rosalita jumps a little higher in 2014

I’m Julia, back for my fourth year with the 75 Book Challenge. I have no idea what 2014 will hold, but for the first time I’m going to attempt a little *gulp* planning. When it comes to reading, I am a pantser not a plotter, so I am not at all sure I will be able to follow a plan when shiny new books start popping up at the library and in other people’s threads. You might want to grab a ringside seat for what’s almost certain to be a hot mess of a reading year. :-)

2014 Category Challenge:
To help me with my planning, I am also attempting for the first time this year a Category Challenge. That link will take you to my thread over in that group, but for the record here are my categories (based on the titles of Bruce Springsteen songs):
1. Brilliant Disguise — books by pseudonymous authors (read to date: 0)
2. Growin’ Up — young adult fiction (read to date: 0)
3. Be True — nonfiction (read to date: 0)
4. Book of Dreams — fantasy fiction (read to date: 0)
5. Highway Patrolman — police procedurals (read to date: 0)
6. Dead Man Walkin’ — books about the death penalty (read to date: 0)
7. It’s Hard To Be a Saint in the City — books set in New York City (read to date: 1)
8. Reason to Believe — books with a religious theme (read to date: 0)
9. Spirit in the Night — ghost stories (read to date: 0)
10. She’s the One — female authors new to me (read to date: 0)
11. A Good Man Is Hard to Find — male authors new to me (read to date: 1)
12. The Ghost of Tom Joad — books by John Steinbeck (read to date: 0)
13. Local Hero — authors with a connection to the Iowa Writers Workshop (read to date: 0)
14. Worlds Apart — books set outside the U.S. (read to date: 0)

Let’s see, what else?

My rating scale:
★★★★★ - completely enthralling. It enlightened or educated me in some way. I can definitely see myself reading it again. In short, a "keeper" worth buying.
★★★★½ - not quite perfect, but I will actively recommend this book to friends.
★★★★ - really great book with minor flaws, still highly recommended.
★★★½ - better than average but some flaws. Recommended.
★★★ - entertaining but probably forgettable, not worth re-reading. Recommended only for fans of the genre or author.
★★½ - readable but something about the story, characters or writing was not up to standards. Not recommended.
★★ - finished but did not like, and would not recommend.
★½ - some redeeming qualities made me finish it, but nothing to recommend.
★ - finished but disliked enough to actively attempt to dissuade others from reading.
½ - could not finish, possibly destroyed by fire (unless it's a library book)

Books Read ticker:

January
1. The Burglar on the Prowl, Lawrence Block. ★★★½
2. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, John Godey. ★★★
3. A Tan and Sandy Silence, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
4. A Week in Winter, Maeve Binchy. ★★★½
5. Cut To the Bone, Jefferson Bass. ★★★½

Hi, Julia!! Grabbing my ringside seat for the promised "hot mess of a reading year" I can't wait!!

Welcome back! Me too...

I like a nice hot mess now and then....

Hi Julia!!

Welcome welcome, Mamie, Jim, and Katie! Three of my favorite people all showing up together. I may go down this year but I'll go down in good company, at least. :-D

Love your challenges based on Springsteen songs and can't wait to follow your progress!

Settling in ringside with my popcorn and Coke...

Thank you, Mary! Knowing folks are following along is very motivating!

Carrie, so glad you could make it before the fur started flying. :-D

Hi, Julia!

Happy new year! Good luck with all of your reading challenges this year. All of mine failed in 2013. Oh, well! Here comes 2014 - just around the corner. :)

Here you are, Julia, gracious it's been a busy day. Twinkle twinkle little thread. See you anon.

I love that you plan to be a hot mess Julia! I'm heading over to your 2014 Category thread. See ya around!

Hi Julia! Wishing you some wonderful reading in 2014.

Julia - sorry I a so slow at getting over to your thread but sleep got in the way!

Some great categories for 2014. xx

#10 by SqueakyChu> Thank you, Madeline! I had so much fun thinking up the challenges that I don't think I really care if I succeed or not. In fact, I've not set any number goals for each category so even if I only read one of each, it will be a success! And yes, a new year and fresh start can't get here soon enough for me!

#11 by richardderus> Thank you for stopping in, Richard! Come back whenever you need a respite from the hustle and bustle of popular LTers. ;-)

#12 by luvamystery65> I'm not sure many people aspire to "hot mess" but I figured I might as well embrace the inevitable. :-) Thanks for stopping in!

#13 by RandyMetcalfe> Thank you, Randy! And the same to you.

#14 by PaulCranswick> It's not really a party until Richard and Paul show up, so I consider my 2014 thread officially christened!

Hey Julia! I brought my broom for hot mess clean up!

Hi Julia- I do not mind a hot mess! As long as it's an interesting one. I like your Category Challenge. Very creative.

I could have waited until Wednesday, to start my new thread, but you do get caught up in the excitement around here. I still have to close out my last thread, with a best of list and a brief summary.

Hi Julia - I love a good hot mess. Count me in! I'm trying to do some planning too, but it will probably get thrown to the winds before long.

#16 by Carmenere> Oh good, Lynda. I have a feeling we'll need that ...

#17 by msf59> Well, you did have to get the AAC set up as well, so you are totally forgiven. I'm sure that's a real load off your mind. :-D

#18 by porch_reader> So many fans of hot messes. You are all my mind of people! Amy, I have literally never tried to plan my reading in anything other than a very vague way, so it will be interesting to see how it works out. And if it doesn't ... oh well, I'll still be reading!

Checking in and marking my spot. Enjoy your 2014 reads.

Thanks for popping in, Lori! And I wish the same to you.

Hi Julia!! Great job on planning. I just don't have it in me to plan. Can't wait to see the hot mess.

Thanks, Monica! I'm not sure I have it in me, either — hence the high potential for hot messes. :-)

Oh how I love your category challenge. Not going to do it for 2014 but maybe .... later?

Category challenges are fabulous fun early in the year, and a pain in the posterior toward December, when the divergence between what I want to read and what I should read to fit into the categories grows and I can't figure out how to narrow it! I'm hoping that this year, by confining myself to shorter essays, I'll do better... :-)

Hi Julia!

Getting ready to lurk (and occasionally post) my way through your year, Julia.

Found and starred: :-)
Happy Reading, Julia!

Of course they're based on Springsteen songs! Good luck with your challenge! I failed the 12 in 12 a couple years ago, but I believe in you!

Also, for purely selfish reasons, I'm glad you decided to keep a rating scale of some sort.

Stopping by to delurk.. say hello & Happy New Year Julia ;) and star you..

#24 by AuntieClio> Stephanie, I only hope the actual reading and tracking is as much fun as the dreaming up categories!

#25 by Chatterbox> You sound like the voice of experience, Suz. I decided I wasn't going to set any goals for number of books read in each category, so if I manage to read one of each I'll consider it a success.

#26 by wilkiec> Great to see you, Diana. Happy Monday, if that's not too much of an oxymoron.

#27 by CDVicarage> I'm awfully pleased to see you here, Kerry. Lurking and posting are both highly acceptable activities around these parts.

#28 by Deern> Yay, Nathalie made it! That must mean you now have a 2014 thread? I'm off to find it right now.

#29 by DorsVenabili> Kerri, the category theme does have a certain ... inevitability ... about it, doesn't it? I am in no way setting myself up to read 14 in 14, as that way lies madness. As long as I get at least one in each, I'll be satisfied.

#30 by @mskeens> My newest LT friend! A very happy New Year to you too, Monica.

Starred, Julia. Looking forward to another great LT year!

Hi Julia - read on the Introductions thread that you'll be marking your half century in 2014. Same with me. Am going to have to come up with a corresponding challenge pretty soon. I'm impressed with your planned challenges. Good luck!

Jen

#32 by jnwelch> I am, too, Joe!

#33 by JenMDB> Welcome to my thread, Jen — we half-century ladies have to stick together! You should probably hold your admiration for my planning until the end of 2014, when we see if it worked or not. :-)

I love your 14 challenge categories, Julia. How many of each are you intending to read in the year? Or is that *gulp* too much planning so early in the year? ;-)

Caro, what I keep saying is that I have not set a number for each category and if I read even one for each I will consider the year a success.

What I keep thinking is that reading one a month from each category seems perfectly reasonable. Of course it does, on Dec. 30!

Hi Julia. Great categories! I am resisting any planning, but that doesn't stop me admiring everyone else's. I just know that once I have set up my categories my subconscious will find everything else more appealing!

Planning always sounds like so much fun to me at the end of the year when everyone is showing off their awesome ideas for the next year. But I know myself, and I hate being forced to do anything (even if it's by me, even if it's supposed to be fun!), so I resist. :)

I think it's great that you haven't put numerical limits on it, though - it increases the chances of succeeding, of course, but also the chances you'll still think planning was a great idea next year. :)

*waves* Love your category challenge ideas!

#37 by cushlareads> Cushla, I have to say that's my main worry. I have experienced that with Early Reviewer books that looked awesome in the list, and then when they showed up in my house I found I really resisted actually reading them on demand. I'm hoping I have a large enough variety in my categories that really almost anything I would be interested in reading will fit in somewhere.

#38 by ursula> I wonder if I'll still think it's a good idea by February, let alone the end of the year! :-D

#39 by leperdbunny> Thanks, Tam! Great to see you.

Hi Julia, I like your category challenge. I actually failed fairly miserably the one year I tried it. But I always admire everyone's creativity so good luck on completing at least some of it. I have you starred.

Hi Julia! Count me in as well. Happy New Year to you!

#41 by brenzi> Bonnie, I fear I had more fun creating the challenge than I will have trying to fulfill it!

#42 by AMQS> It's great to have you here, Anne!

I've been a little worried that having committed myself to a category challenge would remove the spontaneity from my reading, but this morning I've had an indication that's not necessarily the case. I signed into the library's website to check on my holds and found an ebook that fits my category for books set in New York City: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. It's about a gang who take a NYC subway train and all its passengers hostage for ransom. I've heard of the movie (there may be a couple of versions, actually) but I didn't realize it was based on a book (and I haven't actually seen the movie although it's in my Netflix queue). So there's my first read of 2014 all sorted!

#44 - Look at you! Champ! I do think that, wisely, your categories are quite broad. Mine always tended to be very narrow, which caused problems. However, I love lists and challenges, so I've just made everything a life-long challenge. That seems to have solved my problem.

Hi Julia, thanks for stopping by! Your category challenge looks great - broad enough that I bet you'll be able to fit lots of your spontaneous reading into your categories. And with my Iowa connection I'll be curious to see who you read with the local hero category. I read Abraham Verghese's Cutting for stone a year or two ago and liked it a lot.

#45> Kerri,life-long challenges are good, too! And since they are never really done, you'll live forever!

#46> Thanks, Ardene! I thought about making the Local Hero category authors born in Iowa, but wasn't sure there were enough of them I would actually want to read. "Cutting for Stone" was wonderful! We must have read it around the same general time frame.

Cool! Your first book for the year all picked out and it fits!

Dear Julia, I wish you a happy, smooth, productive, satisfying 2014 --- and .....

#48>Thanks, Cushla! I'm going to try hard to finish up one last book in 2013, but tomorrow I'll be diving into that one.

#49> Oh isn't that lovely! Thank you, Peggy. And I wish the very same for you and all of the folks on LT who bring joy and laughter and piles of books to my life. I love you all!

Hi Julia! Love your new thread. Wishing you all the best for a great reading year in 2014. I'll be following you with interest.

I have you starred, Julia! I haven't read Pelham 123 but a few coworkers did back when the movie came out and praised it.

Julia, just dropping by to star your thread.

Happy New Year Julia!!

Miss Julia, your thread is hopping! I will be anxiously awaiting your opinion of the Pelham book - I love reading the original novels for movies. Always looking for new candidates.

#51>Thank you so much, Becky! I hope it's a great reading year for all of us. I saw on your thread you are reading The Goldfinch; that one is on my 2014 reading list for sure.

#52>Oh, that's very reassuring, Kathy, thanks!

#53>Happy New Year, Rhian!

#54>Same to you, Monica!

Well, look who snuck in while I was typing! Kathy (up there in #52) says it's good so I'm hopeful. It is fun to compare books and movies, isn't it? Sometimes they are very alike and sometimes you can hardly recognize the book when you watch the movie. Happy New Year, Mamie!

Deliberately not adding New Year wishes just to swim against the tide.

Hi Julia. Stopping by to add a star in hopes of following you more closely in 2014. Your challenges look interesting and I agree with those who have suggested that broad categories are better. Or easier, in any case. I've given up on specific challenges for myself and leave it to participate in other people's challenges - ha!

Happy New Year, too!!

#58>Thank goodness! All this relentless holiday cheer was really starting to wear me down. :-)

#59>Thanks, Ellen! I hope I'm interesting enough for you. If you need a challenge fix, you an always suggest books to help me fulfill my challenges — it's always fun to tell other people what to read, don't you think?

Love your categories! Stopping by to plant a star.

Welcome, Suzi! Happy New Year to you.

Hi Julia, Happy new year my dear.

And the same to you and your family, John!

Hi Julia, Happy New Year to you! I finally made a break from 2013 and joined in on the new year's fun.

I admire anyone who can actually plan their reading and your challenges look to be pretty interesting!

Happy New Year Julia! Hope you have a great 2014!

#65 by @coppers> Thanks, Joanne! I'm so glad you are here! We'll see how the challenges go; I think they are interesting, too, but will I still think that in June when I really want to read something that doesn't "fit"?

#66 by ChelleBearss> And a Happy New Year to you, Nate, Jax, Tempe, and the Bearss-to-be!

Hiya, hot mess!!! Lol... Love it! Here & looking forward to seeing what 2014 brings. Love your categories, by the way. :)

Happy New Year, Julia! Hugs! You have lots of friends! Aren't you special?

Julia - It was wonderful keeping up with you in 2013 and I'm sure that 2014 will be a special year for you and yours.
Happy New Year dear lady!

Happy New Year, Julia. Have a wonderful reading-year.

Happy New Year Julia. Have a great 2014!

Happy New Year, Julia! I'm looking forward to following your reading this year!

Found you and starred you. Thanks for coming over to my thread and your input on ratings. Happy 2014 from another Springsteen Fan (Marianne). "If I Fall Behind, Wait For Me"

Happy New Year, Julia!

Happy New Year! Dropping by and leaving a star.

Happy New Year Julia!

Your categories are so interesting, I can't wait to see what you pick!

Just stopping in to wish you a very Happy New Year!

#68 by TinaV95> Tina, I am SO ready for a new year. Thanks for supporting me in my madness.

#69 by msf59> Mark, I am not special in any way, but I certainly am blessed to know some special people like yourself! Thanks for hanging around.

#70 by PaulCranswick> I hope 2014 is splendid for all of us!

#71 by @JustJoey4> Thank you, Monica! I'd like to be on that boat right now.

#72 by SandDune> And the same to you and yours!

#73 by scaifea> Thank you, Amber! I hope I can make it worth your while.

#74 by michigantrumpet> Happy New Year to my newest Bruce buddy!

#75 by swynn> And the same to you, swynn!

#76 by Samantha_kathy> So good to see you here, Samantha! Happy New Year to you.

#77 by UnrulySun> Thanks, Kathy! I can't wait to see what I pick, either. :-)

Thank you, Mary! And the same to you.

Happy New Year, Julia! Going to try and keep up with you this year.

Happy New Year, Julia!

#81 by MickyFine> Thanks, Micky, and the same to you. Fortunately, keeping up with me is slightly less daunting than keeping up with Mr. Cranswick or Mr. Derus. :-)

#82 by jnwelch> Thanks, Joe! I hope the snowstorm isn't so bad out your way. We don't seem to be getting too much, thankfully.

Well, it took less than 12 hours into 2014 before I managed to purchase my first book of the year: The Rosie Project is a Kindle monthly special over at Amazon. I've heard lots of good things about it, and it does fit two of my challenge categories: #11 (A Good Man Is Hard To Find, male authors new to me) and #14 (Worlds Apart, books set outside the U.S.) So I guess you could say I had to buy it, right?

Planning? I've given it up. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Julia! I'm looking forward to another great LT year.

Happy New Year Julia. I hope 2014 finds you happily ensconced in one tome after another. Does anyone here wish for anything else? haha

#85 by qebo> I've never been big on planning my reading so it will be interesting to see how long it lasts!

#86 by RebaRelishesReading> Thanks, Reba! Maybe this is the year we will finally meet while you are on your way to or from Chautauqua. That would be great.

#87 by brenzi> Yes, Bonnie, we all want the same thing for each other that we want for ourselves: great books, and the time to read them!

Julia, the best of good books to you in this new year of infinite possibilities. Good luck with keeping up with two threads. How clever using Bruce Springsteen songs as categories. And congratulations on buying your first book of the year. Jump right in!

I love your category challenge topics! I am going to join that group this year, and am just sorting out my categories now (and finding it difficult too, btw!). The theme seems to be music, and coincidentally I was going to link my choices to the NZ band names....but, as I said. It is hard.

Happy New Year.

#89 by Donna828> I am quite nervous about keeping up with two threads, Donna; I had enough trouble with one last year! As far as buying the first book of 2014, you might have noticed that there is no list of "Books Acquired" at the top of this year's thread! I decided I'm better of not knowing. :-)

#90 by @Ireadthereforeiam> Megan, that sounds like a great idea for a challenge theme. I know what you mean about hard; it took me forever from the time I first got the idea to when I finally nailed it all down, found all the photos, and found all the links to YouTube videos to match. Exhausting, but fun! Let me know when your thread is up over there and I'll come visit.

Here's what I'm currently reading:
 

Challenge #7 It's Hard To Be a Saint in the City (books set in NYC) and
Challenge #11 A Good Man Is Hard to Find (male authors new to me)
 

Just for fun, and to finish out a series re-read I started in 2013.
 

For Mark's American Author Challenge: Willa Cather (January)

Earlier Kerri posted an image of Woody Guthrie's New Year's resolutions, or "rulin's" as he called them, which were great. I came across this image of Johnny Cash's resolutions on Twitter, and thought it deserved a spot on my thread to help those of us who are still trying to put together a set of goals for 2014:
 

 
I've got #4, 5, 6, and 8 pretty well sorted.

#93 - Ha! Those are good too! Oh, Johnny. I would call those attainable goals.

I'm hopefully starting Death Comes for the Archbishop today as well.

Kerri, I saw over on your thread that you are being pelted with snow. You have my deepest sympathies — unless you're one of those weirdos lovely people who love winter and snow, in which case you have my congratulations. We were lucky to only get 3 inches or so.

#95 - No, I sort of hate it, although I keep meaning to take up cross-country skiing, so at least I can find some way to embrace it. It is nice to have a snow day though.... My dream is to live somewhere where it's not such an issue. I'm a fan of mild climates.

I would love to be able to move south for the winter and come back north the rest of the year. Short of winning the lottery, that's not ever going to happen, though.

Second purchase of 2014: The Shining Girls, today's Kobo Daily Deal that fits Challenges #4 (Book of Dreams, fantasy) and #10 (She's the One, female authors new to me).

Third acquisition of 2014: The Barkeep, available to Amazon Prime members as a pre-release freebie. Works for Challenges #11 (A Good Man Is Hard to Find, male authors new to me) and #13 (Local Hero, authors with a connection to the Iowa Writers Workshop).

You had 99 posts before I found you!? Good lord!! :)

Hi, Julia - starred so I don't lose you again!

Thank heavens Liz made it over here! Yes, 99 posts but you'll notice most of it is me talking to myself today. Slow day at work ...

Know all about THAT. :)

Hi Julia! Wow, it's busy over here. Wishing you a very pleasant new year, with lots of good books. Thanks for being such a constant voice of cheer in my 2013. I'll do my best to repay the visits this year. :)

#102 by lyzard> I don't know about you, but I just tell myself that my insights are so jaw-droppingly perfect that people just don't have anything to add. :-D

#103 by beserene> Sarah, I hope you know you are welcome to come back any time at all, and I can assure you that it will not stay this busy around here. I am not one of the 75er stars, just a hanger-on. I enjoy reading your reviews AND looking at pictures of pandas, so I'll be stopping in as long as you'll have me. :-)

>104 rosalita:: My dear, you are entirely welcome at my thread, always. Thank you for the kind compliment. And who says you are not a star?! In the immortal words of Annie Lennox (and Tim Wheeler), "you are a shining light." And I am starring your thread. So there you go.

Found you, at last! Happy New Year, Julia.... okay, happy 'belated' new year but the intentions remain genuine. :-) I am looking forward to following your 2014 reading and pretty much anything else that crops up on your thread.

Johnny Cash's list of resolutions did crack me up.... I like how he made sure resolutions #2 and #3 were in the correct order!

#105 by beserene> Aww, you are too sweet! Must be the flu talking. ;-)

#106 by lkernagh> I'm sure happy to have you here, Lori! I like those resolutions, too.

Julia- I've also heard good things about The Rosie Project. I've been looking for it on audio. Have a nice Friday.

Hey there, Julia! Looking forward to your thoughts on Death comes to the Archbishop, that's a Cather I may want to read some day.

#108>Thanks, Mark! I remember Ann from BotNS really liked it, which piqued my interest considerably.

#109>I'm hoping to start it soon. Everyone seems to agree it's their favorite Cather, so I have high hopes.

Yes, Julia, I'd love another Iowa City meet-up. We'll see how things go.

I think you are a star, Julia, so there.

Mamie, if there's one thing I know it's my own limitations. I am totally OK with not being a star! Although you are so sweet to say so, anyway.

Late, late, late, but Happy New Year!

I didn't know about that free book for Prime members, so thanks for the tip! I also picked up The Barkeep and have signed up for the monthly email :)

Honestly, I don't think that you can be objective about it, dear. I'm telling you that you are a star. Let's see:

bright: check
luminous: check
incandescent: check
perform brilliantly or prominently in a particular endeavor: check
an outstandingly good or successful person or thing in a group: check

Yep. You're a star.

#114> Katie, they just started this a month or two ago, so you haven't missed much. It's a nice little perk to add to something I was starting to wonder if I really needed anymore.

#115> Mamie, words fail me. Who needs to be the most popular if they've got YOU in their corner?! Consider yourself hugged.

And since it's the third day of the year, I'm going to report on my third book acquisition of 2014: Love Thy Neighbor, the Free Friday selection from Nook. It has a whopping 5-star average here on LT (although only a handful of reviews so take that with a grain of salt).

I swear, I really don't intend to acquire a new book every day this year. It only seems like it. (Now I feel like Jessica Rabbit: "I'm not bad; I'm just drawn that way!")

Julia - I love Johnny Cash's resolutions, and I didn't know The Rosie Project was on sale for Kindle. Thanks for that info. It has now become my first book acquired for 2014 too!

I loved the Johnny Cash notes too, Julia. Amongst my earliest recollections are singing along in the back of the old man's Ford Cortina to Johnny's two Greatest Hit compilations on 8-Track cartridge. CD age and I have bought up virtually all of his back catalogue and there isn't a month goes by without me listening to something of his. (Picking up Songs of our Soil as I cease typing).

Have a lovely weekend.

Cool challenges! I know what you mean about being required to do something, though - I love cross-stitch, and for a while I was being a ghost-stitcher (paid to finish projects crafters couldn't manage). Hated it. Even the projects I would have done on my own felt awful with a deadline attached. But (at least) one per category sounds doable - you may find you've done it by accident, even.

It might be the flu talking, but I have bronchitis, so it might not. :D

Great resolutions abound here. I am resolved to visit more often.

PS: youareastarsothere

#117 by porch_reader> Yay to Amy for snagging "The Rosie Project". Let me know if/when you decide to read it; maybe we can have a mini group read.

#118 by PaulCranswick> I just love Johnny Cash. The first album I ever bought with my own money was one of his, "A Thing Called Love," in 1973. And the first concert I ever went to was Cash and the Carter Family, performing at a minor-league baseball stadium in Davenport, Iowa (must have been about 10 or 11 for that one). One of the highlights of my journalism career was getting to interview him prior to another concert he did in Davenport back in the 1990s, when he was still pretty hale and hearty. The kindest, most gracious man who patiently endured my stupid questions.

#119 by jjmcgaffey> Jenn, deadlines can suck the joy out of pretty much anything, although when I was a reporter deadlines were the only thing that could get me past my natural tendency to procrastinate, so I guess they are not all bad.

#120 by beserene> D'oh, Sarah! I don't know how I managed to get the impression you had the flu. Well, bronchitis has also been known to cause hallucinations and delirium, too (said the non-scientist). :-)

Julia - how cool is that? You interviewed Johnny Cash! Wow and wow.

Paul, it's one of my (very) few claims to fame. :-)

Morning Julia! I am with Paul, very cool that you got to interview Mr. Cash. He's one of my heroes too. Was this around the first of the American Recordings?

Mark, it was in June 1994 (I just looked it up), so just a couple of months after the first "American Recordings" album came out. It was the full Johnny/June/Carter Family show, so while he certainly performed some of the new songs a great deal of the show was focused on his most famous songs. I love that first AR album, by the way. i listen to it quite a bit.

Well I gonna put it on right now!

And I will join you so we can be connected across the thousands of miles that separate us.

Wow is right that you got to meet and talk with him! Amazing!

1. The Burglar on the Prowl, Lawrence Block.

This book fits Category Challenge #7: It’s Hard To Be a Saint in the City (books set in New York City)

Bernie Rhodenbarr, gentleman burglar and antiquarian bookseller, returns in the 10th installment of Lawrence Block’s lighthearted mystery series. All the classic elements of a Burglar book are here: witty repartee between Bernie and lesbian dog groomer Carolyn Kaiser, his best friend and occasional henchperson; being falsely accused of a crime by Ray Kirschmann, the best cop money can buy; a string of coincidences long enough to choke a giraffe; and a complicated but mostly convincing denouement that leaves Bernie both in the clear and with more money than he started. Not the best book in the series, but more than satisfying.

2. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, John Godey.

This book fits Category Challenges #7: It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City (books set in New York City) and #11: A Good Man Is Hard to Find (male authors new to me)

What happens when four men hatch a daring plot to take a New York City subway train hostage, demanding one million dollars ransom for its passengers? Will the city agree to pay the ransom? Can the police figure out how to stop the criminals without risking the lives of the 17 passengers? Even if they receive the money, how on earth does the gang think it can escape from a subway tunnel that’s crawling with cops both above and below ground? John Godey’s 1973 novel offers up an original caper at the heart of a novel that captures very well the cultural vibe of its time and place. Unfortunately, there seems to be something essential missing from what should be a pulse-quickening suspense story that leaves the end result somewhat short of excellence.

Perhaps it’s Godey’s choice of telling the story from the points of view of a plethora of characters: each of the four criminals, an undercover cop who is on board the hijacked train, the flu-stricken mayor and his chief of staff, a half dozen or so cops and and equal numbers of Transit Authority officials and hostages. Godey switches the viewpoint rapidly among them in short little passages that were never really long enough to build tension. Even worse, the short vignettes don’t allow the reader to get to know each character. Several times I would read the subheading that was simply a name and have to stop and think about which character that actually was. Perhaps to compensate, Godey gave each of them one or more very distinctive characteristics that leave them seeming a bit cartoonish. (Part of this exaggerated sensation might also come from the very dated feel of the novel; it probably didn’t seem so over-the-top to a contemporary reader.)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is not without its strong points, however. Godey effectively portrays the societal tensions of the time period between blacks and white, between squares and hippies, between elites and working class. In particular, the passages featuring the mayor, while almost entirely extraneous to the plot, give Godey a chance to wax cynical about politicians. Several of the characters exhibit the sort of casual racism that barely merited a raised eyebrow back then, which Godey does not overtly condone or condemn. Nor does he settle for stereotypes in his characterizations. There are black and white racists, there are black and white heroes, some of the racists are also heroes. And the gang’s plan for escaping the tunnel was both clever and plausible.

In the end, though, the story never developed the sort of suspense and tension that makes a reader compulsively keep going to find out what happens next. I found it all too easy to put the book down after reading a chapter or two, and while I remained interested in what would happen next I was never in much doubt about the general way things would end. There have been at least three film adaptations of the story, though it’s hard to imagine how the book’s extensive interior monologues were presented in a cinematic way. I suspect the films took significant liberties with Godey’s presentation if not his plot. I’d still like to watch the 1974 original (starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, and Martin Balsam), if not the 2009 version starring John Travolta and Denzel Washington (though I do love me some Denzel). In short, I’m glad I read this novel. Even if it fell considerably short of a classic suspense tale, it was reasonably entertaining and interesting for its depiction of early 1970s New York City.

The original film of The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 is fun. I think I saw the re-make though I tend to try to avoid John Travolta films. I probably only watched it for Denzel ;-)

Two nice reviews, Julia! Two! Now I have got to get busy and finish a book. You have me wanting to get to those Lawrence Block books - I bought the first several of those in the Kindle sale, but I have yet to read one of them. And bummer about The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 - I had high hopes for that one. Your review is definitely thumb worthy - did you post it?

#131> Katie, I think Denzel definitely trumps Travolta for me. I'll have to look for the original version, but it's not on Netflix Streaming so it might be a while.

#132> Thank you, Mamie! I had a burst of productivity this morning after waking up at 5:00 a.m. On a Saturday! Who does that? Not me, usually. I did just post the "Pelham 123" review; thanks for reminding me to do that!

Oh, thanks for posting it - I have applied my thumb!

Thank you! I love thumbs. :-)

>93 rosalita: great to do list!
I am off to see an all girl Johnny Cash tribute band this afternoon (called the Jonnies, I think). Every summer the City Council puts on "Lazy Sunday events where a band plays in the Botanic Gardens, under the sun, amongst the trees and flowers. It is a lovely setting, the kids will enjoy, and I will bring food to round it off.

I think you must know that my Category Challenge thread is up and running, seeing as you have visited me there, so I wont bring that up needlessly. *woops*

>130 rosalita: the story never developed the sort of suspense and tension that makes a reader compulsively keep going to find out what happens next.
Perversity warning: I actually like this in books. I resent being led along being dropped crumbs of info just to keep you reading. I guess this is why me and thrillers (or is it suspense?) don't get along. I like a gently unfolding story. BUT in saying that, I have an out of genre category over on the other group, and will read some thriller/spy books just to see :)

Nice review, btw!

#136> An all-girl Johnny Cash tribute band sounds awesome, actually, and the setting sounds even better.

I decided not to wait for you to come back to visit me with the news about your challenge thread. I am a bit impatient so far this year. :-)

I know what you mean about not liking to feel manipulated into a sort of false suspense. But this book was still pretty cryptic in the way it unfolded in bits and pieces, mostly due to the way the viewpoint jumped all over the place every few paragraphs, so it was kind of the worst of both worlds, I guess. But you should read it anyway because you might like it a lot better than I did. And I did like it, I just didn't love it.

It sounds as if The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 worked better as a film than as a book -- I've heard good things about both versions.

#40 -- ER books -- this month I'm waiting very anxiously to learn whether I got one. I really really want to read any one of the three I requested - -one is the latest tome by Sharon Penman about Richard the Lionheart, another is the new Alex Berenson suspense novel and the third is a book about trying to escape the Internet "we know everything about your life" shadow by a former colleague, Julia Angwin. Fingers crossed.

Gorgeous gorgeous pink-tinted sunset sky outside now. And yup, it's only 4:30 p.m. Sigh. This is what I most hate about winter.

Suz, I went to my ER "Books Requested" page and it indicated I had won a book in December even though the announcement hasn't been made yet. You may want to take a peek ...

Interesting. I've never read the book, but loved the first movie. Or seen the second movie.

I haven't heard anything one way or the other, and there is no indication on my page that I've won. I wonder if I didn't win or if the script went awry.

Hi Julia!

C-Team members unite!

Anyway, I love Johnny Cash too and he's one of the few country artists that Joe will listen to. The American recordings are good. We play "Nobody" a lot in this house. How cool that you interviewed him. That was after he cleaned up, right?

We have a family story about Johnny Cash. When I was about 5 and my brother about 3, my mother's parents picked us up from my father's parents' house. It was about a 4 hour drive between their homes. In one if the small towns in southern Indiana, my grandmother suddenly said "Oh look, there's Johnny Cash!" The rest of us looked but didn't see him so we asked where we should look. She said "Over there at the Union 76 station." There wasn't a Union 76 station in sight. My grandmother talked in her sleep. :) Even though my brother was really young and his childhood memory isn't as good as mine, he still remembers this!

That Johnny Cash new year resolutions made me smile. :)

I'd never heard of Block's Burglar series, but that seems like something I would enjoy. Great, another BB and the week isn't yet over. Curses!

Well, thus far my ER page isn't telling me that I've won anything... I always request something -- why not?? -- but some months I'm indifferent, i confess, but not this one!!!! August & September, I was neutral, and didn't get anything; in October, I did get A Christmas Hope (although it didn't arrive until last week!) although it was the only book I requested and was kinda ambivalent about it given a mixed track record with those novellas.

The Jonnies? Priceless, Megan - hopefully they are not wearing black rubber full length suits.

#140> Jim, I'm definitely going to find a way to see the first movie, with all of your recommendations! Truly, I thought that one sounded more appealing anyway, cast-wise (despite The Denzel in the new one).

#141> Lori, I wonder if mine is just a mistake. I thought it was odd that it would have a checkmark when the winners haven't even been announced yet. Ah well, I won't get my hopes up either way.

#142> Kerri, you are so NOT the C-team with all your LT meetups and your beer cool and all the rest of your awesomeness. I kind of thought you might be a Cash fan since you have an affection for the classic country stuff. Yes, the interview was in 1994 and if I remember right he had finished what turned out to be his last stint in rehab a few years earlier, after getting hooked on painkillers after some sort of horrific jaw surgery gone wrong. I didn't ask him about that, but I feel if I had he would have answered openly, honestly, and humbly. He didn't strike me as a guy that was blind to his own faults, which just makes him even cooler, of course.

#143> Carrie, that is a great story about your grandmother and Johnny Cash! I bet Cash would have thought it was hilarious, too. Thank you for sharing it with us.

#144> On the one hand, at least he didn't have to remind himself to bathe like Woody Guthrie did. On the other hand, you really shouldn't have to make a resolution to pee, so I guess they come out pretty even. :-)

#145> Oh dear, Sarah, did I hit you with a new series BB? So, so sorry. /not sorry

#146> Shoot, Suz, now i think it's just a glitch and I probably didn't actually win the book it says I won. Which is too bad, because I really wanted it.

#147> Goodness, Paul, now why on earth would your mind immediately go to black RUBBER suits for an all-female Johnny Cash tribute band?!

>147 PaulCranswick:/148 black RUBBER suits....aaaah, no. And had they been they would have sweated into their sockettes. It was hot hot hot.
Oh, and btw, they didn't even show.....hmph to the extreme. Apparently an illness. But I don't buy it. I am thinking it was a conspiracy to stop me from seeing them as i have wanted to for months.
*still sulking at not getting to see the Jonnies*

He didn't strike me as a guy that was blind to his own faults, which just makes him even cooler, of course.
That does make him even cooler. What a smooth guy he was, no wonder all those girls fell for him:)

I heard great things about The Rosie Project from the folks at Books on the Nightstand, so I snagged it right after Christmas in a 'present to myself' kind of deal with Lisa's money. ;) I got the print version, not the Kindle, so I didn't get as good of a deal as you did, but as much as they raved about it, I really wanted to read it.

So, if you and Amy do a mini-read, I'm IN!!! ;)

#149> Megan, how disappointing that you didn't get to see the Jonnies! Not showing up for a scheduled gig — perhaps they are transitioning to becoming a George "No Show" Jones tribute band?

#150> Tina, it was BotNS that got my attention with "The Rosie Project" too. It would be awesome if we could all do an informal group read together.

Well, they are old school, but if you like Police Procedurals (for your challenge #5), have you read Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels?

Ellen, yes I love the 87th Precinct series! I had read a bunch of them way back when but last year (maybe the year before? Time is not a linear construct for me these days) Amazon had a whole bunch of the Kindle editions on sale and I picked up the whole batch. I've read a few but have plenty more to read, and I think Challenge #5 is just the incentive I need to get back to them. Thanks for thinking of it!

^ They are great, aren't they? I have been doing a bit of a re-read of the series, having collected a whole bunch of vintage copies from my favorite used bookstore last year. I think I'm on the fourth one as I work my way through. Perhaps we'll have some overlap this year.

Ellen, in checking my catalog it appears I am ready for No. 6, Killer's Payoff. So if you get to that one this year, let me know and I'll be happy to pull it off the (virtual) shelf.

Hi Julia, I am finally checking in and preparing myself for all the book bullets that often fly from you to me!

Don't worry too much about the pre-planning, I've been doing the Category Challenge and the 75 Challenge for a few years now, it just seems to work out somehow! The secret is not to set too high a goal and to keep the categories loose to give yourself some wiggle room.

Looking forward to following you on both challenges, I think 2014 is going to be a fun year!

Julia,

Too bad about Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

I'm also working my way very slowly through the 87th Precinct novels; I'm up to The Heckler (#12 I think), and will enjoy your comments & Ellen's as you read them.

The Rosie Project
I checked whether the Kindle deal was also a Nook deal, and it is. So now it’s my first book purchase of the year; it looks sweet and it’s only $1.99...

Also a fan of Johnny Cash. Cool that you got to interview him.

Julia I have read 2 of the 87th Precinct novels. I'm paying more attention to Spenser and Martin Beck than the 87th Precinct. I have 7 more Martin Beck's to read this year and then I'll give the 87th Precinct their due.

BTW I am here to officially encourage you to try the Iron Druid Series. It is a huge load of fun.

What? Don't believe me. Come visit me here http://www.librarything.com/topic/160701

Happy Sunday to you Julia!

I love the 87th precinct series too. I've not read them all in order and I know there are still some out there that I haven't yet read. In fact, the 87th Precinct conversation here has me moving Lullaby up a few rungs in my TBR Tower to be read sooner rather than later.

#148 - Oh, I so am on the C-team, but that's ok! I couldn't keep up otherwise.

Also, I'd like to warn people against the audiobook version of Cop Hater, as the narrator was awful. I had to stop (and I'm really not that picky about narrators) and still haven't gone back to finish the book in print form. I don't know if the same guy narrates all the 87th Precinct novels though. He sounded like someone with an English accent, trying to do a bad wise guy accent. It was really quite distracting.

if you have Amazon Prime The 87th Precinct is available to borrow in their Kindle lending library.

Getting caught up and joining the others in saying how cool it is that you interviewed Johnny Cash!

Great reviews - no BB for me but great reviews none the less.

Re: December ER books - I found out I had won the December ER book I requested when I received an email from the publisher asking which format I wanted to receive my e-book in (I requested and won The Secrets of Casanova by Greg Michaels). It was after that I noticed the book shows up in my "Books you've won" page. I think it is safe to say the check-mark you noticed for the December book you requested is accurate. ;-)

Happy Sunday, Julia!

#156> Judy, it's so good to see you here! You are really flying to get caught up with everything! I'll do my best to deliver the BBs to you this year. It's the least I can do after all the BBs you shoot at me. :-)

#157> Yes, I wish it had been better, swynn, but I'm still glad I read it. Good to have another 87th Precinct fan hanging about. I hope you will chime in as we try to catch up to you.

#158> Hey, that's great that "The Rosie Project" was a Nook deal, too, qebo! Maybe we can get an informal little group read going sometime this year.

#159> Roberta, to be truthful I think I preferred Spenser a bit to the 87th Precinct guys but they're both good. Martin Beck I don't know and I am now sticking my fingers in my ears to avoid hearing any more about a new series. And now you are sneaking up on me with ANOTHER series to start? Have you no shame, woman? :-D

#160> And a happy and relaxing Sunday back at you, Linda. Does this extreme cold affect your pain levels? I know I have a severely arthritic hip and the cold weather makes it miserable.

#161> Caro, another Precinct fan heard from! When I picked up all the Kindle versions I decided to read them all in order, but it doesn't really feel like that's super necessary. It's fun, though. It will be a while before I catch up to you at "Lullaby".

#162> Thanks for the heads-up about the audiobook Precincts. I don't listen to many audiobooks anymore but I remember how a bad narrator can completely ruin a good book. I remember listening to an Edna Buchanan mystery once. A book set in Miami with an American main character was read by an English woman that completely destroyed the ambiance of the novel. Yuck.

#164> Happy Sunday to you, Lori, and thanks for the potential good news about the December ER batch! How funny that you heard from the publisher before LT. I think with Jeremy's departure they are still trying to iron out all the routines that he used to handle. It must be difficult with two people sharing the job — each of them may be assuming the other is sending the notices.

Julia - I have no shame at all. I realized I have become Mark. Ha!

Martin Beck is only 10 books written from 1965-1975. The granddaddy of Scandicrime. Definitely more police procedural than the Scandicrime written today. It's been a nice flashback to what they did before DNA and cell phones etc…

Iron Druid is a very fun fast read. I've found most of them on Overdrive.

Oh well, only 10 books in the series? Piece of cake. Thank heavens my local library doesn't seem to have them in stock. I think I dodged a bullet — for now. The Iron Druid series, on the other hand, seems to be lavishly represented in its stacks. Sigh.

Hi Julia,

Am I the only one who starts humming every time I see your thread title?

*heads off humming "Senorita come sit by my fire..."* :)

Joanne, I hope you're not the only one! I wish you could have seen how completely tickled I was when I first thought of naming the thread, and every time I see it even now it makes me giggle a little. :-D

You're so very clever - I'd have been tickled, too!

Hi Julia- I also loved the original film version of Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Robert Quinn was a good bad guy. The remake was okay. Good to hear I can skip the book. I read at least a half dozen of the 87th Precinct books, back in the day. I remember Ice being my favorite. One day, I might revisit, but I kind of stink at revisits. Hey, facts are facts.

I know what you mean, Mark, about revisits. The older I get the heavier the realization of all the great books I will never read. My patience with "okay" books is diminishing by the year, it seems.

I have read only the first book in the McBain series, but I liked it. ANd I'm another with an unread Rosie Project in the stacks, so let me know when you get to it, and I'll join you.

Yay, Mamie's in for the "Rosie Project" project!

Oh, yeah! Speaking of the Man in Black, I read Cash: The Autobiography a few years ago and it was very good. Fascinating life.

You know, I've never read that, Mark. Thanks for the nudge — I've put it on the wishlist.

Hi Julia, I am so behind in the BOTNS podcasts that I have never heard of The Rosie Project but I'm pretty sure it's fairly cheap for Kindle so I will be off to investigate. So much for cutting down on book purchases.

Count me in for The Rosie Project project! I also picked it up cheap for my Kindle :-)

I am also ready to jump on The Rosie Project bandwagon as I got a copy for Christmas.

Yes, cold, damp weather makes the pain worse in deed. And, anyone who suffers with migraines knows when the weather is changing.

I'm sorry to hear of your arthritic hip. I imagine that is painful in deed. Let us hope 2014 is a better one.

Congratulations on starting the year with two wonderful reviews.

#177> Bonnie, I believe it was their year-end wrap-up show when they each picked their top five books of the year. I think it's $1.99 on Kindle all month.

#178> #179> Yes, more "Rosie Project" recruits! Welcome aboard, Katie and Judy.

#180> Linda, thank you for your kind comments about my reviews. Exacerbated pain is just one more reason to hate winter for me.

Arthritic hips are lousy, Julia. My sympathy. I've got two bionic ones because of that.

If you don't want to hear about new series, you'll want to plug your ears around me. I love them. Roberta helped get me hooked on the Jussi Adler-Olsen one, by the way.

3. A Tan and Sandy Silence, John D. MacDonald.

The 13th installment in MacDonald's suspense series about Florida beach bum extraordinaire Travis McGee. McGee flies down to Grenada in aid of a female (naturally) friend and ends up learning some uncomfortable truths about himself. This one is redolent with the long contemplative inner monologues that MacDonald regularly uses to shine a light on the cultural and sexual mores of the time, but it's notably short on humor and long on gruesome and graphic violence that even my hard-bitten self found a bit over the top. The longer the series goes on, the less content McGee seems to be at the end of each book, even after the bad guys are vanquished. If he were a real person, I would worry about his mental health.

Checking in with LT at halftime of the Iowa-Wisconsin college basketball game. So far, so good; the Hawkeyes have a 35-24 lead.

Yes!!! My boys were playing Xbox, and I was just wondering how the Hawkeyes were doing. If I can get my Hawkeye updates on LT, I'll never have to leave this place!!!

Plus, I'd love to do a group read of The Rosie Project. It would be good to actually read one of the Kindle deals I bought!

Hm, feeling left out about The Rosie Project, but there's no way I can bookhorn that puppy in right now. I have my plans and for at least the first week of the year I will stick to them.

#185> Amy I just hope I didn't jinx them by posting that! Starting the second half a little slow ...

#186> We haven't set a date yet, Megan, and I'd be fine with doing it later in the year if that would work better? Can we tempt you even a little bit?

Well, I fear I went ahead and jinxed the Hawkeyes by posting the halftime score, as they ended up losing a very close game, 75-71. Though if I'm being honest, I suspect the coach flying into a rage, getting two technicals and ejected from the game may have had a slightly larger impact on the game. :-)

I agree, Julia! This one is definitely not your fault!

So not your fault!

Thank you, Amy and Mamie! Hey, that rhymes. The Dynamic Duo: Amy and Mamie. Ha ha ha. It's -8F with a wind chill of -32F. I think it's time for bed.

Hi Julia. -32° is insupportable. The Weather Goddess should be ashamed.

Sending hugs!

Well, Riuchard, you'll be as unhappy as I am to know that it is now -16F with a -40F wind chill. Mind you, I wouldn't know that normally, since I would still be in bed, but a pipe burst in the laundry room of my apartment building last night, which is right outside of my door, and I am trying to reach my landlord before the whole apartment building turns into an icicle. Sigh.

I hate Mondays. I hate winter. End of transmission.

Oh, dang! Sorry about the burst pipe - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing of that sort happens here (we're experiencing those same temps up here today), at least until Tomm gets home from his business trip tomorrow...

Thanks, Amber! This is the third time in 11 years that we have had broken/burst pipes in this building. The last two times my apartment got flooded to the point where everything in my living room had to be moved out and the carpets pulled up to dry out. I am not looking forward to a repeat of that scenario, but I hope that this time we caught the problem before it got that bad. Of course, if my stupid landlord won't answer the phone, I have to worry that another pipe will go in the meantime (there were two last night). Thank heavens for my neighbor who responded quickly when I banged on his door at 5:00 a.m. to wade into the water and find the shutoff valves. I had tried but the water was spraying all over and got my glasses so wet I couldn't see, and I really can't see without them.

Morning Julia- Sorry to hear about the early A.M. drama. Are you staying home? It looks like all our schools are closed.

Hi, Mark! I'm staying home at least as long as it takes to reach the landlord. I really don't want to leave the apartment building unattended with the possibility of more pipes bursting. All the schools are closed here, too. Be safe out there today!

Oh no, how terrible! I hope you'll reach him soon and that worse things can be prevented. Is he/ his insurance at least paying for all that damage? It sounds as if those pipes are generally in a bad condition.

Hi Nathalie! Nope, still no response from the landlord. My neighbor and I have both been calling constantly for the past 2 and a half hours and he simply refuses to answer the phone. My neighbor also pointed out that the furnace that heats the hallway and laundry room is also kaput, which means it is getting colder and colder in there and more burst pipes are a virtual guarantee if something isn't done soon.

Oh I love those New Year's Resolutions of Johnny Cash's, now I have to run off and find Woody's! Made my day! I am very good at those same ones you mentioned as having sewn up!

Lucy, you'll find Woody's resolutions over on Kerri (DorsVenabili)'s thread. They are great, too!

Julia - How horrible that the pipes burst! Worse is your landlord. Ugh!

And I guess you can't take any steps like calling a plumber before your landlord is informed because otherwise the insurance might refuse to pay? (that's the case in Germany)

#202> I know, right? He's absolutely a terrible landlord. He does a lousy job clearing snow and ice even though he knows I am disabled and walk with a cane. It's so frustrating because I absolutely love my apartment but I really think I am going to have to move somewhere I don't have to risk my life to walk to my car every winter. I hate moving so much!

#203> I'm not sure about insurance, but he could definitely refuse to pay the bill and make me pay it.

FINALLY, the landlord has called me back and is sending a plumber out "soon". Also a furnace guy, supposedly. We'll see when they actually show up — they must be swamped with calls with this frigid weather.

Oh no, your landlord sounds like a....well, let me keep the cursing out of your thread. I think you can fill in the blanks. Here's to hoping your appartment at least can be spared - although maybe you might want to think about some sandbags as a barrier around your door?

Julia - You need to become a Winter Texan. :-(

In mourning at the prospect of not getting an ER book in a prime month... I suppose it's possible that one of these will show up on the January Amazon Vine list -- some might have been available in December, but December was so screwed up that we only got short 'targeted' lists, which in my case included an anti-allergy medication targeted at people in Hawaii. (I live in S. New England...) I requested deodorant off that list, just because who doesn't need that? But there were NO interesting or appealing books at all.

Julia, you can move into the newly-vacant and about to be renovated apartment upstairs from me! The landlord here is good about despatching people to fix stuff. I think I once asked him for help with the storm windows -- hardly urgent -- and within three hours, without my having a reply, bang, a guy is standing on my doorstep saying he's come to help with the storm windows. This is, of course, a dramatic contrast to the previous dude in NYC. Although the latter apparently did get the heating working properly for the new tenants.

#205> Trust me, Samantha, there was plenty of cursing going on at 5 a.m.!

#206> Roberta, I would love to be a snowbird who lives in Iowa most of the year and then flies south for December-March. Someday when I win the lottery, maybe ...

#207> I'm not part of the Vine program, but I hope you end up with the book you wanted that way. It's disappointing when there's an ER book you really want and it doesn't end up with you. And moving into your building sounds great — it could be a dress rehearsal for the Tome Home! The only problem might be the longer commute for my job. ;-)

So, the plumber has finally arrived and the furnace guy have finally arrived and are working away. They at least got the water to finally stop so my apartment is safe from flooding for now. The carpet is a little squishy right around the doorway but not too bad. And the temperature has soared to -9F (wind chill still -36F, I'm afraid) so things are looking up around here.

Julia, I'm so sorry you had to deal with all that! And the sucky landlord as well, blech! I'm with Roberta-- come to south Texas in the winters. :D (Although right now we're having our coldest days of the year and it's not fun. But still above freezing, lol!)

Kathy, never mind about above freezing — I'd be happy just to be above zero!

((Julia)) I hate burst pipes and one of the most traumatizing things about living in an apartment.

But it still FEELS AWFUL. *whine*

Kathy we CANNOT complain about even our harshest winter to Julia. NO!

Now the dog days of summer! Disgusting.

Oh yes I can too complain! It's horrible!! My widdle fingers are cold.
*whine whine whine*

Summer? Blehhhh, I wish we could add them together for an average 70 degrees year round and be done with it.

I wish we could add them together for an average 70 degrees year round and be done with it. That's called heaven I believe.

#211> Thank you for your sympathy, Tam! How are you feeling?

Kathy and Roberta, you are making me laugh! Feel free to whine about your "cold" weather all you want during the "winter" that you have. I definitely know I could not handle those hot, humid summers, though! Averaging it all out does sound like heaven.

Oh, what a mess! I'm glad you're safe from flooding though. My office was closed today, but I haven't heard anything about tomorrow yet. I'm worried because the trains are a mess, due to the cold (I guess we can send probes to Mars, but can't make train switches that operate in below zero weather.)

Oh Julia, I was all set to gush about the Rosie Project group read and then I see all the news about your burst pipes and flooding. :(

1. Know I'm stoked about the group read whenever we do it

2. I do NOT like your landlord

3. We should sue him for something. Pain and suffering or some such. You were cold and uncomfortable. :( I really don't like it when people don't treat my friends well.

I really hope your heat is working now and things are all patched up. (((Julia)))

Oh my, I missed the drama. I hope it's all fixed now.

"I'd be happy just to be above zero!" I second that emotion! Thanks for all the concern, my friend.

Happy to hear, at least, that the landlord finally responded and that repairs are in progress! Your landlord sounds like, well, a (stereo-) typical landlord, eh?

Hi Julia! I've had the kids home all day, so little time to be on LT. That's way I'm just now finding out about your pipe. Yuck! Glad things got handled, and I hope that you are not in the part of town that had the water main break. So far, we are surviving pretty well. Something happened to one of our windows (air leaking in?), and in trying to fix it (apparently with brute force), part of it broke - but it's not in a central part of the house. I'm just ready for the temps to be above freezing at the end of the week, and I am so thankful that I have an inside job!

Catching up on today's events: glad to hear that the landlord finally came through before worse things happened. I hope the crisis is over. May your landlord's two-sizes-too-small heart grow three sizes next Christmas.

Thanks, Kerri. I hope you don't have to go to work tomorrow. It's too cold to do anything except stay inside and read. And eat chocolate. And drink wine. Preferably all at the same time.

#218> Thanks, Tina! I'm glad you're in for the Rosie read. I will not be inviting my landlord. Ha!

#219> So much drama, qebo! On the bright side, all the rage kept me warm ...

#220> You are welcome, Mark! I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, too, so be safe.

#221> Amber, he used to be a really good landlord but over the past 11 years I've lived here he's gotten progressively worse. He hates to spend money on anything, so maintenance is deferred until some crisis happens like today. I hate to move, but I really think I'm going to have to do something when the weather warms up.

#222> Amy, no water main breaks here thank goodness! I'm so sorry about your window; that is no fun at all. I cannot imagine how people like Mark and the city workers cope in this terrible cold. Like you, I'm glad I work indoors.

#223> Steve, his heart might grow three sizes but I hope I'm not hear to see it. :-)

>215 luvamystery65: I wish we could add them together for an average 70 degrees year round and be done with it. That's called heaven I believe.
There must be somewhere in the world.....how about a mall!?
(sorry, that was cruel, suggesting that a mall could support human life)

Naive alert- but aren't landlord obliged to sort out stuff like this. I mean, legally?

Megan, I think he is obligated to fix it but I'd rather he do the required maintenance so these sorts of things didn't keep happening. As far as I know there's no law about that. I'd also like him to actually shovel snow and remove ice from the sidewalks and parking lot but until I finally do fall and break my hip I don't think there's any way to force him to do it.

I must say, not being awoken in the middle of the night by burst water pipes makes for an agreeable Tuesday morning, even if it is still -6F. But we are supposed to have a high temp today on the positive-integer side of the thermometer, which makes me very happy. I hope all of my visitors have a Terrific Tuesday as well.

What a mess! So sorry you're having landlord problems.

Thanks, Reba! Me, too.

Today's book acquisition is Daughters of Mars, the US Kindle Daily Deal ($2.99). I've been looking for a good World War I book since 2014 is the centenary of that war's start, and this one looks very good.

Julia - Did you see that the Tournament of Books finalists are out! I've only read 2/17 of them, but I have several others on my TBR pile.

Oh, I didn't see that! I usually haven't read many if any of the books since most of the stuff I read is older, but I'll have to go check the list — thanks for the heads-up, Amy!

Edited to add: OK, I checked the list. As I figured, I haven't actually read any of them yet, but I own 5 of them so that's a good start. And several of the others are on my definite "wanna read" list, so I'll have to try to fit those in, too.

What a perfectly awful day yesterday was. Let's don't do it again soon! Glad to read that everything was finally gotten to, but what a mess. Your landlord sounds like he needs a good kick in the a$$. If he's taking your money, then he should be making sure that the walkways are safe and that the building is in good shape. Are there more of you there that could band together and say that you will move unless things are changed. He needs to be more proactive. And to answer his phone!

And OH! I had not seen that Kindle Deal today! *does happy dance*

Mamie, my landlord is a total jerk. Unfortunately there are only 6 apartments in the building and most of the people who live there are young singles who don't stay long and don't really care about that stuff. I've been there 11 years, by far his longest-serving tenant. And I pay my rent ahead of time every month and I don't complain about anything that isn't actually life-threatening, but he can't even talk to me without getting all defensive and rude. Obviously, he knows he is a crappy landlord. If I didn't love my actual apartment so much I would have moved years ago.

Glad I help you snag the Kindle Deal today. It looks like a good'un.

>215 luvamystery65:: No, it's called San Diego!

Sorry about all that hassle, Julia. I'm glad today was better for you.

Thanks, Katie! And the temperature has even swung into positive territory so it's all good.

That's good news!

It certainly is, Kathy!

And now, I hope you all will follow me to my new thread, where there will be reviews waiting!