Lori (lkernagh) Reads her ABCs in 2018 - Fourth Thread

Lori Reads her ABCs - Fourth Thread


South African Sign Language fingerspelling alphabet - Isaac Mohlamme, as posted on wkimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Hi everyone. Welcome to my fourth thread for the 2018 Category Challenge. This is my ninth year participating in the Category Challenge. This year I have gone back to basics with two alphabet categories - one for author name and one for book title. Overlaps are not allowed, each book read will only count for either one author or one book title. Having completed my Bingo rather early this year - and cruising through my alphabet challenges faster than anticipated - I have decided to expand my challenge reading by creating an additional category, that will still help me read more ROOTS and continue to join in on the various Group Reads as well as the Kits and Cats.

New Category: To read books off my TBR shelves published in the past 30 years, hoping to read a minimum of one book for each year published from 1988 to 2018.

Author Alphabet Category:



Rule: Letter must be the first letter in the author's first, middle or last name, as displayed on the book cover.

"A" Author - Run by Ann Patchett - (review)
"B" Author - The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley - (review)
"C" Author - Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens - (review)
"D" Author - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - (review)
"E" Author - The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards - (review)
"F" Author - Broken Harbour by Tana French - (review)
"G" Author - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - (review)
"H" Author - The Siege by Helen Dunmore - (review)
"I" Author - The Complaints by Ian Rankin - (review)
"J" Author - The Passage by Justin Cronin - (review)
"K" Author - The House at Riverton by Kate Morton - (review)
"L" Author - In Office Hours by Lucy Kellaway - (review)
"M" Author - The Road to Ever After by Moira Young - (review)
"N" Author - The Boy on the Bicycle by Nate Hendley - (review)
"O" Author - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde - (review)
"P" Author - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - (review)
"Q" Author - Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick - (review)
"R" Author - The King of Lavender Square by Susan Ryan - (review)
"S" Author - Dark Desires by Eve Silver - (review)
"T" Author - The Fire by Night by Teresa Messineo - (review)
"U" Author - Ghosts and Exiles by Sandra Unerman - (review)
"V" Author - Diary of a Single Wedding Planner by Violet Howe - (review)
"W" Author - My Ántonia by Willa Cather - (review)
"X" Author - In the Basement of the Ivory Tower by Professor X - (review)
"Y" Author - Effigy by Alissa York - (review)
"Z" Author - The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - (review)

Completed October 2, 2018

Book Title Alphabet Category:



Rule: Letter must be the first letter in one of the words that make up the book's title.

"A" Book Title - The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder -
"B" Book Title - The Bathwater Conspiracy by Janet Kellough - (review)
"C" Book Title - Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore - (review)
"D" Book Title - Drifters' Alliance by Elle Casey - (review)
"E" Book Title - England, England by Julian Barnes - (review)
"F" Book Title - The Forsyte Saga by Johns Galsworthy - (review)
"G" Book Title - Arthur and George by Julian Barnes - (review)
"H" Book Title - The Hours by Michael Cunningham - (review)
"I" Book Title - The Time In Between by David Bergen - (review)
"J" Book Title - A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore - (review)
"K" Book Title - Kept by Elle Field - (review)
"L" Book Title - Late Nights on /Air by Elizabeth Hay - (review)
"M" Book Title - Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy - (review)
"N" Book Title - We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver - (review)
"O" Book Title - One Click by Andrea Mara - (review)
"P" Book Title - Faithful Place by Tana French - (review)
"Q" Book Title -
"R" Book Title - Reamde by Neal Stephenson - (review)
"S" Book Title - Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger MacDonald - (review)
"T" Book Title - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - (review)
"U" Book Title - The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall by Chris Dolley - (review)
"V" Book Title - The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay - (review)
"W" Book Title - The Whispered Tales of Graves Grove by J.S. Bailey - (review)
"X" Book Title - X by Sue Grafton - (review)
"Y" Book Title - Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton - (review)
"Z" Book Title - Zulu by Caryl Ferey - - (review)

Original Publication Year (1988 to 2018):



Rule: Cannot overlap with Book Title or Book Author Alphabet categories.

2018 - On Bone Bridge by Maria Hoey - (review)
2017
2016 - Little Red: An Everland Ever After Tale by Caroline Lee - (review)
2015 - The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante - (review)
2014 - Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford - (review)
2013 - The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout - (review)
2012 - Winter of the World by Ken Follett - (review)
2011
2010 - Fall of Giants by Ken Follett - (review)
2009 - Ablutions by Patrick DeWitt - (review)
2008 - The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis - (review)
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997 - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami - (review)
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988

Monthly CATs / KITs:



January
- ColourCAT (Black) - The King of Lavender Square by Susan Ryan -
- AlphaKIT ("M") - The Road to Ever After by Moira Young -
- ScaredyKIT (Gothic) - Dark Desires by Eve Silver -
- ScaredyKIT (Gothic) / AlphaKIT ("M") - Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy -
- SFFKIT (There is Always Tomorrow) / AlphaKIT ("M") - The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder -
- ScaredyKIT (Gothic) / AlphaKIT ("M") - The House at Riverton by Kate Morton -

February
- MysteryCAT (Female Cop/Sleuth/Detective) / AlphaKIT ("X") - X by Sue Grafton -
- ScaredyKIT (Survival/Disaster) / AlphaKIT ("J") - The Passage by Justin Cronin -
- AlphaKIT ("J") - Arthur and George by Julian Barnes -
- SFFKIT (Urban Fantasy) - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness -

March
- AlphaKIT ("F") - The Forsyte Saga by Johns Galsworthy -
- AlphaKIT ("F") / MysteryCAT (Global Places) - Faithful Place by Tana French -
- AlphaKIT ("F") / MysteryCAT (Global Places) - Broken Harbour by Tana French -
- ColourCAT (Green) / AlphaKIT ("F") / MysteryCAT (Global Places) - The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley -

April
- AlphaKIT ("U") / ColourCAT (Yellow) / RandomCAT (April Loves Books!) - The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall by Chris Dolley -
- RandomCat (April Loves Books!) - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini -
- ColourCAT (Yellow) - Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore -
- ColourCAT (Yellow) - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde -
- SFFKIT (Time Travel) - 15 Minutes: A Time Travel Suspense Thriller by Jill Cooper -
- ScaredyKIT (Supernatural) - A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore -
- SFFKIT (Time Travel) / ScaredyKIT (Supernatural) - City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte -
- RandomCAT (April Loves Books!) / MysteryCAT (Classic and Golden Age Mysteries) - The Adventures of Dagobert Trostler by Balduin Groller -

May
- ColourCAT (Blue) / AlphaKIT ("K") - In Office Hours by Lucy Kellaway -
- ColourCAT (Blue) / AlphaKIT ("K") - The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards -
- MysteryCAT (Mysteries involving Transit) - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -
- ColourCAT (Blue) - England, England by Julian Barnes -

June
- MysteryCAT (True Crime) - The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson -
- ColourCAT (Purple) - Kept by Elle Field -
- RandomCAT (Unusual Narrators) and SFFKIT (Series) - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie -
- ColourCAT (Purple) - Diary of a Single Wedding Planner by Violet Howe -

July
- MysteryCAT (Police Procedural) - Zulu by Caryl Ferey -
- AlphaKIT (S) - We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Schriver -
- AlphaKIT (S), ScaredyKIT (Science / Techno Thriller) and SFFKIT (Cyberpunk or Techno SFF) - Reamde by Neal Stephenson -

August
- ColourCAT (Gray/Grey) - The Boy on the Bicycle by Nate Hendley -
- MysteryCAT (Historical Mystery) - The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton -

September
- AlphaKIT ("E") - The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante -
- AlphaKIT ("E") - Effigy by Alissa York -
- AlphaKIT ("E") - Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elana Ferrante -
- ColourCAT (Metallic elements) - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller -
- AlphaKIT ("E") - The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante -
- ColourCAT (Metallic elements) - Ablutions by Patrick DeWitt -
- SFFKIT (Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales) - Little Red: An Everland Ever After Tale by Caroline Lee -
- MysteryCAT (Noir and Hard-boiled) - The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett -

October
- AlphaKIT (X) - In the Basement of the Ivory Tower by Professor X -

November
December

1. Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger MacDonald -
2. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens -
3. The Adventures of Dagobert Trostler by Balduin Groller -
4. Dark Desires by Eve Silver -
5. Arthur and George by Julian Barnes -
6. Mary Coin by Marisa Silver -
7. A Mentor and Her Muse by Susan Sage -
8. X by Sue Grafton -
9. The Passage by Justin Cronin -
10. The Road to Ever After by Moira Young -
11. The Hours by Michael Cunningham -
12. Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy -
13. Faithful Place by Tana French -
14. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
15. The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall by Chris Dolley -
16. Us Conductors by Sean Michaels -
17. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini -
18. The Fire by Night by Teresa Messineo -
19. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton -
20. The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards -
21. Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx by Sonia Manzano -
22. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde -
23. The Siege by Helen Dunmore -
24. The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder -
25. The King of Lavender Square by Susan Ryan -

Group Reads:



1. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens -
2. Arthur & George by Julian Barnes -
3. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy -

This thread is now open for visitors

Currently Reading:
...

Audiobook:
Reamde by Neal Stephenson; read by Malcolm Hillgartner - a ROOT read, ScaredyKit - Science/ Techno Thriller and SFFKIT - Cyberpunk or Techno SFF read
ebook:
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver - a ROOT read.
Physical books:
Zulu by Caryl Ferey - a ROOT read and MysteryCat - Police Procedural read

George Socka, as posted on wikimedia (CC BY 2.0)

Happy Canada Day!!!

Happy Canada Day, Lori, and happy new thread! I like the idea of adding a new category for yourself based on publication date. Good luck!

Thanks RP. Hope your Canada Day is a great one - and not too hot!

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEK 155 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 56.58
Kilometers walked in total: 6,817.38
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: Continuing northeast along the highway, heading for Sandy Point.
Points of interest along the way: Thought I would report on something I saw while walking locally this past week. There is a side street in the residential area near where I work and I was delightfully surprised to discover that the neighbourhood had decorated not one but three trees along the street as fairy homes:

...

The doors all open with little surprises to be found inside. What a delight to stumble across while out for a walk!

>12 lkernagh: Can you package up some cold air and send it over? We had a high temperature of 35 and a humidex of 47! I didn't go anywhere with weather like that :(

>14 rabbitprincess: - I feel for you. I do not do well in high temps. Pretty much anything above 24'C (with a slight breeze) and I start to get cranky. Will see if I can send some cooler temps your way!

Happy new thread, Lori, and Happy Canada Day! I can hear the fireworks going now. I hope everyone isn't getting too soggy watching them in the park. I can hear the rain too.

Happy New Thread. Love the pictures of the fairy doors!

Happy new thread, Lori!
>13 lkernagh: How fun to come across those doors! Somebody worked hard at those.

Lori--Happy new thread! And a belated Happy Canada Day! That little village is so cute. You are killing all your challenges--good luck on the publication date one.

>16 Familyhistorian:, >17 dudes22:, >18 mstrust: and >19 Berly: - Thank you Meg, Betty, Jennifer and Kim for the happy new thread wishes!

>16 Familyhistorian: - Oh dear, raining for the fireworks? We had our rain on Saturday so no rain to potentially disrupt the fireworks last night, but boy did we have high winds during the day!

>17 dudes22:, >18 mstrust: and >19 Berly: - Aren't they adorable? I love discovering little treasures like those when out walking... something I would never notice if I was driving from A to B. ;-)

>19 Berly: - I honestly did not expect my reading challenges to work out so well. The publication one should be interesting. I have some years where I have stacks of options, other years with just a few options on my bookshelves and I think there a couple of years where I will have to rely on the library to fill in those publication years.

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Happy Monday and Happy July everyone! Today is a holiday here for some (like me) so taking things easy today and getting some chores done that I failed to get around to earlier on the weekend.

on July 1st the municipality of Victoria's single use plastic bag ban went into effect. I am curious to see how this plays out. I note some other areas in the world are imposing similar bans - with some disturbing results (like Australian shop workers facing attacks from some upset customers). What complicates matters here in Victoria is that the ban only applies to stores operating within the boundaries of the municipality of Victoria - it does not apply to all municipalities that make up the Greater Victoria or Capital Region District. While I always take reusable shopping bags with me when I go grocery shopping, sometimes I see a deal and discover I am a bag short or I am out and about and suddenly remember I need something and pop into the store for that one thing. The stores are supposed to sell customers paper bags at 0.15 cents per bag used. I am okay with that, so long as the bag is not covered with the store's branding and I am paying to walk around with a bag with their branding on it, but I wonder if people will start making certain choices on where they shop. For example, I have three grocery stores within a 1.5 km radius of home. The first store is in Victoria where the single use plastic bag ban has taken effect. The second store is in an adjacent municipality that has chosen to not impose the ban (but this store has always charged 0.05 cents per plastic bag). The third store, also in the same adjacent municipality, has never charged for single use plastic bags and I am pretty sure they have made no changes to their plastic bag policy. I am also curious to see how this plays out with the tourists (and how confusing this is probably going to be for them) since they will be expected to BYOB (bring your own bag) or pay for a paper bag in Victoria while the tourists that visit Butchart Gardens (located a short drive away from Victoria in Brentwood Bay) probably will continue to receive single use plastic bags with their gift shop purchases.

So, a question for my visitors: Do you live in an area that has a similar ban on single use plastic bags and if so, what are your thoughts?

Portland has a ban on plastic bags and they are not even an option at any price. Only paper. But the next town over has no such ban. I have acquired my own reusable bags which I leave in the back of the car. Very rarely do I run out, I have so many now. I wish more places had the ban and I'd live to get rid of styrofoam containers as well! I think we just outlawed plastic straws, too. Yay!

>20 lkernagh: - Hi Kim. I did see that Seattle has banned plastic straws and plastic cutlery (compost and biodegradable options are to replace plastic). I am still learning all the interesting bans in the various places so if Portland has also banned plastic straws - on top of their existing ban on single use plastic bags, that is good!

As a Keurig coffee machine user when at work, I always made the effort to breakdown the used K-cup into its compost / recycle elements. I have recently discovered a brand of 100% compostable K-cups and have never looked back. No more coffee grinds under my fingernails when I need to race into a face-to-face meeting. ;-)

ETA: As I don't drive - have been car-free by choice for 12 years - so I have to actively plan my activities to insure I have reusable bags with me.

Book #54 - Zulu by Caryl Ferey - translated from the French by Howard Curtis
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: MysteryCAT - Police Procedurals
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: "Z" Book Title - Zulu
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2008
Acquisition date: April 30, 2016
Page count: 416 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the europaeditions.com book listing web page:

"As a child, Ali Neuman ran away from home to escape the Inkatha, a militant political party at war with the then-underground African National Congress. He and his mother are the only members of his family that survived the carnage of those years and the psychological scars remain.Today, Neuman is chief of the homicide branch of the Cape Town police, a job in which he must do battle with South Africa’s two scourges: widespread violence and AIDS. When the mutilated corpse of a young white woman is found in the city’s botanical gardens, Neuman’s job gets even more difficult. He is chasing one false lead after another when a second corpse, again that of a white woman, is found. This time, the body bears signs of a Zulu ritual. A new evil has insinuated itself into this recently integrated city. And a new drug: traces of an unknown narcotic have been found in the blood of both victims. The investigation will take Neuman back to his homeland, where he will discover that the once bloody killing fields have become the ideal no-man’s land for unscrupulous multinationals, and that the apparatchiks of apartheid still lurk in the shadows and the back rooms of a society struggling toward reconciliation."

Review:
Oh geez.... oh crap.... this was quite the intense noir thriller ride! Having previously read Ferey's Utu, a noir crime novel set in New Zealand, I thought I had an idea of what I was in for with this one. I should mention that I don't do well with hard core violence or pretty much anything produced by Quentin Tarantino but I have to say, Ferey even blew away my expectations with this one, producing a fascinating, A page-turning story that gripped my attention to the very end. Yes, some of the violence was a little hard - okay, really darn difficult - for me to take. That beach scene was OMG bad. I found myself putting the book down more than a couple of times and walking away for 20 minutes, just to let me digest what I had just read and prep myself for potential further uneasiness. Wow. Just Wow. Some of the graphic violence depicted is really intense - which some readers may wish to avoid - but if you do, you will be missing out on a spectacular crime noir read.

Ferey digs deep and really brings home social criticism of the post-apartheid landscape, a place still very much heaving with violence, drug lords and overall corruption. Seriously, after reading this, I would be horrified to visit Cape Town. Ferey has done such an amazing job showing the underbelly of the playground for the rich and the shocking destitution of the shanty townships. Ferey wrote this story in real time - against the looming backdrop of the 2010 World Cup that would take place in 2 years time, post publication. The South African apartheid was both political and racial. This story focuses on the multicultural nature of South Africa and the myriad of opportunists that flooded the region, morals be damned. I can totally see why this one was the 2008 winner of the French Grand Prix for Best Crime Novel. A worthy win, IMO.

>23 lkernagh: Sounds like I should add Caryl Ferey to my try sometime list.

>20 lkernagh: Free plastic bags were banned in Scotland some time ago. It has reduced plastic bag pollution (which was a big problem - bags just getting dumped in rivers etc) by some enormous %, people know to carry their own and that they have to pay 5p if they are short and need another bag. The bags of the large supermarkets etc are still branded, but your post is the first that I've ever seen raising that as an issue. It just hasn't been an issue here at all, people just bring their own or suck up that they pay the 5p. I think the majority of shops - at least to start with, I'm not so sure now a few years down the line - donate all the money from the 5p bag sales to charity.

So, from my perspective at any rate - it's been nothing but positive. Having said that, it is a country-wide ban, I can't see how it would work as well if it was only certain categories of shops or certain areas. It worked so well in Scotland that now other countries of the UK have also brought it in.

>25 Jackie_K: just chipping in to agree with Jackie. There is a charge for single use carrier bags (there are some exceptions, the butcher's shop, for example, doesn't have to charge, but the supermarket does). There seem to have been very few grumbles, bags are still available, you just get charged for them. It has made strong non-plastic bags more available, so there seem to be more hessian or strawberry bags. I have a bundle of non-plastic shopping bags. If I forget, I've been known to just "hug" my shopping to the car.
The next thing seems to be swapping the small plastic bags that are used to put fruit and vegetables in for paper.

There were no single-use plastic bags when we were living in Munich. If you needed a bag, there was the option of spending 10-25 cents for a sturdy plastic bag branded with the store name, or buying a muslin bag, sometimes branded, sometimes plain, for a euro. We still use the muslin bags all the time. They launder well and are a good size for the kids to put what they need when then go anywhere. And now I keep a shopping bag in my purse that fits in a tiny pouch and can fit the contents of two or three of those plastic grocery bags, along with a pile of cloth bags that live in the trunk of my car. It is an adjustment, but once you make it, it's surprisingly easy.

If you want a durable shopping bag and are willing to pay for it, I recommend Reisenthal, a German company. The foldaway shopping bag I have is over five years old and shows no signs of wear despite being in heavy use.

https://www.reisenthel.com

I would support a ban on single-use plastic bags. I carry shopping in the 99cent reuseable bags sold by some stores and they last for years. I don't care what brand name is on them. Some are offered free with a purchase and these are generally smaller and the ones I use as a library book bag or for small purchases. I wish there was a substitute for the small plastic bags used for fruit and vegetables that Helen mentioned.

>24 AHS-Wolfy: -Hi Dave! I think Ferey's writing is something that you might enjoy (not that I am equating a book with some violence as being enjoyable, just having one of those brain-dead Friday's and not up to coming up with a more appropriate word). ;-)

>25 Jackie_K: - That is good to know. It has been a number of years since I last travelled to Scotland (although my other half was there more recently to renew his passport). I agree, it probably makes more sense if the ban is over a larger area - like all of Scotland - and not a smaller area like the city of Victoria which is really just concentrated in and around the downtown core of Greater Victoria.

>26 Helenliz: - I know some stores here did have a nominal charge for single use carrier bags. I was okay with that and it did encourage some people to start bringing their own stronger, reusable carrier bags. Stores are still allowed to offer plastic bags for things like bulk bin purchases - have to put those items into some type of container! - so plastic bags have not totally disappeared, just the plastic carrier bags at the checkout. I like the idea of "hugging" you shopping to the car if you forget your bags! I do have one nylon bag - I think it is made out of that parachute silk type material - that folds up nicely into a compact pouch and I carry that in my purse at all times. If was a free gift from a local wine merchant (although not well designed for carrying wine) and has been very handy over the years, let me tell you. ;-)

>27 RidgewayGirl: - I would gravitate towards the muslim bags as a nice environmental option! I have some canvas carrier bags purchased from a local grocery store and they are easy to clean. I recall a check out girl complimenting me on how clean my bags smelled (they had just been laundered earlier in the week) and then she proceeded to tell me some horror stories of "manky" condition of some of the reusable bags she has had to pack groceries in.

Thank you so much for providing the link for the Reisenthel bags! Those look very similar in style to the nylon(?) bag I mentioned to >26 Helenliz: that was a free gift from a local wine merchant. Very practical and easy to stash in purse or wherever. I also like the idea of that style of bag being made in a studier material... my nylon one is starting to show thin areas, so I no longer carry anything breakable in it, just in case it decides to split open.

>28 VivienneR: - Those are the bags that I tend to use shopping as well, Vivienne. I also own one of the smaller sized reusable bags from Shoppers Drug Mart as it is the perfect size for smaller purchases like my 1L cream and 2L milk purchases. I know what you mean about the plastic bags for the fruits and veggies... those are not part of the ban, or bags in the bulk food sections of store. I tend to do most of my bulk food purchases at Bulk Barn which works out well in that there do allow you to bring in your own containers. The containers do have to be clean and you need to have the container(s) weighted first before you shop so that they can deduct the container from the weight when at the till. They have been doing this for I like to thing 2 years now, but even so, their food bags are not part of the current ban. I remember last December standing behind a woman who - I kid you not - had some 40 pieces of candy and she had placed each candy in its own individual bag. Not sure how a single use plastic carry bag ban will help reduce plastic bag use (and waste) when that kind of shopping happens. :-(

I was listening to the lady in front of me at the market the other day discussing with the cashier that apparently our town is going bagless in about 5 months. As I always take my own bags or ask for paper, I don't remember seeing anything about it. The question they were talking about is what about the bags in the produce section and the deli. And I'm always buying more than I plan to so I've learned to bring WAAAY more bags than I think I'll need. I'm sure there'll be more in the paper as the day approaches.

>30 dudes22: - Ah yes, I know when the rolled out the ban on single use plastic bags here there was a lot of talk in the news a whole year before the ban was to take effect... then pretty much silence until an information PR blitz kicked in 3-4 weeks before the ban came into effect. Can't inform people too early or they might get confused as to the "switch over" date. ;-)

Things seem to be pretty seamless here. The only thing I have noticed that is a bit different is with the self serve checkouts at the local grocery store. With the ban on the single use plastic bags, and the requirement that stores must charge a minimum of 15 cents per paper bag, you now have to flag down the shop clerk assigned to the area and request the paper bags, and the clerk adds the bag charge to your transaction. In the past, bags could be found at each self-serve checkout for customer use, so this adds an extra step if you forget your bag and need one.

-----------------------------------

Happy Sunday everyone! Weather has been a bit on the hot side but not complaining as it means the laundry is taking no time to dry, hanging outside. No book reviews to post as both of my current reads are still ongoing and have been a bit distracted by the other half's latest purchase:



You will have to settle for just a walking update for now.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEK 156 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 43.79
Kilometers walked in total: 6,861.17
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: Continuing northeast along the highway, still heading for Sandy Point and then onto Barachois Pond Provincial Park.
Points of interest along the way: Not much to report on on this part of the virual journey so instead, I thought I would post an interesting bit of trivia.



According to Wikipedia, at the entrance to Fortune Bay and just 25 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland is St. Pierre and Miquelon (circled in red in the map shot above). Offically known as the Overseas Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, this is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France. Yes, one needs a passport to "hop over" to the island from Newfoundland. Apparently, this island was made a French possession back in 1536 by the explorer Jacques Cartier on behalf of the King of France. Under the terms of the 1763 Treaty of Paris, France ceded all its North American possessions, but Saint-Pierre and Miquelon were returned to France. During World War II, despite opposition from Canada, Britain and the United States, Charles de Gaulle seized the archipelago from Vichy France, to which the local government had pledged its allegiance. In a referendum the following day, the population endorsed the takeover by Free France. After the 1958 French constitutional referendum, the islands were given the option of becoming fully integrated with France, becoming a self-governing state within the French Community, or preserving the status of overseas territory; it decided to remain a territory. France is responsible for the defense of the islands. France tried to claim a 200-mile (320 km) exclusive economic zone for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon - which seems crazy given its close proximity to Newfoundland - and it wasn't until 1992 that a decision was reached fixing the maritime boundaries between Canada and the islands, but they failed to demarcate the continental shelf so the potential oil reserves in the area may still be in dispute. This year - in fact, just this past week - a direct air link between the islands and mainland France was established, with the first flight to have occurred on July 2nd.

All in all, It looks like a lovely place to visit:


St Pierre et Miquelon 2009 - Gord McKenna - as posted to Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

>31 lkernagh: My husband bought a 2 person rigid inflatable canoe last year, he takes our daughter out on the local lochs. I'm the nervous wreck staying on the shore wishing they'd hurry up and come back! He did a lot of canoeing as a kid and I'm glad that he can give our daughter the opportunity too, but as it's not something that I did and I'm not a strong swimmer I'm too scared to go in it myself.

>32 lkernagh: I'm adding St P&M to my (ever-expanding) want-to-visit list - which is getting to be as long as my book wishlist!

Glad to hear you had a lovely summer weekend, Lori. The Fiancé is originally from Newfoundland and his hometown isn't too far from St. Pierre et Michelon so maybe we'll have to try hopping over when we eventually visit that end of the country.

Happy new thread, Lori! I am beginning to get a little nervous! As I peruse threads this morning and see everyone's fantastic pics I'm becoming a little anxious. So many beautiful places to see............just how am I ever going to see them all. *sigh*
We have a man in our neighborhood, originally from NL, who says he's descended from pirates. His family continues the sailing tradition by having sailing ship captain in each generation. He has just finished all his sailing courses and is now a commissioned captain.

It's great to catch up here, Lori. I am envious of your husband's kayak - the waters around Victoria are perfect (on calm days) to explore that way. Are you planning on getting one for yourself as well? I was so impressed when we went for a walk along the Gorge a week or so ago at how clean it is now. We could see the bottom clearly. I used to swim in the Gorge when I was a kid and it certainly wasn't that clean then. I remember pushing scuzzy foam out of the way as I swam along.

Happy new thread!

You are killing the walk!! Great job. : )

>33 Jackie_K: - What fun! I love canoes... spent a lot of time in them in the summers during camping trips with my family. Kayaking I have never been quite as keen on, at least not the ones used for white water rafting, etc. The open kayak is more like a smaller canoe, so I am keen about the purchase.

My travel list is starting to get rather long as well. ;-)

>34 MickyFine: - How wonderful that your Fiancé is from the area and can play personal tour guide when you go for a visit! Last weekend was lovely. This weekend has been a tad on the warm side (more information about to follow). I am so looking forward to the end this min-heat wave.

>35 Carmenere: - Thanks Lynda! Love the family history of your neighbour and the tradition of having a sailing ship captain in each generation. Living on an island, I can appreciate the importance of being able to sail or pilot a boat. ;-)

>36 DeltaQueen50: - Hi Judy, they have spent a lot of time and effort in cleaning up the Gorge waterway. It is really quite nice. In fact, next Sunday is the 2018 Gorge SwimFest, an annual event hosted by the Gorge Swim Fest Society! As for the kayak, we are debating as to whether we will get a second kayak exactly the same or if we may keep the first open-style kayak for me and get an enclosed space kayak for the other half. He tends to be more adventurous and would probably like to be able to go white-water kayaking while I am more of a canoe girl and prefer paddling around calmer waters. :-0

>37 ChelleBearss: - Thanks Chelle!

>38 Berly: - Thanks Kimmers!

--------------------------------

Happy Sunday, everyone. The island is getting a little parched with the lack of rain. The warm and sunny day of the past week have morphed into a bit of a min-heat wave this weekend. Great for water related activities (with generous amounts of sunscreen applied!), but makes for difficult evening for sleeping. I tend to like the cooler temps. 28'C and scorching sun is a bit much for me but last night was a sleepless one trying to cope with the fact that the temperatures were not dropping after sundown, as per usual. At 1:00 am this morning it was still 18'C and it only managed to cool down to 15'C around 3:30 this morning. Not fun when one does not have AC. Good thing our place has Eastern exposure. That helps keep at least the warmer afternoon sun away from making the place completely unbearable.

On the reading front, this seems to be a month for larger books, something I tend to gravitate towards during the lazy days of summer. Just wish I had lazy days, beyond the odd weekend, to just sit back and read. Anyhow, I do have one book review ready for posting and one walking update.

Book #55 - We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "S" - Shriver
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: "N" Book Title - Need
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2003
Acquisition date: January 5, 2013
Page count: 432 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the book back cover:

"Eva never really wanted to be a mother - and certainly not the mother of a boy who ends up murdering seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much adored teacher who tried to befriend him, all two days before his sixteenth birthday. Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with marriage, career, family, parenthood, and Kevin's horrific rampage, in a series of startlingly direct correspondences to her estranged husband, Franklin. Uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood from the start, Eva fears that her alarming dislike for her own son may be responsible for driving him so nihilistically off the rails."

Review:
Shriver has taken the age-old nature/nurture theme – a theme that continues to fascinate me even as a non-fiction topic – and scrutinizes it through the lens of a mother trying to analysis both herself and her son. Two years after that horrifying day – Eva refers to it as “that Thursday”, with italics – the story is told in a series of letters Eva writes to her husband Franklin. The letters are filled with both loving and disturbing memories from the past. Eva’s voice is one of a woman with a firm (albeit, sometimes wavering) resolve. She is cuttingly candid with her opinions and appears to be oblivious to how arched or acid her social commentary is. The fact that her own son - yes, the deviant she is trying to understand – raised this very point with her on more than one occasion seems to only slightly register with Eva. Some readers may find Eva a difficult character to connect with given that she comes across as dispassionately analytical and dare I say, a bit of an cultural or societal snob, but she definitely cannot be faulted for her blunt honesty… even if others around her would beg to differ that point. For me, it is the singular focus of her judgmental attitude (always ready to believe the worst of her son) that is so wracking. This does not deter Shriver from pushing forward with her story, and a worthy read it is. Yes, some of the subject matter is really disturbing to take in and as mentioned already, some readers may find Eva a bit difficult to connect with, but Shriver does not shy away from this daunting task and instead, uses it to delve, and delve deep, into some really hard hitting topics. The only problem I have with this story is how closed off and one-dimensional Kevin comes across. Yes, the whole story is told from the point of view of Eva, so our understanding of Kevin is limited to what Eva knew, which, by her own admission, is not very much, but I still wish we could have seen the story from Kevin or even Franklin's POV.

This is one of those books that is easier to recommend for the importance of the message as it made me think about the issues. While it doesn’t answer that nature versus nurture question – and one wouldn’t expect it to – the perspective provided makes this a worthy read, IMO. As one reviewer has noted, this book can be highly recommended for readers who enjoy psychological suspense stories.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEK 157 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 52.08
Kilometers walked in total: 6,913.25
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: Due east of the southern portion of Georges Lake, heading for Corner Brook.
Points of interest along the way: This week my virtual walking had me traveling along the west coast of Barachois Pond Provincial Park. Part of of the park includes the Erin Mountain Trail, an approximately 2 hour trial with a peak of 340 meters and offers trekkers a panoramic view of St. George's Bay, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Long Range Mountains. Listed as being "Moderate - Difficult" in trail difficulty, which I can image based on this picture of part of the trail:


Erin Mountain Trail - bobsnewfoundland.com

Apparently, the trail comprises some 800+ stairs.

So are you walking down the stairs or up, Lori? Sorry to hear that you are finding it too hot. Sounds like it should cool down a bit tomorrow.

>42 Familyhistorian: - LOL, sadly would have to walk up for the view, but that makes the return trip pretty darn easy, I would think! As for the heat, we are a little cooler today - currently 27'C so fingers crossed that we are now on a downswing to our more usual 20-24'C temps as a high for this time of year.

.
Book #56 - On Bone Bridge by Maria Hoey
Challenge(s): 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - 2018
Source: LTER
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 2018
Acquisition date: July 4, 2018
Page count: 352 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Kay Kelly has always envied pretty, privileged Violet-May Duff, but the two young girls come from very different worlds. Suddenly befriended by Violet-May, Kay finds herself welcomed into the grand Duff house, where, charmed by Violet-May's sister, the ethereal Rosemary-June, and intrigued by Mrs Duff, a woman with a past, she falls helplessly in love with Violet-May's brother Robbie. It all seems too good to be true. And it is.

One mild September afternoon the three young girls take Violet-May's baby brother for a walk in his pram. What happens on Bone Bridge that day will change all their lives forever.

Now in her thirties, Kay's path crosses once more with the Duff family and it doesn't take her long to realise that something is very wrong. With the life of a child clearly threatened, Kay is forced to accept that what happened all those years ago on Bone Bridge has come back to haunt her. Now, not only must she resurrect painful memories, but the time has come to finally face up to terrible truths, even if it means putting her own life in danger."

Review:
Having enjoyed Hoey’s debut novel, The Last Lost Girl, I was looking forward to reading her latest book. The first part of the book is focused on the three main characters when they were young girls. Understandably so, this part reads more like a YA novel, accurately capturing the character nuances of preteens growing up in 1980’s Ireland. All the TV, music and technology references (remember Walkmans?) and the details made it easy to visualize the setting and to develop some opinions about the various characters, but for me, it is the second part of the story – set roughly 30 years later – that really caught my attention and held it. Family secrets and creepy undercurrents appeal to my reading tastes as I tend to prefer stories with Gothic elements. While the Duff house is not a crumbling estate, it is still a huge home and the perfect setting for the events that play out. Hoey does a great job leaving breadcrumbs of information for the reader to try and decipher, with the nagging question, “What really happened that fateful afternoon?” The tension is skillfully managed and builds as events unfold. On the downside, Kay’s character seems to lack the ability to face facts and I am not a fan of characters who seem to expose themselves to danger when it is obvious that they should be choosing differently.

Overall, an solid second novel by Hoey and may appeal to readers who enjoy a slow building mystery suspense read with some Gothic elements.

Hi Lori, just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy visiting your thread so that I can travel along with you on the cross-Canada walking tour - oh, and the books too!

>44 lkernagh: I think I'd prefer the second part to the first. Not sure I want to read the first part to get to the second though.

>45 VivienneR: - Lovely to see your comment, Vivienne! I have had a lot of fun posting about my virtual walking. Getting near the end. ;-)

>46 thornton37814: - The first part of the story did seem to flow evenly, and Kay's pre-teen character did seem more realistic.

---------------------------
Poking my head into my own thread to report that reading continues at a fairly steady clip, helped along by the fact that I have been doing some rather mundane database work this week so have been able listen to my current audioread at the same time. I did finish my July SFFKIT and ScaredyKIT read - so happy that the two KITs worked so well together this month! - so I have another review ready for posting.

Book #57 - Reamde by Neal Stephenson - audiobook narrated by Malcolm Hillgartner
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: ScardeyKIT (Science/Techno Thrillers) and SFFKIT (Cyberpunk or Techno SFF)
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: "R" Book Title - Reamde
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2011
Acquisition date: June 7, 2014
Page count: 1,056 pages / 39 hours of listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the book back cover:

"The black sheep of an Iowa farming clan, former draft dodger and successful marijuana smuggler, Richard Forthrast amassed a small fortune over the years - and then increased it a thousandfold when he created T'Rain. A massive, multibillion-dollar, multiplayer online role-playing game, T'Rain now has millions of obsessed fans from the U.S. to China. But a small group of ingenious Asian hackers has just unleashed REAMDE - a virus that encrypts all of a player's electronic files and holds them for ransom - which has unwittingly triggered a war that's creating chaos not only in the virtual universe but in the real one as well. Its repercussions will be felt all around the globe - setting in motion a devastating series of events involving Russian mobsters, computer geeks, secret agents and Islamic terrorists - with Forthrast standing at ground zero and his loved ones caught in the crossfire."

Review:
As my first foray into Neal Stephenson’s books, I guess it makes sense that I would pick what some reviewers have billed as being one of his more “accessible” works. Having enjoyed many a summer in my youth devouring spy thrillers by the likes of Robert Ludlum and enjoying stories with a techno angle, Reamde is what I would bill as the perfect “beach read” for me: enough suspense and action to keep me page-turning while still providing me with an interesting plot and story-line that, while at times detailed, does not get overly boring during the slower bits. Some might argue that Stephenson tends to delve a little too deeply into explaining certain things but I prefer the explanations over the author making assumptions that his reader can connect the dots, and yes, the geek in me did enjoy the level of detail provided to describe T’Rain, even if it seems a bit unrealistic. I am reading this type of book for escapism, not for realism. Yes, the fact that a good chunk of the story is set in the Pacific Northwest is also a huge draw for me, so that was a bonus. The cast of characters is quite the mixed bag – Russian mobsters, computer geeks, secret agents, Islamic terrorists and “living-off-the-grid” survivalists – that one would think would be a mess but under Stephenson’s skilled pen, this works and adds to the entertainment value of the story. Love the sarcasm laced through this one! I also loved that the three female characters are strong, independent thinkers and just as driven and dynamic as the male characters are. No “shrinking violet” personalities here. Happenstance can make for weird events and Stephenson leans hard on chance as a tool to enable a lot of what happens to… well… happen. Given that the story is told in the first person narrative from the point of view of multiple characters, this makes for re-hashing old ground to capture an event from each character’s unique perspective, so not a straightforward linear read, but essential IMO to communicate all that transpires.

Overall, a satisfying adventure/thriller ride and perfect for summer escapism reading. I am looking forward to reading more of Stephenson’s works.

Belated happy new one, Lori. I'm impressed about your walking effort, almost there.
Happy weekend.

Well, HERE you are, Lori! I somehow missed connecting with you earlier, perhaps because I only looked for you in the 75ers group. Silly me.

I read my first Stephenson - Seveneves - earlier this year and really enjoyed it a lot, so I'm very interested in your review of Reamde. Also, >40 lkernagh: - I thought We Need to Talk About Kevin was powerful, though I agree with your assessment of Eva's character.

Anyway, hope you are having a great weekend!

>20 lkernagh:
A little late to the party, but where I live (Long Beach, CA), the plastic bag ban went into effect in 2011 and there were grumbles at first, but now everyone just brings their reusable bags to the store. Since then, most of our Southern California cities have followed suit. In Sweden, you've had to pay for plastic bags ever since I can remember - they were never free, so people are used to reusing.

>49 Ameise1: - Well, hello Barbara! So lovely to see you stopping by! The walking has been going rather well lately - the weather has been rather cooperative, except for some rather hot days where all I wanted to do was park myself in from of the fan and not venture outdoors! ;-)

>50 Storeetllr: - Hi Mary!!!! So happy you found me! Yes, I have taken a break from the 75 group for this year. I agree with you about the Shriver book. Powerful is a great work to describe it. Glad to see you are also dipping into the Stephenson books.

>51 -Eva-: - Hi Eva, welcome back! Hope you had a fabulous vacation! For the most part, the transition to no single use plastic bags seems to be going rather smoothly, but I have noticed that it is easiest for all around if the first question the cashier asks is if they need to purchase any paper bags. I need to purchase some more bags that easily fit in my purse for when I need to make impulse purchases. One thing that I do like - and did not expect - is that the stores that used to credit customers 3 cents per reusable bag (typically this was the grocery stores) still offer that credit. Nice!

------------------------

Happy weekend everyone! Summer is in full swing, with lots of great activities, etc. Unfortunately, the island is experiencing a repeat of last year's stretch of "no precipitation" days so everything is bone dry or browning (given the imposed water restrictions). Campfire ban on the island went into effect last weekend. A work colleague of mine has fruit trees on her property and for the last three years they have had to resort to using water bags to water the trees, the heat and no rain is causing distress for the trees. I so want rain. Anything to get some moisture back into the ground and wash down the streets of the accumulation of "muck" at the same time.

On a bright note, I had a great day yesterday - which you can read about in my weekly walking update. My brother and sister-in-law are traveling to the island today so looking forward to meeting up with them when they arrive.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Now for a walking update and time I think for a Currently Reading update.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEK 158 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 70.05
Kilometers walked in total: 6,983.30
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: At Pynn's Brook, halfway up the eastern side of Deer Lake, heading for Reidville.
Points of interest along the way: This week I am going to poss about my walk yesterday instead of describing the virtual areas I traveled through. Saturday was the 31st annual "Paint-In". What is a "Paint-In", you are probably wondering? The Greater Victoria Art Gallery - located at the upper end of Moss Street - organizes this annual free event for local artists to showcase their works and chat with people. The Paint-In route is 2 kilometers in length, stretching from the waterfront (Dallas Road) to Fort Street - roughly 10 residential street blocks. This year there were over 190 artists, from painters, jewellers, woodwork artists, potters and everything in between with their works on display for admiration and purchase at this pop-up event.




While I love pictures and paintings, I was more taken with the more "mechanical art" that was on display, such as these water works - for lack of a better term:

.

and these wonderful items made from recycled "stuff":



Of course, I also need to mention that the Paint-In goes right past the Moss Street Farmer's Market, so of course I had to stop in. Pics aren't the greatest as I had to struggle to capture and crop images to protect individual privacy rights (there were a lot of people around!):




At the market I enjoyed a fabulous coconut brioche (no pic, sorry!) and purchased some local veggies.

The Paint-In event is well planned. They had Lemonade Stands set up at regular intervals along the route, as well as food trucks up at the art gallery. As for crowds, last year the event drew 30,000 attendees. I think they blew that number out of the water this year. It was packed with people have a great time taking in the sun and the art.

Summer is when I love to dive into chunkster reads.

Currently Reading:
.

Audiobook:
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett - Book one in his Century Trilogy and a ROOT read for me
ebook:
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami - another ROOT read
Physical books:
TBD

>53 lkernagh: - That looks like it was a lot of fun. I really like the pictures of the "water works". Certainly would be interesting in a yard.

Lori, wandering through the "Paint-In" looks like a fantastic way to spend a summer day. I am very curious about your throughts on The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles as I have this one on my shelves. Have you read Haruki Murakami before?

>52 lkernagh:
We still get credit for using our own bags too, even though we've been doing it for 7+ years. :)
Thanks, I did have a great vacation and am not all that happy that it's over. :)

>53 lkernagh:
What a great event - I love the "water works" - not sure what to call them either, are they fountains?

>53 lkernagh: Looks like an interesting event. I always love photos of farmer's markets, but the paintings are nice too.

Thanks for sharing your photos of the Moss Street Paint In, an event that I loved when living in Victoria. Sounds like their success is flourishing.

One thing about dry weather is that it is great for outdoor events like Paint-In or Farmer's Markets, Lori. It does seem kind of dry out there though and the temperatures are supposed to be high and the skies sunny for the next 5 days.

>55 dudes22: - Hi Betty, it was a wonderful way to spend the Saturday afternoon. If I had a back garden I would have considered one of those water work fountains.... so different!

>56 DeltaQueen50: - Hi Judy, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting to see such a wide variety of art on display. I was expecting just painting so it was nice to see some jewelry and pottery displays as well.

As for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle that was my first Murakami read. "Dreamlike" and "surreal" are the best words to describe this one. I managed to finish the book this past weekend so hopefully my review will be helpful for you.

>57 -Eva-: - I do like that we still get the bag credit. I did a bit of a double-take while grocery shopping this weekend. I have gotten used to the grocery store close to home having only paper bags for purchase so when I stopped in one of their other stores, I was surprised to see the single use plastic bags. I then remembered that that store is in Saanich, a municipality just north of Victoria. Crazy and confusing.

I think you are right... the "water works" are a kind of fountain. As I mentioned to Betty >55 dudes22:, if we had a backyard, I would probably have been tempted to purchase on, or see if the artist has any smaller ones (I didn't check to see what price he was asking for for the ones in the picture).

>58 thornton37814: - There is just something about Farmer's Markets that shout out "Summer". ;-)

>59 VivienneR: - Hi Vivienne. Yes, the Moss Street Paint-In continues to flourish. Even better, it is such a great family and pet friendly event!

>60 Familyhistorian: - That is so true, Meg. We seem to be heading for another possible record of consecutive days with no rain and the warmer overnight temps are making it a little challenging to get a good night sleep. Fingers crossed the forecast for some slightly cooler temps later this week will materialize.

-----------------------
Hello everyone! Somehow, the weekend just got away from me. Must be the continued sunshine and higher temps. I would so love to see some rain - the city is starting to smell, it has been that long since our last cleansing rainfall - but have resigned myself to the fact that that does not seem to be in the forecast.

On the RL front, I have been busy at work getting things wrapped up so that I can head out on vacation on Friday. Looking forward to some downtime. In the meantime, I have a walking update and a book review ready for posting.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEK 159 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 55.81
Kilometers walked in total: 7,039.11
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: Just about to round the northern most tip of Grand Lake, heading for Sheppardville.
Points of interest along the way: Instead of posting about my virtual - or actual - walking, I wanted to use this update to report on ultra-marathoner Dave Proctor's quest to set a speed record running across Canada this summer. The goal: To run across Canada from Victoria, BC to St. John's NL in a mere 66 days. Remember, I have been trying to walk that same distance for 3 years and I am still trying to get to St. John's, so 66 days (at 108 km per day) is a HUGE endeavor! Proctor started his run on June 27th in Victoria. The record he was trying to break was the 72 days 10 hours set by Al Howie back in 1991. But Proctor wasn't just doing this epic run to break the current record. Proctor was also using the run to raise money for rare disease research (his goal is to raise $1 million), which is of personal interest to him as his son has a rare, relapsing illness.

Unfortunately, Proctor had to halt his run and attempt to break the record this past weekend, just east of Winnipeg, due to a debilitating back injury. He has asked Canada's running community to go his website (https://outrunrare.com/) and pledge the kilometers they run daily to finish the distance for him.

Book #58 - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami - translated from the Japanese by Jay Rubin
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - "1997" (of translation)
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 1997
Acquisition date: December 1, 2011
Page count: 624 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"In a Tokyo suburb a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife's missing cat. Soon he finds himself looking for his wife as well in a netherworld that lies beneath the placid surface of Tokyo. As these searches intersect, Okada encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists: a psychic prostitute; a malevolent yet mediagenic politician; a cheerfully morbid sixteen-year-old-girl; and an aging war veteran who has been permanently changed by the hideous things he witnessed during Japan's forgotten campaign in Manchuria."

Review:
This is my first foray into Murakami’s works. Having finished this one, I now understand why Murakami’s stories may appeal to fans of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (some works I have read) and Salman Rushdie (which I have not read). It would probably help if you have a nodding understanding of Kafka as this story has a Kafkaesque chord to it. Told in a dreamlike manner, this story is a walk on the surreal side. I would suggest anyone new to Murakami – like I was – and attempting this one to approach it with an open mind and to make no assumptions as to what will happen next as you are reading. There are an awful lot of “odd” characters (like the sister psychics, Malta and Creta Kano) and events to take in. One reviewer has summarized this story as “imaginative”. Yes, it is definitely that! Some aspects of the story appealed to me more than others. I liked the quasi-detective story aspect with first a search for a missing cat and then the disappearance of Okada’s wife, Kumiko. The conversations Okada has with his teenage neighbour, high school dropout May Kasahara, seems to be the most normal aspects of this story, which isn’t saying much as even some of that dialogue verges on the “strange”. If you are not keen to read about graphic violence, you will probably want to skip certain sections of the letters Okada receives from the Japanese war veteran. Reading this one, I felt very much like an outside observer looking in, which is augmented by Okada’s passive character and the growing isolation that takes over the story.

Overall, a interesting, unusual, imaginative and contemplative novel that managed to twig my interest enough to look forward to reading more of Murakami’s novels.

>63 lkernagh: Thanks for such a thoughtful review of The Wind-Up Bird, Lori, I have thumbed it. It's been on my shelves for some time, but I have heard that it's not the best one of his to start with. I think I will try one of his other works before this one, perhaps Norwegian Wood. He seems one of those authors that people either love or hate and I have a feeling that he may not be my cup of tea.

Wow, you are making such great progress with your walking challenge!

>64 DeltaQueen50: - Glad to see the review has been helpful for you, Judy!

>65 ChelleBearss: - Awe, thanks Chelle! I have missed my original goal - was supposed to have been finished by July 13th - but happy that I have made it almost to the end!

----------------------------

Quickly sneaking in one more July book review. Also, I am so excited that I have Finally figured out how to transfer Netgalley books to my Kobo reader. My earlier computer (and older Kobo ereader) caused nothing but problems (and many hours of pure grief on my part) as I could never get Adobe Digital Editions to work properly. When I received the email from Netgalley earlier this week that Kate Morton's latest book, The Clockmaker's Daughter, was available by request for Early Review, I requested it. My request was granted by the publisher and I now have the Morton downloaded to my Kobo, ready for vacation reading. I am so excited!!!! Three more sleeps to vacation. ;-)

... now for that last July book review.

Book #59 - Fall of Giants by Ken Follett - audiobook narrated by John Lee
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - "2010"
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: March 9, 2013
Page count: 1,000 pages / 30 hours, 30 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"A thirteen-year-old Welsh boy enters a man’s world in the mining pits.…An American law student rejected in love finds a surprising new career in Woodrow Wilson’s White House.… A housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts takes a fateful step above her station, while Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory when she falls in love with a German spy.…And two orphaned Russian brothers embark on radically different paths when their plan to emigrate to America falls afoul of war, conscription, and revolution.

From the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty, Fall of Giants takes us into the inextricably entangled fates of five families—and into a century that we thought we knew, but that now will never seem the same again.…"

Review:
Being a sucker for big tomes and family saga stories as summer reading material, I am using this summer to finally dip into my copies of Follett’s Century trilogy. Having previously tackled Follett’s Kingsbridge trilogy – loved the first book, thought the second book was just okay and never got around to reading the third book – I was curious to see how Follett would fictionalize more recent history, the 20th century. Of course, Follett doesn’t hold back when he decides to “go big” with a story. With a story focused on not one but five families, from five different parts of the world (Wales, England, Russia, America and Germany) and from different social backgrounds, I was left with the impression that Follett was trying to compete with the character count of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, a novel I finally managed to finish two years ago. There are an awful lot of characters in this book to keep straight! The good news is that Follett’s writing is very accessible. One reviewer has commented on it being “workmanlike”, more mainstream practicable than exalted or refined, which works just fine for me. The story spans a time period from June 22, 1911 to January 1924 with the focus on the Great War – World War I. Follett does do a good job including a fair bit of factual information while still keeping this reader’s attention with his interweaving storyline of romance, politics, military strategy and family dynamics. As with his Kingsbridge books, Follett strikes a balance of strong male and female characters, delving into the English suffragette movement of the early 1900’s, which made for interesting reading for me. While I wasn’t swept away by the story, or itching to get back to it whenever I had to put it down, I did end off Fall of Giants with enough interest in the characters and the events to immediately pick up the next book, Winter of the World, which thankfully picks up a mere 10 years after Fall of Giants closes off.

Overall, if you like family war-time sagas, like Herman Wouk’s The Winds of War, this may appeal to you. For me, it hits the right notes for a good summer time beach read: Intriguing historical fiction that is not overly taxing for the mind.

Have a great vacation, Lori!

Huzzah for vacation, Lori! Hope it's fantastic!

Enjoy your vacation, Lori!

>68 mstrust:, >69 MickyFine: and >70 VivienneR: - Thanks Jennifer, Micky and Vivienne! It is blissfully quiet in the office today so I am enjoying the rare opportunity of being completely caught up with all my work and don't have to scramble before heading out the door tonight. :-)

>71 lkernagh: Knock on wood that continues through the end of your day!

Hope your vacation is filled with R & R (and books)!

Hi Lori! I hope your vacation is going well, with lots of books, of course.

Have a great vacation, Lori. Hope you get lots of reading done.

Surfacing from a relaxing (if hot) vacation. Typing this post out on my phone so will be brief.

>72 MickyFine: - Your knock on wood worked! I escaped the office with no last minute work coming in!

>73 thornton37814:, >74 karenmarie: and >75 Familyhistorian: - Thanks Lori, Karen and Meg!

It has been a great vacation so far. Recharging my batteries with family. Getting in some great reading time. Will have to write reviews when I get home. Surviving through a bit of a heatwave at the moment, with Calgary setting a new daily high of 34'C yesterday and on track to set an all time high of 37'C today. Good thing Dad's house is well insulated to keep the heat out! Enjoying lots of cool drinks and ice cream. ;-)

With heat and staying cool on my mind, I am curious to learn if you have a favorite ice cream flavor or favorite frozen treat to beat the heat my favorite flavor is pistachio but have resorted to my second favorite this week - maple walnut - as that is my dad's favorite.

Now you've opened a can of worms. I'm a moody ice cream eater. For years my favorite was Rocky Road, but now I might choose something like Nutty Coconut, pumpkin pecan, blackberry, and if there's anything maple, so maple walnut is going to be my favorite if available. But I still like Rocky Road a lot.

It's been hot up here in Edmonton too although thankfully the 34C yesterday was the hottest we got. Our high for today is 32C. Do you have smoke down in Calgary too?

As for ice cream flavour, I have lots of flavours I like and rotate through. However, if I go to Marble Slab, my default is cheesecake ice cream with raspberries and graham crackers mixed in. *chef's kiss*

Cookies and cream is my favourite ice cream flavour!

If I'm at a gelato place, I'll usually get a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of raspberry.

It's official: Calgary had a record high of 36.4'C today, highest temp recorded in 125 year of meteorological information for the city. Enjoying extra servings of ice cream to celebrate.

>78 mstrust: - Lol and sorry for opening g that can of worms, Jennifer! While I am not a big Dan of Rocky Road, Nutty Coconut sounds sabulous....as does pumpkin pecan.

>79 MickyFine: - Glad to see you are now on the downswing of this heatwave, Micky. Yes, we gave a fair bit of smoke haze here. Good news is the haze probably helped keep the temps from soaring even higher today.

Ah, Marble Slab. That is a favorite ice cream "parlor" for my nieces and nephew. They all dived on the AMA free ice cream cookie offer this week :-) Your cheesecake ice cream combination sounds delicious!

>80 rabbitprincess: - Cookies and Cream is a great flavor. Gelato is a great entice for me. Your chocolate and raspberry combination would be yummy.... makes me think of one of my favorite Ghirardelli chocolate flavors.

I love strawberry ripple - basically vanilla ice cream with ribbons of strawberry something (jam?) running through it.

>76 lkernagh: I hate to admit it but I've tried everything and my favourite is still plain old vanilla. All the rest seem so everyday while vanilla sounds exotic (to me).

It was 42C here on Thursday! And lots of smoke from the fires. Looks like this is the new pattern for summer.

Hope you are surviving the heat wave! Is A/C a thing out west? I know when we lived in NS A/C wasn't really a thing that people had and most used fans. If I didn't have A/C here I'd be miserable!

My favourite is Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream but if I'm too hot I can't eat it as my tummy doesn't care for high heat. Ice water and popsicles instead!

Happy vacation and ice cream!

My favorite ice cream lately is a blueberry honey that I make when I’ve been out blueberry picking.

One time I was on a business trip with a couple of guys over Valentines Day, of all times, and they took me out for ice cream. One guy told the story when we got back to work of how I studied the choices over and over and then finally picked...you guessed it...vanilla.

>86 dudes22: That sounds amazing! Would you be willing to share the recipe?

>87 casvelyn: - Sure. It's pretty easy if you're used to making ice cream., I'll pull it out and add it here later today or tonight. I'm still trying to catch up with threads since I was away over the weekend.

ETA: Actually, I feel funny hijacking Lori's thread, so I'll post it over on my thread later.

I love ice cream but it's not something I keep in the house or even really go out for. However, if I were to have some, my absolute favorite is peppermint ice cream. Mint chocolate chip will do in a pinch but I'd much rather have straight peppermint.

May I put in a vote for a good sorbet over ice cream? Elderflower or Champagne would be my favourites (I think). Or (seeing I'm trying to lose the excess weight) Waitrose do a very nice blackberry and blackcurrant frozen yoghurt. Lovely and tart but none of that off after taste that can come with yoghurt.
I'm trying not to have ice cream cravings now...

Speaking of frozen yogurt, we went to Menchie's, a chain frozen yogurt outlet, the other day. I had a combo of lemon and orange with candied sprinkles on top and it was very good. As for ice cream, I love most flavors but have a special place in my heart for maple walnut. :)

Hello everyone... I am now back home! Responses to visitors first:

>82 clue: - Strawberry ripple. Would you believe that my first experience consuming strawberry ripple ice cream was only 4 weeks ago? It was during one of those super hot weekends. I was downtown and needed something cool to enjoy during my walk home so I stopped into a cute little ice cream shop on the back end of Chinatown and bought a cup of strawberry ripple ice cream. I see what you mean about the strawberry part. It did seem jam-like (with bits of real strawberry). Soooo good!

>83 VivienneR: - Nothing wrong with loving vanilla. Vanilla is the perfect ice cream because it can be served with so may dessert offerings! I used to make my own coconut ice cream as a kid. Took the vanilla ice cream and added my mom's shredded coconut (bought for baking). I recently had a coconut ice cream cone and it tasted exactly like the coconut ice cream concoction of my childhood! Vanilla is the best!

Don't get me started on the heat and the smoke. BC is having another horrifying wildfire season. It just breaks my heart. When I left Calgary on Saturday, the smoke from BC (and Washington state and Montana) was bad. The smoke smell was so strong, I honestly thought someone had a campfire going on the next street from my dad's place! I so miss the rain.

>84 ChelleBearss: - No A/C. Dad's house is well insulated - and has lots of shade from trees on the property - so simple activities like keeping the windows and insulated curtains closed go a long way to keep the house cool. On the hottest day (when we hit a record 36.5'C) the upstairs was only 25'C. The lower levels were cooler at 22'C (the house is a four-level split) and the basement was a heavenly 19'C.

I love mint chocolate chip!!! Good idea to have alternatives when the heat kicks in!

>85 Berly: - Hi Kimmers! Vacation was fantastic! The perfect recharge for me.

>86 dudes22: - Blueberry honey sounds amazing! I have become a fan of using more natural / less refined sweeteners in my baking so the idea of ice cream sweetened with honey really appeals to me!

LOL - I love your business trip ice cream story! I admit that a number of the flavours out there just do not appeal to me. Maybe I am showing my age as I gravitate to more traditional flavours when in the mood. I still have fond memories of Neapolitan ice cream and how the chocolate tended to be consumed before the other flavours! ;-0

>87 casvelyn: and >88 dudes22: - Agreed on the ask for the recipe! No worries on hijacking my thread. Food related items are always welcome here! *makes note to pop over to Betty's thread for the recipe*

>89 LittleTaiko: - Good comments. I don't typically keep ice cream in the house either only because we are in a small space and don't have a deep freezer or other freezer space so I tend to monitor how I use my freezer space rather closely. For that reason, when a heat wave hits, I tend to buy things like the Almond Magnum ice cream as I can take them out box and find space for the individually wrapped treats.



If I could find peppermint ice cream, I would totally buy that!

>90 Helenliz: - YAY! A sorbet fan. I love sorbet. I was hooked for a summer on a rainbow sorbet that was so refreshing and now you tell me that there are interesting flavours like Elderflower and Champagne! I admit that my experience with frozen yogurt has been limited to offerings by Yogen Fruz, which are quite good.

Apologies for any ice cream cravings from visiting this thread. ;-)

>91 DeltaQueen50: - Oooohhhh... Menchies is a new chain to me (and, apparently has not made it to the island yet.... sighs). Your recent flavour combination sounds really good. Always happy to see another maple walnut fan!

--------------------------------
The past two weeks were very relaxing - exactly what the doctor ordered! ;-) For the most part it was spent puttering around my dad's place, doing cleaning and fixes that he wouldn't typically do himself, like wash the kitchen curtains, clean the oven, and 'stuff' like that. Continuing to chip away at purging items accumulated over the past 60 odd years, this time focusing on disposing of the collection of Reader's Digest condensed books accumulated from my parent and grandparents. Some things just do not pass on to a new home. ;-)

Dad likes to advertise that his "chef and domestic help" has come for a visit and I admit that I was rather proud to hear from one of my SILs that I tend to make the more complicated dishes that my dad likes. My dad likes curries and Asian fusion foods, which my SILs don't have much experience preparing, so that is my focus when I come to visit, leaving the barbecued steaks and what not for my siblings to offer to my dad. Only monkey wrench in the trip was a sudden medical experience for my dad the last two days I was in town. Without going into details, we are hoping that the change to medication (as per the emergency room doctor) and the scheduling by the same doctor for my dad to see a cardiologist should address the issue. Always hard to fly home with this in the air but my two oldest siblings that live locally are aware of the situation so I just need to trust that they will monitor the situation. I know that dad was doing well when I left and continues to do well when I called him today.

.... now I just need to get into the mindset to go back to work. ;-)

On the reading front, I did get in a good batch of reading while I was away. You will have to wait for reviews - which will probably dribble in as I find time to write them.

On the walking front, I did get in some good walking days, but not my normal (limited walking on hazy smoke days, etc). I will probably find time to update to walking report next weekend.

Glad you had a good and productive visit with your dad. That would be worrying to have to leave right after his health issue, but lucky that your siblings are nearby. I'd love for you to come clean my house and make Asian fusion!

Sounds like you had a good vacation. Glad to hear your dad is doing better!

Glad you had a good visit. As you can see, we entertained ourselves with desert discussions. >:-P
Hope dad is recovering and that the siblings have everything under control.

So glad you had a wonderful and relaxing vacation with plenty of quality time with your dad. Keeping him and your family in my prayers while you work to figure out his health stuff.

Looking forward to the book reviews!

Your Dad is lucky to have you and I hope that his medical issue is an easy fix. Welcome home!!

>93 mstrust: - It was a great visit, Jennifer. Hard to come home. LOL, I think all of us would love to have help with chores like cleaning house and the occasional cooking!

>94 rabbitprincess: - Thanks RP... it was good and a relief that we were able to get a quick answer out of the doctors. That doesn't usually happen.

>95 Helenliz: - Thanks Helen and I love that everyone entertained themselves over here during my absence. I will never complain about interesting discussions carrying on. ;-)

>96 MickyFine: - Thanks Micky. I will be doing much of the same until after I know that dad has seen the cardiologist and we know that everything is well in hand. Book reviews for most of the books read during vacation are now reading for posting. Hoping to get caught up with all reviews maybe later this weekend.

>97 Berly: - Thanks Kim! Dad is a gem and we do want him to stick around for a good while yet.

-------------------

Happy Friday and Happy weekend everyone!

Nice to be home and even nicer, to be heading into the first weekend after returning to the office. The air quality has been pretty sub-par everywhere I have been over the past 2 weeks, which has made outdoor activities a bit challenging. Wednesday evening the smoke in the air here in Victoria from the wildfires was so bad that I swear it smelt like there was a huge bonfire just over on the next street! I had all windows closed with the fans and extractor fans going, just trying to keep the smoke out of the house. Air quality has improved since then but still unable to see Washington State across the strait (visibility over the past week has peaked at 10 km), which is not normal. I so want rain.... days and days of rain.

.... but enough moaning on my part. How about I distract you all with some new reviews instead?

Book #60 - Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - "2014"
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2014
Acquisition date: November 29, 2014
Page count: 352 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Twelve-year-old William Eng, a Chinese American boy, has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother’s listless body was carried away from their small apartment five years ago. On his birthday—or rather, the day the nuns designate as his birthday—William and the other orphans are taken to the historical Moore Theatre, where William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost. Struck by her features, William is convinced that the movie star is his mother, Liu Song.

Determined to find Willow and prove that his mother is still alive, William escapes from Sacred Heart with his friend Charlotte. The pair navigate the streets of Seattle, where they must not only survive but confront the mysteries of William’s past and his connection to the exotic film star. The story of Willow Frost, however, is far more complicated than the Hollywood fantasy William sees onscreen.

Shifting between the Great Depression and the 1920s, Songs of Willow Frost takes readers on an emotional journey of discovery. Jamie Ford’s sweeping novel will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for the comforts of family and a place to call home."

Review:
For me, there was a lot to like about this story. For starters, Ford has done an excellent job portraying Seattle of the 1920s and 1930s. The story is filled with descriptions of landmarks any visitor or resident of the city will easily recognize, so I found it easy to travel Seattle’s streets with William and Charlotte and take in the sights, sounds and smells. It was also fascinating to learn a bit about Seattle’s fledgling movie industry. Against this backdrop Ford slowly reveals the story of how William came to live at the orphanage, and a heart-wrenching story it is! Ford self describes his writing style as being “beautiful melancholy” – an apt description for the muted, simplified prose of this story. As much as I loved the historical setting and the writing style, the characters came across as rather two-dimensional. The characters – in particular, Liu Song – never developed into deeply complex characters.

Overall, a good narrative story of the universal search for love and family that may appeal to readers interested in a Depression-era setting told from a Chinese-American point of view.

.
Book #61 - The Boy on the Bicycle: A Forgotten Case of Wrongful Conviction in Toronto by Nate Hendley
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: ColourCAT - Gray/Grey
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: "N" Author - Nate
Source: LTER
Format: eBook
Original publication date: August 1, 2018
Acquisition date: August 2, 2018
Page count: 230 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.95 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"On the night of September 15, 1956, seven-year-old Wayne Mallette, was brutally murdered on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. The chief suspect was a "boy on a bicycle" seen pedalling away from the CNE. Investigators zeroed on 14 year-old Ronald Moffatt, a former CNE employee who had the poor timing to run away from home shortly after the murder. Moffatt was located, arrested and interrogated. He eventually confessed and was convicted. The problem was, Moffatt couldn't ride a bike and didn't commit the crime. The real killer abused and murdered two more children, using his bike as a lure. A shocking true story, about a coerced confession, fumbled police investigation, a miscarriage of justice, and the star lawyer who fought to free Moffatt from custody.
The Boy on the Bicycle is based on police files, interviews, original newspaper coverage, reports, books and documentaries."

Review:
While true crime is a genre I don’t usually gravitate to, I was interested in reading this book given the location (Toronto, Ontario) the time period (the 1950s) and the young age of the accused (a mere 14 years old at the time the crime was committed). This case has a lot of unusual aspects to it and Hendley raises a lot of the same questions I was thinking about as I read along. What makes this case exceptional is that murders were very rare in 1950s Toronto – Hendley mentions annual murder rates in single digits – and sexual predators were virtually unheard of, and definitely not ones as young as Moffatt or child predator Peter Woodcock (3 years older than Moffatt), who would eventually confess to the killing of Wayne Mallette.

For me, this book does a great job pointing out the deficiencies in the investigation, the questionable tactics used by police (which lead Moffatt to confess to a crime he did not commit), and a startling insight into the medical institutions of the time period as Moffatt was shuffled through different rehabilitation facilities. Hendley does a great job explaining things like the morals and values of Torontonians of the era and the Canadian legal system in general.

Overall, a book I can definitely recommend for readers interested in true crime stories of this nature.

Book #62 - The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
Challenge(s): 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: MysteryCAT - Historical Mystery
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: N/A
Source: NetGalley
Format: eBook
Original publication date: October 9, 2018
Acquisition date: August 1, 2018
Page count: 496 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe's life is in ruins.

Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist's sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?"

Review:
Morton is one of my “go-to” authors when I am in the mood for a historical fiction/mystery/family secrets kind of read. I tend to love stories with country houses shrouded in a mysterious past. With her latest book, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, Morton does not disappoint. If anything, she has upped her game, weaving a compelling story filled with interconnected characters spanning multiple timelines. Ambitious, yes, but Morton is no stranger to stories that bounce between time periods and narrators. While the story has potentially a few too many characters (and narrators) for my personal liking, it is Birdie Bell, the “Clockmaker’s Daughter” and Birchwood Manor, the country home situated at a bend in the Thames in Oxfordshire, that make this such a hauntingly atmospheric/Gothic read for me. One thing I always enjoy about Morton’s books is that she is really good at pacing the story. The pacing is more leisurely, enabling this reader to settle in, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the beautiful settings. I also like how Morton strings the mystery along to the very end as the family secrets being revealed are just as important as the mystery. The only downside for me – other than the already mentioned large cast of characters to keep straight – is that some of Morton’s time/narrator shifts left me feeling frustrated and asking, “but what about ____” on a few occasions. A minor quibble as the further information I was seeking was revealed later in the book but “patience is a virtue” doesn’t always translate well for me when I really want to know what happened and don’t want to wait.

Overall, a spellbinding story of mystery, romance, deception and betrayal.

Advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book #63 - The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - "2013"
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: March 26, 2013
Acquisition date: November 29, 2014
Page count: 352 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.95 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped from their Maine hometown of Shirley Falls for New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a sleek, successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his bighearted brother their whole lives, and Bob, a Legal Aid attorney who idolizes Jim, has always taken it in stride. But their long-standing dynamic is upended when their sister, Susan—the Burgess sibling who stayed behind—urgently calls them home. Her lonely teenage son, Zach, has gotten himself into a world of trouble, and Susan desperately needs their help. And so the Burgess brothers return to the landscape of their childhood, where the long-buried tensions that have shaped and shadowed their relationship begin to surface in unexpected ways that will change them forever."

Review:
I should probably start off this review by stating that I absolutely loved Olive Kitteridge, one of Strout’s earlier books that has received some mixed reviews. Strout’s stories won’t appeal to all readers. She has a habit of getting under the skin of her readers with her unwavering portrayal of, shall we say, characters that are not easily likable for the reader. I love her characters because they are “real”. They make mistakes. They say things that they may – or may not – regret later. For Strout’s characters, life does not come with a user manual. They learn (and hopefully adapt) when the unknown crops up. The results are not always pretty. In The Burgess Boys, Strout continues this character formula and tackles a number of topics, ranging from family dynamics to the economic decline of small town America to the politics of immigration and social intolerance. One reviewer nailed the gist of the story with this statement:

” It never hurts to be reminded that how we see ourselves and others is usually distorted by untruths, half-truths, and incomplete information. But being human, we try to define our world and the people in it based on the scanty information that we have.”

Through Strout’s unidentified narrator, we get to see Jim and Bob’s relationship ebb and flow and redefine itself as events develop. We also get to see glimpses into their sister Susan’s more limited world of Shirley Falls as well as gain some, albeit limited, perspective on the Somali resettlement from the point of view of some of the refugees. Written in clear, straightforward language, Strout makes no apologies for this story or her characters, including Jim’s arrogance and overinflated ego. As I mentioned earlier, Strout’s stories will not appeal to all readers. For me, the racial ignorance/intolerance angle makes it an interesting and timely read.

Happy Sunday, everyone! We actually got a slight drizzle of rain yesterday! Not enough to clean the 2 months of accumulated grime from the city or to actually water anything but it did clear the air a little bit. I will take what I can get!

Plans are to spend a lazy day of reading. Yes, I still have some book reviews to write, so I might get around to do that.... or I might not.

I did pull together a walking update for posting.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 160 to 163 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 143.07
- Week 160 - 55.62
- Week 161 - 27.98
- Week 162 - 21.25
- Week 163 - 38.22
Kilometers walked in total: 7,182.18
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: Southeast of the twon of Badger and heading for Grand Falls-Windsor.
Points of interest along the way: Walking was curtailed over the past four weeks, what with vacation and the poor air quality advisories in all the places I have been in over the past 2 weeks. One of the interesting things I saw during my vacation walking is Harvie's Passage:



Harvie Passage is a water rapids section of the Bow River just outside of downtown Calgary (at the weir) where kayakers can experience class 2 and class 3 white water rapids right in the city limits. The water park has been closed for the past 5 years (since the 2013 flooding) and reopened while I was out visiting family. Here is a great video of the newly re-opened Harvie Passage being enjoyed by boaters:

https://vimeo.com/228027822

During that walk we also walked through Ingelwood and the East End where I enjoyed some shopping. Love how they have repurposed used storage/shipping containers as mini storefronts!



Also enjoyed a day trip to Sundre to visit my brother's RV site and got to see some interesting ways people have decorated their spaces:

>102 lkernagh: - That is my favorite of Strout's books that I have read with Olive being a fairly close second. Nice to see another fan.

>105 LittleTaiko: - Yay... another Strout fan!

------------------------------------

I have finally managed to pull together my last two reviews that were still outstanding. Posting and now up to date with all of my reviews. ;-)

Book #64 - Winter of the World by Ken Follett - audiobook narrated by John Lee
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - "2012"
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date: May 7, 2017
Page count: 972 pages / 31 hours, 30 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Carla von Ulrich, born of German and English parents, finds her life engulfed by the Nazi tide until daring to commit a deed of great courage and heartbreak . . . . American brothers Woody and Chuck Dewar, each with a secret, take separate paths to momentous events, one in Washington, the other in the bloody jungles of the Pacific . . . . English student Lloyd Williams discovers in the crucible of the Spanish Civil War that he must fight Communism just as hard as Fascism . . . . Daisy Peshkov, a driven social climber, cares only for popularity and the fast set until war transforms her life, while her cousin Volodya carves out a position in Soviet intelligence that will affect not only this war but also the war to come."

Review:
In book 2 of the Century trilogy, Follett continues with his sweeping saga, this time focused on the rise of Nazi Germany and World War II, ending in 1949 with the start of the Cold War era. The characters are familiar or direct decedents from the five families in book 1, Fall of Giants. Not surprisingly, Follett manages to insert his characters into such events as Pearl Harbour, the battle at Midway, the French resistance and even the Manhattan Project. As with Fall of Giants, Follett goes big taking in Russia, Germany, France, Great Britain, the United States and the Pacific theatre. Thankfully, Follett keeps to a straightforward, chronological story line, making it easy to follow along. While the only unpredictable aspect of the story is how his characters react to these historical events, Follett continues to touch on broader social themes such as women’s rights, the stratification of social classes and communism versus capitalism – themes already captured in the first book in the trilogy and continued in the second installment – while expanding in this book to include themes on homosexuality and mixed race relationships.

While not stellar writing – Follett sticks to straightforward language while focusing on historical setting over character development – the story has the right balance of romance, intrigue and action to continue to hold my attention. One reviewer has aptly described this one as, “An entertaining historical soap opera.” I agree with that assessment and looking forward to finding out what happens in the final book in the trilogy.

Book #65 - The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - "2008"
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2008
Acquisition date: November 16, 2015
Page count: 352 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.15 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Here’s the set up: Daniel Addison, a burnt-out political aide to the Leader of the Opposition quits just before an election--but is forced to run a hopeless campaign on the way out. He makes a deal with a crusty old Scot, Angus McLintock--an engineering professor who will do anything, anything, to avoid teaching English to engineers--to let his name stand in the election as a Liberal candidate in a traditional Tory stronghold riding. No need to campaign, certain to lose, and so on. When a great scandal erupts in the final days to the election, McLintock’s easy lose no longer looks like a sure thing, with Daniel horrified at the thought of a return to Parliament Hill with an honest M.P. who doesn’t care about being elected."

Review:
For me, this farcical political romp can best be summed up as a truly Canadian spin on my favorite British political satire, Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister. A word of caution for readers: This is an extremely Canadian story and while Fallis does take some pains to explain certain aspects of the Canadian political system and party politics, the story is filled with nuances, clichés and metaphors that may miss their mark with some non-Canadian readers. Should also mention that Fallis was a former Liberal Party advisor so it is not surprising that he takes a number of humorous swipes at the other parties – and in particular, the Conservative party as being the party in power in the setting of this story – that might not sit too well with a reader, depending on their personal political point of view. For me, I am more of an issues voter than a party voter, so I am happy to chuckle along with all political humour. Some of Fallis’s humour tends more to caricature than satire – another reason why I recommend that this book will probably make for a more rewarding read for readers with more than just a passing knowledge of Canadian politics and issues.

Overall, a fun, quick read and would make for perfect reading in the lead up to a federal election. I have already dipped into the second book, The High Road so that I can continue along with Angus and Daniels’ continuing political misadventures.

---------------

As a side note: I love how this story has a “rags to riches” backstory similar to Andy Wier’s book The Martian. When Fallis was unable to interest any publisher in this story, he recorded chapter podcasts. When his podcast series gained enough of an audience, he self-published, and then went on to win the 2008 Stephen Leacock Award for Humour. Since then the book has also been made into a CBC-TV miniseries. I love learning about this kind of backstory when I read a book!

>108 lkernagh: I enjoyed The Best Laid Plans too! It was a very Canadian read. And I loved the backstory. It just proves that publisher rejections are not the end of the line for an author.

>109 VivienneR: - So happy to discover another fan of The Best Laid Plans here on LT! Have you read the second story - The High Road? I am about 80% of the way through it and it is just as fun as the first book... it helps that Daniel and Angus find themselves back on the campaign trail, pretty much where the first book left off. ;-)

Happy Friday and Happy Labour Day long weekend! I will be having a extra long long weekend as I also have Tuesday off (4 day weekends are the best!). Should be a busy and relaxing weekend at the same time. Plans are to take in the Classic Boat Festival in the Inner Harbour as well as the Blues Fest, which is also happening in the Inner Harbour. While downtown I am hoping to check out some of the Buskers Festival and for food, Greek Fest is also this weekend! In between all that activity - and the usual weekend chores that for some strange reason just do not "do themselves" - I do hope to get in some reading time.

In the meantime, two more reviews to close out my August reading.

Book #66 - My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante - audiobook narrated by Hillary Huber
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date: September 25, 2015
Page count: 331 pages / 12 hours, 37 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.45 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense, and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow, as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge, Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists, the unforgettable Elena and Lila."

Review:
Written in autobiographical style – who knows, maybe it is autobiographical given the little information known about the very private author – this first book in a four-part series focuses on Elena and Lila’s early friendship while growing up in a working class community of postfascist Naples of the 1950s to 1960s. While I cannot speak to the accuracy of Ferrante’s portrayal of an impoverished Southern Italian neighbourhood of the time period it does make for a mesmerizing backdrop. I really liked the complexity of Elena and Lila’s friendship. At times they are completely in sync, like twins or two peas in a pod and at other times there is this fierce competition as they each strive to create their own identity while still seeking approval. As you can imagine, this friendship has its perilous moments as emotions of admiration swirl with competing emotions of envy and resentment as one would expect in adolescence. Now I have to admit, I did not find the story enjoyable at first. In fact, I almost DNF’d the book as a waste of my time, but I am glad that I pushed along with it. The portrayal of gender issues – we are talking about a very different era from today! – and the emotional landscape of Elena and Lila, carried the story - and my appreciation for it – along. Given the autobiographical style, the author has projected a lot of the adult Elena’s perspective of her memories, layering the story – while poignantly communicated – with an overall feeling of melancholy that can be a bit of a downer for a reader.

Overall, this is a story that grew on me as I read it. It is a difficult story to recommend, as is any book that is billed as being a modern masterpiece, IMO. Best I can do is recommend it with a warning that the story is an emotional roller-coaster filled with a fair amount of suffering and self-pity. A rewarding read if you are up for this style of story.

Book #67 - The High Road by Terry Fallis
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: September 7, 2010
Acquisition date: November 7, 2015
Page count: 327 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Just when Daniel Addison thinks he can escape his job as a political aide, Angus McLintock, the no-hope candidate he helped into Parliament, throws icy cold water over his plans. With the government in power brought down with a deciding vote, the crusty Scot wants Daniel to manage his next campaign. Soon Daniel is helping Angus fight an uphill battle against "Flamethrower" Fox, a Conservative notorious for his dirty tactics. Together they decide to take "The High Road" and--against all odds--turn the race into a nail-biter with hilarious ups and downs, cookie-throwing seniors, and even a Watergate-style break-in. But that's only the beginning. Add a political storm in the capital and a side-splitting visit from the U.S. President and his alcoholic wife and one can only wonder what will happen next."

Review:
Picking up where The Best laid Plans left off, I really enjoyed spending more time with Daniel, Angus and Muriel. Such fun characters! What I love about satire is that even the evil characters are good for a few laughs. Yes, the story does stretch into the unbelievable at times and yet, I can see how some of the events (like the one involving the FLOTUS, the U.S. secret service and Angus’s hovercraft) could play out in real life. What makes this book work for me is that I have a rather cynical view of politics, so the uphill battles Angus and Daniel face ring true for me, even if this is speculative fiction.

Overall, another fun political satire romp.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 164 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 58.13
Kilometers walked in total: 7,240.31
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: East of Bishop's Falls and due south of Norris Arm, heading for Notre Dame Provincial Park.
Points of interest along the way: Very happy to be settled back into my walking routine! I love vacations but that and the air quality really did put a damper on my walking over the previous 4-5 weeks. Interesting book related bit of history of Grand Falls - Windsor (a township I virtually walked through this week), the township was discovered by Harold Harmsworth, a leading early 20th century British newspaper proprietor, and Mayson Beeton, the son of Isabella Beeton, the author of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. One of the oldest structures still standing in Grand Falls - Windsor is Harmsworth Hall which was constructed by the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company (AND) in 1929:


GrandFallsWindsorNL HarmsworthHall, posted by Magicpiano on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Hi Lori!

>92 lkernagh: If I could find peppermint ice cream, I would totally buy that! My favorite is Turkey Hill (brand) Choco-Mint Chip. Mint ice cream with flakes of chocolate. I don’t buy it often because I can go through half-a-gallon in 2 or 3 days. Sigh. Now I want some. My second favorite is black cherry, third favorite is rocky road.

>102 lkernagh: I loved Olive Kitteridge for precisely the reasons you write about. A BB for me!

>107 lkernagh: I gave my daughter this trilogy and she loves it. One of these days I’ll probably borrow it from her.

>112 lkernagh: I abandoned the book about page 50, but I think I’m in the minority. Most people tend to like it.

Enjoy your 4-day weekend. It sounds like you have some excellent things planned.

Hi Lori! Have a good extended weekend, those two festivals sound like fun. The chores don't. ;-)

I hope you had a great extra long weekend, Lori. We've been having cooler and rainier weather the last week on this side of the mountains. The same for you over on the other side?

Lori--Look at you--closing in on the miles walked and the books read! Hope you had fun at the festivals and the chores happened. ; )

>110 lkernagh: Haven't read The High Road - yet! Your review certainly pushes it forward on my list. I picked up No Relation, another one by Fallis at a booksale but haven't got around to it yet.

>111 lkernagh: Love all the events in Victoria. One of my favourites was Greek Fest. The music, the sunshine, the lovely aromas from food cooking... just like a mini-trip to Greece!

>112 lkernagh: I gave up on My Brilliant Friend on the first try. Then I was encouraged by the reviews to try again. On the second try my interest waned quickly and I zipped through the second half just to finish it, but couldn't summon up any enthusiasm. I didn't like the characters. Congratulations to you for sticking with it.

>115 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! Love your ice cream flavour choices... YUM!!! So happy to see another Olive Kitteridge fan here. Yes, you definitely should read The Burgess Boys! As for the Follett works - including the Century trilogy, I do have to say that he makes history very accessible, in a nice cinematic kind of story-telling way (he writes for easy transition from book to screen). As for the Ferrante books, I think they really fit into a polar "Love it / Hate it" audience. I seem to be still on the fence - not in love with the books but okay enough for listening to as audioreads while exercising - so I will probably continue to the end, just so I can clear those books off my TBR pile!

>116 mstrust: - Thanks Jennifer! The extended weekend was lovely, even if it did go by too quickly (don't they all?) We never did make it to Greek Fest but had a lot of fun checking out the classic boat festival - I drool at all those wonderful wooden boats, although I also know they demand an awful lot of time for maintenance and upkeep! I tend to love watching busker performances and always enjoy the Busker Festival as it brings in a lot of buskers that are not local to the area (meaning, acts I don't usually have the opportunity to watch).

>117 MickyFine: - The weekend was fabulous, Micky. So glad to see that the weather on your side of the Rockies have been cooler and rainier. We have not been so lucky over here on the island - until this afternoon, that is. Part of me is hoping that the rain falls all weekend - we need the rain something fierce! - but this weekend is also RibFest, so I am leaning towards raining all evening tonight and tomorrow morning to give the region the region a good soaking and then can stop so that the event (Rib Fest is a charity event sponsored by the Victoria Firefighters Foundation) can have the big crowds and I can go and enjoy some professionally BBQ ribs with some great live music for entertainment!

>118 Berly: - Hi Kim! Last weekend was great and hoping to have just as enjoyable a time this weekend, albeit with only a normal 2-day weekend.

>119 VivienneR: - Hi Vivienne, always happy to help push a book forward. :-0 I agree, Greek Fest is fabulous, but we just never made it there this year. Got too busy downtown and then was too exhausted to make the trip out to where the Greek Fest event was happening. Oh well, there is always next year. I totally understand the lack of enthusiasm for the characters in Ferrante series. If it wasn't for the fact that I have been listening to the books as audioreads while exercising, I probably would have given up a long time ago.

Happy Friday everyone!

It finally happened. We have RAIN!

It started to rain around 2:00 this afternoon and it is still raining. Before you all think I have lost it and start mumbling things like "Seriously, she is excited about rain?", I should mention that we have had a drought (IMO, anyways) here in Victoria this summer. In fact, until this afternoon, we had no measurable precipitation since June 20th. That is 78 consecutive days of no rain. So yes, I am over the moon with happiness that the rain has finally arrived. (Quite frankly, a city without rain for that long really starts to smell... not good.) The air is already smelling 10X cleaner. Of course, caution is needed for driving because the roads are so coated in oil, etc so fingers crossed everyone is adjusting their driving with this in mind.

Plans this weekend will be low-key. Between the other half battling a bit of a sour throat (and now a tooth ache... good thing he has a dentist appointment already scheduled for next week!), I just want a nice long lie in bed. As mentioned in the responses above, one event on this weekend that I do like to attend is the annual Rib Fest. We don't BBQ - we live in a wood frame structure that, rightly so, does not allow BBQ on the balcony - so I like to enjoy some good BBQ ribs prepared by experts. What is even better is the city has loosened up the licensing requirements for events of this nature so we can enjoy the local craft beer offerings while standing in the line-ups for the food (no longer have to be confined to a cordoned off area of the event grounds). Other than that, not much planned.

Book #68 - The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante - audiobook narrated by Hillary Huber
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "E"
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2013
Acquisition date: November 11, 2014
Page count: 480 pages / 19 hours, 8 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila. Meanwhile, Elena continues her journey of self-discovery. The two young women share a complex and evolving bond that brings them close at times, and drives them apart at others. Each vacillates between hurtful disregard and profound love for the other. With this complicated and meticulously portrayed friendship at the center of their emotional lives, the two girls mature into women, paying the cruel price that this passage exacts."

Short Review:
A book filled with teenage/ early 20-something angst, unrequited love and life struggles.

Full Review:
I have to start off this review by questioning the publisher's description that Lila and Elena are now in their twenties. The majority of the book takes place within 3 years of the wedding when the girls were only 16. By my simple math skills, that places the girls in their late teens, sliding into their early twenties for just the last 100 pages or so. A gripe I wanted to get off my chest. Now for the more fulsome review.

Picking up where the first book in the series left off, this story was rather surprising in the very adult situations these two young women (and their friends) experience. While Ferrante uses the situations in this story to examine the cultural and economic divide between northern and southern Italy, the focus of the story remains squarely with our two protagonists. The choices made by the two girls – both seeking ways to escape the suffering they see in the adult women of their families and neighbourhood – are not ones I would have made at their age (and especially not how Elana chooses to lose her virginity) but Ferrante is writing about a place and time that pre-dates me. She also writes with a purpose that does not include apologizing to her readers (especially things like the banality towards domestic violence – another symptom of place and time Ferrante is trying to communicate through her story).

Overall, this story – and the series so far – would probably best appeal to readers who like to entrench themselves into the more minute details of the lives of the characters. For me, Ferrante’s clearly rendered story makes for easy listening while exercising. Best part of this story was the last 100 pages when the story clearly displays the sharp divide/ reversal of roles that has arisen in Elena and Lila’s friendship. That alone was enough for me to up my overall rating slightly and has led me to dip into the next book in the series.

Awe, crap.... it has stopped raining.

*sighs*

>121 lkernagh: Yay that it rained, but boo that it stopped raining! MORE RAIN! MORE RAIN!

Enjoy RibFest! I didn't make it to ours this year, so enjoy yours on my behalf ;)

>120 lkernagh: Cool and rainy is ok for now but I'd like it to be warmer for next Sunday. I'm worried about freezing during my wedding pictures.

>121 lkernagh: as long as you are happy with the weather. I do know what you mean about rain clearing the air, it does smell nice. Enjoy the BBQ event.

Rib-Fest does sound pretty great, and so does the rain. Send them both over to Phoenix!

>124 rabbitprincess: - Your rain chant worked! We ended up having rain showers off and on most of the night. The rain has since been replaced with fog so I think it is safe to say September weather has arrived! :-) Hope to make it to RibFest tomorrow (or this afternoon if the fog burns off).

>125 MickyFine: - Oh, good point. Feel free to send the unwanted weather this way. Wishing you fabulous weather for your big day!

>126 Helenliz: - Agreed. The rain does freshen the air.

>127 mstrust: - RibFest might be easier to send than the rain, although something tells me the food contents may be consumed at the border. ;-)

Book #69 - Effigy by Alissa York
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT, RTT
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "E"
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: "Y" Author - York
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2007
Acquisition date: December 7, 2014
Page count: 448 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Dorrie, a shock-pale child with a mass of untameable black hair, cannot recall anything of her life before she recovered from an illness at seven. A solitary child, she spends her spare time learning the art of taxidermy, completely fascinated by the act of bringing new and eternal life to the bodies of the dead. At fourteen, her parents marry her off to Erastus Hammer, a polygamous horse breeder and renowned hunter, who does not want to bed her. The role he has in mind for his fourth and youngest wife is creator of trophies of his most impressive kills, an urgent desire in him as he is slowly going blind. Happy to be given this work, Dorrie secludes herself in her workshop, away from Mother Hammer’s watchful eyes and the rivalry between the elder wives.

But as the novel opens, Hammer has brought Dorrie his latest kills, a family of wolves, and for the first time in her short life she struggles with her craft, dreaming each night of crows and strange scenes of violence. The new hand, Bendy Drown, is the only one to see her dilemma and to offer her help, a dangerous game in a Mormon household. Outside, a lone wolf prowls the grounds looking for his lost pack, and his nighttime searching will unearth the tensions and secrets of this complicated and conflicted family."

Full Review:
Set on a Mormon ranch in 19th century Utah, this multi-faceted, vignette-styled story is a dense, complicated and rewarding read, at least for this reader. Inspired by the real events of the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, York's story is a complicated weave of the hard scrabble of western settlement, the harm inflicted through religious righteousness, and the impact of settlement on the lives of the original people of the land. Dense topics are wound through this story that, at is center, is a story of a polygamous family. As York passes the narrator baton from character to character - including Dorrie's mom in the form of letters written to her daughter and a raven/crow that haunts Dorrie's dreams - we come to learn the horrifying details of the 1857 massacre and uncover various secrets each character conceals.

Personally, I loved this story for its evocative, lyrical style and the depth to which York bears open her characters. Yes, with the story continually shifting between 10 narrators, it never settles for too long on one character or point of view. Thankfully, York gives her characters very unique personalities and passions, making them memorable. The story also conveys a fair bit of detail about taxidermy, raising silkworms and horse breeding. If that is not enough, the details about the Hammer ranch hand John James "Bendy" Drown's experiences as an abandoned child in gold-rush era San Francisco to contortionist with a traveling circus and then rider with the Pony Express, while fascinating - left this reader wondering if York was trying to cram too much into one story. Sadly, the ending came off rather rushed and left me unsatisfied after such a brilliant lead up. I can see why this book was a finalist (but not winner) for the 2007 Giller Prize.

Overall, a well researched and beautifully written story that, while complicated and at times dense with information, gives a very evocative experience of 19th century Utah ranch life.

Lori, As most of our weather usually comes from the west, I think you get the weather first and then send it along to us, but we have been having rain on and off all day which is quite lovely. It's just been such a long time without any moisture to speak of. It's now looking as if the clouds and rain are here to stay overnight, I am hoping we get a good soaking.

>121 lkernagh: I get your excitement over rain--whoohoo!!! We are due some this week, maybe as early as tomorrow morning. Crossing my fingers!

Excellent review of Effigy.

>130 DeltaQueen50: - Probably true, Judy. A soaking would be lovely. The weekend over here was an interesting mix of showers and fog banks - I guess September weather has arrived. ;-)

>131 Berly: - YAY to rain, Kim! Here is hoping the rain has made it your way. Effigy was a surprisingly good read!

----------------------
Quick stop by to report on my weekend, which was low key. With the intermittent rain showers and fog banks, I spent a very lazy weekend indoors. Long over due for that! Just realized I had prepped my walking update and then forgot to post it ... so posting now.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 165 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 43.72
Kilometers walked in total: 7,284.03
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: Due north of Gander Lake, southeast of Glenwood and heading for Gander.
Points of interest along the way: A lot to say about Gander. The town has a small population (11,688 according to the 2016 census). It has a strong aviation history and is home to the North Atlantic Aviation Museum. It is also home to Gander International Airport, the site chosen back in 1935 due to Gander's proximity to the great circle route between New York and London, becoming a necessary a refueling stop for transatlantic flights before long haul planes were built. in 2011, as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon, Gander took in more than 6,600 passengers when 38 civilian and 4 military aircraft were ordered to land at the airport in the hours immediately following the September 9, 2011 attacks.

>133 lkernagh: - There's a Broadway show about the town of Gander and the passengers they took in and I think it's based on a book about that.

>134 dudes22: - Yes, the book is The Day The World Came to Town and the Broadway show is Come From Away. The show looks like a lot of fun... and true to the Newfoundland spirit!

I really like this song from the musical.

I see by the news today that the U.S. Ambassador to Canada was in Newfoundland for 9/11 service and had some great things to say about Gander's role and Canada/U.S. relationship in general.

>113 lkernagh: I'm glad you liked The High Road. I really enjoyed Best Laid Plans. Our family listened to the audio version (with Fallis narrating it himself) on a long car ride, and my daughter, who's studying political science, found it especially funny. I'd love to hear Fallis narrating the sequel, but I'm not sure if such a version is available.

>136 mathgirl40: There's a podcast audio version of The High Road on the iTunes store. I think Terry Fallis podcast-narrates all of his books.

>137 rabbitprincess: Thanks for that information!

>136 mathgirl40: - I can just imagine how much fun the audio version - with the author as the narrator! - was. Fallis comes across as both knowledgeable about the political landscape and well versed in the art of satire. ;-)

>137 rabbitprincess: - That is excellent news! I have two more Fallis books lurking on my TBR piles. May have to go check out the podcasts.

Book #70 - Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante - audiobook narrated by Hillary Huber
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT - "E"
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2013
Acquisition date: Septemer 25, 2015
Page count: 400 pages / 16 hours, 42 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"Elena and Lila now women, face the world and find themselves on very different paths, one leaving behind a marriage and working as a common laborer, the other moves away from the neighborhood to earn a college degree and enters the world of publishing filled with learned interlocutors and richly furnished salons. Both women push against the walls of a prison that would have seen them living a life of misery, ignorance and submission. They are afloat on the great sea of opportunities that opened up during the nineteen-seventies. Yet they are still very much bound to each other by a strong, unbreakable bond."

Review:
Turbulent – and sporadic – are good terms to describe the ongoing friendship between Elena and Lila, and the overall impressions of this installment. The story follows their lives very separate lives during the upheaval, both social and political, of 1960s / 1970s Italy, fueled by struggles between Fascist and Communist factions, along with other societal changes. Against this backdrop the story is really a whole lot of minutiae I wasn’t particularly interested in and I found myself feeling let down with the story. An overall feeling of melancholy continues to permeate the series, due, I believe in a large part to the excessive amount of navel-gazing on the part of Elena. I find it disturbing that while Lila and Elena are now adults - with adult responsibilities - they both seem to have tendencies to revert to the (petulant for Elana and antagonistic for Lila) self-absorption of their adolescence. Yes, Elena does discover feminism and Lila become a what some might classify as a working-class hero by exposing the deplorable work conditions of a sausage factory, I am actually growing weary of both characters. Neither one appeals to me. So, why do I keep reading? In part, because I like the frank honesty with which Ferrante writes. She tells the story without having to delve into melodrama. Lila and Elena’s friendship is not rock solid, but there is something elusive that keep them connected. It is not the BFF one encounters in other books. If anything, the friendship is tenuous at best, waxing and waning between tensions of hostility and tenderness. It is the examination of this friendship as the two travel through life that continues to hold my interest. Maybe it is the familiarity I have developed for the characters... kind of like the neighbours that you really don't want to associate with but still cannot help observe their comings and goings.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend. The past week has seen the arrival of fall weather - rain and cooler temps, both welcomed - and it felt strange to wear my walking shoes and not the sandals I have lived in all summer. :-) Just the usual weekend chores on tap for today. Was hoping for a long lie in this morning - I do enjoy staying snuggled under the covers while the rain falls outside - but that was not to happen today. Neighbour was out with a power saw at 7:30 in the morning, in the rain, doing I have no idea what but impossible to sleep. *grrrrr* Some people.....

Anyhow, no new book reviews at the moment, so just posting a walking update.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 166 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 43.52
Kilometers walked in total: 7,327.55
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: Northwest of Square Pond, heading for Gambo.
Points of interest along the way: According to Wikipedia, Gambo is known for its Smallwood Days (named for Joey Smallwood, former Premier of Newfoundland and last father of confederation) and its Loggers' Sports Festival. One of the most important sights is the Logger's Memorial Park.

>141 lkernagh: I hope we get that fall weather soon! It has been 30 degree days here and I had to turn the A/C back on :(

>143 ChelleBearss: - Oh, wow... I will try to wish up some cooler temps to head your way! Seems crazy to have to turn the A/C on in September. Poor you and the family.

>135 lkernagh: - The musical is so very good! I loved every minute of it and have been known to listen to the cast album on repeat for a while. The song you noted is a really good one, though I pretty much love all of them.

>145 LittleTaiko: - Good to know! I see that my best chance to see the musical is if I snag tickets for a performance in March next year when the show comes to Vancouver.

Dropping in for a visit! Very fun to see your walking routes and reading accomplishments and reviews. Same with us for the serious drought situation this summer and very glad for the recent rain like you. You can practically feel the plants grinning.

>147 mdoris: - How lovely to see you stopping by, Mary! Drought=Bad: Rain=Good. Yup, totally agree. The grass is starting to grow again, along with all other other plants that were probably wondering what happened this summer. ;-) I also love the cooler, single-digit temps in the mornings

Book #71 - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: ColourCAT - Metallic
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date: May 3, 2015
Page count: 369 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.15 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the book back cover:

"Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful - irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath. They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice."

Review:
This modern retelling of The Iliad is exactly what a non-Greek classics reader (like me) can appreciate. While I have never read – or cannot recall reading – The Iliad, I have retained enough knowledge of the gods and the story from a junior level mythology course I took back in Uni many, many moons ago, a course I barely scraped through as the subject matter failed to appeal to me. Thankfully, Miller has a gift for presenting Greek mythology in a way that I found captivating to read. Telling the story from Petraclus’ POV, and focusing more on his relationship with Achilles (and keeping the petty antics of the gods more in the background) helped to focus my attention. Yes, the story still has its share of war (hard to write out the 10 year siege of Troy!), death, violent bloodshed, lust and betrayal – can’t really tell a Greek mythology story without those elements being present – it is the focus as a love story that tempers all the “stuff” that I find so annoying about the myths.

While the story has not enticed me to want to read more Greek (or Roman) mythology, I look forward to reading more stories penned by Miller.

Book #72 - The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante - audiobook narrated by Hillary Huber
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - 2015
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback / Audiobook
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date: May 7,2017
Page count: 480 pages / 18 hours, 30 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from various sources:

"Brilliant, bookish Elena and the fiery uncontainable Lila both once fought to escape the neighborhood in which they grew up—a prison of conformity, violence, and inviolable taboos. Elena married, moved to Florence, started a family, and published several well-received books. She has returned to Naples, drawn back as if responding to the city's obscure magnetism. Lila, on the other hand, never succeeded in freeing herself from the city of her birth. She has become a successful entrepreneur, but her success draws her into closer proximity with the nepotism, chauvinism, and criminal violence that infect her neighborhood. Yet somehow this proximity to a world she has always rejected only brings her role as unacknowledged leader of that world into relief. For Lila is unstoppable, unmanageable, unforgettable. Against the backdrop of a Naples, Lila and Elena clash, drift apart, reconcile, and clash again, and in the process revealing new facets of their friendship."

Review:
Definitely the best book in the quadrilogy. Just unfortunate that one has to read the first three books to fully appreciate this one. Ferrante does an excellent job portraying the “seesaw” motion of Elana and Lila’s friendship. She also does a really good job portraying the rebellion of youth and the generational divide that fuels some of that rebellion. For me, it was actually the epilogue that brought the whole series into focus for me. If one views the story as a means for Elena to record her memories of the tenuous, 5 decade long friendship with Lila, then this is a sweeping saga that has fulfilled that purpose. In the end, it is the imbalance of the friendship, with the continuing desire of both women for preeminence and control in the relationship that really brings a deeper insight into the two women.

Overall, a worthy conclusion for the series. Yes, I did enjoy this one, but not enough to lavish glowing praise on it or have any desire to re-read the series.

Finally caught up here. You did some wonderful reading. Happy weekend, Lori.

>151 Ameise1: - Hi Barbara! So Lovely to see you here. I must find time to visit the 75 group and get caught up. I do miss the wonderful pictures you post of your vacation getaways.

-------------------------
Hello all - The weekend is totally slipping away from me. I would so love to have a three-day weekend every weekend, but that is not in the cards at this point in time so just a quick hello and a book review for the audiobook I listened to today while I was busy with typical weekend chores.

Wishing everyone a great week ahead! I will get around to my weekly walking update, just not tonight.

Book #73 - Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick - audiobook narrated by Louise Jane Underwood
Challenge(s): 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: "Q" Author - Quick
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: April 21, 2105
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 432 pages / 10 hours, 15 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest young women in Ursula Kern’s employ. But Miss Clifton has met an untimely end—and Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes.
Bent on justice, Ursula hatches a plan: take Anne’s place as stenographer to the reclusive poet Valerie, Lady Fulbrook. There are dark rumors about Lord Fulbrook, and his gloomy mansion in Mapstone Square seems the logical starting point for an undercover investigation. Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton thinks Mrs. Kern is off her head to meddle in such dangerous business. But if this mysterious widowed beauty insists on stirring the pot, Slater intends to remain close by as they venture into the darker side of polite society and a den of iniquity called the Olympus Club. Together they must reveal the identity of a killer—and to achieve their goal they may need to reveal their deepest secrets to each other as well..."

Review:
As far as historical mysteries goes, this one is okay. Quick has done a good job crafting the mystery. I did like the setting, which I am guessing is Victorian era London based on certain clues. This one really falls in the "lite" reading experience, for me. The characters are pretty perfunctory, no great analysis, no wonderful character build. More cookie-cutter than anything else. Probably should mention that there is a romance angle to this story. Sadly, the romance - and the steamy sex scenes - come across as rather awkward add-ons to the mystery. The two "love interests" - Ursula and Slater - really blow hot and cold. All business and then out of the blue, these random acts of sex. Seriously? The story would have been so much better if Ursula and Slater were just co-amateur detectives without the whole sex angle. Romance, I have no problem with but the sex was probably added to the story to attract a specific reader audience. That fell flat for me. Also, the story is probably better as a traditional read. I dropped my rating by a whole 1/2 star just because the narration of the audiobook did not work for me. Also, the story could easily have been condensed down to a tighter, more focused story. Some parts just really dragged as the author kept explaining what was going on in various character's minds, and removing some of the mystery elements in the process. While this story is a stand alone novel, I see that Quick has left the door open for potential further mysteries teaming Ursula and Slater.

Overall, an okay light romance mystery read that sadly lacks the substance and suspense I prefer in my mystery reads. I can probably safely say that I am not the reading audience for Quick's stories. At least I managed to clear my "Q" author read!

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 167 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 49.87
Kilometers walked in total: 7,377.42
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: At the Terra Nova Bird Sanctuary in Terra Nova National Park, heading for Charlottetown.
Points of interest along the way: Terra Nova National Park was established in 1957 and was the first National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador. The park has more than 80 kilometers of hiking trails, ranging from in length from 1.5 to the 35 kilometer Outport Trail. Below is a shot taken from the Malady Head Trail in the park:


View from Malady Head - Tango7174 - as posted to Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Just getting caught up on everything here. You're almost there on your walk!! Awesome job. As to the books, iDK, Elena and Lila are not drawing me in. I am glad you enjoyed the fourth one though--nice to finish on a good note.

>155 Berly: - Hi Kim! I am getting rather excited that I am closing in on my walking journey. I hear you on the Ferrante books... not worth it to read the first three books just to get to the "meat and potatoes" substance found in the fourth and last book in the series. If I had not been able to listen to the audio versions, I would have given up with the first book. I am now going to find a good home (via a little free library) for the Ferrante books. Someone out there might enjoy them more than I did.

Book #74 - Ablutions by Patrick DeWitt
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT, RTT
CAT/KIT: ColourCAT - Metallic
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Year - 2009
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2009
Acquisition date: November 26, 2014
Page count: 176 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.95 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"A nameless barman tends a decaying bar in Hollywood and takes notes for a book about his clientele. Initially, he is morbidly amused by watching the regulars roll in and fall into their nightly oblivion, pitying them and their loneliness. In hopes of uncovering their secrets and motives, he establishes tentative friendships with them. He also knocks back pills indiscriminately and treats himself to gallons of Jameson's. But as his tenure at the bar continues, he begins to lose himself, trapped by addiction and indecision. When his wife leaves him, he embarks on a series of squalidly random sexual encounters and a downward spiral of self-damage and irrational violence. To cleanse himself and save his soul, he attempts to escape . . . "

Review:
DeWitt’s debut novel is a fascinating – and depressing - slide into addiction and self-loathing. If it is true that DeWitt’s resume of past employment includes six years bartending, that may explain the eerie realism that permeates this story. Told in second person narration, the story is a series of connected vignettes…. random descriptions of people and events being complied as material for a future novel by our narrator. I tend to love this more epistolary style of writing, even if it might not work for all readers.

The descriptions of the dank interior of the bar (think seedy dive bar in the wrong part of town), its flawed staff, the down and out ‘regulars’ from the fringes of society, the senseless acts of violence (and the just 'bad' random sex) coupled with the downward spiral of addiction (both alcohol and narcotics) are all perfect fodder for the dark, biting and off-colour humour DeWitt is known for with his award-winning story Sisters Brothers. While the majority of the "story" is focused in the dive bar and neighbourhood of Hollywood, the middle part of the story involves our narrator embarking on a driving journey/adventure that takes him into Arizona. Even though the mission is to “dry out”, our narrator’s tour has its expected results: more bars, more fights and more damage.

One might wonder just what is so fascinating about a book filled with flawed characters, drugs and alcohol? It all comes down to DeWitt’s skill as a writer. Through the vignettes, we get to see our narrator flow through a series of stages: new employee innocence to disenfranchised, light inebriation to a perpetual, hazy insulation by drugs and alcohol. One reviewer has described our narrator perfectly as being ”akin to a medieval idiot saint, wandering through a world of violence and pain with drunken equanimity.”

Overall, a quick and interesting read if you are prepared for the level of personal degradation the characters voluntarily sink into as the story progresses. A tantalizing blend of dark comedy laced with a dash of horrific realism. On a personal note, I preferred this story over Sisters Brothers.

Your walking journey has been so inspiring! Close to the finish line now! I imagine you are already looking at other walking routes.

>150 lkernagh: After a couple of tries I eventually read the first in the series. I didn't like it much and abandoned plans to read the rest.

>157 lkernagh: I'm always eager to try Canadian authors and there was so much hype over The Sisters Brothers that I had to try it. Disappointingly, it fell flat, probably because of my inflated expectations. Despite your excellent review I'll skip this one. For me, Newfoundland writer Joel Hynes does the depressing, self-loathing type of story better. I loved We'll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night.

>158 VivienneR: - Hi Vivienne! Yes, the finish line for my walking journey is closing in. Really excited about that! Not sure what I might tackle next, although I have received some suggestions to walk my way back home through the US.... it's a thought, just not sure what route I will plan (do I just pass through the northern states, find a cross country highway to follow - does the US have something similar to our Trans Canada #1 highway? - or do circumnavigate the US, heading down the eastern coast, follow the southern coast and then wind back up via the western coast? Choices, choices.

I hear you on giving up on the Ferrante series. I was tempted a couple of times myself. :-)

Many thanks for the Hynes rec! Like you, I am always on the lookout for more Canadian authors to add to my reading list.

.
Cover for the audiobook I listened to is on the left, but I much prefer the cover on the right... fits the whole mood and vibe of the story better.
Book #75 - The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - narrated by Peter Kenny
Challenge(s): 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: N/A
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: "Z" Author - Zafon
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 293 pages / 7 hours, 23 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the local public library book listing webpage:

"Daniel is alone in the shop one morning when a mysterious figure with a pronounced limp enters who inquires about Fermin's whereabouts. When told he is not in, the old man proceeds to buy the most expensive item in the store, a first edition of The Count of Monte Cristo, adds a dedication and leaves it as a present for Fermin. When Daniel reveals the details of this unsettling encounter to his friend, Fermin reads the dedication, turns pale, and at Daniel's insistence, decides to open up about a past that has come back to haunt him, a story that will leave Daniel questioning his very existence."

Review:
A very decent third book in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, if we can call it a series given that Zafon tends to play fast and loose with the chronology of events. Not as fabulous as The Shadow of the Wind, but a definite improvement over the second book (which had the appearance of being a prequel). In The Prisoner of Heaven, Zafron is back to the wonderful labyrinthine, Gothic storytelling I fell in love with when reading The Shadow of the Wind. While Daniel is back in this book, this time it is very much Fermin’s story and his mysterious past. Zafon, obviously a fan of Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo – which happens to be one of my all-time favorite reads – takes inspiration from Dumas for the basis of Fermin’s story as a political prisoner in the dark and foreboding Montjuic Castle during Franco’s dictatorship. Zafron is very good at creating atmosphere in his stories, I will give him that. Even better, the author makes some decent connections to the first two books, so that The Angel’s Game doesn’t continue to stick out like a sore thumb. On a downside, Zafon plays/messes with information from the earlier books, suddenly giving Fermin a stronger connection to Daniel’s family than originally provided, leaving Daniel to experience some “Say, what!?” moments. Also, Zafon’s female characters have not improved. They continue to come across as a mystery for the male characters to either pity, avenge or suspect of being up to something. There is a strange, token chapter told from Bea (Daniel’s wife) and Bernarda (Fermin’s fiancé) POV that adds, IMO, virtually nothing to the story. Maybe Zafon was asked to include more female character interaction, I don’t know. It just doesn’t work for me. This time, Zafon wraps up with a really solid cliff hanger for the next book in the series. I don’t always like cliff hanger endings. For me, it seems as though the author is attempting to milk a book deal made with the publisher (“Really, I can squeeze another best seller out of this!”) and I don’t like being used as a pawn, but I am intrigued enough to add the next book (which is already out) to my “to read” list.

Overall, a decent read if you, like me, are able to enjoy a somewhat flawed story that is stylized with wonderful Gothic atmosphere, mise en scène and is an ode of sorts to Barcelona and wonderful writers like Dumas.

Hello all! I hope everyone is having a good weekend. The past week has been a bit crazy. Busy time at work. On the home front settling into fall and all that brings (last major clean for some things before the rainy winter season hits). On the walking front I managed to take a tumble, resulting in rather badly skinned knee. My own fault for not paying attention. Too busy listening to an audiobook and rubber-necking at some of the buildings I was walking past when I should have been paying attention to the uneven sidewalk. Managed to catch the front end of my right walking sandal on a raised piece of pavement and ... down I went. So embarrassing, but I really should have been paying attention. Anyhow, the knee is healing (after a thorough cleanse of the affected area and a reliance on extra large breathable bandages to protect the area but still let it breath and heal).

Today while running morning errands I was reminded of why I love this time of year so much. The air was crisp and fresh but that did not deter the not one, but three charity car washes I encountered in town. I love seeing the kids (and adults) out at the side of the street, waving their big banners and doing what they can to entice drivers to pull in for a wash. At the mall I encountered two competing drives - Crispy Kreme donuts fund drive (for a charity I forgot to find out about - I don't need a dozen donuts in the house) and my all time favorite September event: The Girl Guides fall cookie campaign!!! I seem to recall (but correct me if I am wrong) that Canada is a bit unique in that our Girl Guides have two cookie campaigns each year... one in the spring, when they roll out the traditional chocolate and vanilla cookies, and one in the fall when they have my favorite cookies, the mint chocolate cream ones. Scored my cookies so I am very happy about that!

On the reading front, I have finished two more CAT/KIT related reads, with reviews ready to post and hope to try and complete one more book before month end (with the weather forecast of rain tomorrow as an incentive).

Book #76 - Little Red: An Everland Ever After Tale by Caroline Lee
Challenge(s): 2018 Category, ROOT
CAT/KIT: SFFKIT (Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales)
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: Original Publication Date - 2016
Source: TBR
Format: eBook
Original publication date: 2016
Acquisition date: March 16, 2017
Page count: 162 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:

"Rojita is in trouble; all she needs to do is get to her grandmother in Everland, but she's being chased by El Lobo, one of the West's most notorious gunslingers. It isn't until she's thrown herself head-long into danger that she realizes the old adage about frying pans and fires applies. She's in desperate need of a protector, and hires the first man who comes along to get her safely to Everland.

Bounty hunter Hank Cutter is more than ready to retire to a lonely little cabin in Arizona, to hang up his gun and find peace. He'll begrudgingly help the reckless young woman get to the nearest train station, because he figures she'd get into even more trouble on her own. But when El Lobo struts back into his life--Hank still has the scars from their last encounter--he knows that he can't leave Rojita at the gunslinger's mercy. Maybe he's nobler than he'd thought, because he's soon setting a trap to save the lovely, impetuous Red. The only problem is that she's still keeping a secret that could destroy his trust."

Review:
If I had to describe this historical western/romance re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood in one word, "Sweet" is the first word that comes to mind. Maybe a tad too sweet for me, but a kind of easy comfort read... think hot cocoa with melted marshmallows beside a cozy fire or chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven and you get what I mean. I did enjoy Lee's inventiveness of a 1875 Wyoming Territory setting to replace "the woods", a Mexican gunslinger El Lobo to assume the role of "big bad wolf", a seasoned bounty hunter Hank Cutter as the "woodsman" and, of course, sweet orphanage-raised Rojita as our damsel in distress, "Red". Lee knows her fairy tales - this is only one book in a growing series of books - so it was rather fun to discover that Everland is filled with individuals that bring a number of fables and fairy tales to mind. The romance is of the clean, sighing kind with scenes being limited to some passionate embraces and hot kisses.

On the downside, I tend to grate a bit a books where the female lead is one of those impetuous, leap before thinking kind of individuals, which is what Rojita is. No wonder Hank gets so frustrated with her! That being said, a quaint historical romance fairy tale retelling that is a quick read. I enjoyed this one enough to be interested in reading other books in the series. Oh, and I just love that cover!

Book #77 - The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett - audiobook narrated by William Dufris
Challenge(s): 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: MysteryCAT (Noir and Hard-boiled)
Bingo DOG:N/A
Category: N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1933
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 210 pages / 5 hours, 55 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the hoopla.com audiobook listing:

"The Thin Man introduces Nick and Nora Charles, New York's coolest crime-solving couple. Nick retired from detecting after his wife inherited a tidy sum, but six years later a pretty blonde spies him at a speakeasy and asks for his help finding her father, an eccentric inventor who was once Nick's client. Nick can no more resist the case than a morning cocktail or a good fight, and soon he and Nora are caught in a complicated web of confused identities and cold-blooded murder."

Review:
Oh wow.... being new to Hammett (outside of having watched the movie adaptation of The Maltese Falcon, I really did not know what to expect. Sure didn't expect this! Even in 2018, Hammett's portrayal of 1930's New York is a captivating - and eye-opening - experience. I do like Nick and Nora. Hammett has created a couple that "clicks" and comfortably banter as they easily move between the high flying society gatherings to the more questionable establishments. Amazing how calm both of them are when an intruder pays them a visit in the middle of the night! The mystery is a good one - I did not see some of the stuff that gets revealed - but for me, I was more enthralled with the setting, the characters, their interactions and the overall casual social nuances of the story (like a married man actively perusing a younger woman, and resorting to drinking as a solution when his wife tries to take him to task for his behavior) than with the actual mystery. Well written and I now understand why so many readers enjoy Dashiell Hammett's stories.

Congrats on crossing the magical 75.
>163 lkernagh: I put that one on my library list.
Happy Sunday, Lori.

>163 lkernagh: Glad you liked it, Lori! Hammett certainly delivers on his reputation.

>164 Ameise1: - Thanks Barbara! Always nice to meet the 75 books read milestone so early in the year. Speaks to possible free reading time! I am now sold on Hammett as an author worth reading. Hope you enjoy your first Hammett experience as much as I did!

>165 mstrust: - Thanks Jennifer, although I would be surprised to encounter some (now, anyways!) that does not appreciate Hammett's writing style. Looking forward to enjoying more of his stories!

I have to start off this post complaining that I had the perfect post prepared, and the computer lost it. My own fault, should have saved when I had the opportunity. Oh well, life goes on.

This weekend was fabulous in that I got to take in my love for classic cars, strictly by happenstance. I came across this lovely Plymouth Barracuda (circa late 1960's - forgot to ask the owner the exact year) while out running errands:

.

As I was taking the above pics, the owner came out of the store and called out, in jest; "$5 a picture.". We had a great conversation about classic cars - this one was a purchase from up island and has a total 87,000 original miles on it (the pre-metric days!). I absolutely love the colour -the interior is a lovely blue/grey/silver leather/vinyl that is in fabulous condition. I noticed that he took an appreciative glance at my wheels - a recently purchased 2002 Jeep Liberty, fully loaded in gun metal blue with off white leather interior and only 80,000 original KMs - but it doesn't hold a candle to the fabulous vehicle he owns. The whole encounter reminded me of my early University days when I was out shopping for my first vehicle. I fell in love with a 1968 (my birth year!) Ford Mustang, white exterior with red vinyl interior but my older brother steered me towards a much newer (1981) mustang as a more reliable vehicle for the newbie driver I was. I don't grudge my brother and the decision, but that pretty much cemented my love for classic vehicles, which continues to this day. At some point in my lifetime, I will own a classic vehicle and happily drive it to the store, just like the gentleman I encountered this weekend.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey

The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

WEEKS 168 UPDATE:
Kilometers walked this session: 51.91
Kilometers walked in total: 7,429.33
Current province: (NL)
My current location on the map: Due south or Terrances Pond (east of Thorburn Lake) and heading for Clarenville.
Points of interest along the way: My virtual walking this week took me through Charlottetown. Interesting fun fact about Charlottetown: Charlottetown Boulder Park. According to Wikipedia,

"The park was the idea of Dr. Eric Harvie, chairman of the Fathers of Confederation Memorial Citizens Foundation, and includes boulders from each of the Canadian provinces; each boulder includes a plaque that identifies the provinces from which the boulder came, along with the geological name of the rock formation. Harvie intended the park to commemorate the contribution of people from across Canada to the creation of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. The park opened in a ceremony on September 1, 1966, the 102nd anniversary of the start of the Charlottetown Conference."

Below is an image of the boulder (composed of Lower Ordovician Limestone) to represent Newfoundland:


Newfoundland Boulder in Charlottetown Boulder Park - Peter Rukavina - as posted to Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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By my calculations, it will probably take me another 5-6 weeks to reach St. John's and the end of my virtual walking journey. On the good news front, I notice that I have had a total of 205 days where I did not record any walking, so technically I am not 79 days past my goal, I am actually still 126 days ahead of my target. ;-) Looking forward to running some stats when I complete this walking challenge.

I know, I am way overdue with some kind of monthly summary/update but I really just don't feel in the mood, so instead, I am going to post my current reading plans (which will complete my Author and Title Alphabet Challenges, leaving just the ROOT and Original Publication Year Challenges to compete:

Currently Reading:
..

Audiobook:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke - for the October SFFKIT (Historical and Alt-Historical) and a ROOT read.

Physical Book:
In the Basement of the Ivory Tower by Professor X - for my "X" Author read, which will conclude my Alphabet Author challenge.
Waiting in the wings: Quarantine by Jim Crace - for my "Q" Book Title read, which will conclude my Alphabet Title challenge, as as a ROOT read.

And... something completely unrelated that struck me as odd (and worthy of sharing), is the concept of pedicures. Okay, I have to admit that I have never had a professional pedicure (tend to take care of that at home) but I was a little taken aback when one of my Facebook friends posted pics this weekend of her young (lets just say 6 year old) getting her first pedicure. That was a mental "WTF" moment for me, but maybe I am a bit out of touch with reality these days. I should mention that the child in question also received a custom painted nail design (as per the pics supplied). I think I am just have to admit I am "old school" but wanted to see what everyone else thinks: Should a roughly 6-year-old child be getting a professional pedicure?

>170 lkernagh: I think a six year old child does't need a professional pedicure.

Unless this was a "only once because it's your birthday" thing or "you're in a wedding" thing, I think not. I don't really even think those are good reasons.

It depends on what other messages the child is getting. If they are being presented with a parental example that shows that being pretty is the most important thing, that is clearly not a healthy upbringing. If this is an isolated example of a pampering session, that is balanced by lots of intellectual encouragement then OK. If this is a boy then more power to their elbow.

So I'm in the probably not a good idea" camp for now.

>170 lkernagh: That's a thing here and there is even (or was) a spa in town that did birthday parties for little girls.
Now, I don't think that the kids pedicures are as long or detailed as an adult one. Mostly it's just fun and they get their nails painted. My daughter likes to pretend "spa day" as she saw that on a barbie show she watched.
Speaking of pedicures, I would love one right about now! My feet have been sore from jamming them back in normal shoes. I wish I could wear my birkenstocks at work! :)

>144 lkernagh: I spoke too soon! It's now 10c and miserable rainy days.

>171 Ameise1: - That is my thinking as well, Barbara.

>172 dudes22: - Good points. Looks like it was just a normal Saturday (no special day or special event to be prepared for).

>173 Helenliz: - I am thinking (hoping) that it is an isolated pampering event, maybe making it into a cute "mom/daughter" activity. Just odd to post pics to Facebook and caption them, "First Pedicure", which kind of implies first of many? The idea of a foot soak/massage as part of the treatment would be a good (albeit a rather expensive way) to promote good foot hygiene, but the fact that it was also nail art (there was an artistic design painted on the big toes) has me still in the "not a good idea" camp with you. ;-)

>174 ChelleBearss: - I could see it as a birthday party thing, booking the salon so that birthday girl and friends can have a pampering session. Poor you on having to give up your birkenstocks for work shoes! Always hard to adjust. After wearing my sandals all summer, it is a bit strange to be putting on socks and my walking shoes for the cooler, rainy fall weather.

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Today is a day off for me. Rain this morning tapered off near lunch time, so I was able to go out for a walk along the waterfront. Encountered these two sea creatures (while four of their buddies were splashing in the water near by):



I also came across this interesting tree, in the process of shedding its bark, kind of like a snake sheds its skin:



Not sure what kind of tree it is... anyone know?

I'm raising an eyebrow at a 6-year-old getting a pedicure, but then again, I'm a 30-something who doesn't understand the appeal of pedicures. I don't like the idea of other people touching my feet :P

>176 rabbitprincess: - "I don't like the idea of other people touching my feet :P"

I am with you in that thought!

Hi Lori, that tree is an Arbutus tree and it is pretty unique. They tend to drop their leaves in the summer which is a pain if you have one in your yard cause who wants to rake leaves in July! They then shed their bark in the fall. So kinda messy but with their green leathery leaves and reddish bark, also very interesting to look at.

You are getting so close to the end of your Cross Canada Walk and you should be so proud of yourself. Have you decided on your next route?

I was on the side of "no" regarding childen's pedicures, but then I can see the appeal of birthday pedicures for children to get their nails painted in an interesting manner.

Hi Lori,

I'm weighing in on the child pedicure. My granddaughter who will be 8 next month likes sparkly nail polish on her hands and feet. I think I was ok with it as a special treat every now and then.

When it started to become a routine occurrence, I thought that was a bit much. Count me in the I don't want anyone touching my feet club, I do my own.

>176 rabbitprincess: Haha, me too (except replace 30-something with 'I wish I was still 30-something'!). For my hen weekend (bear in mind I was 38 at the time) my bridesmaid organised a manicure and pedicure for me - my first ever! I was really nervous that I might actually kick the guy doing my feet, as I'm so squeamish/ticklish! As it happens, he just shook his head as it was apparently really really obvious I'd not had it done before! (the rest of the hen do was great, and involved amazing food and cocktails. And actually the mani/pedi was fun too at the time, but not something I'd choose to do again!).

>162 lkernagh: Caroline Lee sounds like she might be up my alley...I'll have to see if I can get my hands on one of hers.

>163 lkernagh: So glad you liked The Thin Man! If you haven't seen the movie with William Powell and Myrna Loy, I highly recommend it!

I am finding the pedicure discussion very interesting! I enjoy getting the occasional professional pedicure, but I do find myself thinking six years old is way too young...but I'm not sure why! Maybe it's linked to makeup in my mind, which I personally don't like for girls younger than teenagers. I'll have to think about this more!

>178 DeltaQueen50: - Good to know! I know that I have walked past that tree on a regular basis over the years but never really paid any attention to the "shedding" period. I can see where the tree might not be a little more high maintenance, so best to enjoy it in a park setting where it is someone else's responsibility. ;-)

I am still undecided as to what my next walking challenge will be. I don't know if I want to do something short or have another longer period challenge. I know I want something to continue to motivate me to get out walking, so something will materialize.

The child pedicures is proving to be an interesting conversation piece, which is lovely! I can see some pros (mother daughter bonding time, or the birthday party theme) but as an ordinary Saturday thing, I am still thinking "not".

>179 lsh63: - Good points! Special events would make sense, routine occurrence, not so much. Always happy to see more in the "don't touch my feet" club. ;-)

>180 Jackie_K: - A hen party seems like a perfect mani/pedi event!

>181 christina_reads: - I do believe that you would enjoy Lee's take on fairy tales / fables! They are good clean adult fun reading.

As for The Thin Man good to know that there is a movie adaptation worthy of viewing! I am starting to compile a list of movies for those cold, dark winter nights when we just want to stay in. The Thin Man seems perfect for one of those evenings!

I can see where nail polish would equate to makeup in the mind. I don't mind little girls playing dress-up but I tend to cringe if I encounter a young girl (pre-teen) with noticeable makeup on out and about. That is me being old school but hey, I was always raised to not pass myself off as something I wasn't and that there is nothing wrong with a fresh makeup free face, which has actually worked well for me over the years as I found make up (especially foundation) just did not work with my skin type so my daily make up routine only involves a light dash of lipstick and shade in my eyebrows that are starting to thin out!

---------------------------

Good news, I have finished my "X" Author read, which wraps up my Alphabet Author category.

Book #78 - In the Basement of the Ivory Tower by Professor X
Challenge(s): 2018 Category
CAT/KIT: AlphaKIT (yearlong) - "X"
Bingo DOG: N/A
Category: "X" Author
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 2011
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 288 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:

"When Professor X's article that inspired this book was published in the Atlantic Monthly, a firestorm of controversy began as teachers across the country weighed in, some thanking him for his honesty and others pillorying him for his warts-and-all portrayal of the downside of universal college enrollment. The article was chosen by David Brooks for a Sidney Award, given to the best magazine articles every year, and kicked off an anticollege backlash.

Professor X is an adjunct professor of English literature and composition, a member of the poorly paid underclass who are now teaching the vast majority of our college courses. This is the story of what he learned on the front lines of America's academic crisis."

Review:
Not exactly what I was expecting. Interesting to view community college from the point of view of an adjunct professor teaching evening classes of introductory English 101 and 102 as a way to supplement the family income. Yes, the author (who has deliberately chosen to write under a pseudonym) raises some good points (and provides some rather alarming statistics), but he could have probably hit all the interesting high and low points in half the page count. A fair bit of the book is the author's musings of a writer trying to create writers - out of individuals who typically do not even consider reading an enjoyable past-time - in a short 15 week course offering. Most of the students - okay, pretty much all of his students - are characterized as falling into the
"forced to take the course" variety as a requirement they must overcome in their quest for that magic piece of paper that will hopefully result in careers with better pay. Kind of has "Doomed to Fail" written all over it, doesn't it? The author sums the situation up nicely:

"My students and I are of a piece. I could not be haughty, even if I wanted to be. Our presence in these evening classes is evidence that something in our lives has gone awry. In one way or another, we have all screwed up. I'm working a second job; they're trying desperately to get to a place where they don't have to work a second job. All any of us want is a free evening. We are all saddles with children or mortgages or sputtering careers, sometimes all three. I often think, at the beginning of the class, that a five-minute snooze, a sanctioned nap period, would do us all good."

Yes, this story is for the most part depressing as the author dashes the reader with cold water and tries to remove the rose-coloured glasses that higher education really is for everyone and with this rosy glow, we are in fact failing a large segment of the population that needs a hand up the most.

Overall, interesting although it did start to drag at time when the author slides into full navel gazing mode.

>170 lkernagh: I'm just now jumping in on the pedicure issue. I suppose this could happen to anyone but someone I worked with took her 12 year old for a first manicure and pedicure and a few days later was freaked out when she saw a red line running up the girl's leg. They went to Emergency at the hospital and found it was indeed an infection related to the pedicure. A treatment of strong antibiotics cured it but the doctor was very clear with the mom that the girl could have died from the infection. The salon was reported by the hospital and the mom but I don't know what happened other than that they had a surprise inspection by the health department. I think we all forget that there is some risk associated with mani and pedis.

Hi Lori!

Hmm. Pedicures for little girls. I would tend to come down on the No side. I think the Mom could make it a fun moment at home giving her daughter a pedicure without nail polish after. I don't like seeing nail polish on little girls at all, especially infant-10 year olds, but I realize I might be an old fogey about this. And I might as well admit that I do not like seeing little girls dressed in princess outfits with tiaras in public either.

Wow, Lori! you've had an outstanding summer of reading! Many I own but have yet to tackle. I'm tickled I haven't missed the conclusion of your virtual journey. Awe! seeing sea creatures during your lunch break must be a joy to behold!

>184 clue: - What a scary situation for both mom and daughter! I have some friends who take their own "mani/pedi tools" when they get their nails done, and after reading your story, I can understand why. Good thing I am with RP and others in not being comfortable with other people touching my feet. ;-)

>185 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! I like your idea of a home pedicure as a fun moment for mother and daughter. At least that way, one would not run the potential health risk (I would hope, anyways!) by using tools that only members of the family use and you know how well they have been cleaned/sterilized.

... don't get me started on the little girls dressed in princess outfits in public. Saw one today in town while running errands on my lunch break. Obviously, too young to be in school and I get that sometimes it is just easier to give in and allow the child to wear whatever they want (meltdowns first thing in the morning can be draining!) but it is a little like wearing a Halloween costume outside of Halloween... fun, but usually with a party event in mind (or confined to the family home, like dressing-up with mom's shoes and clothes... don't usually see little girls clomping behind mom in the grocery store in mom's shoes and every bead necklace mom owns). :-)

>186 Carmenere: - Hi Lynda! Summer was good for reading this year. Probably will slow down a bit this fall - work is getting rather busy so I am becoming a bit of a work zombie and struggle to concentrate on the written word, even for pleasure, in the evenings. Worried I may migrate to TV viewing/ couch potato mode at this rate. :-(

Fingers crossed, I am hoping to complete my virtual walking journey in mid-November. With the tumble I took last week, I am not up to my usual walking - that, and I will be traveling home to visit family which will also impact my walking - but the game plan is to have a new walking challenge for 2019!

Hello everyone! This past week has been an absolute gong-show. Work has been super busy and I have not been able to get a decent night sleep for the past 7 days so I am cranky, walking zombie.

Even worse... I have my first DNF for 2018.

DNF: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke - audiobook narrated by Simon Prebble

Really... I did try, but after making it through 9 hours, and discovering that there was still 23 hours to go, I threw in the towel and called "Done!" While I typically like the Napoleon era as a setting - love Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe's Adventures series (cue Sean Bean swoon) and had a lot of fun with Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series - this is a jumbled mess. Kind of like trying to smash together historical detail one finds in books like A.S Byatt's The Children's Book with the wide-ranging magical fantasy of John Crowley's Little, Big. Now, I admit that I loved Little, Big but more because I was allowed to slip into Crowley's fantasy world and lose all bearings with our real world.

Oh well.... First DNF this late in the year is not too bad. Onwards to more entertaining reading, one hopes, anyways!

Good luck with you next read, Lori.

>189 lkernagh: I struggled with that, too. I hope your next reads will be more fun.

>189 lkernagh: I've had it on my shelf for years and have never picked it up just because it's so big. At the speed I read, it would take four months. I totally understand looking at 23 hours more and being overwhelmed.

>189 lkernagh: If you're not enthralled at 9 hours in, I know there's no way I'd get through another 23 hours. Well done on getting as far as you did. It's no shame to admit a book just isn't for you. There are loads more books on the shelf, just waiting for you to love them.

>189 lkernagh: Wow. Only your first DNF of the year? Amazing. I've abandoned 9 books so far.

I tried reading it years ago and abandoned it, then tried watching the TV mini-series and abandoned it too. In fact, I just pulled the book off my shelf and have taken it out of my catalog.

>189 lkernagh: I am really impressed that this was your first DNF of the year! I've been too daunted to put it on the to-read list...probably not going to change my mind about that anytime soon.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope the weekend gives you lots of opportunity to sleep and generally de-zombify :)

>190 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks Judy. I haven't decided what to read yet but have some possibilities lined up.

>191 MissWatson: - So glad to learn I am not alone in struggling with the Clarke book!

>192 mstrust: - Big yes, which is why I thought it would be easier to tackle as an audioread. Boy was I mistaken!

>193 Helenliz: - Thanks Helen! I try to not give up on a book too soon... I have had some rewarding reads where the first part was a bit of a slog but it then picked up. Didn't experience any "pick up" with the Clarke read so I don't feel too guilty about giving it the dunt.

>194 karenmarie: - Yes, I guess having only one DNF so far this year is something to cheer about.... who knew. ;-) Good to know the min-series just was not a taker. Sometimes film adaptations work better than the book, but I find that to be a rare exception to the rule. My physical copy of the Clarke book will find its way to one of the many Little Free Libraries in my area and hopefully find itself in the home of a reader that will appreciate it more than I did.

>195 rabbitprincess: - Fingers crossed it is my only DNF for the year! Yah, I would have to say there is no rush to try and change your mind about that one.

Thanks for the Happy Thanksgiving wishes! Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving! Not much sleep in the next 24 hours but hopefully all the sleep I want after that (explanation to follow in the next post).

We did it folks. We made it through the week. For me, today was still a bit of a scramble but, thankfully, I managed to get all caught up with all my work, because I am now on vacation for the next 10 days! WHOOT!!! I am taking a slight break from packing as I have an early morning flight tomorrow to wing home to spend Thanksgiving with my family, so won't get much sleep tonight (not that that makes that much of difference at this point). Looking forward to no alarms and as RP said, "lots of opportunity to sleep and generally de-zombify :)" That is the plan! With my luck, I will probably fall asleep in front of the evening news tomorrow night at my dad's. ;-)

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend and a Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian visitors!

... Now, off to finish packing.

Enjoy your break!

>189 lkernagh: Sorry that it didn't work for you. I've read it a couple of years ago. The story is nicely made but reading all the foit notes was really toughe.
Happy weekend, Lori.

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Have a wonderful break!

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!

For sure that is an arbutus tree in the photo in >175 lkernagh:. They are vey messy and mostly all dying on the coast with a virus. So sprout like crazy and then don't live long. The old ones live in very dry locations and are extremely heavy. It takes forever for the wood to dry out for a fireplace and then the log burns for forever. They twist and turn and make very interesting shapes. Even once "dry" they continue to contort. My P tried once to make drink coasters by slicing arbutus and they continued to curl. They are interesting trees.

I am voting on the "no for the peducures for little girls. Lots of my pals, who love to get them, now have fungal infestations on their toenails so I say "no thank you"!

Just got Transcription from the library. Lucky me!

I'm still catching up on threads so forgive me for reaching back to >167 lkernagh:.

Isn't that the car that Inspector Lynley drove on the tv series? What good taste you have!

>198 thornton37814: - Thanks Lori!

>199 Ameise1: - Hi Barbara, I probably would have enjoyed the story more if I had the time to focus on it. Oh well, maybe some day in the future I may re-attempt to read it. ;-)

>200 ChelleBearss: - Thanks Chelle! It was fabulous. I hope your Thanksgiving was also wonderful.

>201 MissWatson: - Thanks Birgit!

>202 mdoris: - Thanks Mary for bot the Thanksgiving wishes and the information about the arbutus trees. They are beautiful trees but not sure I would want the "extra" work they seem to generate!

OMG fungal infestations! That alone will convenience me to never get a professional pedicure. ;-(

Looking forward to learning what you think of Transcription!

>203 VivienneR: - Hi Vivienne! Lovely to see you stopping by! As for the car in >167 lkernagh:, it does have a similar body shape to Lynley's car, doesn't it? Apparently Lynley drove a Bristol and I have no idea if the Bristol is the UK version of the Barracuda (I hate how they come up with different names for the cars when they are produced in different countries!).

---------------------------------
Hello everyone! I am back from a wonderful, week long visit with family and fully rested. Thanksgiving was fabulous. We had a traditional dinner at my oldest brother and SIL's place. I made a pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap cookie crust as my contribution to the dinner (I was asked to bring a dessert), which was a surprising hit considering I forgot to add the whipping creme when I made it (I was still in non-sleep zombie mode at the time). I had a nagging suspicion that I had forgotten something - really, I should learn to follow recipes and not just add-lib as I go - so the taste was perfect, but the texture was more pudding style. Basically, would have been fabulous if served in parfait cups, not as slices of cheesecake but I my younger brother and nephew both informed me that they would be happy guinea pigs should I decide another attempt, so calling it a success. ;-)

Trip involved a lot of sleeping, reading and doing chores around the house for my dad.Yes, I did get my wish for some snow, and got to shovel the white stuff while out.

My dad was initially all excited when he received correspondence from Revenue Canada regarding my mother's estate. He received the final tax certificate while I was out. Sadly, Revenue Canada managed to screw up. Dad already has a tax certificate from them that clears mom's estate up her death. The final certificate should have covered off the final tax filings that had to be made post mom's death so we all stared at the form letter that reports a final tax clearance up to December 31, 1998. Yup, 1998, which, technically, would leave everything post 1998 still up in the air. Obviously a typographic error but still, what a gong show. Blows my mind.

I see that this thread is getting a tad long so probably as good a time as any to migrate over to a new thread, with hopefully enticing new book reviews.

New thread is up. Come on over!