lindapanzo's 2016 reading: Second inning

Welcome to my 2016 category challenge!! Thanks for stopping by.

In 2015, I've absolutely loved my simplified approach to the category challenge, reading mysteries, novels, books on sports, and books on history. In 2016, I'd like to keep those same kinds of books but make my challenge even simpler.

If you know me, you know I love baseball (especially the Cubs), so of course, I have to work in a baseball theme...single, double, triple and home run. A single is 10 books, in this case on history. A double doubles that, so 20 books on sports. A triple triples it, so 30 books of fiction. I aim to read novels but, once I finish reading my quota of mysteries, I'll start counting mysteries in the fiction category too. Finally, a home run is four times the original, or 40 mystery books.

All told, an even 100 books which, lately, is about what I've been reading per year.

Looking forward to another wonderful year of reading in 2016.

After finishing my 2015 challenge on Christmas Eve, I'm starting the 2016 challenge on Christmas Day.

Single: Sports--read 10 out of 10--CATEGORY FINISHED
Double: History--read 20 out of 20--CATEGORY FINISHED
Triple: Fiction--read 30 out of 30--CATEGORY FINISHED
Home Run: Mysteries--read 40 out of 40--CATEGORY FINISHED

Single: 10 Books on Sports--read 10 out of 10--CATEGORY FINISHED

1. Keith Magnuson: The Inspiring Life and Times of a Beloved Blackhawk by Doug Feldmann--finished on 1/2/16
2. Gibson's Last Stand by Doug Feldmann--finished on 1/18/16
3. Meeting Tom Brady by Richard J. King--finished on 1/31/16
4. A Scout's Report: My 70 Years in Baseball by George Genovese--finished on 4/27/16
5. Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian by Anthony Ervin--finished on 5/25/16
6. The Last Hockey Game by Bruce McDougall--finished on 6/17/16
7. The Only Rule Is It Has to Work by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller--finished on 6/23/16
8. Off the Deep End by W. Hodding Carter--finished on 7/9/16
9. Some Like It Cold by William Povletich--finished on 7/18/16
10. The Punch by John Feinstein--finished on 8/1/16

Double: 20 Books on History--read 20 out of 20--CATEGORY FINISHED

1. Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson--finished on 1/7/16
2. Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson--finished on 1/10/16
3. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard--finished on 1/27/16
4. The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell--finished on 2/4/16
5. January 1973: Watergate, Roe v. Wade, Vietnam, and the Month That Changed America by James Robenalt--finished on 2/22/16
6. The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn--finished on 3/5/16
7. The Game Must Go On by John Klima - finished on 3/13/16
8. Helluva Town: The Story of New York City During World War II by Richard Goldstein--finished on 3/29/16
9. The Road Not Taken: Finding America in the Poem Everyone Loves and Almost Everyone Gets Wrong - David Orr--finished on 4/3/16
10. The Echoing Green by Joshua Prager--finished on 4/16/16
11. The Queen by Brian Hoey - finished on 5/7/16
12. Unforgettable World War II by Scott S. F. Meaker--finished on 5/8/16
13. Gone at 3:17 by David M. Brown--finished on 7/6/16
14. Humanity by Jordan Michael Smith--finished on 8/31/16
15. Ship of Fate by Roger Moorhouse--finished on 9/3/16
16. Guest of Honor by Deborah Davis--finished on 9/7/16
17. The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan--finished on 9/23/16
18. Forever a Blackhawk by Stan Mikita--finished on 10/10/16
19. The D-Day Deception by Alex Gerlis--finished on 10/12/16
20. The Gunman and His Mother by Steven Beschloss--finished on 10/29/16

Triple: 30 Books of Fiction--read 30 out of 30--CATEGORY FINISHED

1. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow--finished on 12/27/15
2. Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey--finished on 2/15/16
3. Navy Blues by Debbie Macomber--finished on 2/16/16
4. The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys--finished on 3/24/16
5. Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 1 - Kiiro Yumi, Hiro Arikawa--finished on 4/9/16
6. The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser--finished on 4/10/16
7. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson--finished on 4/21/16
8. The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom--finished on 5/6/16
9. Max: Best Friend. Hero. Marine by Jennifer Li Shotz--finished on 5/9/16
10. A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron--finished on 5/10/16
11. Yotsuba&!, Vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma--finished on 5/13/16
12. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini--finished on 6/5/16
13. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck--finished on 7/11/16
14. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry--finished on 8/28/16
15. Title Wave by Lorna Barrett--finished on 8/30/16
16. Love Letters by Debbie Macomber--finished on 9/5/16
17. The Language of the Dead by Stephen Kelly--finished on 9/12/16
18. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny--finished on 9/15/16
19. When First They Met by Debbie Macomber--finished on 9/19/16
20. Tall Tail by Rita Mae Brown--finished on 9/21/16
21. A Girl Like You by Michelle Cox--finished on 9/27/16
22. To Brie or Not to Brie by Avery Aames--finished on 9/30/16
23. Smile and Be a Villain by Jeanne M. Dams--finished on 10/3/16
24. Shadows on a Morning in Maine by Lea Wait--finished on 10/6/16
25. British Manor Murder by Leslie Meier--finished on 10/9/16
26. Pumpkin Pleas by Jessica Beck--finished on 10/18/16
27. The Wages of Desire by Stephen Kelly--finished on 10/21/16
28. The Queen's Accomplice by Susan Elia MacNeal--finished on 10/28/16
29. Fatal Frost by Karen MacInerney--finished on 11/3/16
30. Dangling by a Thread by Lea Wait-finished on 11/6/16

Home Run: 40 Mystery Books--read 40 out of 40--CATEGORY FINISHED

1. Angel With Two Faces by Nicola Upson--finished on 12/30/15
2. Twisted Threads by Lea Wait--finished on 1/6/16
3. Gator Bowl by J.J. Cook--finished on 1/12/16
4. Blood Will Tell by Jeanne M. Dams--finished on 1/17/16
5. Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 1/23/16
6. Dying on the Vine by Aaron Elkins--finished on 1/28/16
7. Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 2/7/16
8. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon--finished on 2/10/16
9. Raspberry Revenge by Jessica Beck--finished on 2/18/16
10. Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal--finished on 2/25/16
11. Chicago Noir: The Classics edited by Joe Meno--finished on 2/26/16
12. The Case of the Howling Dog by Erle Stanley Gardner--finished on 3/8/16
13. A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd--finished on 3/17/16
14. Devonshire Scream by Laura Childs--finished on 3/21/16
15. A Likely Story by Jenn MacKinlay--finished on 4/1/16
16. Little Shop of Homicide by Denise Swanson--finished on 4/8/16
17. Switcheroo by Aaron Elkins--finished on 4/13/16
18. A Chicago Cubs Triple Play by D.C. Brod--finished on 4/28/16
19. Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 5/2/16
20. Murder on the Hour by Elizabeth J. Duncan--finished on 5/11/16
21. Fugitive Filling by Jessica Beck--finished on 5/12/16
22. The Secret Dead by S.J. Parris--finished on 5/13/16
23. Theft on Thursday by Ann Purser--finished on 5/15/16
24. The Case of the Curious Bride by Erle Stanley Gardner--finished on 5/17/18
25. Do or Diner by Christine Wenger--finished on 5/19/16
26. A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer--finished on 5/23/16
27. Not a Girl Detective by Susan Kandel--finished on 5/26/16
28. Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait--finished on 5/28/16
29. Thread and Gone by Lea Wait--finished on 6/2/16
30. Grace Interrupted by Julie Hyzy--finished on 6/6/16
31. Devil's Food Defense by Jessica Beck--finished on 6/11/16
32. Dead Loudmouth by Victoria Houston--finished on 6/24/16
33. Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames--finished on 6/30/16
34. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 7/3/16
35. Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 7/15/16
36. A Fatal Chapter by Lorna Barrett--finished on 7/21/16
37. Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 7/26/16
38. Home by Nightfall by Charles Finch--finished on 8/3/16
39. Murder in the Secret Garden by Ellery Adams--finished on 8/9/16
40. Knit Your Own Murder by Monica Ferris--finished on 8/13/16

I've been thinking of you lately as I'm listening to the ER book I won in July, The Baseball Whisperer. I wish I could say it's working for me. I think the guy did a wonderful thing, but I'm tired of the same story being repeated over and over and over again. Every time they introduce a new player who went through the program in Clarinda, Iowa, we get the same outline and types of comments from the previous players. I'm about 65% of the way through it, but I really don't know if I want to hear the same story another time. It's in danger of being abandoned.

>6 thornton37814: Thanks for the tip. There are too many good baseball books out there yet to read to waste time on one that's not so great.

I have two categories left to finish this year, generally history and fiction. I know I can finish the fiction portion easily so, beyond September Series & Sequels, I'm also trying to read a few history books this month.

Day 1 of a 3-day weekend. Cubs game on Sunday afternoon but Sat and Mon to be devoted to R & R. I'm at the library, picking up The Nix from reserve.

Some recent books I've finished.

Title Wave by Lorna Barrett--finished on 8/30/16

I love this cozy series set in a small New Hampshire town that's filled with bookstores. In this most recent one, the sleuth, Tricia, who owns the mystery bookstore in town, goes on a cruise with her sister and some other townsfolk. Not the best in the series but still quite enjoyable for me. Hope she's back to the Booktown as her setting with the next one, though.

Humanity by Jordan Michael Smith--finished on 8/31/16

A Kindle single about President Jimmy Carter, focusing on his immediate post-presidency as he decided what to do with the rest of his life, as well as his later post presidency and his work with the Carter Center and Habit for Humanity.

Ship of Fate by Roger Moorhouse--finished on 9/3/16

An interesting little Kindle single about the Wilhelm Gustloff which sank in early 1945 with more than 9,000 people perishing, nearly 6 times as many as died on the Titanic. It was called Nazi Germany's Titanic or even Hitler's Titanic. I want to know more. Awhile back there was an ER book and Terri provided me with the name of this longer work, which i want to read soon. Death in the Baltic.

Happy new thread! And happy Labor Day weekend!

>7 lindapanzo: I ended up taking a long weekend break from it. Hopefully it will be over by the end of this week, if not sooner.

Love Letters by Debbie Macomber--finished on 9/5/16

A feel-good book in Macomber's Rose Harbor series. I rarely read romances but make an occasional exception for a Macomber book.

Recently, I got an alert that the last book in the series was been (is about to be?) published and thought I'd get caught up and read them all. I'm a few behind but have enjoyed all the books in this series.

Guest of Honor by Deborah Davis--finished on 9/7/16

I had mixed feelings about this book. By its title, I expected it to be about the dinner in 1901 where President Theodore Roosevelt invited black leader, Booker T. Washington to dinner, the first time that a black man was so honored at the White House. There were a few pages devoted to the actual dinner itself.

The first half of the book was an overview of both TR's and Booker T's careers up to that point. Interesting to be sure, but not what I expected. The second half of the book dealt with the fallout (i.e., anger) when the press got ahold of the news of the dinner. The focus was on angry newspaper stories as well as Democrats in the South trying to gain political capital.

Interesting book, overall, but I would've loved to have read much more about the dinner itself. It felt like the author took a small slice of history about which very little is known and tried to pad it into a full length book. Glad I read it but I expected more.

The Language of the Dead by Stephen Kelly--finished on 9/12/16

I really enjoyed this World War 2 mystery, a first in the series, set during bombing raids etc in England during the war. I've already reserved the next one from the library.

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny--finished on 9/15/16

Though she's long been my favorite mystery author, in recent years, I haven't enjoyed the latest installments as much as I did the earlier books. This one focusing on Gamache and his leadership as the commander of the Surete academy. Loved the insights into Three Pines history as well. Once gain, at long last, this one had the Louise Penny "magic" for me.

When First They Met by Debbie Macomber--finished on 9/19/16

Enjoyed this short story/novella that is a prequel to the Rose Harbor series as to how the couple met. Wished I'd read this one before starting the series.

>12 lindapanzo: Everyone seems to think this latest installment is better than recent ones. Makes me want to get to those mediocre ones I've been putting off so I can read that one. I actually have one of the two checked out. I'm trying to finish an ARC or two first.

>13 thornton37814: Certainly not everyone liked this one, including quite a few on LT.

Still congested and not focusing very well so I'm reading my cozy, Tall Tail.

I didn't think A Great Reckoning was as good as Penny's best, but it was a big improvement over the last two!

Hope you feel better soon!

>15 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie. Sore throat on Sat and congestion yesterday and today. I rarely have colds but when I do, they're usually pretty bad.

I was better this morning but very tired as the day wore on. I should've taken a nap or something.

Tall Tail by Rita Mae Brown--finished on 9/21/16
(ER book)

I love a good cozy mystery but sometimes, these can get to be just too cozy for my taste. With all of Harry the sleuths dogs and cats, this one is always right on the edge of being too cozy.

In this latest installment, the cats and dogs didn't seem to play as large a role throughout the whole book, for which I was glad.

In fact, this one had a pretty good mystery. The home health care nurse taking care of a long-ago former governor is murdered and, as she dies, she nearly plows her car into Harry's. The governor, the grandfather of Harry's lifelong friend, is dying of leukemia.

Brown beautifully ties together 18th century Virginia history to the present day, the state politics of the dying ex-governor's day to the bitter politics of the present day, and medical issues to create an interesting mystery.

I don't put this series at the top of my list but I do enjoy reading one from time to time. This is a series I'd recommend to cozy fans.

>14 lindapanzo: - Hope you're feeling better! Wasn't it a relief to have the latest in the series be back to her usual form?

>18 LittleTaiko: Most of my cold symptoms went away but my cough is lingering. Getting tired of it.

The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan--finished on 9/23/16

Very interesting history of the role that women, from scientists to cleaners, played in the rapid effort to come up with the atomic bomb, particularly at Oak Ridge, TN. I wasn't aware of the secrecy and "need to know" aspect.

A Girl Like You by Michelle Cox--finished on 9/27/16

I had high hopes for this one, a period mystery set in 1930s Chicago. The female sleuth is a taxi dancer who moves, working undercover, to become an usherette at a downtown venue thought to have mob ties. At the same time, she's falling in love with the police inspector who is her contact.

Slow-paced. Could've used better editing. Even so, I would probably continue if there's a second book in the series.

To Brie or Not to Brie by Avery Aames--finished on 9/30/16

I love the cheese shop series but this one never got going for me. A wedding theme. Nonetheless, I'll continue with the series.

Those lingering coughs are so annoying! Hope it goes away for you soon. The worst is when you keep feeling you have to cough but it doesn't really help at all.

>21 rabbitprincess: I was a lazy slug on Sunday. I barely got off the couch, where I read a bit and flipped channels between the Ryder Cup, the Cubs, the football games, and later, the Blackhawks.

After a day of nearly complete rest, I feel much, much better today!! Yay!!

Ten more books til I finish my challenge. I thought I'd finish in November but October is a definite possibility now.

A good start to the reading month. A whole boatload of mysteries came in for me, via ILL, so I've had quite a few mysteries on hand lately.

As mentioned above, many of these are the latest in long-running favorite series.

Smile and Be a Villain by Jeanne M. Dams--finished on 10/3/16

This is the latest (book #18) in the long-running Dorothy Martin cozy series. She was a teacher in the U.S. and then moved to England and married a Chief Constable who has now since retired.

They seem to spend their time travellng nowadays and solving murder mysteries while on vacation.

In this one, they are visiting one of the smaller Channel Islands. I still like this series but it's turning into a travelogue with mystery elements, not a mystery with some travel elements.

Book #90
Shadows on a Morning in Maine by Lea Wait--finished on 10/6/16

Another old favorite series, this is #8 in her Antique Print series. Again, I still like this series but the focus is on their characters and their lives and the mystery seems tangential.

Book #91
British Manor Murder by Leslie Meier--finished on 10/9/16

Another "latest in the series" in a long-running cozy series. This one is #23 in the series. In fact, the Lucy Stone series has held up well. Yes, there's more travelling and yes, there are always updates on Lucy and her family, but the mystery in this series is always front and center.

In this one, Lucy and a pal are invited by an earl to stay for a visit and attend a hat show. While there, they get quite involved in family matters and, of course, a murder investigation.

Book #92
Forever a Blackhawk by Stan Mikita--finished on 10/10/16

Stan Mikita. Any Chicagoan knows all about this all-time Blackhawks star. I'm so glad that, while he still had his faculties about him, he put his life story, into a book. Sadly, a few years ago, he was diagnosed with dementia.

Quite a story. He was born in Czechoslovakia and his parents allowed an aunt and uncle to take Stan and his sister to Canada to live with them. Despite his small size and a language barrer, Mikita persevered and eventually excelled in hockey and became one of hockey's all time greats.

This one brought back many memories for me!!

The D-Day Deception by Alex Gerlis--finished on 10/12/16

A good Kindle single, like this one, makes me want to read more about the subject. Operation Fortitude, the British attempt to convince the Nazis that the D-Day invasion was going to happen somewhere else besides Normandy.

I didn't know much about this deception and WW2 double agents but now I want to read more.

Very interesting Kindle single.

Five books to go!!

I have a cold now, so just wanted to offer some belated sympathy for yours. :)

>26 -Eva-: Hope you feel better. Mine took about a week to go away but the cough lingered for several weeks. At some point, I didn't even notice when, it was gone, too.

It had better not last a whole week! I went to see The Proclaimers on Friday (no way I would miss that gig - they're my favorite band), but then spent Saturday, Sunday, and today wrapped in a blanket in front of the telly, drinking tea and having chicken soup. My goal was to not develop a cough and I'm really hoping I've avoided it - only time will tell.

>28 -Eva-: Awesome! So glad you got to see them! I saw them in Toronto :)

>29 rabbitprincess:
They just never seem to make it to LA, so I would have gone, come hell or high water. They seem, for some reason, to make it to Canada more often... There was a meet-and-greet after as well and I got my photo with the lads, so I was extremely happy with the evening!

>30 -Eva-: NICE!!!! :D

Still grinning ear to ear over my Cubs winning the World Series.

Back to reading today, though.

One book to go to finish my challenge!!

>32 lindapanzo: Congratulations! Well done!

So that's like a win-win!

It's been a very good week for you Linda, Cubs win the World Series and now you are finishing your 2016 Challenge!

>33 VivienneR: Thanks

>34 dudes22: Yes, definitely a win win. After the parade ended, I started my challenge-finishing mystery. Hoping to finish tomorrow, though I have an eye exam late morning and can't usually read for awhile after that.

>35 DeltaQueen50: Yes, it has. I'll probably do a mini challenge for the next 6 weeks. Two categories but open ended.

>32 lindapanzo: Woo hoo! :D

It's been way too long since I did this, too.

The D-Day Deception by Alex Gerlis--finished on 10/12/16
An interesting little Kindle single about the Allies' efforts to deceive the Nazis into thinking that our D-Day attack was going to take place elsewhere. Makes me want to read much more about this topic. I always think of that as a sign of a good Kindle single.

Pumpkin Pleas by Jessica Beck--finished on 10/18/16
Another "not bad" entry, the latest one, in the donut shop cozy mystery series.

The Wages of Desire by Stephen Kelly--finished on 10/21/16
I'm enjoying this World War 2-based mystery series. Hope there are many more to come.

The Queen's Accomplice by Susan Elia MacNeal--finished on 10/28/16
I love this Maggie Hope series. This is the brand new one.

The Gunman and His Mother by Steven Beschloss--finished on 10/29/16
A Kindle single about the troubled childhood of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. I knew very little about his past and, again, now want to read more after reading this Kindle series.

Fatal Frost by Karen MacInerney--finished on 11/3/16
The latest installment in MacInerney's "other" cozy series, not the Grey Whale Inn series. This one is set on a farm

As mentioned, just one book left, in order to finish my category challenge. I had an eye exam (I hadn't had one in an embarrassingly long time). Per doctor's orders, no reading for 6 hours but now I can read again.

Thankfully, my eyes are healthy though I'm at a slightly elevated risk of retinal detachment. At least I know the symptoms to watch for and know to drop everything and get myself to an eye doctor should I experience them.

Distance vision was basically unchanged but, as I suspected, my reading vision was much worse. I've been able to read fine on my Kindle but regular books had gotten a bit blurry.

"elevated risk of retinal detachment"
That sounds a bit creepy. Glad you know what to look for now.

>40 -Eva-: Symptoms to watch for include (1) hundreds of floaters (not just a couple), (2) a curtain over my vision, or (3) flashes of light/lightning bolts.

Final Book!! 2016 Category Challenge=MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Dangling by a Thread by Lea Wait-finished on 11/6/16

The latest in the Mainely Needlepoint cozy series. Of course there's a murder but also interesting information/focus on saving bird environments, as well as on property rights and wills.

That completes my 2016 category challenge.

>39 lindapanzo: - Yikes! Be careful with that. My husband had surgery a couple of weeks ago to fix his detached retina. One day he had floaters and two days later he couldn't see out of his right eye. Fortunately they can do miraculous things now and his eyesight is almost back to normal. Still waiting on the gas bubble they inserted to go away. He should be back to driving later this week. We're still pretty annoyed with his optometrist for sending him away knowing he had the floaters and instructions to come back in a month or so.

>43 LittleTaiko: Thanks for the info. It scared me, though the dr said it's pretty unlikely, just something to be aware of.

Got to talking about it at work and two co-workers mentioned that the woman who sits next to me, a woman I'm guessing to be in her mid 40s, has had this problem but they saved her eyesight. Not sure how I didn't know about it.

The dr was really quizzing me because I was a preemie and also quizzing me about when I had to first start wearing glasses, which also might factor into this.

I've started a mini challenge for myself to tide me over til I start my 2017 challenge on 12/17. Note to self: Get cracking on those 2017 categories.

Anyway, two broad categories including books I've obtained during the second half of 2016 and Christmas books.

Please join me at: https://www.librarything.com/topic/239300

Congrats on completing your challenge!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge. See you on your new thread.

>41 lindapanzo:
Just found out from my mum that one of my friends back in Sweden had surgery for this today. He works at sea, so they had to high-tail it to shore and rush him to hospital. Haven't heard the outcome yet, but hopefully all well. I hadn't realized that if you get those symptoms you mentioned, it's really critical that you get help fast. Keeping my fingers crossed my friend's surgery went well and that you never have to have it!

>42 lindapanzo:
Huge congrats on finishing!

>48 -Eva-: Thanks!!

I've mentioned these symptoms to a lot of people so they know, too. Plus a few others said that they had the symptoms and had it taken care of. One such person is a co-worker who, I'd guess, is in her mid 40s and so younger than my eye doctor suggested.

I'm still fine tuning but I've put up my thread for the 2017 category challenge. It's at: https://www.librarything.com/topic/240934

Finishing your challenge and having the Cubs Win - all in one year, how great is that!