lit_chick's 2017 Reading (3)

All aboard for 2017's literary adventures, everyone!

This is my seventh year with our most articulate 75 Books Challenge group. I do not structure or plan my reading at all. My book choices are made on the fly and in the moment. One might say I like to fly by the seat of my pants. This works for me!

I live in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley with my magnificent four-year-old, jet black, feline rescue, Cairo. My thread toppers this year will feature some of my favourite work by Canada's Group of Seven.



Franklin Carmichael, Mirror Lake, 1929




September
32. Shadow Prey, John Sandford

August
31. Into Oblivion, Arnaldur Indridason
30. The Parcel, Anosh Irani
29. Reykjavik Nights, Arnaldur Indridason

July
28. In This Grave Hour, Jacqueline Winspear
27. Strange Shores, Arnaldur Indridason

June
26. The Fatal Flame, Lyndsay Faye

May
25. Seven For a Secret, Lyndsay Faye
24. The Gods of Gotham, Lyndsay Faye

April
23. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, Alan Bradley
22. A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles
21. The Queen's Accomplice, Susan Elia MacNeal

March
20. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Brontë
19. Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance
18. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead
17. Lucy Barton, Elizabeth Strout

February
16. Lila, Marilynne Robinson
15. Black Seconds, Karin Fossum
14. Home, Marilynne Robinson
13. A Great Reckoning, Louise Penny
12. Mrs Roosevelt's Confidante, Susan Elia MacNeal
11. The Prime Minister's Secret Agent, Susan Elia MacNeal

January
10. Nobody's Fool, Richard Russo
9. His Majesty's Hope, Susan Elia MacNeal
8. Princess Elizabeth's Spy, Susan Elia MacNeal
7. Here Comes the Sun, Nicole Dennis Benn
6. The Prime Minister's Secretary, Susan Elia MacNeal
5. He Wants, Alison Moore
4. Another Brooklyn, Jacqueline Woodson
3. Commonwealth, Ann Patchett
2. Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson
1. Circling the Sun, Paula McLain

Because one never knows when one might need a fainting couch ...

O fickle reader that I am, I've decided to set Flavia aside in favour of The Gods of Gotham. Can't remember whose thread I saw this one on, but it caught my attention. There are three in the series.

Hi Nancy, Happy new thread my dear. Hope you are having a really good weekend dear friend and the weather is good with you. Sending love and hugs.

What a beautiful painting you chose for your topper. Love the blues!
I am a "seat of the pants" kind of girl too so completely understand about your reading choices.
Happy reading and happy new thread.

Happy new thread, Nancy.
Franklin Carmichael really captured the Mirror of the lake. Thanks for introducing to me unknown painters.

Gorgeous painting for your topper, Nancy! Happy New Thread! I hope you are enjoying a nice weekend!

>4 johnsimpson: Thanks, John, love and hugs to you and Karen.

>5 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. Love the Group of Seven! And it's good to ahve another seat of the pants kind of girl on board, LOL!

>6 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Canada's Group of Seven are well loved here. Check them out at Group of Seven.org.

>7 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb, Mirror Lake is one of my favourites. I have a print of this one in my living room. Hope your weekend is lovely too!

Happy new thread! The Faye series is very good. I hope you like it!

Add me to the admirers and appreciators of that opening art! I too look forward to the Faye series! Read on, my friend, read on!

Happy new thread, Nancy. Great painting for a topper.

Happy new thread, Nancy. I love the topper.

Another one appreciating the thread topper. Happy Sunday and Happy New Thread, Nancy.

>9 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. Good to know about the Faye. I'm only a couple chapters in, but so far so good.

>10 LizzieD: Glad you like the art, Peggy. Will definitely read on, and will look forward to your thoughts on the Faye series when you get to it.

>11 Familyhistorian:, >12 BLBera: Thanks, Meg and Beth.

>13 PaulCranswick: Happy Sunday to you, too, Paul.

Oh! You have a print in your living room! Nice! Best wishes for the week ahead, Nancy.

Happy new thread, Nancy!

Nancy--Love the topper on your new thread. And the fainting couch. And that you read based on the call of the moment. Have fun!

>15 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb, you have a good week, too.

>16 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl.

>17 Berly: Hi Kim, glad you like the topper, and of course the fainting couch : ). I do best when I'm reading on the call of the moment.

Hi Nancy - happy new thread - great topper picture.

Although LT got the silent treatment for a while I've been following your reviews - I had my eye on A Gentleman in Moscow and hope to get to that at some point.

That was fun to see us all celebrating Carston's return to LT after his "silent treatment".
Hope you're having a wonderful weekend Nancy!

>19 ctpress: Dellighted to have you back, Carsten, after your silent treatment, LOL. I am certain you will love A Gentleman in Moscow, and the audio was superb.

>20 mdoris: Yes, I had a good chuckle, too, Mary!

Setting Flavia aside...oh, no! I'm sure that you will enjoy Flavia all the more for an absence. I've been reading the Vorkosigan Saga, but taking breaks here and there to read other things. I can't remember what the most recent Maggie Hope is - all you all caught up with those for the moment?

Hi Nancy, just catching up with all my LT friends my dear and hope you have had a good week so far dear friend and send love and hugs.

>22 rretzler:, >23 rretzler: Hi Robin, yes, all caught up with Maggie Hope, for now. There's another one coming, but it's not yet out. I have the new Maisie Dobbs on request at the library, and am looking forward to that one, too. Have not explored Voroksigan Saga, but SF is not really my thing, so I'll leave you to explore and enjoy that one.

>24 johnsimpson: Thank you, John. Love and hugs back to you and Karen : ).

>25 lit_chick: I enjoyed the new Maisie quite a bit. I've been curious to see where she's going to take the series after the tragedies that Maisie has had to endure. You'll have to let me know what you think of it - there were a few moments when I guessed one thing might happen, but then something else entirely did.

I've also been reading a series by Darcie Wilde - it's a historical mystery and the protagonist is another strong female character. I received the first in the series last year as an ARC copy and was pleasantly surprised. The second book just came out, so I purchased it from Amazon and am making my way through it. In both books, there is a little bit of a romance dilemma going on which for me takes away a little from the book, but the mystery part is enjoyable.

>26 rretzler: Now I'm looking even more forward to the new Maisie, Robin! You've piqued my interest with Darcie Wilde's work: historical fiction/mystery. Just checked my library for A Useful Woman, but no luck. Will keep this series my radar.

24.
The Gods of Gotham, Lyndsay Faye



Rating: 4/5

2012, Penguin Audio, Read by Steven Boyer

1845. New York City forms its first police force, and the great potato famine hits Ireland. These two seemingly disparate events will change New York City forever.

Timothy Wilde, a bartender with his sights set firmly on Miss Mercy Underhill, has all of his dreams destroyed in a devastating Manhattan fire. Left homeless, unemployed, and disfigured, he is less than grateful when his older brother, Valentine, with whom he has a fractured relationship, gets him a job on the newly minted NYPD. His beat is the notoriously down-and-out Sixth Ward, the world's most notorious slum. One night while on rounds, Wilde literally runs into a little slip of a girl, not more than ten years old – covered in blood, and running for her life in her nightgown. He can’t bring himself to surrender young Bird to the House of Refuge, so her takes her home. Unsure whether or not to believe Bird’s wild claims that dozens of children’s bodies are buried in the forest north of 23st Street, Timothy will soon find himself engaged in a battle for justice that will nearly cost him his life.

Gods of Gotham is a solid, engaging story with superbly drawn characters. Wilde, of course, as the protagonist is fully fleshed out, but the minor characters appealed to me hugely, too: Bird Daly, Mercy Underhill, Silkie Marsh, and more. I look forward to the next in the trilogy, Seven for a Secret. Recommended!

Oh, they're all good! Nice review.

Great review of Gods of Gotham. It's been on my radar, but I've been ignoring it. I've just added it to the pile.

>29 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. I've got the next one queued up and am looking forward to it.

>30 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn. You will enjoy!

Wow, your description of the plot draws me in, Nancy. Like the historical setting and to get a glimpse of NYPD and New York in old days.

Great comments on Gods of Gotham, Nancy. I'll have to add it to my list.

>28 lit_chick: I must get to that one soon, Nancy.

Have a splendid weekend. xx

>32 ctpress: Hi Carsten, I think you would enjoy The Gods of Gotham novels. I love the setting too.

>33 BLBera: Thanks, Beth, I'm quite certain you will enjoy.

>34 PaulCranswick: You will too, Paul! And happy weekend right back to you.

>28 lit_chick: Great review. Great enthusiasm expressed for it. Must add it to the list!

Great review of God of Gotham, Nancy. I had peeked in earlier and thumbed your review. I must admit God of Gotham was not a book I heard of / considered. I'll have to give it a second look . Currently reading Mr Churchill's Secretary. I'm enjoying it, but I wish the author had fewer character and perhaps subplots, but I'm not finished yet.

>36 mdoris: Thanks, Mary : ).

>37 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. I have to say that Maggie Hope really grew on me as the series progressed: the first couple of novels, I wasn't really sure it was one I would continue to read. Hope your experience will be the same.

Nancy, I will be very interested about your feelings about the new Strout book when and if you get to it. I have to admit that I struggled with it as it was really quite gloomy but so inimate about the feelings and thoughts and the internal "stuff" that goes on in people. She is a pretty amazing that way but it was a tough one in some respects. I see there is a big article in the most recent New Yorker mag about it/her and I didn't want to read it first to influence my reaction so I will let you know about it when I do read it.

>39 mdoris: Hi Mary, please do let me know about the New Yorker article on Strout/Anything is Possible. Outside of Lucy Barton, I loved her other work, The Burgess Boys and Olive Kitteridge. TBB was my favourite!

Nancy, if you decide to read Snowblind , be aware that the series is not published in order, due to it being translated from Icelandic. For some reason the series was translated in the wrong order. Later on, I'll check my copy of Snowblind and let you the proper order of the series. I'm nearly finished Mr Churchill's Secretary and as you mentioned, it's not Maisie Dobbs at all, but like you, I think I will continue the series and see how it plays out.

I'm the opposite of you - I LOVED Lucy Barton, but I less sure about her other novels.

What you must read is the Bailey's short listed Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo. I have not written anything on my thread as yet, but it might be my favourite book so far this year. It was a five star read for me. I had to order it from the UK, as it was not available here in Canada as yet, Perhaps on Kobo/ Kindle, but not in book form. I got a softcover from the UK.

Just keeping up. : ) Have a great week!

>41 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, it'd be great if you could let me know the order of the Snowblind novels. Will be curious to see whether Maggie Hope grows on you at all. Will definitely put Stay With Me on my list!

>42 Berly: Happy week back to you, Kim!

Will do , Nancy! Getting my hair cut in 25 minutes and as usual, asking the hair stylist for the ' Christy Clark" hair style. No joke there. but I did realize that it is voting day. I'm really torn as to who to vote for. I'd like to spoil my ballot and that is a first. Nobody really appeals to me. How is Horgan planning to finance $10/ day daycare? Heck , I paid more back when my kids were young . I think we really need better access to health care. Tis a difficult day. But still , I'll be ask my stylist for the " Christy Clark". Trouble is, I think my hair might be too curly, but I try to communicate that to Gloria, the stylist. Maybe she does not like CC and that is why I never get what I ask for? Well, wish me luck at the stylist and I use that term loosely - though it's supposed to be a very good place. But my hair always looks " crazy'. To flat on the top, or too curly or something very wrong. Must shave head and get a wig.
P.S - will not be asking for the John Horgan, nor the Andrew Weaver hairstyle.

>44 vancouverdeb: LOL, Deb, crack me up! Glad to hear that you are ordering up the Christy Clark and not the John Horgan or the Andrew Weaver. God forbid! Yes, voting day ... whether federal or provincial, I seem forever to be voting someone out rather than voting someone in. Sad state of affairs. My civic duty was done at the advance polls, so I've no need to head out tonight. Hope to hear some results before I'm bed bound, but am thoroughly exhausted (and that won't change now until July, gah!); so will more likely be morning before I know who's who in the next (or same) provincial zoo.

Well, as I mentioned, I really did not know who I was going to vote for. But my pencil magically directed me to a party I did not think I would vote for. Dave is shocked and says he'll hold me responsible when the province goes into debt :) Well, I have sort of a CC hair cut. She does have good hair.

Good hair, - only reason I voted for Trudeau ;-) But I did not vote for good hair today. Provincial zoo is quite right.

Taking advantage of election night here in the province to get caught up with threads here on LT. So happy to see you enjoyed The Gods of Gotham, Nancy. Such a great story! I am holding off on reading Seven for a Secret until July as it will be the perfect book for my category challenge that month. ;-)

>46 vancouverdeb: Yes, she does have good hair, Deb. It's the rest of her I have a problem with, LOL! No surprise there, coming from an educator.

>47 vancouverdeb: Trudeau has the best hair!

>48 lkernagh: Hi Lori, I'm really enjoying Faye's work. Presently about 8-9 chapters into Seven for a Secret. Audiobooks/narrator are fantastic!

>40 lit_chick:, >41 vancouverdeb: This is for you Nancy and for Deborah too! Getting back to you about the article in the May 1st NYer mag about Strout, A Long Homecoming by Ariel Levy. It's a very interesting one about Strout's backgrouond (lawyer and done stand up comedy=REALLY!!! and late bloomer and 2nd. marriage to her Maine soulmate) and about the writing process which always greatly interests me. I loved in the article how Levy understands about Strout's writing. I underlined lots to tell you about but maybe you want to explore it on your own. I think you might find it interesting. too. We all have different favourites of hers! She can strike a chord it seems.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/01/elizabeth-strouts-long-homecoming

Oh Nancy, I forgot to mention "the fight to the finish line' for this time of year. I remember the feeling of the tank being very low in energy and so much remaining to do on the work front and as you say.....thoroughly exhausted, but you will make it and have a glorious summer I'm sure! Pamper yourself!

>41 vancouverdeb: Deb...and Nancy, hopefully, you won't be disappointed with the Maggie Hope series. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

>50 mdoris: Thanks, Mary, will definitely have a look at the New Yorker article.

>51 mdoris: Yes, that's exactly how I feel, Mary: I am running on fumes, and it's so insanely busy ... and only getting busier. C'mon, July!

>52 rretzler: Hi Robin, I zipped through the Maggie Hope series (after the first one or two ... it took me that long to decide that she was my kind of girl, LOL!) and am looking forward to the one which is to be published later this year. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Hi Nancy- i am cruising about the threads this evening, saying hi :)

It has been ages since I read a novel- lots of non fiction lately. But I am thinking of grabbing one off the selves this evening and cracking it open!!

>54 LovingLit: Hi Megan, you're doing better than I at getting around to the threads! It's hard when you're studying to make time for pleasure reading, too. At least that was my experience.

Hi Nancy, hope you have had a good week my dear and wish you a really nice weekend dear friend, sending love and hugs.

I'm just stopping in to say hello as I've been AWOL for awhile on the threads. I love your opening picture! I'm so glad you liked The Gods of Gotham. I have been reading too much nonfiction lately. Perhaps I'll make my next audio book Seven For A Secret. I enjoyed the dark world that Faye wrote about. Such a fascinating story. Have a good weekend, Nancy!

Interesting to see your comments on voting in Canada and especially to vote out than vote in. Isn't that a sad indictment of politics and politicians. We have our own foregone conclusion coming up in the UK soon and it is so depressing that Theresa May and her negative style of politics seems to be holding sway. Nobody is able to properly articulate a plan that captures anybody's imagination.

Have a wonderful weekend, Nancy.

>56 johnsimpson: Thanks, John. Hugs to you and Karen, my friend.

>57 Donna828: Hi Donna, I've been AWOL too. It's my busiest time of year work-wise, and there just isn't the energy for all things. The dark world Faye wrote about is fascinating, for sure. Seven for a Secret is also excellent.

>58 PaulCranswick: Isn't that a sad indictment of politics and politicians. Yes, it certainly is, Paul! You have a great weekend, too.

Stopping in to say hi! I've been AWOL too, especially on my own thread. Just life , a dear friend's father passed away, not unexpectedly, but I think my friend is quite heart broken. William stopped by last night and helped me install some photo editing equipment on my computer and I have a bit of idea how it works - I think! :) Today we have a family gathering for Mother's Day / William's birthday. See you soon! :)

>60 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, you will have fun with photo editing software! I use Adobe's Photoshop Elements and am still learning about its many features. Enjoy family dinner!

Not AWOL. Just behind! Good luck staying sane during your busy time at work. Love Maggie Hope and have more to read. A new one is coming out? Yay!

>62 Berly: Hi Kim! Yes, I think the new Maggie Hope is out this summer or fall? Have to check that again.

>63 lit_chick: >64 rretzler: I believe the new Maggie Hope is out August 8 - already preordered on my Kindle! I may have to go back and refresh myself, because I'm not sure what happened in the last one. If I remember correctly, I think her mother murdered her father in his hospital bed? Or was that the one before? Perhaps a reread is in order.

My photo-editor is something my son found free to download from the web. Nothing special about it at all :)

>64 rretzler: Robin, I will probably have to listen to the last one again, too. Great minds!

>65 vancouverdeb: Enjoy it, Deb : ). You will have fun.

Nancy, have you got some good reading planned for the long weekend? Will you be getting some sunshine and heat? I have a huge pile of books in front of me and then the outside calls which is FULL of weeds and demands. What is a girl to do?

I'm just letting you know I've been by, Nancy. I'm exceedingly sleepy and stupid, so I have nothing to say!

>67 mdoris: Hi Mary, we are supposed to have a beautiful, sunny long weekend, so I say: bring.it. This long weekend is characteristically rainy, but we've had so much rain and gray already, that perhaps we're at a turning point. Have been reading very little lately, but look forward to a relaxing, quiet weekend.

>68 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, I'm really struggling with fatigue right now, too, so I completely understand sleepy. Glad you dropped by.

I thought of you immediately when I read this and posted it on my thread. I was afraid you would miss it, so here it is!
(From Mary Lovell's bio of Richard and Isabel Burton, A Rage to Live)
I wish with all my heart that I could have had copies to pass on to my students when needed. R. Burton had a notoriously bad handwriting, and here is what his boss in the foreign office had to say about it:
'I doubt not that your report is full of interest, but in consequence of the illegible characters in which it is written I am unable to make myself acquainted with its contents. I must beg you for the future to write in a larger hand and more distinctly.'

>70 LizzieD: Oh, Peggy, that is perfect! Thank you for posting. A teacher chuckle, as I'm fully immersed in year-end madness (which seems to start a little earlier each year) is well timed!

Great review of Gods of Gotham, Nancy. I keep eyeing it on the shelf. Maybe I should crack the cover. I hope you are enjoying our warm weather, so nice for a change. The chairs on the patios in downtown Vancouver were all full when I walked by.

>72 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I recommend that you do crack Gods of Gotham! Have just finished the second in the trilogy, Seven for a Secret, and it is also excellent. Yes, patios are full here too! Praise the sunshine!

25.
Seven for a Secret, Lyndsay Faye



Rating: 4.5/5

1846. Reluctant but talented officer in the six-month-old NYPD, Timothy Wilde thinks himself well acquainted with his city’s darkness – until he learns of the vile underworld of lies, brutality and corruption ruled by the “blackbirders,” who capture free black Northerners from their homes, masquerade them as slaves, and sell them South where they become plantation property. An abolitionist, Wilde is beyond horrified by these traders in human flesh. But in 1846, slave catching is legal – and what’s more, it’s law enforcement.

The beautiful Lucy Adams staggers into Timothy’s office to report a robbery, and when she is asked what has been stolen, she replies, “My family.” Wilde’s search for her mixed-race sister and son plunges him into a world where police and politicians are complicit, and corpses appear in the most shocking of places. Caught in a mighty struggle between power and principles, he fights to unravel the puzzle.

Seven for a Secret immediately reminded me of Twelve Years a Slave, and, in fact, Faye quotes Northup, the author of that that novel, numerous times throughout this one. Another solid, engaging read set in a fascinating era – Faye continues to develop the superb characters introduced in The Gods of Gotham. Highly recommended.

>74 lit_chick: That looks like a winner, Nancy. Another series I simply must start.

>74 lit_chick: Got it! Got to get to it!!!

Hi Nancy! Bouncing in after an absence of thread visiting. Ooooohhhh, so happy to see the 4.5 star rating for Seven for a Secret! Now I cannot wait for July to come so I can read it as part of my category challenge.

I hope you had a lovely long weekend. The weather here on the island finally went from overcast, damp and cold to sunshine and temps above 20'C.... a first for 2017!

>74 lit_chick:, >75 PaulCranswick: Paul and Peggy, I am certain you will enjoy!

>77 lkernagh: Hi Lori, I am certain you will enjoy! Long weekend was lovely. Our Okanagann weather seems to finally have arrived!

Great review, Nancy - I really like the setting for these crime stories. So unusual and fascinating. Glad you're enjoying them so much.

>79 ctpress: Thanks, Carsten. I agree the setting of these is fantastic!

Hi Nancy - Just wondered about your comment on my thread- is the "great russian" still on the curriculum?

Hope you're hanging in there in this busy time of the school year :)

The weather in the Lower Mainland has been warm and sunny for over a week now. Just loving it, and I am on vacation - talk about timing.

>81 ctpress: Hi Carsten, Tolstoy is not included in any of the English 11-12 classes I am teaching, but he is approved literature if one wanted to include him. Appreciate your well wishes at this crazy time of year ... hanging in, but counting the days.

>82 Familyhistorian: Ah, nothing like perfect timing, Meg: vacation time and fine weather!

Hi! Just, Hi! : )

Good luck with end of the school year.

Good luck with the end of your school year, Nancy. How many days left?

Courage and Perseverance for the end of school, Nancy. It's coming!

>84 Berly:, >85 BLBera:, >86 LizzieD: Thank you, Kim, Beth, and Peggy. It takes a cheering squad to keep me upright through June, LOL, so I'll hold on to your words of encouragement.

Lol, I know the feeling! Tomorrow is our last day of classes, then we are into final exams. Weather looks like 24 C, so I am hoping for a quiet day.

When is the end of school for you? We have three more days (Th, F, M) and my kids are totally done. I can just imagine how the teachers feel. In fact, there has been no instruction at all this week for my 4th grader. It's like they took the state standards exam and now we are just marking time to the end of the required days of attendance. Kind of silly. At least the 7th grade is doing something - reading Shakespeare in language arts and Egg dropping experiments in science. :)

The Faye novels sound wonderful..... sigh..... onto the teetering pile they go.

Couldn't help but spend a minute looking at your topper picture, it's very good.

>88 raidergirl3: Yes, Elizabeth, I expect you know exactly how I feel, LOL!

>89 nittnut: Hi Jenn, instructional days finish Jun 16, then grad, marking (piles and piles and piles of it), report cards, get courses ready for next year, etc. Last day is Jun 30. Our elementary schools are different: I think it's required attendance through to Jun 28-29 ... as you point out, the last days will be marking time.

>90 sibylline: Lucy, I think you would love the Faye novels. Glad you like my topper. I love a lot of the work of Canada's Group of Seven.

Hang in there Nancy, summer is around the corner. Deep and steady breathing.......

You are on the home stretch, Nancy. Keep your chin up.

>92 mdoris:, >93 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Mary and Meg!

Nancy, just stopping by to say Hi!

>95 Berly:, >96 rretzler: Hi Kim and Robin. Love the cheerleader!

Hi Nancy, hope you are having a really good weekend my dear.

You go, Nancy! You're looking at the short rows now!!!!! Hope the last week is not as awful as this time can sometimes be.

>98 johnsimpson:, >99 LizzieD: Thank you, John and Peggy. I like the thought of those short rows!

Best wishes too from Summer-less Malaysia, Nancy. Your thread has me in mind of Alice Cooper and his School's Out song which is the only one of his I remember or like. xx

>101 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, that's all I remember of Alice Cooper, too ... just the important stuff, LOL!

26.
The Fatal Flame, Lyndsay Faye



Rating: 4/5

2015, Penguin Audio, Read by Kirby Heyborne

1840s New York City. An arsonist is systematically destroying properties across the city. When he begins threatening Alderman Robert Symmes, a corrupt and powerful politician, Wilde is not thrilled to be investigating the case. And he’s even less thrilled when he learns that his brother, Valentine Wilde, plans to run against Symmes in the next election – earning the two of them a host of powerful enemies.

Meanwhile, Mercy Underhill, the love of Wilde’s life, reappears in New York City and connects with him. She has taken under her wing a starving young girl whose tenuous grasp on reality may hold the key to stopping the arsonist – if only her cryptic descriptions can be understood. As the plot continues to thicken,
a large number of migrant Irish women, paid only a starvation wage for their services as seamstresses, forge a strike in the hope of securing more rights. No surprises, the textile plant is owned by Alderman Symmes.

The Fatal Flame is not a light read, but it is a worthwhile one. Faye’s historical research is exceptional, and the same great characters appear here as in the previous two novels. Unfortunately, Kirby Heyborne is definitely not Steven Boyer, fabulous narrator of the The Gods of Gotham and Seven For a Secret. Series is recommended!

As you know, I really enjoy this series, Nancy. I think I may miss Steven Boyer enough as narrator to try and get the print version from the library. Great review!

No more kids at school? How cool that you get paid to grade, do report cards, and do some prep for next year. We had to do that kind of thing on our own time back in the dark ages. ;-(

Off to put *Fatal Flame* on my wish list! I've dragged out *Gotham*, but I may not get to it this month. Soon though!

>103 lit_chick: Glad to see that you enjoyed the last Faye novel. I have two sitting on my shelf waiting for love!

Hi Nancy. Here to cheer you on through the final days of work to "Summer Vacation"!

>104 Donna828: Hi Donna, I probably should have read The Fatal Flame, too. Didn't think of it actually ... and didn't realize the narrator had changed until I had started listening.

Last instructional day was Friday. Grad is tomorrow. Following paid to grade, do report cards, and do some prep for next year, I am sooooo ready for July!

>105 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, will look forward to your thoughts on the Faye novels.

>106 ChelleBearss: Chelle, I predict you will enjoy Faye's work.

>107 lkernagh: Yay, appreciate the cheer, Lori!

Hi Nancy - At least you have light at the end of the tunnel. How long is your actual break?

>109 BLBera: Hi Beth, yes, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, LOL! We are off from Jul 1 to Sep 5 (always go back the Tue after Canada's Labour Day stat).

10 more days! :)

>108 lit_chick: I read her first book The Gods of Gotham and really enjoyed it. I have the next two books in the series waiting

>111 nittnut: Exactly, Jenn : ).

>112 ChelleBearss: Chelle, pretty sure you would like this trilogy by Faye.

You remind me that I have to read Gods of Gotham. Lucky you to have that long stretch off beginning in July. Almost done, Nancy.

>114 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, hope you enjoy the Faye novels! Yes, almost there, thank goodness!

I'm really really really enjoying *Gotham*, Nancy! Not only is it a stellar recreation of time and place with a page-flipping mystery, but Faye also writes beautiful sentences!

Nancy, it looks like you are doing a great job warbling about Lyndsay Faye's books. Keep up the good work. It is so sensible when school begins in September. It starts here in mid-August when summer heat is at its peak. The schools are finally all air-conditioned but there is such a thing as P.E., recess in elementary schools, walking to and from school, etc. that could be dangerously hot. I hope the next week or so goes quickly for you, my friend. Any big plans for summer?

Hi Nancy, hope you are having a really nice weekend my dear, sending love and hugs dear friend.

>116 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, I am delighted you are enjoying Gods of Gotham!

>117 Donna828: Hi Donna, no big plans for break. It is so gorgeous in the Okanagan in summer that I love to just hang out: the patio, the beaches, the parks.

>118 johnsimpson: Love and hugs to you and Karen, John.

Stopping by and noting that your summer time is almost here!

>120 lkernagh: Indeed it is! Thanks, Lori.

Only a few more days to go!

>122 sibylline: Yes! Thanks, Lucy.

Hooray for breaks. Usually when July hits, mine is almost over. :(

>124 BLBera: Hi Beth, one of us will be coming and the other going!

Glad you've been enjoying this series so much, Nancy - although the narrator was not up to par. Strange that they shift narrator during a series like that.

Getting close to the break!! Hang in there. : )

Are you done now, Nancy? Enjoy your summer break!

Are you done? Or do you have to go back and do some tidying up? Such a lovely feeling the start of a long break. Enjoy! Has summer hit in the Okanagan? Have you had a swim yet in the lakes? Don't you LOVE summer! I had my first ocean swim yesterday and it was dreamy.

>128 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, done! Thank you!

>129 mdoris: Yes, done, Mary! I love love love summer in the Okanagan, and yes, summer has hit the valley! Have not yet been to swim, but that will happen soon ... there are 5 beautiful beaches between Okanagan and Kal Lakes, all within 5 minutes of home. Ocean swimming is dreamy, to be sure!

Missed my Canada Day post yesterday, so here it is: Happy Canada Day and long weekend everyone!

Love it! Hope you had a fabulous Canada Day, Nancy!

>132 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. You, too!

Hope you had a wonderful Canada day celebration!

>134 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! July is my favourite month, so Canada Day is always a hit with me : ).

Hi Nancy, hope you are having a good weekend my dear.

27.
Strange Shores, Arnaldur Indridason



Rating: 4.5/5

A young woman walks into the frozen fjords of Iceland, never to be seen again. But Matthildur leaves in her wake rumours of lies, betrayal and revenge.

Decades after Matthildur’s disappearance, Erlendur is investigating in the same wilderness. He is looking for clues to Matthildur’s fate, but also for his long-lost brother, Bergur, who was lost in a violent winter storm when the two of them were young children – a loss that has tainted Erlendur’s entire life. Slowly, as the past begins to surrender its secrets, the detective realizes that these may have been better left buried.

Indridason once again delivers with a strong crime story, and great secondary characters: Ezra, part of Matthildur’s past, is particularly memorable. But my favourite parts of this final Detective Erlendur novel are the personal insights into the detective himself. While the memories of Beggi’s loss have haunted him forever, he does recall life with his parents and brother before tragedy struck, when they were a happy family of four:

"Occasions like Christmas: his father wearing an Icelandic Yule hat; the tree they had decorated together; listening to a radio serial on a winter’s evening. The images glimmered before his mind’s eye like the dim flickering of a candle ... Summer days. Sitting on a horse; his mother’s hand on the leading rein. The hay harvest. Men drinking coffee and smoking outside the house. He and Bergur playing in the sweet-scented hay in the barn." (Ch 26)

Indridason is my favourite Scandi-Crime writer. This entire series is highly recommended.

Great review of Strange Shores, Nancy! And thumbed. It's one I could not finish.... not certain why. I've enjoyed Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson and his next book, Rupture, both take place in Iceland. I think they are worth reading. A very different approach to crime in Iceland - both take place in small northern Icelandic town /hamlet. They are perhaps not as dark as Arnaldur Indridason. I recommend the series! I popped on LT to see what you were reading and I was quite excited to see that you are reading The Parcel by Anosh Irani, What a dark and fascinating read that was! I hope you " enjoy " it. I see you also have Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo uploaded. That has been my only 5 star read so far this year. I hope you enjoy it too! I've been reading rather slowly but if you look on my thread , you can see that I have been updating books read with a star score.

I hope to be back fairly soon. Just getting the furnace estimates this week and have been de junking our place, among other things.

Just finished The Baker's Secret by Stephen Kiernan. It was quite good , a toss up between 3. 75 stars and 4 stars. Not outstanding but a decent read. Not sure what is next? The Alice Network maybe ? I'm not sure as yet.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world. All is well here, just catching up with RL.

>138 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb! Delighted to see you : ).

I really have enjoyed Indridason's series. Ragnar Jonasson is also on my list, rec from you. Looking forward to getting to a new Scandi author. And both The Parcel and Stay With Me are on my list because they're recs from you, too : ). But truthfully, I've been doing very little reading: not sure what else I've been filling my time with other than long summer walks, bit of beaching, and a bit of sewing/knitting.

You will love your new high-efficiency furnace. I went through this about 4-5 years ago. Was amazed at the small pipe, which is now the chimney. Unit makes a tremendous difference in the comfort of my home.

28.
In This Grave Hour, Jacqueline Winspear



Rating: 4.5/5

2017, Harper Audio, Read by Orlagh Cassidy

Publisher’s Summary: adapted from Audible.com
England 1939. A year has passed since we last heard from Maisie Dobbs – she was on a dangerous mission inside Nazi Germany then, where she encountered an old enemy and the Führer himself. Maisie is back home in England now – yet neither she nor her nation is safe. Britain has just declared war on Germany and is mobilizing for the devastating battle ahead. Maisie is plunged into a treacherous battle of her own when she stumbles on the deaths of a group of refugees, and suspects the enemy may be closer than anyone knows.

My Review:
Great characters, as I’ve come to expect from Winspear. The usual, continuing cast is on board: Billy Beale, Frankie Dobbs, Priscilla Partridge, Robert MacFarlane. In addition, we have Dr Francesca Thomas, who urgently contacted Maisie when the first of several Belgian refugees was murdered. Thomas is enigmatic: a diplomat, a brilliant mind, and a trained killer. The adorable, orphaned Anna, who is taken in at Chelstone to live with Frankie and Brenda Dobbs, pulls on Maisie’s hearstrings. And Maisie cannot but help herself indulge the little girl – but is her indulgence a trigger for the unthinkable grief she had to overcome in losing both James and her unborn child?

Wonderful read listen, as always. Orlagh Cassidy is divine in this narrator role. I do hope Winspear continues to write this series!

>140 lit_chick: This was definitely an improvement on the Maisie Dobbs series. I haven't been happy with the last 2 books, but this felt like old times.

I've got Oblivion by Indridason waiting to be read. I so enjoy that series.

Happy summer days!

Hi Nancy - Is this the latest in the Maisie Dobbs series? I have to catch up.

I'm waiting on the first Maisie Dobbs at the library, thanks to you Nancy!!

>141 raidergirl3: Hi Elizabeth, I've enjoyed the entire Maisie series, but I must agree this latest was excellent. I clicked on the touchstone you've used for Oblivion and it took me to a movie. So, I did some looking and realize there are two Erlendur novels I have missed! Oh, joy, I thought that series ended with Strange Shores, which I've just completed. Now I can look forward to Reykjavik Nights and Into Oblivion. Thank you!

>152 lit_chick: Yes, this is the latest in the Maisie Dobbs series, Beth. Oh, I hope Winspear continues with this one!

>153 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, I hope you will enjoy Maisie Dobbs as much as I have! I'll be following along to see what you think.

Yay for Maisie!! Hope you have a great week ahead.

>144 lit_chick: just before bedtime I received notice from the library that Maisie Dobbs was ready for me, and since it's the Kindle edition I was able to download and start reading before bed. Timing couldn't have been better because I had just finished a book earlier in the day. Yay!

>144 lit_chick: the newest Indridasons are prequels, when Erlendur first joined the force. Still good seeing how he developed.

>145 Berly: Thanks, Kim.

>146 lauralkeet: Yay! I love impeccable timing, Laura. As you get to know Maisie, you'll discover that her timing is excellent, too : ).

>147 raidergirl3: Thanks, Elizabeth. Yes, I discovered that: I'm not sure how I feel about moving into prequels, having already read 11 Erlendeur novels. BUt you make a good point in that it will be good to see how he developed.

Ohh I loved In this Grave Hour ! Great review, Nancy and thumbed! I really hope she is gong to write more Maisie Dobbs books. Someone else on LT was saddened by the loss of James and Maisie's unborn child, but I felt it was necessary for Maisie to keep on being a detective. How can a mom of a young child ( in those days) continue travel on dangerous assignments? I'm currently and very slowing reading The Alice Network which has had a lot of hype. It's not a bad read so far, but I'm reserving judgement until I've read more. It shifts back in forth from WW1 to WW11 to fast for my liking , and some of the language used is clearly contemporary language, and not the sort that would have been used during WW1 and WW11. Petty complaints, but I am capable of them! :)
Oh yes, the new furnace will be installed on August the 18th. The company is fairly busy and we wanted to go with the technician that we met for for our new furnace assessment. He was a nice young fellow of 32 - went to school with our eldest son. There will be two tech's and it will only take one day! Yeah! Right now it is 22 C in the house and I'm wrapped up in blanket! Dave says likely I'm going to want the thermostat at 75 F over the winter. LOL! Husbands! Edited to add - furnace is much less expensive than we anticipated, keeping in mind that we have to go through the roof with new vents.

>149 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, I really hope Winspear continues to write the Maisie series too. You make a valid point about the era in which Maisie lives and works, and about her being able to continue with detective work in that event she'd had an infant. Not familiar with The Alice Network, have really been out of touch here on LT ... must look it up.

Delightful news that your new furnace will not be as costly as initially anticipated. That doesn't happen very often! Sounds like you have a technician/installer you are comfortable with, and that's important. You'll be so glad when it's all finished!

Two solid 4.5 to two solid crime series. Glad you're enjoying them so much, Nancy - as I have although I still have many Maisie Dobbs books waiting for me.

Hope you're enjoying your holiday. I'm slowly coming back to reading the last week or two. The weather here is grey...overclowdy, windy and mild temperatures (20 degrees celcius), so I'm actually indoors and reading during summer...hmmm...We could have a july without any official "sun day" according to the meteorologists, which haven't happened in like 40 years. At the moment I'm enjoying two autobiographies. Helen Keller and Primo Levi. More of that shortly :)

>151 ctpress: Thanks, Carsten, yes, I'm enjoying some very light reading this summer. But I've mostly been busy otherwise, with sewing, knitting, generally putzing around outdoors, and truthfully have not read much.

Goodness, sorry to hear Denmark's summer is so grim weather-wise. Ours has been hot and gorgeous here in the Okanagan, but much of our province is plagued by forest fire, which is so heartbreaking. We've been safe here, but have had a number of smokey days.

Just came from your thread: superb review of the Primo Levi!

>152 lit_chick: Sewing and knitting? That's a well-kept secret! I'm a knitter myself (If you use Ravelry, you can find me there as lindsayla18). Believe it or not, LT has a Needlearts group. Some of us have personal threads there, much like our 75 threads, where we share our crafting creations. I'd love to see your work ... :)

>153 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, I'm not a big knitter, but I have finally learned how to knit socks, so that's my latest project-on-the-go. I haven't sewn in some time either, but am working with bamboo on some patio-dresses (love bamboo!) and am teaching myself how to make a simple quilt for my LR sofa. Don't like the batting I'm working with though, it's much too thick for what I wanted. Still, I'll finish it off and, if nothing else, it'll be a good spare blanket. Must look you up on Ravelry as I do have an account. Presently working away on Skyp Socks.

Question for LT Friends:
I've used PhotoBucket for years to post the photos I use here on LT, and now it's gone rogue and wants payment. Not happening. I'm curious as to what others use? (thinking maybe I just need to use my LT junk drawer?)

>154 lit_chick: - I use my junk drawer :)

>154 lit_chick: Woo hoo! I have a new Ravelry buddy! I've made those Skyp socks too!

I started moving away from PB a few months ago for other reasons, and now I'm glad. I use my junk drawer primarily. In some cases, like vacation photos, I linked to Facebook although I had to make the album public. I also link directly to Ravelry images to share my knitting projects. :)

Exactly, Nancy. It's not going to happen PhotoBucket. I've used them also, but now I use Postimages (https://postimages.org). Very quick and no (or very few) ads etc.

>155 katiekrug:, >156 lauralkeet:, >157 ctpress: Thanks, Katie, Laura, and Carsten. I will make better use of my junk drawer, but I will explore postimages.org too. I am not a Facebook-er, so that option is out for the time being.

I think the junk drawer rocks!

>154 lit_chick: - Another LT junk drawer user. ;-)

Woot on knitting socks!

>159 mdoris:, >160 lkernagh: Thanks, Mary and Lori.

Junk drawer. : )

I've never really been able to figure out how to use the junk drawer; I use flickr and it works fabulously.

>162 Berly:, >163 scaifea: Thanks, Kim and Amber. Hmm, haven't used Flickr.

29.
Reykjavik Nights, Arnaldur Indridason



Rating: 3.5/5

2014, Random House Audio, Read by George Guidall

Publisher’s Summary: adapted from Amazon.ca
In this stunning prequel to his critically acclaimed Inspector Erlendur series, Arnaldur Indridason gives devoted fans a glimpse of Erlendur as a young, budding detective.
The beat on the streets in Reykjavik is busy: traffic accidents, theft, domestic violence, contraband ... and an unexplained death. When a tramp he met regularly on the night shift is found drowned in a ditch, no one seems to care. But his fate haunts Erlendur and drags him inexorably into the strange and dark underworld of the city.

My Review:
Reykjavik Nights is the first of the prequel novels Indridason has written which give fans a glimpse of Erlendur as a young detective. As always, the story is well-told, multi-layered, and suspenseful. I think it must take a certain talent to write “backwards in time” so to speak – after nine successful Erlendur novels, Indridason has changed direction and is now writing about his character as a young man. Although I have not listened to any of the previous novels on audio, George Guidall is perfect here as narrator. Next up, I look forward to his narration of Into Oblivion, the second Young Erlendur novel.

Great thoughts on the young Erlendur, Nancy. Thumbed your review. I hope to get there soon - will be interesting to see how Indridason handles going back to the younger years of Erlendur. This is such a great series.

I got half way through the one with Elinborg as the detective but got sidetracked in reading/listening during the summer, so I think I have to go back and listen to it again or just try to continue it. That one and the next with Sigurdur Óli are available to me at the library as Danish audiobooks, so I'm looking forward to that.

>166 ctpress: Thanks, Carsten. Yes, this is a fabulous series! Indridason remains my favourite Scandi-Crime author, and he manages going back to the younger years of Erlendur beautifully. I know how easy it is to get sidetracked, LOL! Glad you've still got some of these waiting for you.

Hi Nancy - >165 lit_chick: I must get started on this series. It sounds like one I would like. One of these days.

HI Nancy, I think we were reading Indridason at the same time! I just finished Oblivion and enjoyed it especially as it takes place in a colder climate, which gave me some relief as it is very hot on the coast here.

>165 lit_chick: I enjoyed everything Arnaldur Indridason wrote :-)

I popped in to read your thread , Nancy! Thumbed your review of Reykjavik Nights. I have it in my possession. Yes, it is warm here on the coast and our Air Quality index is 155 today! Kamloops AQI was 485 yesterday, but I'm surprised that the lower mainland is so affected by the interior wildfires. It is so smokey out and has been for quite a few days now. I'm not too keen to get out " rambling' on my fitness walks! Maybe mall waking? Apparently we have more air pollution right now than Beijing! Argh! We are not affected at all really, except I'd like to see a blue sky , instead of a orangey- grey haze. My eldest son tells me his throat is irritated by the particulate matter, but I cannot say I can actually feel the effects.

I finished The Alice Network at definitely 4 stars. It has a bit of slow start, but the great historical fiction aspect kicked in fairly quickly and I'd recommend it. It is a " Heather's Pick" at the Chapters. I'm nearly finished The Child by Fiona Barton and I'm enjoying it much more than I did her first book, The Widow, which was maybe a 3.5 star read. The Child - nice supense , a great beach read, not that I ever sit at the beach and read, but you get the drift. I have Eleanor Oliphant out from the library and I am considering that as my next read.

Ohhh! Good new! Alan Bradley has a new book out in the Flavia de Luce Series! :) It is called
The Grave's a Fine and Private Place (Flavia de Luce, #9). No touchstones and I could not add it to my library yesterday, and it won't be out til Spring 2018. Still , something great to look forward too!

Still on my diet. Stuck about a 15.5 lb loss at the moment and plan to loss another 7 lbs ( maybe more, but that is my goal ) . This is the first week I have not lost any weight, so I guess that is life sometimes.

Off to mop the floors and that sort of thing! Ugh.

>165 lit_chick: I have that one too and must get to it soon.

>171 vancouverdeb: A Deb sighting!!

Have a lovely weekend, Nancy.

Deb--Congrats on the weight loss!! Plateaus happen. But stick with it. I just started trying again and so far haven't loss anything but have reduced the old BF. It's a start!

Happy weekend.

>168 BLBera: Hi Beth, I think you'll enjoy Indridason.

>169 mdoris: Mary, great minds, you know! It's hot here, too, but this is the Okanagan, so it's supposed to be!

>170 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, speaking of great minds! Glad you've enjoyed Indridason too.

>171 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, wow to 15 pounds! You go, girl! Plateaus happen, particularly after mental-pause. This has been my experience.

Goodness, I read that Vancouver's air quality yesterday was worse than Bejing's ... keep that out of your Vancouver Tourism talks. It's been smokey here a good part of the summer, but the worst of it has been this past week. Today, it has dawned clear blue again, yay!

Hmm, sounds like maybe I need to give Fiona Barton another go. Glad you enjoyed The Alice Network, and tickled you'll soon have another Flavia to read.

>172 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I say with considerable certainly that you will love Indridason.

>173 Berly: Hi Kim!

Hi Nancy, hope you are having a really good weekend my dear and send love and hugs dear friend.

Checked the scale today and by gum, I'd lost a pound after all this week! OH yeah! Yes, I've got to keep that nasty air quality out of my Vancouver Tourism talks!!! Shhh! Okay, must run - we are having Dave's sister and brother over and going out for dinner later. We are still waiting on that blue sky. sigh. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised by The Child. It is worth a go, I think. Seems that touchstones are not working. drat!

>154 lit_chick: I love knitting socks. I tried the magic needle one - have you seen it? Where you knit two socks at the same time on a circular needle. Couldn't get my head around that one at all.

I hope you're enjoying summer. It sure is flying by!

>177 nittnut: I've seen reference to that method but never tried it. It sounds like a miracle cure for second sock syndrome!

Hi Nancy!

Hi Nancy -- wow, I am long overdue for a visit. I love your description of your summer: sewing, knitting, generally putzing around outdoors - perfect, and just what summer should be? How is Cairo?

>175 johnsimpson: Hi John, hugs to you and Karen.

>176 vancouverdeb: Well done, Deb! Hope you enjoyed a lovely dinner with Dave's family.

>177 nittnut:, >178 lauralkeet: Hi Jenn and Laura, yay to more sock knitters! I have seen that one, Jenn ... couldn't get my head around it either. But may have to try it again. As Laura points out, sounds like a miracle cure for second sock syndrome!

>179 AMQS:, Hi Anne, agreed: just what summer should be! Goodness, I can't believe we are already into August. Summer is my favourite season, and it just flies! Cairo is very well: he's Mr Bossy-Boss when I'm at home: I want to go out, I want to come in, I want to go leash-walking, I want you to sit on the sofa so I can curl up on you. Or, I want to go and recline on the lawn:

Hi Nancy, it's always fun to get caught up with you. I must get back to the Maisie Dobbs series. It's a comfort to me just knowing that it is out there waiting for me.

I was so upset when Photobucket pulled their little stunt. I have gone back to using the Junk Drawer method for posting pictures here and moved my pictures to Google Photos. They have done some hilarious short animations that I can watch over and over and still laught at them.

Cairo does look like he is the boss lazing out in the green grass. You can actually walk him on a leash? I'm not sure I've ever seen a cat being walked before. Lucky says "woof"!

>181 Donna828: Hi Donna, lovely to "see" you! I just loved the Maisie Dobbs series, as you know.

I was also very upset with Photobucket pulled its stunt. It particularly annoys me that, instead of warning users that going forward, service would need to be paid for, it broke the link to every.single.photo I'd posted to date and took it hostage with its huge warning signs!

Yes, Cairo leash-walks, but he is only comfortable doing so around our own property. We do security patrol twice daily around every inch of our townhouse complex! Hi Lucky!

Ooh, he is so beautiful!! You're not the only one whose schedule is dictated by a cat. Even Whistler gets in the act. I often call myself Whistler's valet service.

Summer does fly -- I am back to school tomorrow:(

Cairo is so handsome! Leash walking! Ohh what a cat! Did I tell that my sister purchased a small pet stroller for her cat? And her cat, Harriet, loves the stroller! My sister was uncertain if Harriet would go for it, but she does and my sister Tannis takes Harriet out for walks in the neighbourhood. She says Harriet sniffs around and seems to be having a great time. Harriet did not take to the leash idea. My sister tells me that she is sometimes greeted with titters of laughter, but she doesn't care and is getting to know the neighbourhood. If she'd head my way for walks, I see cats and dogs in stroller all the time! :)

>183 AMQS: Thanks, Anne. Had such a chuckle: Whistler's valet service, LOL! My goodness, back to school already. Will be thinking of you on your first day.

>184 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Yes, what a cat, indeed! Love that Harriet loves her stroller : ). We had a stroller catmobile, too. And Sir loved it ... but only for one season and then he wouldn't go near it. So I sold it!

Oh Nancy, Cairo is gorgeous and stunning. He is a very handsome fellow!

Ummm - handsome, clever Cairo!
When will I ever get to Indridason? I own a few, so soon, I hope.

>186 mdoris:, >187 LizzieD: Cairo thanks you, Mary and Peggy : ).

>187 LizzieD: Peggy, you must get to Indridason! My favourite Scandi-Crime writer.

Ha, ha, he really looks like Mr. Bossy-Boss, don't-mess-with-me-attitude :)

Yeah, summer flies - did a bicycle ride yesterday with a friend - 100 km. Along the coast up til Helsingør and had lunch on the grounds of Kronborg Castle (you know the place where Hamlet lived for real....ahem...) Pretty amazing site to eat lunch with history all around us.

Okay, Nancy, Carsten, and Mary and everyone else! I have a highly recommended book for your to read. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I'm only 150 - 175 pages in, but I am loving it! It's that new quirky , fascinating voice I so hope to find - and I found it at the library. It's about a very socially awkward but bright youngish woman -not sure of her age - 30's - whose past hints at something dark, but we only gather snippets of that here and there. She works in an office, but has some plans to better herself to find a husband / boyfriend in the form of a singer that she has heard. It is alternately hilarious and very sad. It's a debut novel by a Scottish writer - and the author is at least in her forties. Such a fresh and different book -and a compelling read. You have to get it! I had seen in the stores, but found in the library. I like it so much I might buy a paperback copy for myself! I suppose it's book about about loneliness, at it's essence.

Wow!Carsten - sounds like quite the bike ride! I was out for my 4 mile walk on Monday evening, but my, it is smokey here. In a few days I'll try to get back to my own thread!

Thanks for hosting me, Nancy! :)

>189 ctpress: A 100 km bike ride! Carsten, you are an inspiration! What a setting for lunch ... you certainly were surrounded by history. How fabulous!

>190 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, thrilled you've found Eleanor Oliphant. Sounds like a must-read! I'll check our library and put it on hold.

Very smokey again here, too. In fact, for the past couple of weeks, we've only had a brief reprieve when I posted several days ago that the day had dawned clear and blue. Ugh!!

30.
The Parcel, Anosh Irani



Rating: 4/5

“A bride had been violated on that most sacred of nights. But what about ordinary women on ordinary nights? Or indecent women, perhaps, like sex workers? Or hijras? What happened when less-than-ordinary souls got violated? Why not create a furor then? Why let their pain slide away like rainwater into a gutter?” (222)

The Parcel is a dark and disturbing novel about Mumbai’s sex trade. The main character, Madhu, was born male but became a eunuch by choice – ultimately, I believe, looking for a place to belong. She now identifies herself as a “hijra” – of the third sex, and therefore neither man nor woman. Madhu has worked in prostitution since her teens, belonging to a close-knit transgender community. Now, at 40 years old, she has moved away from prostitution and is forced to beg for her sustenance, and to help support the Gurumai, the head of the hijra clan. One day, Padma Madam, the most feared brothel owner in the district, summons Madhu – a “parcel” has arrived, and Madhu must prepare it for opening. The “parcel” is a ten-year-old girl, sold into prostitution by her family. Madhu’s emotions spiral out of control, and her past comes back to haunt her.

Well worth the read: while disturbing and uncomfortable , The Parcel is ultimately a redemptive novel. I’m not surprised it was a finalist for Canada’s 2016 Governor General’s Literary Award.

Great review of The Parcel, Nancy! Well worth the read: while disturbing and uncomfortable , The Parcel is ultimately a redemptive novel. I’m not surprised it was a finalist for Canada’s 2016 Governor General’s Literary Award. Such an excellent summary. It was one dark read and such different world from what I've read about.

Thumb. Oh, my review is just below yours. So worth the read!

Just in from night time walk in the smoke!

Edited to add - your touchstone is the wrong one! Ah oh! :)

Thanks, Deb. Dark read, for sure! Gah to touchstones! I've fixed it now.

Oh, wow, The Parcel looks terrific, though I'm not sure I can do it. I'll write it down for maybe-later.

>190 vancouverdeb: Deborah, Eleanor Oliphant looks like a good read!

>195 AMQS: Hi Anne, in some ways, The Parcel reminded me of Cynthia Bond's Ruby though I liked the latter more. I've in queue at my library for Eleanor Oliphant : ).

That does sound like a dark book. I thought Ruby was excellent, so your comparison is interesting.

>192 lit_chick: Dang it! I've been hit! Great review, obviously, or it wouldn't be a bullet. Maybe someone will catch me with a funny book bullet to counterbalance this one? ; )

>197 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, I thought Ruby was excellent, too. These are not really similar stories, but I was reminded of Bond's novel. I think you've probably had that experience when reading?

>198 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I think Deb might have the antidote with Eleanor Oliphant.

Hi Nancy, Lots of action over her on your thread! I put Eleanor Oliphant on reserve and I am #82 of 7 copies so it sounds popular. It is still smokey here, eerie and still. Great review of The Parcel and very nice to see a Deborah sighting!

>199 lit_chick: Thanks for the antidote. Even though its yet another book bullet. ; )

>200 mdoris: Hi Mary, Eleanor Oliphant is popular at my library, too! Good thing for our Deb, because I had not heard of it.

>201 Berly: LOL, Kim!

The Parcel sounds great, Nancy. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is also centered on an hijra character. Small world. I will definitely look for this one.

Good thoughts on The Parcel, Nancy. Like that it's ultimately a redemptive novel because it deals with such heavy material.

#190 Deborah - Thanks for the recommendation of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - downloaded a sample to my Kindle and saw it was "soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reece Witherspoon". Looks like one right up my alley :) hope it continues to be an interesting read.

Hi Nancy, hope you have had a good week my dear and wish you a great weekend dear friend, sending love and hugs.

Just stopping by to wish a good weekend! The long dreaded/ awaited furnace has been installed as of yesterday and it was done in about 7 1/2 hours by two " furnace guys. " HVAC guys, to be more specific. One of them went to school with Daniel, our eldest ( turning 33 this December! ) I'll have to ask Daniel if he remembers the guy from high school. It's kind of amazing when " kids" put your furnace in. LOL I am showing my age! They were really friendly and easy to have in the house all day.

I can't remember if I mentioned it , but my daughter in law is hoping - semi - expecting a full time permanent position as an elementary teacher this fall. She says she has to wait until the last week of August to be sure - get the call from the principal / school board. She was offered a full time position in June as a resource teacher at the elementary school, which she is qualified for. But she says after teaching kindergarten on a half time mat leave basis for a year and half, she feels she would really like her " own classroom." The contract that they offered as a resource teacher meant that she would be have to remain a resource teacher for three years until she could apply for her own classroom. So I very much hope she gets what she wants in the fall.

>208 vancouverdeb: my daughter in law is hoping - semi - expecting a full time permanent position...
I read that as my daughter (who is) in law.... thinking huh, so a lawyer is truing teacher. Interesting. :)

Cairo is so big now, does he need that harness/leash/runner wire thing so he can get outside and get fresh air etc? Would he run away without it? Cats here pretty much all just roam. But we put ours inside at night now to stop him fighting.

>209 LizzieD: Megan , perhaps I wasn't clear in my post! However, I do know a fellow who went into law and found it incredibly boring and so went back to school to become a teacher, and preferred being a teacher. He said sitting in the back with a bunch of papers ( his law job ) was really boring.

Just checking in, Nancy, and taking BBs for *Parcel* and *Eleanor Oliphant*. Thanks you and Deborah!

>206 vancouverdeb:, >207 LovingLit: Hugs to Paul and John : ).

>208 vancouverdeb: Deb, wonderful that your new furnace is in! Thanks goodness for those HVAC "kids" hehe. Wonderful news about your DIL and her lead on a job. Here's hoping she gets her own classroom. I know several resource teachers who've wanted to return to the classroom. That said, Serenade is still a fairly new teacher, I think ... so any FT contract is fabulous for her!

>209 LizzieD: Hi Megan, I don't let Cairo roam although many people here still do allow their cats to meander. I like him to be safe and at home.

>211 lit_chick: Hi Peggy, happy that Deb and I could be of assistance!

31.
Into Oblivion, Arnaldur Indridason



Rating: 3/5

2016, Random House Audio, Read by George Guidall

Publisher’s Summary: adapted from Amazon.ca
The Quick. A woman swims in a remote, milky-blue lagoon. Steam rises from the water, and as it clears, a body is revealed in the ghostly light.

The Dead. Miles away, a vast aircraft hangar rises behind the perimeter fence of the US military base. A sickening thud is heard as a man’s body falls from a high platform.

The Forgotten. Many years before, a schoolgirl went missing. The world has forgotten her. But Erlendur has not.

The Searcher. Erlendur Sveinsson is a newly promoted detective with a battered body, a rogue CIA operative and America’s troublesome presence in Iceland to contend with. In his spare time he investigates a cold case. He is only starting out, but he is already up to his neck.

My Review:
I’ve enjoyed reading listening to both Reykjavik Nights and Into Oblivion, as Indridason continues his well-known series with the Young Erlendur novels. I have to say again that I think it must take particular skill as an author to write a character backwards in time – all of the nuances we’ve come to learn about Indridason throughout this series: well, they’re missing here, because he’s a young, thirty-three year old detective. It’s interesting to observe him early in his career; clearly, I can see this is where his staying power and determination are rooted. If you’ve read and enjoyed this series, I recommend continuing with the Young Erlendur books. As narrator, Guidall is perfect.

Into Oblivion sounds great, Nancy. I've got to get onto it. BB received. Excellent review!

As for my DIL, I agree, any FT contract would be great. But of course she has to decide that.

>214 mdoris: Thanks, Deb. You will enjoy the Young Erlendur novels, Deb.

Hi Nancy, I just finished Into Oblivion recently too and thought it was good. I am very interested in Iceland so it is good to read about it. I do like Erlendur and interested by the riveting memories of his childhood tragedy and how it steers his life.

>216 nittnut: Hi Mary, you sum Erlendur up perfectly: interested by the riveting memories of his childhood tragedy and how it steers his life

De-lurking to say hello. *Hello!*

>218 vancouverdeb: Hi Jenn!

Well, my DIL got a permanant contract with the school she has been working at this past year and a half! Not sure if it is f/t or p/t or what grade as yet. Just a message on my Iphone that she got the call today! Tried to call, but no answer. Will keep you informed as I find out more! I imagine she is on the phone to all of her family and friends with the good news!

Hi Nancy! I have finally managed to make my way over here to get caught up with all the August activities.

>180 lit_chick: - "Cairo is very well: he's Mr Bossy-Boss when I'm at home: I want to go out, I want to come in, I want to go leash-walking, I want you to sit on the sofa so I can curl up on you. Or, I want to go and recline on the lawn That is too funny! He looks quite content lying on the lawn, even with his walking harness on. My sister has two cats - one which for some reason, just does not like my dad - so when we stayed with them for the August long weekend it was a constant chore of herding Dobie away from my dad. Crazy territorial cat. ;-) Very impressive that Cairo leash walks, even if it is only on the townhouse property. My cat would promptly lie down and not move as soon as I put the harness on him.

Great reviews and thankfully, no BB's. I have too many books to read as it is.

>220 lit_chick: Just wonderful news for Serenade, Deb! I left a message for her on your thread.

>221 Donna828: Hi Lori, cats are a breed unto themselves that is for certain! Too funny (as in peculiar), your sister's cat not liking your dad, and the herding behaviour this necessitates on the part of humans!

When I adopted Cairo, I would have been perfectly happy with an indoor cat, but he was determined he was going outside. So the deal was: harness-and-leash or stay inside. He kicked up such a fuss over the harness, trying to get it off, trying to eat it. But the deal remained th same. No one was more surprised than I was when I put the harness and leash on him one day and he took off out the door. We haven't looked back.

I came over here to catch up with you Nancy, and got hit by a book bullet from Deborah! That's what I love about LT…book bullets all over the place. There are 20 people in front of me at the library. We have five copies and six more have been ordered. I must be living under a rock as I haven't heard of this one! When do you return to school? I hope your summer has gone well and the smoke hasn't interfered with your outside activities.

>223 ChelleBearss: Hi Donna, bullets flying everywhere around here! I've requested Eleanor Oliphant, too, and also hadn't heard of it until Deb brought it to my attention. Summer has been lovely. Admittedly, the smoke has been terrible, but I've managed well and have not let it interfere. School starts Sep 5; I'll be in next week doing a bit of prep. Another summer down!

>213 lit_chick: Glad to see that you are enjoying that series! I think I have some of Indridason's books on my ereader.

Nancy, I have to report that I can barely tear myself away from Home Fire to get my steps in today! It took me a bit to get into it - just had other things on my to do list, but now I'm really caught up in it. If you have it at your library, get on the list! :)

Waving Hi! Love the cat harness story. LOL

>225 Berly: Hi Chelle, I think you'll like Indridason.

>226 lit_chick: Hi Deb, good to know about Home Fire! Will check my library.

>227 ctpress: LOL, hi Kim!

Good to know that I have the young Erlendur when I'm finished with the original series, Nancy.

Guidall is perfect. Seems you're not the only one. A friend of mine send me this link a week ago:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/books/george-guidall-audiobooks.html

I have only listened to one book he narrates, that was The Night by Elie Wiesel, but that one also came in my list of top ten best narration ever. I think it's time I listened to more narrations by him.

>210 lit_chick: You weren't unclear at all Deb! I was just reading as I do....using my weird mind to warp constructions.

And the Eleanor Oliphant buzz up there is resonating down under too, my sister just read it and raved about it, I might have to borrow it from her.

I hope the school prep is going as it should be, Nancy! Which is to say, that is is proceeding :)

>229 lit_chick: Hi Carsten, great link on the NY times article from your friend. Love this: “There’s a rhythm to speech in terms of what’s implied,” he said. “If it’s raining in the book, there’s got to be something about the voice that evokes the rain.”. No wonder he is so extraordinary to listen to! He must have been fabulous reading Wiesel's Night; that is such a powerful novel.

>230 rretzler: Hi Megan, yes, school prep is happening this week! Good to know that Eleanor Oliphant buzz has also hit down under!

Hi, Nancy. Just stopping by to catch up and got lots and lots of BBs. I've been meaning to try the Indridason books for some time, but didn't know of anyone who had read any of them. It's nice to have a good recommendation.

>232 mdoris: Hi Robin, I hope you will Indridason as much as I have! He is my favourite Scandi-Crime writer.

Great visit here Nancy, picking up all sorts of tips and future "required" reads! Just had a peek at my library and there are 158 audio books read by Guidall.

Hope that you've had a fabulous summer and have your batteries recharged for another school year. Good luck!

>234 BLBera: Thanks, Mary. I will also be on the lookout for more audiobooks read by Guidall. Got my prep work done this week for school, batteries are charged, crazy is coming Tuesday, LOL!

Good luck with the start of a new school year, Nancy. I hope you have only stellar students.

Batteries charged! Good to know! My DIL is so excited about the first day of school! She's been decking out her new classroom all week and she say - no back to school blues, just Yoo Hoo's! Best wishes for the start on a new school year to you!

>236 lit_chick: Thanks, Beth!

>237 lit_chick: Thanks, Deb! The first day of school is always exciting, even after so many years. I'm delighted for your DIL!

32.
Shadow Prey, John Sandford



Rating: 2.5/5

Book Summary: from Amazon.ca
A terrorist conspiracy, masterminded by a small group of Native Americans, embarks on a series of ritualistic murders, offing public officials known for their record of prejudice against Indians. Dakota medicine men Sam and Aaron Crow recruit killers whom they arm with obsidian knives on leather thongs and send out to cut the throats of victims in Minnesota, Oklahoma and New York – for starters. Both Sam and Aaron act as fathers to young Shadow Love, a psychopath who will use the Indian murder mission to fulfill his own agenda. When Minneapolis police lieutenant Davenport gets on the case, assisted by statuesque, tough-talking policewoman Lily Rothenburg, the "sulky, dark-haired madonna" dispatched from New York to observe the investigation, the story crackles with romance and suspense, especially when Lucas and Lily become the killers' prey.

My Review:
I read crime fiction for escape, but I didn't care for Sandford's subject matter here: I found the portrayal of the aboriginal people just a little (a lot?) too stereotypical. Gratuitous sex, while it can be entertaining, also not to my taste in a crime novel. Probably will not continue with this series. But to be fair, I am Sandford's target audience – I think Lucas Davenport novels are quite popular.