Lori (thornton37814) reads in 2023 - thread 2

"Strawberry Faire" by October House Fiber Arts. Completed 1 March 2023.

Welcome to my second thread.

I also participate in the Category Challenge. I usually try to come up with a theme there, but I didn't really come up with one this year so my categories are "plain vanilla." They are:

1. Mt. TBR Bingo
2. Benita's Mystery Group Read
3. Gena's Book Club
4. Christmas All Year
5. Cooking & Crafting
6. Christian Books
7. Keeping the Series Current
8. History, Genealogy, and Historical & Genealogical Fiction
9. Other Fiction & Creative Literature
10. Other Non-Fiction

January calls: 6, 10
February calls: 7, 11
March calls: 22, 2

Books 1-10:

1. A Birthday Lunch by Martin Walker - completed 1 January 2023
2. Foster by Claire Keegan - completed 2 January 2023
3. The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin - completed 7 January 2023
4. The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts - completed 7 January 2023
5. Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlay - completed 9 January 2023
6. On Borrowed Time by Jenn McKinlay - completed 14 January 2023
7. Shunned and Dangerous by Laura Bradford - completed 14 January 2023
8. When Poets Pray by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre - completed 15 January 2023
9. We're Going to the Farmers' Market by Stefan Page - completed 17 January 2023
10. Five Little Kittens by Nancy Jewell; illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles - completed 17 January 2023

Books 11-20:

11. Nini Lost and Found by Anita Lobel - completed 17 January 2023
12. Dear Librarian by Lydia M. Sigwarth; illustrated by Romina Galotta - completed 17 January 2023
13. Gracie, the Lighthouse Cat by Ruth Brown - completed 17 January 2023
14. Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power by Clare Hunter - completed 22 January 2023
15. Wound Up in Murder by Betty Hechtman - completed 26 January 2023
16. Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten - completed 28 January 2023
17. Blood Hollow by William Kent Krueger - completed 7 February 2023
18. Death in a Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw - completed 8 February 2023
19. For Her Own Good: Two Centuries of the Experts' Advice to Women by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English - completed 8 February 2023
20. The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis - completed 13 February 2023

Books 21-24:

21. Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose - completed 17 February 2023
22. The Dead Man in the Garden by Marthe Jocelyn - completed 19 February 2023
23. Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams - completed 27 February 2023
24. The Birdwatcher by William Shaw - completed 1 March 2023

Book 25. The Coldest Case by Martin Walker

Date Completed: 8 March 2023

Category: Benita's Mystery Group Read

Rating: 4 stars

Review: It's a quiet time crime-wise in Saint-Denis, and Bruno sees a facial reconstruction technique he feels holds promise for J. J.'s first case--a cold case from 30 years ago. After convincing the powers-that-be to give it a try, a promising student/apprentice is allowed to work on reconstructing the skull that resides in J. J.'s office. Meanwhile wildfires threaten Saint-Denis and the region, and Bruno mainly works in managing it. His military experience leads him to creative ways to manage the fire that make him a hero. As the facial reconstruction process continues, DNA analysis is also used. It leads to a match with the brother of a female gendarme who is expected to be a son. This gendarme becomes involved with the case as well. Old photos from an event 30 years before find a match with the description the gendarme's mother gives and leads the police to a suspect. The end is satisfying. In this installment Balzac's pups he fathered are born. Bruno tries to decide who will receive the first two pups. I loved this installment as much as the others. The raging wildfire added some intensity as well as interest. Bruno even cooks a vegan meal in this one! The conclusion was quite satisfying! I listened to the audiobook read by Robert Ian Mackenzie who always does a great job.

Book 26. Thread and Gone by Lea Wait

Date Completed: 9 March 2023

Category: Mt. TBR Bingo

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Eighteen-year-old Mary Clough is cleaning out her ancestral home. She discovers an old piece of needlepoint and brings it to Angie at Mainely Needlepoint for evaluation. She plans to marry officer Ethan Trask's younger brother Rob. Rob hopes the needlepoint is valuable so he can buy a boat. Angie suggests storing it in the attorney's safe until the mystery around it resolved. It isn't long until the attorney is murdered and her jewels and Mary's needlepoint piece are both gone. When one of the Mainely Needlepointers examines it, she feels some of the motifs resemble things done by Mary, Queen of Scots. She knows the provenance of the piece is important and suggests getting a museum needlework expert to evaluate it. In the meantime, Angie works with Mary to try to establish a provenance for the piece while trying to find the piece of needlework. Angie seems to be a smart cozy sleuth in that she tries to make sure there will be a police presence around in case of a problem. I'm enjoying this series, and I look forward to the next installment.

Hi Lori, Hope I'm not jumping in too soon.
I love that needlepoint/cross-stitch work for your topper.
It kind of ties in with this Thread and Gone book.
I added it to my TBR mountain.

Have a great readerly weekend, eh?

Wow, Lori. 25 books and 2 threads! And it's not even mid-March yet! Yay, you.

Happy new one!

Hi Lori my dear, Happy New Thread and what a lovely piece of cross-stitch as your thread topper my dear friend.

Happy new thread Lori!

Happy new thread. I share your interest in mysteries. Lots of BB’s for me here.

Happy new thread, and I love the cross-stitch on your topper!

Happy new thread, Lori! And a third of the way to 75 already. Nicely done. Happy reading!

Wow...I have been offline for most of the week and just happened to get here to wish you a happy new thread!

I was going to comment on your last one: I thoroughly enjoy Ellery Adams Storyton Hall. I think I have listened to all of them. The narrator is excellent.

>8 SandyAMcPherson: I didn't even think of that, but I decided I'd start the thread with a cross-stitch topper this time. It does fit in with the "Thread and Gone" in that they both feature needlework.

>9 mitchma: In my better years, I'd have hit 25 before mid-February. Some of those were children's books for the "KiddyCAT" so I guess I should be grateful of having them to boost my reading numbers.

>10 figsfromthistle: Thanks.

>11 johnsimpson: Thanks. I'm glad you enjoy that topper.

>12 quondame: Thanks!

>13 Oregonreader: Mystery is definitely my favorite genre. I've got a historical fiction audiobook going at current which is a bit of a change for me. I guess I'll see if the other BINGO call for March is available so I can begin it this evening since I finished Thread and Gone last night.

>14 atozgrl: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy the piece. I really love the colors and the way it stitched up. The strawberry was a little fussy, but there was a pattern to it, and once you figured that out, it was easier to stitch.

>15 Berly: I hope I can make it to 125 this year. We'll see! My reading has been off the last couple of years.

>16 witchyrichy: I'm glad to know others enjoy the Adams series. Someone took a book bullet from me, and she enjoyed it as well.

>19 thornton37814: That pattern for the strawberry does look unusual. But it turned out really well!

Now that I'm retired, I'll have to see if I can take up embroidery or cross-stitch. I did some of that when I was young, but never had time to keep up with it as a working adult.

Happy new thread, Lori.

Can I say that embroidered in murder had me in stitches?!

>20 atozgrl: Irene, I'm not sure where you live in NC, but I understand Sassy Jacks is re-opening in early summer in Asheville. It's currently online only. There's a great shop in Johnson City, Tennessee called Cross Stitch & Crafts. Anabella's opened in Waynesville, NC around Christmas--if you can ever catch the store open. (She does a huge online business. Definitely call them before you drive to visit. She has quilting and paper crafting too.) I'm less familiar with others but you can look at the directories for Yarn Tree and Hoffman Distributing (hoffmandis.com) which are the two big shop suppliers to catch most of the stores open. Sometimes they are behind in updating. I noticed one of the two still had Dixie Darling in Pigeon Forge listed, and it closed in November.

>21 PaulCranswick: You certainly can--and I really do like needlework mysteries if they are done well. I enjoyed the Monica Ferris series, and I'm really enjoying the Lea Wait ones.

Happy new thread! I like your Mt. TBR Bingo — I may have to adopt that next year.

>22 thornton37814: Thank you so much for the information! I will definitely check those out! They're in western NC, which is quite a drive from where we live, but we do occasionally make trips that direction, so I will keep them in mind for our next visit. I will certainly check out the online stores!

Hey, Lori, Question: I looked at e books on Dixie Regional. Apparently to read them, one has to have Freading app; however, it doesn't appear that Freading is compatible with Kindle. My question is--do you have any experience/insight with either Freading or downloading books from library to Kindle? Thanks. Paula

>1 thornton37814: That is beautiful!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Lori!

>6 thornton37814: I liked the Bruno books, sadly the Dutch publisher only published the first 3 books over ten years ago. The good news is that and other publisher picked Bruno up now, and two more were translated. So I might get to this one some day :-)

>23 foggidawn: I decided I would do it. Fortunately the cross stitch world has someone who does monthly calls. Many people use 13 as a free spot so the month that 13 is called they call three numbers. I chose to put a small chart in spot 13 and a book in 13. I'm just using the same numbers for "WIPGO" as it is called in the cross-stitch world and my Mt. TBR Bingo.

>24 atozgrl: I'm sure there are stores listed that may be nearer to you. Some designers who went to Nashville Needlework Market said that they sene a trend of quilt shops are beginning to stock cross-stitch. If so, that may help people where there isn't a cross-stitch shop presently.

>25 mitchma: I've not used Freading. It appears to be coming from Baker & Taylor. Most libraries use Overdrive which works on multiple devices. I looked at the FAQ page (https://dixie.freading.com/questions/index). It appears you might be able to read it on your phone if the Kindle doesn't work. You could also read on a Desktop or Laptop computer although you can't curl up with that. You might check with the library to see if they have an answer for you.

>26 laytonwoman3rd: I'm glad you like it!

>27 drneutron: Thanks!

>28 FAMeulstee: I hope they translate all of them. I've really enjoyed this series!

>29 thornton37814: Yes, thank you, I did see several stores near where I live, so I've got a few places to check out. Thanks for pointing me in that direction!

>31 atozgrl: Great! Glad you found some.

Interesting article on why historical fiction matters: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/why-historical-fiction-matt...

Thanks, Lori.

>33 thornton37814: Interesting. Thank you.

>33 thornton37814: Thank you for that. Since I love historical fiction, I'm glad to see this defense.

>35 quondame: You're welcome! I thought it was a great read!

>36 atozgrl: He did an excellent job defending it. As a genealogist, I immediately thought of a couple of genealogists who fictionalized, but kept close to the true story, of persons whom they researched. That's why we always teach genealogists that context matters. We want our ancestors to have dimension and not just be flat characters with a lists of births, marriages, deaths, and begats.

>37 thornton37814: Yes, I agree completely! That's one reason I really enjoy watching Finding Your Roots on PBS. They show so much of the context around the ancestors that they find.

>33 thornton37814: Lori, Thanks for posting the link regarding Why historical fiction matters. I agreed with it and found it fascinating!

>38 atozgrl: They know their audience.

>39 Whisper1: Glad you enjoyed it!

Happy new thread, Lori. Thanks for the link to the article about the importance of historical fiction - so true!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349452

>41 Familyhistorian: I thought others would enjoy it.

>42 SilverWolf28: Thanks. I doubt I'll have time this weekend since I work Sunday and have a full weekend otherwise.

>1 thornton37814: Beautiful Lori.

Happy new thread, Lori and thank you for the beautiful topper.
>6 thornton37814: I love the series and should go back soon - but there are so many books and so little time...

>44 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks!

>45 SirThomas: There are definitely more books than I'll ever get around to reading in my TBR list.

Book 27. Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage by holtnathalia::Nathalia Holt

Date Completed: 11 March 2023

Category: Gena's Book Club

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Following five women who worked for the CIA in its early years, the author demonstrates how women failed to achieve equal pay and failed to receive the promotions and other recognitions men might receive. The "Petticoat Panel" on which the women served is the only way these women interacted as they all served on different missions and in different areas. The book felt a bit disjointed because of the author's focus on feminist ideals rather than on the women and their careers.

Book 28. The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Date Completed: 15 March 2023

Category: History, Genealogy, and Historical and Genealogical Fiction

Rating: 3 stars

Review: In the modern period, Cara discovers a diary written by a woman who served on a special assignment as a gunner during World War II. In the older story, we see how the woman who wrote the diary (Louise) joined up to escape an oppressive mother. She falls in love with RAF pilot she met at a dance she attended with a cousin. I'm not sure why so many people ruin a good story by using dual timelines. I found the older story the most fascinating although there is plenty of stuff that might attract some to the modern one. I listened to the audiobook.

Book 29. Read or Alive by Nora Page

Date Completed: 18 March 2023

Category: Mt. TBR Bingo (#2)

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: When used book dealers gather in Catulpa Springs, books begin missing from private collections and from the bookmobile. Henry, Cleo's friend and the town's used bookdealer, becomes the chief's top suspect although Cleo knows he is innocent and enlists Gabby to help. This one had a little too much occultic content with the fake fortune teller for my taste. I also grew tired of the story which seemed to stretch out longer than necessary.

Book 30. The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman

Date Completed: 21 March 2023

Category: Other Fiction & Creative Literature

Rating: 3 stars

Review: This short story is a tale of two estranged sisters who grew up in Maine. Isabel moved to New York and recently divorced her husband. Sophie remained in Maine to run the family bookstore that as children they'd promised to keep going. A message sends the Isabel back to Maine to help. It felt a bit unfinished to me.

>47 thornton37814: It's disappointing when an author addresses a side interest, isn't it? The title certainly leads one to believe that a historical look at the CIA and women's contribution to the organization was the prime focus.

I like your reviews, Lori. They're sassy and snappy, catching the tone of the story just right. Useful to help me decide "BB or not". So far my favourite 'new to me' author was a BB from you: Andrea Penrose ~ the Wrexford and Sloane series. I'm waiting for Book 3 to become available. I'm finishing off a couple other library loans, so not like I have nothing on the go.

>48 thornton37814: I've pretty much read enough dual timeline books. There might be a few worthwhile ones out there, but boy is it getting to be an overdone format.

>51 SandyAMcPherson: You might want to take a look at Carrie or Meg's comments. They are both in Gena's book club (a group of genealogists reading about women's social history). I think a lot of us were disappointed in the book although a few liked it better than others.

>52 quondame: Dual timelines are overdone. I wish they'd move on to something that works better!

>50 thornton37814: >51 SandyAMcPherson: I didn't like it any better than you did, and I usually like reading about espionage.

>54 cbl_tn: I just thought she might want to read your review though. You went into a little more detail. Meg may have liked it better than we did. I was at work and needing to check in to make sure all the student workers for the final shift were there before I could leave, so I just logged out. I was only half paying attention because I was trying to listen to see if I was needed for reference too.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349607

Thanks!

Mississippi tornado update: My home town (Amory) was hit and destruction is bad. There's damage to the home in which my parents lived although it appears to be minor--mainly shingle damage and debris. My uncle's former home on the other side of the creek didn't fare as well. There is a huge tree that came down atop the house, and it looks like it did some major structural damage at least to one end of the house. Some of the higher end homes in the neighborhood were really hit badly. (Most of them were two story instead of ranchers like the original ones were.) The church I attended was hit. The steeple is gone, and there is at least some roof damage. I can't see the front of it from the drone angle. One friend has 2 trees on top of his house. Another friend said she had water in her house, and I've seen a photo of it from the front. It has quite a bit of damage to the roof. I think the back side of her parents' home is gone. All of us who grew up in Amory know someone who has major damage. Many of our beloved places--such as Bill's Hamburgers and Dairy Kream (which has the best beefsteak sandwich) are damaged, so it will be a bit before they reopen. Other things are completely gone. There's damage to all the athletic fields at the high school and some damage to the high school. The West Amory Elementary School sustained quite a bit of damage too. It's really bad!

Hi Lori my dear, on a weekend we only have short news programmes but even so there has been nothing on about the Mississippi tornadoes at all. I am so sorry about all the damage and hope that everyone is safe, this is something that we do not get over here and so we cannot comprehend the damage they can cause. Is it Tornado season or is this somewhat unexpected my dear.

>59 johnsimpson: It's hard to comprehend even when you've lived around them all your life. Spring is prime time for tornadoes. There are 25 deaths (known so far) in the state of Mississippi related to the storm damage. The worst thing for people living there right now is that there is no power, water, or gas (due to gas leaks). The main water plant was damaged so it feeds Amory and the nearby community of Becker. They've already issued a boil water notice for when water comes back on. I think a few people are beginning to get power--if they are not in the hardest hit areas.

>58 thornton37814: I'm so sorry to hear about the damage to your home town and hope your family, friends, and community will be able to recover quickly.

>58 thornton37814: Oh, Lori, how awful. I'm sorry to hear this destruction touched your home town, and the loss of life associated with it is heart-breaking. So unpredictable, so sudden...

That’s awful! I had no idea the storm was that bad. I’m so sorry.

Lori, so sorry to hear that the tornado destruction hit your hometown! So sad.

Lori, I'm sorry to hear that your home town, friends, and relatives were affected by the tornadoes. My husband's family lives in Laurel, MS. I always worry about them this time of year.

>61 quondame: Thanks.

>62 laytonwoman3rd: It is really bad.

>63 drneutron: There is a bit of confusion over the storm rating. Some residents have been posting it was EF4, but the official preliminary assessment is EF3. I suspect it will be upped to EF4 as they tend to go conservative at first and then upgrade.

>64 tymfos: Many of the things I remember will now be "gone." It's sad.

>65 atozgrl: I hate tornadoes. My home town had always been spared in the past. It would hit the big hill on the west side of town and then bounce over our town to hit one of communities or a rural area east of us. That didn't happen this time. It did hit the big hill (Wren) where there were a couple deaths and then headed straight into town. As the meteorologist saw what was going to happen, he prayed on the air briefly, then got right back into telling them where it was going to hit. He was very accurate. Fortunately he'd been warning them for several days of the probable bad storms Friday night so most everyone was prepared. I think he knew it was headed in the general direction and gave locations in the line of it well in advance so most people were prepared and were in the safest location in their homes.

>60 thornton37814:, Hi Lori my dear, there has finally been a decent report on BBC news today, the devastation is terrible and our hearts go out to all those affected and it is so sad to hear that 25 deaths have been reported. I am pleased that President Biden has called a State of Emergency and hope that the basics to live are given to all those who need it right away. I will continue to follow the news fro more updates along with checking your thread for updates.

>58 thornton37814: Ouch! You don't mention anyone being injured or killed, so I hope it's limited to property damage.

>60 thornton37814: (Edit - sadly, all I needed to do was scroll down a bit more to find I was wrong. I hope no one you knew was hurt.)

Hey, Lori. We're so very sorry for all the damage Amory suffered. That storm system passed within half a mile of us. Michael and I (&Pooh Bear) were in the storm shelter Michael had installed on our carport. It's the most scared I've been in awhile. Continued prayers for all the folks in Amory, Rolling Fork, Silver City, Winona and all who lost loved ones.

Lori, Adding my heartfelt condolences for loss of hometown memories, loss of property and certainly the terrible toll in human casualties.

I do understand how devastating these weather events can be. They're so very fierce.
Here in Saskatchewan we live just north of "Tornado Alley" and our usual worst months are May to the end of August. Our area has 5 or 6 twisters per year (recorded officially) compared to more than 20 in the "Alley". 💖

>58 thornton37814: Sorry to hear about the tornado damage Lori, it looks awful.

>68 johnsimpson: There were two deaths in the nearby community of Wren which it hit before it came into Amory, but most of those deaths are from Rolling Fork/Silver City. There may be a few in Winona which was also on the path to Amory.

>69 ArlieS: The meteorologist had been warning people for days that the situation would be bad. He said a quick sentence prayer on air as the storm approached Amory and jumped right back into the broadcast and telling people where it would hit. He was accurate. They had time to get to their safe places, and he's a big hero right now. I like to think it was the prayer of that meteorologist and many others lifting similar prayers that spared lives.

>70 mitchma: I think there will be a lot more storm shelters added in Amory. I also want to just mention a tale of two houses. I looked at drone photos of the area where my dad and uncle lived in town. (Both are dead now and other people own the homes.) My uncle's house had damage (probably structural) to both ends of the home from fallen trees. My dad's house looked like just a few shingles were off the roof--mainly on the kitchen and mud room end of the house (and pretty much on the back side). He had always been very careful to make sure there were no trees that might potentially fall on the house. I think this paid off for the new homeowner because another house two doors down had two trees atop it too. Moral of the story: If you live in tornado country, be sure you watch your trees and take care of them before they cause disaster to your home.

>71 SandyAMcPherson: As I probably mentioned elsewhere, Amory had traditionally been skipped over by tornadoes. They would hit Cotton Gin Hill on the west side of town (Wren), and then they'd skip over the town and hit an outlying area to the east like Smithville, Hatley, Splunge, or Gattman. This time it just kept on barreling through. Because they'd been able to follow the path the tornado was taking, folks in Amory had plenty of notice it was coming toward them. We can be thankful for that.

>72 Caroline_McElwee: It is awful!

>67 thornton37814: I saw that clip of the meteorologist praying for them. It really brings the urgency of the situation home. North Carolina is sending lots of people to help; there have been multiple reports on the news showing preparations. Mr. A. plays in a jazz band and one of the players in the band works with the Red Cross. He's already been called up to go to Mississippi.

So sorry to hear about the damage - prayers to everyone!!

>75 atozgrl: The Red Cross was in very early as was the United Way. Several denominational disaster relief teams are also coming. It's wonderful. The meteorologist is a local hero. He is excellent at storm coverage--when it really matters. He knows how to read the radar and how to predict things. Tupelo is very fortunate to have him.

>76 DFED: Thanks for the prayers.

Yikes, very sorry to hear about all the tornado damage and the fatalities in Wren. Kudos to that meteorologist for making a bad situation better. That’s a rarity - we’re usually shaking our heads here over how inaccurate the weather forecasts are.

I hope all the displaced folks get the help they need.

>78 jnwelch: This meteorologist grew up in Kansas and really wants to keep people safe from tornadoes. He's proven himself over and over to the people of North Mississippi. He can read radar. One friend reposted a comment someone had made that said "If I ever hear somebody say something bad about Matt Laubhan over at WTVA news, I'm going to judo chop them in the neck. That dude has saved more lives than a seatbelt. He's my favorite nerd . . ." She reposted it saying, "Best comment ever." FEMA and MEMA are both going to be in today so people can begin the process of applying for federal aid. Most of the insurance companies are trying to weazel out of paying from what I'm hearing. They are trying to put a deductible on this thing and that thing rather than the overall picture. It's really sad.

>73 thornton37814:, Hi Lori my dear, there was a longer news report yesterday about the tornado devastation and i was horrified to find out that it reported 26 deaths and one man survived by hiding in his bathroom, the only thing that survived. The pictures of the devastation was so sad to see and i hope that decent support is being made available to those affected by this.

Sadly it lost prominence due to the horrific shooting tragedy in Nashville and our hearts go out to all the families who have suffered such a sad loss. It seems that over here we see this every month happening in the US and yet nothing meaningful is being done. I understand that it is in the Constitution but that was written at a time when it was necessary to bear arms but since the beginning of the 20th Century i don't think it is necessary and is outdated. I do not live in the US but this is my honest opinion. I wonder if the opinion of the NRA would change dramatically if they lost young children due to this idiotic (IMHO) Constitutional rule.

>80 johnsimpson: I know that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency) were both on the scene in Amory--and I suspect in Rolling Fork and Winona--today. The Red Cross, United Way, Samaritan's Purse, Eight Days of Hope, and many other church-related disaster relief organizations are on the ground now. I understand insurance companies are trying to nickel and dime people to death with deductibles on this and that rather than an overall one for "tornado damage." As far as the shooting, it is tragic; however, firearms control is not going to solve the problem. It's only when the person gets his heart right that the problem will be resolved. If you try to take guns away from most Southerners, another Civil War will break out. They like to hunt--and many depend on the meat for food.

Sorry to hear about the tornado and the damage it has caused.

((hugs))

>82 figsfromthistle: Thanks

I've been following the horrendous damage on your facebook posts, but thought I'd pop over here and give a hug.

>82 figsfromthistle: Thanks.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349763

>86 SilverWolf28: Thanks.

Book 31. A Colourful Death by Carola Dunn

Date Completed: 23 March 2023

Category: Other Fiction and Creative Literature

Rating: 2 stars

Review: This second installment of Dunn's Cornish mystery series is more dreadful than the first. Eleanor Trewynn's neighbor Jeff becomes the chief suspect when a woman who seems him standing over a dead body says she saw him commit the deed. Fortunately inconsistencies in witness testimony and Eleanor's alibi for Jeff convince police to hold off on arresting him. The biggest problem of this mystery is the author cannot decide whether it is a cozy mystery with Eleanor as sleuth or a police procedural with the official investigation in which Eleanor's niece DS Megan Pencarrow is a participant. Readers hear both voices and see both sides, making it an annoying mystery lacking direction. The mystery would be so much stronger as a DS Megan Pencarrow investigation without the annoying Eleanor Trewynn. I listened to the audiobook version.

>88 thornton37814: Ouch! One of those books where the cover is better than the content.

Happy week ahead!

Book 32. The Taking of Jemima Boone: Colonial Settlers, Tribal Nations, and the Kidnap that Shaped America by Matthew Pearl

Date Completed: 29 March 2023

Category: History, Genealogy, and Historical & Genealogical Fiction

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:Matthew Pearl writes a very readable account of Jemima Boone's capture along with a couple other girls from the Boonesboro settlement in Kentucky as a starting point for telling the story of Daniel Boone's role in the settlement of Kentucky and of his relations with others in the settlement and with the Shawnee and Cherokee of the region. He separates the myth of the frontiersman from the reality in his well-documented tale. Like most non-fiction intended for a general audience, the story uses the terrible "blind endnote" feature where someone interested in the sources must keep a finger in the end notes and pay attention to words and phrases. (This is almost impossible to do when reading an ebook in which they are unlinked such as this one was.) Pearl used extensive manuscripts and archival sources from a variety of jurisdictions in his research. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of Kentucky, particularly during its settlement as part of Virginia.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349961

>91 SilverWolf28: Thanks

So sorry about the tornadoes and damage. There were several in our area last Saturday morning. Our farm got hit, but the houses are ok and nobody was hurt.

I'm glad to see your positive rating in >90 thornton37814: as this is one I ordered for work and have on a reading list.

>93 aktakukac: I'm glad you are okay. It was a good read! Matthew Pearl is a great storyteller. He knows how to write nonfiction without making it boring--even when it's grounded in historical sources.

>90 thornton37814: Ooh, sounds interesting! It might be good for folks in NC as well, since Daniel Boone lived in the state for a while, and of course the Cherokee connection. That's another BB for me.

I've been away and offline...so sorry to hear about the tornado damage.

>90 thornton37814: Adding Matthew Pearl to my TBR.

I'm sorry to see that your hometown saw damage from the tornado, Lori. It's so sad to see the devastation, even more so when it's a place you love.

I'm late in seeing your notes posts about the tornado, Lori, and sorry to hear there's was so much destruction.

>95 atozgrl: It does reference his wife returning to NC, etc.

>96 witchyrichy: I cried so hard yesterday after they announced graduation plans for my old high school. They'll be held in the town with the community college about 25 minutes away because the football stadium has to be rebuilt. I don't think they've ever held them outside of town. The rain plan always included the high school auditorium.

>97 Copperskye: It really is. I just wish I could be there to help out, but I'd be limited to working some of the distribution centers because of my knees.

>98 bell7: It will be years before things recover completely. However, people have come together. Even though the Red Cross and United Way are there, the people are praising churches all over who've sent labor teams to help them clean up, the small businesses in Tupelo who have sent food and food trucks to town (often with no charge to the people who suffered loss), and even a few name businesses such as Walmart that provided portable showers, Chick-fil-a that came in with food, and Lowe's that provided big boxes full of cleaning supplies and food.

>81 thornton37814: I agree with you, Lori, completely.
Sensible gun controls and proper verification of who has them go hand-in-hand with taking the hatred out of society and the latter is far more important - and often ramped up by the politicians seeking to sow division rather than bring people together.

The six innocent people including three children were murdered simply for the fact that they were practicising Christians and the failure to recognize it as a hate crime because it seems somehow politically inexpedient to do so is shameful.

Hope Tennessee with its tornadoes - both climatic and political - will soon get back to normality.

Take care dear lady.

>100 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. My home state of Mississippi has had more than its share of tornadoes the last couple of weeks. Fortunately this weekend was milder. Tennessee has had a lot of bad press in the last couple of weeks. ;-) I'm sure things will look up soon. The one thing the devastating tornado in my hometown has shown is that people are capable of putting aside political and racial differences and pulling together toward a common goal. It has brought out the best in people--and other people have shown so many kindnesses to the people in that city.

>101 thornton37814: It seems like the only thing bringing people together in this country any more is response to a disaster. How sad!

>100 PaulCranswick: Paul, is there really enough evidence yet to call it a hate crime? All I've heard so far says the motive is unknown and they're still investigating. Since she (or preferred he?) previously attended school there, maybe the motive was personal, something against the administrators/teachers there, rather than the fact that they were Christians. I attend a PCA church here, same denomination as the one attacked, so I wouldn't object to calling it a hate crime if the evidence pointed that way. I'm just not sure that it does yet.

>102 atozgrl: Yes. It is sad.

>103 atozgrl: It's tragic regardless of her motivation. I've been amazed at how many people in my church in a city 3.5 to 4 hours away from Nashville have personal connections to this tragedy.

>103 atozgrl: I will stand corrected, Irene, if it turns out these kids and their elders were not killed because they were practicing Christians. It takes a disturbed mind filled with hatred to do this so it will always be a "hate crime" for me when six innocents get murdered so senselessly. But this should be about the victims not the perpetrator.

>104 thornton37814: It is indeed incredibly tragic, as are all of the many similar incidents so far this year. I'm sorry that so many people you know have been directly affected by it. My condolences to all.

>105 PaulCranswick: It takes a disturbed mind indeed to do such a thing. And hate is certainly involved, whether it qualifies as a "hate crime" or not. I just don't want to label it as such without knowing more about the individual's motives.
ETA: Because labeling something a "hate crime" politicizes it, and I'm not ready to go there yet.

>105 PaulCranswick: >106 atozgrl: I think one of the problems in categorization is that the country is so polarized politically/philosophically that it's difficult to define what is or isn't a "hate crime." I think we all have our own definitions of what it is and isn't, but those definitions are defined by the philosophies we embrace. We may never know what motivated the woman to kill those people since she can't speak for herself. Perhaps the evidence will point to something, but may never fully know. What we do know is that she purposed in her own heart to do evil and 6 people died as a result. Those of us who are Christians know that she must give an account before God of her actions. (Romans 14:12; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Peter 4:5, etc.) Her motives will be laid bare then.

Book 33. The Pirate's Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

Date Completed: 8 April 2023

Category: Gena's Book Club

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The author's research into pirate's wives led her to the figure of Sarah Kidd, clergyman's daughter and wife of the notorious pirate "Captain Kidd." Kidd was Sarah's third husband. Both previous husbands died. She brought a lot of silver and personal treasures into the marriages and had to fight to hang onto them just about every time. Sarah truly loved Kidd and probably believed he was just a privateer helping the British recover materials lost to piracy and capture the pirates. When he returned to take her away briefly to hide some goods on Block Island, she became an accessory to his adventures. His story differs from the charges brought against him. Was he led to allow his discouraged crew to become pirates to prevent mutiny? or was he the ring-leader as his accusers charged? The reader comes away questioning the stereotypes of Kidd but not really having an answer. One does feel a bit sorry for him as those he trusted turn against him and because of the corruption of governmental leaders who were more interested in their own gain than true justice. After Kidd's death, Sarah did marry again after an appropriate mourning period, and she eventually regained some things that had been wrongfully seized from her during Kidd's trial. The account was very readable. The author took some liberties with the story, but perhaps she stretched her creative license in a few places and should probably have stuck to social context to fill the gaps. Because the ebook copies were unavailable, I borrowed the large print edition from the library. While the end notes were numbered throughout the text, no end notes were included in the text. Instead, the book referred users to the author's web site. Most readers do not read at their computers, so this is very inconvenient. What happens when that web site is no longer available? This is a very poor method of handling end notes. A bibliography was included in the book so I was able to make guesses of the overall source the author might have used while reading it.

Book 34. Night Rounds by Helene Tursten

Date Completed: 9 April 2023

Category: Benita's Mystery Group Read

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Huss investigates a murder at a struggling private hospital. The power had been cut as well as the back-up. A nurse is found murdered. A patient dies because of the lack of power. Another nursing is missing. People thought they saw the ghost of a nurse who hanged herself decades before. Other crimes occur, making it clear the murderer is trying to cover his or her tracks. This case was stronger than the previous installment. The personal story tidbits about her vegan daughter and the trouble she got in distract from the main story.

>107 thornton37814: Thank you. That is well said.

From what I know so far, it strikes me as more like a workplace shooting, in that the shooter had a personal relationship to the school, and therefore it looks more like a grudge against the school itself or the people who worked there. A hate crime to me is when someone attacks a group of people just for who they are (a religion or race or ethnic group), and doesn't personally know them.

In any case, hate was involved in this incident, and I think your take on it is right. It was a terrible thing.

>108 thornton37814: This sounds very interesting! I may need to add it to my TBR list.

>110 atozgrl: Yes.

>111 atozgrl: I really enjoyed it. Meg and Carrie will probably be putting their thoughts on the book up since they are part of our book club that read it. One of my biggest takeaways is that my ancestor who was an original Block Island settler likely knew Captain Kidd.

>112 thornton37814: Wow! Now that's really interesting! It's amazing to think that one of your ancestors probably knew someone famous (infamous?), and you realize it in a book you're reading. That would blow my mind.

>113 atozgrl: He was certainly in the right place at the right time. The island is not that big and the population was small. I feel certain he met him.

Book 35. The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves

Date Completed: 11 April 2023

Category: Mt. TBR Bingo

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Vera's next door neighbor Jack report his wife Joanna as missing and asks Vera to help find her because she hasn't been taking her medication. Vera only needs to phone the cab to discover Joanna's whereabouts. Vera arrives at the scene of a writer's retreat where a man known to help authors break into the publishing world was murdered. Because she was seen with a knife, Vera's neighbor is initially the chief suspect so she allows Joe to take a bigger role in the case. Before the case be solved, a second murder occurs. Another instructor feels her life may be in danger as well. Vera and her team must search for the solution that fits all the pieces. While it's not Cleeves' best work, it entertains.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350101

Book 36. Cat with a Clue by Laurie Cass

Date Completed: 17 April 2023

Category: Mt. TBR Bingo

Rating: 4 stars

Review: In this fifth book featuring bookmobile librarian and cat Eddie, Minnie serves as acting director while the library board seeks a replacement for her former boss Stephen. The staff members want her to apply, especially when they see some of the candidates. Eddie already expressed his thoughts on one candidate. She comes in one day where she discovers a dead body in the friends' book sale room. Although the room was tossed, nothing appears to be taken. The bookmobile is hit as is another place with a collection of books. Minnie is good at putting two and two together and realizes the common denominator is books. She has a theory, but she keeps law enforcement in the loop. This series has become one of my favorite cozy series. While the mystery itself is not that difficult to decipher, the setting and characters keep me interested. The sleuth does not take non-calculated risks as so many cozy sleuths do.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350311

Book 37. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Date Completed: 19 April 2023

Category: Christmas All Year

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Deliveryman Bill Furlong's eyes are opened when he brings coal to a convent where young girls are forced into labor. Bill and his wife Ellen barely get by as they raise their own daughters, but Bill takes action on Christmas eve. This powerful novella shows one man's reaction. He must struggle with what coming forward would mean to him and his family before he acts. It does not provide a detailed expose on the horrors of these Magdalen laundries, but the reader may be interested enough to seek out a book providing that information. Keegan is a master of the novella form.

>118 SilverWolf28: Thanks.

Book 38. Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley

Date Completed: 21 April 2023

Category: Other Fiction & Creative Literature

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Cook Kat Holloway, a victim of a marriage scam and mother of a young girl in the care of friends, embarks on a new adventure in the home of Lord and Lady Rankin. The next morning she discovers her assistant's murdered body and a fragment of paper with some interesting numerical figures. She calls upon an old friend Daniel McAdam to help discover who killed the young woman because she realizes no true investigation will occur. The paper leads them to suspect a Fenian plot against the queen herself. The main characters of Kat and Daniel as well as Daniel's "son" James and Lady Rankin's sister Cynthia are all interesting and well-developed. It is, however, inconceivable that Kat would have been allowed to get away so early in her work for the Rankins. Daniel is somewhat of a mystery as he's comfortable as a servant or as a gentleman. Kat must also make a decision that will impact her future with her daughter. Although this is the first in the series, I felt I'd missed the backstory. There is a prequel novella I wish I'd read first. The series holds promise. I want to read the prequel and then move to the second book.

>121 thornton37814: I am glad you mentioned there is a prequel (A Soupçon of Poison), because I was looking for a cozy mystery read that had a lighter plot than the ones I've been reading lately. Your review of Death Below Stairs sounds just the thing, so I've noted that the prequel is available in my library as an e-book. I'll give it a whirl tonight!

>122 SandyAMcPherson: Hope you enjoy it.

Book 39. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Date Completed: 26 April 2023

Category: Other Fiction and Creative Literature

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: This beautifully written novel tells the story of Tookie and Pollux. We learn of their past where Pollux arrested her, resulting in her imprisonment. We experience their lives in the Minneapolis area during COVID 19 and the riots resulting from the George Floyd incident. We also learn that Flora's ghost haunts the bookstore. Elements of the Ojibwe culture are present and important to the book's action. The author successfully uses the Ojibwe culture to foreshadow and to add interest. We read this for our faculty book club, and I think our consensus is that this is our favorite among the books we've read over the years.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350466

It's been a while since I caught up with your thread, Lori. I didn't realize that your town was so badly hit by the tornado. I hope that everyone is still pulling together in the recovery.

>126 Familyhistorian: They are. The biggest issue at the moment is housing. Some people are having to move--at least temporarily to other counties where they can find a place to live until they can rebuild. Some insurance companies are giving people and businesses trouble. It's partially due to needing more insurance adjusters, but in some cases, I think it goes beyond that.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350624

>128 SilverWolf28: Oops! Missed it!

Book 40. MASH: A Novel about Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker

Date Completed: 29 April 2023

Category: History, Genealogy, and Historical & Genealogical Fiction

Rating: 4 stars

Review: I listened to this novel that started MASH. It was a fun listen, and I mostly pictured the TV cast as I listened. There are differences between the novel and TV series. For example, "Hot Lips" was interested in a doctor but his name wasn't Frank Burns, although they seemed to have similar personalities. Klinger was not in it. Radar's role was minor. There was another doctor--Duke from Georgia--in the Swamp with Hawkeye and Trapper. It was hard to picture Father Mulcahey as "Diego Red" since the actor didn't have the red hair the book star had, but of course, when they called him Father Mulcahey, I had no troubles! It was fun. It reminded me while MASH is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, TV shows of all time.

Book 41. Murder at the Blueberry Festival by Darci Hannah

Date Completed: 1 May 2023

Category: Keeping the Series Current

Rating: 3 stars

Review: While I enjoyed my visit to Beacon Harbor, Michigan, I found the plot less appealing that earlier installments. A prankster is at work at the town's annual blueberry festival. Lindsay is trying to avoid being a victim. Before it's her turn, however, a rather deadly prank happens, and Lindsay's dog alerts her to a "Viking ship" with a corpse and a goat. The victim was a friend of Rory's, and with his military background, he helps with the investigation--and, of course, Lindsay is going to help too. It was humorous, but I'm not a fan of all the extra characters and wish we'd see the official investigation a bit more.

>130 thornton37814: They had "Duke" in the movie

I did like the novel of MASH a lot for the similarities and the differences. Apparently so much of the movie was improvised by the cast on the set a lot of Ring Lardner's script was just tossed away.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350767

>132 magicians_nephew: It's been awhile since I've seen the movie, but I do remember the cast being different. You have to admit that Alan Alda was the perfect Hawkeye!

>133 SilverWolf28: Thanks.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350931

>135 SilverWolf28: Thanks. I should be finishing up Women in White Coats. I have a couple other completions to report, but I'm staying behind right now.

Book 42. The Black Tower by P. D. James

Completed: 16 May 2023

Category: Mt. TBR Bingo

Rating: 3 stars

Review: DS Adam Dalgliesh visits Toynton Grange, a small private nursing care facility, in response to a letter received from his old friend Father Baddeley. When he arrives, he discovered the man died a few days earlier and left him his book collection. He stays on a few days to sort and box the books and discovers other unexpected deaths in the facility's recent past. Then a suspicious fire takes place in a detached black tower on the property nearer the coastline. Soon another death occurs. Dalgliesh had recently been released from the hospital following a critical situation and decided to "retire" from his police career when this book begins. Readers still don't have resolution to that situation by the book's end. My biggest problem with the book was this was an unofficial snooping rather than a formal police procedural. There really wasn't an official crime through most of the book although Dalgliesh could see the tell-tale signs and was able to follow them. Dalgliesh, of course, solves the case, but this isn't one of my favorites. It reminds me a lot of "And Then There Were None" because of the small pool of suspects where one keeps dying. I listened to the audiobook, and Penelope Dellaporta always does a good job with this series.

Book 43. A Killing of Innocents by Deborah Crombie

Date Completed: 16 May 2023

Category: Keeping the Series Current

Rating: 3 stars

Review: A female doctor in training is stabbed in a square on the route from the hospital to where she resided. The murder takes place on Duncan's beat. He and Doug had just seen the woman at a pub where she'd seemed like she was awaiting someone who perhaps never showed up. Gemma and Melody are working desk jobs now, and both miss their roles as detectives. Duncan involves Emma by asking her to do some undercover bar hopping with his less-than-reliable DI. I'm getting tired of the continuing soap opera drama with Melody, Andy, Poppy, and Doug. (I liked things better before Andy and Poppy came into the picture to complicate the relationship between Doug and Melody.) I've waited for this installment's release for years, and I was disappointed. While the mystery itself was quite good, the rest of the story didn't keep me wanting to read it.

Book 44. Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine by Olivia Campbell

Date Completed: 21 May 2023

Category: Gena's Book Club

Rating: 4 stars

Review: This book covers many early women doctors in the United States and Great Britain and their contributions to the fight for women to become doctors. Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, and Sophia Jex-Blake are the main focus of the story although many other women in medicine are mentioned, particularly when their lives intersected with one of these. Although American progress is mentioned, the main thrust of this book is in England and Scotland, with a brief mention of Ireland toward the end of the book. Higher education institutions and the men who ran them were set against allowing women to enter the profession. When a sympathetic administrator was persuaded to allow admission, it was usually overturned by the students or professors who refused to share facilities with the women or teach them. The author relied on correspondence, published medical histories, biographies--personal and collective, articles, and medical journals for much of the information. Persons interested in the American side of things and Elizabeth Blackwell and her sister should read The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Women Brought Medicine to Women -- and Women to Medicine by Janice P. Nimura.

>139 thornton37814: Good review! It's so shameful the way gender influenced who was considered acceptable in the medical profession. Careers in Chemistry, Astronomy and Physics were equally discriminatory. I upthumbed your review on the book page, too.

>140 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks! I'm really behind on visiting threads. I am feverishly trying to finish up my slides for my talks next week at National Genealogical Society. They are mostly done, but I always keep tweaking to the last minute. I will need to make sure my timing is okay on them as well--and hide slides when necessary to cut it down.

>141 thornton37814: No problem. Best wishes in your presentation!

>142 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks.

Here's the Memorial Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351075

Wishing you the very best of luck with the presentation, Lori.

>145 PaulCranswick: There are 3 at one conference and one at another. I'll try to get back to being more active when I get back. I'm already behind a book review. If I could count all the partial books I'd read in preparation for two of the presentations, my numbers would look much better--although not up to old standards. I've got a presentation in August and then some in the fall.

>146 thornton37814: I'm sure that you'll break a leg, Lori!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351187