie mystery. Towards Zero is a “manor mystery”, where the crime is committed while there is a gathering of suspects at a country house, in this case Gull House which is perched high above the ocean upon seaside cliffs.

When the owner of the mansion, an eccentric old lady in her eighties, is found murdered in her bed, there are any number of suspects to be found among the guests and the servants and although this book does not benefit from the “little grey cells” of Poirot, or the sharp observations Miss Marple, it does have Superintendent Battle to put the clues together and to unravel the twists and turns that the story takes. Battle is perhaps not one of Christie’s more colorful sleuths, but his solid steady ways are reassuring as he oversees the investigation.

I found this to be a very entertaining “vintage” mystery. Over the course of the book, I found myself suspecting one person or another and yet was still surprised at the final outcome. Although the ending seemed a little rushed and I didn’t totally embrace the romance angle, Towards Zero was exactly the read I needed at this time.

187Tess_W
Redigerat: maj 1, 2019, 1:12 am

>186 DeltaQueen50: sounds almost like Christie's And Then There Were None.

188DeltaQueen50
maj 1, 2019, 11:28 am

>187 Tess_W: She definitely excels in using the elements of an isolated country house, assorted guests and mutilple reasons to do away with the victim. While, for me, this wasn't as excellent as And Then There Were None, it is still a very entertaining and absorbing read.

189DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 1, 2019, 11:43 am

76. Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor - 3.6 ★
Category: One Word Titles
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Book With a Plant in the Title
May TIOLI #1: Cover Contains a Hyphenated Word




I came very close to abandoning Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor but I stayed the course and eventually this over-written story drew me in and I had to read to the end to find out how the author would gather the various storylines together. The story basically explores the effect that the disappearance of a teenage girl has on a small Arizona town.

In 1991, Jess Winters is a troubled teen, her parents have just divorced, her mother and she have moved to this small town and she is having a hard time adjusting and making friends. To escape her problems she often goes on late-night solo walks around town. One night she doesn’t return from her walk. The story then jumps ahead eighteen years to another newcomer to town who discovers human bones embedded in a desert ravine. While the whole town waits to see if these remains are indeed Jess the story jumps back and forth and we learn the backstory of many of the town’s residents which also helps to explain what happened to Jess.

This is a story that was a little overloaded with secrets, guilt, and failure but the main problem I had was with the overly descriptive writing. Sentences like “The carbonized sky howled as the Milky Way cracked its sternum, exposing its galactic heart.” were rather difficult to swallow. Too bad, because the story was engrossing and the resolution to the complicated narrative was quite well done.

190mstrust
maj 1, 2019, 11:56 am

>186 DeltaQueen50: A Christie that I've yet to read and one that isn't mentioned very often, probably because it doesn't have her more famous sleuths. I'm glad you liked it, and your review reminds me that I need to fit Christie into my ROOTs reads.

191DeltaQueen50
maj 1, 2019, 4:17 pm

>190 mstrust: Hi Jennifer, I have about half a shelf full of Agatha Christie mysteries but I don't seem to have a problem clearing her from my shelves, I often find myself reaching for one of them! :)

192jnwelch
maj 2, 2019, 3:14 pm

Agatha Christie books are such comfort reads, aren't they, Judy. I bet I re-read her more than any other author. In part because, while I think I remember how it sorts out, I get it wrong most of the time!

I have a soft spot for Toward Zero. The manor house ones are fun, and there's something relaxing about solid steady Superintendent Battle going about his business.

193LittleTaiko
maj 2, 2019, 3:58 pm

>186 DeltaQueen50: - I just read that one fairly recently and like you enjoyed the solid presence of Superintendent Battle. Also like you, I wasn't taken with the romance story line that was tacked on at the end. However, the whole premise of the mystery was quite solid.

194DeltaQueen50
maj 2, 2019, 9:33 pm

>192 jnwelch: Yes, I find Agatha Christie mysteries to be great comfort reads - always enjoyable and always good. Another author I can rely on for the same reasons is Georgette Heyer. (See below)

>193 LittleTaiko: That last minute romance was almost creepy! But Superintendent Battle is definitely a man one can lean on.

195DeltaQueen50
maj 2, 2019, 9:41 pm

77. Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer - 3.5 ★
Category: Doing My ABCs
May AlphaKit: H
May TIOLI #12: A Mode of Transportation Other Than an Auto is Pictured on the Cover




Among the last of her novels, Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer was published in 1972 and is a thinly disguised re-working of her 1966 book, Black Sheep. Both books are Regency romances, both set in Bath and both feature heroines who, being 28 years of age, have a little more independence than her younger characters.

I have not yet read Black Sheep but fully intend on pulling it off the shelf at some point. I did enjoy Lady of Quality but not as much as many of her other novels. While the characters felt a little flat, and the story line wasn’t the most interesting, Heyer still manages to deliver some of the most amusing and period correct sentences. When spirited Miss Annis Wynchwood gets involved in the affairs of the Carleton family she comes into contact with a man whom she calls odious, ill-mannered and the rudest man she ever met. He in turn calls her “hornet” for the stinging rebukes she delivers him. Of course, they are destined to fall in love.

Even a less than perfect Georgette Heyer makes for a lovely escape read and I breezed through it smiling all the while.

196MissWatson
Redigerat: maj 3, 2019, 4:10 am

>195 DeltaQueen50: Oh, I think you will enjoy Black Sheep more! The conversations are just sparkling with wit, and Miles Calverleigh gets to make some very pithy comments.
(edited for touchstone)

197msf59
maj 3, 2019, 6:59 am

Happy Friday, Judy. Good review of Hummingbird Lane. I have not read See in several years. This may get me to try her again.

198DeltaQueen50
maj 3, 2019, 9:24 pm

>196 MissWatson: I am looking forward to Black Sheep although I will be sad once I don't have any more new to me Georgette Heyer's to read.

>197 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Lisa See has been a bit hit and miss with me. So far no book of hers has reached the heights that Snow Flower and the Fan did although I have heard a number of good things about her latest, The Island of Sea Women.

199DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 12, 2019, 11:32 pm

78. Buffalo Trail by Jeff Guinn - 4.2 ★
Category: Library List
May TIOLI #3: Dedicated to a Non-Relative




Buffalo Trail by Jeff Guinn is a continuation of the western trilogy about Cash McLendon, who has now moved on to Dodge City, Kansas after escaping the hired killer on his trail in the first book, Glorious. His plan is to find work in Dodge and save money to start a new life in California. He meets up with an old acquaintance from Arizona and finds out that Gabrielle, the love of his life, is still unmarried and he begins a correspondence with her that leads to his planning to return to Arizona and hopefully claim her as his wife before they travel on to California.

There isn’t a lot of money to be had in Dodge, but it is the gathering ground for the Buffalo hunters who, disobeying the government, intend to cross into Indian territory to hunt. A huge party is being made up and eventually Cash joins as this could be a way of making a good deal of money very quickly. Meanwhile Comanche war leader, Quanah Parker is gathering the Plains Indians with plans to attack the Buffalo hunters and wipe them from the face of the earth.

Other than Cash McLendon, most of the characters in this book did exist and the battle of Adobe Walls, that the author vividly recreates, did happen as described. Once again this author brings a part of American history to life in this colorful, entertaining and memorable story. Personally, I found Buffalo Trail to be an excellent bridge that is leading towards the final book in this exciting trilogy.

200clue
maj 4, 2019, 9:18 am

>198 DeltaQueen50: I'm reading The Island of Sea Women now. I'm working at the library book sale all day today but may be able to finish it tonight. I like it and have become aware of how sketchy my knowledge of Korean history is.

201DeltaQueen50
maj 4, 2019, 11:14 am

>200 clue: I haven't read much about Korea or it's people and I am looking forward to reading The Island of Sea Women although it's anyone's guess as to when I will get to it. These days it seems that the more I read, the further behind I get!

202DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 8, 2019, 12:55 pm

79. Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro - 4.2 ★
Category: 1,001 Books List
May 1,001 Challenge Read: Random Pick
May TIOLI #9: Coming-of-Age Story




Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro is a collection of inter-woven short stories that chronicle the coming-of-age of Del Jordan and her relationships with various characters in the small Ontario town of Jubilee. Some classify this work as a novel but however one defines the book, the author’s gift of capturing human emotions through her beautiful and understated writing shines through.

The author captures many of the thoughts and feelings that females go through as they grow from little girls to young women. The uncertainty of maturing at different rates from one’s friends, the feelings of being left behind by one’s peers, the curiosity about life in general and sex in particular are told with humour, pathos, and drama. In writing about everyday events, Munro’s talent for remarkable and relatable prose is highlighted.

Lives of Girls and Women was my introduction to Alice Munro and this empathetic story about one young girl’s rites of passage was a pleasure to read.

203DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 8, 2019, 12:54 pm

80. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien - 4.5 ★
Category: Fantasy
2019 PopSugar Challenge: Extinct or Imaginary Creatures
May TIOLI #11: Measuring the LT "Will I Like It" Prediction




The Two Towers is part II of J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic Lord of the Rings. The story is told in two sections, the first following the group after Frodo and Sam have struck out on their own. Aragon, Legolas and Gimli are searching for Merry and Pippin who had been kidnapped by orcs who struck down Boromir and spirited the Hobbits away. Gandalf makes his re-appearance, and there is a massive battle that the Ents help to turn in their favour. Merry and Pippin are found safe as they have been travelling in the company of the Ents after they managed to escape from the clutches of the orcs. As for Frodo and Sam they are on their perilous journey to Mordor. Along the way they capture the Gollum who agrees to guide them to a secret entrance, but the Gollum is drawn by the power of the Ring and cannot be fully trusted. Samwise, on the other hand shows great loyalty and love toward Frodo, and to my eyes emerges as a true hero.

There are so many excellent characters that pass through the story during the course of The Two Towers, but I really need to comment on Gollum/Smeagol who is both treacherous and pitiful. He serves as a reminder of what can happen if one latches onto the power of the ring and as a contrast all the Hobbits are shown as the resourceful and courageous creatures that they are. I listened to this book as read and enhanced by Rob Inglis.

This was a true cliff-hanger so I need to carry on with the next book quickly. Overall, The Two Towers advances the story and expands on the world of Middle Earth. The depth and scope of this book brings into focus the influence that it has had on all the fantasy novels that have followed. It truly deserves to be called a classic.

204DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 12, 2019, 11:36 pm

81. The Moor by Sam Haysom - 3.2 ★
Category: Reading From My Shelves
May ScaredyKit: Scary Children




The Moor by Sam Haysom is a suspenseful and creepy story that lures the reader in with it’s slow buildup and then releases the horror and action that keeps the pages turning until the end. Since 1951 there have been disappearances in Rutmoor National Park. Kids, teenagers even whole families have disappeared and now as a group of teenagers set out on a weekend hike, they are about to come face to face with the fact that evil does exist.

Told from multiple points of view and jumping around in time somewhat, this story of confronting an ancient evil is quite dark and atmospheric. The author slowly builds the tension over the first part of the book but from the point that the boys are told the hair-raising campfire story the nightmare is launched. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t much of an explanation as to what, where or why this was happening.

The Moor is a debut novel and is a good combination of mystery and horror. I often find that horror can be done with too heavy a hand but although this story is both dark and menacing, I felt the author controlled himself from going too far although I would warn that the story does include a number of animal mutilations which are rather disturbing.

205DeltaQueen50
maj 8, 2019, 12:54 pm

82. The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo - 4.2 ★
Category: Series
May CalendarCat: Norwegian Constitution Day
May SeriesCat: Next One in a Favorite Series
May TIOLI #4: A 4 Letter or More Embedded Word in One of the Title Word




Over the course of The Devil’s Star both Harry Hole and the readers finally get a resolution to his on-going investigation into the affairs of dirty cop, Tom Waaler. Harry’s obsession is heading into very dangerous areas and his drinking is out of control. Harry grudgingly agrees to join the task force looking for a serial killer and as luck would have it, Tom Waaler is heading up the force. Working closely together may just give Harry the edge he needs to bring him to justice. Meanwhile a serial killer is at work in Oslo, carrying out very stylized murders where he leaves identical five-pointed red diamonds at each crime scene. At first the killings appear random but Hole eventually discovers that there is a pattern to these killings.

Harry Hole is one of the most angst-drive detectives in today’s literature. Hopefully the worst is now behind him as I was beginning to find these books a little too dark and depressing. This police procedural has plenty of twists and turns as the police race to stop this serial killer. Forensic investigator, Beate Lonn, makes a return appearance in this book and her help proves invaluable and I hope to see her in future books. By far the interplay between Harry Hole and Tom Waaler was the star attraction. Harry is vulnerable, overly emotional, and self destructive while Waaler is cold, smooth, cynical and over-confident.

The Devil’s Star was an excellent read and anyone who is interested in Nordic Noir should add this series to their reading list. I am curious as to where this author is going to take Harry now that his immediate demon has been put to rest.

206DeltaQueen50
maj 8, 2019, 2:32 pm

It's very quiet both on this thread and in general on LibraryThing these days. I am just waiting for my car to come home from the body shop and then I am heading over to Vancouver Island to visit my family. It's my Mother's birthday on the 21st and my nephew just had a baby boy that I am looking forward to meeting.

As for my car, well, I did a stupid thing and pulled over too far to let another car out of our underground parking and then forgot that the wall juts out by the garbage room. I hit it as I was turning the corner and managed to scrape the back panel.

207Jackie_K
maj 8, 2019, 3:28 pm

>206 DeltaQueen50: I've noticed that too. I try to read a few threads every day, but don't always feel I have much to say, or sometimes I'm very busy and just don't have time. At least I'm still reading! :)

Sorry to hear about your car. Those scrapes are so annoying, aren't they? (ours has one too, where I clipped a fence post)

208mstrust
maj 8, 2019, 4:17 pm

I'm wishing Mom an early happy birthday and hope you have a good time with your family. We're going to be seeing my mom on Mother's Day, as we haven't seen her since February.
I hope you get your car back soon. How many times have you said, "That's what I get for being nice!" since it happened?

209katiekrug
maj 8, 2019, 4:31 pm

Have a good visit with your family, Judy!

210RidgewayGirl
maj 8, 2019, 5:33 pm

>206 DeltaQueen50: Sorry about your car, Judy. I scraped up my wheel rims when I got too close to a curb backing out and it's so frustrating to have to get something fixed that was my own fault!

211DeltaQueen50
maj 9, 2019, 12:28 pm

My car is going to be ready today but I have decided to wait until Monday before I leave for the Island. I will miss Mother's Day with my Mom, but will be there for her 98th birthday. After we pick up the car today we are going to the nursery to buy the rest of the plants for the terrace. The rest of the weekend will be spent quiety with laundry, packing and sorting my books.

212DeltaQueen50
maj 9, 2019, 12:37 pm

>207 Jackie_K: I'm around pretty much every day but I also don't often have a lot to say, so I tend lurk a lot. Less time on LT certainly does lead to more reading time for me as well.

>208 mstrust: Jennifer, I think I've said "That's what I get for being stupid" more often. Enjoy your visit with your Mom.

>209 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie, I will. :)

>210 RidgewayGirl: My husband has pretty much given up driving so I am supposed to be the competent one so having such a careless accident was embarrassing. The only good thing was that the lender car we were given by the body shop is a Toyta Camry which I am enjoying - it has a lot of zip and being smaller is easier to maneuver than my Lincoln.

213dudes22
maj 9, 2019, 3:03 pm

>205 DeltaQueen50: - I skipped most of what you had to say as this is on my list for later this year. (Alpha N month, I think).

I too have been lurking more than commenting. Although I have taken a goodly share of BBs this year so far.

214lsh63
maj 9, 2019, 5:02 pm

Hi Judy, work is draining the life out of me, so I haven't been on LT much. It's not so much the work which I do enjoy, it's the people being difficult for no reason that's exhausting me. I haven't made a comment on my own thread in months either, which is sad......

Anyway, happy birthday to your Mom, 98 is awesome! My mom just turned 89 and trust me she has more on the ball mentally than her four children lol!

Your post up back at >79 DeltaQueen50: make me want to pick up an Alice Munro, I know there are quite a few I haven't read.

215ronincats
maj 9, 2019, 7:41 pm

Judy, I am always here even when I don't speak up! I'm hope you enjoy your visit on the Island. (Predicting you will.)

216DeltaQueen50
maj 10, 2019, 1:13 am

>213 dudes22: Betty, you have a good read ahead of you with The Devil's Star.

>214 lsh63: Lisa, I hope things get better at work for you. One of the perks of retirement is not having to deal with difficult people on a daily basis. I find it hard to believe my Mom is going to be 98 - she's sharp as a tack and other than being quite hearing impared is in good health. That was my first Alice Munro, I was always a little nervous about reading her but I enjoyed it and am now looking forward to reading more by her.

>215 ronincats: Hi Roni, I visit your thread often but have been in lurk mode, just don't seem to have a lot to say these days.

217DeltaQueen50
maj 10, 2019, 1:17 am

Well, now I am not sure when I am going to get away as when we picked up the car we discovered that we weren't able to open the trunk. Apparently they removed the bumper to install the new back panel but this disrupted the compter programing. So now the car has to go back to the shop tomorrow so they can see if they can reboot the program. I have a sinking feeling that this is going to end up with us having to take the car to the dealership for re-programing next week. Modern technology strikes again!

218DeltaQueen50
maj 10, 2019, 1:26 am

83. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo - 2.8 ★
Category: Armchair Travel
May Reading Through Time: Mythology Across Cultures
TIOLI #15: No Common Initials Among Title and Author's Name




In The Ghost Bride, author Yangsze Choo explores the “spirit marriage” custom among Chinese immigrants in Malaya. The purpose of these marriages were to placate a restless spirit. The Chinese immigrants of Malaya were mostly part of the business upper class and although they worked toward western material success, they maintained strong ties to their ancestral clans and traditions.

The book takes place in 1893 and is set in Malacca. Li Lan is a young girl whose father has fallen into debt and who spends most of his time under the spell of opium. Her prospects for a good marriage are slim but then they receive a proposition from the wealthy Lim family. Unfortunately this wealthy family want Li Lan to marry their dead son as a ghost bride. This would allow her a comfortable life as a widow and help her family financially but she is horrified by the prospect. To make matters worse, she starts to receive visitations from the dead groom while at the same time she meets and finds herself attracted to his handsome cousin. Confused and frightened, she overdoses on a sleeping medication and finds herself trapped between the real world and the spirit world. Li Lan now embarks on a series of travels and adventures as she attempts to return to her former self and to find a way towards living a happy life.

While the author gives the reader a lot of insight into Chinese myths, I struggled with this book finding it very slow moving with endless explanations and descriptions breaking up the flow of the story. The main character, Li Lan, was rather stiff and one-dimensional and overall the story lacked depth and emotion. The Ghost Bride is part historical fiction and part fantasy but, for me, rather a meh read.

219BLBera
maj 10, 2019, 9:06 am

Have a good visit with your mum, Judy. It's a busy time of year for me, so I've been absent from LT :( You've been doing some great reading. I love Alice Munro, and you remind me that I have a few collections of hers that I haven't read.

220mstrust
maj 10, 2019, 12:18 pm

>217 DeltaQueen50: That's so aggravating! I hope you still make your trip on time.

221DeltaQueen50
maj 10, 2019, 12:44 pm

>219 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I can only imagine how busy you are with school getting ready to end. Hang in there, summer vacation is just around the corner!

>220 mstrust: I am trying not to be negative and stay positive. Hopefully I will still be on my way come Monday!

222SouthernKiwi
maj 11, 2019, 1:23 am

I sympathise with the car troubles Judy. A couple of months ago my first car which I had for 16 years finally gave up, my parents sorted the buying of it back in the day so I found if quite daunting navigating the car buying process. I hope you do manage to get away for your visit.

I'm also mostly in lurking mode this year, for various reasons work is busier and more torublesome this year and we've just had a minor restructure approved and a couple of other staff move on. Lots of change to deal with.

223DeltaQueen50
maj 11, 2019, 11:14 am

>222 SouthernKiwi: Hi Alana, well, my worst fears came true. The body shop wasn't able to re-boot the computer and now it has to go to the dealer. They have kept the car and will handle taking to the dealer as it appears they can get it in sooner than we could. I won't be leaving on Monday but there is a possibility that I could leave on Tuesday or Wednesday. I've been retired a number of years now, but I remember how stress of changing procedures could disrupt the workplace - hopefully everything will soon sort itself out for you.

224DeltaQueen50
maj 11, 2019, 11:33 am

84. The Sugar Pavilion by Rosalind Laker - 4.0 ★
Category: Let's Eat!
MayTBRCat: A Book I Keep Looking At But Don't Pick Up
2019 PopSugar Challenge: A Book With "Pop", "Sugar" or "Challenge" in the Title
May TIOLI #4: A 4 Letter or More Word is Embedded in One of the Title Words




The Sugar Pavilion by Rosalind Laker is both a well written and thoroughly researched historical novel with the hard-working, independent, and beautiful Sophie Delcourt as it’s main character. Sophie trained under her father to be a highly accomplished confectioner and when she is forced to flee France during the Revolution, she guides and protects a young heir of an aristocratic family. Keeping his identity a secret so that his enemies cannot trace him, she raises the boy as a nephew.

Sophie settles in Brighton and experiences many adventures, dangers and career opportunities as well as love. Brighton in the late 1770’s was becoming a resort city, greatly favoured by the Prince of Wales and the woman he has secretly married, Maria Fitzherbert. Brighton was also a well known smuggling destination and this also plays a part in the story. But for me, the descriptions of how the complex bonbons, sweetmeats and elaborate spun-sugar centerpieces were made was the most fascinating part of the book.

The title, The Sugar Pavilion refers to the Royal Pavilion that the Prince of Wales had built as his seaside retreat. Set in this colourful epoch of Brighton’s history, the author wisely keeps this period-romance from becoming too sweet, and although at times her vivid descriptions of food and fashion did tend to slow the story down, I found this information very interesting. While this story isn’t up to the level of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer, I enjoyed my time spent with it and would certainly read more from this author.

225ronincats
maj 11, 2019, 2:22 pm

>224 DeltaQueen50: That sounds interesting. I always like decently written books set in this period. And the library has it. But I've put it on my For Later list there as I already have too many books in the pipeline at the moment.

Boo hiss about the car!

226mathgirl40
maj 11, 2019, 7:51 pm

>129 DeltaQueen50: I'm finally catching up on my favourite threads and was very happy to see your 5-star review of the third Jackson Brodie book, as I've just finished the second, One Good Turn. I liked it a lot and am eager to read more in the series.

>178 DeltaQueen50: I too found Logan's Run very dated and quite different from the movie when I had read it a few years ago. The movie seems like a real classic to me, but I'm not sure if younger people know about it. A while ago at work, someone made a reference to the black flower in the palm, but I think only the older people in the room got the joke.

227dudes22
maj 12, 2019, 6:17 am

>224 DeltaQueen50: - I have one of her books on my TBR and thought she sounded familiar like I may have read something before I was on LT and keeping track of my reading. Maybe I should move it up in the pile.

228BLBera
maj 12, 2019, 9:27 am

Good luck with the car, Judy. Amazing that car troubles always pop up in the most inconvenient moment.

229VivienneR
maj 12, 2019, 12:41 pm

Wow! You've had 61 posts since I was last on LT! I will only be able to scan most threads until I get back to normal. Sorry to hear your car troubles will prevent celebrating Mother's Day with your mom.

230DeltaQueen50
maj 12, 2019, 2:35 pm

Happy Mother's Day to all. I am enjoying a lazy day with lots of computer time and, later on this afternoon, a good amount of reading time. I expect my younger daughter will be over at some point as well.

>225 ronincats: I enjoyed The Sugar Pavilion, Roni and I hope you do as well when you get to it. I note that this author has written a number of historical romance books and I will definitely be trying more in the future.

>226 mathgirl40: I love the Jackson Brodie series and have already pre-ordered the new book that is coming out in June. I was very happy that Atkinson returned to the series and added another story.

>227 dudes22: I see that many of the books that are available from Rosalind Laker were originally published in the 1980's and 1990's, I guess they have been reissued. So there is a good chance that you have read something by her before, Betty. I have a sneaking suspicion that I may have read her before as well.

>228 BLBera: Thanks, Beth, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the re-boot gets done on Monday as I would love to get away before the long weekend rush as the Ferries to the Island get really busy.

>229 VivienneR: Hi Vivienne. One minute I am saying how quiet LT is and then I get a rush of visitors. Are getting a spell of warm weather? We just had a couple of very warm days but today it is much cooler.

231DeltaQueen50
maj 12, 2019, 2:48 pm

85. Waltz Into Darkness by Cornell Woolrich - 4.2 ★
Category: Crime Stories
May RandomCat: Dance
May TIOLI #11: Measuring LT's "Will I Like It" Prediction




Having never met his fiancee, Louis Durant should have been a little more suspicious when a beautiful young blonde showed up instead of the elder brunette that he was expecting. Like many men, he couldn’t see beyond her looks until it was too late. Waltz Into Darkness by Cornell Woolrich is a story of greed, deception and loss of innocence and self-control.

Set in the 1880’s and published in 1947 this dark tale doesn’t feel dated and this plot-line would be relevant today. Woolrich is a master at dark suspense and the contrast between the susceptible Durant and the clever smoothness of Julia draws the reader into the story. When tragedy befalls, we are ready, but unfortunately Durant is not.

I am a huge Woolrich fan and this is a good one. I was a little disappointed in how the author softened the ending as I would rather have had Julia’s actions and motives remain ambiguous. Although this book is set in the 18th century it still had a very noir feeling as it deals with a man’s downward spiral at the hands of a femme fatale. I found Waltz Into Darkness a real page turner.

232VivienneR
maj 12, 2019, 9:49 pm

>230 DeltaQueen50: It's been really warm for several days and a bit too early for summer so I'm not used to it yet, but the gardens are loving it.

233rabbitprincess
maj 13, 2019, 8:57 am

>231 DeltaQueen50: Ooh, I'll have to keep an eye out for that one! I love Woolrich's work too.

234jnwelch
maj 13, 2019, 10:15 am

Sorry to hear about the car, Judy. Your mom turning 98 - amazing!

I'm with you in being happy that Kate Atkinson is returning to the Jackson Brodie series. I thought she might've moved on for good.

235DeltaQueen50
maj 13, 2019, 6:50 pm

Well, we are still waiting to hear what is going on with the car. They haven't phoned so I am not expecting to get it back today. We will give them a call around 4:00 and see what's happening and when we can expect to have the car back.

>232 VivienneR: Our warm weather has become a memory as it has been much cooler these last few days. At least it's not raining.

>233 rabbitprincess: I found this quite a different setting for Woolrich, but still a great, dark story. My copy is very tattered and torn book that I picked up in a bargin bin at the second hand store. I hope you are able to track down a copy.

>234 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. I hope her returning to Jackson Brodie means that there will be several more featuring him.

236DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: jun 15, 2019, 12:25 am

86. The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh - 3.5 ★
Category: Vintage Crime
May TIOLI #8: About a Nurse or Nursing




The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh is part of the Inspector Roderick Alleyn series and this one is an interesting whodunit where the murder occurs in an operating theatre. When Britain’s Home Secretary Derek O’Callaghan dies shortly after an emergency appendicitis operation, no-one suspects foul play at first. It is only after his wife insists that someone killed him that an autopsy is performed and indicates that the Home Secretary was poisoned by a high level of a drug that was used during the operation but supposedly in extremely slight amounts.

Chief Inspector Alleyn is called and finds that very nearly everyone in the operating room had a reason to kill O’Callaghan, one nurse was his ex-lover, the surgeon was in love with the nurse and furious with O’Callaghan for his casual use of her, the second nurse is a Communist sympathizer who believed O’Callaghan and his government was ruining the country. Also in consideration are his icy cold wife and his rather pushy, naive sister.

Lots of suspects, lots of red herrings to keep the reader guessing right up to the final reveal that occurs during a re-enactment of the operation. I enjoyed this mystery during the reading but I suspect it won’t long be remembered.

237DeltaQueen50
maj 14, 2019, 11:56 pm

I have my car back and will be leaving first thing in the morning for Vancouver Island. I will be gone for about 10 days and will have limited access to a computer but will try to check in now and again. Hope everyone has a great rest-of-May!

238VivienneR
maj 15, 2019, 12:41 am

Enjoy your trip to the island, Judy!

239MissWatson
maj 15, 2019, 3:37 am

Safe travels, Judy, and hopefully no more car problems!

240Jackie_K
maj 15, 2019, 4:38 am

Have a great trip!

241msf59
Redigerat: maj 15, 2019, 6:40 am

Hi, Judy. I hope you are having a good week. Buffalo Trail sounds good. DUH! I did not realize Guinn wrote fiction, as well as NF. How interesting. I may have to try this out.

Have a great trip, my friend.

242katiekrug
maj 15, 2019, 9:19 am

Enjoy your visit with your mom, Judy!

243thornton37814
maj 15, 2019, 10:08 am

>236 DeltaQueen50: I'm pretty sure I read that one years ago, but it must have been pre-LT.

244ronincats
maj 15, 2019, 10:19 pm

I haven't hosted a series or an author for a while. I'd like to do so this summer, during a month when the most interested folk have the time to do at least the targeted book, which is only 200 pp. long. I'd like to expose as many people as possible to the works of James H. Schmitz, a science fiction author who wrote from the late '40s through the 1970s. He is best known for The Witches of Karres, but imho has written much better works. Here is my bookshelf.


Many of his works, especially his shorter ones, were very hard to find for quite a while, but in 2000 and 2001, Baen published almost all of his oeuvre in a collection of 6 books, seen to the right of the shelf above. The book I would like to feature is Demon Breed, also found in the Baen collection The Hub: Dangerous Territory. Schmitz is known for his kick-ass female protagonists long before they became the current ubiquitous status quo in his stories about Telzey Amberdon, Trigger Argee, and the hero of Demon Breed, Nile Etland.

See my thread for more info if interested!

245BLBera
maj 16, 2019, 7:43 am

Enjoy your time with your mom, Judy.

246mstrust
maj 16, 2019, 12:12 pm

Have a great trip, Judy!

247ChelleBearss
maj 17, 2019, 10:38 am

Have a great trip!

248DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 19, 2019, 1:06 pm

Thanks to everyone for keeping my thread warm. i am having a good visit with my mom and the rest of the family. I haven't met the newest member, two week old Rory, but will do so tomorrow when we gather to celebrate my mom's 98th birthday. The weather is cool but not raining so I am enjoying it.

>238 VivienneR: >239 MissWatson: >240 Jackie_K: & >242 katiekrug: Thanks for the good wishes, on the trip over the ferry was very crowded, but that is to be expected leading up to the long weekend. The car is fixed enough to use, but they have ordered a new trunk latch so I am trying to avoid using the trunk as much as possible. have had no problems, but can't help feeling a littler nervous that my trunk my pop open while I am driving.

>241 msf59: Mark, I am really enjoying Jeff Guinn's western trilogy, the first book is called Glorious so if you are going to give them a try, that's the one to start with.

>243 thornton37814: Lori, I read somewhere that The Nursing Home Murder is her most popular. It's the 3rd book in the series and I actually skipped over the second book to read it for a challenge. It doesn't appear that this series needs to be read in order, however. I have a number of others of hers on my shelf so will be reading more by her.

>244 ronincats: Count me in, Roni. I will get caught up on the details when I get home next week. I haven't read this author before so I will be looking for your recommendations.

>245 BLBera: >246 mstrust: >247 ChelleBearss: Thanks I am having a great time, it's like going back in time, having my mom hovering over me, taking care that every wish is being taken care of!

249DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 23, 2019, 11:53 am

I have been reading but don't have time to do reviews so I will just list the books I have read:

87. Beartown by Fredrik Backman - 4.5 ★

88. My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran - 2.0 ★

Currently Reading

1. The Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

2. Oushata Massacre by Robert Vaughan

250RidgewayGirl
maj 19, 2019, 5:05 pm

Judy, how many generations will be present at your mother's birthday celebration?

251EBT1002
maj 20, 2019, 12:19 am

Happy 98th to your mom! My FIL just turned 97 earlier this month. So cool to see some of our beloved elders approaching that century mark.

252Familyhistorian
maj 20, 2019, 5:45 pm

I hope your mom has a happy 98th birthday and that you have a great visit, Judy.

253SouthernKiwi
maj 21, 2019, 4:54 am

Enjoy the family time Judy, 98 is a wonderful milestone!

254DeltaQueen50
maj 23, 2019, 11:48 am

>250 RidgewayGirl: We had four generations at my Mom's Birthday gathering and quite frankly I am in no hurry for a fifth generation as my grandchildren are the oldest so they would be the ones having babies and neither they, their mother or I are ready for that yet! We did range from my Mom's 98 years to a 2 week old baby which was nice.

>251 EBT1002: It is lovely that many of our elder citizens are living longer these days. My mom is a valuable and well loved member of my family and I especially enjoy seeing how much the grandchildren and great-grandchildren appreciate and revere her.

>252 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I am having a great visit and now that the weather has turned warm and sunny, it's even better. I am looking forward to reading about your trip when I get home next week.

>253 SouthernKiwi: Thanks, Alana.

255DeltaQueen50
maj 23, 2019, 11:53 am

I have finished a few more books:

89. The Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski - 4.0 ★
90. Oushata Massacre by Robert Vaughan - 3.2 ★
91. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence - 3.7 ★

Currently reading:

1. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
2. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

256clue
maj 23, 2019, 12:21 pm

Pollyanna is one of my childhood favorites, my mother read it to me when I was a preschooler and I still remember it. I learned important lessons from it, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Heidi as well as others.

257lkernagh
maj 24, 2019, 4:49 pm

Hi Judy, stopping by to get caught up. Ouch on the car damage and the added hassles with getting the trunk to open!

>218 DeltaQueen50: - Sorry to see The Ghost Bride was not as enjoyable a read for you as it was for me. It did shift into weirdness at times and as you mentioned, does have parts that are very slow moving.

Belated Happy Birthday wises for your mom! Here is hoping the weather is good for Swiftsure this weekend.

258DeltaQueen50
maj 25, 2019, 12:42 pm

>256 clue: Pollyanna was a reread of a childhood favorite for me as well. Although it is quite dated, it still remains a favorite.

>257 lkernagh: Hi Lori, it appears that the weather is really seesawing about and it has again turned cold and it looks like rain. I guess the worst thing for the sailors though is the fact that there doesn't seem to be much wind. I would love to see the wind pick up both for the Swiftsure and to blow all these clouds away and bring us some sunshine!

259DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 25, 2019, 12:51 pm

Another book completed:

92. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter - 3.6 ★

Currently Reading

1. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
2. The Last One by Alexandra Oliva

260DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 30, 2019, 6:39 pm

Completed Book:

93. House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - 4.2 ★

Currently Reading:

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side by Agatha Christie

261DeltaQueen50
Redigerat: maj 27, 2019, 6:00 pm

I am back home but feeling lazy, have decided that I won't write reviews for the books I read while away. I will start in again with the reviews with the next book that I complete.

I did pick up a few more books, mostly for the 1,001 List:

Foundation by Isaac Asimov
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

262Tess_W
maj 27, 2019, 10:41 pm

>261 DeltaQueen50: nice haul! I think you will like North and South.

263DeltaQueen50
maj 28, 2019, 3:15 pm

My new thread is up, please click on the link below to come visit.
Den här diskussionen fortsatte här: DeltaQueen's Random Miscellaneous Challenge - Part 4