tymfos tries for second batch of 75

The beautiful Philadelphia Museum of Art

Well, I managed to do 75 by mid-July, so now I am going to try for a second 75. It may be do-able with almost all of my vacation time falling into this half of the year . . .

Here is the final thread for my first 75 books:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/117241

The titles of all 75 are listed at the beginning of that thread.

A word about my ratings system: I don't have one. It's all a knee-jerk, flying-by-the-seat-of-the-pants effort. Each time I go through my library and note relative ratings of one book to another, I realize how arbitrary I am in granting stars. And if my average rating is rather high, it's because (except for more recent reads since I joined LT) I'm rating the books that are memorable -- and the good ones tend to stick with me! (Some books are memorable because they are truly awful, but I am fortunate to avoid reading many of those!)

Oh, since I'm running out of places to add bookshelves, I'm also doing the Books Off The Shelf Challenge:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/106328

I am also doing the 11 in 11 Challenge.

current thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/121816

first thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/97388

These are my categories:

1. Pregame
2. Play Ball!
3. Leadoff
4. On-deck
5. Phantom players
6. All-Stars, MVP's, & Other Awards
7. Foul Play Territory
8. Fireballers, Rainouts, Steals, & Errors!
9. Away Game Travel Day (Cars, trains, boats & planes, etc.)
10. Team Physician & Front Office (Doctor, Lawyer, Indian chief)
11. Team Chaplain
extra category: Utility Players

The titles are all baseball related, but the books are NOT. There are all kinds of books.

This year, I have decided to simply give my categories names and NOT define them, and be free to use any books that can in any way fit the category name. I did a pretty good job of staying with my categories in 2010, but I was constantly tweaking the "definition" of what was included in several of them.

My plan was to do at least 7 books in each of these 11 categories -- a 7-11 challenge -- for a total of 77 books. (Thus I'd need just 2 more books than the goal for my 75 challenge, if I manage to fit all the books here that I read.) I've reached the minimum of 7 in each category, and now I'm aiming for 11 in each.

I also have monthly themes. This is the list (subject to revision):

January: "Cold white snow & ice of January"
February: "Black History Month"
March: "Spring Training / Mystery March"
April: "Autism Awareness Month" and "Support Your Library"
May: "May Murder & Mayhem -- & Motorsports"
June: "Justice (and injustice), Journeys, and Jazz"
July: "Big League Cities"
August: "Anything Goes"
September: "Series & Sequels"
October: "Halloween Horrors"
November: "Fill in the Blanks"
December: "Winter Holidays and (other) December Disasters"

Like my categories, a book can fit a "theme" any which way it can: by subject or by words in the title or by setting . . . if there is any even tenuous link, it "fits."

I will try to include most of the following information into my book posts:

Challenge Book #
Title:
Author:
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Genre:
Subject:
Setting:
Main Characters:
Series:
Dates Read:
Number of pages:
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?:
Category for 11 in 11 challenge:
How does it fit the category?
Alternate Category:
Theme of the Month:
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How?
My Rating:
Notes:

Books Read in July: from the first 75:

72. Darkness, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane
73. A Morning for Flamingos by James Lee Burke (unabridged audio book)
74. Iron Lake: A Cork O'Connor Mystery by William Kent Krueger (audio Fiction)
75. Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro by Helene LaFaro-Fernandez

Books read in July -- 2nd 75:

1B. Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman
2B. Flip Flop Fly Ball by Craig Robinson
3B. Triangle: The Fire that Changed America by David Von Drehle
4B. Indian Summer: the forgotten story of Louis Sockalexis, the first Native American in Major League Baseball
5B. Murder at Fenway Park by Troy Soos (audio book)
6B. A Welcome Grave by Michael Koryta
7B. Cemetery of Angels by Noel Hynd

temporarily(?) abandoned
Faithful by Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King (non-fiction)

Books read in August:

8B. Ghosts of Boston Town by Holly Mascott Nadler
9B. A Stained White Radiance by James Lee Burke
10B. Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans? edited by David Rutledge
11B. The Eternal Now by Paul Tillich (devotional)
12B Nine Ghosts by R. H. Malden
13B The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the end of America's Childhood by Jane Leavy
14B The Ship and the Storm by Jim Carrier
15B 33 Men: inside the miraculous survival and dramatic rescue of the Chilean miners by Jonathan Franklin
16B In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke
17B Home by Marilynne Robinson
18B Nemesis by Philip Ross (audio book)
19B The Eyes of the Amaryllis by Natalie Babbitt

books in progress:
Three Rivers rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards (audio, fiction told in free verse poetry)
The Summer Game (non-fiction)
Addiction and Grace by Gerald G. May

Books read in September:
20B. Dancing Made Easy by Phillip DePoy
21B. Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
22B. Sacred by Dennis Lehane
23B. Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
24B. Among the Heroes by Jere Longman
25B In the Woods by Tana French
26B The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (audio)
27B Midwinter of the Spirit by Phil Rickiman
28B Charm City by Laura Lippman

Books in Progress:
The Summer Game by Roger Angell (non-fiction)
Addiction and Grace by Gerald G. May (ministry related)

Abandoned:
Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards

Oh, since I'm running out of places to add bookshelves, I'm also doing the Books Off The Shelf Challenge:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/106328

OK, I think I have enough room to move around on this thread.

Welcome to my reading room!

Book # 1B
Title: Baltimore Blues
Author: Laura Lippman
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1997
Genre: mystery fiction
Subject: former reporter investigates murder of prominent attorney
Setting: Baltimore
Main Characters: Tess Monaghan
Series: Tess Monaghan #1
Dates Read: finished 7/20/11
Number of pages: 290
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes, gift from LT friend
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Front Office (Doctor, Lawyer . . .)
How does it fit the category? book is full of lawyers, including the first murder victim
Alternate Category: leadoff, foul play territory
Theme of the Month: Big League Cities
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes; set in Baltimore, home of the Orioles and Ravens
My Rating: 3.75 stars
Notes:

Thanks to Stasia (alcottacre) for providing this book. I had read some of the later installments in this series, but missed the beginning. I worried that the first book might not measure up (first-in-series books are often weak), but this didn't disappoint. After a slightly slow start, it drew me in. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Lippman's wry sense of humor; reading it in a waiting room setting, I had to stifle giggles a few times. The story kept me guessing right to the end. Later books in the series are even stronger, but this was a very good read.

*wave*

Wow, Kath, you're quick!

*waves back*

I'd need more than 2 books per month off the shelf! I'm actually doing better about getting them read now that I've been curbing my buying a little bit. I'm reading a library book now, but it's one that had been on my wish list for awhile and fit a TIOLI challenge.

I had sort of forgotten Laura Lippman. Thanks to you and Stasia for reminding me, I think! Happy New Thread!!

14 Lori, I try to do more than 2 per month off the shelf -- I'm already at 28 off the shelf for the year, halfway through the 7th month of the year, so I'm averaging closer to 4 per month -- but setting the minimum at 2 per month keeps me at least working on the shelves even during months when I'm more interested in library books. Working in the library, I feel kind of obligated to help fuel the circulation statistics by borrowing some books!

I think with the payments on the car I just bought, I'm going to HAVE to cut back on buying books.

15 Thanks for dropping by, Peggy!

Challenge Book #2B
Title: Flip Flop Fly Ball
Author: Craig Robinson
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Genre: Sports -- "an infographic baseball adventure"
Subject: odd baseball statistics and trivia
Dates Read: finished 7/20/11
Number of pages:154
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes; LT Early Reviewer Book
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Pregame
How does it fit the category? Early Reviewer book
Alternate Category: Play Ball
Theme of the Month: Big League Cities
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes. Baseball
My Rating: to be determined
Notes:

I need to do a real review of this one eventually, as it's an LT ER book. But, for now, let's just say it's the weirdest book I've ever reviewed. These are not your garden variety baseball stats and trivia. And most of the book consists of graphics, with some text between sections. The subjects of Johnson's attention range from logical, through whimsical and off-beat, to totally bizarre. I started out kind of liking it, but somewhere along the line a lot of it got a bit too weird. And some of the diagrams are really difficult to follow, especially with middle-aged eyes that don't see teeny-tiny print in poorly contrasting colors very well. And, in the text portions, I got tired of the author telling me how he sneaked cigarettes in non-smoking areas.

#11: I am glad you enjoyed the book!

I really did, Stasia. I don't know why I didn't read it sooner after you sent it. I think maybe the above-mentioned concern that, as first in series, it would have more flaws than it did. She really did surprise me when I realized whodunit and why.

I need to do a re-read of that series at some point. It has been a while and I know she has issued several more books later than the ones I own.

Terri- I like the new thread! I might be stopping in Philadelphia next month, when we go to Gettysburg. Hope so.

Found you! I'd love to visit the Philadelphia Art Museum someday. What an impressive building. I'm also impressed with your organization skills. I love the monthly theme for August. I think "Anything Goes" is my preferred method for choosing my books year-round!

Congratulations on reaching the 75 mark. I'm closing in on it.

20 Stasia, I like the character of Tess. I must admit, her extreme bullheadedness in this book annoyed me a bit, but I can be a little bullheaded, too. :)

21 Thanks, Mark! Philadelphia and Gettysburg are two of my favorite places on the planet. I've lived in both areas -- and miss both areas at times, for very different reasons. (I actually wanted to put a picture of the Free Library of Philadelphia on the thread, but didn't find a suitable one.)

22 Donna, it's a marvelous museum and I hope you get to see it someday. Thanks for the compliment on my organizational skills. The monthly theme thing has been evolving with the various group read themes that crop up for different months. But I'm ready -- very ready -- for an Anything Goes month! The September Sequels and Series read that's been planned will fit right in with my reading, too.

I have decided to put down my current non-fiction read, Faithful: Two diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season by Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King. It just isn't doing anything for me. My non-fiction reading is lagging behind my fiction (for quite a while this year, they were even in numbers) and I need to jump-start my non-fiction reading again. A good disaster book should do it. With a theme of Big League Cities, I have lots of subject options -- the Great Chicago Fire, the Triangle Shirt Factory fire in NYC, the San Francisco earthquake, anything about Katrina.

**Starred**

25 Hi, Bonnie!

I'm joining the chorus of posters complaining about the weather. It is just too hot and humid. It isn't even cooling down tonight. Compared to folks who've been through floods and tornadoes this year, I guess I shouldn't gripe.

And then what do I do but read a book about a raging, deadly fire? As if I wasn't hot enough without thinking about that. Ah, well.

I saw a nook book called Under the Ice I think I might have to try reading it.. just to see if it cools me off.

Great review of the Scott LaFaro biography, Terri! I'll probably get to it sometime in the fall.

And, congratulations on hitting the 75 books mark!

27 That title sounds cool, Kath!

28 Thanks, Darryl. I hope you enjoy the LaFaro biography. He was an amazing talent.

It's been too hot to do much of anything at home except read.

Now a storm has come through, and the air is cooler. Bliss!!! :)

Challenge Book #3B
Title: Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
Author: David Von Drehle
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Genre: non-fiction / history
Subject: the deadly 1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. factory in New York City
Setting: early 20th century New York, Lower East Side
Dates Read: started 7/21/11; finished 7/22/11
Number of pages: 268 plus appendix (list of fire victims), notes, sources, index
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes. Purchased used
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Fireballers, rainouts, steals & errors
How does it fit the category? Fire
Theme of the Month: Big League Citues
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, New York City setting
My Rating: 3.8 stars
Notes:

This is the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. Fire of March, 1911, which killed 146 workers. It was the deadliest workplace disaster in New York City history until Sept 11, 2011, when the massive loss of life in the World Trade Center dwarfed the Triangle's death toll. It was also a catalyst for groundbreaking regulations dealing with working conditions and workplace safety.

Author Von Drehle pieces together the details of the terrible fire clearly, and the reader gets a clear sense of the horror of the swift, deadly blaze. But every disaster, indeed every story, has a context -- and Von Drehle excels in explaining how this tragedy fit into the larger context of early 20th century New York. Immigration, the rise of unions, and the politics of Tammany Hall are all part of that context, and receive careful attention.

A fascinating story about a dreadful tragedy at a pivotal time in our nation's history.

I read that one several years ago, so I can dodge that particular BB. Glad to see you found a nonfiction book that suits your tastes :) I am seriously lagging behind in my nonfiction reading this year too. Not sure how I am going to fix that problem though.

That sounds v disturbing :(
but also interesting..

I'm here! late but here :)

congrats on the new car :) we had to get a "newer" one couple of months ago...hated to have a car payment again but you gotta do what you gotta do ;)

and congrats on reaching 75 :)

Terri, I just watched a show on PBS (Secrets of the Dead? American Experience? Not sure) about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. I also found the context parts of the show extremely interesting and informative.

31 I've got a few books going now that will count as non-fiction, Stasia, but I'm not likely to get back to an even balance between fiction and non-fiction any time soon.

32 You're absolutely right, Kath! (IMO)

33. Welcome to the party, Kara! Thanks for the congrats, and I hope you're enjoying your newer car as much as I'm enjoying mine.

34. Terri, I'll have to look and see if my local PBS station (re)runs that particular show. I'd like to see it.

It's funny how the context stuff often turns out to be where there's overlap between seemingly unrelated books that I read. I'm reading a book dealing with baseball history now, and lo and behold the author is suddenly talking about several Tammany Hall politicos, and I'm like, "Hey! I just read about those guys in my last book!"

#35: I'm not likely to get back to an even balance between fiction and non-fiction any time soon.

Mine never was an even balance between fiction and nonfiction, but rather a goal I set for myself several years ago to read at least 100 nonfiction books annually. I am not even at 50 nonfiction yet for this year, so I think that for the first time in recent memory I am going to fail at the goal of 100.

35,36: I read more non-fiction than fiction, and I haven't yet reached 25 non-fiction for the year. You folks need perspective... :-)

I own the book Triangle...Now, I simply have to find it and read it. Personally, it speaks to me because my beloved grandmother was a blouse factory worker. The union took dues from her measly check, but without the union, the workers would have been treated much worse than they were.

Happy Sunday to you dear one! Thumbs up for your excellent review!

ok, thumbs up, except I wonder if you posted the review.

36 I used to read much more fiction than non-fiction, Stasia. I've aimed to even the ratio, but I KNOW I won't read 100 non-fiction books this year, even if I do! The only reason I have even a theoretical chance at another 75 books this year is because I've started doing audio books at times when I can't read paper books -- but (though I've made a few exceptions) I like my non-fiction on paper, where I can see the index, sources, and footnotes.

37 My perspective is that I love to read . . . :) . . . but thanks for dropping by, qebo!

38. Happy Sunday to you, Linda! My mom worked in the garment industry for many years. By her time, a lot of the safety issues had already been addressed. But she always said that, thanks to the union, she made as much money as any man that worked in the shop. (Before the advent of the garment workers' union, women workers were always underpaid compared to men.)

And I've posted the review now . . . thanks for your kind offer of a thumb . . .

Well, today was my day off, and it started in a hospital and ended in a funeral home -- but that's not quite as bad as it sounds. The hospital trip was for simple blood work to see if my Vitamin D deficiency has been corrected by a course of vitamin therapy. The funeral home was visitation for the brother of a friend. I really didn't know the deceased, but I wanted to pay my respects to give condolences to my friend and her family. Though the deceased had serious health problems, the death at this time was unexpected and I feel really bad for my friend and her family.

Gripe session -- I also learned today that my new Crock Pot didn't malfunction when it charred my food. . . not exactly. Last year the FDA decreed that new slow cookers must cook faster -- they demanded a higher cooking temp for alleged food safety reasons. The higher temps required a change in the lid design, so that a seal doesn't form to seal cooking moisture in, lest too much pressure build up . . . (boom, blat!)

I've been cooking in Crock Pots for almost 30 years and never got food poisoning from crock pot cooking. Leave it to the government to try to "fix" something that isn't broken, and make a mess of things along the way. The long and the short of it is that "old" crock pot recipes need to be adjusted with more liquid and less cooking time in order to have a prayer of working. And the best parts of slow cooking -- safe cooking while out for a day's work, extremely moist food, and low energy usage -- would appear to be out the window. :(

Of course, the Crock Pot people have come out with a cookbook to sell containing NEW recipes for the newfangled cookers. ;)

Good thing I didn't get rid of my OLD cooker. . .

Oh Terri, you freaked me out with that first sentence until I read on :)

sorry to hear that about your friends brother :(

hmm I have to look at my crock pot...my lid is glass and it does not seal, sometimes I put aluminum foil around the top prior to placing the lid so it will keep the heat in :/ never had it blow it's top yet ;) and I will at times leave it on the slow cook setting while out and about.

Leave it to the government to try to "fix" something that isn't broken, and make a mess of things along the way.

Haha boy if that isn't the truth Terri. Fortunately, I will stick with my old crockpot.

43 Kara, how old is your Crock Pot? As I understand it, if it was manufactured prior to last year, it will be the old lower-heat model like my old one, which I could leave on "low" almost any amount of time without burning. And the old ones didn't really "seal" except with the steam buildup making a condensed liquid barrier to seal in the juices.

I think you're still supposed to be able to leave the new Crock Pots unattended if there's enough liquid in the recipe, and it's not left on too long. The questions for me are "how much is enough" for liquid, and "how much is too much" for the time? I have recipes that worked perfectly in the old crock pot; how do I adapt them safely to the new?

44 Bonnie, I guess this is the price of vanity. My old cooker still works great, but clashes horribly with my kitchen decor. The new one fits in so well I can let it sit out on the counter. . . but if I can't trust it, what's the point?

Challenge Book #4 B
Title: Indian Summer: the Tragic Story of Louis Francis Sockalexis, the First Native American in Major League Baseball
Author: Brian McDonald
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Genre: non-fiction sports biography
Subject: The subtitle says it all
Setting: Cleveland, OH and other baseball cities
Dates Read: finished 7/26/11
Number of pages: 244
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes, purchased last year at Ollie's
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Play Ball!
How does it fit the category? baseball bio
Alternate Category: All-Stars
Theme of the Month: Major League Cities
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, about Major League Baseball
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

On the surface, it sounds like something you'd see in the news today: an incredibly gifted and intelligent athlete is unable to handle success, lives life too much in the fast lane, and destroys himself and his career through substance abuse. Only this story takes place at the end of the 19th century, the drug in question is alcohol, and the athlete in question is the first Native American to play in Major League Baseball. (Actually, as the author of this book admits, another ball player is officially acknowledged as the first Native American major league player. However, that player did not acknowledge his racial identity, attempting to "pass" for white -- in an ethnic version of "don't ask, don't tell," I guess.)

Louis Francis Sockalexis was a full-blooded member of the Penobscot tribe in Maine and was openly, unabashedly a Native American -- or, as the language of the day would say, an Indian. Indeed, there are those who feel that the naming of the current Cleveland baseball team was done with him and his playing days in mind, as the current American League franchise was named at a time when he was very much within memory of those who had seen him play.

He excelled at sports in an early age, was offered a scholarship at Holy Cross in Worcester, MA to play baseball there, and eventually was offered a contract with the major league ball club in Cleveland. (Note: this was a National League club which went out of business, not the current American League franchise.) For a brief, glorious time he was one of the best of the best in the game: a power hitter with blazing speed running the bases and a phenomenal throwing arm. But his success, and the fast life to which it led, sowed the seeds of his rapid and tragic downfall.

Brian McDonald tackles the story with insight and compassion. There were some quirks in the writing that originally annoyed me -- the tendency to refer to Sockalexis as "The Indian" being the main one. However, I think his point was that, for so many of the whites around Sockalexis, that's how they viewed him -- as "The Indian." McDonald coveys a sense of the isolation he must have felt in a "white man's world" that so thoroughly misunderstood his people and subjected him to intense prejudice. McDonald helps us understand that context with information about how Native Americans were being treated, including misguided attempts to "help the Indians" by destroying their culture.

In the end, I found this to be an informative and moving story.

I'm also almost done with my audio book, Murder at Fenway Park by Troy Soos. And what should I find in the book, set in 1912, but a mention of the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. factory fire of 1911? It amazes me how the books I read often overlap in ways that I did not intend.

I did find the reference a little jarring, however, as it was not 100 percent accurate. Though it was true to much of what was commonly said about the fire, the character making the reference was supposedly a skilled journalist who had extensively researched the fire for a book he was writing. I would have expected more accuracy from such a character's dialog.

Hi Terri - Just catching up on your thread. Glad to see you liked Baltimore Blues. I have it on my nook but haven't read it yet. I've read some of Lippman's stand-alones and really liked them.

The PBS program (American Experience, I think) on the 100th anniversary of the Triangle fire was very, very well done.

#46: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Terri.

I think I need to read Triangle and Murder at Fenway Park in that order! I'm glad to know about the connection between the two. I think the first is at our public library so if I can find the other at McKays or White Pine Books, I'll be in business!

if it was manufactured prior to last year, it will be the old lower-heat model like my old one, which I could leave on "low" almost any amount of time without burning. And the old ones didn't really "seal" except with the steam buildup making a condensed liquid barrier to seal in the juices.

yup that's mine...and it still works fine :)

Oops - almost lost you! Hi Terri! Didn't realize you had a new thread... but here it is!
Yeah... that sentence about hosp/funeral home had an impact. :P

How's the new car? :)

46: Onto the wishlist... Thanks for the review.

34, 48 It looks like that American Experience program about the Triangle fire is available to be watched via streaming video on the PBS web site. I didn't have time to watch it today, but if it's still on the website tomorrow, I think I'll give it a look.

49 Hi, Stasia! I hope you like it.

50. Lori, the mention of the Triangle fire in the Murder at Fenway book was brief and pretty late in the book. It's really not related to the story, except that one of the characters is a journalist trying to write a book on the subject. It just struck me as a neat coincidence, having just read the Triangle book.

51 I just wish my old one looked as nice in my kitchen as the new one, Kara . . . or that the new one worked as well as the old one . . .

52 Hi, Claudia. Sorry to scare folks with that sentence. It just suddenly struck me that, for a day that started and ended in such places, it hadn't been a bad day . . .

I'm loving my car. :)

53 Hi, qebo! Enjoy!

Challenge Book # 5 B
Title: Murder at Fenway Park (audio book)
Author: Troy Soos
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1994; recording c 1996 Recorded Books Inc.
Genre: mystery fiction
Subject: 1919 baseball, gambling, murder
Setting: Boston
Main Characters: Mickey Rawlings
Series: Mickey Rawlings #1
Dates Read: finished 9/28/11
Number of pages: N/A (audio)
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No. Download from Net Library
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Play Ball
How does it fit the category? baseball-centered mystery
Alternate Category: first in series, foul play territory
Theme of the Month: Big League Cities
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes; Boston Baseball
My Rating: 3 stars
Notes: narrated Johnny Heller

This was a decent mystery. I enjoyed the baseball history woven into the story. There was a bit of an information dump at the end, as the main character explained how he figured out what was going on. I'm not sure I quite followed all the logic, but I admit I was pretty tired when I listened to the ending.

Hi Terri, it looks like my old crock pot(s) and I will be a team forever... or until one of us breaks down. The smaller one has been in the family for maybe 30 years, and I added a prettier (and bigger) model a few years ago. I'm still using the blender that my parents gave me back in the 1970s when they got a new one so maybe I'll have good luck with the crock pots, too!

I'm looking forward to September. Not only for the cooler temps, but also for sequels and serials month. Thanks for that heads up!

Yes, Donna, the sequels and serials month sounds really good to me, too. There are so many good series!

Terri, the Mickey Rawlings series is probably my all-time favorite, blending as it does my two favorites types of reading, mysteries and baseball. For me, part of the enjoyment is holding those small hc's from Kensington and using my imagination to daydream about the olden days of baseball.

Sorry to hear that you didn't like it more.

Linda, I had read another one of the series for the Spring Training read, and I think I liked it better.

I wish I knew more baseball history of that era to know what is historical fact and what is fiction. Soos is clearly working with some real people and real events, and creating a fictional story with fictional characters around them, but I don't know the boundary. Do the written books have any kind of afterword or author's notes that help clarify that? I I listened to both of the books on audio.

Our library and its patrons have now, at least temporarily, lost the use of NetLibrary audio books. I am already feeling its loss. We still have Overdrive, but its audio selection is more limited, and what little is of interest to me is usually already checked out. I prefer to do my non-fiction from paper books, to see footnotes and sources, (or at least have a paper copy to refer to if I have a question about what I hear) but I'm going to have to bend that rule for now if I want to continue with downloaded audio books.

I'm going to try listening to The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood by Jane Leavy. I think this is the first time I will listen to a book that is actually narrated by its author.

Sequels and serials month

Is that a 75er thing Terri? And is there a thread for it?

After a month of extra hours, I actually got a second day off this week. Tuesday, my other "off" day, was a busy one, so I just vegged most of the day. I finished another book. Report to follow shortly.

62 Bonnie, almost missed your message as we cross-posted. I think Mark mentioned September series & sequels a couple of times, so maybe he's organizing it, (?) like he did with May Murder & Mayhem and Mystery March. I don't know that there's a thread yet, since it's for September. I've just caught a few references to it on the threads, and adjusted my own monthly category for September to match.

I'm going to be reading The Last Boy within the next week or two, Terri. We can compare notes. I loved her bio of Sandy Koufax.

That's great, Linda!

OK, I finished the last bit of this today:

Challenge Book #6 B
Title: A Welcome Grave
Author: Michael Koryta
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Genre: mystery fiction / noir
Subject: murder and a clever frame job
Setting: Cleveland, OH and rural Indiana
Main Characters: Lincoln Perry, PI
Series: Lincoln Perry #3
Dates Read: finished 7/28/11
Number of pages: 294
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No, too new; purchased this year a AAUW book sale
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Foul Play Territory
How does it fit the category? crime
Alternate Category: next in series
Theme of the Month: Big League Cities
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, Cleveland, home of the Indians, Browns, & Cavaliers
My Rating:3.8 stars
Notes:

This is the third installment of Michael Koryta's Lincoln Perry series. I think I liked it a bit less than the last one, Sorrow's Anthem, which was excellent, but this one was still quite good. The plot had so many twists and turns it threatened to be come a bit convoluted at times, but the pieces fit nicely at the end -- and there really was a surprise in store. The fact that I spent some of my time away from the book thinking through plot points and trying to figure out how it all fit together says something about the compelling nature of the story line.

#66: My local library does not have a single book in that series. Rats.

Hi Terri- Actually, Judy came up with "September: Series & Sequels", so it's not my baby, although I will assist if needed. I'm starting to line up books too!
I'd like to get to the Last Boy too. Maybe, I'll follow your lead.

So Cold the River was a good one... wonder if I would like this?

67 Sorry, Stasia. I'd offer you mine, but I've been giving them to our library. Though this latest one is a signed first edition, so I just may not let it out of my sight, ever. ;) It's pretty cool to have an autographed book by a favorite author.

68 Thanks for setting me straight on that, Mark. Have a good weekend!

69 These are quite different from So Cold the River, Kath. None of the spooky stuff. These are more in the realm noir mystery fiction. Lots of shady characters and violence. But he spins a suspenseful tale! BTW, speaking of spooky, I'm finally reading Cemetery of Angels. I kept saving it for the Halloween Reads, but then I'm always too busy with the books from Mac's list . . . so I jumped into it last night.

Sorry to go all the way back to 45 and skip all the baseball and mysteries , but the vanity of the pretty crockpot with the kitchen decor makes me chuckle. I'm reminded of the PDQ Bach piece for bagpipe and lute. (If the bagpipe's playing, you can't hear the lute, but it looks pretty on the stage!)
Glad the new car is working. I am getting a new stove sometime soon; it will be used, but hardly so since it's coming from the home of a non-cooking friend who was 96 or so when she bought it. I was hoping for gas when our old one finally dies, but this is too good an offer to miss. Now. Be impressed. My old stove (G.E.) was not new when I moved in here going on 41 years ago. Replacing it may be a big mistake.

I'm duly impressed, Peggy. Your old stove sounds like it's about the same vintage as the gas stove in our house when we moved in -- a rusted hulk which my in-laws finally insisted on replacing for us after a suspected malfunction and dose of carbon monoxide exposure when I was baking muffins to take to our church's Easter Breakfast a few years ago. Sounds like your new one will qualify as "gently used."

Yow! I'd love to cook with gas, but that's the kind of story DH fears. "Gently used" may not even state the situation adequately - more like "like new."

Well, the above mentioned incident put me into your DH's camp on the subject, Peggy. Though gas was nice to cook with, we switched to electric.

#71 Skip baseball and mysteries?!? But, but, but...I don't think that's possible.

75 LOL, Linda!

Challenge Book #7 B
Title: Cemetery of Angels
Author: Noel Hynd
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1995
Genre: horror
Subject: a threatened woman, a creepy old house, missing kids, and an empty grave
Setting: Los Angeles and (early on) Connecticut
Main Characters: Rebecca and Bill Moore; Detective Edmund Van Allen, LAPD
Series: NO
Dates Read: finished 7/30/11 (2 a.m.)
Number of pages: 355
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes; sent by kind LTer before start of the year
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Phantom Players
How does it fit the category? ghosts!
Alternate Category: Foul Play Territory
Theme of the Month: Big League Cities
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Set in LA, home of the Dodgers, Clippers, etc.
My Rating: not sure
Notes:

OK, this was a creepy one, folks. And it got a little far out there. And, before it was done, it strayed into some territory that made me distinctly uncomfortable.

And I could hardly put it down. Stayed up into the wee hours of the morning finishing it. I had to know how it turned out.

It starts with Rebecca running from a mysterious assailant near her home in Connecticut. Then she and her husband move to LA, into a creepy old house full of mysterious noises and smells and odd occurrences. The kids get an "imaginary playmate," then suddenly vanish.

Meanwhile, there is seriously odd crap going on in the adjacent cemetery.

Then it starts to get weird.

I'm not sure how to rate this. The actual writing is not stellar -- occasional odd/grammatically improper word choices and punctuation, some paragraphs where the lead sentence has little to do with the rest of the paragraph. Once, someone knocked on the door, thought about a bunch of stuff, and then walked up to the front door. (?) It's definitely not a literary masterpiece. But the STORY is a real page-turner.

I must say, the supernatural aspect got a little too far out there for me. It wound up not making a lot of sense to me, perhaps because it didn't fit my belief system -- even the theoretical, speculative edges of my beliefs, or even the level where I can "suspend disbelief." I think I got so wrapped up in the story more because I wanted to know how it turned out for the people involved -- I wanted to know if the missing kids would be OK, and I wanted to know what was up with the "stalker," who was a "real world" threat, not a paranormal one.

I have Kath to thank for this scary book.

THEN it starts to get weird???? Just what I need, but I'm grinning.

> 76 Very teasing review, Terri! I must add this to the wishlist. :)

Honestly, Terri. Not only did I order a 1¢ copy from AMP, but I ordered a copy of Ghosts too - and I don't mean Ibsen. I'm sure that I could spend my $8 much more worthily, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. And I did.

Hi Terri, just browsing the threads and I see some mention of September Series and Sequels month. I thought I would set up a thread toward the middle of August so anyone who wants to join in can list their planned reads then. I will be home from vacation next week sometime, and hopefully will be able to catch up with everyone then.

#77 Uh-huh. :)

#78, 79 Peggy & Sher, for the record, I will note again that there was one aspect of this one that was uncomfortable territory for me. But by the time that part of the plot played out, I was too caught up in the story to not finish and see how it ended. Not sure how much more I can say without a major spoiler. I always worry a bit when people take up a book based on my reviews, unless I'm pretty sure it will be OK for their tastes . . . just wanted to make that disclaimer.

80. Hi, Judy! Not sure how I'll do listing planned reads, or reading what I plan. But I definitely plan to participate!

#76: Not into ghosts, so I am giving that one a pass.

Your latest read is now on my tbr list.

82 Stasia, this would definitely not be one I'd recommend for you.

83 Hi, Linda! Just let me point to what I said in post 81. Thinking about it, there was also one tremendously huge coincidence factor for this story to have worked out the way it did . . . for this woman to be in this particular house . . . I guess it was just supposed to be like a karma thing or something that she wound up living there.

I do have a couple other (horror) books by this author on my list. I was surprised to learn that Hynd has also written some Christian fiction. This definitely wasn't one of those.

The Last Day by Glenn Kleier

just sayin...

85 I'll pass on that one, Kath. Not my cuppa tea at all.

Cemetery of Angels just made my wish list... Nice review!

I'm going to see if my local library has a copy of Cemetery of Angels. I'm intrigued by it.

Thanks for the additional feedback. I hope you are having a good summer.

Hi, Jim and Linda!

Insomnia again. Could this book be partly to blame???? Nah.

Challenge Book #8 B
Title: Ghosts of Boston Town
Author: Holly Mascott Nadler
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2002
Genre: regional folklore / true ghost stories
Subject: alleged hauntings in the Boston area
Setting: Boston and environs
Dates Read: Finished early 8/2/11
Number of pages: 175
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes; purchased some time ago
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Phantom players
How does it fit the category? ghosts
Theme of the Month: holdover from last month's Big League Cities
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, Boston is home of the Red Sox and Celtics
My Rating: 2.7 stars
Notes:

OK, this was a decent but not exceptional book of "true" ghost stories. It didn't particularly scare me. I always enjoy the history that emerges about the locale in such stories. This book was a little lighter on history than many I've read, IMO. There didn't seem to be a lot of historical documentation regarding the background of many of the stories. There was no list of sources consulted or footnotes, and little mention of data sources in the text. In at least one case, the author admitted that the legendary background story of the "haunting" could not be documented -- there were no newspaper or other sources indicating that certain alleged untimely deaths ever happened. The most historically "rooted" hauntings were also the most familiar stories -- such as Salem and the aftermath of the witch trials. I did enjoy the story of the incident which supposedly inspired E.A. Poe to write The Cask of the Amontillado.

It might not have been a great read, but it would have sucked me in too.. lol

90 Good morning, Kath!

Good morning, everyone! Today's my day off. Cleaning, errands. Tonight hubby and I are planning to put together a book case in the church office, which houses a good many of his/our books relating to religion and ministry -- a number of them currently residing in piles around the office.

On the book front, I'm reading another installment in the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke, A Stained White Radiance. I've gone back and I'm reading them all, in order. It's really neat to see the growth of both the character and the writer as the books progress.

My current audio is The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's childhood. I have it downloaded on library loan via Overdrive. We only get those loans a week at a time, and the book is around 17 hours long. Hopefully, it will be available for renewal when my week is up, because I'll never get through it all by Thursday.

My "purse book" -- the one I carry around with me to read at lunch time and when killing time in waiting rooms and such -- has been Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans. It's a beautiful hard-cover book, but it's a size that fits perfectly in my purse. And, because it is a series of short articles, it's easy to read in short segments. However, I think I may "elevate" it to the status of main non-fiction read and opt for a paperback to carry around. That's partly to lighten my purse, but also because I want to finish the book.

Why is it that when I have a good book in my purse, no one keeps me waiting???

The other book I currently have going is my "devotional/theological" read, Paul Tillich's The Eternal Now. Now it's taking me an eternity to get through this book of sermons. For the most part, it's not speaking to me.

Over on my 11 in 11 challenge, I'm doing pretty well. When I finish the books that I'm currently reading, I will have the minimum of 7 completed in all categories but one (not counting the overflow category for books that don't fit the regular 11 categories). I'll need one book in the "phantom players" category. That should be an easy bill to fill.

I've done well in my Books off the Shelf challenge, too. My goal was at least 2 each month, with books counting only if they were on the shelf at the start of the year -- with the exception of ER books that MUST be read in a timely manner. (I added the ER exception because I found myself neglecting ERs to get older books off the shelf.)

But I consider the 75 Challenge my "primary" thread.

OK, here's the last book I'll need to finish the minimum in my 11 in 11 challenge: Nine Ghosts by R. H. Malden. This one looks promising. I'll carry this one in my purse, and have . . . to Miss New Orleans as my main non-fiction book.

Good grief! I had sooooo much to do today; instead, I spent way too much time finishing up this book. But it was a great one!

Challenge Book #9 B
Title: A Stained White Radiance
Author: James Lee Burke
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1992
Genre: mystery fiction
Subject: murder & mayhem
Setting: New Iberia, Louisiana and New Orleans
Main Characters: Dave Robicheaux
Series: Dave Robicheaux #5
Dates Read: finished late evening 8/2/11
Number of pages: 423
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No, from public library
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: On Deck
How does it fit the category? Next in Series
Alternate Category: Foul Play Territory
Theme of the Month: Anything Goes
My Rating: 4.2 stars
Notes:

Reading this series in order, the books get better and better. It's a delight to see the growth in both the character and the writer as Burke hit his stride in this series. Five down, over a dozen left that he's written since this one. If they keep improving at this rate, I'll run out of stars to hand out.

This one starts when Dave is called out to investigate a shot fired through the window of an antebellum mansion. Weldon Sonnier, the mansion's owner, is part of a hugely dysfunctional family with a great deal of power in Southern Louisiana. He's also a bit of a shady character. His brother is a televangelist whose brother-in-law is a former Klansman turned politician. His sister is an old flame of Dave's. It's quite a family, and the have some nasty secrets, both personal and "professional." And Dave is drawn into the middle of it all. Throw in some nasty mob-related thugs and the story gets very intense very quickly.

This is a complex tale peopled with well-drawn, multi-dimensional characters. Burke grounds it in a solid sense of place in his beloved Southern Louisiana, a setting which he evokes by appealing to all the senses. (It's no coincidence that I made jambalaya for supper this evening.)

And in the process of telling a whale of a mystery/suspense story, Burke manages to deal with issues of real significance. What more can you ask from a book?

#94: What more can you ask from a book?

Sounds like Burke did a great job covering a lot of stuff - you cannot ask for anything more :)

95. Hi, Stasia!

Challenge Book #10 B
Title: Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans
Author: David Rutledge, editor
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2006
Genre: Non-fiction Anthology
Subject: New Orleans culture and Hurricane Katrina
Setting: New Orleans
Dates Read: finished 8/4/11
Number of pages: 156 plus acknowledgments
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes, purchased used prior to 2011
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Fireballers, Rainouts, Steals & Errors
How does it fit the category? rain -- hurricane
Alternate Category:
Theme of the Month: Anything Goes
My Rating: not sure yet
Notes:

This is a very small but handsome book. The content varies in style and quality. It contains articles written by New Orleans writers displaced by Katrina; it also contains excerpts from older publications about New Orleans, some interesting artwork, and even a few recipes.

#96: Hi, Terri!

>72 tymfos: I've always thought I should give this series a look Terri and you're making it sound very enticing. Soooooo....start with #1?

98 Bonnie, are you referring to book #72 (message 72 isn't about books) and the Dennis Lehane series? Yes, start with the first, A Drink Before the War.

Challenge Book #11 B
Title: The Eternal Now
Author: Paul Tillich
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1963 (sermons dated from 1956-1962)
Genre: sermon collection
Dates Read: finished 8/6/11
Number of pages: 185
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes, had this for ages.
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Team Chaplain
How does it fit the category? sermons
Theme of the Month: Anything goes
My Rating: not sure
Notes:

Tillich was famous for, among other things, recasting the Christian faith in the language of the day. That day being the late 1950s/early 1960s, many of these sermons seem "dated." The 60's existentialism and the heavily male-dominated language are not terribly helpful for the reader today, IMHO. However, within a few of these sermons lurk gems of wisdom that were quite worth thinking about. His thoughts on the command, "You Shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" were especially helpful.

He acknowledges the difficulty of speaking about God in the modern world:
Everyone at one time or another finds himself in a situation where he must decide whether he shall use or avoid the name of God, whether he shall talk with personal involvement about religious matters, either for or against them.

And then there's this point, which acknowledges a subtle but popular use of God's name in vain:
There is a form of misuse of the name of God that offends those who hear it with a sensitive ear, just because it did not worry those who misused it without sensitivity. I speak now of a public use of the name of God which has little to do with God, but much to do with human purpose -- good or bad. Those of us who are grasped by the mystery present in the name of God are often stung when this name is used in governmental and political speeches, in opening prayers for conferences and dinners, in secular and religious advertisements, and in international war propaganda. Bringing his line of thought about using God's name in vain into the present day, I would add circumstances where it is claimed that God is using a disaster or disease to "punish ______s" or when it's used in sentences such as "God hates ______s "(fill in the blanks with any groups of people of which the speaker doesn't approve).

I was slow to get through this book. This was partly because the sermons with which I didn't resonate were a slog to get through; and because the ones in which I found some gem of wisdom took some time to fully think through. It's such a mixed bag, I've had a hard time giving it a rating. I'll probably go with a sort of middle-of-the-road 3 stars.

I'm stopping by to say that I was able to obtain a copy of Cemetery of Angels and I'll be reading it this evening.

Well, Linda, I have to say I'm not sure how you'll like it. I hope you do, at least most of it. I was a bit, ah, perplexed that my rather mixed review of that book drew so many people to it. I probably got more people saying "I'm adding it to my list" for that book than for many that I thought I gave much higher praise.

There was one aspect of it, later on in the book, that really put me off a bit, especially as it took me quite by surprise. Hard to say more without a major spoiler. But it was definitely a creepy read -- of no particular redeeming social value and definitely not great literature, but kept me turning pages. I really did need to know how it turned out. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that how it ended was as weird as the rest of the book, and quite surprising.

What an interesting variety of books :)

Hi, Kath! I have gotten into quite a variety lately, haven't I?

I've just started a new non-fiction read, The Ship and the Storm, that is pretty good so far. I have a thing about reading about hurricanes, and shipwrecks . . .

catching up Terri!

hurricanes....love them for the rain but not for the damage :) tomorrow we will get rain starting late afternoon from Emily, she petered out going over PR and Haiti so she is now just a low pressure system :)

maybe she will cool Florida off and spread the wealth to you guys north of me :)

#104: Looking forward to your review of The Ship and the Storm, Terri. The books sounds like it is right up my alley.

>94 tymfos: No Terri I have no idea where I got the number but I was referring to the James Lee Burke series.

Terri, you are a busy, busy reader! I was attracted to the Hynd beyond your good review because I read one of his spy novels ages ago and remembered the name. And he also writes with a Christian voice? Interesting.
I have to say that Tillich is a sort of hard pill for me to swallow too. I wouldn't even think of reading a book of his sermons straight through, but good on you!
I continue to save Dave Robicheauxs because he does seem to improve with every book. I think that In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead was maybe my last one.......

105 Kara, hurricanes are fascinating but frightful! I prefer my rain in smaller, gentler doses. They are interesting to read about, though.

106 So far so good, Stasia! You probably would like it.

107 Bonnie, I love the Burke series. Start with the first one if you have a strong stomach, and want to see the full depth of the character's development through the series. Start a bit further in if you want to dive into the really good stuff. Burke gives enough background that you can follow the series fine starting later. Dave is not a truly likable character in the first book, but the character really takes off as the series moves along.

108 Peggy, I've been reading (and listening to books) to the detriment of my housework (and sleep time) lately. Also reading some very short books. The Tillich, I read a sermon at a time -- in some cases, a section of a sermon at a time. Re: Hynd, there's a Russian Trilogy by him that I've seen in the Christian fiction section. I have NOT read it. The one review posted here of the first book says it's not preachy. The Hynd book I read did NOT resemble Christian fiction in any way.

I just checked In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead out of the library. I remember reading it years ago, and I think it was the most memorable of the Dave Robicheaux books I read back then. I've been looking forward to a re-read.

simply stopping by to wave hi..and to say I'm 1/2 through Cemetery of Angels...

Hi, Linda!

Read your comments re: Cemetery of Angels and smiled a bit. (And I needed a smile today!) I think we're kind of in the same place on that one . . . it does hook a reader in, and it did creep me out, but I was very unsure about recommending it, and what to write about it.

Today was an interesting day. It started in the wee hours of the morning when I couldn't sleep. Hubby couldn't either, and he wound up napping downstairs. Our upstairs was too hot, and with the humidity, it was like a sauna. Plus, I was just wide-awake after dozing off on the sofa earlier. I tiptoed downstairs and grabbed Nine Ghosts and took it upstairs to finish. That didn't help me sleep any.

Got to work and found myself working alone on the circulation desk due to a co-worker's absence. It was busy. I was tired and not at my best, but I got through the day. All the work I had hoped to catch up on today didn't even get looked at, though.

There is a breeze around now -- I felt it while walking home, when I turned the corner into our alley, and I can hear leaves rustling. Darned if I can get much of it into the house, though I opened the windows facing the appropriate direction. I guess the neighbors' houses are blocking it.

Challenge Book #12 B
Title: Nine Ghosts
Author: R. H. Malden
Copyright/Year of original publication: not listed; curiously, only the date of the reprint is given on this edition.
Genre: short stories/ horror
Setting: Most are set in England, late 19th through early 20th century
Dates Read: finished 8/8/11
Number of pages: 109
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes, Christmas present 2010
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Phantom players
How does it fit the category? ghosts and other spookies
Theme of the Month: Anything Goes
My Rating: 3.75 stars
Notes:

This little horror collection is a gem. R. H. Malden was an Englishman who wrote rather in the style of M.R. James. These stories have a lot of atmosphere, and an understated, subtle creepiness that I enjoyed. They are not scare-the-socks-off-you, in-your-face scary. But they were creepy enough to be a poor choice for an insomniac to read in the wee dark hours. Indeed, they were eerie enough that, when I finished, I put the book out of the room, in the hall -- then found myself not wanting to look out toward the hall! (Silly of me, yes.) I especially liked that a lot of these stories were set in and around old English churches and churchyards/graveyards, and/or involved clergy. Several of Malden's other books would indicate that old churches were a special interest/expertise of his, and his descriptions of the fascinating old buildings and the atmosphere thus invoked really added to my enjoyment of the book. Recommended for anyone who enjoys old-fashioned ghost/horror stories.

I too like books about hurricanes and ships, and shipwrecks.. I have several here waiting for me..
and oooh horror ! Good too!

You would probably like this The Ship and the Storm book that I'm reading now, Kath. So far, it is quite good. I have a vague recollection hearing something about this ship going down, but knew next to nothing about it. So far, it's fascinating.

I have added it to my further consideration list :)

#113: Not my cuppa, but I am glad to see you enjoyed it. Still awaiting the review of The Ship and the Storm. . .

116 further consideration list
Kath, I need one of those, for books that I'm on the fence about reading.

117 I still have a ways to go on that one. I don't read at quite the pace that you do, Stasia! And this week does not offer a lot of reading time.

Wow, we're finally getting some really, really nice weather. Yesterday was a gem, and today promises more of the same.

Hi Terri. Delurking to say that we are getting some of that nice weather, too. What a relief. Isn't it amazing how one's mood can be affected by the weather? You mentioned the wind rustling the leaves somewhere upthread. When I walked the dog yesterday after a cool morning shower, we were rustling through the drought-fallen leaves and it seemed almost autumn-like! We have trees that are so stressed by our summer's heat that they are almost leafless.

Enough of weather...back to books...and lurking. ;-)

119> here too!

Send some nice weather down my way, please!

*Running fast to catch up* Hi Terri, hope you are well. Glad you are getting some nice weather. My summer holiday has been pretty wet, cold, windy and miserable weather-wise - but I don't mind because I'm staying in a comfortable place where it's ok to simply stay in and read if the weather isn't promising.

Thanks for your review of the Tillich sermons. I'm sure I've got one or more of his books that I've picked up second-hand and meant to read, but as with far too many on my theology shelves, I haven't got round to it yet. It's helpful to have a flavour and to know that there is some good stuff among the 60s existentialism!

You have been reading some great looking stuff. At least my neverending wishlist didn't get added to.....because the books were already there!

120 Hi, Donna! The weather (and season) has a big impact on my moods. I'm loving this lovely weather. :)
Stop by and lurk or post any time on any subject!

121 Hi, Kath! *waves* Enjoy the weather! :)

122 Sorry, Stasia, we waited too long for this weather. We are not willingly sending it anywhere. ;)

123 Hi, Genny! Glad you're enjoying your holiday, despite the cold and wet. Sometimes those are the best days for reading!
Thanks for the kind words about the Tillich review. I wasn't sure if I expressed it quite right, but, really, some of his writing just sounds so sixties! And, too, I have to remember that he was preaching to seminarians. Even in the 60s, I'm not sure the average person on the street would have "got it." BTW, Tillich would have said "average man on the street" -- it really was jarring to my ear, though it shouldn't be. One of our churches still uses the "old, old" (2 hymnals back, King James English, pre-inclusive-language) hymnal. I don't change a lot, but there are a few places I can't stand where I edit my part of the liturgy. So far, nobody has complained (that I know of, anyway).

124 Hi, Carrie! I hope you have a great weekend!

I'm home on a long break, but have to go back in to work at the library to help cover a later shift for a co-worker who's out. It works out to very little extra work time (pay) but scheduled to do maximum havoc to my plans for the day. To make matters worse, when I was first asked to work extra, I bought lunch (for myself and my son who was with me) thinking I'd be working straight through, then the schedule got switched again for me to go home a couple hours. So I needlessly spent at least half the amount of extra wages I'll wind up with after taxes. Sometimes you just can't win.

#125: Sorry, Stasia, we waited too long for this weather. We are not willingly sending it anywhere.

Now that is just plain mean! :)

Just typed a longish reply but the page froze and I lost it. Something about non-inclusive language being more jarring in 60s and 70s hymns, liturgies and theology than when it occurs in earlier writing. I think because there are so many more references to (hu)mankind etc in 60s theology which became more concerned with justice issues etc, while still excluding half the human race linguistically. I do that on-the-hoof editing of liturgy too when I have to - or sing 'sister' instead of 'brother' for a change in a hymn...

126 I'm a meanie, aren't I, Stasia? ;)

127 Just typed a longish reply but the page froze and I lost it.
Don't you hate when that happens?

which became more concerned with justice issues etc, while still excluding half the human race linguistically.
Exactly!

BTW, Genny, I talked to my hubby about Gladstone Library. He knows that area quite well, as he spent a summer in Chester before we were married. I don't know if we'll ever get to England in the future, but if we do, Gladstone Library is definitely on my must-see list!

#128: Yes, you are. You heard it hear first :)

Gladstone Library is definitely on my must-see list!I'm glad to hear it! Indeed if you ever make it over here, I recommend it as a good place to stay - the rates are very reasonable compared to hotels, or even compared to most bed & breakfast accommodation, and you get a library thrown in as well as meals!

have a nice weekend Terri!

Hi Terri, just catching up.

129 Well, now I don't have particularly good weather to send you anyway, Stasia.

130 I checked out their website. Sounds great, Genny!

131 Thanks, Kara!

132 Hi, Bonnie!

Challenge Book #13 B
Title: The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood -- "enhanced" audiobook version
Author: Jane Leavy
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Genre: sports biography
Dates Read: finished 8/14/11
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No. Download from Overdrive via public library
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: All Stars
How does it fit the category? Hall-of-famers
Alternate Category:
Theme of the Month: Anything goes
My Rating: Not sure yet
Notes:

This is a tough one to review. Mantle was a complex character. He was an incredible baseball talent, whose impressive stats would have even been better if he hadn't played most of his career injured. He could be good-hearted and generous, but could be horribly crude and offensive. He was, in some ways, quite humble, but could be extremely selfish and thoughtless. He was a womanizer. He seemed to have no respect for women. Of course, his drinking was legendary.

He was also a childhood hero of the author. Trying to do him justice and be honest about him was a tough job for a writer. She opted for a somewhat non-traditional format focusing on key events in Mantle's life, rather than a simple chronological biographical narrative, which I found a little hard to follow at times. I think the audio format didn't help, because I couldn't just "look back" when I got confused. One minute we're at Billy Martin's funeral, and a bit later we're back at a point where he's still among the living.

I'm not sure what the "enhanced" part of the audio book was. Were the interludes read by the author, where she described her meeting with Mantle, in the original book? I'd need to see the print copy.

I was feeling rather disgusted with Mantle and mostly unsympathetic. Then Leavy explored the issue of the abuse he apparently suffered as a child. I thought she handled that delicate subject pretty well. In a society where the role of "victim" often seems reserved for females, I find it important to discuss the reality that boys -- "even Mickey Mantle!", it appears -- can be victims and that women/teenage girls can be perpetrators. Leavy makes a good case that Mantle showed a number of classic symptoms associated with survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Leavy also explores the significance of Mantle's relationship with his overbearing father; how he spent his life in a futile attempt to be what he thought his father wanted him to be.

This was a complex book about a complex man. Leavy doesn't attempt to excuse or justify Mantle's behavior based on his personal baggage, but she does try to understand it. I think the book is at least moderately successful in that regard. Unfortunately, the confusion generated by Leavy's "key events" format makes it difficult for me to recommend the book. I wish she had put her feelings for Mantle aside and written a chronological biography.

#134 Hi Terri. I'm about one-third of the way through my reading of the Mickey Mantle book. I don't care for the using highlights and skipping around business. Very confusing/distracting for me.

However, I do like how she tries to go back and prove or disprove certain claims, such as that tape measure home run he hit.

Unlike most baseball biographies, this is not an easy book to read.

135 Confusing and distracting, indeed, Linda. Not an easy read.

Personally, I found the extent of the tape-measure home runs investigation a bit overdone. :)

We just completed a pilgrimage to Cooperstown. Hubby and Sonny visited the Hall of Fame. I visited the Village Library and the used book store. I never saw so many baseball-themed books in one place in my life!!!!

#136 I'm jealous, Terri. Cooperstown is my dream vacation. I've never been there.

#137: Linda, Cooperstown is my dream vacation too. We need to plan a trip together! :)

Challenge Book #14 b
Title: The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome
Author: Jim Carrier
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001
Genre: non-fiction/ weather-maritime disaster
Subject: Hurricane Mitch and an ill-fated ship
Setting: the Gulf of Honduras
Dates Read: finished 8/15/11
Number of pages: 263 plus map
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Travel Day
How does it fit the category? Boats
Alternate Category: Fireballers, Rainouts...
Theme of the Month: Anything Goes
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

This was a fascinating book about an unconventional cruise ship and a hurricane which refused to follow the computer models used to predict hurricane development and path.

The Fantome was a floating party under sail. Well, it really depended more upon its engines for propulsion, but the sails looked good. It began life as the Duke of Westminster's elegant schooner for cruising the French Riviera. It was owned for a time by Aristotle Onassis, though he apparently never used it. It wound up as part of the Windjammer Barefoot Cruises fleet, owned by Mike Burke -- an operator who did things his own way.

A storm which began as 1998's Tropical Wave 46 eventually became tropical storm Mitch -- and then, with unexpected swiftness and ferocity, Hurricane Mitch, at the time the 4th most powerful Atlantic storm on record, one of those rare monsters known as a Category 5 hurricane. And Mitch was an exceptionally unpredictable storm.

The ship and the storm would encounter one another in the Gulf of Honduras, among the Bay Islands which rarely see powerful hurricanes. The ship would take evasive action -- but was there anywhere to run?

This book vividly evokes how the good-time atmosphere of the Fantome was replaced by a battle for survival; how hurricane forecasters struggled to make sense of what computer models said about Hurricane Mitch, compared to the storm's actual behavior; and the misery of residents of the Bay Islands and coastal Honduras as they were assaulted by a storm that was supposed to go somewhere else.

I thought the phrasing was sometimes a bit awkward, but for the most part this was a compelling, thorough, and evenhanded look at a real tragedy. I wish there had been footnotes, but the source of information was often indicated within (or could be inferred from) the text. There was no bibliography; the book appears to have been largely based upon interviews, the subjects of which are noted in the Acknowledgments.

#139: OK, into the BlackHole it goes despite not having footnotes - a fact I am sure that I will rail about should I ever read the book :)

That looks good..

Hi Terri, I've just come by to give you the link to the September Series and Sequels Thread. Hope to see you over there.

140 141 Hi, Stasia and Kath! Yes, I thought it was pretty good.

142 Thanks, Judy!

Challenge Book #15 B
Title: 33 Men: inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners
Author: Jonathan Franklin
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Genre: non-fiction
Subject: Rescue of 33 miners from collapsed mine after 69 days below.
Setting: Chile
Dates Read: 8/20/11 - 8/21/11
Number of pages: 307
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No; newly purchased from Borders going-out-of-business sale
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Fireballers, rainouts, steals, errors (disaster category)
How does it fit the category? Disaster; it was an error for that dangerous mine to even be in operation
Alternate Category:
Theme of the Month: Anything goes
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

This is a marvelous account of the 2010 Chilean San Jose mine rescue by one of the few journalists given "inside" access at the rescue scene. I read it in a day, as it was very difficult to put down. Franklin writes a compelling narrative, without sensationalizing the disaster. He provides information about aspects of the rescue not generally known, including the complexity of dealing with the trapped miners' health, both physical and mental. He comments thoughtfully on the media circus that gathered around the rescue site and the rescued miners. He also shows the role that politics played in how images of the rescue operation were controlled by the Chilean government, while giving credit for good decisions made by officials.

But the real focus is on the 33 men -- "Los 33" -- who were trapped 2,300 feet below the surface, and on the many rescuers who dedicated themselves to freeing the miners from their imprisonment deep in the mountain. I believe Franklin shows true respect for the miners. He acknowledges that there were some problems and divisions among the miners -- to be expected when 33 men are confined under extreme stress-- but doesn't point fingers or blame at individuals. When he names individual miners in the account, it is usually for praiseworthy actions.

Note: the book has no footnotes, but I would not expect any as it is based almost exclusively on the author's eyewitness experience at the rescue site and numerous interviews with the people involved.

I'm giving this book 4 stars. The rating probably would have been even higher, but in the book's Epilogue, "The Triumph of Hope," I felt that Franklin fell into spouting some of the very same "feel good" cliches and over-simplifications that he seemed to criticize the Chilean government for promoting, and glossed over some of the very difficulties that he'd spent a whole book documenting.

I caught a bit of a news segment this evening about the Chilean miners and the mental difficulties that they are having. It was very sad, a lot of phobias in dealing with close spaces and groups of people. They also have a lot of sleeping issues just to name a few. Thier goverment has stopped most of thier disability payments and in an interview with the president of their country he stated that life has bad things in it and they need to get on with their lives.

Good review terri! Hi carrie !

eta
When I went to thumb your review I tried the Oracle. It thinks I will LOVE!!
this book. I disagree.. :P I don't think it is my cup of tea..

145 I saw that. The author of the book I read was actually interviewed in that segment. The book came out too soon to document those difficulties, but he certainly predicted the likelihood that it would happen. And I think the president of Chile is a jerk for his response to the issue.

146 Thanks, Kath! (for the compliment and the thumb.) I'm sure it's not for everyone, Kath, but I couldn't put it down.

We've had the past week or so off, and have been traveling around a bit here and there. Everywhere I go, I seem to accumulate more books. I went to Cooperstown -- and visited all the used book vendors. I visited my in-laws, and there was a big Borders nearby having their going-out-of-business sale. There's a great used bookstore near my in-laws' house, too. Then I visited an old friend in NJ, a retired librarian, and after a visit of almost non-stop book chatter, walked away with a whole bag of books that she loaned me.

Then I stopped to see my brother, and the earthquake hit. The result of the weight of all those books shifting?? ;)

I'm making gumbo for supper with help from my "friends" from Zatarain's and a package of Andouille sausage. Every time I read one of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux books, I get a craving for Louisiana food.

Challenge Book #16 B
Title: In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead
Author: James Lee Burke
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1993
Genre: mystery fiction
Subject: murder and the ghosts (literal and figurative) of the past
Setting: New Iberia, LA
Main Characters: Dave Robicheaux; FBI agent Rosie Gomez; actor Elrod Sykes
Series: Dave Robicheaux #6
Dates Read: finished 8/23/11
Number of pages: 344
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No, from public library
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Phantom Players
How does it fit the category? phantom soldiers -- maybe paranormal, maybe psychological, maybe some of each
Alternate Category: Foul play territory, On Deck
Theme of the Month: Anything Goes
My Rating: 4.25 stars
Notes:

In my ongoing reading of the Dave Robicheaux series -- all of them, in order this time -- I've been looking forward to re-reading this installment of the series, which I read for the first time when it was new. The final third of the book, I simply read straight through and refused to put it down for something so mundane as going to bed at a reasonable hour. I was caught up in the mystery -- or mysteries. There are several -- that of a lynching which Dave witnessed as a youth, the remains of which have finally surfaced on the bayou; that of the murder of at least two prostitutes in modern-day New Iberia and environs; that of the phantoms Dave and those around him encounter. Ghosts? Dreams? Delusions? Hallucinations? All of the above? Burke is careful not to explain everything, but leaves room to explain away enough that the "ghost story" doesn't dominate the crime story, even while it illuminates issues involved. This is a great book -- gritty and grisly and beautiful by turns, giving lots of room for thought.

Today my son and I did a walk-through of my his school schedule for the first quarter, guided by his Autistic Support teacher. He is so excited about starting high school!

It looks like the hurricane won't really impact where we live, but I am worried about my brothers in New Jersey and Eastern Virginia.

Challenge Book #17 B
Title: Home
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2008
Genre: literary fiction
Subject: family estrangement and forgiveness
Setting: Gilead, Iowa
Main Characters: Rev. Boughton and his grown children Jack and Glory
Series: is a companion novel to Gilead
Dates Read: finished 8/25/11
Number of pages: 325
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No -- too new, purchased last week at a used bookstore
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: All-Stars, MVP's and other Awards
How does it fit the category? Orange Prize Winner
Theme of the Month: Anything Goes
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

I loved Gilead, which I bought last summer (or the summer before?) at a used book store and read immediately. Last week, I found Home, featuring the same town and many of the same characters, at the same used book store. I dove right in. Whereas Gilead focused on the Ames family of Gilead, Iowa, this book focuses on the Boughton family. It's about the homecoming of Jack, the "problem child" of the family. The style and tone are very different from Gilead. I honestly didn't like it as much as Gilead, though it was very well-written. And it really was quite moving.

I'm in the odd situation of reading two books by different authors that have the same title -- Nemesis. One is by Philip Roth, one is by Jo Nesbo. And LT's touchstone program doesn't seem to want to deal with this situation. It wants to provide one touchstone for the title, however many times it appears in brackets.

I'll have to try to finish one this month and one into September so that they eventually wind up in different months' lists of books. That should be fairly easy. Roth's book is a relatively short audio download from the public library with a one-week loan term. Nesbo's is a 400+ page chunkster I purchased permanently for my Sony Touch e-reader -- and I originally planned it for September Series & Sequels, anyway.

Adding 33 Men to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Terri.

You're welcome, Stasia! I hope you like it. Have a great weekend!

I hope you have a great weekend as well, Terri! Batten down the hatches if need be :)

Terri- I was a big fan of Home too and a bigger fan of Gilead. I also plan to get to Nemesis next month, that's top of the list.

I think I have Gilead here somewhere.. maybe it was you that inspired me? It was someone here..

What are they saying about hurricane and your weather?

Good reading, Terri! I am a great Robicheaux fan too, and *Electric Mist* may be where I stopped. More to read!!!! Stay safe and keep reading!!
(Does your son start school next week? Our kids went back yesterday. Time marches.)

That's annoying about the touchstones.

I started reading Gilead while I was on holiday, and was loving it. Didn't pick it up once back home but I have brought it with me on a long weekend away and hope to find a space to read more soon. I'm glad you enjoyed the follow up, even if not quite so much.

They made a movie of the Dave Robicheaux book In the Electric Mist, with Tommy Lee Jones playing Dave. Not great but not horrible either. You keep making me want to start that series, and I've seen a couple of movies on the books. I CAN"T START ANOTHER SERIES!

"I CAN'T START ANOTHER SERIES" is my mantra these days as well, but it seems as if every other book I pick up is the start of another series. I guess I should change my mantra to "I MUST FINISH SOME SERIES".

I have read some of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series, in fact I think I got to In the Electric Mist, I really liked the series and don't know why I haven't continued on. I guess I get sidetracked easily.

#159: I guess I get sidetracked easily.

The story of my (reading) life!

I hope everyone is OK with the hurricane. We seem to be too far west for it to be any problem here. I just checked in with my brothers, who are much further east, and they are OK.

Actually, we were away much of the weekend, staying with a friend and attending the NASCAR race at Bristol, TN -- also west of the hurricane zone. We actually had some very good weather, which made me feel a bit guilty. We were also in a zone where our cell phone carrier didn't seem to operate, and I didn't have internet access, either. I felt totally disconnected, and was surprised how much that bothered me. I think the hurricane concerns for family members were a factor in that.

153 Hatch-battening not an issue here, Stasia!

154 So far so good with Nesbo's Nemesis, Mark. But I am going to put it aside for a few days (I'm not into it too deeply yet) and continue in September.

155 I got inspired to read Gilead by someone else here, Kath. I cannot find the review that "sold" me -- I know it was from notes on someone's thread, maybe whoever it was never posted a review on the book's page. I was away most of this weekend, but the forecasts before and all I've seen of the weekend's weather since, the hurricane just didn't get this far west.

156 My son starts school on Tuesday the 30th, Peggy. It seems early to me -- I grew up going back after Labor Day -- but that's the way they always do it here.

157 Genny, I read Gilead on a vacation, too. I hope you find time to finish it!

158 I should take a look at the movie sometime, Mac. I can't imagine that it would be nearly as good as the book.

159 "I CAN'T START ANOTHER SERIES" is my mantra these days as well, but it seems as if every other book I pick up is the start of another series.
LOL! Oh, I definitely can relate to that, Judy! Or, worse, I keep coming across marvelous-sounding books that are way far along in series I haven't started yet.
I guess I should change my mantra to "I MUST FINISH SOME SERIES".
Me, too!

160 I get sidetracked so often, I don't know where the main track is!!

Is it just my perception or are there more series books out there these days
than there used to be? A marketing thing maybe?

164 Kath, I believe you're absolutely right!

I think so too!

Hi Terri!
been busy with RL so just trying to catch up :)
NASCAR race at Bristol, TN ?? lucky duck :)
did you have a blast?

Kara, I would have enjoyed it more if my favorite driver hadn't been 3 or 4 laps down. ;) It is an amazing track to watch a race at, though. And the cars look so striking under the lights.

Smoke was 3-4 laps down? I missed it on TV :(
Have been to Daytona a couple of times and you are right the cars are striking...all shiny and bright
and I found that, in Daytona anyways, it really is not that loud...and the rumble when they pass is cool :)

Who is your favorite driver?

My BIL and his family are huge NASCAR fans. Whenever I come over on a Sunday and want to watch football, they are always watching auto races.

They have a friendly nascar pool and I joined one year. I don't have a clue. It was pretty funny. I did amazingly well.

I heard Danica Patrick just moved from Indy car to NASCAR.

Challenge Book #18 B
Title: Nemesis (audio book)
Author: Phillip Roth
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2010
Genre: historical fiction / literary fiction
Subject: a crisis of faith and personal conscience during a polio epidemic and beyond
Setting: a Jewish neighborhood in Newark, NJ circa 1944; a Jewish camp in the Pocono Mountains
Main Characters: Bucky Cantor, playground director and phys ed. teacher
Dates Read: finished 8/29/11
Number of pages: N/A audio This book seemed rather short in length.
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source: Library download from Overdrive
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: I'm forcing it into the "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" category
How does it fit the category? Deals with an epidemic (there's a doctor or two) and the summer camp in the story has a Native American theme
Theme of the Month: Anything Goes
My Rating: 3.8 stars
Notes: Brilliance Audio production

In 1944, there was no vaccine or cure for polio (though treatments existed which helped, to some degree, many who contracted the disease). Indeed, though it was known to be highly contagious, the mechanism of polio's spread was not yet understood. As a result, all manner of theories abounded regarding the risks, leading to a general state of paranoia during outbreaks of the disease. Who/what was to blame for its spread? Flies? The hot dog vendor? A mentally-challenged neighbor? Contaminated library books?

This story explores the grim reality of urban life in a polio outbreak. However, it is even more the story of a man's grim battle with his own thoughts -- his fear, his conscience, his doubts, his guilt, and his anger at God -- in the face of a disease he cannot control and a World War in which he was deemed too nearsighted to serve.

Bucky Cantor is the neighborhood playground director, and he watches helplessly as his young charges begin to sicken and die of polio. The reality of the situation eats away at him as he ponders the opportunity to escape the inner city for work as a camp counselor in the Pocono Mountains, where his girlfriend Marcia works. What is his duty to his young charges at the playground? Is his playground a killing field of contagion, or an oasis from even more dangerous situations?

I listened to the audio version of this book (a Brilliance Audio production) and found some parts compelling, some parts a bit tedious, and some parts mildly curious (such as the description of summer camp life in the 1940's). Then there were the moments that left me with an "oh, no!" on my lips and a sinking feeling in my stomach as I anticipated what manner of disaster loomed ahead. In the end the biggest tragedy is, perhaps, less a matter of germs and twisted limbs, and more a matter of psychology and twisted thoughts -- because sometimes our mental state can stunt our lives more than any physical ailment.

Hi Terri, there you go again, tempting me with another Dave Robichaux book;-)

I'm just awful that way, huh Bonnie? ;)

I have Linda (Whisper1) to thank for making me aware of this lovely little book.

Challenge Book # 19 B
Title: Eyes of the Amaryllis
Author: Natalie Babbitt
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1977
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Subject: family loss and love
Setting: a home by the sea
Main Characters: Jenny and her grandmother
Dates Read: 8/29/11
Number of pages: 126
Off the Shelf? (pre-2011): No, from library
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Away game, travel day (cars, trains, boats, trains)
How does it fit the category? Jenny travels to stay with Gram; the sinking of a ship is important part of the history
Alternate category Fireballers, rainouts . . .
What is the theme of the Month? Anything Goes
My Rating: 4.1 stars
Notes:

How would you react if you stood on the shore and watched helplessly while a ship carrying a loved one was dashed on the rocks within your sight, and you could do nothing to help? Would you feel closer to your lost loved one by staying in that spot? Or would the place fill you with fear and anger?

Jenny goes to spend time with her widowed grandmother in a home by the sea, and is drawn into Gram's search for a "sign" of her long-lost sea captain husband. Jenny ponders, for the first time, the possibility of things that cannot be explained. This is a gentle tale is of mystery, imagination, and family love -- and I loved it.

Well, my son said his first day of high school was "awesome!" Hooray! :-D

My afternoon was awesome, too. I'm volunteering one afternoon a week, Tuesdays (when I'm not scheduled in at the Public Library), to work at the school library. Our district decided not to replace the middle/high school librarian when she retired in June, so the partition between the ms/hs media center and the elementary library has been removed, and it's been remodeled into one big media center for all grades -- with one librarian for the whole district. I figured that meant that the former Elementary School librarian had twice as much work as before. But now I'd say it's more like three times as much work, since she's still trying to complete the extra work involved in consolidating the two libraries. Anyway, she has some teachers scheduled in at times to help, but I figured she could use an extra hand so I volunteered. I had forgotten how good it felt to be a volunteer. (And I'm allowed check out an occasional book on my son's school library card.)

OK. I've created a "long list" of titles for September Series & Sequels. I can't predict how many I'll get to -- or in what order -- but here are some possibilities:

Sacred by Dennis Lehane
Dixie City Jam by James Lee Burke
Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill (new series for me)
We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews
Dancing Made Easy by Phillip DePoy
Red Bones by Ann Cleeves
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill (new series for me)
Charm City by Laura Lippman
In the Woods by Tana French (new series for me)
Wings to the Kingdom by Cherie Priest
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (new series for me)
Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett (new series for me)
Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter (new series for me)
The Body in the Kelp by Katherine Hall Page
Graveyard Dust by Barbara Hambly
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain (new series for me)
Cross Country by James Patterson
and whatever I need to read next in the Kathy Reichs series. Did I read Devil Bones? Am I up to Spider Bones? I lost track. I don't think I've read one since I started on LT. My listings here of what I've read are a guess on this series.

for non-fiction: The Civil War: Fredericksburg to Meridian by Shelby Foote (vol. 2 in his The Civil War: A Narrative trilogy

I also have an LT ER book to do: Trains of Discovery.
It's not a series or sequel, but I need to read and review it.

That's quite a list Terri! I am so torn by wanting to read Case Histories this month. It fits perfectly with the TIOLI Challenges, but I already have signed up for (I think) 18 books. Luckily most of my series and sequels for September fit one challenge or another. Going to be a busy reading month!

Props to you for your volunteer work as well.

Congratulations on a good first day at school for both of you! Bless you for volunteering, Terri! But, shoot! 2011 is going to disappear and I am not going to have started the first Shelby Foote! (I had forgotten.) Oh well.

177 Judy, I don't do TIOLI precisely because I know I'd tie myself up in knots trying to figure what to read.

178 Thanks, Peggy!
2011 is disappearing quickly, isn't it?

Hi Terri- That's a might to-do list for September! Wow, you have some amazing books on there, especially the Tana French and the Atkinson book. I also really enjoyed The Coroner's Lunch but have not yet continued the series. Good luck!

Hi, Mark! Thanks for stopping by.

One other thing -- I'm going to continue my "tradition" of reading a book in early September on the subject of / to commemorate the 9/11 attacks. This year, I think I'll do Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and Crew Who Fought Back by Jere Longman.

I am too "antsy" to sleep, and too tired to house clean. I feel like reading, but I don't feel like reading any of the books I'm currently reading . . .

I think I shall start one of my September "series & sequels" books a little early, accompanied by a glass of Peach Chardonnay.

I'll turn down all the lights except my reading lamp so I'm not looking at all the disorder I should be cleaning up (instead of reading) in my living room . . .

Ooooooh, goodie! I snagged an Early Reviewer copy of Midnight Rising: John Brown and the raid that sparked the Civil War by Tony Horwitz. That's the book I wanted most out of the August batch.

Last night, I settled in with one of Phillip DePoy's Flap Tucker mysteries, Dancing Made Easy, and a half glass of wine; then I switched to Rooibos (red) tea (which is caffeine free). Just what I needed. Fourteen chapters later, I was settled enough to turn in get a good night's sleep.

#183 Good news. I asked for that one, too. I didn't have a strong preference for anything this month and ended up asking for about 10 books.

I got a mystery that's the 15th in a long-running series set in Cleveland. I'm surprised since I've never read anything by Les Roberts.

I hope you like the mystery that you got, Linda. I don't think I've read anything by Les Roberts, either.

I have even more good news: Phillip DePoy has a new novel coming out in November! He's continuing his Fever Devilin series, which is his later (and better, IMO) series, with a book called A Corpse's Nightmare. I am actually considering pre-ordering this one. I really love that series!

Congratulations, Terri and Linda (and me!) on the ER ARC's. There were so many good ones in August after what I considered a bit of a lack-luster July that I wanted about 10 of them too. I just asked for one though, and I got it and I'm thrilled beyond saying. (Reamde) It better come! Soon!!

Challenge Book #20 B
Title: Dancing Made Easy
Author: Phillip DePoy
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1999
Genre: mystery (hard to categorize beyond that)
Subject: murder
Setting: Atlanta, GA
Main Characters: Flap Tucker, Dally Oglethorpe
Series: Flap Tucker #4
Dates Read: 8-30-11 through 9-1-11
Number of pages:292
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes, purchased from Amazon last year
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Foul Play Territory
How does it fit the category? murder
Alternate Category: On Deck
Theme of the Month: September Series & Sequels
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, series
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

Phillip DePoy is one of my favorite authors. I love the quirky characters, wry humor, literary allusions, and arcane knowledge that fill the pages of so many of his books. Who else would build a murder mystery using an art show, a Billie Holiday song, the CDC, and the death of Gerard de Nerval (translator of Faust) as elements?

When the body of a woman is found strung up on a lamp post, and the police initially call it a "suicide," P.I. Flap Tucker -- still mourning the death of his friend Jamie -- is on the case. Actually, he's on the case for Jamie's murder, too, since the police probably have the wrong man in custody. The case gets more bizarre as another body shows up.

This was a quick, easy read -- the murders ar a bit grim, but presented without too much grisly detail. Ultimately, the plot got a little convoluted -- it took a mini info dump at the end to tie up loose ends -- and one police detective's behavior didn't quite make sense, but I'm not going to quibble over it too much. These are not books to take too seriously -- Flap can be flip, and that's fine. If you'd like an offbeat and entertaining mystery, Southern style, give this series a try.

ETA to add DePoy's other series, the Fever Devilin series, has many of the same good qualities as the Flap Tucker series -- the originality, the quirkiness -- but they are meatier, with more food for thought and a more lyrical style -- some really beautiful writing, incredibly descriptive.

Terri, your volunteer library position sounds like fun. I miss being in the schools and am thinking along the lines of being a Reading Buddy in the local elementary school. Love those little guys! I'm glad your "big guy" had an awesome time in high school. I hope the good times continue for both of you.

Congrats on snagging the Horwitz book. I loved Confederates in the Attic! I only requested one book - and got it. It is Nightwoods by Charles Frazier. I really liked his Cold Mountain when I read it years ago. The second book (I forget the name right now) was a little disappointing so I hope this third one is better.

Donna, I loved Confederates in the Attic, too. If this one is anywhere near as good, I should be quite happy with it!

I am jealous of you getting the Horwitz book, Terri :)

Sorry, Stasia. :)

I'm halfway through Jo Nesbo's Nemesis, and enjoying it, though perhaps not quite as much as The Redbreast.

I'm abandoning my audio book, an historical fiction YA entitled Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood. It just isn't working for me. Too much romantic melodrama, and an unlikely (to me) piece of plotting that takes place the summer before the summer of the flood. (I gave up before I even got to the flood.)

SPOILER ALERT

could a teenager really manage to FAKE scarlet fever effectively enough to clear everyone out of a resort for a whole summer, even in 1888?

I am abandoning my audio book too. Must be the day for it :)

Terri- Congrats on snagging Midnight Rising! I'm also very jealous. Heck, I wanted to win a copy. I plan on reading (listening)to Nemesis for S & S. Glad you are enjoying it.

Hi Terri, well done for volunteering at the school library - I'm sure the remaining librarian will be very glad of your help, and it must be a satisfying thing to do too.

Even though I said I couldn't start another series, I am reading In the Woods now. Noticed it on your list above. Move it up the list. Very literate, well-written.

192 Odd coincidence, huh, Stasia.

193 Thanks, Mark. I just finished Nemesis -- I was a bit disappointed, but maybe that's just me. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

194 Thanks, Genny. I really enjoyed my first time there. It's only a few hours a week, but makes me feel useful.

195 That is one I really want to get to, Mac.

Now I've got to figure out what I want to say about Nemesis -- what I can say without spoilers.

Happy Saturday to you.

I'm adding Title: Men: inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners It looks like a great book.

Challenge Book #21 B
Title: Nemesis
Author: Jo Nesbo
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2002
Genre: Scandinavian noir mystery fiction
Subject: bank robberies, death, and revenge
Setting: Oslo, Norway
Main Characters: Inspector Harry Hole
Series: Harry Hole #4, #2 in English translation
Dates Read: finished 9-3-11
Number of pages: 409
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No. Recent e-book purchase from Sony Reader Store
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Fireballers, rainouts, steals, and errors
How does it fit the category? Opens with a bank robbery
Alternate Category: foul play territory, on deck
Theme of the Month: September Series & Sequels
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Part of series.
My Rating: 3 stars
Notes:

After being blown away by the intricacy and originality of The Redbreast, I was disappointed by this next outing. IMO, this one was beyond intricate and original -- it was convoluted and implausible.

Set against the backdrop of immediate post-9/11 calls for vengeance, reaching Harry in Norway via the world news, the ultimate theme of this book is the human thirst for revenge. In some ways, it was very satisfying how this theme played out. But there were problems. There were really two main threads in this story -- one initiated by a bank robbery shooting, one by the suspicious death of one of Harry's old flames. The first thread, I really liked felt was quite well done. The second was the one I didn't like. While it was extremely clever and it fit the theme of the book perfectly, I eventually found it to be too implausible. There is also a third thread about a corrupt colleague, continued from the previous book, which continues to be interesting.

Let me add one disclaimer -- one of my least favorite standard plots in all of literature is that of someone being framed for a crime. Early on in this story, I could smell a setup coming, so I was wary of this book from the start.

I give Nesbo credit for cleverness, and for keeping me turning pages to see how it would all turn out, even during the parts I didn't like at all. But, ultimately, this one didn't work very well for me. There were so many twists and turns, I kind of lost my way.

197 Good morning, Linda! I hope you have a great weekend. :)

Sorry you didn't like that one.. I like The Snowman, but decided not to follow the series.. and
I have no regrets.. new series keep showing up :P

I hope your next read is a better one for you, Terri!

200 I'll probably read another in the series eventually, Kath!

201 It was, Stasia!

Challenge Book #22 B
Title: Sacred
Author: Dennis Lehane
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1997
Genre: noir mystery fiction
Subject: searching for a missing woman and a missing PI
Setting: Boston and the Tampa, Florida area
Main Characters: Patrick Kenzie, Angie Gennaro
Series: Kenzie & Gennaro #3
Dates Read: 9-3-11 through 9-4-11 (early a.m.)
Number of pages: 288
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No, from county library
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Foul Play Territory
How does it fit the category? full of crime
Alternate Category: on deck
Theme of the Month: September Series & Sequels
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, 3rd in series
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

The high quality of this series continues. though this installment lacks some of the depth of previous volumes. This time, Kenzie & Gennaro are looking for the missing daughter of a billionaire -- and for the private investigator who disappeared while on her trail. In this story, nothing and no one is as it appears, and it's best not to trust anyone. This book was almost impossible to put down, as the plot twisted and turned toward its conclusion. In some regards, the ending was a little over-the-top; but I can't think of an ending that would fit the story (and the characters involved) better.

Lehane displays his usual descriptive virtuosity, giving a rich, spot-on sense of place and atmosphere without overdoing it. I especially enjoy the sections set in Boston because I know that city pretty well, and Lehane captures its essence flawlessly. The characters and relationship of Patrick and Angie really shine.

You are really doing well on the September Series and Sequels, Terri. I've only managed to get one under my belt so far, keep getting distracted by other books.

Well, Judy, I had gotten a head start on Nemesis and Dancing Made Easy in late August, knowing I'd finish them in September.

I've really been looking forward to this month!

I do have a couple things going that aren't SS&S. Right now I'm neglecting them, because I'm enjoying these series books too much.

Lots and lots of rain here. It's coming in our cellar. Somehow, our gutters have shifted out of whack and one is dumping water by the foundation instead of into the gutter that leads to the downspout. :( (Could the earthquake be responsible?)

I'm stuck 2/3 of the way through Kathy Reichs' Devil Bones. The mystery is OK, but the personal and political threads are annoying. Tempe seems to be in self-destruct mode, and I'm not in the mood for that.

Off now to vacuum the floors and clean the bathroom . . . . maybe it's time to abandon a book when I'd rather clean the bathroom than read?

Have a good day, everyone!

maybe it's time to abandon a book when I'd rather clean the bathroom than read? That does sound a bit drastic! Time for a new book, by the sound of it...

Genny, the only problem is, I do want to know how the mystery is solved. I'd just like to get there without all the other issues she's throwing in there.

I am happy as a clam that my latest ER book, Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War, by Tony Horwitz, has already arrived.

Oh well, I hope you can get through it quickly enough to get the ending without getting bogged down in other stuff. Good news on the ER book. I knew little about John Brown before being on LT, but I've come across a few mentions of him and that period of history in the last year or so. I hope it's a good book for you.

I was all set to abandon the book -- I even had marked it abandoned on my list -- but then I peeked ahead. It looked like the personal melodrama had peaked, the mystery was taking an interesting turn, and a favorite supporting character was going to make an appearance. So I read on, and it was (sort of) worth finishing.


Challenge Book #23B
Title: Devil Bones
Author: Kathy Reichs
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2008
Genre: forensic crime mystery
Subject: bones found in a basement, mutilated body found by a lake: ritual murder suspected. Public hysteria and witch hunt
Setting: Charlotte, NC
Main Characters: Temperance Brennan, Detective Slidell, Detective Rinaldi
Series: "Bones," Temperance Brennan #11
Dates Read: finished 9/9/11
Number of pages: 302 plus author interview transcript
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No, from public Library
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: On Deck
How does it fit the category? next in series
Alternate Category (ies): Foul Play Territory, Team Physician
Theme of the Month: September Series & Sequels
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Series
My Rating: 2.7 stars
Notes:

Tempe has two cases that appear to involve human remains and ritual. A Wicca coven meets near the site where the second set of remains was found. A conservative Christian councilman is mounting a witch hunt and clashing with Tempe, threatening her job. A pushy journalist is making things worse -- stirring the cauldron of emotion, so to speak. A detective is killed (and no, I won't tell you who).

This has to be my least favorite Bones novel, but I finished it. It was way too preachy in hammering home its worthwhile message of religious tolerance. While trying to undo stereotypes about practitioners of alternative spiritualities such Wicca, Santeria, etc. (teaching us that they're not Satanists and don't practice human sacrifice, which I already knew) Reichs seemed equally determined to reinforce secular stereotypes about Christians (as a bunch of intolerant, bigoted fools). I suppose it hit home because there are too many Christians who are that way, but it would have been nice if she'd thrown in a reasonable one or two along the way. Oh, the journalist was pretty much a stereotype, too.

There was much melodrama on the romance front and the political fronts, plus Temperance has trouble maintaining her temperance (throughout the series, she's been a recovering alcoholic).

When you pared it down to the mystery itself, it wasn't a bad read. I just got aggravated with all the melodrama and the stereotypes.

The nicest thing about it was the dedication -- it was dedicated to police officers killed in the line of duty.

Oh good, I'm glad you've got that one finished (and that it improved a bit towards the end); now you can move on to something more satisfying - what's next for you?

Hi, Genny! I just added comments on the book to my above post.

Next up:

To commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, I'm currently reading Among the Heroes by Jere Longman, about the crew and passengers of United Flight 93.

I'm listening to an audio of The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly.

I'm in the middle of a book about baseball, The Summer Game, by Roger Angell. It's a paperback that I'm using as my "carry in my purse in case I have to wait" book, so it's going slowly. (Life has been too hectic for much waiting of any kind.)

On the spirituality front, I'm reading Gerald G. May's Addiction and Grace. It's a re-read from seminary days, prompted by the problems of some friends and acquaintances. That's going a bit slowly, too, though it's quite worthwhile.

I've checked In the Woods by Tana French out of the library. But I do (hopefully) have an inter-library loan coming -- Midwinter of the Spirit, next in Phil Rickman's Rev. Merrily Watkins series.

Now I'm off to bake some goodies for a church bake sale.

I think I'd share your frustration with those stereotypes in Devil Bones...

Happy baking!

Hi Terri, some good reading here. I enjoyed the Tana French books and am looking forward to her next one.

I'm interested to see your take on Among the Heroes. I heard the bagpipes playing Amazing Grace at the memorial service on my way home from errands a little while ago and almost had to pull over.

212 Thanks, Genny!

213 The bagpipes are quite moving, aren't they? So many people have commented about that, so we're not alone feeling that way!

It's been a busy weekend, so I'm only about halfway through Among the Heroes. So far, mixed review on the writing, but worth reading due to subject matter and content.

I don't know how much was the book and how much was the general atmosphere of the 9/11 anniversary, but I had nightmares last night about plane crashes. I need to get through this book and go on to something unrelated for a while.

In The Woods was good!

I'm reading Faithful Place and liking it. I have seen some talk on the threads where people thought it was the worst one and the main character was blah! so far I'm liking his attitude :/

Hi Terri! drive-by hug

ditto what Richard said

215 I'm liking In the Woods too, Kara, though I'm just getting started.

216 Hi, Richard! Hugs back at ya!

217 Hugs to you too, Linda!

I finished Among the Heroes last night. Will post about it soon.

Challenge Book #24 B
Title: Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and CVrew Who Fought Back
Author: Jere Longman
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2002
Genre: non-fiction / history
Subject: The "fourth plane" hijacked on 9/11 and the passengers who refused to let it be used as a weapon
Setting: The skies over NJ and PA; a field in Shanksville, PA
Main Characters: all those aboard the plane
Dates Read: 9/10/11 through 9/12/11
Number of pages: 273 plus sources and index
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes, purchased at Abraxis Books, Daytona Beach, FL in January of 2010.
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: Cars, trains, boats & planes
How does it fit the category? plane
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? No, read to commemorate 9/11
My Rating: 3.4 stars
Notes:

This book tells the story of United Flight 93, the one hijacked plane which did not reach the destination its hijackers intended on 9/11. All indications are that the passengers and crew rose up against the hijackers, causing the plane to crash into an abandoned strip mine in Shanksville, Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

This book is hard to rate. The subject matter and content are great. I'm not sure about how the writing was carried out. Admittedly, it's hard to write a book about 40 people and their loved ones. And the Longman really tried to help the reader see what was happening from the point of view of the various participants, rather than just spouting facts about them. Longman is to be commended for helping us to get to know (at least a little) each of the folks on Flight 93 and many of their loved ones. It's an inspiring story.

But there were a number of places where I had to go back and re-read for clarity, and clarity was, even then, not always forthcoming. There were some odd punctuation and word choices. Because the author incorporated so many points of view, the book jumped all over the place time-wise.

The section about the hijackers' preparation for their horrific deed was worded quite awkwardly. (He based the discussion on surviving documents which the terrorists would have used.) Perhaps he felt uncomfortable writing about the hijackers, but the writing felt really awkward in that section. For that matter, description (based on standard airline procedures) of the flight crew's preparation was a bit awkward, too. Perhaps those early chapter showed, more than other sections, that this was a journalist relatively new to book writing. The back of the book included at least a paragraph for each chapter regarding sources, so I feel Longman could have let the narrative flow a little more smoothly in the main text and used the "sources" pages to more fully explain the sources of his info. I felt that the writing improved, for the most part, as the book went along.

All in all, it was a highly ambitious and worthwhile writing project, carried off moderately well.

interesting...

This is interesting to me for the same reasons it would interest anyone, as well as the fact that
I live in PA. I have read the speculation that this plane was actually shot down. To be honest, I
believe that is a possibility. I just don't believe anything government says anymore, and tend to
believe the worst. In this case, it is almost understandable, if they thought it was headed for DC to bring it down in a field.

On the other hand, I also believe that the people on this plane at least tried to bring it down. Whether they actually did, or the other is the truth doesn't matter. The facts seem to bear out that these amazing
people did step up and offer their own lives instead of risking many more and allowing the hijackers to have their way. I don't know if we will ever know what really happened to bring down this plane, but the deeper and more important truth is that these people were true heros.

As much as I don't like to think about that day.. I do honor those on flight 93.

Sorry, Kath, I don't believe the "shot down" scenario for a second. There would have been more widespread debris if the plane had been shot down. That plane went down intact until it hit the ground. Those who saw the plane immediately before it crashed, and the one witness who actually saw it go down, all say it was intact. All the debris was centralized around the impact crater, except for lightweight stuff that blew downwind. There were no other planes in the skies over the county at that point in time.

Plus, the government has already admitted that, if the plane had drawn close to Washington, they WOULD have shot it down.

ETA to add As for the "bringing it down in a field," please note that the plane crashed only seconds (by air) from a school with 500 people in it. I know people who were in that school that day. Scares the crap out of me to think about it.

It's one thing for the passengers and crew to bring it down there fighting off the hijackers, but I hope the government would have picked a slightly different spot if they were aiming for a shoot-down.

Terri, thank you for your thoughtful comments on Among the Heroes. Despite the clunky writing, I'll add it to my someday list. Maybe I'll read it next 9/11. I sort of liked commemorating the day in a special-to-me way.

As far as the other theory goes, I'm with you, but I don't blame Kath for being suspicious. We're lied to all the time by our leaders in Washington.

Enjoy the Tana French book. I also chose a mystery to "lighten up" after my 9/11 reading.

I don't blame Kath for being suspicious. We're lied to all the time by our leaders in Washington.

Amen! And Donna, we had a patron in the library the other day who thought the whole 9/11 attack was staged by our government to give an excuse to go to war. Kath's suspicions are quite tame compared to that! It's easier for me to feel certain that Flight 93 wasn't shot down because I know the area terrain, some property owners near the crash site, the local gossip grapevine, and area attitudes toward government BS. Anyone trying to start a secret government conspiracy of that nature would do well to pick a place other than Somerset County. :)

I had a short work day today, and I'm glad as it was hot in the library -- the AC seemed less than effective today, or maybe it's just hot flashes. I was glad to come home and turn on all the ceiling fans!

I found a wonderful (but rather pricey) tea in the coffee shop that a friend runs next to the library, and I splurged and bought a tin to make at home. It's an African red bush tea (Rooibos) with cranberry and orange. It smells absolutely heavenly. I'm just waiting, anticipating the very cool weather that is headed our way tomorrow to brew up a pot full! :)
And I'll probably need warm beverages, as the plumbing to our boiler has failed, and our heating/plumbing repairman isn't returning our phone calls. :(

And I'll probably need warm beverages, as the plumbing to our boiler has failed, and our heating/plumbing repairman isn't returning our phone calls

This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say we should be doing a better job encouraging high school students to go into the trades---have you had to pay a plumber lately?? That is if you can get him to call you back. There's a very good living to be made as a plumber, electrician, hvac man, etc.

I am a huge fan of Rooibos tea! I really enjoy it, glad you treated yourself... sorry about the boiler :P

I picked up Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and CVrew Who Fought Back. and plan to give it to my sister.. she will want to read it..

Bonnie, I definitely agree that we need more people going into the trades. Good plumbers and electricians are always in demand!

I hope you sister likes the book, Kath.

I am a little over halfway through In the Woods and can't keep away from it -- to the detriment of house cleaning, family, cooking, laundry, etc. It's a pretty dark read, a really compelling page-turner. This is a debut novel? I'm extra impressed! Back to reading now . . . I suspect I'll be up late.

Terri- Glad you are enjoying In the Woods. I loved it. Her books seem to polarize readers but I'm a big fan.

Good morning, Mark! I find French's writing very much to my liking so far.

Rainy morning here; I offered my son a ride to school, but he insisted on walking to and waiting at the bus stop. It's absolutely pouring now, but he should be on school bus by now. He loves being in high school.

I fell asleep with my face in the book In the Woods -- just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, despite my brain's desire to read on. French is dropping what are obviously intimations of disaster ahead, and I can't for the life of me think what the clues she's dropping are pointing toward, except that it's not going to be pretty.

I wish you lived a little closer, Terri. My nephew is a plumber and I would send him your way. :(

Thanks for the thought, Carrie!

This afternoon, I came home to a flashing answering machine. I was hoping it was the plumber, but it was my boss asking me to cover an extra shift. Oh, well, if we ever get hold of the plumber, it'll be easier to pay him.

On Monday, I had received an e-mail from Borders saying "Last Five Days" of their going-out-of-business sale, with prices up to 90% off. When I was in LaVale (MD) today for my bowling league, I stopped at the mall hoping to catch a bargain in the final gasp of the Waldenbooks there. But the store was already closed and gated. Our Waldenbooks is now gone.

#231 You bowl? I used to love to bowl. I was in my company league and also another.

Haven't bowled in years though.

I worked at Waldenbooks a hundred years or so ago.. loved it.

Linda, I've bowled in a league for a few years now, maybe 5 or 6? I've lost track. I'm not a very good bowler, but I enjoy it.

Kath, I would expect you to love working in a bookstore!

GLORY HALLELUJAH! The plumber is coming tomorrow morning to work on the boiler. Happy dance!! :)

Challenge Book #25 B -- my 100th book of the year! (and it was a good one!)
Title: In the Woods
Author: Tana French
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Genre: police procedural mystery fiction
Subject: murder of a young girl; a detective with a past; secrets
Setting: a village and archaeological site outside Dublin, Ireland
Main Characters: Detective Rob Ryan, Detective Cassie Maddox
Series: Dublin Murder Squad
Dates Read: finished 9-16-11 (early a.m.)
Number of pages: 429
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No, from Public Library
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: All-Stars, MVPs and Other Awards
How does it fit the category? Edgar Award winner
Alternate Category: Leadoff, Foul Play Territory
Theme of the Month: September Series & Sequels
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, first in a series
My Rating: 4.1 stars
Notes:

In the Woods was a great read -- suspenseful, literate, thought-provoking. I had trouble putting it down.

Detective Rob Ryan has a secret -- a terrible trauma that is even a secret from himself, because he can't remember it. Now he has a case that may -- or may not -- be related to that secret. A girl is dead, her body found in the midst of an archaeological dig. Is the murderer the same person responsible for the disappearances of two of Ryan's friends years ago?

In the Woods is a dark, complex story filled with vivid characters and settings.

In the Woods is a great read, isn't it. And a wonderful introduction to her series. I have read the first two and I am looking forward to reading Faithful Place next year.

Yes it is, Judy!

I've gotten through two more books. Here's the first one:

Challenge Book #26 B
Title: The Lincoln Lawyer (audio book)
Author: Michael Connelly
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Genre: legal thriller
Subject: somewhat sleazy defense attorney gets a dangerous case
Setting: Los Angeles
Main Characters: Mickey Haller
Series: Mickey Haller #1
Dates Read: finished 9/17/11
Number of pages: n/a (audio)
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Overdrive Media library download
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: "Doctor, Lawyer. . ."
How does it fit the category? Lawyer
Alternate Category: foul play category, leadoff
Theme of the Month: September Series & Sequels
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, series
My Rating:3.9 stars
Notes:

I got this book because there wasn't another audio download available that I wanted, but it was pretty good. I liked the narrator -- I felt he set the mood and captured the characters well. The story is clever and suspenseful and I didn't guess the ending at all.

The story begins when a bail bondsman calls Mickey to tell him about a client who wants to hire him for defense. The client is a wealthy man with powerful family connections who has been accused of attempted rape, but he insists he's innocent. It's a "franchise" case -- the kind that can bring in an lot of money for an attorney.

Mickey has another case in his past, a poor man who went to prison for life for a crime he said he didn't do, but it was an "open and shut" case that there was no way to win. Both these cases are about to put Mickey into a life-and-death situation that he could hardly anticipate.

This is a tricky series, as the next book, #2 in this series, is apparently tied into another series (the Harry Bosch series), where it is book #14; and I think it's tied to yet a third series, too.

Challenge Book # 27 B
Title: Midwinter of the Spirit
Author: Phil Rickman
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1999
Genre: paranormal mystery
Subject: A female Deliverance minister (exorcist) battles evil
Setting: Hereford, England and surrounding area
Main Characters: Merrily Watkins
Series: Merrily Watins #2
Dates Read: finished 9/18/11
Number of pages: 537 plus closing credits
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: No, inter-library loan
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: not sure yet
How does it fit the category?
Alternate Category:
Theme of the Month: September Series & Sequels
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, series
My Rating: not sure yet
Notes:

Merrily Watkins is an Anglican priest who has been asked by her bishop to train for Deliverance Ministry -- formerly, the position of Exorcist. Well, the modern, "trendy" young bishop wants to re-brand her as "Deliverance Consultant" complete with web page . . . in the meantime, and ancient evil stalks the environs of Hereford, and Merrily is landing right in the middle of it all.

I'm still pondering this one. I think Rickman sets a great atmosphere, and draws detailed and complex characters (though a few of them seem to border on caricatures -- albeit vividly drawn ones -- until near the end). And I think he tackles some really timely and difficult issues regarding spirituality and the "old church" vs. "new age" split and whether it can be bridged in some ways. He also tackles the issue women clergy face -- particularly in some settings. And he "gets" the subtleties of mother-daughter relationships and the conflicts that happen. But I'm still digesting the story itself. I'm not qiote sure what to think of it. It did keep me turning pages.

ETA to say the big issue in the book, I guess, is how we view Evil -- particularly, how the Church views Evil in this modern era. I mean Evil with a capital E -- not just petty little individual moral failings and breaking of the rules.

looks yummy

Kath, I'm not quite sure what you'd make of it. I'd actually be quite interested in your reaction if you were to read it.

Terri- I'm glad you loved In the Woods. I'm a big fan too! I also loved the Lincoln Lawyer. The film version is actually pretty good too! Unfortunately, I have not read much Connelly.

Congratulations on your 100th (plus) books for the year, Terri. I'm a Tana French fan, too. In the Woods interrupted my life for a few days while I was reading it. Good book choice for your milestone book.

I'm a sort of Merrily Watkins fan. I've read the first 2 or 3 and own another couple. I think that Rickman may be lightening up on the supernatural angle as these continue although I can't be sure since I haven't read the last few. Also making Merrily an exorcist tends to support the presence of the occult as fairly central. I'll be happy to see what you have to say if you come back to your notes.
I really liked *In Woods* too, but I haven't gotten to #2, much less #3.
100!!! GOOD for you! Congratulations!

241 Hi, Mark! I think I read one or two Connelly books a few years ago, but Lincoln Lawyer was the first in quite some time. Our library has the DVD -- maybe I'll check it out.

242 Thanks, Donna!

243 Peggy, my problem in commenting on Midwinter of the Spirit is that it's hard to make my point about different things that I liked / disliked without spoilers. There was one aspect in particular that I really felt worth noting (something I found negative that I didn't think was necessary to the story), but NO WAY to do it without a major spoiler. Thanks for the congrats!

Today I had to drive my son to Pittsburgh for a medical appointment. While I was there, we visited a branch of the Carnegie Library a few blocks from the doctor's office and signed up for one of their library cards. This gives me access to all their electronic lending resources, which may significantly increase my reading options.

I need to start a new thread, but not tonight. This will be the last book posted here, I think. The thread began with a Laura Lippman book, so the last book will be by her, too. Fair enough.

Challenge Book #28 B
Title: Charm City
Author: Laura Lippman
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1997
Genre: mystery fiction/ PI
Subject: A newspaper story in print that wasn't supposed to be; a vicious attack on Tess's uncle; a mysterious greyhound
Setting: Baltimore, MD, USA
Main Characters: Tess Monaghan, Crow, the editorial staff of the Beacon Light
Series: Tess Monaghan #2
Dates Read: finished 9/23/11
Number of pages: 291
Off the Shelf (pre-2011)? Source?: Yes, gift from a friend on LT
Category for 11 in 11 challenge: All Stars, MVPs and other Award Winners
How does it fit the category? Edgar Award winner
Alternate Category: Foul Play Territory
Theme of the Month: September Series & Sequels
Does it fit the Theme of the Month? How? Yes, #2 in series
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

This was a pretty good mystery -- really two mysteries, as the two threads in the story are fairly distinct. A politically-charged news story that was supposedly "killed" by the Beacon Light newspaper editors is resurrected by a computer hacker, and hits the news stands. Havoc ensues. Tess Monaghan, former reporter and fledgling PI, is called in to investigate. At the same time, Tess's uncle has been savagely beaten; his one request before losing consciousness is for Tess to take care of his new greyhound. But someone else seems to have a mysterious interest in the animal. The story is quite clever, and nothing is quite as it seems.

My main complaint in this story is that I figured out one of the main bad guys too early. But I never figured out quite how he fit into the mess until it was revealed.

Hi Terri, I have Baltimore Blues on my nook but haven't read it yet. I've read a few of Laura Lippman's stand alones and really liked them.

I think she's a pretty good writer, Joanne. And I really like the Tess Monaghan series -- the characters and the setting, as well as Tess's adventures.

OK, TIME FOR A NEW THREAD:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/124115

Y'all come visit me over there, hear? ;)