Lamplight's 2022 goals: 50 and beyond!

I surprised myself and read over 100 books last year...Some were audiobooks, some were e-books and some were hold-in-your-hand real books. I read some great books, especially historical fiction. And I read a few duds. But the wonderful far outweighed the not-so-wonderful. This year, I will aim for 50 or more, but I will also try to post a little review here about them. So, that's my new goal.

I am retired, so have lots of time to read. Besides reading, I do a little worship leading, volunteer secretary at our church, belong to a sorority, and have many family events to participate in and organize. Reading is my joy, and I love to share what I read and talk about it with others.

Happy reading to all the great people here!

List of Books for 2022
1. Daisies for Innocence by Bailey Cattrell -- fiction, mystery
2. The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris -- historical fiction
3. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris -- historical fiction based on a true story
4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas -- fiction
5. Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano -- fiction
6. A Siege of Bitterns by Steve Burrows -- Canadian fiction
7. What the Body Remembers by Shauna Singh Baldwin -- Canadian fiction
8. the stranger in the lifeboat by Mitch Albom -- fiction
9. Becoming by Michelle Obama -- non-fiction
10. Blood Test by Jonathan Kellerman -- fiction
11. The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica -- mystery
12. The Antidote for Everything by Kimmery Martin -- fiction
13. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini -- historical fiction
14. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl -- nonfiction
15. The Man who Died Twice by Richard Osman — fiction
16.The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi -- fiction
17. Rabbit Foot Bill by Helen Humphreys -- Canadian fiction, based on a true story
18. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave -- mystery
19. A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas -- nonfiction
20. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult -- fiction
21, The Essential Henri Nouwen -- edited by Robert A. Jonas -- nonfiction
22. Crime Scene by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman -- mystery
23. Indian in the Cabinet by Jody Wilson-Raybould -- Canadian nonfiction
24. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin -- historical fiction
25. Memory Man by David Baldacci -- mystery
26. Over the Edge by Jonathan Kellerman -- mystery
27. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala -- mystery
28. The Minister’s Daughter by Julie Hearn — historical fiction and fantasy
29. The Innocents by Michael Crummey -- Canadian fiction
30, Peace by Chocolate by Jon Tattrie -- Canadian nonfiction
31. Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt -- Canadian fiction
32. Silent Partner: An Alex Delaware novel by Jonathan Kellerman -- mystery
33, Erasing Memory by Scott Thornley -- Canadian mystery
34, The Maid by Nita Prose -- Canadian mystery
35. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz -- mystery
36. Unreconciled by Jesse Wente -- Canadian nonfiction
37. The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis -- Canadian fiction
38. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong -- fiction
39. An Old, Cold Grave by Iona Whishaw -- Canadian mystery
40. Wolf and Iron by Gordon R. Dickson -- fiction
41. We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker -- fiction
42. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid -- fiction
43, The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith -- mystery
44. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith -- mystery
45. Adventures among the Maya and the Secret of the Crystal Amulet by e.b. bonenfant -- Canadian fiction
46. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith -- mystery
47. State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny -- Canadian thriller
48. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith -- mystery
49. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith -- mystery
50. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel -- historical fiction
51. Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci -- thriller
52. Bluebird by Genevieve Grahame -- Canadian historical fiction
53. The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman -- fiction
54. Untamed by Glennon Doyle -- non-fiction, self-help
55. The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce -- fiction
56, Operation Angus by Terry Fallis -- Canadian fiction
57. When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill -- Canadian fiction
58. Time Bomb by Jonathan Kellerman -- mystery
59. The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams -- mystery
60. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger -- fiction
61, We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu -- Canadian, autobiography
62. Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah -- fiction
63. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo — fantasy fiction
64. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce -- fiction
65. In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green — fiction
66. Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown -- Canadian fiction
67. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty — fiction
68. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley -- fiction
69.It Begins in Betrayal by Iona Whishaw — Canadian mystery
70. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan -- Canadian fiction
71. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- fiction
72. The English Wife by Adrienne Chinn —Canadian historical fiction
73. The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames -- historical fiction
74. Private Eye by Jonathan Kellerman — mystery
75. The Clover Girls by Viola Shipman — fiction
76. Devil’s Waltz by Jonathan Kellerman — mystery
77. Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce — fiction
78. The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie — fiction
79. Bad Love by Jonathan Kellerman — fiction
80. Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey — autobiography
81. The Address by Fiona Davis — historical fiction
82. The Last Straw by Paul Gitsham — fiction
83. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict — historical fiction
84. A Spoonful of Murder by J. M. Hall — fiction
85. Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline — fiction

The count:
Fiction— 75
Non-fiction— 10
Canadian — 22

I listened to Daisies for Innocence by Bailey Cattrell as an audiobook, borrowed from the library. It was an easy listen, that piqued my interest in aromatherapy. Also, the enchanted garden described in the book was a true balm for my soul as I look out at a snowy landscape. The mystery was a little slow in the unravelling, and the perpetrator was someone I had suspected early on in the book. Ellie was a suspect, but that didn't make any sense to me at all. But sometimes mystery stories are like that...a little contrived.

I always have one audiobook on the go to listen to while I am exercising or cooking or doing other household chores. But borrowing them on Libby is becoming increasingly difficult because they are so popular. I found this book by scrolling many, many pages of 'available now'. Worth the scroll though.

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris is not always a sweet read, because of the very real discomforts of the post Civil War South. The characters in this book are unique...no cookie cutter stereotypes here! The calamities are real, the unspoken spaces between people and the deeds left undone are also timeless. But the sweetness of water is a book about hope and staying true to oneself...a timeless message. George and Isabell, Landry and Prentiss, Caleb are imperfectly believable, so much so that occasionally I wanted to advise them on how they should be acting or living.

Wow! Two down already. Good going. Happy New Year. I'll look forward to following along with your reading. Cheers!

>5 rocketjk: Thanks. I always check out your reading list too. Hope it is a good year for you.

January is a bit drab in Northern Ontario. Add to that there is bitterly cold weather, and a pandemic that keeps shutting things down. So...I read about the holocaust. That sort of puts things into perspective though, and I feel ashamed of my little whining ways. I truly have nothing to complain about!

I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. The cover announces that it is a 'novel' but it is based on the author's long-term interview of the main character, Lale. He spent three years in a camp, (Auschwitz-Birkenau) saw many horrors, survived many horrors and felt keen losses of family and friends. But this is also the story of his love for a fellow prisoner, Gita. Lale is amazingly resourceful in acquiring goods and engaging in trade. Unselfish in his giving, some of his goodwill helped him in turn when he needed it most. His move away from the camp and his finding of Gita seem a little magical after the horrors of the camp. An afterward by their son gives us insight into their home and family life.

I listened to this as an audiobook.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is considered a young adult read. It deals with the serious and timely issue of racism, especially as it plays out between white police officers and black citizens. Starr becomes the witness to her friend's murder by a police officer. As horrific as the situation is, and the other side issues of gangs and drug abuse, the characters who deal with it are loving and lovable, and very real. We meet a family who is struggling against a lot of odds and by in large, succeeding. Starr goes to a high school outside of the 'hood, and associates with a different group of people than she lives near. She has a white boyfriend who turns out to be pretty accepting and supportive, once she finally lets him in to her world. The author does a great job of balancing the real with the surreal, although the surreal is totally from my very white perspective.

Someone recommended Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano to me. When I got to the second chapter and found out what it was REALLY all about, I almost stopped reading. But I trusted this friend who recommended it so I kept going. It is a good story of a number of people thrown together on an airplane. We learn about their lives, their sorrows and regrets, their hopes and dreams. And much of what we learn about them is distilled in the mind of the lone survivor, known as Eddy pre accident and Edward after the accident. There are some heartbreaking moments, but some real evidence of various ways to love, live and be human. Edward's friend, Shay, becomes his real life saver, although we meet others who have a hand in it, including his aunt and uncle, his principal, a fortune-teller and the paramedic who heard his voice among the wreckage. Don't read this, though, if you plan to hop on an airplane any time soon! Oh ya...I listened to this as an audiobook read by Cassandra Campbell. Amazing how she could make her voice sound like a young boy's, a young girl's, and all of the other characters. Good job!

I just discovered the Birder Murder mysteries and read the first in the series: A Siege of Bitterns by Steve Burrows. I always like learning about new passions and interests. This gave me insight into the passion of birding. The main character, Domenic Jejeune, is not entirely likable in my mind. I will continue to read the series though to see if this changes. Also, the two-murder story centered around the contamination of saltwater wetlands, which, will take a generation to recover. I'm curious about how another bird mystery could take place in this setting. We get introduced to a few interesting characters in the town of Saltmarsh in the United Kingdom. To me, Jejeune is a bit of an ass as he keeps details to himself, dishes out mundane work or difficult tasks with no explanations, and 'discovers' answers, some of which turn out to be mistakes. He has good instincts, but I didn't find them any better than I would have expected from such a professional. Constable Maik is interesting, and more likable.

It took a long time to finish What the Body Remembers by Shauna Singh Baldwin. Some of it was tough going. It is historical fiction about India under British rule, and then the catastrophe that happened when Britain pulled out. The bloody mess of Hindu, Moslem and Sikh relations became a nightmare when Pakistan was created. it is also a study of the view and treatment of women at that time. Characters are interesting...flaws and strengths and different ideas of right and wrong. (Roop's fathers code of honour comes to a horrific conclusion near the end of the book). There are a lot of Indian words and references to religious beliefs that were very foreign to me. That's what made it tough going. In know I didn't get everything out of this book that others would, but I sure did learn a lot that was totally new to me. Will there ever be an end to the horrors we hear about how one human can treat another?

When I read books by Mitch Albom, I think maybe I could be an author too. The writing is not outstanding and seems even a little haphazard. One liners are meant to be 'wow' but were more ho-hum. the stranger in the lifeboat was a Christmas gift, and a relatively quick read, not requiring a lot of brain power. I am a person of faith, and I respect what Albom is trying to do, but the Lord who appears in and out of the boat is not one who grabs my interest, attention or is worthy of my faith. Even Benjii is a bit yucky at times. Not sure what to tell the person who gave me the book....

I listened to Becoming by Michelle Obama, and it was a L O N G listen -- 19 hours. At first I thought it needed some editing. But, as I listened, I grew to appreciate it more. I was particularly interested in their life in the White House, as a family with young children, trying to raise them happy and safe. I enjoyed hearing about some of her 'escapes', one to buy a toy for their dog at a pet store, and one to see the lights of the White House lit up rainbow style when gay marriages were legalized in all of the U.S. I sense that Michelle is being honest in this book, sharing her less than privileged but wonderful growing up years, her distrust of politics, and the challenges of being black, a working mom, and then a FLOTUS. It was an eye-opener in many ways.

Jonathan Kellerman always provides a good read. This time is was Blood Test which I enjoyed until the end. It was about a young boy with cancer whose parents seemingly did not want to continue his treatment in the hospital setting. There is a cult involved, but also a really, really messed up family (or two or three). The end of the book spiraled out of control with a lot of sex, drugs and deaths. Alex continued to be a rock solid, caring guy, as is his friend Milo. I like these two characters. Also, I was left with worries about the little boy, who seemed like a good kid in spite of everything...Maybe this hit too close to home because of a little boy I know personally who is fighting for his life after a problem caused by a messed up family.

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica is a psychological thriller, but I found it sluggish. The narrator(s) gave excruciating detail that really made no difference. Phrases were repeated time and time again. Reviews talk about the plot twists, but I saw the culprit early on. Plus there were slip ups in logic over and over again (e.g. I think he's going to kill me but wait...I'll drink the drink he just poured for me!) Obviously, I don't recommend this to anyone.

I read The Antidote for Everything by Kimmery Martin for a book club. It was okay...dealing with medical ethics, and the power of strong friendships. The core of the book was the right of physicians to treat all patients, no matter their sexual orientation or whether they are transgender or not. The author keeps telling the reader how wonderful, funny, quirky and vivacious the two main characters are: Georgia and Jonah. I hate it when the author has to tell me something instead of writing in a way that it would be easy to figure out! Also, there were lapses in logic in this book too. Georgia meets a fellow who is smart, but she meets him because of something really dumb that he did. This doesn't get addressed. Mark leaves her because she confesses to a lack of integrity in one case...His reaction, to me, seemed a little excessive. Also, his support for her seemed a little unreal, given that they were just getting to know one another. Oh well. Maybe I'm just jealous.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is horrifying and beautiful at the same time. It tells the story of Afghanistan and it's varied people, steeped in various traditions and some moving towards modernity. Two women, Marianne and Lila, become friends as they share one treacherous husband. The treachery of physical, verbal and emotional abuse helps seal their friendship, which evolves into a complicit action that promised safety for one and release for the other. There is a circular motion to this book, a moving away from a home, and then a moving back to it, almost as if the two women were one. In fact, there is an interplay between past and present at the end that further ties the two women together. Other characters include parents, two children, and Lila's true love. There a many, many layers to this book.

I just finished Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. I was looking for some ideas about how to cure the sad state of our world: it's divisiveness, the freedom convoy that is more about disruption than protest, hate including white supremacy, addictions, the huge drug crisis. I like Frankl's basic premise, and I appreciate his personal stories of the concentration camps. However, I didn't always understand logotherapy. Whenever I thought I was getting close, he would say something that sent me in a different direction. Maybe I will need to read this again when I am smarter!

Just a fun read: The Man who Died Twice by Richard Osman. The four seniors are at it again. Ex spy Elizabeth adds an ex husband to the mix but her husband Stephen is a big help in the resolution of the diamond find and crook comeuppance. Joyce, Ibrahim, Ron and Elizabeth have good and dependable friends in Chris and Donna (police) and Bogdan. Lots of laughs and a surprising good time in the midst of crime.

I listened to The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. I had heard from many sources that it was a good book, and it is a future pick of a Book Club I am in. It was a good book, but I found myself losing a little patience with Lakshmi, the narrator. It was interesting to learn about the art of henna, and about India during this time of cultural transition. It was good to be reminded of how we can start anew when things seem to be in crisis. It was also worthwhile to see how Lakshmi learned to sort through her life in order to determine what was really important, even if that meant discarding things she had once considered crucial. She even learned and grew as a person from what her ex-husband told her. But some of her thought processes seemed a little tiresome. And a couple of the things she did on impulse seemed....well...like they may have needed more of those thought processes she seemed so good at. A good book, but not one that I would rave about.

Rabbit Foot Bill by Helen Humphreys is a Canadian fiction book which is based on a true story. I learned about Weyburn Mental Hospital in Canwood Saskatchewan and the LSD drug trials there. That background enveloped the rest of the sadness of the story. Dr. Lenny Flint survived a difficulty, abusive childhood, but had one particular friend -- Rabbit Foot Bill, a hermit of sorts, but certainly a man made violent and anti-social by the war. Lenny's father was similar, but had not been brave or kind enough to remove himself from society. Lenny has lots to be sorry about with respect to Bill. And life, in general, has lots to be sorry about with respect to Lenny. In the end, Lenny is a survivor. And one can't help but feel it is because of Bill.

I listened to The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, which was recommended by a friend. It was easy to listen to. There was suspense, a true love story, and a narrator who was smart but not perfect. This is a story that highlights the things we really know about a person, amidst a lot of what we don't know. Hannah's husband disappears, leaving her and his daughter, Bailey, to figure out what happened. Different identities, different histories and crime families become their new norm. It was a good story with an ending that was as good as it could be, given the circumstances. The 16 year old made me a little mad sometimes -- adding, I think, to the reality of 16 year olds!

A Three Dog Life is about author Abigail Thomas' s life with her husband after his horrific accident which shattered his brain. Her observations about him, about herself and others are gentle and sometimes surprising, sometimes humorous. She talks honestly about her feelings of guilt, her coping, her reactions to the surprising insights her husband, Rich, sometimes offers. The title is because she had three dogs to give her solace and company. But also, an Australian aboriginal belief is cited before the story begins: they slept with their dogs for warmth on cold nights, the coldest being a 'three dog night'.

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult was full of surprises. I loved all of the information about elephants. There were some tragic parts of this story, and certainly some psychic versus science, and psychic beyond science moments. I liked all of the characters. Jenna's search for her mother, Alice, ends up roping in Virgil and Serenity, an ex-cop, and a psychic. Alice's story unfolds alongside the search story. The version of hope offered in this book is both human and spiritual.

Somehow I don't think reading The Essential Henri Nouwen edited by Robert A. Jonas gives me a true indication of Nouwen's thoughts and inspirations. Too many times things were edited to a point that they didn't make sense to me, a novice in reading Nouwen's work. Maybe they made perfect sense to those who knew his work already. Yet, I did sense a very spiritual, wise man, who struggled with his own ideas until he found peace in his faith.

I would like to have been a fly on the wall when son Jesse Kellerman worked with father Jonathan Kellerman to write Crime Scene. It's a good book with the right amount of action, love, kindness and humour. The main characters are likable, and there is a moral aspect to it that helps the reader to feel good right alongside Clay, the main character. It is basically about a murder investigation that got it wrong many years before, and the family fallout that happened afterwards.

I learned a lot from Indian in the Cabinet by Jody Wilson-Raybould about the workings of government and the tension between different versions of truth. However, I found it a bit preachy, and repetitive. There were times she made statements about what others were thinking or about their motivation that made me want to argue with her. I believe she worked hard in government, and held to high ideals. The idea of consensus based decision making rather than the partisanship of political parties is certainly an admirable goal. However, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if it would ever be achievable. Even in my little non-political life, consensus has never been easy to achieve, and sometimes is a goal that I must forego in order to move on.

Madeline Martin tells a good story in The Last Bookshop in London, which is particularly poignant during this time when we hear about the bombing in Ukraine, and the people's overwhelming bravery in the fact of a crisis. It is not written in a way that makes me want to savour the words; yet characters are developed in a way that gives them space in your heart. Grace, friend Viv, Mrs. Weatherford, Mr. Evans, George, Mr. Stokes, Colin, Jimmy and a host of others become realistic, and we even develop understanding and sympathy for them just as Grace does. Grace certainly grows in character as she takes on working in a bookstore (temporary, or so she thinks), and then doing brave and unimaginable rescue efforts during the blitz in London. I couldn't help but think that there is no way I could be as brave, or energetic, or persevering, or smart as she was. But I have a feeling that was the norm in wartime London.

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Memory Man by David Baldacci. Although there were lots of interesting scenarios, conditions, goary details...the dialogue was pretty ridiculous. Decker kept being the smart person to figure everything out while everyone seemed dumbfounded by his smarts. Some of the sycophantic questioning was a little yucky. I don't think I'll listen to another of these.

Once again Jonathan Kellerman did not disappoint. This time it was Over the Edge, another Alex Delaware mystery. A young former patient wakes him up one night with a bizarre and stressed phone call. So begins an adventure that includes the filthy rich, and the just plain filthy lowlife people. The boy, Jamie, was an heir to a company but had, instead, opted out of society because of mental health issues and then a horrific mass murder charge. The reality was that Jamie had been a sad pawn in a wealthy man's game.

Arsenic and Adobo seems to be the beginning of a series, written by Mia P. Manansala. It is about a woman who is helping her family in the running of a financially failing restaurant that is also very well regarded for its Philippino food. Unfortunately, a murder interrupts the family working to restore their business. There are recipes at the end of the book, some laughs, and quite a few interesting characters that hint at readers getting to know them better in the future. I wouldn't mind reading the next one when it comes out.

Apparently, The Minister’s Daughter by Julie Hearn is classified as a young adult book. It takes place in the 1600s in Puritan England and includes a move to the new world. There is tension between a hell fire and brimstone belief and beliefs in special healers and witches, fairies and piskies. And magic. Young Nell, the cumming woman’s granddaughter, is who we root for. She is good and Grace, the minister’s daughter is evil. But I think the father’s hypocrisy is the greatest sin in the book, leading to the unfolding of the story. Patience is the other minister’s daughter who acts out her hatred as a final act in the book.

The audiobook The Innocents by Michael Crummey was told with all the right accents...both Newfie, and Irish. The telling of this story was as much a work of art as the story. An orphaned brother and sister struggle to survive, all on their own. Interesting things happen, and they learn a lot, but the whole book moves towards one inevitable event. Incest is an awful word, but this book creates an innocent, tortured and loving relationship that ends up in the birth of a baby, Martha. At book end, both Ada and Everett really didn't understand how the baby got in Ada...

Peace by Chocolate by Jon Tattrie is about the Hadhad family, a refugee family from Syria. They came to Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 2016, and are now owner/operators of a chocolate factory called Peace by Chocolate. They love Canada; they love to share their story; and they love to create happiness, which is what they say they are doing with their chocolates. Many times I had tears in my eyes as I thought about how good and kind these people are...the Hadhads, and the Canadians who welcomed and helped them. For Easter, guess what I ordered? I am patiently awaiting my own peace by chocolate!

Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt is a thriller that takes place in the fictional Algonquin Bay, but is easily recognized as the real North Bay, Ontario. It is great to read of place names I recognize! It is gruesome in parts, soft-hearted and caring in others. The murders were horrific, and committed to satisfy the bizarre violent needs of two people. But the characters in this book are likable...especially Cardinal (and there's a tv show based on this but I haven't seen it yet). The book ends with an obvious opening for a sequel.

I'm reading the Alex Delaware novels in order. This one was Silent Partner by Jonathan Kellerman. I listened to it on audio, and had to keep rewinding in order to untangle the many threads involved. Alex's relationship with Robin is surprisingly taut with stress. Her accusations don't ring true to me based on the previous books. She's a little whiny, and complaining about Alex being controlling. He's not. He's very controlled, but also understanding and accepts others as they are, sometimes unquestioningly. As was the case with Sharon, his girlfriend of old, who figures in this story. Unsolving her murder uncovers more murders, poverty-stricken psych departments, the sad lives of rich people, pornography, and twins/triplets. Something about this story seemed too contrived for my taste.

Erasing Memory by Scott Thornley is an okay book, with lots of good parts, but some feel like they could be fleshed out a little more. The death of a young violinist is staged as both beautiful and horrific, and calls in some understanding of Eastern European politics. However, the father's relationship with her seems strange...They are touted as being very close, but he doesn't know her boyfriend, that she is pregnant, where she was going on the weekend, and her interest in nude photos. Maybe that's normal for some families, but not if they are as close as the book makes them out to be. The main detective, MacNeice, is interesting, as is another detective, Aziz. The setting seems to be Hamilton, Ontario, so that was kind of cool too.

Nita Prose is a first-time author with The Maid. I have to say that I loved this book and will definitely read her next. Molly Gray is a maid...and a person that is different than others, but maneuvering through life with effort and strength, and her Grandma's voice ever present in her head. She loves to clean. She adores order. She follows rules, but sometimes has a hard time understanding unwritten social rules. She stumbles upon a murder of a very rich man. She has some 'friends' early on in the book, and one turns out to be a scum bag. I love her thought processes when she decides she doesn't like someone...her imagination takes vindication! Great characters, and a few little smiles and chuckles along the way.

I read Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz a few years ago, but I forgot and put the audio version on reserve at the library. I decided to listen to it to refresh my memory. It was a really good book to listen to...well performed by two readers. It was a mystery book without an ending, which led to its own mystery to be solved by the editor of the real life author who was killed, resulting in yet another mystery. Of course, they all connected. There was a lot of name dropping of publishing companies, authors, mystery books. It really seemed to be a labour of love with respect to the whole genre.

I read Unreconciled by Jesse Wente in order to be a better neighbour and friend to indigenous people. I really wanted some help in understanding their concerns and needs, and how it relates to the way I live. It did teach me some things, but Wente made such sweeping pronouncements about things that I often was turned quite OFF. It was strongly worded, and I toughed it out in spite of my discomfort because, as he would have said, it's our turn to feel some of the pain. He spoke about truth, and white supremacy building a damaging system, and all that we owe because of all that we have taken away. Some of his reasonings about things were a little convoluted, especially some that indicated he didn't feel indigenous enough...and then later determined that was the fault of the system that the colonizers had deliberately put in place to belittle, kill, jail etc. his people. He's right about some things...the writing of history, the living in current social and political systems, need more indigenous involvement and input. But some of what he said was just too insensitive and even irrational. Don't diss what was done in the past, by doing it now as repayment. If it was wrong then, it is wrong now.

Politics and humour aren't usually a comfortable match. But they are in The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis. I laughed at the wonderful images of Daniel trying to lose an election for his candidate, Angus being his 'anguish' self, the love scene near the beginning of the book described in political terms, fruit and vegetable missiles thrown and sometimes thrown back, and the hovercraft rescue of the opposition party vote during a wicked (familiar!) snow storm. The characters are likable, and there is a warmth in the humour (true for all truly funny books, in my opinion). Reading this, though, makes me a little sad, because our real world of politics is not funny at all, and runs to what this book shows as a negative....lacking honesty, conscience, engaging in public trickery, very unbalanced budgets. Sigh.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous -- by Ocean Vuong is poetic fiction. I liked parts of it. I don't think I'm a fan of explicit sexual description or random poetry or difficult narratives to follow. So, not my favourite.

An Old, Cold Grave by Iona Whishaw is more my type of book than the last one. The body of a child is discovered when the roof of a root cellar gives way. Lane Winslow is asked by Inspector Darling to learn about the community of King's Cove pre WWI, to find out if there were missing children. This is a post WWII book, where Lane also has flashbacks to her war days, in particular, her romance with Angus, which we learned about in previous books. I like how each book fleshes out new memories or traits of its characters. Darling (first name Fred but I'll call you Darling says Lane) and Lane have a tense relationship but love prevails! There is also a side story of a troubled young girl who acts out because her family won't let her go to university, and want to see her married off instead. I will be reading the rest of this series.

I listened to Wolf and Iron by Gordon R. Dickson for a book club. It was a reminder of how the world can deteriorate in terms of modern conveniences and social niceties in exchange for survival. GB is the main character who learns a lot about his companion, a wolf, and in turn the reader learns a lot too. He goes on (ad nauseum) in great detail about different things such as when he gets hurt, needs pills, needs to go to the bathroom, needs rest, etc. There were a few 'duh' moments for me when I was surprised at what GB didn't figure out e.g. Mary's pregnancy, likely name for the baby. Some things didn't ring true...as though the author read them in a book rather than learning from experience. I found the birth process a little like that...Mom's get suddenly depressed right before giving birth???? Breastfeeding doesn't hurt??? And the ending is what I had figured out long before. Why did he think his brother's ranch would be a safe haven when he had just spent so much time looting a ranch that harbored dead bodies and much destruction thanks to gangs of raider? Lots of okay stuff, I'm glad I stuck through it, but not one I would ever re-read.

I loved We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. This book had characters who offered up some pretty huge surprises, and somehow seemed real despite a number of difficult and seemingly impossible circumstances. A lot of misunderstandings and mistakes lead to tragedy. A self-proclaimed outlaw (a young girl) is fiercely protective of her damaged family but ends up misreading situations and causing more damage. She isn't the only one that makes damaging mistakes: there's a car accident, a long-ago abortion, intercepting police information, a fire, a couple of shootings. Lots and lots of mistakes and lots of pain. In the end, fierce and protective love finally gets it right. This book had a lot of unexpecteds in it and kept me riveted.

I listened to the book called The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The love of Evelyn's life was a woman, so most of the husbands were little more than decoys. It is a tremendous love story, told to a journalist by an aging beautiful actress. There's a little Elizabeth Taylor like action in this story. The journalist ends up discovering an unwitting connection with Evelyn...between her father and Evelyn's manager, daughter daddy, and one-time husband but all-time best friend Harry. It's really not a great story...in my opinion.

This is a horrible admission but I only read the first of the Harry Potter books. But I may read the whole series of JK Rawling's pseudonymn: Robert Galbraith. I just finished The Cuckoo's Calling which was a really good book about a struggling sleuth named Cormoran Strike, amputee, ex-army (Afghanistan), and former live-in with a beautiful society girl, Charlotte. But now owing money, no clients, living out of his office. A 'temp' Robin helps turn his luck around with her efficiency, discretion, intelligence and interest in his line of work. A famous beautiful model died three months in an apparent suicide but the brother decides he needs a detective to look into it because he didn't think it was suicide. It is a meticulously crafted murder mystery, and I would love to see the BBC television series.

Cormoran Strike is not quite so destitute in this second book of Robert Galbraith's series, The Silkworm. Robin is still the secretary but becomes elevated after some frustrating moments when she thought she would be replaced as Cormoran's helper in solving cases, and Cormoran thought he would be losing her upon her marriage. This is a book also about books and authors...Is their world really that wretched? There is a horrible murder of an attention seeking and second rate author, for which his dowdy wife is accused. Again...interesting characters, and Strike and Robin become even more real in this book. Again...good series.

My friend, e.b. bonenfant loves to learn about Mayan culture, and she wrote a historical fiction book called Adventures among the Maya and the Secret of the Crystal Amulet. I admire that she loves to learn, and that she fulfilled a dream.

The ending of Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith was priceless...a clumsy spill during a wedding, and a giant smile on the bride's face! This book was pretty graphic...body parts and the chapters where the killer tells his longing to kill. It is a vendetta against Strike, one of three suspects, but it is also a deranged man who has a need to kill. Robin is a target but surprises the killer, and others, with her self-defense moves. Robin is fired but someone the end of the book makes the reader realize she will be back. Another very good story.

State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny has the earmarks of Louise Penny's novels. It sure took us to all the hot spots in the world, and introduced us to evil terrorists, and incompetent politicians and January 6th types of people. I have grown a little tired of Penny's signature style...one line paragraphs or bullet sentences that are supposed to be whammies. I feel that I am being played. I know that I am not typical in this reaction.

Book 4 of the Cormorant Strike series....a pretty complex plot in Lethal White by Robert Galbraith. We get to see more of Robin and Cormorant's friendship, and some new skills of Robin's...going undercover. She and Matthew break up, and poor Cormorant gets cornered a couple of times by Charlotte. His leg is still in pretty bad shape. This plot involves government ministers, the Olympics, horses, and artwork.

I just finished the last of the Cormorant Strike series: Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith. This was a marathon of a book...over 1000 pages. It was a good story of a 40 year old murder, thought to be done by a mass murderer in prison, but instead done by someone in plain view. Lots of neat things: a detective who did all the initial investigation but went bonkers, hiding true knowledge behind the complexities of astrology. There are side mysteries, the death of Strkie's aunt, his estranged father's persistence in meeting up, his ex-girlfriend's suicide attempt, and...Robin. Robin is now divorced, living in a shared arrangement with gay Max. And the story ends with Strike and Robin celebrating her birthday. Their relationship has moved along with respect and friendship, and love that keeps trying to assert itself. Wondering if there will be another book or not.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel was recommended to me by someone who just loved it. I can't say that I loved it though. The young forger saves many people and takes braves risks, but only feels shame for the people she didn't save. Her mother is exceedingly harsh and kind of annoyed me. Her mother just added to her feelings of guilt. There is an improbable love story ending that one could see coming. And Ava's terrible relationship with her son doesn't fit with her other professions of loyalty and love for family.

Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci is the first in a series featuring Atlee Pine, an FBI agent who is also a ripped weight lifter. It was a rather messy and convoluted story involving nuclear bombs, Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, and rogue U.S. government leaders. Then there is the back story of Atlee's abducted sister and the serial killer she believes is responsible. Atlee's secretary, Blum, turns out to be a real breath of fresh air...and at times, seems more plausible to me than Atlee who seems to be a little larger than life.

Bluebird by Genevieve Graham is a historical fiction book that deals with the Canadian nurses (Bluebirds) who served in WW1 and the prohibition era, including the violence, competition and rum running between Windsor and Detroit. It's a dual love story, one from two very different generations, and the story of a house/home. It gives an exciting glimpse into the dangerous worlds of tunnellers during the war, the bravery of nurses, and the wrecklessness and extravagance of the prohibition era. I enjoyed this book.

Sickly sweet and highly repetitious, with a predictability that made me want to get it done and over with: The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman. It's about an orchard, a family, their recipes and their business. But, honestly, the sugary aspect of the storyline gave me a toothache!

Untamed by Glennon Doyle certainly had some good moments....good advice, good stories, even a few chuckles. But sometimes I found her just a little too self-righteous while trying not to be self-righteous. But then again, I'm not usually an open-minded reader of self-help kind of books.

I love The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce. It's one of those books where you like the characters...imperfect, sometimes maddening, and very likable. It's one of those books you don't want to end, except there's a part where you wonder...how can it end? It's a mess. Frank is hooked on vinyl, listening to people and helping them, and recalling his strange life with his strange mom. But then he gets hooked on Ilsa. There are a lot of really interesting facts about famous musicians too. A good read.

Light reading, good for a laugh: Operation Angus by Terry Fallis. Some of the laughs were predictable, and I didn't find this as enthralling as the first book. It seemed like it went on past it's climax a little too long. But the ugly spider shaped building was pretty funny.

Are Canadians trying to douse our nice-guy, polite person image? When I read prize-winning Canadian fiction, that is exactly what I think. None more obvious that When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill. Two self-centered girls, Sadie and Marie, wind their way through every way to self-serve. They kill a maid early on in the book, and that shadow remains throughout the book, especially when they discover that the maid is Marie's real mother, and she has a twin, Mary. A sugar factory provides the money, and the revolutionary people. The perspectives of the two girls changes throughout the book and the author did a good job recognizing that we people do not stay thinking and acting the same throughout our lives. There are two other characters that merit note: George (the real heiress to the sugar factory but she is happy helping others, writing, and living in a small room...and she doesn't ever find out who she really is anyway) and Mary the baker, who is Marie's twin, only to be known by Marie after her Dad and the maid (mother) died. The book kind of disgusted me, but I had to keep listening to see who it would end. It tried to end rather nobly, but I was still disgusted.

Another in the Alex Delaware series: Time Bomb by Jonathan Kellerman. This was a pretty involved story, with current politics relying on prejudice, right wing and left wing extremism, scandal, and neo-nazi superiority. It was pretty wild how it all came together. Alex has a new love and he and Milo cement their friendship with another close call.

The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams had lots of murders, lots of comfort and lots of books in it. Nora moved to Miracle Springs to get away from her own demons, and to run a book store, where she provides bibliotherapy as needed. She has a host of very good friends, and is beginning a relationship with paramedic Jed. This story is all about a stranger they meet who is a runaway. It turns out she was in her uncle's charge most of her life, and he kept her mostly in the basement. She didn't go to school, and had no social skills. But she could bake/cook, knew books, fix clocks and was creative. Her story inches out throughout the pages but involves the murder of her uncle, her uncle's former neighbour, and the neighbour's son. Crooks who offer to sell valuables for people end up being involved, and one of the is the murderer. It all has to do with a hollowed out book, a watch, and the red diamonds found within the watch. Lots of intrigue, and some cute side stories too.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger is an amazing story of a young boy (13), son of a minister, and the trials of his family and community. It is heart-breaking, and uplifting at the same time. The boy's personality sure rings true...a boy interested in girls, getting into mischief, and figuring out the world. It takes place in Minnesota in the 1960s. I listened to the audiobook version and it was very well done.

Author Simu Liu is a Marvel superhero, noted also for his role in the tv show Kim's Convenience. We Were Dreamers is his autobiography. I found his parents' back stories very interesting. I became shocked at what happened in Canada though...how the family seemed to cave in on itself, resorting to cruelty and violence. Sometimes I liked Simu, but then sometimes I was frustrated with him. I didn't like the constant put downs of his parents. And he tried to be honest, yet self-effacing at times...I just think it's hard to write your own story and get the tone just right.

Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah is about family, love and how a little wild girl begins to learn and fit into society. Julia is a disgraced psychologist and is summoned by her police chief sister to help with a young girl they found swinging from the trees. The two sisters work on their relationships with each other, but also come to value other important relationships. It is a book that made me laugh sometimes, and I definitely had to wipe away a few tears near the end.

Fantasy is not my genre of choice but I was given Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo as a gift. I really enjoyed it. It was well written with interesting characters and a clever plot. The Grisham powers of Nina and Jesper were kind of cool. Kaz who is tough and Wiley showed his interest in Inej at the wrong time which necessitates a sequel. Mathias is hopelessly in love with Nina in spite of being conditioned to hate her kind. Wylan is the disgraced son of a merchant who is double crossing the band of crooks. Lots of good stuff here.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is about broken relationships, regret, love, hope, friendship and the real ebb and flow of emotion in a typical life. It’s by Rachel Joyce and helped establish her as an important author. Harold walks many miles and many days to deliver a letter to an old and wronged friend. His changing thoughts and feelings and the people he meets juxtaposes to his life with Maureen and David. Unspeakable sadness gives way to the real love that was always there.

I listened to In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green and the reader was perfect. Some surprises in this book and the messed up heroine is uncovered as less messed up than others in the story. The cottage is spooky, the back story involving murder and suicide is gruesome. But Neeve grows up, after having faced a truth she didn’t suspect.

Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown is the story of two different women living in two different eras in the same house. Both, however, are influenced by the advice of the early 1900's about how to support, please, cook for, obey etc. your man. Both do their best, but cannot keep being disrespected, or disregarded. It's interesting about the 'recipe' that becomes the book's title, because, it might seem that the only perfect wife is one who gets ride of the husband. Mmmm....

I listened to The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley which was a slow moving mystery that I figured out long before the end. Now I'm listening to a blog about it and the speakers are raving and raving about it. It was about a sister (Jen) coming from England to Paris, to stay with her brother (Ben), who is missing, has a posh apartment, had uncovered a touchy news story, lived in a building where everyone loved/hated him. Jen is gutsy...I liked her but the story just dragged on a bit much.

Every now and then I try to read a classic. This time it was The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Of course, I knew the premise. But there was so much chatter, and pretension, and just plain unlikability. Not my favourite.

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is an amazing first novel for Juliet Grames. I live in a community that is heavily influenced by its Italian population, originally immigrated to work labour at the Steel Plant. Our political, and lawyer population and our restaurants all attest to the hard working, get-ahead attitude of those early Italian immigrants. However, this book tells some of the other stories that lie underneath the success....especially the stories of the amazing women. I recognize both Stella's mother and father in the people I know. I recognize her oldest son, and some of the ne-er to well others. And I certainly recognize her daughter and her sister. Stella's life doesn't go as planned, or maybe it was the lack of planning that happened. Despite a desire to keep her body to herself, she marries and has 10 children. This story seems to be truer than most.

I just did my year-end count that I’ve been doing since 1988. I’m a little light on non-fiction but not necessarily eager to change. Mysteries and historical fiction are my favourites.