Terri (tymfos) tries to take a bite from her TBR pile in 2021

Image found on Facebook Page of Southern Adirondack Library System -- I love their humor! — originally from NPR.

Welcome to my thread!

Did anyone have a good year in 2020? I'm sure hoping that 2021 will bring better days. I'm going to try to increase my reading and retrieve my sense of humor this year.

I'm Terri, a librarian in a small town in rural Pennsylvania. Back when I worked part-time, I never failed to read more than 75 books. These days, I'm not reading so much, but I hope I'll read more than I did the past two years.

Mysteries are my go-to items as "comfort food" for my brain. However, I read a wide variety of materials. I read regular books made out of paper, e-books, and audio books.

Currently reading:

Flying Blind: The 737 MAX tragedy and the fall of Boeing by Peter Robison
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
Purring in God’s Ears by W.L. Seaver
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou AUDIO and hard copy

Books completed in the FOURTH quarter of 2021

Books completed in DECEMBER
67. The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
66. Wishes by Muon Thi Van
65. Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds
64. Unraveled by Leanne Hatch
63. Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan
62.Moon Pops by Hui-na Paek
61. A Kid is a Kid is a Kid by Sara O'Leary
60. Little Bat in Night School by Brian Lies
59. Lost Things by Carey Sookocheff
58. Off Limits by Helen Yoon
57. Something Good by Marcy Campbell
56. Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall
55. Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty
54. Ghosthunting New Jersey by L'Aura Hladik (12-11-21)
53. The Mount Washington Transit Tunnel Disaster by Mary Jane Kuffner Hirt (12-8-21)
52. The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James AUDIO (12-4-21)

Books completed in NOVEMBER
51. No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson AUDIO (11-27-21)
50. 100 of the worst ideas in history by Michael Smith (11-27-21)
49. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor (11-16-2021)

Books completed in OCTOBER
48. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (10-27-2021)
47. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James AUDIO
46. Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson AUDIO

and then there were these YA and children's books I found myself reading recently for work:

45. Strange Planet: the Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature by Nathan W. Pyle
44. Maybe by Chris Haughton
43. Wounded Falcons by Jairo Buitrago
42. Faraway Things by Dave Eggers and Kelly Murphy
41. We All Play by Julie Flett
40. Not Little by Maya Myers & Hyewon Yum
39. Monet's Cat by Lily Murray & Becky Cameron

Books completed in the THIRD quarter of 2021

Books completed in SEPTEMBER

38. What I Am by Divya Srinivasan
37. Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima
36. Cow Says Meow by Kirsti Call
35. Poultrygeist
34. America is Under Attack by Don Brown
32. In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers by Don Brown
31. The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton (9-5-2021)

Books completed in AUGUST

30. The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue AUDIO (8-22-2021)
29. Playing With Fire by Peter Robinson (8-17-2021)
28. I have been buried under years of dust: A memoir of autism and hope by Valerie Gilpeer and Emily Grodin (8-12-2021)
27. A Grumpy Book by Grumpy Cat eBook (8-10-2021)

Books completed in JULY

26. Into the Raging Sea by Rachel Slade AUDIO (7-27-2021)
25. This book is not a safe space: The unintended harm of political correctness by Corinna Fales (7-25-2021)
24. The Getaway by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen AUDIO short (7-23-2021)
23. Fatal Forecast by Michael J. Tougias AUDIO (7-22-2021)
22. Weaponized LIES: How to Think Critically in the Post-Truth Era by Daniel Levitin AUDIO (7/20/2021)
21. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (7/6/2021)
20. Fatal Dive: Solving the World War II mystery of the USS Grunion by Peter F. Stevens AUDIO (7/5/2021)

Books completed in the SECOND quarter of 2021

Books completed in June

19. Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me: Depression in the First Person by Anna Mehler Paperny AUDIO (6-26-2021)
18. Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans by Don Brown GRAPHIC (6-11-2021)
17. Little Girls by Ronald Malfi (6-11-2021)
16. We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper AUDIO (6-9-2021)

Books Completed in May

15. Bad Call: A Summer Job on a New York Ambulance AUDIO (5-31-2021)
14. You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy AUDIO (5-29-2021)
13. Messy: the power of disorder to transform our lives by Tim Harford AUDIO (5/14/21)
12. They called Us Enemy by George Takei (5-5-21)

Books completed in April
Nothing to see here, folks. Move along!

Books completed in the FIRST quarter of 2021

Books completed in MARCH
11. One Night Two Souls Went Walking by Ellen
Cooney (3-16-2021)
10. The Silence: A Novel by Don DeLillo (3-4-2021)
9. The Bachelor's Cat by L.F. Hoffman (3-1-2021)

Books completed in FEBRUARY
8. Ghosts of Gettysburg IV by Mark Nesbitt (2-28-2021)
7. The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager (2-28-2021)
6. Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey ebook (2-13-2021)
5. A Better Man by Louise Penny AUDIO (2-12-2021)

Books completed in JANUARY
4. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor AUDIO (1-27-2021)
3. The Great Mortality by John Kelly AUDIO (1-21-2021)
2. The Decent Inn of Death by Rennie Airth (1-10-2021)
1. Maryland Legends by Trevor J. Blank & David Puglia (1-5-2021)

I think that's enough post space saved. Again, welcome!

And keep up with my friends here, Terri. Have a great 2021.

Happy reading in 2021, Terri!

Dropping a star, Terri. Hoping 2021 in kind to you.

Welcome back!

Happy New Thread, Terri. Happy New Year! Glad we are turning the page on that one.

Happy new year, Terri! Your topper is hilarious!

Best wishes for a better 2021!

Thank you and happy new year to you, Paul, Anita, Mamie, Jim, Mark, Carrie, and Diana!

>8 PaulCranswick: Paul, I hope we have more of all those things this year!

>13 cbl_tn: Carrie, that library system has some of the best humor on Facebook.

So I start this year with a dead computer — thank heavens for smart phones so I’m not totally cut off from cyberspace while at home!

>16 tymfos: I'm so sorry the year is getting off on the wrong foot for you. 2020 is trying its best to hang around.

Carrie, I refuse to be discouraged!

>16 tymfos: Oh, no! Somebody resend that memo to 2021!!

LOL, Linda!

Carrie’s thread reminded me of the end of year meme. It’s trickier from a phone — copying, editing, and checking my list of books read — but I’m giving it a try.

My books from 2020 don’t fit this too well. Thank heavens I added the picture books I read at work!

Describe yourself: Bold Spirit

Describe how you feel: Choosing Civility

Describe where you currently live: The Nightmare Room

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: A Private Cathedral

Your favorite form of transportation is: Ellie’s Dragon

Your favorite food is: Catch that Chicken! (Absolutely nothing I read really fits here.)

Your favorite time of day is: Midnight in Chernobyl

Your best friend is: Extraordinary Ordinary Ella

You and your friends are: Ghosts of the Jersey Shore

What’s the weather like: Storm Kings

You fear: Fever Year

What is the best advice you can give: Get Well Soon

Thought for the day: Butts are everywhere

What is life for you: I’m trying to love Math

How you would like to die: Grace will lead us home

Your soul’s present condition: Dark Shadows

What was 2020 like for you? A graveyard for lunatics

What do you want from 2021?
We will rock our classmates

Happy New Year Terri. I hope to see more of you this year

>20 tymfos: ROFL!! Your meme answer: "Thought for the day: Butts are everywhere"!!

Wishing you a brighter, better, bookier 2021.

>21 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie! The only resolutions I made for the new year are to spend more time with reading and LT.

>22 Berly: Hi, Kim! I intended to provide at least a few chuckles with that one!

>20 tymfos: Love your meme answers! I never would have managed it from my phone.

Hi Terri. I hope to be more active in 2021. I'm still sorting through Will's items. He passed away almost two years ago, and I am still giving things away. It is a sad process, but sometimes the items bring good memories as well.

I hope all is well with you and your family. How do you like working at a library?

Great meme answers! Enjoy your 2021 reading!

>24 cbl_tn: I didn’t think I’d manage with the phone, but I even managed to adjust the touchstones!

>25 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! That is a sad process. My father-in-law died this summer and I’m so sad we couldn’t travel to be with my MIL her first Christmas without him. But her age makes her COVID vulnerable, so best to be safe.

I’ve loved working at the library. My years as a library assistant at the circulation desk were definitely simpler, but I enjoyed the challenge of being a director, even while working towards my Master’s, until March of this year. Since having to deal with COVID issues, it’s not so enjoyable.

>26 thornton37814: Hi, Lori. Happy reading to you!

Happy New Year, Terri.

>29 BLBera: Happy New Year, Beth!

Happy new year, Terri. I'm hoping for a year with some normalcy and focus. Hope 2021 is a better one for all of us.

Hi, Lynda! Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading!

I’ve finished a book. For now, I’m mostly just listing books until I get my computer fixed.

Book #1
Maryland Legends by Trevor J. Blank & David J. Puglia (1-5-2021)

Morning, Terri! Happy Wednesday. And hooray for finishing your first book.

Thanks, Mamie.

The computer is in the shop. I hope they can fix it, and soon!

Today’s events in Washington are horrific. What has our nation come to?

Best wishes to you computer and you! I am still up watching TV (at 2am my time) on the Congressional verification of the vote and it is official...Biden is the President Elect!!!

Thanks for the good wishes, Kim! Not having my computer is a pain!

I hope things will be looking up now.

Book #1

Maryland Legends by Trevor J. Blank

A collection of folklore from Maryland (kind of self-explanatory, huh?).
Interesting.

Book #2

The Decent Inn of Death by Rennie Airth (1-10-2021)

This is the latest in Airth’s John Madden series, a series I really love.

Hi Terri, I hope that the rest of 2021 goes much better. How are you doing with retrieving your sense of humour? Is that what's getting you through without a computer?

Hi Terri!

>4 tymfos: I have that on a T-shirt!

>37 tymfos: A Decent Inn Of Death was one of my favorites in the series. I sure hope there are more coming!

>38 Familyhistorian: Meg, I have to laugh or I’d cry. Now I’m trying to work from HOME without a computer! My iPhone is getting quite a workout!

>39 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne! That was a fine one! I do hope he writes more!

I’m reading the 4th edition (copyright 2020) of After the People Vote A guide to the Electoral College. It was written, published, and ordered for our library prior to all the post-election mess this time around. Among other things, it studies various election controversies. He’s going to have to come up with a new edition for 2024.

Happy New Year, Terri!

The only highlight in 2020 for us was our second grandchild, Fina, was born in January. I have a feeling newborns will be the highlight for a lot of folks. I like your book meme description of 2020 as a "graveyard for lunatics".

Hi, Joe! Congrats on the grandchild! I note there has been a bit of a baby boom in our library district.

2020 was mostly awful. In a nearby town, the volunteer fire department went under as of the end of the year. The county newspaper found their last emergency response appropriate for the year and the circumstances -- it was a dumpster fire.

I've finally got my computer back from the shop -- repaired, settings adjusted, and with 4x the RAM it had before. My, it has so much more pep! The upgrade seems a great investment, given the heavier tasks I've been using it for since the pandemic started.

I've finished a book, an audio book, but it's a book.

Book #3

The Great Mortality by John Kelly AUDIO (1-21-2021)

In the midst of our pandemic, I decided to read about the granddaddy of all pandemics -- the Black Death of the Middle Ages, that wiped out somewhere around half the population of many areas it touched.

As I listened, I found my brain making strange connections between then and now. For instance, conspiracy theories flourished. People behaved in counterproductive ways. There were other things that struck me, but my retention of details isn't as good as it used to be. It was an interesting book. I could have been happy with few less details about rats and fleas . . . He spent a lot of time putting things in context, sometimes with details that caused me to lose the train of thought. It was important that he pointed out the persecution of the Jewish people during the plague (conspiracy theory was that they caused the plague!) but a history of anti-Semitism from the time of the Gospel accounts through Nazi Germany seemed a bit out of place -- that could be a book in and of itself.

All in all, as bad as 2020 was, it's definitely preferable to 1348!

>42 tymfos: All in all, as bad as 2020 was, it's definitely preferable to 1348!

We certainly lost fewer people percentage-wise than they did then.

Terri, I know full well the challenge of going back to college to obtain a master's degree. Good luck to you. I am routing for you!

Hi Terri, I've placed a star here so I can keep up to date.

>43 thornton37814: True, Lori.

>44 Whisper1: Well, Linda, it took me from the summer of 2017 to May of 2020 to finish the Masters. Here I had planned that things would be calmer once I graduated, and instead I wound up in the middle of a pandemic when I finished. No commencement. But so far, I've stayed healthy.

>45 lindapanzo: Good to see you here, Linda! I'm reading a disaster book about a subject that was totally unfamiliar with me. Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey, about a disaster in a ten-mile-long tunnel under the seabed going out into the Atlantic from Boston Harbor.

Book #4

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor AUDIO (1-27-2021)

This was a suspenseful read, with lots of twists and turns, and some creepiness. It alternates between 1986 and 2016.

>47 tymfos: I have had that on the stacks for a while but never got round to picking it up.

>48 PaulCranswick: When you're in the mood for something odd, suspenseful, with a really bizarre twist at the end, that's when it will be the perfect time to pick it up.

Oh, I'm way, way behind on threads again. But at least I'm doing some reading.

>50 tymfos: The threads are really hard to keep up with Terri so don't feel bad. I hope you are doing some good reading and enjoying having your computer back.

Thanks, Meg! I am.

Book #5

A Better Man by Louise Penny AUDIO (2-12-2021)

Gamache is back from his suspension, and demoted. He's being trashed on social media. His first day back, he's drawn into the case of a missing woman. I admit to getting a bit impatient about midway through this one. Overall, it was pretty good.

Book #6

Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey (2-13-2021)

This tells a true story I'd never heard about. Two divers were killed in a mishap in a ten-mile tunnel extending out to sea from Deer Island in Boston Harbor. It's a complex and fascinating look at an accident that never should have happened, the consequences for all involved, and the lessons to be learned from it.

>52 tymfos: I must give the Gamache series a try at some stage, Terri.

>53 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I'm not as totally enamored of the series as some readers are, but there is much that I enjoy about it.

Suspended reading:

After the People Vote: A guide to the Electoral College

I started reading this when things were contentious about the 2020 election, but before things really got out of hand. It's rather a slog reading, and rather discouraging reading all the possible permutations of how the process can work in certain situations. Frankly, I got stuck in my reading because I'm sick of anything related to the election. The book includes a section about disputed elections of the past. The copy I'm reading is the 4th edition. I see a 5th edition coming in the not-so-distant future ...

>52 tymfos: It's definitely not my favorite Gamache book!

>53 PaulCranswick: Yes, Paul, you must! Each installment builds on the previous.

>52 tymfos: This looks like a book I would enjoy. On to the tbr pile it goes. Congratulations on finishing your master's degree! What a wonderful accomplishment! Kudos to you!

>55 thornton37814: So it wasn't just me that got a bit impatient with that installment, Lori?

>56 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! Thanks for the congratulations.

I'm going nowhere fast with my reading. Don't know what ails me. February is almost over, and I've only finished six books so far this year.

Book #7

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Emma was at summer camp as a teen when her cabin-mates all vanished without a trace. Fifteen years later, she's been invited back to teach art by the wealthy camp owner when the camp is reopened after being closed for fifteen years -- despite having accused the camp owner's son of being responsible for the disappearances.

Camp Midnight is the subject of eerie legends, and tales related to the disappearance of the three girls has been added to the camp's lore. When Lake Midnight was formed by building of a dam flooding the valley, what was there to be covered by the waters? Were the missing girls victims of a curse, a criminal, or their own inability to find their way back to camp from the surrounding wilderness?

Wow. This may be one of the most twisty, page-turning novels I've read in a while. It took a bit of time to get into, and I put it down for a bit, but once I got into it, I was hooked. It is written in first-person POV -- first-person-past for the section 15 years ago, first-person-present for the present-day sections. Normally that might seem gimmicky. But it's done so skillfully that I really didn't notice it for quite a while.

What was more noticeable was a growing awareness that the narrator may be a little unreliable. Or is she? Why is the only security camera pointed at her cabin door? Is she paranoid, or is someone constantly watching her? And what is the secret she hides, even from the reader, as she returns to camp? This is a novel of questions, releasing answers quite slowly. And just when you think everything is settled, there is one more mind-numbing surprise.

Book #8

Ghosts of Gettysburg IV by Mark Nesbitt

Another collection of paranormal events in the Gettysburg area, with a strong dose of battlefield history. I enjoy the history and the accounts of strange goings-on. I'm less impressed with Nesbitt's attempts to explain various paranormal theories and investigative methods. Some of that sounds a little off the wall. More stories, please.

Book #9

The Bachelor's Cat by L.F. Hoffman
This sweet little book was just what I needed this evening. A struggling artist finds a kitten on his doorstep. He brings the tiny creature in out of the cold, planning to try to reunite her with her owner. (Does this sound familiar? Just how I met my Siegfried!) Well, any previous family doesn't materialize and the cat changes her new person's life for the better. (It's what cats do!)

>57 tymfos: No. I didn't hate the book, but it just didn't hit the 4.5 or 5.0 status some of the better installments did for me.

>60 thornton37814: Lori, I think I gave it a 3.5, which is solid but not great.

(((((((((Siegfried)))))))

So glad you found each other!

>62 mckait: So am I! Thanks, Kath!

Book #10

The Silence: A Novel by Don DeLillo

I purchased this short book (more a novella than a novel) for the library because a review made it sound like it had an intriguing premise, and I borrowed it for the same reason. At a year in the future, people are gathered to watch the Super Bowl, when suddenly all the screens go blank. No TV, no mobile phones. The technology quits. The power goes out. People have to actually talk to each other, rather than stare at their screens.

It's supposed to be profound. I thought it was awful. Who talks the way these people talk? I mean, the student sounds sort of like he might be on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum, maybe? (Having an adult son on the spectrum, we've had some conversations that are a little out of the ordinary, but not this bizarre.) Almost everyone in this story speaks strangely. The couple who live in the apartment. The woman processing people into the emergency room. The man on the airplane at the beginning of the story, reading all the information off the screen in front of him: airspeed, outside temperature, altitude, time to destination, over and over again. Really?

It had its moments. Once in a while a line would register and make me think. Mostly it seemed like nonsense. Not recommended.

Good news, bad news.

Good news: My son got a job! And he loves it!

Bad news: I am having eye/vision problems. I have an appointment for a checkup near the end of the month. I've been avoiding medical facilities as much as possible since Covid started, but our county case numbers are way down, and this blurry vision is worrying me. It also gets in the way of reading -- I can read OK, but I keep noticing the blurry area and worrying about it.

>64 tymfos: I don't think that I have read anything by DeLillo that grabbed me in a good way.

>65 tymfos: Please don't take any risks, Terri, with the precious gift of vision. Go and get yourself checked out quickly and properly.

Congrats to your son!

Agreed! Your eyes are beyond value - I hope things turn out fine!

>64 tymfos: The only DeLillo I've read is Libra, and I thought it was brilliant...although I didn't love it for mainly personal reasons not bearing on the author's efforts. I saw what he was doing, and applauded it. I have hesitated to read any of his other books (I have two of them on the shelf), and I'm not sure why.

Congratulations to your son....hope the job suits him perfectly.

Good luck with the vision issues. Understandable reluctance to go into medical facilities, but they are probably some of the safest places to visit, especially those not actually treating sick people.

>66 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. We have a doctor shortage in our region, so one takes what one can get for appointments, unless it's an emergency -- and I wasn't favorably impressed the one trip I had to make to the ER years ago. I do like my eye doctor, and I think I'll be OK waiting for the appointment I could get.

>67 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. I think the eyes will be OK, overall. I'm adding more proper lighting when I read, and trying to lessen screen time a bit, and using the drops my doctor recommended for dry eye. That all seems to help. I also know my glasses need straightening, and with bifocals that is a bigger deal than when I had a simple prescription.

>68 laytonwoman3rd: I haven't read Libra, so no idea how it compares to what DeLillo did in this one. I loved what one LT reviewer, aquabob, wrote about The Silence: "Writing "cryptocurrencies" repeatedly does not a literary novel make." LOL!

My son still loves his job.

The local vision practice is located in the local Rural Health Clinic. I have to walk through the waiting room of the family practice that treats sick people to get to the eye doctor's intake area. Brief exposure, probably not an issue, I'm just squeamish about it. I need to remember, the family practice is doing a lot of telehealth these days, spacing appointments that require on-site presence, and not allowing guests to accompany patients inside the building unless absolutely necessary, so there are not a lot of people in their waiting room at any one time. Everyone is wearing masks, there's the usual hand sanitizer everywhere, and it's a reasonably new building that should have proper ventilation/air filtration.

We're starting to have more local people receiving their vaccine doses, so that's a good thing.

>69 tymfos: I am pleased that you have a doctor you have some confidence in.

>70 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul.

Book #11

One Night Two Souls Went Walking by Ellen Cooney

This was an impulse buy for our library -- I read a review somewhere, not here -- and an impulse read for me after a friend read it.

The story is told from the POV of a hospital chaplain, an Episcopal priest who is quite likeable and not at all dogmatic. She is a dog lover. She misses the deceased hospital therapy dog, and even believes she sees his spirit by the tree where his ashes were buried. And she makes friends with the new therapy dog. By night's end, they will share an adventure!

We walk with her through a night shift at the hospital, encountering many and varied people and situations, and sharing her thoughts on life during the quiet times.

She is pondering what to do about a long-distance relationship with a former lover who is overseas studying near-death, out-of-body experiences with a neurologist, when she encounters a man who claimed to have had one -- floating through the hospital when something went wrong during a surgery. She approaches the claim with skepticism.

This is a delightful, thoughtful book that I enjoyed very much.

I had my eye doctor appointment earlier this week. My eyes are healthy. I'm just experiencing normal ageing, and need a slight adjustment of my prescription. I should use my drops for dry eye more often, too.

My reading has slowed down again. I need to jump-start it again.

Best wishes to everyone for Easter, Passover, or whatever you may be celebrating this Spring!

I've been absent from LT for a month, during which I eventually abandoned the books I was reading. I really need to just do that when I get stalled, so my reading doesn't come to a screeching halt when a book bores me or is wrong for my mood.

Now, this one I read in one sitting:

Book #12

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

In this graphic nonfiction volume, we have the story of how George Takei (of Star Trek fame) and his family were imprisoned in the internment camps for Japanese-Americans during World War II, when he was a child. As I read, I alternated between outrage at the overtly racist nature of the internment -- all that garbage that claimed the Japanese were "inscrutable" and as a race couldn't be trusted -- and my admiration for the Takei family.

How could this happen in America?

I found the telling just a little bit disjointed as it moved between what happened in the 1940's and Takei later recounting the events. But I think those changes of perspective were necessary so that the adult Takei could reflect on what he experienced as a child. One thing that was really touching was how George Takei discussed how his perspective as a child when they were taken prisoner affected how he perceived, reacted to, and later remembered events during their time in the camps.

This book should be required reading for every high school student in the U.S. Seriously!

Book #13

Messy: The power of disorder to transform our lives AUDIO (5-14-21)

This book was rather comforting. It was definitely interesting.

After the past two years, if disorder has the power to transform our lives, a metamorphosis should be in my near future! :)

Book #14

You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy AUDIO (5-29-2021)

Murphy reflects on how rarely people really listen to one another, and the cost of this lack of listening in terms of personal and business relationships, as well as the societal costs. What does it mean to really listen? Why bother? This was a very interesting book.

This was read by the author. My frequent multitasking as I listened to this book confirmed a lot of what the author said. She even mentioned that studies show people usually do something else while listening to audio books, and pointed to that fact as bolstering her argument about people not paying full attention to what's being said.

Book #15

Bad Call: A Summer Job on a New York Ambulance by Mike Scardino AUDIO (5-31-2021)

This memoir is written from a first-person-present-tense viewpoint, as though it's Scardino's journal from the Vietname War era, when he was a pre-med student at Vanderbilt, but working summers and Christmas breaks on the ambulance back home in New York. (He continued after graduation until his basic training as a National Guardsman began.) Agreeing with one reviewer, I'd be very surprised if these were his actual journal entries at the time, unless they were seriously edited -- it's hard to imagine the youth he describes writing all this and only this.

This was fascinating, grisly, humorous, and gut-wrenching by turns. Frankly, some of the situations he described seemed a little hard to believe in all their details, but then I'm not a doctor or a pre-med student, and don't even play one on TV, nor have I ever worked on an ambulance as Scardino did.

Perhaps most amazing were some statements about how the job was being done back then. Ambulance crews didn't wear, or even have access to, medical gloves unless they were on a maternity call. "Crib death" (sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS) was a total mystery with no sense of how to prevent it. (Now that I actually remember.)

I'm not sure why I read this, other than I was looking for a nonfiction audiobook and it was available. It left me with a very unsettled feeling -- perhaps a hint of what the author felt when he finished with his time on the ambulance job.

Last Thursday was my 12th Thingaversary. I haven't really decided on any celebratory books yet.

I just finished an audiobook!

Book #16

We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper AUDIO (6-10-2021)

In January of 1969, a student of archaeology was murdered in her Harvard-owned apartment. Hearing about the murder years later from fellow students, Becky Cooper became fascinated, then obsessed with investigating the unsolved crime.

I'll write more about this when it's not 1:30 in the morning!

ETA to add: I still have mixed feelings about this book. It was the story of a cold case crime, but it was also the story of the author's obsession with that crime. It's also a cautionary tale about how stories can take on a life of their own, whether they are true or not. The murder really happened, but much of the story that came to surround it was myth.

I found the story interesting, but was not totally comfortable with the author's obsession and those parts of the story which focused on her inner thoughts.

Book #17

Little Girls by Ronald Malfi eBook (6-11-2021)

When Laurie's long-estranged father dies, she, her husband Ted, and daughter Susan go to deal with the house in Maryland that they have inherited. It’s not long before Laurie senses a strangeness about the house. It’s more than just the nailed-shut windows, empty picture frame on the wall, or holes her dementia-plagued father had punched in the walls. There is something eerie about the girl next door, who looks so much like a girl who died long ago.

This was a mostly subtle horror novel with a lot of atmosphere.

Book #18

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans Graphic (6-11-2021)

The title explains what this is about. The text is terse. The illustrations are haunting. There are source notes and a bibliography. A sad tale well told.

Book #19

Hello I want to die please fix me: depression in the first person by Anna Mehler Paperny AUDIO (6-26-2021)

This is more than the memoir of a woman with severe clinical depression and suicidal ideation. The author is an award-winning investigative reporter with Reuters Toronto news bureau. She made a decision to to investigate the malady which afflicts her -- the history of how society has viewed mental illness, how it has been treated, the current state (or lack) of research into better treatments, and the general way that mental health issues have been handled (badly) by our society.

Her unflinching account of her struggles, combined with her journalist's view of the issues, makes for a compelling read. I listened to the audio, which was very well done.

I must admit, I Googled the author when I finished the book. What she wrote made me care about how she was doing. I wanted to make sure she was still battling on. She is alive and currently covering the sad story of the unmarked graves found at the former locations of Canadian indigenous children's schools for Reuters.

Book #20.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (7/6/2021)

An author who was a "one-hit wonder" grudgingly teaches a seminar every summer at a small New England college. There he meets a cocky student who shows him a plot that seems pure genius. Several years later, when he learns the student is dead, he decides to use the plot (with his own words, names changed, etc.) and scores a runaway bestseller. But soon he finds that SOMEBODY KNOWS. He's terrified of being found out.

I actually figured out part of the surprise, but not all of it. This was an entertaining read.

Book #21.

Fatal Dive: Solving the World War II mystery of the USS Grunion by Peter F. Stevens AUDIO (7/5/2021)

The experts said it would not be found, but they were wrong. Peter F. Stevens managed to put together an expedition to find the spot in the Bering Sea where his father's sub was sunk during WWII, and find evidence of why it sank. But there is more to this story. This is also the story of the men on the crew, and the families they left behind.

Hi Terri. I hope you, and Sig are fine. Does he still have a penchant for jumping and finding high places?

Hi, Linda! Yes, Sig still likes being up high. He still jumps up on top of the front door and he likes to jump up on top of the China cabinet via a cat tree next to it. I think he enjoys looking down on us!

Book #22

Weaponized Lies: How to think critically in the Post-Truth Era by Daniel Levitin AUDIO (7/20/21)

This book gets a bit too technical for me to totally follow -- at least in the audio version I listened to -- but the author demonstrates the many ways truth can be distorted or even obliterated altogether via clever misuse of statistics and graphics and facts used out of context. Sometimes this happens because people don't know how to use statistics or misunderstand facts; sometimes there is deliberate intent. He offers ways to critically analyze information you encounter.

Book #23
Fatal Forecast by Michael J. Tougias AUDIO (7-22-2021


In November of 1980, a powerful storm surprised fishermen on St. George's Bank in the North Atlantic, and kept Coast Guard rescuers extremely busy. Given modern forecasting, it's hard to believe that as recently as 1980, such a powerful storm could surprise everyone -- including the weather forecasters -- but at that time, lack of two weather buoys of the US East Coast -- one out for repair, and one malfunctioning -- and sparse ocean traffic in the area left forecasters clueless as to what was going on in that area of the ocean.

This book focuses mostly on two fishing vessels and their crews. I listened to the audio recording, and was up past one in the morning two nights in a row having difficulty putting it down and going to bed. That second night, I absolutely HAD to finish it.

Book #24
The Getaway by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen AUDIO short (7-23-2021)


Chloe heads off for a weekend yoga retreat at what promises to be a secluded and luxurious hideaway. However, Lakewood is not what she expected, nor is Sebastian (her host for the event) what she expected -- not at all.

OK, this Audible Original audiobook should hardly count as a book, as it's really more of a novella, or even a short story. But it kept me in some suspense for a couple of hours.

I finally seem to be reading a bit more. I've finished five books so far this month -- the most in any month this year -- and I'm sure I'll finish one that I'm reading, and maybe the audio book I'm listening to, before the month is done.

I have some time off next month and I don't intend to spend it all cleaning house (though I probably should). I'm planning to read a lot. We'll see if I stick with the plan!

Book #25

This Book is NOT a Safe Space: the unintended harm of political correctness by Corinna Fales (7-25-2021)

I was intrigued to read a book by a fellow liberal speaking out against “political correctness.” While I don’t necessarily agree with every single thing she wrote, she made many very good points.

Book #26

Into the Raging Sea by Rachel Slade AUDIO (7-27-2021)

This is the story of the sinking of the container ship El Faro during a hurricane: All the dialog in the book from the ship’s final hours is taken from transcripts of the actual voice recorder on the bridge. It’s a very well-written book for the most part.

Book #27

A Grumpy Book by Grumpy Cat eBook (8-10-2021)

OK, this is pretty lightweight to be counting as a book read, but I read it and it was fun in its snarky way. It's very light on text, with lots of grumpy pictures and grumpy puzzles (with grumpy solutions) and overall first-class grumpiness.

One thing it did, it awakened my inner grump enough for me to abandon two books I started that I just wasn't enjoying.

Abandoned

By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates.

It's hard to believe I wouldn't love a Lighthouse Library Mystery. However, the author honestly points out in her foreword that the very real lighthouse in which it's set doesn't have a library, or room for half the things she put in the lighthouse in the book. She appealed to it having room for imagination, but my brain is apparently not imaginative enough to make room for all those fictitious trappings, given all that I know about lighthouses.

Cold Mourning by Brenda Chapman AUDIO

I was attracted to reading a book about a female Canadian police officer who had been through the country's awful effort to "assimilate" indigenous children into "mainstream" Canadian culture. Of course, I've seen the stories about mass graves found at the sites of institutions for indigenous children, and read accounts of the experiences suffered in those places. The people who took those children from their families considered themselves "civilized" and the indigenous people "savages." Seems to me it was the other way around, more or less.

It's an issue I feel strongly about. However, about a quarter of the way into this book, I didn't feel particularly enlightened about the protagonist, and the book still hadn't pulled me into its story. I didn't particularly like the narrator who did the audiobook. Enough said.

Nothing wrong with a little lightweight every now and then.

>89 drneutron: Hi, Jim! We all need a little light reading now and then.

Book #28

I have been buried under years of dust: A memoir of autism and hope by Valerie Gilpeer and Emily Grodin

Now, this wasn't lightweight reading. Valerie and her husband Tom are the parents of Emily Grodin. Both lawyers, they were stunned to find that their daughter had autism. Emily was almost totally nonverbal despite years of different therapies, communicating in single words, unable to express herself, which was incredibly frustrating for everyone. She had a breakthrough as a young adult, using FC -- Facilitated Communication.

FC, in which a person who cannot speak communicates by typing, supported by a facilitator, is viewed with great skepticism by many professionals. Cases have been documented where the facilitator was actually guiding the hand of the person who was supposedly communicating. There was also a famous scandal involving sexual abuse by a facilitator. However, a number of respected universities are still studying it.

Emily and her family indicate that the facilitator only touches her sleeve and gives verbal encouragement. They have been monitored by enough professionals -- from a neurologist to college exam proctors -- who vouch for the fact that the facilitator is not in any way guiding Emily's typing. Emily seems to have extreme difficulty initiating activities, including communication. The contact with a facilitator seems to steady and encourage her.

When Emily finally had her breakthrough, the typing was very taxing, but the thoughts she expressed were impressive. It's clear that, all along, she had been absorbing the mainstream classes that her parents had fought to get her into, and the hundreds of books her parents had read to her over her lifetime.

There are some things about the pre-breakthrough time I'd like to know more about. It talked about her doing math homework. How did she answer? She wasn't typing yet. Could she write? Apparently numbers at least, but somehow that didn't transfer into being able to write as communication.

The brain is a marvelous, mysterious, complex thing.

This really was a fascinating book, written partly by Valerie, the mother, and partly by Emily. The publisher indicates that Emily's words are unedited first drafts. It concludes with a short collection of Emily's poetry.

>90 tymfos: Interesting title on that one. It is an apt description for many library books.

>91 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! Yes, you could say that about many books. However, it's actually one of the early sentences that Emily typed expressing how she felt about the time she couldn't communicate. People on the autism spectrum are often very literal, but Emily seems to have a firm command of figurative language.

OK, I've added a ticker near the top of my thread, in a minor effort to motivate me to read more. I just don't know why I've been in such a reading funk for so long. I mean, it was understandable when I was juggling work and school, but a year after completing the degree, I'm not back anywhere close to my normal reading habits.

COVID has messed with my mojo in so many ways. It has totally altered the kinds of books I am up for reading and often I am even drawn to reading in the first place. That may not be your reason....but I hope we find our way back soon!!

>94 Berly: Kim, early in the pandemic when we were in lockdown, I was doing a number of books and audio books about disasters -- Midnight in Chernobyl, The Only Plane in the Sky, Flight 232 -- and about plagues and pandemics of the past. Yes, COVID has been very unsettling in many ways, including an impact on my inclination to read.

And, yes, I hope we find our way back soon!

My reading is more skewed to the cozy side of things than it already was prior to the pandemic. I find that when I need a little depth, I can only make it through about one. I'm reading some heavier stuff non-fiction wise, but it isn't all being recorded because some are articles or just portions of books--and those aren't being counted this year except on a separate log if they fit professional development criteria for Association of Professional Genealogists.

>96 thornton37814: I’m finding that the light and cozy stuff doesn’t seem to hold my attention at all, even seems to annoy me. (The Grumpy Cat one being an exception!) Isn’t it interesting the different ways we all react?

>97 tymfos: It really is. I think earlier in the pandemic, I was more averse to cozy--or maybe I was just reading the wrong ones. I remember really enjoying things with more substance then. As the stress levels increase, I want "brain candy" more.

It looks like your reading is picking up, Terri. I hope that you are finding more books that fit into your reading preferences now.

I just finished We Keep the Dead Close too and I'm not sure at this point how I feel about the book.

>98 thornton37814: Lori, I think maybe I want books I can get lost in, and the cozies don’t do that for me.

>99 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! I’m finally getting some time off from work, and trying to use it to jumpstart my reading. For the first time in a long time; I have multiple books I’m reading (paper, ebook, audio) that I’m actually enjoying.

We Keep the Dead Close was an odd one. I’m still not sure what I think of it.

Book #29

Playing With Fire by Peter Robinson (8-17-2021)

It was about time I got back to the Inspector Banks series. This one dealt with arson and murder.

Book #30

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue AUDIO (8-22-2021)

Wow, I listened to this one, and the audio was superbly done.

This takes place in a small, makeshift maternity ward in Dublin, 1918, for mothers-to-be who are infected with the dreaded 1918 influenza. The protagonist is the nurse Julia, who finds herself in charge of that ward for several days, while being assisted by a young volunteer named Bridie. There are graphic descriptions of both childbirth and the influenza. The story touches on the toll of the world war (Julia’s brother is a veteran who is mute as a result of war trauma), the high rate of infant mortality in Ireland of the day, the infamous mother-and-baby homes operated by the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, and general attitudes toward both unwed mothers and their children, as well as "The Troubles" and the IRA.

The author was inspired by the 2018 centennial observance of that pandemic, and the book was delivered to the publisher just as the Covid-19 pandemic sent much of our country into lockdown in March of 2020. One can't help but see parallels in the overburdened state of hospitals, disagreements over masks, government attempts to minimize the pandemic to bolster morale, and misinformation about what might help fight the illness. It's noted that the 1918 influenza caused mothers to deliver prematurely and thus contributed to an already high infant mortality rate. It's interesting that I just read results of a study indicating that Covid-19 has much the same impact on many expectant mothers who contract it, greatly increasing the risk of death to their unborn children. I have to say, that just fuels more frustration in me toward those who fight public health Covid-19 precautions yet have the nerve to call themselves pro-life.

Happy Sunday, Terri! Just checking in, after a very long absence. I hope you and the family are doing well and I hope those books are treating you fine.

>103 msf59: Hi, Mark! Thanks for stopping by. All is well here. Wishing you a great week!

Hi Terri!

>85 tymfos: I'm going to have to look for Fatal Forecast. It's the kind of book my husband would like. I really liked Into the Raging Sea. I thought it was very well done.

>101 tymfos: I need to get back to the Banks books, too. I've only read the first couple in the series.

Hi, Joanne! Thanks for stopping by!

I need to abandon a book or two that I’ve started. The audio of The Third Rainbow Girl isn’t working for me. The author is the narrator, and she shouldn’t be.

I think I’m going to drop the other audio I checked out that I forgot was waiting on my virtual bookshelf when I checked out the Rainbow Girl book. ruin Falls by Jenny Milchman isn’t catching my interest.

I accidentally checked out the audio of The Devil and the Dark Water thinking I was checking the ebook out again. I just wasn’t paying attention. I’m going to concentrate on that audio to finish that novel.

Book #31

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton (9-5-2021)

This is another of those books where I'm not sure exactly what I think of it. It's very original, complex, absorbing, but in the end it feels too convoluted.

I'm disappointed that I only finished 4 books in August, despite vacation days. Part of the problem is my moodiness -- starting books, spending time with them, and then abandoning them as I find they aren't appealing to me.

Yet another audio book I've started has me wanting to abandon it because an author narrated the audio, and probably should have left narrating to the professionals. The book 9/12: the epic battle of the ground zero responders seemed like a good choice for my annual 9/11 anniversary reading. However, the co-author's narration is not that great. I actually fell asleep trying to listen to it.

I MUST LEARN TO RUTHLESSLY ABANDON BOOKS WHEN I DON’T LIKE THEM!!!!!!! Or even when I'm just not in the mood for them.

I feel like I do it too often, but it’s stupid to let my reading stall because I don’t want to read what I’ve started.

As I sat looking through the latest Junior Library Guild box, reading many of the picture books and some of the graphic novels in their entirety, I asked myself why I haven't been adding any of my "at work" reading to my LT totals. Yes, they are typically quick reads, but some of them are more worthwhile than the "grown-up" books I read.

Last year I added a bunch of my children's library books to my log toward the end of the year. I don't know why I didn't continue doing so.

So here are some from September:

Books #32-38



In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers by Don Brown and America is Under Attack by Don Brown
I love how Don Brown brings history to life with his illustrations. "America is Under Attack" was published in 2011 for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It's simple, clear, profound text with Brown's illustrations. "In the shadow of the fallen towers" was published this year for the 20th anniversary commemoration. This one is in the graphic novel format I've grown to appreciate from Brown's books about the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, Hurricane Katrina, and the Dust Bowl.

Branches of Hope: the 9/11 Survivor Tree by Ann Magee -- beautifully-illustrated story of a tiny tree found among the wreckage of the twin towers, moved and nurtured, and then moved back to be planted at the Ground Zero memorial.
What I Am by Divya Srinivasan -- is a lovely book about being yourself
Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima -- An empty, creepy-looking house is lonely
Cow Says Meow by Kirsti Call -- Fun and silliness with animal sounds
Poultrygeist by Eric Geron -- When the chicken crossed the road without looking first, he wound up on "the other side."

More books for the young and young at heart:

Books 39-45



Strange Planet: the Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature by Nathan W. Pyle -- What would an alien think of a cat? This is my new favorite funny children's book!
Maybe by Chris Haughton
Wounded Falcons by Jairo Buitrago
Faraway Things by Dave Eggers and Kelly Murphy
We All Play by Julie Flett
Not Little by Maya Myers & Hyewon Yum
Monet's Cat by Lily Murray & Becky Cameron

Book #46

Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson

I love the Longmire books, and especially love the audio narrations by George Guidall. This one, at least as a new release, was only available through Audible, to Audible members. I wanted it enough that I played into their hands and signed up again (but a subscription that can be cancelled at any time).

So, anyway, this audiobook is why I was up until 3:30 in the morning Friday night/Saturday morning. Of course, the problem with listening to a book that late into the wee hours, at least for an oldster like me, is that material retention is compromised. So I can't tell you all the details and the hows and whys (I wouldn't anyway, to spoil your read!) but I can say I enjoyed it immensely.

You should definitely add those children's & YA books. I always add mine. I still read mostly adult works, but I do enjoy the others.

Hi Terri. My grand daughter and son in law recently took away an old book case and replaced in with a new one. I am gradually placing all my YA books there. Alas, there isn't a lot of room..

Regarding adding the A and children's books, I always do. I find such joy when reading them, especially the Newberry and Caldecott winners.

Hi, Lori and Linda! I'll definitely include more of the books I read for children and youth.

Book #47

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James AUDIO (10-11-2021)

It's October, and my thoughts have turned to All Hallows Eve, and books about things that go bump in the night. I wanted something creepy to listen to. This was just the ticket: a book about a creepy, haunted motel in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York, in an area where there are more murdered and missing women per capita than there should be.

In 1982, the night clerk at the motel disappeared. Decades later, her niece decides to travel to the area and look into the family mystery.

>114 tymfos: I’ve been curious about that one and have thought about giving it a try. Glad to see you liked it.

>108 tymfos: I’m all for that!

>115 Copperskye: Joanne, it's definitely not the most plausible story, but that's true of most horror stories. It's not great literature, but it was what I was in the mood for, and I got hooked into the story.

>116 tymfos: Yes, there always needs to be some suspension of reality in a horror story. But I suppose that’s a good thing! :)

>114 tymfos: Like Joanne, I've been curious about this one, but I've seen enough negative comments about it to put it off. I'll have to see what it's availability is when I finish the current read. I've been reading a lot of the fiction in print lately just to give myself a break from the computer. It means more frequent trips to the library than when I use their ebook collection, but it's been nice to curl up with a print book and cats.

>117 Copperskye: These days reality feels somewhat like a horror story, and not one I particularly like.

>118 thornton37814: Lori, this doesn’t strike me as one that you would like.

Not even trying to catch up, Terri, just saying "Hi" as I go through the threads.

>119 tymfos: Good to know. I've been wise to put it off. I doubt I'll ever get around to it. Too many other things to grab my attention.

>120 alcottacre: "Hi" right back at ya, Stasia!

>121 thornton37814: Yes!

Book #48

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (10-27-2021)

I think enough has been written about Owens' impressive debut novel that I don't need to say much here. Beautiful writing. I enjoyed it, was drawn in by it, but for me the final twist requires a suspension of disbelief. Enough said.

>123 tymfos: I have had that one in the BlackHole for a while now. One of these days I will actually get around to reading it.

Happy Sunday, Terri!

>124 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! There are so many books I want to get around to, and I don't seem to do very well getting around to them! Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Book #49

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor (mostly via audio)

This memoir by the Supreme Court Justice covers the part of her life up to the point where she first became a judge. I really enjoyed this book.

A Thanksgiving to Friends (Lighting the Way)

In difficult times
a friend is there to light the way
to lighten the load,
to show the path,
to smooth the road

At the darkest hour
a friend, with a word of truth
points to light
and the encroaching dawn
is in the plainest sight.

Terri, to a friend in books and more this Thanksgiving

Terri--I wish you (and yours) happiness and health on this day of Thanksgiving. And cookies. And books. : )

>127 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Best wishes to you!

>128 Berly: Thanks, Kim. Hope your Thanksgiving was happy!

Our library is closed until Monday, so I’m relaxing and trying to enjoy some BOOKS!

>126 tymfos: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Terri.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

>130 alcottacre: I think you will like that one. Hope your Thanksgiving was great!

Book #50

100 of the worst ideas in history by Michael Smith e-book (11-27-21)

Mildly entertaining.

Book #51

No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson AUDIO (11-27-21)

Author Erik Larson’s first published fiction work, this was only released on audio. This is an historical fiction ghost story.

>132 tymfos: The Erik Larson book sounds interesting, Terri, too bad it's only on audio. You've reminded me I let the Alan Banks series drop somewhere along the way.

>133 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! Apparently the format choice was a way to help distinguish it from his nonfiction. And he has a fondness for ghost stories read out loud. The story harkened back to William James and the early days of the Psychical Research Society. A group led by James, doing a study of a remote island estate. Erik Larson includes an author's afterword to help make clear what details and characters were historical and what was fiction.

I've let so many series drop since I went to work full-time and did graduate school, and then the pandemic. It's distressing.

Book # 52

The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James AUDIO (12-4-21)

Ok, this one is Gothic with a capital G. Isolated neo-Gothic manor house atop a seaside cliff (cue the Dark Shadows theme music); naive governess; precocious boy and girl twins, brooding widower captain, previous governess met a dubious end, painting whose human subject moves, an eerie mirror with a past, and madness. That’s the 1947 storyline. Then there is the present-day storyline, the adoptee looking for her roots, which may be in that house.

Melodrama galore, bur I enjoyed it. The audiobook use of two narrators for the two storylines worked well.

>135 tymfos: I'm pretty sure that one is already on my to be read list, but I'm going to have to read it now--although I really HATE these two time period books. They are completely ruining fiction with it.

>136 thornton37814: Lori, I think you already read it. There is a 4-star review posted under your LT username. It was one of the deciding factors that helped me decide to read it. And you did comment on the two time periods.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't keep track of what I have and haven't read without consulting my LT list!

>137 tymfos: Okay. I'm glad I don't have to read that one again. I was thinking it was on our lease books and that I could pick it up from there. Looks like I did get to it.

Book #53

The Mount Washington Transit Tunnel Disaster by Mary Jane Kuffner Hirt (12-8-2021)

I encountered this History Press eBook in Hoopla. I'd never heard of this 1917 Pittsburgh tragedy -- the worst transit accident in Pittsburgh history, with over 20 dead and over 80 injured, all on a Christmas Even afternoon. It gives background about the Pittsburgh transit system at the time, details of the violent crash, and an accounting of the legal and political fallout that followed. There are also photos of the location and of the wreckage. It ends with a listing of the victims, rescuers, and caregivers.

Some of the detail about the legal wrangling was slightly tedious, but overall it was an interesting and well-researched account of a disaster that seems to not be very well remembered.

Book #54

Ghosthunting New Jersey by L’Aura Hladik (12-11-2021)

This is part of Clerisy Press's "America's Haunted Road Trip" series. The author is a ghost hunter, founder of the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society (NJGHS). This group's protocols use "scientific" methods to document activity, such as EMF meters, audio recorders, and cameras. Psychics and seances are NOT part of their protocols, and the author is adamantly opposed to use of Ouija boards.

The book is divided by North, Central, and Southern New Jersey. I was disappointed that there were only 2 locations covered in southern New Jersey, but I'm sure that's a product of the part of the state where the author primarily lives and works, closer to New York. She introduces each site, some of its history and legend, includes some accounts by witnesses, and details whatever experience she encountered in her investigation. She pokes holes in a number of legends not supported by the actual historical research.

Some stories are more interesting than others. If nothing else, there is a lot of New Jersey geography and history covered in this slim volume.

>134 tymfos: Too bad about the choice to only go audio with that one. Obviously whoever was doing the marketing doesn't get how that would limit the "readership".

>140 Familyhistorian: "Whoever was doing the marketing..." As I understand from Larson's forward and articles I've read, that was Larson's idea to do it only on audio when that became an option. Prior to that, he hadn't planned to publish the story at all -- he wrote it just for his own enjoyment, and he's committed to having his regular books be only nonfiction. He didn't want the books/genres confused, especially since this story used elements of real history to tell a fictional story.

I understand this, because (working the opposite way) another author who otherwise writes historical fiction wrote a carefully researched, truly nonfiction book about an event in our region's history -- and in many places online (e.g. Amazon & Goodreads), it is lumped in with her other works as being historical fiction.

Larson's nonfiction is better than this story. Best to keep them distinct from each other.

>141 tymfos: Oh, I guess that makes sense then sort of.

>141 tymfos: Meg, it can be confusing, especially to the casual reading public, when an author strongly identified with one genre does something totally different. (Hence so many writing under pen names when they write something out of character.) I myself had a student turn down a nonfiction library book that would have been perfectly suited to his research paper because it was by an author better known for suspense fiction. He would not accept that the particular author might be a competent researcher/writer of nonfiction, even in the realm of writing about a real-life criminal case.

More picture books I enjoyed at work.

55. Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty
56. Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall
57. Something Good by Marcy Campbell
58. Off Limits by Helen Yoon
59. Lost Things by Carey Sookocheff

>139 tymfos: The Mount Washington Transit Tunnel Disaster sounds like it's right up my alley. I'll add it to my wishlist.

Merry Christmas, Terri, to you and your family.

Have a lovely holiday, Terri.

These were our family ornaments this year and, despite COVID, a merry time was had by all. I hope the same is true for your holiday and here's to next year!!

>145 lindapanzo: Linda, I think you'd find it interesting. BTW, when I got my newsletter from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, it featured an article about how the author had researched that book at the library! It was neat, since I had just read it.

>145 lindapanzo:, >146 PaulCranswick:, >147 Berly: Happy Holidays, Linda, Paul, and Kim!

I hope you had a Merry Christmas, Terri, and I wish you a wonderful New Year!

Hope your Christmas was a happy one, Terri! All the best for the New Year.

>149 alcottacre:, >150 Familyhistorian: Thanks Stasia and Meg!

More picture book adventures at work, books 60-66

Wishes by Muon Thi Van
Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds
Unraveled by Leanne Hatch
Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan
Moon Pops by Hui-na Paek
A Kid is a Kid is a Kid by Sara O'Leary
Little Bat in Night School by Brian Lies

>152 tymfos: The artwork for wishes is gorgeous!

Happy New Year, Terri!

>153 alcottacre: It's a marvelous book, Stasia!
Happy New Year to you!

Book #67

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse AUDIO (12-29-2021)

An old, mountaintop sanatorium has been converted into a cutting-edge elite hotel. However, the architect has disappeared (we know from the prologue that he's permanently gone) and, as people are snowed in due to an avalanche blocking the way down the mountain, women disappear.

The protagonist is a female detective from the UK who is on leave with what appears to be PTSD.

This story is hard to describe and I'm not sure it's worth describing. It was tolerable, and I was somewhat ambivalent as to how much I liked it, until the end. In the epilogue, a totally new suspense element is introduced out of nowhere . . . planning a sequel? Or just trying to get you to read the book again to see "where did that come from?" Incredibly annoying. If there's a sequel, I'm not buying.

>154 tymfos: Sorry to hear that was not a better read for you, Terri. The initial premise sounds interesting.

>154 tymfos: It wasn't a bad story, Stasia. A little convoluted. But the epilogue really soured me on it. Everything seemed totally resolved, for better or for worse . . . and then there's this totally new mystery element dumped in as the survivors head down the mountain to go home. Please!

>156 tymfos: Yeah, I think I will just stay away. Trying to sell the reader on a sequel when they have not even finished the initial book is offputting, to say the least.

>154 tymfos: I've seen mixed reviews on that one. Some people love it; others hate it. I may eventually try it, but reviews have diminished my enthusiasm about getting around to it.

Forget your stresses and strains
As the old year wanes;
All that now remains
Is to bring you good cheer
With wine, liquor or beer
And wish you a special new year.

Happy New Year, Terri.

>159 PaulCranswick: a Happy New Year to you too, Paul!