Mamie's 2018 Madness (Page 14)

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Books Read in July:
70. A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee, narrated by Simon Bubb (reread), 2016 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural (Sam Wyndham, book 1)
71. Matilda by Roald Dahl, narrated by Kate Winslet (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, children's literature/classic - Katie's Dirty Dozen
72. A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee (4 stars), 2017 acquired hardback, crime fiction/police procedural (Sam Wyndham, book 2)
73. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (reread), illustrated hardback edition acquired in 2015, fantasy
74. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, non-fiction/disaster/Hurricane Grace
75. The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World by Maya Jasanoff (4 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/literary history
76. The Annotated Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (5 stars), 2018 acquired paperback, crime fiction/noir/private detective (Philip Marlowe, book 1)
77. The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain (4.25 stars), 2010 acquired paperback, crime fiction/noir

Books Read in June:
61. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired hardback, crime fiction/mystery/time travel - recommended by Heather
62. The Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s by Joseph Egan (3.75 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/Hollywood history
63. Tonight You’re Dead by Viveca Sten, translated (4 stars), borrowed from the Kindle Lending Library, crime fiction/police procedural, (Sandhamn Murders, book 4)
64. Scandal and the Duchess by Jennifer Ashley (reread), 2014 acquired ebook, historical romance (Mackenzies Series, book 6.5)
65. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (reread), 2010 acquired ebook, historical romance (Mackenzies Series, book 1)
66. I Hear the Sirens in the Street by Adrian McKinty, narrated by Gerard Doyle (4.25 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural (Sean Duffy, book 2)
67. Dead Lions by Mick Herron (3.6 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/espionage (Slough House, book 2) - recommended by Charlotte
68. The Last Man in Europe by Dennis Glover (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired hardback, historical fiction - heard about this on Charlotte's thread (Guardian reviews) and purchased it and then reading Beth's recent review of it made me want to get to it NOW
69. In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrain McKinty, narrated by Gerard Doyle (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural (Sean Duffy, book 3)

I am planning on walking the cat again this year. That is, I am just going to go where my reading takes me. I am not committing to any challenges except for Katie’s PopReadHarderSugarEtc.Challenges 2018

Books Read in January:
1. Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker (4 stars), library hardback, YA non-fiction/history - mentioned on Julia's thread last year in reference to the 100 year anniversary of the incident
2. March: Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (5 stars), library paperback, GN non-fiction/memoir/Civil Rights Movement
3. Artemis by Andy Weir (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, sci-fi
4. You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams by Alan Cumming, narrated by Alan Cumming (4.5 stars), 2018 purchased audiobook, non-fiction/vignettes with selfies
5. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher, narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billy Lourd (4 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook - recommended by Mark
6. The White Album by Joan Didion (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, non-fiction/essays
7. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (3.8 stars), 2012 or earlier acquired paperback, gothic fiction/classic
8. Ties by Domenico Starnone (4 stars), library paperback, literary fiction/relationships - recommended by Lynda, translation
9. God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, fantasy - recommended by Roni and read for her GR of it
10. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant (4.5 stars), library hardback, contemporary fiction/illegal immigration - recommended by Katie
11. Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson (3 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Dark Iceland series, book 2), translation

Books Read in February:
12. The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson (4 stars), library hardback, crime fiction/police procedural (Johansson and Jarnebring series, book 8) - recommended by Charlotte, translation
13. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (4.5 stars), library hardback, non-fiction/grief
14. The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey, narrated by Finty Williams (5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, dystopian/zombies - recommended by Mark
15. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, urban fantasy (October Daye series, book seven)
16. March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (5 stars), library hardback, non-fiction/The Civil Rights Movement
17. A World Gone Mad: The Diaries of Astrid Lindgren 1939-45 by Astrid Lindgren (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, non-fiction/diary/WWII, translation
18. Greenglass House by Kate Milford (4 stars), library hardback, juvenile fiction/mystery - recommended by Amber
19. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft, narrated by Fiona Shaw with Jonathan Keeble (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, non-fiction/feminism
20. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/democracy - recommended by Joanne
21. The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural - recommended by Charlotte
22. My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris (4.5 stars), library paperback, GN - recommended by Mark and Joe

Books Read in March:
23. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming, narrated by Alan Cumming (4.5 stars) 2017 acquired audiobook. non-fiction/memoir/abuse - Katie's Dirty Dozen
24. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Fiona Griffiths series, book 3)
25. Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood by Mark Harris (4.5 stars), 2014 acquired paperback, non-ficiton/film history
26. Slow Horses by Mick Heron, narrated by Gerard Doyle (5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/espionage (Slough House, book 1) - recommended by Charlotte and Deborah
27. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White (3.5 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/mystery - recommended by Heather
28. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran, narrated by Louise Brealey (5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, contemporary fiction/coming of age
29. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, sci-fi/space opera (Binti, book 1) - recommended by Joe
30. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer (4 stars), 2017 acquired paperback, weird fiction (Southern Reach, book 3)
31. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery, narrated by Rachel McAdams (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, juvenile fiction/classic (Anne of Green Gables, book 1)
32. MI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham (3 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/memoir - saw this mentioned on Charlotte's thread and loved the quotes she posted from it
33. Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagleu (5 stars), paperback borrowed from Birdy, GN/non-fiction/history, translated - recommended by Charlotte
34. Octopussy and The Living Daylights by Ian Fleming, narrated by Tom Hiddleston (4 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, short stories/crime fiction/espionage (James Bond, book 14)
35. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming, narrated by David Tennant (3 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, juvenile fiction
36. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (5 stars), 2013 acquired paperback (also listened to the 2017 acquired audiobook), crime fiction/espionage (George Smiley novels, book 5)
37. A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes, narrated by Samuel Jackson (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/noir (Harlem Cycle, book 1)
38. How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell, narrated by David Tennant (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, juvenile fiction (How to Train Your Dragon, book 4)
39. The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel by Kate Westbrook (4 stars), 2015 acquired ebook, crime fiction/espionage (The Moneypenny Diaries, book 1)

Books Read in April:
40. Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard (4 stars), 2018 acquired hardback, non-fiction/essays/feminism - recommended by Charlotte
41. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, narrated by Juliet Stevenson (5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, non-fiction/essays/feminism - recommended by Joe
42. The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin (5 stars), 2018 acquired paperback, contemporary fiction/utterly delightful
43. The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne, Illustrated by Veronica Fish (3.5 stars), paperback borrowed from Abby, GN/grief/fairy tale retelling
44. The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), traveling paperback sent by Katie and going to Beth next, crime fiction/mystery (Ruth Galloway, book 10)
45. Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi, translation, (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired paperback, contemporary fiction/horror
46. The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas (3.5 stars), library paperback, crime fiction/police procedural (Chief Inspector Adamsberg, book 1)
47. Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes (4 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, espionage/WWII
48. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (3 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, humor - recommended by Lucy
49. The Chessmen by Peter May, narrated by Peter May (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/mystery (The Lewis Trilogy, book three)
50. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (3 stars - reread), paperback borrowed from Birdy, YA science fiction/time travel (The Time Quintet, book 1)
51. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (4 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, science fiction/AI (The Murderbot Diaries, book 1)

Books Read in May:
52. Still Waters by Viveca Sten, translation (3.75 stars), 2018 acquired Kindle Book, crime fiction/police procedural (The Sandhamn series, book 1)
53. Closed Circles by Viveca Sten, translation (3.25 stars), ebook borrowed from the Kindle lending library, crime fiction/police procedural (The Sandhamn series, book 2)
54. Guiltless by Viveca Sten, translation (3.25 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (The Sandhamn series, book 3)
55. The Quiet American by Graham Greene (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, literary fiction/espionage - recommended by Bill
56. Echo Park by Michael Connelly (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Harry Bosch series, book 12)
57. The Terror by Dan Simmons (5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, literary faction/horror - recommended by Susan
58. The Overlook by Michael Connelly (3.5 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Harry Bosch, book 13)
59. The Duke's Tattoo by Miranda Davis (4 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, romance (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, book 1) - recommended by Charlotte
60. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, narrated by Dan Stevens (4 stars - reread), 2018 acquired audiobook, mystery

Katie’s Dirty Dozen - That’s right, folks, KAK’s reserved spot is back for a fourth year, let’s see what she hits me with this time

1. The North Water by Ian McGuire - Mark and Judy loved this one, too. And also Richard, though a weentsy tidge less.
2. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran - go with the audio
3. Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
4. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - Katie says for when I'm in the mood for something light and recommends the audio
5. When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman - Katie mentioned on Joanne's thread that she loved this one
6. Matilda by Roald Dahl - the audio narrated by Kate Winslet COMPLETED 4.5 stars
7. Come Hell or Highball by Mala Chance - saw this first on Katie's thread and then Meg's enthusiasm sold it to me

From 2017:
1. Everyday people by Stewart O'Nan (linked short stories)
2. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
3. Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin (memoir)
4. The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam
5. Personal History by Katherine Graham
6. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
7. Taft by Ann Patchett
8. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
9. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
10. The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
11. Snow in August by Pete Hamill - Katie mentioned how much she loved this one over on the AAC thread after Mark had posted the list for next year

From 2016:
1. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
2. Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard
3. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez - seconded by Charlotte and Susan
4. In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan COMPLETED 8/12/16 3.8 stars
5. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - she recommended the audio, and don't speed it up
6. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo COMPLETED 7/21/16 5 stars
7. Ruby by Cynthia Bond - seconded by Charlotte
8. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming - she recommends the audio read by Cummings himself COMPLETED 3/01/18 4.5 stars
9. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
10. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - Roberta also loved this, Katie says the audio is great, purchased 5/15/16
11. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant COMPLETED 1/2018 4.5 stars
12. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi COMPLETED 10/2/16 5 stars
13. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - she pointed out that this was only $1.99 on Kindle and that it was one of her very favorites, purchased 7/13/16
14. Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America by Diane Roberts
15. Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
16. Nutshell by Ian McEwan COMPLETED 1/2017 5 stars
17. Black River by S. M. Hulse

AND, from 2015:
1. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey ($1.99 on Kindle), purchase on 2/18/15 COMPLETED 8/19/16 5 stars
2. Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter (2.99 on Kindle), purchased on 2/23/15
3. The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly ($3.79 on Kindle), purchased on 3/31/15 COMPLETED 11/7/15 4.2 stars
4. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler ($12.77 trade paperback), purchased on 4/1/15, COMPLETED read for Mark's AAC in January 2016, 4.25 stars
5. Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker ($.99 on Kindle), purchased on 4/9/15 - second book in a series, first book Dreamland was recommended by Katie and purchased last year
6. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - used an Audible credit COMPLETED 6/16/15 4.9 stars
7. Academy Street by Mary Costello ($9.99 on Kindle), purchased on 6/12/15 COMPLETED 7/2/16 5 stars
8. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn ($5.99 on Kindle), purchased on 8/28/15
9. Sweetland by Michael Crummey ($.99 on Kindle), purchased 9/5/15 COMPLETED 11/19/15 4.5 stars
10. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins ($7.99 on Kindle), purchased on 10/26/15

Susan’s Summer Shivers - Susan’s suggestions for some cold reading during the hot summer, which lasts about 9 months in Georgia

1. The Terror by Dan Simmons LOVED this!
2. The Abominable by Dan Simmons
3. The Disappeared by C J Box "...there is an atmosphere of absolutely freezing throughout the book." (#18 in the series, so please don't mention that I'm thinking of reading this out of order)



Heather suggested Cold Earth by Sarah Moss - she says, "...it's about a group of archaeologists in Greenland who get cut off after reports of a virus spreading back home and then one of the team starts having strange nightmares."

Every year, LT is an embarrassment of riches for me. I like to keep track of who recommends what and any other pertinent info that lands a book on The List.

1. Curse of the Narrows by Laura m. MacDonald - about the Halifax explosion of 1917. Recommended by Bonnie, Meg, and Susan
2. Greenglass House by Kate Milford - recommended by Amber (she gave it an A!) COMPLETED 4 stars
3. In America: Travels With John Steinbeck by Geert Mak - recommended by Anita
4. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - recommended by Barbara
5. Darktown by Thomas Mullen - Jim, and he says the second book Lightning Men is just as good
6. The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman, audio narrated by Michael Sheen - recommended by Traci
7. Number 17 by Jefferson Farjeon - Harry recommended this series on his thread
8. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney - recommended by Lisa (jonesli)
9. Slow Horses by Mick Herron - recommended by Deborah and Charlotte COMPLETED 5 stars
10. The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt - recommended by Carrie
11. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley - recommended by Caro
12. For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio by W.H. Auden - recommended by Christina
13. Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain by Charlotte Higgins - recommended by Beth
14. The Good People by Hannah Kent - recommended by Bonnie
15. Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton - recommended by Shannon
16. How to Build an Android The True Story of Philip K Dick's Robotic Resurrection by David F. Dufty - recommended by Victoria
17. The Confession by Jo Spain - recommended by Susan (Irish noir, she says!!)
18. Four-Day Planet by H. Beam Piper - recommended by Richard
19. Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire - recommended by Jim (GN)
20. Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes - Jim again (the doctor is IN)
21. The Wandering Falcon by Pakistani author Jamil Ahmad - recommended by Judy - interlinked short stories
22. Exposure by Helen Dunmore - recommended by Anne
23. Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say - recommended by Richard
24. Dead Wake by Erik Larson - recommended by Karen
25. The Passage by Justin Cronin - recommended by Lori (ikernagh)
26. Drawing From Memory by Allen Say - recommended by Richard
27. A Catalog of Birds by Laura Harrington - recommended by Beth
28. The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories by Denis Johnson - recommended by Mark
29. The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson - recommended by Susan, it's Southern Gothic
30. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz - recommended by pammab
31. Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu - recommended by Charlotte (GN) COMPLETED 5 stars
32. Women and Power by Mary Beard - recommended by Charlotte COMPLETED 4 stars
33. Go Down Together: The True Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn - recommended by Mark and Jim
34. Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky by Patrick Hamilton - recommended by Susan
35. 1939: The Making of Six Great Films from Hollywood's Greatest Year by Charles F. Adams - recommended by LittleTaiko
36. MI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham - saw this mentioned on Charlotte's thread, and I loved the quotes she posted from it COMPLETED
37. Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend - recommended by Chelle
38. A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor - recommended by Megan (evilmoose)
39. The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood - recommended by Vivienne (VivienneR)
40. Conclave by Robert Harris - recommended by Vivienne (VivienneR)
41 The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn - recommended by Meg, she says it's a prequel to The Bridgertons series! *happy dance*
42. The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell - recommended by Shannon (sturlington) - zombies!
43. Lonely Hearts by John Harvey - series recommended by Charlotte (she reviewed book 12 on her thread)
44. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend - recommended by Anne
45. Time After Time by Jack Finney - recommended by Richard (time travel)
46. Time on My Hands by Peter Delacourt - Richard again (time travel)
47. The Grass Dancer by Susan Power - recommended by Charlotte
48. The Dry by Jane Harper - recommended by Charlotte
49. The Last Man in Europe by Dennis Glover - saw this mentioned on Charlotte's thread - "April, 1947. In a run-down farmhouse on a remote Scottish island, George Orwell begins his last and greatest work: Nineteen Eighty-Four" COMPLETED
50. Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig - recommended by Deborah and Charlotte
51. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee - recommended by Meg
52. Road to the Isles: Travellers in the Hebrides 1770-1914 by Derek Cooper - Meg again!
53. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome - recommended by Lucy, and Reba also loved it
54. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - recommended by Chelle
55. The lost by Claire McGowan - recommended by Charlotte for those who like Ruth Galloway
56. Astrid Lindgren: The Woman Behind Pippi Longstocking by Jens Andersen - saw this on Charlotte's thread in the Guardian reviews
57. Euphoria by Lily King - recommended by Karen
58. Happiness by Aminatta Forna - recommended by Beth
59. Paradise in Chains: The Bounty Mutiny and the Founding of Australia by Diana Preston - recommended by Susan
60. Assignment in Brittany by Helen MacInnes - recommended by Paul
61. The Shadow Killer by Arnaldur Indriðason - recommended by Chelle
62. Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng - recommended by Heather
63. E. B. White on Dogs by E. B. White - recommended by Lucy
64. Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer - recommended by Joe and Richard
65. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turon - recommended by Heather COMPLETED
66. Almost No Memory by Lydia Davis - recommended by Lucy
67. Wish I Was Here by Jackie Kay - recommended by Helen
68. Fight No More by Lydia Millet - recommended by Beth - linked short stories

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge

1. A book made into a movie you've already seen Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
2. True crime
3. The next book in a series you started The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
4. A book involving a heist Greenglass House by Kate Milford
5. Nordic noir Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson
6. A novel based on a real person The Terror by Dan Simmons
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you - The Chessmen by Peter May
8. A book with a time of day in the title - Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
9. A book about a villain or antihero - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
10. A book about death or grief - The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym - The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
15. A book about feminism A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
16. A book about mental health The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
18. A book by two authors
19. A book about or involving a sport
20. A book by a local author - March: Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
21. A book with your favorite color in the title All Systems Red by Martha Wells
22. A book with alliteration in the title - The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson
23. A book about time travel - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea - The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
26. A book with an animal in the title The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant
27. A book set on a different planet
28. A book with song lyrics in the title The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
29. A book about or set on Halloween Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling - counting this as it has a chapter titled Halloween, and it is a turning point in the book
30. A book with characters who are twins God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell
31. A book mentioned in another book Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes (mentioned in A World Gone Mad)
32. A book from a celebrity book club
33. A childhood classic you've never read Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
34. A book that's published in 2018 MI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner Artemis by Andy Weir
36. A book set in the decade you were born - The White Album by Joan Didion
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to - The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
38. A book with an ugly cover The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library - The Annotated Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges (you can easily Google these)

Advanced Reading Challenge

1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
2. A cyberpunk book
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
4. A book tied to your ancestry
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
6. An allegory Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
8. A microhistory - Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker
9. A book about a problem facing society today On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Slow Horses by Mick Herron (Charlotte)

My 2018 Data:

Books read: 77
Group Read: 1
Formatted Challenge: 1
PopSugar Challenge: 35

Books that are part of a series: 41
In Translation: 11
Rereads: 5
GNs: 5

Format:
hardback: 12
paperback: 15
ebook: 25
audio: 23
audio/print or ebook combo: 2

Borrowed: 10 (public library), 2 (Birdy's library), 1 (Abby's library), 1 (traveling LT book), 2 (Kindle Lending Library)
Archive (Purchased in 2012 or earlier): 3
Purchased in 2013: 2
Purchased in 2014: 2
Purchased in 2015: 2
Purchased in 2016: 5
Purchased in 2017: 19
Purchased in 2018: 28

Authors:
Living: 59
Dead: 18

Male: 40
Female: 37

American: 31
Australian: 1
Canadian: 2
English: 21
French: 2
Icelandic: 1
Iraqi: 1
Irish: 4
Italian: 1
Scottish: 6
Swedish: 6
Welsh: 1

New to me authors: 40

fiction: 58
non-fiction: 19

Genres/category:
non-fiction/memoir: 8
non-fiction/essays: 4
non-fiction/film history: 1
non-fiction/history: 5
non-fiction/politics: 1
classic: 2
literary fiction/contemporary fiction: 4
literary fiction/espionage 1
literary fiction/historical fiction: 3
crime fiction/espionage: 6
crime fiction/mystery: 5
crime fiction/noir: 3
crime fiction/police procedural: 14
romance: 3
weird fiction: 1
dystopian: 1
fantasy: 3
urban fantasy: 1
sci fi: 4
juvenile fiction: 6

LT Recommendations Read:
Amber: 1
Beth: 1
Bill: 1
Birdy: 1
Charlotte: 10
Deborah: 1
Heather: 2
Katie: 3
Lucy: 1
Lynda: 1
Mark: 3
Joanne: 1
Joe: 3
Roni: 1
Susan: 1

Time Travel Book Recommendations:

1. Time And Again by Jack Finney - Richard (ask Richard if he meant the Time and Again book or if this is different), Shelley, Joe and Debbi also loved this
2. Time on My Hands by Peter Delacorte - Richard
3. If I Never Get Back by Darryl Brock - Shelley, but it involves Mark Twain AND baseball, so maybe not
4. Replay by Kevin Grimwood - Shelley and a BIIIIG second from Richard
5. A Time to Remember by Stanley Shapiro, about the Kennedy assassination - Shelley
6. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - Julia
7. Murder in Time by Julie McElwain (they are good but not spectacular) - Julia
8. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneggar - Beth (and Helen says DO NOT read the coda) and Chelle
9. Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach by Kelly Robson - Susan (quondame)
10. The Dechronization of Sam Magruder by George Gaylord Simpson - Karen
11. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier - Karen
12. 11,000 Years Lost by Peni R. Griffin - Karen
13. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes - Karen
14. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler - Karen
15. Household Gods by Judith Parr and Harry Turtledove - Richard loathed it but Susan says yes
16. How To Stop Time by Matt Haig - Chelle
17. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis - Lucy says, "Helps (but not at all essential) to have read Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. Highly recommended. A hoot! I actually listened to it on Audible."

This should do it - next one's yours!

Happy new thread, Mamie! Have a lovely Sunday!

Happy new thread, Mamie. No reads recommended by me :( I'll have to get on that.

Have a lovely day.

Happy new thread! Hope you are having a great weekend!

>12 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! Happy Sunday to you!

>13 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Um...please see #13, #27, and #58 on The List; I just haven't gotten to them yet.

>14 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle! The weekend has been full of wonder so far. Hope yours has been, too.

Happy new one, Mamie!

Hi Mamie! Happy new thread. I really like >9 Crazymamie: Data.

I'm glad to hear that your weekend has been fun of wonder so far. I don't think mine qualifies as wonder-full or fabulous, but it is quietly satisfying nevertheless.

Happy New Thread, and a very happy Sunday to you as well.

Happy new thread!

>16 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>17 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! And thank you - Data is a favorite of mine.

I count getting a quiet moment all to myself as full of wonder, and yesterday I got in a few hours of uninterrupted reading AND a nap. Also, last night I made a new banana bread recipe with a streusel topping, and we ate it warm out of the oven - SO good, and it was a fun moment with the girls and Craig and I. (Daniel is off at the beach with his girlfriend's family)

>18 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen! Happy Sunday to you - it's a quiet one here with everyone doing their own thing.

>19 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

Happy new thread Mamie!

Glad your birthday celebrations were happy ones (the story of the photo within the photo within the photo made me smile) and congratulations on surviving the MIL visit (really did that have to be so soon after your birthday?) I love Dan's idea of having a gift for a reward at the end of each day (will have to remember that next time my MIL is visiting.....)

Also thrilled to see you enjoyed The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and intrigued by your Summer Shivers list. How scary is The Terror by Dan Simmons (I realise that's a really hard thing to explaqin)? I really liked Hyperion by the same author which is science fiction and a double Susan/Mamie recommendation is tempting me....

And I don't know if you're looking for other summer shiver suggestions but after reading more about the Dan Simmons I thought of Sarah Moss' Cold Earth - it's about a group of archaeologists in Greenland who get cut off after reports of a virus spreading back home and then one of the team starts having strange nightmares. I really liked it

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Happy new one, Mamie!

Happy Sunday, Mamie! Happy New Thread! Like the topper. I hope you enjoyed the weekend.

Happy new thread, Mamie, and kudos for surviving the MIL visit.

Happy new thread, Mamie! I hope your weekend was an enjoyable one.

>21 souloftherose: Hello, Heather! And thank you, Honestly, I was a bit put out that the MIL visit landed so close to my birthday. I highly recommend a reward for each day survived, so you should definitely embrace that.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was really fun - I am wanting to read it again now that I know where it is going. The Terror is a very good creepy - not too scary as in keep you awake scary, but it has a great undercurrent of menace and he does an excellent job of keeping up the tension. I loved all the detail and found it fascinating that he took an actual expedition gone wrong and spun it into such an entertaining tale with added horror elements. SO good.

>22 souloftherose: Making a note of Hyperion. And adding Cold Earth to the list - thanks so much for that! I am always happy for more summer shivers recommendations.

>23 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>24 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley!

>25 msf59: Morning, Mark! And thank you! The weekend was lovely. Now if we can just make it through today. How was the camping?

>26 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! And I was delighted to hear that the sister does not want to stay in Minnesota as long as the MIL, so she suggested the MIL fly home, which would mean no return visit on the way back home. Please cross your fingers.

>27 harrygbutler: Thank you, Harry! The weekend was mighty fine - how about yours?

Happy new thread and happy Monday :)

>30 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita!

>29 Crazymamie: Not bad: some reading, some movies, some gardening. :-)

I think I was looking at the list of the ones you've read. Mamie! The Catalog of Birds and Happiness are stellar reads. Get on that!

Happy new thread! and a belated Happy Birthday to go with it.

Happy new thread, Mamie!

'Morning Mamie and happy Tuesday to you.

Fingers crossed that your MiL will fly home...

From the last thread, re the VISIT...Daniel was so sweet and gave me a prize after making it through each day
So sweet! I love that. And the prizes were amazing too, how cool are you guys!??!

Glad you had a good birthday, sorry I missed it!

>10 Crazymamie: time travel books! Is this a new obsession interest?

Happy new thread Mamie. Glad you had a good birthday and survived the other thing. Friday is definitely on the horizon here (day off! hurrah!)

>32 harrygbutler: Sounds like a good one to me, Harry.

>33 BLBera: Yes, ma'am!

>34 SuziQoregon: Thank you, Juli!

>35 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>36 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! Tuesday was good but busy. I am happy to have no specific plans for today.

Please keep those fingers crossed.

>37 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan - I thought it was a completely cool thing, too. The birthday was awesome except for the part where the MIL showed up directly afterwards.

The time travel list came up from a conversation on a previous thread - it's one of the prompts in the PopSugar challenge.

>38 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte! I love me a Friday, and I am eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Condolences on having a MiL, Mamie. Neither my wife nor I have them any more.

>28 Crazymamie: Thank you - The Terror is on the list!

Hi Mamie!

I had two MiLs, Bill's dad and mom having divorced and Bill's dad re-marrying within a year of the divorce. Both were strong, intelligent women, who, under different circumstances might have become friends. Bill's Mama passed away in 2012 and his stepmom passed away in 2014.

Fingers still crossed for MiL avoidance.

Happy "new" thread, Mamie (almost a week late). Glad you had a good birthday and survived your MIL visit.

Popping in to wish you a happy Friday. Nearly at the end of the week. Hope it's a good one for y'all.

Ah, mothers-in-law. Nuff said!

Hi, Mamie. I trust you are making this a pleasant Father's Day for any and all fathers in your life.

Crazy--Happy new thread and belated birthday wishes! Glad you survived the MIL and love that Dan gave you survival presents. Yikes!

Happy Sunday, Mamie! I am sure you are having a nice time with Craig and the family on Father's Day. Enjoy!

It could have been worse, Mamie. Your MIL could have showed up to help you celebrate your birthday. I hope you were able to avoid a return visit and are having a great weekend.

Hi, Mamie! I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was pretty good — more reading, more movies, more gardening. :-)

I had two Father's Days, yes I did.

Saturday we journeyed to south Jersey to meet Annalise, our sixth and last granddaughter. She is our younger son's third daughter. Ned and Sam adopted two girls, then—Who Knew It Could Happen?—Sam got pregnant. We rode with our older son, his wife, and two of their three daughters. Everybody got to hold Annie and she was calm to happy about it all. Nary a cry, no scrunched up face, no rejections.

Sunday we loafed at a nearly lake and ate picnic food. Fun was had by all.

Happy newish thread, Mamie. I love the Snoopy cartoon up top. My advice to him: keep writing!

>47 weird_O: LOL!

I hope you and the Pecan Paradisio clan are having a good start to the summer.

Hi Mamie and happy Wednesday to you!

Hey Mamie! I finally had the chance to request all 5 best movie nominees from 1967! This will be a treat!

>41 weird_O: Thank you, Bill - sometimes I think she might outlive me. Heh.

>42 souloftherose: I hope you like it when you get to it, Heather. Birdy bought me the series they made of it for my birthday, and I am really looking forward to watching it.



>43 karenmarie: Karen, two MILs is kind of miserable. Mine is also a strong, intelligent woman; she is just not nice. Since they are making their way slowly to Minnesota and then planning on staying with Craig's brother and SIL for a few weeks, we will not know if she will chose to fly back alone or not for a while. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. And I SO appreciate your keeping yours crossed, too.

>44 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

>45 Helenliz: Thank you, Helen. It was good except I tried to slice off the tip of my left index finger last week while chopping scallions. So much for my mad skills with a knife. I went right through the fingernail, so Craig had to bond it back on. NOT pretty.

>46 sibylline: Ain't that the truth, Lucy?! She's gone now, which is all that matters.

>47 weird_O: I love that image, Bill! I think Craig had a good Father's Day - I let the kids spoil him as he is not my father. It's always a bittersweet day for me as I miss my Dad so very much.

>48 Berly: Thank you, Kim! I hope you are felling MUCH better. The survival presents were a lovely surprise.

>49 msf59: Hello, Mark! Daniel was working on Father's Day, but the girls took Craig to see a movie - leaving me the house all to myself. It was like a gift for both of us. *grin* Hoping yours was a good one.

>50 Familyhistorian: Haha, Meg! I would have to be dead for that to happen. She is not welcome here on my birthday. Whether we avoid a return visit is still up in the air, but I remain hopeful.

>51 harrygbutler: That does sound like a lovely weekend, Harry. It is HOT here, so I am missing my porch time, but I have been getting in some reading time and trying lots of new recipes, which is always fun.

>52 weird_O: Two?! Nice work, Bill! What a lovely story about your sixth (and last) granddaughter. I have a soft spot for six, as I am the sixth born daughter of my parents. I saw the post of her photo over on Joe's thread and followed the link to embiggen it - SO cute! She is adorable, and I don't say that about all babies. Congratulations to you and yours.

>53 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I love the strips where Snoopy is working on his novel or writing to his girlfriend. So far so good with the Summering for us - the pool is getting a good workout and we have been keeping plenty busy.

Please know that you are in our thoughts and in our hearts with the recent loss of your Dad - following your thread was so hard for me because it brings it all back. You gave him a great sendoff.

>54 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! Happy Wednesday to you!

>55 Carmenere: Hey, Lynda! Hooray for the movie requests - you'll have to let me know what you think.

SO, catching up on the reading front...

My last book for May was book #60: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, narrated by Dan Stevens (4 stars - reread), 2018 acquired audiobook, mystery. This was a reread for me, and it worked great on audio. I read this one originally in my teens and then again several years ago. I still like it and think it was cleverly done although Dame Agatha loves to save something you could not possibly have known for the big reveal, which is always slightly irritating. Rae and I followed this up by watching the mini-series that was made of it:



Micky had mentioned this version over on Richard's thread, and it is very good. Especially the bits with Aidan Turner wearing only a towel. Definitely recommended.

Books Read in June (so far):
61. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired hardback, crime fiction/mystery/time travel - recommended by Heather
62. The Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s by Joseph Egan (3.75 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/Hollywood history
63. Tonight You’re Dead by Viveca Sten, translated (4 stars), borrowed from the Kindle Lending Library, crime fiction/police procedural, (Sandhamn Murders, book 4)
64. Scandal and the Duchess by Jennifer Ashley (reread), 2014 acquired ebook, historical romance (Mackenzies Series, book 6.5)
65. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (reread), 2010 acquired ebook, historical romance (Mackenzies Series, book 1)
66. I Hear the Sirens in the Street by Adrian McKinty, narrated by Gerard Doyle (4.25 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural (Sean Duffy, book 2)

And here's what I'm currently working on:

.......

....

>57 Crazymamie: EWWWWW! That sounds nasty. Hope it's healing OK. A number of years ago, the husband managed to slam his own finger in a car door (I know, stoopid or what?), mangling the end of the finger a fair bit and breaking the nail in half across ways. It looked really awful, so I did the less than heroic thing and whizzed him to A&E. I'm fine with my own blood & gore but everyone else's turns my stomach.

>57 Crazymamie: That does sound nasty. I've never had glue be entirely successful on a fingernail, but mine are about as firm as waxed paper. I too often have kitchen knife accidents just as I start a long craft project just to sabotage myself, I'm sure.

>64 Helenliz: It is SO not pretty, Helen. It seems to be healing okay, but the nail is raised a bit where I cut it, so I keep snagging it on things - I finally gave up and put a bandaid on top of it today. I cut the nail not quite all the way across, so left just the tiniest piece unfazed, which is why Craig thinks the bonding will work. He is going to add some superglue on top this weekend because the bonding gel starts cracking if you get it wet - I have tried to be really careful, but it's attached to my hand, so almost impossible not to get wet.

Craig is just the opposite with blood and gore - fine as long as it belongs to someone else. Heh.

>65 quondame: It was, Susan. The bonding is definitely not going to hold it for the long haul, but it has kept it in place and the rest of the finger is healing nicely. We are hoping to replace the bonding with superglue this weekend. I kept saying, "It doesn't need stitches. It doesn't need stitches." And the kids were like, you don't get to decide, Mom. So funny.

Oh dear about the knife accidents coinciding with the start of long craft projects!

>66 Crazymamie: "fine as long as it belongs to someone else" - which is what makes him a fine doctor I imagine!

Good luck with healing, it sounds pretty awful.

Happy Wednesday, Mamie. Miss seeing you around but we appreciate the updates. Interesting current read list. I hope they are working for you.

Sweet Thursday, Mamie.

Thanks for the kind words about my dad.

And Then There Were None - that's our daughter's favorite Agatha mystery, and she also loved the tv version with the betoweled Aidan Turner. I liked both a lot, too, although I was more intrigued by Maeve Dermody (Vera) than Aidan. :-)

>61 Crazymamie: He'll always be a vampire to me.

Nice to see you Mamie. Sorry about the finger, that sounds sore and annoying. I managed to fall over in the garden with a glass of wine (no wine had even been drunk by that point, so just clumsy) and have felt like I was ten again with roller-skating palm scabs for the past week or so.

>67 RebaRelishesReading: So true, Reba! And thank you - it's not horrible, just annoying.

>68 msf59: Hello, Mark! Sweet Thursday to you since I did not make it back here yesterday. My current reads are going fine, but I am finding The World Broke in Two to be a bit of a slog.

>69 jnwelch: Sweet Thursday, Joe! You are welcome. I thought all of the casting was excellent - I love when they do such a good job of bringing something like that to the screen.

>70 charl08: Okay, I have looked him up now and added that series to my Amazon Prime queue - I have never seen that one before, Charlotte.

Total bummer about the spill in the garden - so not fun. Skinned palms or knees are the worst. I am assuming the wine spilled, too - did the glass break? Wishing you quick healing and hoping that all further wine lands where it is supposed to.

Hiyah Mamie! Just stopping by and saw the ouchie talk. Hope it gets better soon!

Hey there, Jim! Thanks.

How's the fingernail doing, Mamie? I'm also one of the clumsy ones. I've seen something online, though, that's a fingerguard that prevents (supposedly) that kind of accident.
https://www.boomsbeat.com/articles/144873/20161012/top-best-5-finger-guard-for-c...

I hope you are healing quickly, Mamie, although injuries to active digits seem to take longer to heal.

>74 ronincats: It's doing, Roni - unfortunately nails take forever to grow out, so it will be an ongoing concern for a while. Usually I am very careful with the knives and have my fingertips tucked under when cutting anything like that, but I was not paying enough attention this time. I might have to look into those fingerguards - thanks for the link.

>75 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg. I keep hitting it on things which doesn't help. I agree that the active digits take longer to heal - makes sense since we are using them all the time.

Book #67: Dead Lions by Mick Herron (3.6 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/espionage (Slough House, book 2) - recommended by Charlotte

This is the second installment in Mick Herron's Slough House series about the group of MI5 misfits that have been banished to Slough House and assigned mundane tasks in the hopes that they will quit and therefore not have to be fired. I love the humor and the setting, but this one was not nearly as good as the first book. I felt like it tried to do too much, and it didn't quite work. It also took me three tries to get into the rhythm of it. I'm hoping the next one is better because I really love some of the characters.

I feel I should mention that I listened to the first one on audio, narrated by Gerard Doyle and found it a delight. This second book was not available with him as the narrator, and I didn't like the sample narration that I listened to (by Michael Healy), so I read it in print. The next book is again available with the fabulous Gerard Doyle, so I will go that route.

Hiya, Mamie.

I've WL'd the first Slough House book after your enthusiastic response. I'm sorry to hear the second one wasn't nearly as good. I'll look forward to getting your reaction to the next one.

Hey there, Joe! Yes, Slow Horses was much better than Dead Lions- I loved the first book.

Sorry it wasn't as good for you Mamie. I think I inhaled books 2-4 so don't really remember much about them!

>80 charl08: I think it would be hard to top the first book, Charlotte. And I really loved it on audio, so I think it might also be that I just didn't enjoying reading it as much as listening to it.

Book #68: The Last Man in Europe by Dennis Glover (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired hardback, historical fiction - heard about this on Charlotte's thread (Guardian reviews) and purchased it and then reading Beth's recent review of it made me want to get to it NOW

I really loved this! It's historical fiction, but the author really did his homework and got all the facts right. It tells the story of how George Orwell came to write both Animal Farm and 1984and follows along as he brings them to life. The attention to detail was a beautiful thing, and I felt like I understood Orwell's personality by the end of the novel. Orwell had TB, and he was literally on his death bed by the time he was finishing 1984. The treatment for TB back them was a grueling thing - I learned more than I wanted to know and cannot imagine having to go through that. I was amazed that the doctor let him smoke even while in hospital because he (the doctor) felt it helped him to cough up the sputum from his lungs. Incredible. Also Orwell typed up his final copies of the manuscript in bed with his manual typewriter balanced on a tray on his lap because his publisher failed to get him the promised typist. So sad that he did not live to see the novel's success.

>82 Crazymamie: Great review, Mamie, and I think it has pushed this book onto my wishlist.

Hey you! Happy Thursday! Hope your weeks gone well :0)

Morning, Mamie. Sweet Thursday. I hope things are improving for you and you are keeping cool down there in GA.

Dead Lions was already on my wish list so you didn't get me with that one, Mamie. The Last Man in Europe sounds very interesting. Not only is it about Orwell but includes stuff about tb treatments (my family history research shows that some of my family died of tb and I'd like to know more about treatments.)

>82 Crazymamie: that looks really interesting. Orwell is such an interesting character. I do wonder how his mind worked, to invent what he did.

Hope you're having a good week. We have a heat wave at present. I love it and our solar panels are having a field day. The husband and my garden is less keen.

The Last Man in Europe - what a good review, and interesting book, Mamie. Thumbed.

Happy Friday, Mamie! Glad to see that And Then There Were None has held up for you over time! I read it for the first this year and really enjoyed it!

Ouch, sorry about your finger! Hope it heals well.

>82 Crazymamie: Awesome review and I just saw this on Charlotte's thread, too. It sounds great!

So sorry about the fingernail. Superglue works wonders and I have used it instead of stitches and bandaids before. Not sure how it will work on the nail--good luck though!!

Happy weekend. : )

>82 Crazymamie: Great review Mamie - I just picked this up. I too was gobsmacked by the smoking in hospital. I wondered what happened to the three women mentioned who were given the antibiotics (assuming this really happened). I read Linda Grant's book about living in a TB sanatorium in the period when they knew antibiotics would cure TB but there just weren't any drugs available (I think?) because of the cost. Which just seems shocking...

That bio-fic of Orwell looks it might be interesting. One way or another I have read a lot of Orwell over the decades.. Have some essays languishing right this minute on the tbr. Amazing about the smoking.

Knox somehow caught a finger in the garage door (handle fell off) and is hoping the nail will stay on long enough for the new one to be mostly in. Touch and go, it is. He was in agony when he did it. Almost nauseous.

Sending you hugs just on general principals! ((((Mamie))))

Hi. Just getting caught up. I hope the MiL flew home? Sorry about the finger. I've had a couple close calls like that, just not paying attention. Sigh.

>82 Crazymamie: You got me with The Last Man in Europe.

Hope finger is healing up well!

Happy Mmphleday!! : )

Hi Mamie - I saw this and thought of you and your love of Orwell.

>97 katiekrug: - No kidding! But he didn't know the half of it!

>97 katiekrug: Sure. Yikes.

Hey Mamie!

>97 katiekrug: I LOVE THIS!!! Thanks for thinking of me, Katie. And sadly, it's so true.

>98 jessibud2: Truth, Shelley.

>99 charl08: Hello, Charlotte. Yep.

>83 ronincats: Thank you, Roni. I am thrilled it has landed on your WL.

>84 Carmenere: The week was an interesting one - more on that later. Happy 4th, Lynda!

>85 msf59: Morning, Mark, although I missed Thursday. It's stinking hot in Georgia. That is all.

>86 Familyhistorian: Hello, Meg! The stuff about the TB treatments was mind boggling - I had no idea it was so horrifying. And the book is excellent - "The Last Man in Europe" was his original working title for 1984.

>87 Helenliz: It is well worth your time, Helen. The author is an Orwell scholar, so he knows his stuff. I have a fascination with Orwell, so I have read quite a bit. I would also recommend the non-fiction title Finding George Orwell in Burma, which is truly fabulous.

We also experienced a heat wave - the humidity has been at 90% levels, which is absolutely disgusting. Thank goodness for air conditioning.

>88 jnwelch: *happy dance* Thanks for the thumb and the kind words, Joe!

>89 ChelleBearss: Hey there, Chelle! And Then There Were None is one of my favorites by her.

The finger is healing nicely, thank you.

>90 Berly: Thank you, Kim! The superglue worked and had the added bonus of being waterproof, so I ws very happy with it.

>91 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte! I know, right - he was not allowed to type, but he could smoke. And how awful for him that he was able to obtain the streptomycin for his treatment but then was allergic to it. I bet the part about the three women was true, and I also wonder if it was successful.

>92 sibylline: It is definitely interesting, Lucy. Me, too, with the Orwell reading - and I also have his diaries, which I need to get back to. SO true about the smoking - I was surprised to say the least. That whole generation were smokers, and I have sympathy for them because they did not know about its addictive nature or how harmful it was.

Poor Knox! Crossing my fingers that the nail stays on long enough for healing to take place - mine did, so I was very lucky.

>93 ronincats: Roni, thanks so much for that! Hugs back to you, my friend.

>94 nittnut: We are still waiting to hear what the MIL will decide, Jenn. The finger is mostly healed - still very tender at the tip. It's looking good, though.

Hooray for the BB!!

>95 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel. It's healing very nicely.

>96 Berly: Ha! Anyway, it's over now, Kim.

So it's been a weird week or so of things going slightly off kilter. First the upstairs AC went out again - luckily, it was a quick fix once we got the repair guy out here (which took a day or so) - Georgia is very hard on AC units. Then the washer started leaking, and upon investigation I discover a tear in the seal (we have a front load washer). We had the repair guy out, and he said at first that it could take 6 months to a year to get a new bellows for our particular model - and why do they call it a bellows? Anyway, this thing:



But then, he said we were in luck because there was one in Jacksonsville, Florida, so we could have it by Friday. Then Friday I waited patiently but never heard from them. When we called, we were told that the part had arrived but that they wouldn't be able to install it until Monday. Then Monday was a repeat - when I called to see what time they would be out, the lady put me through to dispatch - we were not on the schedule. What?! So now they are supposed to come on Thursday morning - I won't hold my breath.

Next on the agenda was the death of our beloved coffee maker. He had served us well and faithfully for many years. Of course, they don't make that model anymore, so we have to go in a different direction - we settled on this one, and I bought a Kitchenaid grinder so I could still have freshly ground beans:



Finally, just to cap the week off, we had a power outage lasting several hours - not horrible but also not great in the summer heat.

On the bright side, everyone is off today, and we are looking forward to a calm and fun filled 4th of July - pool party and cook out if we can avoid the rain that is forecast. Either way, there will be good food and great company, so it should be full of fabulous.

Morning, Mamie! Wow! Lots of drama at the Pecan Paradiso. I hope everything get back in order for you.

Hope your books are treating you good. I am enjoying Dry Bones. Have you got this far yet, into the Longmire series?

>107 msf59: Morning, Mark! Right - too much drama. I would be thrilled with a little boring.

The books, as always, are excellent. You are further along in the Longmire books than I am - I am ready for A Serpent's Tooth.

Why is it that things all break down at the same time? I hope you will be all set once the washer is fixed Mamie. Have a happy 4th of July!

Ooh a pool party! I'll be right round with some beverages. And my unicorn inflatable. As soon as these guys have finished with it.

(ETA This is the English football team.)

>110 charl08: what on earth were you looking for to find that?!

boooo! on the co-ordinated appliance breakdown session. They must be in cahoots. Hoping that they're all sorted and stay sorted. They can have a stern look if not.

Happy 4th of July. As a Brit, I have to say I disapprove, but, if you decided to change leadership, I'm sure we could have you back into the fold... >;-)

>107 msf59: That looks so familiar! That was the problem we had with our LG front-loader as well and the repair guy was out yesterday. Fortunately, the gasket was one he had in stock on his truck and so it is well and working today! Sorry about your probs. We have been using Sears Home Services and have been really impressed with the quality of their work. Keeping my fingers crossed for success for you tomorrow.

>110 charl08: - Mmm, how about some tandem riding of those unicorns? Heh.

*wipes away drool*

Sorry to see you've had a week of broken things! Hope your repair guy comes without you having to call again!

Hi Mamie, delurking to say I’m grateful that books never break down.

Hiya, Mamie.

Sorry to hear you're having broken things/repair guy problems. We have a handyman that we (well, mainly Debbi) have to call over and over again. We're going to tell him it needs to get better or we're going to line someone else up. Things just aren't getting done. I've volunteered to be the bad guy - it comes naturally. :-)

>110 charl08: That's very funny. I wonder why Katie is drooling?

I do think that extreme weather seems to invite equipment failures!

So far the nail is staying on Knox's hand.

Crazy--So things come in threes, and now that you have had three appliance issues/deaths, things should be okay again. Hope you had a fabulous Fourth!

>110 charl08: LOL!

Mamie, did the washer repair guy ever show up? We've had the torn gasket twice with our LG front loader. They say to not close the door all the way, to ventilate the washer, but when we left it ajar, the cat kept getting in the washer and tore the gasket with his claws. Twice. Expensive, as our washer & dryer are stacked, which makes the replacement harder and adds to labor charges.

We put a door on our laundry room after the second go-round...

Hope you had a fabulous 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th!! Where are you? : )

Poor Mamie!!! It's so frustrating when things don't work and especially when repair people are just plain not doing their job. Grrrrrrr! I hope it all gets fixed soon...and stays fixed!

Happy weekend!

Uh oh! Mamie's missing! Hope all is well at the Pecan Paradiso

>109 Familyhistorian: I do not know, Meg, but it does seem to go like that. Luckily the washer has been repaired, and everything else has decided to behave for now. And I love the new coffee maker and the grinder.

>110 charl08: That made me laugh, Charlotte! Too funny!

>111 Helenliz: That's what I was wondering, Helen! You can keep the stern look for now as the appliances have decided to behave themselves.

I love your 4th of July thoughts - I will take it into consideration, and I would LOVE to have new leadership.

>112 ronincats: I think we just somehow fell through the cracks with the repair service as far as getting us on the schedule - the repair guy did great work and even asked if I would like the old gasket wrapped up as perhaps a gift for the MIL, which made me laugh. It's never too early to start thinking about the holidays, he said.

And the new seal is so shiny - I have been a complete nut about drying it off and using a clorox wipe to go around the inside crevices.

>113 katiekrug: Haha, Katie!

>114 ChelleBearss: He called first thing Thursday morning to say he was on his way, and now the washer is as good as new.

>115 Donna828: Me, too, Donna!

>116 jnwelch: Hiya, Joe! We will give this service another chance with our next repair and see how it goes.

>117 sibylline: I agree, Lucy. We are certainly experiencing the summer heat in full fury this year.

Hooray for Knox with the nail staying on - hope it has continued to do so. Mine has finally almost grown out.

>118 Berly: So true, Kim. Hopefully we are done for a while. Our 4th was lovely, thanks. Hoping yours was, too.

>119 tymfos: He did, Terri. First thing that Thursday morning he was out here and had the repair done in record time. I do always try to leave the door open - luckily, our cats tend to avoid the laundry room.

>120 Berly: I did, Kim! I am around - just mostly lurking lately as I have been busy with stepping and trying new recipes and adding strength training and stretching into my routine. I have been focusing on my health and trying to develop some new habits - I am enjoying the journey.

>121 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba! It is all fixed now, and hopefully it will stay that way.

>122 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel! Happy weekend to you!

>123 ChelleBearss: I'm here, Chelle, and all is well. Thanks for checking on me.

>82 Crazymamie: I've added The Last Man in Europe to my list Mamie. Probably for reading after I've read more of Orwell's work but it sounds very interesting.

>104 Crazymamie: Sorry to hear about your week of broken things. I hope things are more back to normal now.

>129 souloftherose: Hello, Heather! I think you will like it when you get to it - so well done, and now I am wanting to read more Orwell. Shockingly, I still have not read 1984 - I need to get to that this year.

For now, all the appliances are behaving themselves, so I am hoping they continue to do so.

I've caught your appliance blight. Dishwasher will not start. I hope the apartment building staff get on it on Monday. I don't have enough counter space to keep a rack up all the time.

I though the cable connection was going bad too, but a reboot fixed it.

Sometimes I hate our lovely technological advances.

>127 Crazymamie: Taking care of yourself is the best reason for not spending time on LT! Have fun. : )

>131 ffortsa: Oh, dear, Judy! Dishwasher death is right up there with death of the washer. Hoping they can fix it quickly for you. We had a weird internet/cable incident last week - they cut through some fiber optic cables in Atlanta (about three hours north of us), and it killed all of the Mediacom internet for the state of Georgia. Most frustrating. Luckily, it's fixed now, but I really hate when technology does not work the way it is supposed to. So, I am with you on the love/hate relationship with technological advances. Heh.

>132 Berly: Aw, shucks. Thanks, Kim.

>127 Crazymamie: glad to see you around and about. I hope the new routine is working for you. I've been on a "move more, eat less" kick and am down over half a stone (hurrah). But, more importantly, I got in and did up, by myself, one of my favourite dresses again. Look after yourself.

>134 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! Most exciting about the favorite dress - congratulations! I am into one size smaller jeans, which I am thrilled about, but there is more work to be done. I am actually enjoying the strength training, which is surprising. Actually, it might be more of a minor miracle. Heh.

Keep up the good work, Mamie. You are stepping up a storm and strength training is always good. Which reminds me, I should get around to clearing those books off my weight bench.

>136 Familyhistorian: Ha!!

>135 Crazymamie: I am just going to excerise vicariously through you because I am on the injured reserve list right now and going through PT for a pulled hamstring. I can barely walk a mile without it killing! Even sitting hurts! Sigh. It has been 6 weeks and I probably have at least that still to go. I am cranky. Can you tell? ; )

>136 Familyhistorian: Will do, Meg! Before when I was strength training, I always had to make myself do it, but this time around I am really enjoying the process. Clearing those books off the weight bench should count as weight lifting I am thinking. *grin* The stepping has been good - I don't do it all at one time but in bursts as I have time. I do try to get 6,000-8,000 steps where I am working harder at it though - I call it my power walk, which cracks the kids up.

>137 Berly: OH, Kim! Total bummer. You poor, poor baby. Hoping it heals as quickly as possible and stays that way. I would be cranky, too. Sending you healing mojo and all of my love.

You are an inspiration, Mamie.

Thank you kindly, Beth.

Hi Mamie!

Just skimmed a bit to catch up - I love it that you have a Kitchen Aid Coffee Bean mill - I have one too, although a different model.

Have a loverly Tuesday.

>141 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! I actually went with that model because I remembered you saying how much you loved yours - I think your exact model is no longer available, but I love the one I got, so thanks for the tip.

Hoping your Tuesday is also full of beauty!

Happy Tuesday, Mamie.

Way to go with the steps and working out. Clearing those books off the weight bench should count as weight lifting I am thinking. No question about it! Shelving books should be worth something, too. :-)

We've been working with a trainer - I find I'll do a lot more if someone orders me around. Hmm. Don't let my wife hear that.

Hey, Joe! Happy Tuesday! Glad you agree about the lifting of books. *grin*

Daniel designed a routine for me and Abby gave me some stretching exercises to add in at the end, so I am getting quite the workout now. It's exhausting but feels really good, if you know what I mean. Your post made me laugh - a trainer would be good for making sure you were doing the exercises properly, but I would not do well with the ordering me around part. Heh.

Hi, Mamie! Glad your washer is fixed.

>133 Crazymamie: A week or two ago, some Comcast cables got severed that created havoc with the web around these parts, including the library’s internet connection

Good morning, Mamie! I hope your week is going well!

Hello, Terri. Me, too, with the washer - we do a crazy amount of laundry, so we need it to work without flooding the laundry room floor. Heh. And the new seal is so pristine! Birdy and I saw that they are making wipes specifically for the front-load washers now, so I picked some up to see if they work better than just plain old Clorox wipes.

More accidental cable cutting! Weird how much chaos that can cause - we were delighted when we finally got our internet back.

>146 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! So far so good with the week, thanks.

Hi Mamie! You are doing so well with the steps, and I salute you for adding strength training and stretches. I need to stretch but I feel like I'm wound up too tight even to know where to start.

Good news about the appliances being fixed. I have a front-loader too and always leave the door open. I don't have pets or little kids, though, which I'm sure makes it easier. And thank goodness you got your internet back! The state of Georgia must have been furious to be cut off. It's scary how reliant we can be on things that are wrecked entirely by accident. We spend all our time worrying about tiny orange fingers on the nuclear button.

Booky Work Friend loved the Germany book, by the way, and has ordered me to read it ASAP so she can discuss it with me.

Morning, Mamie! Your workouts and steps remind me that I need to charge my fitbit! Whoops!

>149 susanj67: Hello, Susan! Thank you. I started slow with the stretching, and then I just add a new one in now and then as I go along. I am doing those every day, and it really does make a difference.

And yes, hooray for the working appliances. I do always leave the washer door open - part of our problem is that there are so many of us doing laundry that the poor dear is almost always in use. So now I am using the clorox wipes to clean the seal and then a small bar towel to dry the seal between uses and at the end of the day.

I actually felt better when I found out that the entire state was down and not just our neighborhood. Heh. Character revealing, I fear. *blinks*

The Germany book that I bought because you liked the cover? This still makes me laugh! I am really enjoying that one - very interesting.

>150 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle! Ahem. Yes, charge that Fitbit up, young lady!

>151 Crazymamie: Mamie, yes, that Germany book. BWF also bought it because she thought I had recommended it, when in fact it was just the cover. Ahem.

I know exactly what you mean about the entire state being down - it's a relief because then it's not your responsibility to work out what's gone wrong and arrange for someone to fix it. A gazillion people will already have complained about it and Someone will Do Something. You just have to wait.

>153 susanj67: Too funny!

Exactly.

Good luck with your power outage, Mamie. You seem to be having tech problems lately. :)

>155 BLBera: We were talking about the previous internet outage - someone cut through fiber optic cables in Atlanta and the result was that all of Mediacom's customers for the entire state of Georgia were without internet for most of that day. It's all good now.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought the Georgia one was an additional outage. Anyway, fingers crossed that everything electronic is now functioning.

All this talk of exercise.... reminds me I have a book about sport to finish on my kindle :-)

>137 Berly: you have my sympathy, I'm on the injury bench as well. Not as bad as you, by any means. I tore a muscle in my calf ~ 3 weeks ago at intervals. It's getting better, but I keep getting impatient, doing too much and then it aches again.

*Sits and twiddles her thumbs impatiently*

I do believe these are Russian stooges in the excavation business, ignoring protocols to have buried cables and gas lines and such flagged. They just get the backhoes to work and damn the consequences. Actually, they know exactly where those cables and pipes are, and they're intensionally digging them up.

Hahahaha. KAOS!

All part of the activities that drumpf says isn't happening.

ETA: I just started reading The Manchurian Candidate. Seems the time is right. You know, what goes around comes around.

Hi, Mamie. Just checking in with my pal. Try to track down a copy of Shadow Catcher. I think you will like this one. I am a big fan of Egan.

I hope you are feeling well, and those current reads are treating you perfectly.

>157 BLBera: No worries, Beth. So far so good with the electronics. May it continue.

>158 charl08: Haha, Charlotte! And I still have to fill that category in the PopSugar challenge...

>159 Helenliz: Bummer, Helen. I am not good with being patient, either.

>160 weird_O: Hello, Bill! I have not read The Manchurian Candidate or seen the movie. I see that I do own it on Kindle, and that I acquired it in 2014, so I should get to it as it would be a good one for my Fellowship of the Read category - 2014 is not getting much love.

>161 msf59: Morning, Mark! I already have a copy of that one, I just haven't gotten to it yet - I remember I picked it up on Kindle when Karen was saying how fabulous it was. Ha- also back in 2014, so another good one for my category challenge!

The current reads are good, which reminds me that I need to share my thoughts on what I have completed this month so far.

>163 Crazymamie: I liked the movie of The Manchurian Candidate though I've yet to read the book. You'll never look at Jessica Fletcher (the character Angela Lansbury played on "Murder She Wrote") in quite the the same way again.

Good morning, Mamie! We've gotten a break in the weather, which makes it tempting to be out and about rather than sitting inside reading, but I'm still getting through some books. On the gardening front, I see that our blackberries are starting to ripen, so I'll have to examine our little patch more closely: Are there enough already to make cobbler, or just enough to make some blackberry ice cream?

Book #69: In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrain McKinty, narrated by Gerard Doyle (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural (Sean Duffy, book 3)

This was my final book for the month of June. I love this series set in Ireland during the Troubles and it's conflicted protagonist who, just to make things even more complicated is a Catholic in the mostly Protestant RUC. This one features a mystery within a mystery which was very well done. Set in the 1980s (the decade of my teens), I delight in all of the musical references. I cannot recommend this series highly enough on audio, where all of the humor and the lovely accents are delivered brilliantly by Gerard Doyle, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators.

>164 rosalita: Well, now of course I have to get to it sooner rather than later, Julia! There are two movie versions, correct?

>165 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! It is hot and very humid in these parts - supposed to storm all week off and on. Today is very gray, and they are cutting down all the pine trees on the property next to us, which makes me sad. It is looking very naked now, and they are not finished yet. *sigh*

Yum to the blackberry recipes! Craig's garden is really thriving this year - we have loads of lovely tomatoes and jalapeños right now.

>167 Crazymamie: I think there was a relatively recent remake but the one I saw is the original 1962 version with Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh, and Laurence Harvey in addition to the aforementioned Ms. Lansbury. With your love of old movies, I think you'd really dig it.

Books Read So Far in July:


70. A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee, narrated by Simon Bubb (reread), 2016 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural (Sam Wyndham, book 1)

This was a reread, or actually a relisten. I wanted to revisit the first book in this series before venturing into books two and three. Set in colonial India and featuring a former Scotland Yard detective who has served in WWI and lost everything he cared about. Sam Wyndham has become addicted to opium after being treated with morphine for his war injuries, and has moved to India to head up a new position in the local police force. I love the characters and the setting, and the mystery is very well done. I am sad that the next two books are not available on audio here yet. I acquired the first one on audio because the print book was not out here yet (very weird for audio to be offered before the hardcopy), and the narration by Simon Bubb is fabulous. I think that this narration was not supposed to be sold in the US because it has disappeared from Audible and been replaced by another version featuring a different narrator. And still Audible does not have book two available at all. Sadness.


71. Matilda by Roald Dahl, narrated by Kate Winslet (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, children's literature/classic - Katie's Dirty Dozen

Well, this was delightful. Perfectly delivered by Kate Winslet, just like Katie said. Thanks, Katie!


72. A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee (4 stars), 2017 acquired hardback, crime fiction/police procedural (Sam Wyndham, book 2)

This was book two in the series I mentioned up top. Not quite as good as the first one, IMO, but still very good. I was really missing the narration as I loved the first book in that format. Still, the humor and the setting pulled me right in. Definitely recommended, but start at the beginning.


73. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: the Illustrated Edition by J. K. Rowling (reread), illustrated hardback edition acquired in 2015, fantasy

I have read this book multiple times, and I always love the story. This time I read the illustrated edition, which is absolutely gorgeous.


74. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, non-fiction/disaster/Hurricane Grace

This was a fascinating look at not just the actual development and fallout of Hurricane Grace, but also of the fishing industry, more specifically the sword-fishing industry. I learned so much, and it was excellent narrative non-fiction. It suffers slightly from my having read Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm previously (about the 1899 Galveston hurricane) , which I think was better organized and told in a more linear fashion. I would have loved for him to have included ship diagrams and drawings or photos of all the equipment he was describing, as I was not familiar with most of it. Still, there is an amazing amount of information presented here, and it is highly readable. I was exhausted by the time I finished - obviously I am not cut out to earn my living on the high seas.


75. The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World by Maya Jasanoff (4.25 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/literary history

This is an excellent look at the writing of Joseph Conrad, specifically Heart of Darkness, Nostromo, and Lord Jim. The beginning of the book is slightly over written, but Jasanoff settles down into a truly engrossing narrative about why Conrad's work is still relevant today. She does not shy away from his faults or make apologies for him, but simply presents his amazing history and interprets his insights into globalization. For me, this book was an almost perfect fit, as Heart of Darkness is a story that I return to every few years, and I always find something new there waiting for me. Highly recommended.

>168 rosalita: Thanks for that, Julia! I will track it down.

>169 Crazymamie: - You're welcome re: Matilda!

And that Conrad book sounds good. As you know, I love HoD. Maybe Jasanoff would get me to finally read something else by Conrad!

>169 Crazymamie: I really enjoyed A Perfect Storm but I think your contrast of its overall organization in comparison with Isaac's Storm is a good one. And a big yes to wanting pictures, diagrams, maps to help with the details of deep-sea fishing and fishing boats. That would have been great.

>171 katiekrug: *grin*

The Conrad book is very good and very interesting. I have not read anything else by Conrad, either, but now I am wanting to remedy that. I had never even heard of Nostromo.

>172 rosalita: I kept getting slightly lost in the narrative, Julia, trying to keep all of the stories and the people straight, so better transitioning would have helped. I found all of the fishing details fascinating but had to keep stopping to look up stuff so I could picture it in my head - I would have LOVED pictures and diagrams.

>172 rosalita: Many nonfiction books would benefit by having photos and/or illustrations included, I think. But it changes the editing and layout process, and changes production (manufacturing). What does it do to the e-book experience? I don't know; I have no experience with e-books. Also impacted would be audiobooks. Just rambling...

>174 weird_O: Bill, there were photos included in the book, but they were of people and places, not of the equipment and no diagrams of the ships. Ebooks have the same photos and illustrations as print books - they are usually harder to see on something like a Kindle, but then I just pull them up on the Kindle app on my iPad, where I can enlarge them. Audiobooks (at least on Audible) usually have a PDF included that you can download to look at those types of things.

Hi, Mamie.

I really enjoyed Perfect Storm, and haven't yet read Isaac's Storm. I probably should get with it re the latter.

I love those illustrations in the illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

>176 jnwelch: Hey, Joe! You should definitely make time for Isaac's Storm. Me, too, with the love for the illustrated Harry Potter books - so fabulous to read with those gorgeous illustrations that really bring it to life.

>169 Crazymamie: that's a busy month, Mamie. I tried reading Harry Potter critically and failed dismally. So I'm just going to go along for the ride. >;-)

>178 Helenliz: It's been excellent reading in July so far, Helen. I love Harry Potter, so I would never try to read it critically - my kids' childhoods are forever entwined with those books. We would wait for the next one to come out and then take turns reading it - so much fun. All four of them love both the books and the movies, and it seems there is always someone here who is listening to one of those audiobooks. I can still remember when the final book came out, it was available for pickup at midnight at the local bookstore, and I waited in line with a very good friend of mine to pick up our copies. Neither one of us had any kids with us - hers were away at camp, and mine were camping in Minnesota with Craig (I do NOT camp). So just the two of us waiting in line with all of the other families - a very fun memory. I brought it home and immediately began reading.

>179 Crazymamie: Yes, sharing the Harry Potter books with my growing daughter and my husband are delightful memories - he would read them aloud to her as they came out - until GoF when she got so impatient she read it for herself. She just entered school the year the first came out and I remember it not being available on the evening the school had organized a book store visit. The night the last one came out we picked up 3 copies because neither wanted to wait a day for me to finish it.

>169 Crazymamie: Congratulations on reaching 75, Mamie!

>181 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita!

This cracked me up!

>180 quondame: Susan, I somehow missed you earlier - I am so sorry. I love that we share the Harry Potter love - such great memories. We also picked up three copies of the last book so that we could read it faster!

>180 quondame:, >184 Crazymamie: I have 6 of the HP books on the shelf. And I feel sure we bought a copy of the 7th, but I know I have never read it... So this is only a series re-read to book 6, from there on it's all new. >:-)

Book 70! Must...resist...cheap...shot...

Hi Mamie! Congratulations on reaching 75! Book 75 looks like an excellent one, although I have never read any Conrad, so it's probably not the place to start. Someone gave me Nostromo - maybe *that's* the place to start.

>183 Crazymamie: I should get that mug.

>169 Crazymamie: Ooh, I have the Conrad book. Maybe I'll pick it up today: your comments have moved it back into the 'shiny new book' category.

Love the mug.

>185 Helenliz: Oh, that's exciting, Helen! I thought she did a really good job with that last one - so hard to end something that has become so huge like that.

>186 susanj67: Susan, I set you up perfectly and everything. I was all ready for the cheap shot. And thank you! It was most interesting. I would not recommend starting with Nostromo - I would start with Heart of Darkness. Of course, I have only read HoD. Heh. But Nostromo sounded long and involved, and I don't think it features Marlow, who is a recurring character in several of his books. The non-fiction book on Conrad would suffer if you don't understand Marlow, I am thinking. But you could also just goggle him - Charles Marlow, if you don't mind spoilers.

The mug is a hoot, isn't it?!

>187 charl08: Charlotte, do pick it up today! Guess what I have? The Annotated Big Sleep, and it is lovely. I owe thanks to you for it because you posted that link to the article about reading Raymond Chandler. I know Amber really didn't like his writing (which is what started the conversation, ironically), but I have big love for Chandler - I grew up watching those old movies with my Dad, and their storylines have become a part of my heart. Anyway, in the article, she mentioned being excited about the new release of the first ever annotated edition of The Big Sleep, and I won't embarrass myself with the details, but there was happy dancing involved. I had to run off and order it straight away - it was just released on the 17th of this month, so technically, it was a pre-order. But...I babble...really, it is very exciting! It was delivered to my doorstep on the release date, and now I am immersed in its awesomeness. So, thank you for posting that link!!



Hooray for the mug love!

*edited to add the book image

Congrats on reaching 75!!

>189 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>166 Crazymamie: I must start this series! I loved The Lost, also set in Ireland but after the Troubles.

>183 Crazymamie: Love it.

Oh, and happy Friday.

>191 BLBera: Yes, Beth! They are excellent - I found out about them from Charlotte. I have The Lost on Kindle, but I have not gotten to it yet.

I was definitely feeling like that mug yesterday, but I think I have a bit more mojo today. Anyway, I am hopeful.

Happy Friday to you - here's hoping that it is full of fabulous!

>183 Crazymamie: me too -- literally lol

>183 Crazymamie: - Haha! I can relate!

>193 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, Reba! You feel my pain. Today I am in search of my missing mojo. Heh.

>194 jessibud2: *grin* Hello, Shelley!

>183 Crazymamie: I so need that mug!

>196 rosalita: I know, right, Julia?!

Hi, Mamie.

>188 Crazymamie: I'm a Raymond Chandler fan, too. Great to see your enthusiasm! I'll look forward to hearing your comments on The Annotated Big Sleep. I love "immersed in its awesomeness." :-)

Taking a wee break from summer madness to wave hello. *wave*

>198 jnwelch: Hello, Joe! It's really well done, and I love that they made it so the text of the novel is on one page with the footnotes on the opposing page - much easier on the eyes. Also, even though it is a paperback, it is the size of a hardback, so very easy to read. It's filled with fascinating bits of trivia and loads of photos and maps and stuff.

>199 nittnut: *waves madly back at Jenn* Hello there!

Wishing you a happy Saturday Mamie.

Thank you, Helen! Happy Saturday to you!

>188 Crazymamie: That sounds like a successful purchase Mamie. I did think that article on reading Chandler was fascinating - I'm still not sure what I think about it all, but I still listen to the radio plays, so...

Happy Sunday, Mamie.

Morning, Mamie! Happy Sunday! Congrats on the Mighty 75! I like your flurry of mini-reviews. I should start doing this more often. I remember loving A Perfect Storm as well. I think it was part a NNF wave, I remember really locking into.

>203 charl08: Indeed, Charlotte. They did an excellent job of it - I love all the bits about language and where the slang comes from and what it means. I agree that the article was fascinating - I will continue to read Chandler and Hammett and other noir writers, but I think it is good to be thoughtful and reflective of one's reading. I think the biggest thing is to understand your own personal triggers - if something doesn't sit well with you, then don't read it. There are certain types of books and certain authors that I won't read, but that doesn't mean that others shouldn't.

>204 Ameise1: Happy Sunday, Barbara!

>205 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday! And thank you. I do longer reviews if I feel like I have something to say, but the mini reviews work for me and make it less daunting. You and Susan are a big part of why I read so much more non-fiction now than I did before I joined the 75, so thanks for inspiring me.

>206 Crazymamie: Ha, I like how you snuck your 75th book in at the end of a series of reviews, Mamie. Congrats on reading 75 and keeping up your training regime.

Popping in to say, Mamie, it's Tuesday, you can come out from under the covers.

>159 Helenliz: Ha! I am so NOT patient and keep tweaking the injury. Good luck to both of us healing soon.

>169 Crazymamie: Great job on churning out the reviews and on 75!!! Whoohoo!

>183 Crazymamie: I wan't that mug!! LOL

Happy not Monday. : )

>206 Crazymamie: Sounds like a great book Mamie. I've just downloaded Queenpin on ridgewaygirl (Kay)'s recommendation as a modern play on the genre - have you read it?

>207 Familyhistorian: *grin* Thanks, Meg!

>208 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! Ha! I am up and at em. Yesterday was a very busy one - went to the market and then came home and did a bunch of cooking and food prep so that I can take it easy the next few days. Abby is off today, so Birdy and I are taking her to the bookstore for some retail therapy. Should be fun.

>209 Berly: Morning, Kim! I am sorry to hear that you keep tweaking your injury, but I am not surprised - I am not good with being patient, either. Sending you even more healing mojo, my friend!

Thank you for that! And I want the mug, too.

A very Happy Tuesday to you! Hoping it is full of fabulous. And healing.

>210 charl08: Charlotte, that is too funny - I just downloaded that book, too! After reading the article, I went to look up what she had written, and when I came across that title, I remembered Roberta (and I am thinking also Judy) really liking that one, so I snagged it.

Hi Mamie and happy Tuesday to you.

Congrats on reaching 75!

Hello, Karen, and thank you! Happy Tuesday to you!

>183 Crazymamie: Oh, I need that mug Mamie!

Happy Tuesday and congratulations on reading 75 books!

Hi, Mamie! Congratulations on reaching 75.

I look forward to hearing more about The Annotated Big Sleep. I'm due to reread Chandler but will probably wait until I wrap up my reread of Hammett's novels. (I just read The Maltese Falcon again and will soon — maybe next month — revisit The Glass Key.

Congrats on reaching 75, Mamie!

Like Harry, I'm looking forward to your further comments on The Annotated Big Sleep. I suspect it's in my future.

>215 souloftherose: Looks like we could order it in bulk, Heather! It speaks to so many of us. And thank you!

>216 harrygbutler: Hello, Harry! Thank you.

I am hoping to finish The Annotated Big Sleep tonight, and it has held up - they did a really good job with it. I would love to see them do the same with The Long Goodbye - all of them, really, but if I had to choose, it would be that one. The notes on the slang were in particular fascinating.

I have read only The Maltese Falcon (multiple times) and The Thin Man, which I was not overly impressed with, but I am wanting to get to Red Harvest and The Glass Key, both of which are waiting patiently on the shelves. And I had this out from the library, but had to return it before finishing it:



I am wanting my very own copy, so I can dip into and out of it at my leisure.

>217 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! If I finish it tonight, I will wrote up a review of it tomorrow - I am loving it. Now, if only it had deckled edge pages...

Hi Mamie! I hope all is well with you.

It's good to see Hammett getting a workout.

Hey, congrats on reaching 75, Mamie.

Hey Mamie! I very much enjoyed The Perfect Storm and now that you've mentioned it, I'll keep an eye out for Isaac's Storm. I love seafaring stories.
Have you seen the movie adaption of The Perfect Storm? George Clooney? I enjoyed it as well.

>183 Crazymamie: I love it! I haven't been able to find the right words to describe my weariness and that cup covers it perfectly!
Have a lovely day!

>218 Crazymamie: Ha! I'd forgotten what a fan of deckled edge pages you are.

I thought Red Harvest was really excellent; quite different from his others.

>218 Crazymamie: Sorely tempted (stuff about slang is fascinating) but have just ordered a whole load of books so will have to wait until next month, I think!

>183 Crazymamie: That cracked me up, too!!

Congrats on #75!

I am also a big fan of The Perfect Storm, but a bigger fan of Isaac's Storm. (The books, I mean, not the storms themselves!)

I'm a little late, but congrats on reaching the 75 book mark!

Hi Mamie, I hope that your weekend was good enough to get you through tomorrow. It is almost the end of the month and the last time I looked you were ahead of the Fitbit pack!

>219 brodiew2: Hello, Brodie. All is well. Hammett is getting a workout by Harry - I have been reading Chandler. How are things going for you?

>220 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>221 Carmenere: Hey, Lynda! Yes, definitely make time for Isaac's Storm. I have not seen the movie of A Perfect Storm yet, but I am wanting to watch it - and Abby does, too, since she heard George Clooney was in it. *grin*

The mug speaks for many of us, apparently - good to know I am not alone!

>222 jnwelch: They make me giddy, Joe. I completely lose my head over them.

I need to get to Red Harvest - it moved with us from Indiana, so the poor thing has been waiting ages for its turn. I think it is the first novel in his Continental Ops - right?

>223 charl08: I have finished it now, and I absolutely loved it, Charlotte. Be sure to put it on the list for next month- I am a fan of Chandler anyway, but it was great to learn so much more about the slang - I had been misinterpreting a few of the phrases such as "wrapped up in some velvet" (describing Rusty Regan), which I thought had to do with his becoming entangled with a woman, but it actually means he came into some money. I love learning new stuff!

>224 tymfos: Hello, Terri. Glad the mug cracked you up! And thank you.

So glad you clarified that - you made me laugh!

>225 ronincats: It's never too late, Roni. Thank you!

>226 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! Me, too, with the weekend lasting me through today - fingers crossed. I am still in shock that July is almost over - how did that happen? I am waiting for Stephen to come from behind and clobber me like he did last month. Heh.

Happy new week, Mamie! Hope you all had a great weekend

>230 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! The weekend was good but very HOT. I am SO ready for Fall.

Hiya, Mamie.

I'm not sure whether Red Harvest is the first Continental Op, but it's definitely a CO novel. He takes on a whole corrupt town ("Poisonville"), and I felt it resonated more widely than "just" a well-written noir. It has a haunting quality that really got to me.

>232 jnwelch: Thanks for that, Joe. I will be sure to get to it next month.

Hey Mamie. The Bauer has turned up at the library, so I forsee a night full of crime for me. If I don't get sidetracked by cyberpunk thanks to Chelle...

Hello, Charlotte! I have the Bauer loaded on my Kindle, but I am wanting to finish up a few things first - we'll see if I can hold out. I will be waiting to hear what you think of the cyberpunk.